5 Chapters 11, 12, and 13

Edward was amazed that even the freshly built cabins still smelled musty and old. His annoyance was only heightened by the fact that the Island hadn't warmed since God reappeared.

Edward watched his breaths form white plumes that drifted up above the beds, curled, and dissipated as they reached the cabin ceiling. He began thinking about the meaning of the dust.

"Perhaps God really did design the Island to look lived in," he wondered aloud, then wiped his wet, cold nose with his blanket.

"Why?" Tommy asked drowsily from above.

Perhaps, Edward thought, there really wasn't anyone else on the Island, they really were the first and only ones there. The trails, the pinch pots in the supply room, they were all part of a deception by God to get the children guessing at what was on the other side of the lake.

"To tempt us," Edward said.

"That's what he does," Tommy replied, then shifted onto his side and pulled the blanket tight.

"No, that's what the devil does," Petrov said from his bunk. It was the first time they'd heard his voice in hours.

"Are you sure they aren't just one in the same?" Tommy asked.

Petrov took a moment to think. "I've known the touch of both, my friend. I can assure you that they are two different things."

Edward wondered on that for a while, guessing at what the Rapture must have actually been like. Messy. Maybe not the ascension, but the aftermath. The riots. The violence. Edward had let a colleague lure him into watching a stupid movie about the Rapture once and it was exactly the kind of sanctimonious drivel that made people despise the religious.

All the children's minds raced throughout the night since the cold brought phlegm-laden coughs that chased away sleep. They all rolled in their beds, kept the covers cocooned tight against them, and looked like shivering burritos.

The sun flicked on, suddenly. It didn't rise gradually but burst into a warm blossom above the horizon. Edward was the only one who seemed to notice. He'd become accustomed to watching the rays creep across the campground. That morning, it was as if God had just flipped on the sunlight.

Before long, the tightly curled children unwound and relaxed into a comfortable sleep. Just as Edward felt dreams seep into his mind, the breakfast bell sounded.

Billy groaned. "Man, is everyone else's pillow completely crusted with snot?"

"Eww," Ossie said. "Billy, that is gross."

"Just wondering."

"My face actually stuck to my pillowcase last night," Simon said. "I tried to roll over and my pillow rolled with me."

Edward chuckled and proceeded to flip his pillow to hide the evidence.

"I dare someone to lick my pillow," Simon said. "I'll give you my breakfast dessert to do it."

"No, thank you," Ossie said, then kicked up at the springs of Billy's bed. "By the way, those must have been some dreams you were having last night."

"Who, me?"

"Yeah you," Simon said. "Sounded like you were being eaten by a bear, kind of freaked me out."

Billy sat up and looked around the cabin. "Me?"

"Yeah," Edward said. "It's kind of a nightly thing with you, but I guess no one else is ever up. I thought about waking you, but was worried you'd come out of the dream swinging."

"Huh. Don't remember that at all."

Edward chuckled which staggered into a series of violent coughs. He rolled over off the bed and continued coughing until he'd gotten the phlegm out of his lungs.

"Ugh. I hate sleeping in the cold."

Edward slipped on his shoes and walked to the window, hoping the sunlight had warmed it. God was standing near the pier talking. He kept His hands tucked in a bulky pullover. Edward wasn't sure if God was talking to Himself or an angel—he hoped it was an angel.

A glimmering light glowed from a storage shed. It was carrying a large, long object wrapped in a white blanket. Edward studied the object for a few moments before convincing himself that it couldn't possibly be what it looked like.

Jokingly, he announced:

"I think God is stashing a dead body. Somebody must have complained about the food."

Billy dropped from the bunk bed, then pranced across the cold floor. He hopped over to the window.

"Kinda does look like a body," Billy said, then hopped back to his footlocker to get his shoes. "I'm jealous of the dead guy."

The angel carried the object to the pier and then sat it down in a rowboat. God carefully lowered himself down and began paddling away from the pier.

