Ajax hooted at me while he knuckle-walked in our direction. If he could talk, he would be telling me to settle down and get a hold of myself.

"Wes. That fat redneck is having him a regular Lou picnic right now. I know it as sure as I know you want to kill me right now."

I looked at my hands. They were covered with purple blotches. It was happening. "I am going to kill you."

"Good," he yelled. "Do it!"

I pounded the floor with my fist and wasn't surprised when the solid surface crumbled from the blow. If I wanted to eat him, why didn't I? What was holding me back? Why did I value human life so much? It seemed ridiculous. I stood with every intention of ripping the flesh from his bones, but I was knocked to the ground before I could take a step.

"Let him go," Gordy cried. "Let him do it!"

I stared into the grimacing face of Ajax. He was huffing and howling and doing everything in his power without actually touching me to keep me from charging Gordy. He didn't want to physically restrain me because he understood that would just frustrate me more and drive me even further into a Delon frenzy. The others didn't know how lucky they were. They only had to deal with being possessed by the old man. I was dealing with two demons inside of me.

"Get out of his way, you big dumb ape. I want this!"

I paced in half circles in front of Ajax and fought to suppress all the evil that was trying to take hold of me. I started repeating my name over and over again. I just had to remind myself who I was.

"I can't take this any more," he shouted. "Don't you understand? I'm begging you to put me out of my misery."

Ariabod sauntered over to Gordy and sat on his haunches next to him. His massive head turned from me and back to Gordy three or four times. He flashed a gnarled grin. Gordy wouldn't shut up, and I was growing more and more agitated by the minute. Ariabod scooted around and put his butt to Gordy's face. He nodded his massive head several times. Ajax grinned and nodded back. Ariabod leaned forward and passed gas... loudly.

I was startled. My mouth fell open as I stared in disbelief at what he had just done.

Gordy screamed as if he'd been lit on fire. "He farted! He farted!"

I burst out laughing. It was completely absurd. I had been on the verge of tearing Gordy limb from limb. Gordy was begging me to kill him. I was going mad with frustration. In an instant, the frustration was gone. I was laughing like I had not laughed in years. My belly started to ache I was laughing so hard.

"Oh my God!" Gordy said, crawling away backwards. "A huge friggin' gorilla just farted on me."

I held on to my sides and bent over. "That is the funniest thing I've ever seen."

"Funny? I smell like gorilla fart now!"

"You should have seen your face," I said.

Gordy looked surprised that I was enjoying myself so much. He frowned, but I could see him fighting a smile.

"It's not funny."

"It is totally funny," I said between waves of snorting laughter.

He couldn't hold it back any longer. He slapped the floor and started laughing along with me. "That was so sick," he screamed.

Ariabod and Ajax hoot-laughed along with us. Throwaway Stevie and June looked on confused but pleased that we were so thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

Just like that, Ariabod had defused the situation. I went from wanting to kill Gordy to laughing my guts out. Gordy went from wanting to die and antagonizing me to joining me in a good solid laugh.

I fell to the floor and started to get myself under control. I dabbed at my eyes as tears of laughter fell. "Man," I said. "I needed that."

Gordy sighed. "You weren't on my end."

I breathed in deeply and blew out a long stream of air. "You can't do that again, Gordy."

"It wasn't me. It was the big ugly gorilla."

"I don't mean that. I mean you can't provoke me like you did. I was this close, man..."

He thought about what I said. "I'm sorry, Oz."

I looked at him puzzled. He rarely apologized, and when he did, he usually followed it up with something that completely invalidated his apology.

"I'm not a very good friend."

I gave him a look of sympathy. "Stop it."

"It's true, and I'm not just talking about now. I haven't been a good friend for a long time. I kind of feel like you were the way you were with Stevie because of me."

I waved him off. "Let's not get into it."

"My dad called me an instigator. I just love starting trouble. I was the one who always pushed you to be a rat to Stevie, and look where it's gotten us."

I wish I could have blamed him, but I couldn't. I was responsible. He played a part, but I'm the one who made this happen. I was the reason we were here. Not because Stevie was mad at me, but because he wanted me to find the magic in me.

