The Blood Orange Moon

After a moment, his father shook his head. "I saw Stevie."

Mark just nodded, relieved he wasn't the only one. Then he shuddered, and he said, "Me too."

"Yeah," his dad said.

"We need to tell them."

"Tell them what? That there really is a ghost of my mad rapist son?" He gave a bitter laugh. "They'll put us away right along with her, Mark. You want to spend the rest of your days in there, too? Like her?"

Mark said nothing. He was right.

Without another word, his father opened the car door and started it up. With a wave, he drove off.

Mark watched him, his mind on that maniacal look his brother had given him the night before.

* * * * *

"This is almost too good to be true," Stevie said. "I mean, you see all them nurses? Hell, there's gotta be a dozen of 'em that're about perfect."

"But what can I do?" she pleaded with him.

He turned and gave her a wide, lecherous smile. "I think I'll just take it from here on in."

The End