"Where's He going?" Edward asked.

"Who?" Billy asked.

"God—He's taking the boat."

Billy slipped on his shoes and shuffled back over.

"Do you think He's going to just drop that in the lake?" Edward asked.

Billy shrugged. "Better stuff some rocks into the intestinal cavity or it'll just float to the surface."

God continued paddling across the lake until He was just a black dot on the water.

"He���s going to the other side," Billy said.

"Why?"

"I don't know. But after we see what's on top of that mountain, I say we find a way across the lake to see what there is to see."

Chapter 12

"Mmmmmm, brains!" Simon groaned as he gazed blankly ahead. His arms were stretched out in front of him, his mouth gaped open, and he walked stiffly toward a group of girls who shrieked and ran away.

"Brains!" Tommy echoed, closing in from the other side of the girls.

The girls huddled and turned toward the boys. Sophia stood out in front, protecting the girls from the two zombies. She lifted up a sock with other balled-up socks shoved inside to give it weight. The other girls lifted their sock weapons.

"Now!" Sophia yelled. The girls screeched and charged Simon, pelting him repeatedly over the head until he went limp and fell to the ground.

Other children, wearing headbands and groaning for brains, burst out from behind Cabin Four and tried to encircle the girls.

"Charge!" Billy shouted from behind the mess hall. He led a small group of boys toward the zombies as they tossed balled-up socks like rocks. The zombies dispersed; the ones that were hit fell like sacks of potatoes to the ground. Billy reached down and picked up Sophia, carrying her off on his shoulder as the others followed.

One girl collapsed to the ground in front of Tommy and cooed "Oh no Mr. Zombie, don't eat me!"

She fainted back and waited for Tommy to grab her. Instead, he stepped over her and continued staggering onward.

"Hey!" the girl shouted. "Get back here!"

"Braainns," Simon growled as he crawled to the girl.

"Not you," the girl snapped, sitting up and kicking him away. "You're dead anyway."

She jumped to her feet and tried to run away, but Simon grabbed her shoe and attempted to bite her ankle. She jerked away and ran off.

"You're such a psycho!" she said over her shoulder as she ran to join the last of the surviving humans.

"Help!" Edward yelled.

Billy lowered Sophia to the ground and looked back toward Edward who had been surrounded by the zombies. Twelve undead children were overwhelming Edward as he swung his sock back and forth, trying to fend them off.

"Back, you monsters!" Edward said.

"Brains!" Tommy howled.

Edward swung the sock at him, just narrowly missing.

"We have to save him!" Sophia gasped, starting to run toward Edward.

Billy chased her down, wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight against him.

"It's too late. He knew the risks going into this."

Edward continued swinging his sock frantically as the zombies closed. He whapped Ossie in the forehead, and Ossie fell to the ground, but Tommy bear-hugged Edward and the two fell.

"Brains!" the group cheered.

"That poor bastard," Billy said, then pulled Sophia away.

"You all should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Billy looked over to a small group of girls watching the game of Zombies Versus Humans from the porch of Cabin Six. The group had started out as an insular clique with Martha as its leader, but Billy was beginning to think they were becoming a full-blown cult. Outsiders. Real hellfire kinda Christians that described religion as a war in a way only someone who'd never really seen war could.

Martha stepped out from the group and approached Billy. He ignored them and walked back to his band of survivors.

"This game is an abomination," Martha sneered. "God will punish you."

"Ignore Martha," Billy said. "She's just mad that they won't serve her doughnuts by the pound."

The girl grimaced at the comment.

"Billy," Sophia said, a soft rebuke.

Martha followed them, undeterred.

"Sophia, you used to serve God; how can you participate in this affront?"

"It's just a game," Sophia said.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world," Martha proclaimed. "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world…"

"Shut the hell up!" Billy growled.

