Ancient History Read Free Page A

Ron. It’s here.”
    “What the hell are you talking about, Garth?”
    “I saw it. I went to take a leak and I saw it.”
    “If it was here, they’d have found it years ago. Check your bag and make sure you didn’t pee it. You were dreaming.”
    “That was mean, Ron. You really don’t want this to work, do you?”
    I sat up. “Fine. Let’s go take a look at the goddamn Studebaker. Maybe then I can get some sleep.” I slipped on my boots, grabbed my flashlight, and, as best I could, stomped out of the tent. I slipped on my poncho.
    Garth was right behind me. I stepped aside and waved him on. “After you, Little Brother.”
    I followed him outside. He turned to the left and walked along the side of the building. About halfway down he stopped and pointed towards the trees.
    “I went over there to take a leak. I looked towards the back of the building — and there it was!”
    “It’s dark as pitch. How did you see it? The car itself was black. Remember?” I couldn’t see his face and he wasn’t saying anything. I pressed on. “Well, let’s go to the back of the building. It’s either there or it isn’t.”
    We walked to the back of the building. Following the little pools of light our flashlights made. Behind the building there was nothing other than weeds and grass and trees. No tire prints. No footprints. Nothing. I cast the light in his direction. He looked puzzled.
    “There!” He pointed. “The weeds look flattened there!”
    “Garth. Are you serious? With all the rain we’ve had you expect them to be standing tall?”
    I saw him deflate. “It looked so real, Ron. I swear I could have touched it.”
    “Well, there’s nothing here. Let’s go back inside.”
    No words passed between us on the walk back. All I could think of was Garth and I as kids. We entered the dining hall.
    “What the hell?” I blurted out.
    Our tent was tipped over and it was dark inside. A breeze was blowing from somewhere and the air was chill.
    “Must’ve busted the lantern bulb,” Garth said. “I think I have a spare.”
    “Where the hell is that breeze coming from?”
    We played our flashlights around.
    “There!” Garth’s flashlight beam illuminated a window. It was broken and glass was lying on the floor.
    I walked over to the window and played my flashlight beam outside. “How the hell did this happen? I don’t see anything out there that could have broken it.”
    “Probably a branch.”
    “Yeah. Probably a branch.” I directed the beam around again outside the window. A branch. Except there was no branch and there had been no wind just minutes before when we were outside. No branch broke the window. So if no branch broke it, what did? I panned the beam back and forth across the floor and saw nothing other than glass.
    “Come on, Ron, let’s right the tent and I’ll see if I have that replacement bulb.”
    We got the thing back to its upright position. Sorted our stuff and got that back to where it was supposed to be. I made sure my revolver was handy. Garth found a bulb, replaced the broken one with it, and turned the lantern on. I shucked off my boots and crawled back into my sleeping bag. However, I was wide awake. Garth apparently was too. He wanted to talk.
    “Ron, do you believe in ghosts?”
    “No.”
    “You don’t believe people have spirits that might get trapped here?”
    “No.”
    “I do.”
    “How does that square with your religion?”
    He didn’t say anything for a few moments. “I guess, strictly speaking, it doesn’t.”
    “Thought so. Why do you believe in ghosts?”
    “Circumstantial evidence. Lots of people have seen ghosts or felt a presence.”
    “Do cars have spirits?”
    “Of course not.”
    “Yet, you saw a car. How do you explain that?”
    “I don’t know. All I do know is it looked as real as those trees out there. And there were two people in it.”
    “Oh, there were, were there?”
    “Fine. Make fun. That’s what you’ve always done. I know what I