12 Coffins by Lewis Pennington

Author:Lewis Pennington [Pennington, Lewis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silver Lining Publishing
Published: 2024-06-12T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

For the next twenty minutes I unloaded everything on my brother, from Ozzy’s time in the coffin to Mr. Rosen’s demands, even Maudie’s questioning me. “What should I do?” I began to sob. “If I don’t do it, he’ll—”

“He won’t do anything.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’ll do what he asks. There’s nothing else you can do.”

“But isn’t it wrong?”

“Was it wrong for us to do it?” he asked.

“I don’t know. We didn’t take advantage of anything we saw.”

“That’s right. In fact, your idea to save the president was a good thing.”

I ran my sleeve over my eyes. “Yeah, all I wanted was to do good. What do you think Rosen’s trying to do? I don’t see him wanting to save anybody.”

“I don’t either.” Drew scratched his chin. “There’s a reason though and I’d bet anything it’s to benefit himself.”

“So you think I should go through with it?”

“Like I said, it’s all you can do. We can’t call the cops—it’s his factory. And he’s right, since he owns it, he can do whatever he wants in there. The other thing is there’s no law about people seeing visions. The only thing that’ll get you is a straitjacket.”

“I’m still afraid though.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going with you.”

“You can’t. He said not to tell anybody.”

“It’ll be alright. I’ll go early and hide in the coat closet. I’ll be right there, and I won’t be alone.”

“You thinkin’ about bringin’ Mary Lib?”

“No, PaPa’s shotgun.”

***

At eight o’clock that evening, while Gonny was at Maudie’s having the talk she requested, Drew snuck into her room and pulled our grandfather’s twelve-gauge out from under the bed while I guarded the back door.

“What time are you going to the factory?” I asked as we ran back to his room.

“Nine,” he said, wrapping a blanket around the gun. “I gotta get there before they come.”

A few minutes later we heard Gonny coming through the back door. “Boys, where are you?”

Drew stashed the gun under the bed. “We’re in here.”

The door cracked open, and she poked her head inside. She wore a thin, forced smile.

“Did you need us for something?” Drew asked.

“No, just checking. You boys get to sleep on time tonight. Don’t forget, nine thirty.”

As soon as the door closed, I was in Drew’s face. “She knows. I’m telling ya, she knows.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Then why’d she say that?”

“It’s just what she does sometimes.”

“I don’t remember her ever just checking in on us like that.”

“Well, she has. You just don’t remember because you’re scared right now.”

“You bet I’m scared, especially now with you having a gun. You don’t know how to use that thing. You don’t even like guns. And I hate ’em. And I’m hating this more and more. Can’t we just stay here? Please, Drew. This is a bad, bad idea.”

“Are you finished?” he calmly asked.

“I’m telling you it’s a bad idea.”

“Listen, I don’t like it any better than you, but if you don’t get Happy on those coffins, I’m sure Rosen will make good with his threats. Let’s just get through this.

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