Ryan took the sketch. Sloan drew a ripgrot behind Chase, meaning he saw proprietaries and only angelkins saw them.
Chase needed to learn about the ripgrot somehow and he looked hurt already. That meant a lucifedor wanted him to be oblivious to danger.
Ryan gave Sloan the sketch. "Do you see anything else on anyone?"
"No," said Sloan, ripping it quietly. "Do you know what it is?"
"I think so."
The bell in the corridor rang and everyone hustled out. Ryan took a piece of paper from his notebook and crumpled it up.
Mr. Connelly scanned a stack of papers at the table and Ryan tossed the paper ball past the trash bin. It bounced on the floor beneath the chalkboard and Mr. Connelly glanced at it briefly as Ryan hurried toward it.
Ryan swiped the piece of chalk in the tray and picked up the paper ball, tossing it in the bin.
---
Chase sat behind Ryan in Algebra and Ryan asked about his two days off. He grumbled without much of an answer.
Mr. Bailey gave Ryan Chase's graded quiz from the other day. Ryan handed it to Chase and he reached for it stiffly, dropping it on the floor. Ryan stretched for it and Chase leaned in one beat too early, grazing him on the arm.
"Sorry," said Chase awkwardly.
Ryan paused. He saw a vision in color in his mind of Chase walking with Troy through a construction site. Chase stepped in wet cement. It hardened fast and he stood there in agony, struggling to lift his foot out.
"Do you walk home?" asked Ryan.
"Yeah," said Chase.
"Don't go to the construction site."
"Why are you saying that?"
"There's wet cement . . . somewhere."
"Okay," said Chase, shifting his gaze. He rubbed his thumb over his finger agitatedly. "There was no wet cement there this morning."
"It's there now."
Chase grimaced and shook his head. "Why's that - red cock?"
"What did you call me?" asked Ryan angrily, waiting for the rebuttal.
"A red cock," he said quietly.
"Walk in cement, Chase - do it. I like my red cock just fine."
"Ryan," said Mr. Bailey condescendingly. "I don't want to hear that language in my class."
"Chase said it too," said Ryan.
"That's enough," he said sternly. "I'll send both of you to detention if I hear it again."
Chase kicked Ryan's chair hard.
---
In the school cafeteria, Luke sat at a table with Chase and Troy. The three boys ate lunch like they attended a funeral.
Ryan watched Chase, but he barely looked up from his beef stew and peach cobbler.
Dolores stopped by and gave Ryan a clean, coffee filter filled to the rim with packs of soda crackers.
"I had extra," she said, leaving with a proud smile.
"Hey," said Kent loudly from the table across the way. "I think we should chip in and donate to Ryan's food drive."
"Ryan, my mom has cans of creamed corn left over from Easter," said Wes. "I can bring them in if you want."
They chuckled and Ryan grimaced at them, sliding the crackers to the center of the table.
"I don't want any," said Ryan.
"Thanks," said Pablo, taking a pack. "This thing you got with the lunch lady's working out good."
"Yeah, real good," said Jamal, taking one.
Sloan opened a pack of crackers and crunched one fast. "What was that thing on Chase?"
Ryan took a bite of a ham and cheese sandwich. "An entity thing."
"How did he get it?"
"I don't know," said Ryan.
"I'll just take one more," said Pablo with a shy grab.
Sloan munched another pack. "So, why do you think Chase and Troy missed two days of school?"
"It's that thing on him," said Ryan. "It probably hurt Troy too."
"What does it do?" asked Sloan.
"It posseses you and messes you up."
"How do you know that?"
"I read it in a book I got at the book drive," said Ryan. "Now I know what's bothering me."
"A book like that was at the book drive?" asked Sloan.
"Yeah," said Ryan.
"You got an entity problem?" asked Jamal.
"It's nothing," said Ryan.
Pablo touched his forehead, then his chest and both shoulders. "I'll pray for you," he said, snatching the last pack of crackers.
"I can get rid of it," said Ryan.
"That's the attitude," said Pablo, nodding fast.
---
After school, Ryan found Mr. Ross' car in the parking lot.
"Grace needs to go home," said Mr. Ross. "Then I'm bringing you somewhere."
"Where?"
"You'll see."
Mr. Ross dropped Grace off and drove Ryan past the construction site. He parked in front of St. Matthew's Church.
Mr. Ross blessed himself at the entrance. He and Ryan kneeled at the statue of Jesus in the corner.
Mr. Ross said a prayer quietly and Ryan folded his hands, waiting for him.
Then he stood up and went to the basin of holy water against the wall, pulling a small, empty bottle from his pocket. Ryan trailed behind him.
"Light a candle for my prayer - here." He handed Ryan a single bill. "Put it in the donation box."
"I still have the coins you gave me," said Ryan.
"Good. Light a candle for you too and put the coins in."
Rows of ascending candles in a black stand surrounded a statue of the Holy Mother in back of the church. Ryan dropped the bill and coins inside the donation box beside a container of wooden skewers in tiny gravel.
He took a skewer and lit it with the flame from another candle and the fire spread up the skewer fast. He lit two candles near the statue's feet quickly and put the flame out in the gravel. The fire burned both wicks in a subtle dance and the scent soothed him.
"I wanted to ask her out," said a voice behind him.
Ryan squeezed his pocket with the chalk in it and turned. Troy Sullivan stood there sadly.
"Huh?" said Ryan.
"Amy," he said softly.
"Oh," said Ryan anxiously.
