As the first light of the day began to shine through the window, Bo spoke up breaking the silence.
     “Are we gonna go back to Hazzard?” Bo asked.
     “I don’t know if it would be a good idea for Jesse and Daisy to see me.” Luke said. “Though I think that you should go home.”
     “Not with out you.” Bo said.
     “I will go back to Hazzard, just not home.” Luke said.
     “Oh and what am I suppose to say? Hey y’all I am home I was in Atlanta and strung out of on drugs but after this creature came and killed my drug dealer I didn’t have much choice but to come home.” Bo said, anger in his voice.
     “Bo . . .” Luke said and sighed, not knowing what to say to his cousin, knowing it was still the trace amount of drugs in his system causing him to act this way.
     “What it is the truth.” Bo said.
     “Just calm down, Bo.” Luke said.
     “No, why should I? It is the truth and it is your fault . . . you are the one that left me . . .” Bo said his voice trailing off.
     “I didn’t exactly have a choice, Bo, I was killed.” Luke said.
     “I KNOW that. I saw you murdered. You have no idea how hard that was for me to handle.” Bo said.
     “Maybe not, dying ain’t much easier though. I died knowing I couldn’t protect or keep him from taking your life as well.” Luke said, his voice edged with anger.
     “I . . .I’m sorry, Luke.” Bo said. “Please don’t leave me again . . . I couldn’t stand to lose you again.”
     “I’m not gonna leave you, Bo.” Luke said, giving Bo a comforting, brotherly hug, which Bo returned. “C’mon let’s go back to Hazzard.”
Bo nodded and packed his single suitcase, he felt bad for the things he had said, things he had never meant to say.
     “I’m sorry for what I said.” Bo said.
     “Just forget about it.” Luke said.
     “I can’t forget . . . I never meant to say those things and I am so sorry.” Bo said.
     “It was just the last traces of the drugs in your system talking. I understand, and I do understand in a way why you handled things the way that you did.” Luke said, then knew the exact words Bo needed to hear. “I forgive you, cousin. I could never truly be angry at you, nor leave you willing, you are my best friend and I love you like a brother.”
Bo smiled. “Thanks, Luke . . .I feel the same way.”
     “I know.” Luke said. “So did you bring the General?”
     “Yeah, he’s in the parking garage . . . don’t worry he’s safe.” Bo said, as they left the apartment, which neither would ever return to.
Bo had rented the apartment under an assumed name, and when the police finally would find Frankie’s body there would be no trace of Bo’s presence there to be found, which seemed to have been wiped clean by the crow. Bo didn’t feel like driving, and thought that Luke probably would want to, and he was right.
     Luke sped the car towards Hazzard County.
     “Luke . . . what am I suppose to tell Uncle Jesse and Daisy?” Bo asked.
     “What do you mean?”
     “I mean . . . about just coming home and . . .”
     “And what?” Luke asked.
     “And how am I exactly suppose to go around pretending that you are still dead . . . not when I know that . . . well you here.” Bo said
     “I don’t know . . . I just don’t know if it is a good idea to allow them to see me.”
     “I think you should just come home.” Bo said. “I think that they would understand. I can’t act as though I think you are still six feet under.”
Luke nodded, knowing that Bo was right, and he hoped that he was actually making the right decision. “Okay you win, I’ll return home with you.”
     Jesse and Daisy were sitting at the kitchen table, in silence, as they ate a light breakfast. They looked up when they heard a car outside.
     “Wonder who that is?” Daisy asked, though it was more a comment then an actual question. “Kinda early in the morning for company.
     “Not that it matters much.” Jesse mumbled, ever since the day Bo had left he felt heartbroken, unable to handle the grief of losing both of his boys.
     Bo and Luke climbed out of the car, both appearing to be nervous and apprehensive.
     “You kinda nervous about going home to?” Luke asked.
Bo nodded. “Didn’t exactly leave under the best circumstances.”
     “I know how that is . . . showing up dead an all.” Luke said. “Don’t know about this walking through the front door.”
Bo walked over and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Would you rather climb on in through the window like you did to me?”
     “Maybe you should go in first . . . let ‘em deal with one thing at a time.”  Luke said.