Martha stepped back as the group of girls enveloped her. Bolstered by their numbers, she smiled and continued:

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Martha punctuated with a sanctimonious smile.

"Back off!" Billy said and Martha ducked her face as the group flinched backward. "Get lost, you miserable harpies!"

Martha kept her eyes averted from Billy but didn't retreat. "God will punish you."

"Billy," Sophia said, taking Billy's hand.

He kept his eyes on Martha. "Let him." Billy turned and motioned the others to walk back to the mess hall.

"Brains?" Simon called as he wandered alone through the campground like a child looking for a lost dog. "Brrai-aiiinns?"

Simon turned and saw Billy and the other survivors scampering to the mess hall.

"Brains! Brains! Brains! Brains!" Simon shrieked as he hopped up and down and pointed. The other zombies appeared from behind the cabins, Edward now one of them.

"Cooome baaack, braiiins!" Simon pleaded

The zombies formed a swarm and began shuffling toward the mess hall.

"Damnit," Billy said and turned toward the children who were huddled behind the other side of the mess hall. "How much time do we have left?"

Raul, a swarthy kid from Cabin Four, checked a stopwatch that hung from his neck. "We just have to survive twenty more minutes and we win."

Billy sighed, then looked back at the herd of zombies.

"Okay, let's flank them. If we can stun them all, they'll be down for fifteen minutes. Whoever survives should be able to scramble for the last five minutes to win."

Billy looked across the group of survivors. They nodded unenthusiastically.

"Look, I know we've been at this a while," he said, pacing out of ahead of them, methodically whapping the sock against his hand. "We've watched a lot of our brothers fall, but the human race must survive, and it will survive! I want each of you to pair off boy/girl, so that when those bastards starve, and they will, then whoever is left can repopulate the planet."

"Ewww," one of the girls groaned, and the children giggled.

"And!" Billy said, regaining their attention. "If the worst should happen, and those monsters overtake us, then we will have gone out on our terms! We will have never surrendered, but fought until the end! Now, are you with me?"

"Ehh," Sophia said with a shrug, inspiring a few chuckles.

"Are you with me?" Billy hollered.

"Sure!" the children shouted, and then "whatever!"

Billy held out his hand to Sophia, and as she grasped it he pulled her up into his arms. He raised his sock with his other hand and, in his best John Wayne impression, barked out "Let's show these bastards how the cow ate the cabbage!"

Sophia giggled, but then gave a solemn nod. Billy was alright by her. The other children paired off and Billy looked over at the zombies.

"Okay—they are in one pack, so if we flank them on the left and right side, we might be able to get them to trip over each other, get really congested and then we can annihilate them. How many grenades do we have?"

"Only five," a girl said, holding up an armful of knotted socks.

"Okay, spread them out," Billy said. "Do not throw them until we are at point-blank range. We cannot waste a shot."

The girl handed out the grenades, Billy barked a few more orders and then shouted "charge!"

The children scrambled out from behind the mess hall and sprinted at the zombies, who in turn quickened their awkward, stiff-legged hobble(zombies can't bend their knees, apparently.) The survivors hollered a war cry, the zombies moaned for brains and, as the two small armies came within twenty feet of each other, a voice boomed:

"STOP!"

The children slowed to a standstill and looked over at God. He stood next to Jay, His arms folded and a sneer fixed on His face. Behind the pair were Martha and her cabinmates, snickering.

"What is this?" God asked, walking to the children.

Simon's mouth was wide open as he held Billy's arm with both hands and was inches from biting.

"A game, sir," Billy answered, Simon still waiting to bite. "We were told that we had the afternoon to ourselves."

"So you play a game about pagan monsters?" God asked. "About humans coming back from the dead. Where do you get these disgusting ideas?"

"The Bible?" Ossie asked and was swatted in the arm by Edward.