Evening came and I went to the pool with Ajax, Throwaway Stevie, and Throwaway June. Gordy was looking worse by the hour so I left Ariabod behind to watch over him. April was still locked in the closet, and I didn't think she could get out, but I no longer trusted the others to keep the pact. I wasn't sure how I was able to keep it. I couldn't eat my power bars any more. I had taken one bite earlier in the day and immediately spit it out because it made me want to vomit. That was the old man's plan now. He was going to make it impossible for us to eat anything except each other. By my count, we had four more days to go until our nine days were up. I didn't think there was any way we could make it. I had to find the answer soon.

We all gathered on the floor of the empty pool. I leaned against the side and stretched out with Throwaway June and Stevie on either side of me. Ajax sat and watched from the foot of the ladder leading down to the bottom of the pool.

By now, I was used to these little trips to the Land of the Dead, and I was able to relax. Unfortunately, my two Throwaway buddies weren't so lucky. They were nervous and unsure. Their breathing was shallow and loud. It didn't help that we were sitting in a huge cavernous pool that amplified every little sound.

I wasn't even sure why I was taking them with me, but something in my gut told me I should. The dead boy didn't seem to mind that Stevie was with me last time, so why not bring them? Experiencing the old gray man in his world by myself was not the most fun I've ever had. I suppose having company just seemed like a nice thing.

"I don't think I should leave April," Throwaway June said.

I picked at a loose tile on the floor. "April's not April anymore."

"She changed?" Throwaway June asked.

"Yep," I said. "We all have."

"Like us," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Throwaways, we changed. First we were nothing, and now we are like you."

I thought about what she said. "Looking like us doesn't make you like us."

She smiled. "What would make us like you?"

"Doing something on your own. Stop watching and be part of the story."

Before I could answer, I heard a small crash at the deep end of the pool followed by a clank, and another clank, and then a rapid series of clanks. It was as if it was raining marbles.

I stood and instructed Throw-away June and Stevie to come with me. "I think our ride's here," I said.

They held on to each other, and we approached the source of the sound at a snail's pace. Through the darkness, I could see the tile and plaster on the side of the pool falling away. A hole the size of a door was slowly taking shape. A face appeared in the darkness through the hole, and I could see that it was the dead boy. I motioned for my guests to hurry. After several seconds of coaxing, I got Throwaway June and Stevie to follow me through the hole.

Stepping through the darkness, we found ourselves on an old-fashioned trolley car. Although I guess it was really a new-fashioned trolley car in the Land of the Dead. The car was about half-full. None of the passengers saw us, of course. We stood in the back of the trolley and watched the passengers intently. I had never thought about it on any of my other trips to the Land of the Dead, but it occurred to me that all these people were dead. They ceased to breathe, to go to work, to talk with their friends and family. They were just no more. It was the exact opposite of my situation. I lived in the world where I breathed, but my friends and family (most of them) were gone. They were just no more. I didn't know who was better off, me or the people on the trolley.

The car came to a stop and several people got off, and an even bigger group boarded. They filed on and took their seats. I almost didn't notice the last two. It was the old man and Grace. I clenched my teeth as I watched him shower the little girl with attention. He giggled and asked her about her dress and patted her head. I couldn't take it. I walked over to them and stood in front of the monster. He nonchalantly placed his package on the seat next to him. I went wide-eyed. Oh, if I could just grab it and walk it out of the Land of the Dead. That would be the end of this. I knew it. The old gray man would be useless without his property.

The old man pretended not to see me. I knew he could. Every once in a while he stole a quick glance at me and then quickly looked away. He saw me, but he didn't want to startle the girl so he played it cool.

"I'm going to win, old man," I said.

He twitched, but did not take his eyes off Grace.

"I can't stop you from what you're about to do to Grace, but I can make you pay. It might take me a million years, but I promise you I will find a way to make you pay for everything that you've done."

He snickered involuntarily. A bubble of snot came out of his nose, and he quickly reached up and wiped it away with the back of his hand. His lip trembled.

"I know you're dead. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about making your insides pay, your soul. I don't know how it works, but I'll figure it out. That's what I do. I figure things out."

He reached out and pinched Grace's cheek. "Look at those tasty little cheeks." He looked at me from the corner of his eye and sneered. "My niece is going to have such a good time with you. She'll be so excited to have a new friend..." he turned to me and looked me dead in the eye, "for dinner."

The trolley stopped, and he grabbed Grace's hand and jumped in line with a group of people exiting. He stood inches from me and, as he headed for the door, he tipped his hat to me.

