In Laymon's Terms

Sally started at the sound of scraping on the side of the van. Leaning over to look out the window, Sonia saw that some of the coyotes were pawing at the side of the van around the door cracks and handles, trying to find a way in. They weren’t going to give up.

Sally looked out at them and screamed, “Go away, get the hell away from us!” Most of them ignored her; only one looked up and cocked its head to the side, regarding her with a look Sylvester might give Tweety behind the bars of his cage.

“No!” Sonia yelled. “You won’t get the rest of us!” She moved to the driver seat and honked the horn to scare them away. As she sat there, it dawned on her that even if the tire was flat, the engine still worked. She had always been taught that if you got a flat tire, you should pull over immediately and not drive on it or the wheel would be damaged. To hell with the wheel; they might be able to get away! They weren’t at the mercy of these beasts!

Sonia turned on the engine again and shifted into drive. She had to get Billy out of that tree. She turned the wheel, and the coyotes bolted away as she stepped on the accelerator. The wheels spun in the dirt, pelting the wheel wells with debris. The van slowly gained some traction and moved closer to the tree. Halfway there, the van lurched forward at an angle and stopped. In the darkness, she had forgotten how rough the ground was off the shoulder. She stepped on the gas again. The engine revved, the wheels spun, the van vibrated, but it didn’t move. Cursing her own stupidity, she shifted into reverse and hit the gas. Still no movement. Shifting rapidly between drive and reverse, she attempted to rock the van loose, but with only one wheel giving traction, it was pointless.

Her glimmer of hope miscarried and left her despondent again. She beat the steering wheel with her fists, screaming. Leaning forward, she planted her head against the wheel and dissolved into heaving sobs.

Will whooped with joy when he saw his mother start driving the van to the tree, but his hope sank when it became mired. At least it was closer than it had been; he might even be able to run to the van before the coyotes could get him! He had to get out of this tree. The bark was gnawing at his exposed skin, and the stench from what was left of his brother was making him nauseous. If only they would go away just long enough to give him time to reach the van.

He waited patiently—he didn’t know how long—when his prayers were finally answered. As the sun finally sank below the horizon, the coyotes actually seemed to be giving up. They turned their backs and melted away into the dwindling twilight. He couldn’t believe it! He wanted to jump down immediately, but he made himself wait. Let them get further away first.

Did Mom and Sally see that they were leaving? He broke off a small piece of branch and threw it at the van, then another. That got Sally’s attention. She shook her mother and pointed. Sonia looked around with disbelief, then up at Will. She motioned for him to stay where he was.

Before long, he grew anxious. He was sure they were gone, but what if they came back? He might lose his only chance to get to safety. He threw another twig at the van to get his mom’s attention and motioned to her that he was making a run for it. She looked all around and shook her head no, but he couldn’t stand being up in this tree another minute. He had to get to the van.

Taking a few quick breaths like he’d seen John do before sprints at his track meets, Will climbed down, then dropped the last few feet to the ground. He landed in a crouch next to a dark lump. With a gasp, he realized it was John’s sneaker-clad, dismembered foot. He’d been trying not to think too much about his brother’s body strewn about. It’s just a shoe, he told himself, pretend it’s just a shoe. The click of the van’s door latch brought him back to the moment. Forcing thoughts of his brother away, he stood up and ran for the van.

“Hurry, Billy! Run!” Sally screamed. He’d just started running for the van when the coyotes burst out of hiding in the underbrush. “Run, damn it!”

Billy was halfway to the van when he slowed to look back over his shoulder. His face went pale when he noticed the coyotes bearing down on him. When he turned back towards her, Sonia saw the terror and panic in his eyes. He leaned into his run and sped up, but slipped on the rocky soil and lunged forward, landing spread-eagled and face down. He tried to get up. He was bleeding from his hands and knees and his face was scraped and oozing. He took a few awkward steps forward, before he stumbled and went down again.

“NO!” Sonia cried as she wrenched the sliding van door open and jumped out to help her son. She ran over to him and grabbed his arm to lift him to his feet, then started back to the safety of the van, pulling him along. The lead coyote was less than two yards away.

“Hurry!” Sally urged.