“Third time’s the charm, I guess,” Dan says, smiling as he lets go and looks up at William. Dan’s eyes are moist, but he isn’t exactly crying.
“I don’t get it,” William says, wiping his own eyes. “How can you be okay with it?”
Dan takes a breath, and finally some emotion makes its way into his voice as he says: “I miss my family so bad. Wherever I’m going, that’s where they are. That can’t be such a bad thing, can it?”
William bites down hard so as to not break into tears again. “I guess not.”
They stand there in front of each other for another few moments. Then Dan reaches out and squeezes William’s arm. “Let’s go.”
William just nods.
As they come back into the living room, Ozzy is waiting for them, licking their hands.
William notices right away that Birgit has relit the candles and filled the bowl back up with water. Dennis and Liv are both standing at the far end, looking at them, waiting for what’s to come.
“I’ll do it,” Dan says, addressing no one in particular.
“Good,” Birgit says, pointing to the circle. “It’s all ready. We just need you.”
“You want me to be here?” William hears himself ask.
Dan looks up at him. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
William follows him into the circle.
“Only he can be in the circle,” Birgit says, looking at William.
So, he stands back, joining Dennis and Liv. Ozzy stays by Dan for a moment, whimpering.
“Ozzy,” William says. “Come here, buddy.”
The dog slinks over to him, tail between his legs, as though he knows what’s going down.
“This is crazy,” Liv whispers to William. “I can’t believe he’s doing it.”
“Me neither,” William mutters. “I just hope it fucking works.”
He notices Dennis leaving the room to slip out into the kitchen. William can’t blame him for not wanting to watch this.
“Lie down,” Birgit instructs Dan, and Dan complies, placing himself flat on his back. The circle is just wide enough.
Birgit steps in besides him, placing the bowl of water carefully by his right hand. She takes his hand and puts it into the water.
William feels his stomach turn over as Birgit takes out the dagger.
She’s gonna slit his wrist and let him bleed out …
“Dan?” William says.
Dan—who’s just lying there, staring up into the ceiling, looking as relaxed as someone about to get a massage—turns his head to look at him. “Yes, William?”
“Say hi to your dad from me.”
Dan smiles. “I will.”
“No more talking from this point forward,” Birgit says. “I’m starting now.”
Just as she puts the blade to Dan’s wrist, Dennis comes running into the room again: “Wait! Mom!”
Birgit snaps her head around. “What is it?”
Dennis looks befuddled. He points to the kitchen. “Outside! Listen …” He shakes his head. “They’re gone.”
“Who is gone?” Liv asks. “The zombies?”
Dennis nods his head wildly.
They all listen for a moment.
“He’s right,” Liv says. “I can’t hear any of them.”
William strides to the nearest window, pulling down the board to reveal Holger’s back garden. No zombies in sight.
“What the fuck?” he says, looking at Birgit. “What did you do?”
Birgit eyes him. “I didn’t do anything. I’ve been here the whole time.”
“I mean with the ritual.”
“I haven’t begun the ritual yet.”
“No, the first time around. You must have done something! Why else would they all just leave?”
Birgit doesn’t seem to have an answer. She stands up and puts the dagger away.
Dan sits up too, looking puzzled.
William goes to check the kitchen windows. No zombies here, either.
“I can’t figure out if this is good or bad news,” he mutters, turning to look at Dan who’s joined him.
“No,” he says, shaking his head slowly. “Me neither.”
“What do we do now?” Liv asks, looking around at them.
“Well,” William says, shrugging and feeling a glimmer of hope. “I guess we go outside to see where they went.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
“You ready?” Liv asks, looking back at William.
He nods and puts the rifle to his shoulder. “Go ahead and open it.”
Liv pulls aside the lock and turns the handle. She then opens the front door. The cool night air seeps in immediately, dispelling some of the stuffy atmosphere in the hall.
She peeks outside, waiting for a few seconds for something to happen. Nothing does.
She looks back at William. “I think we’re good.”
“All right. Let me go first.”
He walks past her, still holding the rifle ready. He steps out into the courtyard and pans around in every direction. “It’s fine,” he calls, lowering the gun. “They really are gone. You can come out here.”
Liv steps outside, breathing in the fresh air. She looks up at the stars. Only about half of them are showing, since the sky is partly covered by clouds. Still no rain, though.
Dan and Birgit and Dennis all join them. They stand in the courtyard, looking around, no one sure what to say.
“This is such a weird feeling,” Liv says, breaking the silence. “Just being out here. I almost forgot how that felt.”
“Let’s not get used to it just yet,” William says, turning towards Birgit. “We don’t know what caused it yet.”
Birgit looks back at him. “I told you, it wasn’t the ritual.”
“So it was just a coincidence? All the zombies deciding to up and leave at the same time you did some crazy voodoo shit? I bet they heard that poor guy screaming in pain and thought better of it.”
“That’s not it,” Dan says, looking out into the darkness.
“I know, I know, they can’t think like that,” William says. “My point is, it must have something to do with what she—”
“I don’t think it has,” Dan cuts him off. “I think they left for something else.”
“Like what?” Liv asks.
“Like something more interesting. We know they can be lured away if they sense something more accessible.”
William throws out his hands. “You think a busload of naked chicks covered in barbeque sauce just rolled by out here? Come on, man. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere.
