The Dead Parade Read Free

brick wall was the house number: 1342. He dialed the number and the phone began ringing. Once, twice…
    “ Hello, Tony’s Pizza.”
    “ I’d like to order a pizza for delivery.”
    “ Address?”
    “ 1342 Tecumseh Street.”
    “ Name?”
    “ James McGee.”
    “ And you’d like to order?”
    James stepped into the living room and realized that Johnny had frayed newspaper clippings attached to a wall. He approached the clippings and ran his eyes across the headlines. One headline read: TWO MORE FOUND DEAD. Another: MURDER IN HIGH PARK. A third was: 4 BODIES, 24 HOURS.
    After reading the headlines he glanced at Johnny.
    Something was horribly wrong. He knew those stories, those headlines on the wall. Everyone did. The string of deaths was puzzling the police. Evidence suggested that the killer might be some kind of animal. But they didn’t know for sure.
    Maybe it was Johnny.
     
     
    5
     
    James stepped away from the wall, lost in thought. He approached his friend, noticing that the room was cold. Really cold. Johnny was curled up on the chair with his legs pulled high, hiding his face beneath his arms. Eyes peeked above kneecaps.
    “ It’s here.” Johnny whispered with a raspy voice. “Oh my God, it’s here again. It’s inside the room with us. Why won’t it leave me alone?”
    James stopped dead in his tracks. Then he heard a distant voice, “Excuse me? Sir? You’d like to order? Yes? No?”
    “ Uh…”
    “ Sir?”
    James focused. Somehow he had forgotten that he was in the middle of a phone call. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I’d like to order a large pepperoni pizza. Thin crust, extra cheese… and I’ll pay cash. But I’ve got to go, there’s an emergency. I’m at 1342 Tecumseh. See you soon.”
    He hung up, hoping he had given enough information. Then he slid his phone into his pocket and said, “What is it, Johnny?”
    “ It’s here.”
    “ What’s here?”
    James took a step towards the couch.
    Johnny pulled away from James and crushed his body deeper into the chair. His fingers curled and his toes squeezed together. His stomach, which felt empty and rotten, clenched like a fist. “Oh God. Don’t move,” he said, with his lips pulled into a bizarre snarl. “Whatever you do, don’t move.”
    James looked over his shoulder. Again, there was nothing to see. “Johnny?”
    James slowly made his way to the couch and sat down as if the chair had been set with explosives. He had forgotten all about the drama that surrounded his family. Joseph’s death, Penny’s death, Mathew’s injuries––all had been temporarily washed from his thoughts. His focus was on Johnny now, who seemed to be one small step away from madness.
    “ John.” He said with a flat but kind tone. “We should talk, man. We should talk.”
    Johnny looked up. His eyes were beyond wild. Drool had formed in the corners of his lips, which were cracked and dirty and a perfect fit with his unhinged smile.
    “ What the fuck, Johnny?”
    James wondered where the old Johnny was––the Johnny that liked soulful house music, extreme boxing, and getting drunk with his friends; the Johnny who had a big smile and a hearty laugh; the Johnny that went to college to be a chef and was excited about cooking; the Johnny he knew; the Johnny he loved; the Johnny he came to visit.
    “ What’s going on, bro? You’re scaring me; you’re freaking me out.”
    “ I wish we had more time,” Johnny said. “‘Cause I sure am hungry. That pizza would hit the spot right about now. Don’t you think? If only we had more time.”
    “ The pizza will be here in thirty minutes,” James tried to reason. “But who cares? Johnny, what’s going on? You’re being a weirdo today. Why’s your stuff outside, and what’s with the clippings on the wall? You don’t know something about the murders, do you? Dear God man, tell me you’re not involved!”
    Johnny didn’t speak.
    “ Are you? Are you involved?”
    “ Do you have it with