I groaned and balled my hands into fists. Just one punch, I thought. Give me just one. I looked down at the seat next to the one he'd been sitting in, and there it was, his package. He had forgotten about it. He took a step toward the exit and looked back at me. I stepped between him and his view of the canvas-wrapped box. He took another step, towing little Grace behind him. He was going to forget it. He was going to step off the trolley without it, and the trolley would pull away with his precious property on board. I held back a smile as he reached the door. He gave me one last look and then stepped down onto the street, extending his hand to help little Grace off.

"Go," I whispered. "Just go."

Grace reached out for his hand and then recoiled. I smiled. She knew. She sensed it. Maybe this didn't have to turn out the way it did in real life.

"Grace, dear, what's wrong?" Fish asked.

"Wait," she said running back towards me. I was astonished. Could she see me? Was she coming to me for help?

She stopped right in front of me, looked down, and grabbed the package. She ran back to the door yelling, "You forgot your package!"

The old gray man grew a hideous grin as she handed the canvas-wrapped box to him through the trolley door. He glanced at me through the window and winked. He and Grace began their trek to the horrible, horrible end that awaited her. It almost hurt too much to think about. She was going to die because she reminded the devil that he had forgotten his tools of terror.

DAY 6.

SEVENTEEN.

I couldn't risk checking on Gordy. I was really hungry, and I could smell his wounds the minute I climbed out of the pool. I instructed Throwaway Stevie to join him and help Ariabod watch him. I then gave Throwaway June the option to go with him. But she asked if she could go with me.

"I thought you'd want to be close to April."

"She is not April any more."

I smiled and agreed to let her come with Ajax and me. I actually didn't mind at all. I was looking forward to the company, even if it was only Throwaway company.

Passing the door to the dressing room, I paused as we parted with Throwaway Stevie. I thought long and hard about giving in to my urges. Eating Gordy wasn't something I just desired to do, it seemed essential to my survival. I gave myself reasons to do it. I was the key to bringing the old world back. Everybody thought so. Didn't I owe it to everyone to survive? Eating Gordy gave me the best chance to make it out of here and make sure we all had a home to go back to... well, everyone except Gordy.

Ajax, reading my mind, sat in the doorframe making sure I couldn't pass. I hated him for it. We made our way through the basement to another staircase located next to what looked like a laundry room. The stairs took us to a part of the first floor that was not familiar to me. The walls seemed to be soaked in the smell of tobacco. We crossed into a room with a dusty old pool table. I never really played the game, but seeing the table made me wish I had played. Back in the good old days when I didn't want to eat my friends, and I wasn't spending my days trying to figure out how to save the world that I had destroyed.

I ran my hand across the smooth felt surface of the table. It felt familiar even though I didn't play. It was just part of the world I knew, the world I wanted back.

"Play?" I heard a rough and gravelly voice ask.

I looked down at the end of the table and saw Wes sitting in the far, right corner, half cloaked by the darkness. I should have smelled him before I saw him, but the tobacco odor was too strong. Seeing him, my stomach gurgled and burned. He grabbed his stomach, and I knew he was having the same hunger pains. I backed away slowly, glancing at Ajax who looked uneasy. I didn't like it when he was uneasy.

"What?"

"Pool. Do you play?" Wes asked, wincing.

I shook my head.

"I did." He bit his bottom lip and doubled over briefly. "Wasn't bad either. Could make a hundred bucks in friendly games on a good night."

I doubled over this time. "This isn't a good idea." I placed my hands on my knees and sucked in some air. Standing up straight, I saw another figure in the shadows. It was a woman I did not recognize. She was heavy-set, dirty-blonde hair, wearing a smock. She was dressed like the woman who used to do my mom's hair.

Wes saw that I had noticed the woman. "My sister," he said. "The real Lou..." He stopped himself. "Not real, exactly, A Throwaway version of my sister Lou. Say hello, Lou."

"Hello, Lou," the woman said.

Wes slapped the table and let out a snort of laughter. "That is just like something she would say, too. I swear these Throwaways ain't too bad once you get used to them." He saw Throwaway June and pointed at her. "You got April's?" He snuck a step to his left. He didn't think I noticed, but I did. He was going to make his move.

I nodded. "April's not feeling like herself, so I invited Throwaway June to tag along." I stepped back again.

Drool formed at the corner of Wes's mouth. "There's a lot of that going around. Not feeling like yourself."