     “I ain’t walking through that door without you cuz.” Bo said. “We do this together, just like we did everything together before.”
Luke nodded in agreement. “Let’s do it.”
     The door squeaked as Bo shoved it open, Jesse and Daisy looked up shocked to see Bo standing there, not yet having noticed Luke who stood a couple paces behind Bo.
     “Bo, we’ve been so worried about you.” Daisy said. “Are you okay?”
     “Yeah I’m fine.” Bo said stepping further into his house, his older cousin following close behind.
Both Jesse and Daisy paled when the saw Luke to step into the house. Daisy hitched her breath to scream, but past out instead slumping forwards against the table. Jesse’s look of shock quickly turned to one of anger.
     “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU . . . YOU DOPPELGANGER!” Jesse yelled angrily.
     “Uncle Jesse, just please calm down.” Bo said.
Jesse stood up, and faced the boys. “I will not calm down until that creature is out of my house.”
     “The “creature” is Luke.” Bo said.
 “No it ain’t. Luke . . . Luke is dead . . .that . . . ” Jesse said, pointing at Luke, “Is just an apparition and demon disguised to look like Luke.”
     “That it ain’t true.” Bo said, quickly jumping to Luke’s defense.
     “I told you this wasn’t a good idea.” Luke said softly to Bo.
Jesse took a step forward glaring at Luke with a look of malice. “How dare you come here pretending to be Luke. How dare you take advantage of Bo pretending to be the one person he cared most about.”
     “It’s not what you think, Uncle Jesse.” Bo said.
Jesse turned and looked at Bo. “Don’t allow yourself to be deceived by this creatures lies, he is merely taking advantage of your emotions.”
     “That ain’t true. It is Luke and if it wasn’t for him I would still be in Atlanta strung on lord knows what all kinds of drugs, he saved my life . . . saved me from myself, saved me from the slow toxic death I was inflicting upon myself.” Bo said.
     “You have been tricked by this demon.” Jesse said, in a matter-of-tone, not wanting to believe that his youngest nephew would ever take any kind of illegal drugs.
Daisy had woken up and just sat quietly listening, not really knowing what to believe. She longed to believe that her older cousin had in fact returned to them, but in her heart she knew that he was dead. She figured that her uncle was correct in that this thing had came and merely took advantage of Bo’s fragile state of mind and the deep grief of losing the cousin who was his best friend and brother. Luke knew no matter how long they stood there and argued Jesse wouldn’t change his mind, so he turned and walked out of the house, and Bo ran out after him.
     “Luke, wait!”
Luke stopped and turned to wait for Bo to catch up.
     “I told you it wasn’t a good idea.” Luke said.
     “If we go back inside and explain the truth . . .” Bo said, his voice trailing off as he searched for what to say.
     “It won’t do any good. No matter how long we stand there and argue he is not going to listen, his mind has been made up.” Luke said. “I can’t go back in there now.”
     “Then neither am I.” Bo said.
     “Yes you are. Your place is there.” Luke said.
     “Not if you aren’t there.” Bo said.
     “That ain’t possible, you saw how they reacted.” Luke said.
     “But . . . you can’t leave me again.” Bo said.
     “I won’t leave you, I promise.” Luke said.
     “What do you call walking away?” Bo asked accusingly.
     “I’ll be back, tonight.” Luke said. “Just through the window and avoid Uncle Jesse and Daisy.”
     “But . . .”
     “Just go back inside, Bo.” Luke said, noticing Jesse watching closely from the porch.
     “No, I’m going wherever you’re going.” Bo said.
Luke put a hand on Bo’s shoulder. “Just go back inside the house, Bo, okay? Listen to something that I tell you to do for once. I will be coming back tonight, I’m not gonna leave you, but I just can’t stay now. Please try to understand that.”
Bo took a deep breath, holding back the tears that water in his dark blue eyes. “Okay. I don’t know if I really understand or not but I know you can’t be here now.”
Luke smiled, and squeezed Bo’s shoulder. “See ya tonight.”
Bo nodded not trusting his voice, his body and mind felt numb as he watched Luke walk away, feeling as though part of his spirit had gone with Luke.
