The spotted the man less than a mile from the store. It was Debbie who saw him first. She thought she noticed someone up ahead, and squinted through the windshield, trying to make out details in the bright sun. He was skinny, his baggy, worn clothes hanging on him like a scarecrow suit. Even at this distance she could see that his longish, straggly hair was white, and his face was seamed by wrinkles. As she watched, he looked toward the approaching van, set a duffel bag down on the shoulder of the road, and put his thumb out in the classic hitchhiker stance. "Look at that," she murmured. "I don't think I've ever seen a senior citizen hitching before."

The other passengers shifted toward the front of the van to take a look. Andy said, "Stop for him, Chris. Let's give the old guy a break."

"Are you kidding?" said Shelly. "He looks like a real bum. And besides, he looks weird. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to pick up hitch hikers?"

"My mother told me not to do a lot of things," said Vera pointedly, "and sometimes I ignore her. That's just the mind set most of the middle class has these days. If we don't give him a ride, who will?"

Chuck said, "Let's give him a ride. He looks just like my grandfather."

As the van pulled over, slowing, Shelly muttered, "Well, you have a creepy grandfather, then."

The man approached the van slowly and cautiously, and Chris thought sadly that he'd probably had his share of people who thought it was cute to pretend they were going to help him, then take off. Chuck opened the van's sliding door, smiling at the man, and offering a hand to help him in. The man's smile had been tense, but now it relaxed. He accepted Chuck's help, and soon he was settled in the back of the van, his duffel beside him. Chuck shut the door, and Chris minutely adjusted the rear view mirror so she could see their new passenger.

The man nodded at them courteously, including Chris. "I've been traveling that hot, dusty road for a long time. Folks don't have much good to say about you young people these days, but you're all kind and generous to help out a tired old man. Thank you. I hope to be able to repay your kindness." As Chris pulled out, he said, "My name is Abel, and I am my brother's keeper."

The other's had relaxed--all but Shelly. He was watching the man narrowly. "Where are you going?"

The man blinked. "Going?"

"Is there any place in particular we can drop you off?"

"Drop me off? How do you mean?" Shelly gave his friends an 'I told you so' look. He didn't notice Abel remove a small, cloth wrapped bundle from his duffel. Abel opened it, and said, "Look at what His Grace brought me." He held it up before Shelly's face. Everyone squinted at it curiously. It was small, blobby, slick, and white. Abel continued, "There were other pieces of the body lying about, but I believe He wanted me to have this."

Shelly gasped, jerking back. "Oh, God--that's an eyeball!"

Abel nodded, as the other passengers took a look, came to the same realization, and reacted with varying degrees of disgust and horror. "He wants me to warn you. Look, and see--all of you!" He held the grisly object out to each one. "See for yourself what I have seen. Run away. Go back to where you came from. Turn back now!"

Chris stamped on the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching halt. Abel exited the van much more quickly and with much less gentle consideration than he boarded it, then the door was slammed shut and the van took off. He stepped into the middle of the road, hand raised over his head like a prophet making a solemn proclamation. "I warned you!" As the van disappeared he slowly lowered his hand, and his voice was almost a whisper as he looked up at the sky. "You saw--I did try."

Another couple of miles down the road, there was another pit stop. This time there was no 'convenience' available, so Debbie trotted off into the bushes. As the others waited, Chris leaned patiently against a tree. After a moment or two, Andy did a hand stand, and started walking around on his hands. When he passed Vera, he grinned at her, upside down. "Gotta keep in practice. With me, it's the same as stretching my legs."

Vera stretched her arms over her head, as if trying to lengthen her spine. "Some stretch their legs, some stretch their arms." She looked over at Shelly, who was eating a candy bar. "And some just don't bother."

Debbie came back out of the woods, zipping her jeans and looking sheepish. "I'm sorry. I just can't help it."

There was a drone that quickly turned into a roar as she neared the group. They'd just reached the van and were preparing to get in when a trio of souped up motorcycles was upon them. They seemed to head straight for the van--and the group beside it. The group scattered in a panic, some throwing themselves to the ground, but at the last moment the cycles veered, missing their seeming target, and continued down the road. As Chris helped Debbie up, he thought he heard a laugh floating back, and muttered, "Assholes. You okay, babe?"

Debbie nodded, and Chris, brushing herself off, growled, "Okay, where are those cops now, when we could use them?" They continued on their way, but in a few moments, Chris said, "Hey, guys, look! Revenge is ours!"

The three motorcycles were parked on the shoulder of the road--just in front of a State Highway Patrol car. The riders were clustered sullenly by their bikes as the stoney faced trooper wrote out what seemed to be several tickets. As the van passed, it slowed, and the side door opened, the windows going down. All of the van's passengers cheered and applauded. Chili stuck her tongue out, crossing her eyes. Then they closed up again and sped on, the good mood that had been spoiled by the earlier incidents returning.