God glared at Ossie, who just beamed back a smile. And, really, he had a point. The other children kept their eyes averted from God as He walked between the two armies. He approached Billy, who stood straight up and lifted his eyes defiantly. Simon let go of Billy's arm and moved away, letting God pass. Then, behind God, Simon lifted his arms up ahead of him. His eyes glazed over, his mouth went agape and he began staggering toward God.

"Brains," he whispered until I jogged to him and held him still. God didn't notice.

"Brains?" Simon whimpered. I shook my head and he pouted.

God continued staring down at Billy.

"Where is Petrov?" God asked.

"Am I my brother's keeper?" Billy asked.

"We don't know, sir," Sophia cut in.

I closed my eyes to search for Petrov. "He's at the pier."

"Go get him for me," God said, turning His back on the children and walking toward Cabin One.

"Billy," I said. "Could you go tell Petrov he is needed?"

"Sure," Billy replied. "Can we finish our game?"

"I'd advise against it."

******

Ossie could feel Edward's stare and tried to ignore it as he talked to a group of girls about pop stars of the 1970's. Finally, Edward stood and approached. He tapped Ossie on the shoulder and then motioned him to follow.

The two walked toward the lake while Edward glanced around for Tommy. He was talking with Billy, Raul and one of Raul's cabinmates named Todd as they stood in a suspiciously tight group near the mess hall.

Edward had been curious about what they were talking about, but right now he just wanted to be sure no one could overhear the conversation.

Edward led Ossie toward the water, stopping a few feet away from the waves. Edward took a deep breath while Ossie waited impatiently.

"I wanted your advice," Edward whispered.

"Oh, um, okay.I wondered when this would come up."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"Well, you start," Ossie said.

Edward studied Ossie carefully. Dropped his eyes and took a few moments. "You don't seem afraid of God."

"Yeah?"

"I'm just," Edward began. "Everyone seems to have trouble here but you and Simon. I understand it with Simon, he's just a few rungs up from a nihilistic sociopath, so I'm not sure anything scares him."

"I like Simon."

"Oh, I do too," Edward said. "But you see my point?"

Ossie nodded, looked back to Cabin One. "I do."

"So, how do you do it?" Edward asked. "I mean, after everything you went through back on Earth and then going to Heaven, how are you okay being here on the Island?"

Ossie chuckled and then sat down on the sand. He glanced up at Edward before patting the sand next to him.

"Edward, Edward, Edward." Ossie sighed as Edward sat down stiffly. "You can't take this stuff too seriously, Eddy."

Edward smiled at 'Eddy.'

"Why do I care about anything here?" Ossie said. "Honestly, I thought it was likely I'd end up in the other place, but I knew that the God I believed in would reward me for a good, if unconventional, life. He did, and I'll one day end up back in Heaven. This place? I don't know what it is, I don't know why we are here, but I don't really care."

"How can you not care?" Edward asked. "How can you not be bitter? I mean, how do you not feel …"

Edward looked around them, then leaned in close.

"Betrayed?"

Ossie laughed, loud enough that it embarrassed Edward. Ossie shook his head and playfully measured Edward out of the side of his eye.

"How did He betray us, Eddy?"

Edward sighed and began to stand up, but Ossie grabbed his shoulder and eased him back down.

"I know how tough all of this is on you," Ossie said. Edward could sense a hidden meaning behind the statement, and then began to grow nervous that Ossie knew.

"But I don't remember any contracts back on Earth or at the gateway to Heaven." Ossie glanced back out across the lake. "God isn't legally obligated to me and fighting against all of this silliness isn't going to change anything."

"But the Bible is a contract, it's His contract with us."

Ossie nodded and thought for a few moments.

"Where in the Bible does it say that a place like this can't exist?" Ossie asked.

"But aren't you disappointed?"

"In what? Heaven? No, not really, it's been fine."

"No," Edward whispered, leaning in even closer. "Aren't you disappointed in God?"

