Page 128 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

They washed up using lake water, and now they were telling stories in the moonlight.

Seeley held the flashlight by his chin, illuminating his face in the creepiest way, and spoke in a low voice. “There used to be a club for kids eight to ten years old called Young Hikers. They’d go hiking on the weekends and stay overnight in the wilderness with a camp counselor, who was usually a kid in their twenties. One warm September night, a group of kids were hiking the Appalachian Trail, and there was a boy named Tommy, who befriended another kid named Jimmy. The boys became close, sticking together during the entire three-hour hike. Jimmy even showed him the thin leather necklace he wore as a good luck charm. Tommy had never had a good luck charm, and since his birthday was coming up, he made a mental note to ask his parents for one. That night they were staying in a log shelter that had cots along both walls and rough openings in the walls for windows, but there was no glass, and there was no door.”

He paused, the sounds of crickets chirping and animals scurrying under the brush breaking the silence. “After dinner, they played some games and told ghost stories around the campfire, like we are. The counselor told a story about a werewolf that lived in the woods and ate children. That made the kids a little nervous, but he reassured them that he was only kidding, and then he told a bunch of silly stories that put them at ease. When they got up to go to bed, the counselor teasingly told them to be sure to check under their cots for the werewolf. The kids were like, yeah, right, laughing him off. But Tommy was still a little nervous, so Jimmy said he’d sleep in the cot next to his. They stayed up as late as they could, talking until they both fell asleep.”

Seeley’s gaze moved between Juliette and Lucas, who was as riveted by the story as she was. “The next morning, Tommy woke up excited to see his new friend, but Jimmy’s bed was empty, his backpack was gone, and most of the kids were outside already. Tommy quickly ran outside to find Jimmy. When he didn’t see him anywhere, he asked the other kids if they’d seen him. But they had no idea who he was talking about. It was like Jimmy didn’t exist. But Tommy knew his new friend was not a figment of his imagination. The counselor told them to get their things together because they were heading out soon, so Tommy went back into the shelter with the other kids to change out of his pajamas and grab his backpack. But Jimmy didn’t return to the cabin. Tommy’s stomach started hurting, his nerves made him shaky, and when he picked up his backpack, the contents fell out because he’d forgotten to zip it closed. He scrambled on his hands and knees, collecting his things as the other kids ran outside with their backpacks. When he reached under Jimmy’s cot, he felt scratches in the wood floor. He looked closer, and saw they were claw marks.”

Seeley’s voice went lower, sounding eerier. “Tommy’s heart was pounding, fear prickling his skin. He quickly looked under his cot, but there were no scratches in the floor. He ran around checking under each of the other cots, and there were no scratches under any of them. He jumped frantically to his feet to go tell the counselor, but the counselor was already standing in the doorway. Tommy ran to him, but before he could say a word, the counselor bent down, bringing his face inches from Tommy’s. That’s when Tommy noticed Jimmy’s leather necklace hanging around the counselor’s neck, and when the counselor asked what was wrong, Tommy saw that he had fangs.”

“Whoa!” Lucas said, and started laughing. “That was awesome!”

Juliette’s chest was so tight, it hurt. “That was terrifying. Lucas, are you going to be okay sleeping in your own tent tonight?”

“Yes. It was just a story.” Lucas glanced at Seeley and said, “I told you she’d get scared.”

Seeley laughed and put his arm around her. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I can take down a werewolf.”

“I’m not scared.” She shrugged out from under his arm. “I just wanted to make sure Lucas was okay.”

“Uh-huh. Right, Mom.” Lucas grinned.

“Whatever,” Juliette teased. “I’ve got a scary story for you. Keep making fun of me, and I’ll go find a werewolf to gobble you up.”

“A’right. That’s enough,” Doc said with a laugh, and handed Lucas the flashlight. “Your turn, bud. Make it a good one.”

Lucas held the flashlight under his chin, eyeing them, and spoke as low and creepily as Seeley had. “One time there was a kid who fell off a bull, and he found out he had cancer.”

Juliette’s and Seeley’s smiles plummeted.

“I’m kidding!” Lucas exclaimed. “But you should see your faces.” He laughed.

“Lucas, that’s not funny,” she said, worried. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I know having cancer isn’t funny, but that kind of was the perfect scary story. I mean, Doc told a story about werewolves. At least mine is real.”

“Buddy, your cancer isn’t just a story to us,” Seeley said.

“I know. I get it. I’m not stupid. But isn’t this our fuck-cancer camping trip?” he asked. “I know you love me, and this scares the crap out of all of us, but it’s my cancer. Can’t I try to make it not so horrible in my own head? I mean, if I can’t be sarcastic about it, then it’s just this awful thing that I can’t stand to think about. And that sucks even worse.”

Juliette took a deep breath, struggling to understand and keep her emotions at bay.

Seeley held her a little tighter and said, “Did it make you feel better to joke about it?”

“Yes,” Lucas insisted. “But not if it gets you guys mad.”

“We’re not mad,” Juliette said. “You caught us off guard, that’s all. We worry about you.”

“Mom, remember when I was sick last year and puking all over the house? I had that awful fever, and you were really worried about me, remember?”

“How could I forget? I had to clean up all the puke trails, and you could barely hold your head up, so yes, I was worried.”

“I called myself the barf train, remember? As sick as I was, joking about it made me feel better. That’s all I was doing. I didn’t mean to worry you guys.”

She remembered him calling himself the barf train and realized she had to separate her feelings from what their son needed. “It’s okay. You’re right, honey. You’re the one who has cancer, and you should be able to say the things that make it easier for you to deal with.”

“Just give us a little warning next time, will ya?” Seeley pushed to his feet and ruffled Lucas’s hair.

“Yeah, sure. Wimp,” Lucas teased.