     Jesse walked over and put a hand on Bo’s shoulder.
     “You know as well as I do that, that really wasn’t Luke.” Jesse said.
     “How would you know? You wouldn’t even calm down and listen to the situation.” Bo said.
     “I know that Luke is no longer with us, and that thing was pretending to be him praying on your grief to deceive you.” Jesse said.
     “That is not true.  But no matter what I say, you ain’t gonna listen are you?”
     “Bo, just settle down and c’mon back inside.” Jesse said.
Bo said nothing, he just turned and walked back into the house, wishing that he could’ve talked Luke into staying, hating the feeling of being alone.
     Bo glanced at Daisy, not knowing if she would listen to the truth either. Jesse followed Bo into the house.
     “Now let’s all go sit down in the front room and have us a nice family talk.” Jesse said.
     “Can’t hardly do that without Luke here.” Bo mumbled under his breath.
The three Dukes went and sat in the front room.
     “Now why don’t we start by you telling us where’ve you been the past while.” Jesse said.
     “I already told you that.” Bo said.
     “Is that the truth or what that demon made you believe?” Jesse asked. “I don’t believe that story at all.”
     “It is the truth.” Bo said, rolling up the sleeve of his shirt to revel the needle marks on his arm.
Daisy gasped, when she saw the long red needle marks both relatively fresh and faded ones. “But you never even like getting a shot at the doctors.”
     “I wasn’t exactly in my right state of mind.” Bo said.
     “I still don’t believe it.” Jesse said.
     “And why not? Just because you don’t think I am capable of doing something like that?” Bo questioned. “I was one hundred percent out of my mind, I watched Luke get murdered, kinda makes the mind snap.”
     “Just settle down, Bo.” Jesse said.
     “Why should I listen to you when you won’t listen to me?”  Bo asked, jumping to his feet.
     “Bo, just sit back down.” Jesse said firmly.
     “No, sir.” Bo said and stormed down to the bedroom slamming the door behind himself.
    Bo threw himself down on his bed, breathing in deep gasps trying hard to hold back his tears. He glanced around the room, seeing that everything had been cleaned up and was not is the state of disrepair that he had left it in. Bo heard a soft knock on the door and didn’t responded, he figured it was Jesse and didn’t think that he could face his uncle. The bedroom door slowly creaked opened and Daisy peeked inside.
    “Can I come in?” Daisy asked.
Bo seemed to think about it before finally nodding his head. Daisy stepped into the room and closed the door. Bo sat up on the bed, and rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes, to try to rub away the tears from his eyes, refusing to give into his emotions and allow himself to cry. Daisy walked over and sat next to Bo, placing a hand on his shoulder.
     “Bo . . . I wish you hadn’t left Hazzard and did . . . what you did.” Daisy said, knowing how abstract that sounded but couldn’t bring herself to say the actual words.
     “I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. I didn’t leave intending to upset y’all . . . I left because I didn’t know what else to do. If Luke hadn’t came I’d ended up killing myself.”
     “Luke has always taken care of you.” Daisy said.
Bo nodded. “Always has and always will.”
Daisy noticed the tears in Bo’s eyes. “Was it really Luke that was here with you?”
Bo nodded, but said nothing, he didn’t think that she would really believe him any more then Jesse did.
     “Is he a ghost or an angel?” Daisy asked, she wasn’t sure if she hundred percent believed it was truly Luke, but though that perhaps on some level Luke’s spirit had came back to save Bo, and she knew one thing was true he wasn’t an evil demon.
     “It’s not like that.” Bo said.
     “Then how is it?” Daisy asked.
     “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you . . . but just believe me when I say that it is Luke.” Bo said.
Daisy nodded. “I believe you . . . in a way at least. I don’t know if I believe it was Luke but you know Luke better then anyone and he did save you. But I do believe that he ain’t evil.”
     “I just wish Uncle Jesse would at least listen, believe that he ain’t evil.” Bo said.
     “I don’t think he can believe it.” Daisy said.
Bo sighed. “I know I just . . . wish he would open his mind and expand what he is willing to believe . . . it is Luke and not some stranger we are talking about.”