Ossie craned his head up to look over the campground and noticed God leading Petrov and Jay out of Cabin One. God sat on the porch swing and began talking while the other two stood by awkwardly.

"You mean that guy?" Ossie asked.

Edward turned and looked over at God.

"Yeah."

"I don't know that guy. He's not the God I prayed to, he's not the God that rewarded me with Heaven. He's just a guy that doesn't know the first thing about human fashion. If I believed he was really God, then yeah, I guess maybe I'd feel let down, but I don't believe for one second that he is the person I spent decades praying to."

"Then who is He if he's not God?" Edward asked.

"Who cares?"

"I do," Edward answered, his eyes glazing with tears. "How does it not drive you crazy not knowing why we are here?"

Ossie took a deep breath and rocked up to his feet to stand.

"Because, Eddy, I'm above it. I fought my battles and I won. My husband is down in Heaven waiting for me to return, so I consider this just a brief layover. If that sad, little man is really God and He derives pleasure playing these games with our lives, then I'm better than Him and am not going to waste any of my time worrying about what He thinks of me and why He put me here."

Ossie held out his hand to Edward and helped him onto his feet.

"I wish I could switch it off too," Edward said. "All these questions, they are just weighing me down, but there has to be sense to it all."

"Why?"

Edward didn't answer, just ducked his head and shrugged.

"Edward?" Ossie whispered and Edward raised his head. "Is that it? Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah," Edward replied. "Thanks."

"Okay," Ossie said. "But if there is anything else you …"

"No," Edward answered. "That's it."

Ossie paused, studying Edward. He shrugged, patted Edward on the shoulder and walked back to the mess hall.

Edward's eyes shifted to Tommy who was huddled with the whispering children. Edward wanted to walk over to find out what they were planning, but instead veered off to the volleyball court and leaned against God's umpire chair as the wheels worked in his mind.

Edward glanced back to God's cabin where God was still holding court from his porch swing. He wasn't sure what was going on between God, Jay, and Petrov and that worried him.

After the zombie game had been disrupted by God, Martha and her friends quickly retreated into their cabin. Billy and Tommy talked quietly for a few minutes and then seemed to start recruiting other campers into some new scheme. They've been huddled together ever since.

Edward wondered if Billy was planning retaliation.

As it turned out, Billy wasn't—or at least not against Martha. In fact, in the huddle, Martha's name had not been mentioned once.

The vicious cold snap was still concerning Billy and many of the other children. Humans are the most efficient and resourceful scavengers in all of God's creation, or at least in what of it I have seen so far. When presented with a problem, humans immediately look to their environment for a solution.

Raul and Todd had actually been the ones who had hatched an idea, figuring Billy and Tommy were already planning something, recruited them as co-conspirators.

The plan would provide for the possibility of another frigid night but would also let the children vent their frustration with God.

Todd was a cunning child and former lawyer (yes, a handful of them did make it to Heaven after all—on a technicality). He had been the most successful at staying under God's radar. Despite Billy's bluster and Simon's defiance, Todd had actually gotten away with more violations of campground rules, including:

1. taking food into his cabin,

2. taking supplies without permission such as shirts, blankets and toilet paper,

3. taking the boat for a brief trip across the shoreline (but never far from the campground),

4. listening to private conversations between God and Jay.

He had even seen what was in the fog on the western side of the lake, but had told no one. I am the only one who knew he disappeared from his cabin that night.

Well—perhaps God knew, but it was impossible to tell. I can get into the skulls of everyone on the Island but God.

"How many coats can He really have?" Billy asked Todd.

"Even if He just has three," Todd said, "then that is three more than we had before. I just have no interest in spending another cold night in this place."

"It's pretty ridiculous," Raul said.

"So, we need a really good distraction," Billy said. "From someone who is willing to take the fall in a spectacular way."

"Sign me up, I'm ready for whatever," Tommy said. "Should we get Simon in on this? We know he's not afraid of God."

The group chuckled.

