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muttered something to himself; it was a tendency he had. I couldn’t understand him. He fell silent again, and I was about to speak up when he whispered, “Jack, I have to tell you something. But you can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”
    “ I’m good with secrets,” I said.
    This wasn’t my fun-loving, zest-for-life brother. I’d seen him sick before, and he’d always maintained a happy spirit. I was the serious brother. But Joe looked grim now. And more than a little confused.
    “ Not a football,” he stated. “I got my words mixed up.”
    “ What?”
    “ It was the shape of a basketball.”
    “ What are you talking about?” I put a hand on his shoulder. He jerked it away.
    “ Don’t touch me!”
    “Jesus, s orry. What about a basketball? Or a football?”
    He jumped up. “I said it was not a football!” He spat into my face. His eyes were sunken, his lips parched. The hatred in those red eyes were horrible to see. Hatred from my own brother?
    I stood as well, tried to calm him. I’d never, ever seen him act like this. “Okay, bro, okay. I’m sorry.”
    Joe took a deep breath. Dragged his hands through his hair. He leaned on a nearby chair and took another big breath. He faced me again, struggling to stay calm.
    “ We found something, Jack. Mike and me.”
    I was motionless. I didn’t want to upset him again. “What did you find, Joey?”
    “ It came out of the sky,” he continued with a glazed expression. “And we found it. We shouldn’t have touched it.”
    Maybe I’d watched too many horror movies, but a sense of dread came over me. I waited.
    “ It was beautiful, like a falling star. But that’s not how they saw it. No. Mike and I found it, but they took it away. It’s a good thing they let us go, too. Otherwise, I would have gone berserk.”
    Jesus, was my brother was losing his mind? Joe was level-headed; he was a lieutenant commander climbing the Navy ranks.
    “ I don’t think we should have touched it,” he continued, babbling, “and I don’t think they should have taken it, either. It will make you sick.”
    “ Joe...”
    “I didn’t know where to go,” he said miserably. “I can’t think. I could barely think during the interpretation. No. Wrong word. Interrogation. But I’m smart, kind of, you know? I got us out of there.”
    The hole in my gut was widening by the second. I crossed to the window. I expected to find the military car Joe usually drove, but the driveway was empty.
    “ Where’s your car?”
    “ I don’t know. It’s gone. I switched it. Then we walked. So bright outside. Close the drapes.”
    I closed the drapes. I crossed the room in two strides. I didn’t care if he got angry; I took him by the shoulders.
    “What the devil are you talking about, Joe? ”
    My brother let out a low, guttural snarl. I wasn’t sure he recognized me. I let go, backed up. He slapped himself in the face, hard, and then took another deep breath that looked painful. Next, he fell to the wooden floor, so hard that the entire house shook. He hugged himself, curled in the fetal position. When he looked up at me, I could see a little of my brother again, just a little, but I’ll never forget the agony in his eyes.
    “ Jack! You can’t let me leave here. I don’t want to be locked up and I’m afraid.”
    Now I was afraid, too. Very afraid. But I knew I was the strong one...for now.
    “ You need to see a doctor,” I said.
    “ No, no! Jack, listen. Don’t you understand? They’ll find me, and they will lock me up. And I’ll go crazy. No, Jack, please. Keep me here. I’m AWOL.”
    “AWOL!” I should have figured it out. “What the hell happened?”
    Instead of answering, my little brother crawled into the corner of my bedroom and would say no more. In fact, he didn’t seem capable of talking.
    Sweet Jesus.
    I stood watching him a moment, as he rocked himself back and forth. I didn’t know what to do. Then I thought of Anna. Sleeping right across from her was