     “I know honey, but it is just something he can’t believe it goes against all his belief.” Daisy said.
Bo nodded, and a few tears escaped from the corners of his eyes. Daisy hugged Bo, soothing her younger cousin.
     “It’s okay, Bo . . . just let it out.” Daisy said softly as Bo stopped trying to hide his tears, and as he cried Daisy allowed herself to shed her own tears.
Bo sat back and wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. “Sorry.”
     “It’s okay, Bo.” Daisy said. “I just wish you would’ve talked to us and told us how you felt.”
     “I couldn’t . . . I didn’t even know how I felt.” Bo said.
Daisy nodded, and lightly ran her fingers over the needle marks on Bo’s arm, she still found it hard to believe that her younger cousin would willing inject himself with any kind of drug. “I wish you hadn’t left Hazzard and . . . took all that stuff. You aren’t taking any more are you?”
Bo shook his head. “I’m past that. I know I shouldn’t have touched that stuff, but in the state of mind I was in I didn’t care because it took all the pain away.”
     “There is better ways.” Daisy said. “Do you want to talk about it now?”
     “I just . . . felt that I had failed. I couldn’t stop Luke from being murdered and I couldn’t find that man that did to extract revenge for taking Luke’s life. When I saw Luke get killed I felt as though a part of me died along with him . . . like a piece of my soul had been torn away.” Bo said, finding it easier then he had thought it would be to reveal his emotions, and figured there was one reason Luke’s return.
     “You didn’t fail, Bo, there was nothing you could’ve done.” Daisy said.
     “I know . . . but it doesn’t take away the guilt.” Bo said.
     “Everything is gonna be okay now.” Daisy said.
     “It would be better if Uncle Jesse would be more willing to accept that fact that . . .” Bo started to say but Daisy cut him before he could finish his sentence.
     “I have a hard enough time accepting it myself, Bo. I want to believe it is Luke, but I know he is dead.” Daisy said.
     “I never said he wasn’t . . . dead, he is just back.” Bo said.
     “Like a zombie?” Daisy asked.
     “Not exactly . . . the truth is hard to explain and when you aren’t even just willing to accept he returned you won’t accept the truth.” Bo said.
Daisy sighed, she knew he was most likely right, and thought that she really didn’t want to hear it, as what little she knew already challenged her beliefs. There was a few moments of silence.
     “It’s good to have you back.” Daisy said.
     “It feels good to be home . . . I just wish things could be different.” Bo said, and Daisy knew what he meant, knew he meant he wished Luke could be there.
     “Just remember no matter what that me and Uncle Jesse you.” Daisy said.
     “I know, I love both of ya too.” Bo said.
Daisy stood up and left the room. Bo turned and looked at the window, wishing that he was night so Luke would return but knew he had many hours to wait before it would grow dark. Bo sighed as he ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair, and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes deciding to try to get some rest, as it had been a sleepless night the night before as every night had been since he had witnessed Luke’s death. Bo soon drifted into a deep sleep, feeling comfortable in his own bed and with the knowledge that his older cousin was back.
     Later that day, Jesse went and knocked on Bo’s bedroom door, to tell him that dinner was ready. He had allowed Bo to sleep through lunch figuring that Bo need sleep, but he also thought that Bo needed to eat a good home cooked meal, doubting that Bo had eaten a single decent meal since he had left the farm. Bo woke up when he heard the knock on the door and was just sitting up when Jesse stepped into the room. There was a moment of tense silence, as the two men looked at each other their blue eyes relieving their difference in opinion.
     “Dinner’s ready.” Jesse said.
Bo climbed out of bed, and finger combed his thick blonde hair.
     “After dinner I think that we need to have a talk.” Jesse said.
     “Yes, sir.” Bo said, without any conviction.
They sat down at the kitchen table, where Daisy was already sitting and waiting. Once they were sitting Jesse said grace.
     “Dear Lord, thank you for looking out for Bo and bringing him back home to us, safe and sound.” Jesse said.
     “Amen.” The three Dukes said at nearly the same time.