"No, we actually want to be able to get away with it," Todd said. "We need someone who isn't quite as obvious, someone who isn't constantly being tailed by angels."

Tommy glanced over at Edward and Edward perked up. Edward had no idea what they were talking about, but he knew Tommy was at least thinking about him. Tommy leaned back into the group and they mumbled back and forth. Tommy then looked back at Edward and waved him over.

Edward jogged over with an eager smile. Simon pretended to listen to Ossie talk television with a flock of chattering girls, but kept the huddle in his periphery. Simon could tell something was up, and he was annoyed that he was being excluded. He hated missing out on mischief.

Edward reached the small group. Tommy draped his arm over his shoulder and leaned over to whisper, "Hey Eddy, ever row a boat?"

Chapter 13

"Are we really doing this?"

Edward waded just above the surface of the water as he followed Tommy along the underside of the pier. The rowboat gently rocked in the water as Edward's heart fluttered in his chest.

"Holy shit," Edward whispered, feeling sick.

"Edward!" Tommy said, in a low, mocking hiss. "Language! From you of all people! I really am a bad influence, aren't I?"

Edward had a series of playful, somewhat flirtatious responses zip through his head, but his nerves didn't allow a single one to escape his lips. Instead, he chuckled several seconds too late. Their eyes met. The restless water nudged them toward each other like a teasing friend. Edward recognized that a moment had arrived and any normal human would know exactly what was to be done with it, but Edward was lost. Tommy turned to the boat and the moment was gone. Edward felt compelled to apologize, but was certain that was the wrong thing to do.

Surely. Maybe. At any rate, Edward said nothing and his secret was safe for a little while longer. Unless Tommy already knew. Even if he did, Edward would stay the course, if just for the sake of pride and tradition. Edward would follow Tommy across the Island, off the far edge and down into Hell.

And never speak the truth for fear of losing whatever it was that they shared.

"Let's go," Tommy whispered. He waded further out of the cover of the pier.

Edward followed as he scanned the shoreline. There was nothing they could do about angels, they would be caught eventually. In fact, that was the plan.

Tommy swam up to the rowboat and clung onto the side; he lifted his body out of the water and then rolled into the boat. Edward followed and crawled to the oars. Tommy untied the boat from the pier and sat next to Edward. They both began rowing gently, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Edward assumed they'd be caught immediately, but as the bow skimmed away from the pier, nothing happened. The only person who seemed to see was Simon, who ran out onto the shoreline and jumped and swung his fists in frustration that he'd been left behind. Tommy waved Simon away and then pointed at the sky. Understanding that Tommy was motioning at angels, Simon threw up his arms and stormed away.

Edward chuckled nervously and continued to row. Tommy whispered, "Thanks for doing this with me."

Edward nodded and his chest cavity was filled with a fireworks show.

The progress across the lake was slow and the pair had trouble coordinating their efforts. The boat would veer to the left and to the right, but after the first few minutes of rowing, they had managed a more or less straight line toward the far shore.

Edward hadn't rowed since he was very young on Earth. It seemed easier than he remembered. His arms were burning after only five minutes, but he was growing more confident that, if given enough time, he and Tommy would be able to make it to the other side of the lake.

"What if we actually make it?" Edward asked softly. "What then?"

"We run into the woods and find a place to hide so God can never pull us back to that campground again."

Edward looked over at Tommy, anticipating the clever grin, but Tommy just gazed back at the campground solemnly.

Edward imagined a new life in the woods where it would be flush with wildlife. Bird calls would wake them up in the morning, they would cut out an acreage to grow vegetables, they would fashion spears and fish along the shore.

Edward imagined peace on the far shore, the kind of peace he'd only felt while floating in Heaven. Edward thought of what it would be like to have Tommy hold his hands. Such a small, virginal fascination, but it seemed immense to Edward. A coupling. Not just sex because that could be bought or bartered. There was something much more intimate about holding hands. A casual choice not tied to base instinct, just a decision to hold one person above all others.

