“Timmy!” Skippy shouted. “What....”
“Listen,” came the cry, “I wanta tell you guys ... that’s why I come back ... I’m hurt—I don’t know how I found this place, honest! Somethin’ made my feet run this way so’s I could tell you ... he’s got no heart ... he’s....”
“We’ll come down, Timmy—in front!” Skippy shouted. “Downstairs!”
“It won’t do no good!” came the answer. “You can’t get out unless he leaves you—then beat it for your life!” There was a pause, then: “Frost ... where’s he?”
“He ain’t here, Timmy!” Nickie cried, finding his voice. He swung the lantern higher and then, for the first time, they could see the slight form swaying down by the evergreen tree.
“I just come back to tell you.” Timmy’s voice was a heart-rending sob. “He’s what I told you ... it’s a trick! He makes out somethin’s wrong with the car an’ he makes me get behind the wheel n’ tells me to step on the gas an’ come toward him. It’s dark an’ I see him standing there up the road.... I don’t know ... when I get most to him he jumps an’ it’s a bridge.... I go right over in the car!” He groaned audibly.
“We gotta get out an’ help you, Timmy!” Skippy cried.
“I’m goin’ right away—you can’t get out, you know you can’t!” After a pause, he cried: “Listen, it wasn’t no accident—I hit my head on the way down an’ in the water when I come up I yelled an’ I knew he was standin’ up on the bridge ... he wouldn’t help me ... he just stood waitin’ for me to drown I But I didn’t ... I grabbed a log an’ pushed myself up an’ he didn’t see me climb up....”
“Where’s he?” Nickie called nervously.
“He was up there—on the bridge—when I sneaked away through the trees ... he acted like he was waitin’ for a car to come along. I didn’t meet any ... anyhow, all I could think of was to come here an’ tip you off.... I was sick.... I slep’ in the woods all day and ... I knew he wouldn’ be here—I knew he’d be lookin’ in the lake for me.... Listen!”