Bo didn’t bother to comment on what Jesse had said, knowing that it would do no good to say that Luke was the one who had brought him home and saved him from the slow toxic death he had been inflicting upon himself. That night’s dinner was a quiet event with no conversation any further then ‘please pass the cornbread’ it seemed that either nobody knew what to say or just plain didn’t want to talk.
     After dinner Bo helped Daisy clear the table and wash the dishes. After they were finished Jesse called them into the front room, he was determined to make Bo see the ‘truth’ of the situation that his cousin had not returned from the dead. Thinking it wouldn’t do Bo any good to be thinking that Luke had returned to them, when it was merely some kind of creature disguised to resemble Luke’s appearance, a creature that was merely taking advantage of his grief.
     “Sit down.” Jesse said, motioning to the couch.
Daisy sat down, but Bo remained standing.
     “I think I would rather stand.” Bo said with a touch of defiance to his voice.
     “Fine, either way we are all going to have a talk.” Jesse said.
Bo didn’t say anything, he merely walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the mantel.
     “First off I want you to know, how relieved I am that you came home. You had both of us very worried, taking off the way you did.” Jesse said.
     “I didn’t leave intending to worry you . . . I left because I had to.” Bo said.
     “I understand that. I know how emotionally distraught you were.” Jesse said. “That is why I am concerned for you now.”
     “Why? That was then and this is now.”
     “You know what I am talking about, Bo.” Jesse said.
     “You mean that fact that you won’t open your mind to the endless possibilities of this universe and will only believe the so called truths that are so deeply ingrained in your mind.” Bo said, becoming obviously agitated.
     “Bo, please calm down.” Daisy said softly, speaking for the first time as it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to be a part of, as she refused to take sides not knowing what she believed.
Bo looked at her with a calm expression. “I am perfectly calm. This conversation is really between me and uncle Jesse so why don’t you just go do something else.” Bo said, his voice demanding it was more of trying to provide her with an excuse to leave as he knew that she really didn’t want to be sitting there hearing the two of them fight.
Jesse said nothing to stop her from leaving, he knew as well as them that this conversation was really between him and Bo. Daisy went down the hallway to her room, and turned on her radio, not wanting to hear them argue.
     “I don’t think that you are in the right frame of mind to be deciding what is truth and what is fantasy.” Jesse said.
     “What’s that suppose to mean?”
     “It means that when you left here you weren’t in your right state of mind, and you were vulnerable to believe anything.” Jesse said.
     “And let’s not forget the fact that I was taking a few kinds of drugs, so maybe Luke was just a hallucination that because I was so stoned it made other people see him to.” Bo said, his voice filled with sarcasm.
     “It wasn’t Luke.” Jesse said firmly.
     “YES IT WAS!” Bo said raising his voice in anger.
     “Now you listen to me young man, you can’t keep this up, stop being as blind to just look at appearance, you know that Luke is no longer with us and he hasn’t merely returned.” Jesse said, trying to control his own anger, reminding himself of the vulnerable state of mind Bo as in when this demon appeared to him.
     “Oh so you are an expert on all the possibilities that exist in this world?”
     “I never said that. Why don’t you just calm down, quit getting so upset so that we can have us a civilized conversation.” Jesse said.
     “You mean stop believing in anything that differs from your own beliefs and conform to what you hold to be true?” Bo asked, though it was more a statement then it was a question.
     “Would you stop trying to twist everything that I say.” Jesse said.
     “If you stop being blind to the possibilities that exist in this world.” Bo said.
     “It is NOT Luke, open your eyes and see that. Luke is gone and you know it. That is just some creature . . . a demon that has taken Luke’s appearance and has taken advantage of your emotions.” Jesse said.
     “For what purpose?” Bo asked.
     “What?” Jesse asked.
     “Why would what you want to call a demon, appear to be Luke. What would there be to gain? He came and saved me before I killed myself, filled the emptiness I felt in my soul since the moment I saw Luke murdered. Took away all that pain and sadness, what would there be to gain?”
     “It wants something from you, perhaps to steal your soul because as long as you think it is Luke you’ll blindly follow him anywhere.” Jesse said.
     “That is not true. How can you be so blind that you can’t tell it is Luke?”
     “People do not return from the dead.” Jesse said.