Finally Chris turned off the main highway onto a dirt road. The bumped along, following a winding path through increasingly dense trees, till they came to a weather-beaten two story house. Chris slowed the van to a stop just before she reached the parking area in front of it, and all the passengers moved forward for a look. It looked lived-in, but sturdy. A porch completely encircled it. When she was younger, Chris had thought snidely that it made the place look like it belonged at a tourist camp, with plenty of space for the guests to sit and view Nature after dinner.

There was a large barn off to the left of the house, the block and tackle once used to raise bales of hay still swinging near the open space on the second floor. Andy grinned, pointing at it, "I'm glad to see that. Maybe we can have a roll in the hay later."

"Yeah, well, I'm not glad to see that," said Debbie glumly, pointing to the right of the house.

Andy looked. There was a small outhouse. "At least you'll have something nice to look at," said Andy cheerfully. "Look, the vent hole is shaped like a heart instead of a crescent moon. And we've got that." He pointed to a spot between the barn and the house. Between the two buildings they could see the edge of a lake. There was a slightly rickety dock barely visible.

Debbie's eyes lit up at the sight of the sparkling water, surrounded by lush forest. "Oh, it's beautiful! Chris..." She turned to her friend, and fell quiet when she saw her friend staring fixedly at the house. "Chris?" She said more quietly.

Chris shook her head briefly, then gave her a small smile. "I'm okay." She pulled up in front of the house and cut off the engine, then got out. She stared thoughtfully up at the house for a moment. The curtains her mother had carefully chosen so long ago still hung in the windows. She could imagine her mother and father, and perhaps her younger self, walking about in those rooms, passing behind those curtains... She squinted suddenly. Had something moved behind the curtains?

She shook her head. *No. I'm not going to let that start again.* She reached for the rope that held the tarp covering the luggage on the van's roof. "Let's get the stuff put away first, then we can..." She laughter, and the sound of running feet. "Guys?" She came around and found the side door standing open, and the van empty.

The others were running toward the lake. Debbie paused and turned back, waving at her. "Come on!"

Chris shook her head, but smiled. "Later, but you go. I'm going to take my bags in first, and have a look around." As the others continued down to the shore, she got her two suitcases off the roof of the van and made her way up onto the porch. Setting them down before the door, she started to fish in her handbag, muttering, "Key, key, key... Ah! Key."

She reached toward the door, key in hand, then stopped. The door was open--just a slit, but still open. She leaned forward, trying to look through the gap. "Hello?"

No answer. She pushed the door open, and it swung inward with a creak. She had to steel herself, but she took a step into the dimness, calling, "Who's here?" She took another step...

A hand fell across the back of her neck, grabbing her and jerking her around to push her back against a wall. She screamed...

Right before he kissed her.

Chris pushed at the tall, dark-haired young man who had her pinned against the wall and was kissing her. When she pulled free, she said, "Derek, stop it!"

He grinned, reaching for her. "Why?"

Chris jerked away. "You know what I've been through. Don't ever scare me like that!"

Derek shrugged. "I'm sorry, babe. I just wanted to surprise you." He noticed that she was trembling, and now he sounded genuinely apologetic. "What can I say?"

Chris finally smiled. "You might try 'hello, how are you?', like a normal person."

His smile was dazzling. "Hello. How are you?" His eyes and tone became more serious. "Really--how are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Good. Then I can do this." He pulled her toward him, trying to kiss her again.

She pushed him off. "You'll never change. You're just the same as you were when we were kids. You're always so sure that you're going to get exactly what you want, and nothing's going to stop you."

"Is that so bad?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "I just need a little time, Derek, to get to know this place again." She looked at him. "To get to know you again."

"Okay," he said softly. "We take it slow."

"Good." She stepped into his arms and kissed him softly, then grinned up at him. "That doesn't mean we stand still, though."

The shadows of the trees around the house cast odd, moving shadows on the curtains as their branches moved in the wind. Neither of the young people noticed that one of those shadows was larger--and seemed to move with purpose.

When they finally pulled apart, Chris slapped Derek's shoulder. "Since you're here, you get to play bellboy. Come help me unload the van."

The went out, Derek saying, "I'll get the stuff off the top, and you can take care of what's inside."

"Sure." Chris went around the far side of the van, and stopped short. Her voice uncertain, she said, "The side door is closed."

Derek was hauling things down off the roof. "What?"

"I'm sure it was open a minute ago, and now it's closed." There was no answer from Derek, so she reached out and cautiously slid the door open, not getting too close to the van. She didn't see anyone. *Relax, Chris. Don't be paranoid.* She reached for the closest bag.

A hand shot from the space just beyond her line of sight, clamping on her wrist. She was drawing in a breath to scream when Shelly poked his head out of the door, saying, "That's mine. I'll get it."

She let the air out in a whoosh. "Why aren't you down at the lake with the others?"

"They're skinny dipping. I'm not skinny enough."

Chris glanced toward the lake. Andy, Debbie and Vera were indeed frolicking naked in the shallows. She was just in time to see Chuck and Chili jump off the dock, fully clothed. Chris rolled her eyes. "Summer camp has begun."