"Something's wrong," Caleb muttered, staring at the homestead.
"Caleb, Chase is gone. He's dead, or weakened, or something," Sarah reminded. "It's enough for now. Now that you know he exists, the four of you should be able to..."
"It's not that," Caleb snapped. He was tired, irritable, and the endorphins were wearing off. Injuries from his fight with Chase began to make themselves known; his ribs ached more than the rest, and he was sure he'd be feeling the effect of his jammed right elbow for at least a week. "The window's open."
"So?"
"Gorman never leaves the window open. Not this early, and especially not this late in the year."
"Well, maybe with everything else going on..."
"Sarah, he's taken care of my father for five years . This is the first time I've come by this early and the window's been open. Something is wrong."
The tone in Caleb's voice left no room for argument. He cut the engine, opened his door, and stepped out. Before he could move toward the house, his phone rang. He didn't appear to hear.
"Caleb?" Sarah asked. "Your cell's ringing."
"It's probably my mother," Caleb replied.
Sarah picked up the phone, checked the display.
"It says 'Reid'."
"Tell him I'll call him back," Caleb requested, then passed the fence. As he moved away from his car, he heard something that might have been 'not your fucking secretary', but he ignored it.
Back at the car, Sarah connected the call.
"Reid?"
"Sarah? You're alive! That's fucking awesome... wait. I thought I called Caleb. Did I dial the wrong number? Don't know how I even got your phone number in the first place..."
"No, this is Caleb's phone," Sarah interrupted. "We took a detour on the way back from the Putnam barn. He's inside the homestead now."
"Oh," Reid laughed. "Oh. Well, that's...good. He probably has lots of questions for his dad... don't know how many the man will be able to answer, though."
"Yeah."
"Is everything all right, there? I mean, you're both in one piece, no spiders, no broken bones, no horns growing out from your scalp?"
"I'm fine," Sarah replied. "Caleb's fine as well, I think. He's in one piece, and no. No horns. He seemed concerned, though."
"Why?" Reid sounded genuinely confused.
"The window's open."
"Shit."
There was silence on the other end for a moment, then she heard Reid talking to two other guys, most probably Tyler and Pogue.
"What is it, Reid?" That was Tyler.
"Cay's at the homestead with Sarah."
"Sarah's alive?" The strain in the voice suggested Pogue was in pain. "That's good. Hey, is Kate..."
"Yeah, she is," Reid cut him off. "There's something wrong, though."
"What? What's wrong? Chase is dead, isn't he? Asshole bastard Putnam..." Tyler, again.
"I think so. Sarah didn't mention anything about his surviving."
"Good."
"Reid?" Sarah asked, trying to get the boy's attention.
"Well, what's wrong?" Pogue asked.
"The window's open."
"Which window?"
"I don't know," he said. "Let me ask."
To Sarah, he said "Which window?"
Sarah wasn't sure, and she told him as much, adding that the window was on the second floor, and at the front of the house. Reid then relayed the information to the others.
"Isn't that Mr. Danvers' room?" Pogue asked. "Gorman never leaves that window open."
"Only in the dead of summer," Tyler agreed. "It'd be an oven, otherwise."
"Shit," Reid repeated. "What're we going to do?"
Pogue muttered something that might have been, "I'm just going to lie here and worry."
"No, you asshole," Reid qualified. "In general."
"Tell her I'll be right over," Tyler commanded. "And tell her not to let Caleb drive."
Sarah heard something that might've been a person entering or leaving the room, and then a woman's voice.
"Young man, you're not allowed to use that in here."
"Shit," Reid sighed. "A nurse. She isn't even... okay, ma'am, just a moment. Sarah?"
"What?"
"Tyler will be right over, and Sarah?"
"Yeah?" Sarah was worried right now. Why wouldn't they want Caleb to drive?
"If he tries to get into the car, take his keys."
"But why wouldn't..." Sarah tried to ask, but the call was terminated.
Before she could search Caleb's phonebook, the boy came rushing out the front door, tripped in the overgrown walk, and didn't get up. Sarah rushed out of the car, struggling with her seatbelt before she remembered it was there.
When she got to him, he was sobbing. No tears ran down his face, but he struggled for breath, pounding the ground and coughing. A sound that may have been half of a groan worked its way out of his throat.
Was this cool, composed Caleb? Sarah didn't know what to think.
"Caleb?" She asked, as she came to stand in front of him.
"Move," he commanded, then emptied what little was in his stomach over the ground in front of him. Some splashed up onto her dress, staining the skirt. Even after the heaves, he couldn't stop sobbing.
"Caleb, what's wrong?" Sarah asked.
"My father... my mother, she... oh, god, that's what it was. I didn't want it... I didn't want it... why did he do it? I didn't want it..."
Sarah didn't know what to say. She just crouched down beside him, there in the yard, and held him. One arm around his shoulders, the other hand rubbing up and down his back, she tried to comfort Caleb, knowing something had changed, but not knowing what.
They sat there, in the mud and filth and the unforgiving autumn morning, and nothing would ever be the same.