Dirt marks covered his shirt and face. Splashes of cement spotted his khaki pants and brown boots.
"What happened?" asked Ryan.
"What you said," said Troy. "He got stuck. They broke his foot when they took it out of his boot. He's at the hospital now."
Troy headed to the front of the church and turned his head. "For Amy and Jordan?" he asked, looking at the candles.
"Yeah, for them," said Ryan, playing along nervously.
Troy walked out and Mr. Ross gave Ryan the bottle he filled with holy water.
"Bless your room when you get home."
"What do I do?"
"Throw some water in each corner. Say 'Be gone in the name of Jesus' and put some at the door."
Ryan held the bottle curiously and followed him to the car.
He went to the passenger side and Mr. Ross unlocked the doors. A large, tree branch cracked above him and Ryan looked up. The branch fell, striking him on the head and he collapsed. The bottle of holy water hit the pavement.
---
Ryan woke up in a hospital bed and Mr. Ross leaned over him.
"He's awake," he said.
A nurse rushed out of the room.
"The holy water saved you, kid. If that branch was any bigger, you'd be dead."
The sun shined brightly through the hospital window.
"What time is it?" mumbled Ryan.
"Breakfast time. You're lucky it's Saturday. You and me would miss Dolores today."
The nurse and a doctor came in.
"Hi, Ryan. I'm glad to see you're awake. I'm Doctor Marcos. Do you know your address?" He aimed a tiny, shining flashlight in his eyes.
"Eleven Maple Road," said Ryan.
"Good . . . good. You're doing okay. What school do you go to?"
"Harvey Middle School."
"Great." He stepped back. "He's going to be fine. I'll go over the Cat Scan with you when it comes back from the lab."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Mr. Ross, watching him leave. "Hey, you did good. I'm going to the cafeteria and ordering your breakfast. I'll make sure there's plenty for both of us."
Mr. Ross rushed out and Ryan sat up, throwing the sheet off. Someone dressed him in a johnny and left his boxers on.
He stumbled out of the bed, pulling the curtain back. Chase Xavier slept soundly in the next bed. Someone handcuffed his left wrist to the bed rail and a large cast encased his right foot that he failed to cover.
Ryan used the bathroom and staggered out. Chase woke up and yanked on the handcuff chain hard. He took a urinal filled halfway beside him.
"Ryan?"
"Hi."
"Why are you here?"
"A tree branch . . . I - "
"A tree branch?" He shifted his eyes. "Come here."
Ryan stepped closer apprehensively and Chase stared at him.
"Nothing broke that branch. It wasn't even windy out. That's so weird."
"What?"
"Nothing. I hope you get better. You were right about the cement. How did you know?"
"Um . . . I hope you get better too," said Ryan, clearing his throat. "Did something bad happen to you when you were out of school?"
Chase rocked his head on the pillow. "It was an accident. I didn't want to tell anybody. I stuck a knife in the toaster. It was on and I got shocked. Troy pulled me off, but he got shocked too. We felt so sick afterwards."
"That sucks," said Ryan.
"Yeah. I thought my dad unplugged it and he got scared about it," said Chase. "Then Amy and Jordan died and he didn't want me in school until things got better."
Ryan nodded. "Yeah."
"Ryan, I don't know why I called you a red cock in Algebra."
"Forget it."
"Okay. Well . . . how did you know about the cement?"
"I just . . . saw it."
"Oh."
Ryan climbed into bed.
Mr. Ross hurried in, holding a tray with a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, toast, ham and hash browns with two cups of coffee and one glass of orange juice.
He sat in the visitor chair next to Ryan, stuffing a piece of ham in his mouth.
Doctor Marcos came in. "Hi, there. I'll be quick." He smiled. "The Cat Scan results are inconclusive. Ryan just needs bed rest."
"That's good to hear," said Mr. Ross, chewing with a grin.
Ryan ate the toast and drank some juice. Then he fell asleep.
---
He awoke in the middle of the night. Chase yanked the handcuff chain repeatedly.
"I want to go home," he said to someone and paused. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. Pick me up tomorrow. I don't need anger management." He paused. "Don't say that again!" He slammed the phone receiver down.
Ryan believed Chase saw the accurate turn of past events, but something made him tempermental.
---
Ryan went to the bathroom the next morning and the nurse adjusted Chase's empty bed back.
"Where's Chase?"
"Doctor Marcos moved him," she said. "I have good news. You're being released today at noon. Call your dad."
She placed a clear bag filled with his clothes on the visitor chair and put his boots underneath it.
---
Ryan sat in a wheelchair and Mr. Ross handed him the bottle of holy water, but he gave it back. Mr. Ross took it with a grunt and wheeled him to the elevator.
He drove Ryan home and took off.
Miss Aldridge opened the door and hugged him in the living room gently.
"I'm so glad you're alright. I wanted to talk to you, but your dad answered. You were sleeping."
"That's okay."
She smiled nervously. "Did you go in my room yesterday?"
Ryan put his head down and she pulled the cologne bottle out of her pocket. Ryan wanted to kick himself. He forgot to hide it.
"I needed it for the phantic," he said.
"The what?"
"The phantic that follows me."
"I don't know anything about a phantic, Ryan, but if you want to go in my room, you have to ask me first."
Ryan swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Mom."
"I'm sorry, too. You can't take something from me without asking."
She took the cologne in her bedroom and closed the door.
Ryan saw the ghostly, white figure hover behind him. Then it disappeared.