     “Why not? How do you know that to be true, just because some manmade religion says so?” Bo questioned. “Do you believe in angels?”
     “That is something else entirely, and angel is different then a person merely returning from the dead.” Jesse said.
     “You don’t even know the reason for him being here and yet you claim it to be different.” Bo said.
     “I don’t need to know whatever lie was told to be the reason, but I do know that it is not Luke having returning to us.” Jesse said.
     “And because you believe that, I suppose to believe that to?” Bo asked.
     “It is the truth, Bo. Stop thinking with your heart and start thinking with your mind and you’ll know it is the truth.” Jesse said.
     “Don’t make a difference I know in my heart and in my mind that it is Luke who returned here.” Bo said.
     “I refuse to believe that.” Jesse said.
     “And I refuse to deny it.” Bo said. “If you at least don’t want to believe it is Luke, at least not go thinking it is a demon. He saved me before I killed myself and he brought me home, so at least believe he is good.”
     “I don’t think that is possible and I don’t want this creature taking advantage of you and see you ending up getting hurt worse and to be taken away.” Jesse said.
     “That’s not going to happen.” Bo said.
     “Just stay away from that creature.” Jesse said.
     “No.”
     “That is an order. Don’t you go near that creature.” Jesse said firmly.
     “NO! I WILL NOT DO THAT!” Bo yelled and stormed out of the room, going into his bedroom and slamming the door.
     Daisy had heard the whole fight between her uncle and youngest cousin, and fought back the tears that burned in her eyes, hating to see them fight. She began to pack her bags, deciding to go to her friend Dorothy’s house in Tennessee. Dorothy had told her if she never just need to have time away from the farm to get away from the problems surrounding Luke’s death to just come over and not worry about any advanced warning.
     An hour later, Daisy softly knocked on Bo’s bedroom door and stepped into the room, seeing her cousin standing by the open window staring out at the darkening sky, seemingly unaware of her presence.
     “Bo.” Daisy said, to get his attention.
Bo turned and looked at her, he could that she had been crying, as her eyes were still red.
     “Sorry about upsetting you.” Bo said.
     “It wasn’t your fault.” Daisy said, stepping over to stand by Bo. “You and Uncle Jesse are just both set in your difference of beliefs.”
     “Yeah I know.” Bo said. “I didn’t think things would be this way.”
     “Things don’t always turn out how you plan.” Daisy said.
     “That’s for sure.” Bo said.
     “I know this may be bad timing and all, but I’m going to Dorothy’s for a while, things have just became a little to . . . difficult to handle.” Daisy said.
     “It’s not bad timing. I understand why you feel you have to get away from it all and I think you should go away for a while.” Bo said.
     “Thanks for understanding, I don’t know if Uncle Jesse will really understand or not.” Daisy said.
     “I don’t know. I thought he would understand . . . I thought both of you would understand and be just as glad as I am about Luke’s return.” Bo said.
     “It’s not that I am not happy about it . . . I don’t really understand of know how much of it I believe. I guess my beliefs are kind of in between, that is what is making things so hard right now.” Daisy said.
     “I know at least you don’t think he is some evil demon.” Bo said.
     “I couldn’t think that I know that . . . he saved you and brought you home to us, to do that he couldn’t be evil.” Daisy said.    “Maybe I should stay here.”
     “Why, you need to get away from everything that is happening now and stuck between the two sides argument.” Bo said.
     “I . . . I am just worried about you.” Daisy said.
     “I’ll be fine.” Bo said.
     “You sure?” Daisy asked.
Bo nodded. “Yes I am sure. Don’t worry. I am not going to take off again and I am not going to try to destroy myself like before.”
     “Good.” Daisy said, and gave her cousin a hug. “Thanks for understanding.”
Bo returned the hug. “Just take care of yourself.”
Daisy nodded then left to tell Jesse about her decision to go leave for farm for a while to escape the current situation.
     Daisy walked out to the front room and looked at Jesse, she could see a range of emotions from anger to sadness in his blue eyes. Jesse looked up at his niece.
     “Uncle Jesse, I am going to go to Dorothy’s, she told me whenever things got too hard to handle I could go there for a while.” Daisy said.
