Palace of Horns

The question was never “How did you know?”. Crawford knew better than to ask something he couldn’t get an answer for. The question was “why”, and Will hated that one. It was easier with how-s because they seldom needed a verbal answer. You could simply shrug your shoulders and say nothing, how-s were passive. Why-s, on the other hand, were actively demanding an explanation. They weren’t interested in understanding the monsters, they needed to know why someone else understood them. And it was a dangerous path leading to questioning his normality. Do you get them because you’re one of them? “Victim’s remains were discovered in a shallow grave near the brook. That is an odd place to hide a body.” “Why?” Brian raised his eyebrows. “No worse than any other.” “But it is worse!” Jimmy looked at him, puzzled that he had to explain. “During spring the water gets way too high. Considering the location of the grave… it’s a lousy work.” “You mean the body might get discovered during the high water?” “Exactly!  Either this guy is incredibly lazy, or he wanted the body to be discovered.” “Why not leave it next to the highway? Why bother with burying it at all?” Beverly had already taken her gloves off, she was done for the day. Her eyes were dark and shiny, and Will thought of an otter swimming in water with a small stone on its belly. Otters were smart, otters were pretty. “Huh… I suppose Jimmy is right, the high water would have gullied the ground… exposing the body…” Brian said tentatively. “And ruined the remains…” “What do you think, Will?” Will shrugged remembering that he was one of the team now and pretending to be a part of the interior wasn’t an option anymore. “Jimmy is right. The place is odd for a grave. If it was supposed to be a grave.” “What was it supposed to be if not a grave?” Jack who was silently eyeing his team all along now was quick to catch him on the slip of the tongue. Jimmy looked at Brian, Brian looked at Beverly. She shook her head. “I don’t know… a pantry?” “Or a bait kit. Like you get when you go fishing, you store your bait in a kit… your worms,” Brian offered another variant. “You don’t dig your worms every time you need them.” “Ew,” said Jimmy quietly. He wasn’t repulsed by the idea of a body being used as a worm plantation. He was mainly repulsed by the idea of worms. “A pantry. A bait kit.” Jack repeated in a tone that suggested he wasn’t ready to believe them unless somebody wanted to offer proof. “You suggest he’s a fisherman?” “He might as well be.” “He isn’t a fisherman.” Will heard himself speaking before he realized he was going to. “And that wasn’t his pantry.” “Mmm… I don’t know about that,” Brian smirked. “He pretty much scooped out the organs and…” “You don’t fish in a brook.” Will shook his head. He didn’t want to interrupt Brian, but he also didn’t want him to compare the victim with a snack from the pantry or something like that. “And it wasn’t about the organs…” “What was that about, Will?” Beverly’s voice was mild and friendly.  “It was about the discovery,” he didn’t want to say the word that came to his mind and wouldn’t leave him alone. “Or so I think.” “It is all about the discovery, not the prize.” Dad held out the note with hints. Will didn’t get it first. Eyes on the prize, that’s what they said.  “How come?” “The process is more important than the result,” James didn’t smile at that one. “You’ll see when you make your discovery.” This was the first time Dad suggested a new game. The discovery game. He gave Will the list of hints, and it kept the boy occupied for the better half of the day. He was like Indiana Jones looking for the Holy Grail or some other important artifact, and all the hints had led him to the spot. “Great stone,” Will looked at the gray boulder near the end of the fence. It took him some time to budge the stone which was heavy enough to make Will pant. There was nothing under the stone. Will felt a sharp pang of disappointment but then he noticed something… The ground under the boulder was soft and loose. Will squatted and started digging with his bare hands. There was dirt under his nails but it didn’t matter when he discovered the box his Dad used to keep all the baits for fishing. Will didn’t know what treat was waiting for him inside but he didn’t open the box right away.  He savored the joy of discovery.