"How are you doing?" Tommy asked.

"Wonderfully."

The boat began veering to the left again, but not because one child was out-rowing the other. A current was tugging the boat. It was flowing toward the fog. Tommy watched the dense, unsettled mist curling and tumbling. He rowed harder to keep the boat from gliding toward it.

"Come back," a voice whispered.

The children started and looked around them. The voice sounded as if it came from someone in the boat with them. Tommy let go of his oar and carefully stood to look around them.

The campground shore was far enough away that he couldn't tell if anyone was watching them.

"Keep rowing," Tommy said, still standing and watching the shore.

Edward scooted over and took hold of both oars. He began rowing, slowly at first, but building into a steady and urgent rhythm.

"Come back," the voice repeated, louder.

The children scanned all around them, but couldn't see anyone. Tommy looked down into the water and flinched back and fell against Edward.

"He's in the water!"

The lake exploded all around them, soaring up above the boat and climbing into the air. The boat rocked and turned as the lake thinned under them. Water burst upwards all around them as if falling into the sky, forming a wall. A prison.

The boat cracked as it hit the lake bottom, all just mud, rocks, and flopping fish. The water was spinning into a violent water spout with the boat in the center of the eye of the storm. A small patch of sky was visible high overhead. Within the surging wall of water, fish rolled and struggled against the immense current. Mist swirled around the children and thunder crackled. Electricity sparked and snapped as it jumped from one side of the funnel to another.

Tommy pushed himself up and stood on the stern of the boat.

"Come on!" Tommy shouted over the roar of water. "Come get us!"

Edward leaned up to grab Tommy's hand. Tommy jerked away.

"We are here!" Tommy screamed. "You don't scare me, not anymore! Just come get us and send me to Heaven or Hell! Just get me out of this place!"

The wall of water opened up like curtains and God walked along the lake floor toward them. He wore a yellow slicker and held a black umbrella over His head. His eyes glowed with blue energy sparking outwards.

"I am…" God began but his foot sank deep into the mud, diminishing the moment. "Hold on." He tried to lunge up out of the mud, but his other foot just sank. Finally, He wedged the umbrella into the crook of his neck, awkwardly. He lowered his palm to the ground and the mud splattered away from His leg. He jerked His foot free, but lost his shoe in the muck. He then bent over and spent several seconds trying to dig the shoe out while holding his finger up to the children, telling them to wait.

"Tommy," Edward said as he stood behind the boy. Tommy waved Edward away.

God found his shoe, then removed His other and carried them toward the boat. The curtain of water closed behind them, trapping them all within the water spout. The roar silenced, but the water continued rushing around as the fish struggled to swim out of its current.

Despite the chaos, the lightning flashes and the racing currents, the only sound was the mud sucking up God's feet. The flopping fish in front of Him evaporated as He approached. He stopped just in front of the boat, closed the umbrella and shook out the water

"You stole from Me." God tapped the boat with the end of his umbrella.

"So, what are You going to do to us?" Tommy asked, defiant.

"Please," Edward said, getting between Tommy and God. "We'll go back."

"Do you want to go to the other side of the Island?" God asked, calmly looking past Edward to Tommy. "Is that what this is all about? You want to leave the campground?"

"We want to go back to Heaven," Tommy replied, stepping past Edward and bending over to climb out of the boat.

"Stay in there, please," God said. "Trust me, you don't want to get out."

Tommy hesitated as he watched God. Edward placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy reluctantly lifted his leg back and stood in the boat.

"Is that what you want as well, Edward?" God asked.

"I …" Edward began, but lowered his head.

"Oh, no, please, don't hold back, Edward," God said. "Let me know how displeased you are with everything that I've given you."

"We didn't ask for this!" Tommy said.

"No, I suppose you didn't." God motioned to the boat. "You might sit down."