     “I don’t think now is the best time for you to go.” Jesse said.
     “Why not?” Daisy asked.
     “Because Bo just returned home, we need to all stick together and be a family and with that creature roaming around right now I think we both need to be here to protect Bo.” Jesse said.
     “I don’t think that Bo needs our protection.” Daisy said.
     “Yes he does, as long as he thinks that creature is Luke he won’t see what a danger it is.” Jesse said.
     “I don’t think it is a danger. I don’t know if believe it is Luke, but it did bring Bo home to us and saved his life.” Daisy said.
     “It is merely taking advantage of him to get what it wants.” Jesse said.
     “I don’t believe that. This is the reason I have to leave, I don’t fully agree with either of you and I am not going to take sides, I don’t want to be stuck in the middle. I need time away to sort everything out.” Daisy said.
     “I think that you should stay.” Jesse said.
     “I think that it is really my decision to make.” Daisy said. “Ain’t it?”
Jesse sighed. “Yes it is. Just take care of yourself.”
     “I will. Please understand that this is just something I have to do, I can’t stay here right now. It won’t be forever, only a few weeks.” Daisy said.
     “I understand.” Jesse said, even though he didn’t want to allow her to leave he knew he had no choice but to allow her to leave, he knew there was no way he could force her to stay at home.
Daisy hugged her uncle, grateful that he didn’t insist on trying to force her to stay at the farm, she knew there was no way that she could handle the current situation. Daisy went back to her room to finish packing, planning on leaving the next morning.
     Later that night, long after darkness had settled across the land, Bo was sat awake on his bed looking through a box of old photographs. He was the only Duke awake, both Jesse and Daisy had long since gone to sleep. Bo was so intently looking over the photos that he didn’t hear Luke, who quietly entered the room through the window. Luke walked over and stood next to the bed, glancing down at the picture that Bo was looking at. It had been taken after one of the first races they had entered, and they were both sitting on top of the car holding the trophy.
     “That was some race.” Luke said.
Bo looked up at Luke and smiled. “It sure was.”
Luke noticed Bo’s smiled quickly fade. “Are you doin’ okay?”
     “Yeah . . . I just don’t like . . . things being this way.” Bo said.
     “What do you mean?” Luke asked.
     “Maybe we should go talk outside, I don’t want to accidentally wake up Uncle Jesse he’d kinda freak out, and I have had enough of that to last the rest of my life.” Bo said, standing up, and then he and his cousin climbed out the bedroom window.
     They walked over to where the General sat parked, under the oak tree, and sat on the hood. The shone brightly in the clear sky overhead, providing them with enough light to see each other.
     “Things get any better then the way they were when I left?” Luke asked.
Bo shook his head. “No, gotten worse if anything. I guess it is really all my fault after all I was the one that practically forced you into coming back to the farm . . . I just thought that they would understand.”
     “You had no way of knowing how they were going to react.” Luke said.
     “I just thought that . . . things would be more like they were and that we all could at least still be a family.” Bo said. “Uncle Jesse won’t even listen to anything I say, Daisy at least ain’t as . . . harsh about it, she believes somewhat about what is happening.”
     “You want to talk about it?” Luke asked, he knew Bo well enough to tell that Bo was trying to hide just how upset he was.
     “You have got enough other things to worry about without having to worry about me.” Bo said.
     “Don’t be silly.” Luke said. “It ain’t gonna do you no good to keep everything inside.”
Bo sighed. “I guess not . . . don’t really got no else to talk to about it . . . ‘sides you were always the only one who ever really listened. Guess that’s kinda work both ways didn’t it? You were the only one I could really talk to and I was the only one you talked to.”
     “Yeah, things can still be that way, after all we are both here now.” Luke said.
     “Yeah.” Bo said. “Right after you left me and Uncle Jesse got into a fight. He kept trying to tell me that you weren’t really you. He wouldn’t even believe that while I was in Atlanta that I was taking most every illegal drug in existence.”
     “I could barely believe that myself at first . . . especially any kind of injection, practically had to hog tie you at the doctor’s whenever you needed a shot.” Luke said.
