Matilda 'Tilly' Ransom was new to the small town of castle rock. She doesn't have the greatest relationship with her dad, so she spends most time outside of the new house he calls home.
One night, Tilly meets a boy in a strange situation involving a...
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He started telling the group the story about how he was underneath his porch, overhearing Billy and Charley talking about Ray Brower.
They had all followed the Ray Brower-story very closely because he was a kid their age. Three days before he had gone out to pick blueberries and nobody had seen him since.
"I know the Back Harlow Road! It comes to a dead end by the Royal river. The traintracks are right there! Even my dad used to fish for cossies out there!" Teddy told him.
"Jesus Christ, man. If they would have known you were under there they would have killed you." Chris shook his head at the boy.
"Could he have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow? It's really far!" Gordie questioned looking down at Tilly as she nodded.
"Sure. He must have started walking on the traintracks and just..."
"followed them the whole way." Matilda finished Chris' sentence, shaking her head.
"Yeah. Yeah, right. And then after dark the train must have come along. El smacko!" Teddy made a demonstration with his hands.
"Jeez, that sucks." Tilly shook her head, watching the end of her smoke.
"Yeah." Chris paused, "Hey, hey guys! I bet you anything that if we find him we'll get our pictures in the paper!"
Teddy sat up in excitement, "Yeah, we'd even be on TV!"
Chris nodded, "Sure!"
"We'll be heroes!"
"Yeah!"
Vern shook his head, "I don't know. Billy will know how I found out."
"He's not gonna care, Vern! Because guess who's gonna find him? Us. Not Billy and Charley Hogan in a boosted car." Tilly lightly punched him in the arm.
Gordie looked over at the boy, "They'll probably pin a medal on you, Vern."
"Yeah, you think so?"
"Totally!" Tilly laughed.
Vern somehow managed to find the worst in it again, "What'll we tell our folks?"
Tilly looked up at Gordie as he began, "Exactly what you said. We tell our folks we're tenting out on your backfield. Til, you tell your dad your staying with a new friend. Vern, you tell your folks you're sleeping over Teddy's. Then we'll say we're going out to the drag-races the next day until dinner tomorrow night."
Chris chuckled as they both skinned it, "That's a plan and a half."
After a bit more teasing and convincing, everyone agreed on the trip to help find the body of Ray Brower.
They had made a plan to meet up after getting all the stuff they needed. Tilly was currently changing and packing her bag.
She told her dad she met a girl when she went for a bike ride yesterday and morning wanted to have a sleepover, just like Gordie's plan. But he seemed to be in a bad mood even before she got there.