Tommy didn't initially, but God smiled and motioned again. Edward sat down and tugged at Tommy, who finally conceded.

"I can't send you back to Heaven," God replied, looking around at the wall of water, watching the fish struggle. "I will let you go to the other side of the Island, if that is what you really want."

Tommy glanced back at Edward, and Edward nodded.

"Okay," Tommy said. "Let us go then."

God laughed. He reached into the rushing water and plucked out a fish. It struggled for a few moments, then stopped and stared at God, its mouth gasping for water to breathe. God mimicked the sucking motion with His lips. He wedged the umbrella under His arm and petted the fish. It no longer gasped for air, only stared at its Creator.

"I said I would let you go, Tommy, but only you." He placed the fish back into the water and shook the droplets from His hands. "Edward comes back with me."

"No, I am staying with ..." Edward began, but then grimaced from a sudden pain stabbing at his stomach. His face flushed. Sweat began streaming off his skin. He grunted and fell backwards in the boat. Tommy leaned over Edward and touched his skin. Edward's temperature had soared. He groaned as sweat poured off him, his face and skin a dark red. He began convulsing.

"Edward!"

Edward became still for a moment. He reached up to Tommy's face and brushed his fingers against Tommy's cheek then passed out.

Tommy turned to God.

"Stop it!" Tommy screamed.

"Come back with us, and I will," God said.

"You are nothing but a bully! Why did we worship you?"

"Because you wanted to be rewarded."

Edward's body lifted off the boat and floated lifelessly up the wall of water.

"I would sit down and hold on if I were you," God said. He floated up from the ground and soared up the water spout behind Edward's body.

Tommy sat down and gripped the edges of the boat. The roar of the rushing water returned. The wall crashed down on him and the boat jerked up as the water rushed around and under it. The boat tipped violently and Tommy fell out as both he and the boat were immersed.

Tommy kept his grip on the boat as it rose quickly to the surface. It leapt from the water and capsized as waves crashed against it. Tommy clung desperately as the water rose and fell with large, quick swells. The chaos pushed Tommy behind the water several times, but he managed to swim back to the surface each time, clinging to the boat until the lake settled.

"You said you were a good swimmer!" God called as He floated away, Edward's limp body trailing behind Him. "Swim back to shore and bring My boat back with you!"

******

Billy, Ossie and Simon swam out to help Tommy pull the boat ashore. Petrov grabbed Tommy and helped him out of the lake. Exhausted, Tommy crawled on the sand and laid down on his back. Petrov leaned down and pulled him farther up the shore, away from the waves.

"Where is Edward?" Tommy asked between heavy breaths.

"Sleeping in the cabin," Petrov said. "He'll be all right."

"I fucking hate it here," Tommy grunted.

"I know."

"Did they get the coats?"

"No," Petrov answered. "We tried, but we were caught. I tried to keep God and Jay distracted as long as I could, but He knew. I think He knew about the plan before we'd even thought of it."

Tommy studied Petrov.

"You didn't rat us out did you?" Tommy asked.

"No, my friend, I did the best I could."

Tommy pushed himself up into a sitting position. He grabbed Petrov by the collar and pulled him close.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not, I promise you," Petrov pleaded.

Billy stepped between them and broke Tommy's grip. Petrov backed away, lowered his head.

"Listen," Billy said. "That boy was the one who caught the worst of it. I can guarantee you he didn't snitch on us."

Tommy sighed. He pushed Billy away, stood up unsteadily, then staggered toward Petrov.

"Welcome to God's shit list," Tommy said, patting his shoulder. Petrov smiled, awkward, but relieved. Tommy walked toward the cabin.

"When you are feeling better," Petrov said, "we are going up the mountain."

Tommy stopped and looked back at Petrov.

"You're going, too?"

Petrov nodded.

"Why?"

Petrov dropped his eyes.

"I am just curious, like the rest of you."