Read The Border Part Six for Free Online

mechanism. It’s your way of organizing all the terrible thoughts that have been racing through your mind. The good news is that you don’t need to do that anymore. Come with me and I’ll make sure you can talk to people who’ll teach you other ways to deal with those thoughts, better ways.”
    “Caitlin…” he whispered.
    “Caitlin’s gone, and so is the stag-headed man.” She reached closer and finally began to ease the knife from his hand. “Two innocent girls have died in the past week, and I really don’t think you wanted to hurt them. We can’t bring them back, but we can make sure that no-one else has to suffer.” Twisting the knife, she began to slip it from his fingers. “I know you’re not a bad person, Joe, and I’ll make sure that everyone else knows that too. If you walk out of this room with me, I’ll personally see to it that you -”
    “Stop,” Joe whimpered, looking past her again.
    “Joe -”
    “Please stop,” he continued, tightening his grip on the knife. “You don’t understand.”
    “Then help me,” she replied. “Joe, I’m here for you. I want to listen.”
    “You’re wrong.”
    “About what?”
    “You don’t understand!”
    “So help me to change that,” she continued. “Joe -”
    “He can’t hear you,” Caitlin said suddenly.
    She turned to look over at the dead girl. “What?”
    “You don’t understand,” Joe said again.
    “He’s not talking to you,” Caitlin added. “He’s hearing the voice of the stag-headed man. That’s who he’s talking to.”
    “But -” Jane paused, before turning back to Joe, watching as the fairy lights lit his face red, then white, then yellow.
    “I don’t want to hurt her!” he shouted.
    “Joe -”
    Before she could finish, he twisted the knife around and lunged at her, landing directly on her chest and digging the knife down hard.

IV
     
    “Get off me!” Bob screamed as he felt sharp little teeth biting down hard into his hand.
    ***
    “Anyone home?” Ben shouted, standing at the door that led into the office building directly above the Border’s entrance. Reaching out, he knocked on the glass. “Hello? Come on, I know there’s always someone manning the desk. I’m here!” Raising his hands out to his sides, he turned around. “I surrender! I’ve come to turn myself in!”
    He waited, swaying slightly after having finished a couple more drinks on the walk from the town square.
    “Damn it,” he muttered, turning and taking a couple of steps away before spotting a trashcan nearby. Picking it up, he examined it for a moment before chuckling to himself. Turning again, he looked back at the window before carrying the trashcan over, raising it above his head, and finally throwing with all the strength he could muster.
    To his surprise, the trashcan smashed the glass and crashed through into the building’s lobby.
    Standing in silence for a moment, he realized that no alarm was sounding.
    “Figures,” he said with a sigh, as he climbed through the broken window. “Don’t wanna attract any attention, do -” Catching his foot on the ledge, he twisted around and then fell through, landing hard on the floor and letting out a gasp of pain.
    Taking a moment to get his breath back, he lay among the glass and stared up at the ceiling. He started to laugh, before finally getting to his feet. Spotting a camera in the far corner, he gave it a friendly wave before stumbling toward the steps that led to the Border’s main office.
    “Mr. Packer!” he shouted, his voice echoing along the corridor. “Garland Packer, it’s me! Are you here?”
    Stopping, he chuckled to himself again.
    “Of course you’re not here,” he continued. “You died nine years ago, didn’t you? I should remember that of all things, right? After all, I’m the one who…”
    His voice trailed off for a moment, before he started walking again.
    “Mr. Crutchlow! Are you home, old man? It’s your favorite little busboy, come to see if