     “I wasn’t exactly thinking straight, I don’t really know what I was thinking.” Bo said. “After that I had a talk with Daisy, she said she at least would believe that you ain’t evil, she wasn’t too sure if she believes it is really you or not. I talked to her about why I had left. I thought perhaps that Uncle Jesse would have calmed down and listen to what I was saying . . . didn’t happen we got into a big fight after dinner.”
     “Don’t be angry with Uncle Jesse he is just trying to protect you by doing what he thinks is best.” Luke said.
     “I know I just wish he would listen to what I say then he would know what is best for me is to have you here.” Bo said. “He refuses to listen to anything that goes against his beliefs and wants to force me into thinking that you are some evil demon that just looks the way you do to take advantage of my emotions. He won’t listen to reason about the fact you saved me before I had a chance to completely destroy myself. He tried to tell me to not go anywhere near you . . . that is the last thing I would do and the last thing I would want to happen. I just got you back I couldn’t handle losing you again, not so soon.”
     “You know that this is not exactly forever.” Luke said.
     “I know . . . I just can’t lose you again so soon, just don’t go thinking he is right and leave me alone.” Bo said.
     “I wouldn’t do that. I know he is wrong about that, I won’t leave you anymore then you would leave me.” Luke said.
     “I’m glad to hear that.” Bo said and smiled widely. “Daisy is going to Dorothy’s for a while, she is leaving in the morning. She doesn’t like being in between the two sides of the argument when me and Uncle Jesse are fighting.”
     “That’s probably for the best.” Luke said.
     “Yeah, I know when I left . . . even though I was out of my mind, I just need to get away from it all. Every shadow in the corner held a memory and even though those memories were joyful ones they still hurt it made the pain of losing you even harder to bear.”
There was a few moments of comfortable silence, and Bo yawned widely.
     “Why don’t you just go back inside and get some sleep.” Luke suggested.
     “No. I wasn’t to stay out here with you . . . “ Bo said, his sentence coming to an end as he yawned once again.
     “Why do you met me at the old cabin at still site number four tomorrow morning.” Luke said.
     “Yeah okay. I guess I am still kinda worn out after everything that happened even though I slept for most the day.” Bo said.
     “Just get some rest.” Luke said, and squeezed Bo’s shoulder in a comforting fashion. “Don’t worry everything is going to work out just fine.”
Bo just nodded and sat watching as Luke disappeared into the darkness of the night, before returning to his bedroom through the open window.
     Early the next morning Daisy packed her bags into her jeep, she still had second thoughts about leaving but knew it was something that she had to do for her own peace of mind. She noticed that her uncle and cousin were trying to avoid each other as they did the chores, keeping as much distance between them as they could, which was for her sake so she didn’t have to go through the pain of listening to them fight. She stepped back into the house to say goodbye to her uncle.
     “You leaving already? Ain’t you gonna stay for breakfast?” Jesse asked.
Daisy shook her head. “I ain’t really all that hungry and I want to get a start on the drive it’ll take a few hours to get there.”
     “Maybe you should just wait, so you don’t get caught in any rush hour traffic.” Jesse said, and thought to himself. ‘You should just stay home.’
     “If I leave now I won’t.” Daisy said.
Jesse sighed, he had hoped she would have rethought leaving over night and change her mind but it was obvious that she wasn’t going to. “Just take care.”
     “I will.” Daisy said, and hugged her uncle, then went outside to say goodbye to her cousin.
     Daisy found Bo in the barn, feeding all the animals, he looked up when he heard someone enter the barn and smiled to see that it was Daisy and not Jesse.
     “You ready to leave?” Bo questioned.
Daisy nodded. “Yeah, I want to get out on the road and miss the rush hour traffic.”
     “Yeah that’s a good idea.” Bo said.
     “Just take care of yourself when I’m gone.” Daisy said.
     “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.” Bo said, as he walked with Daisy over to Dixie. “You take care.”
     “I will.” Daisy said hugging her cousin goodbye. “I shouldn’t be gone more then a few weeks.”
     “Take as much time as you need. I understand why you have to get away.” Bo said.
     “I don’t think Uncle Jesse is really happy with my decision.” Daisy said.
     “It ain’t his decision to make it’s yours.” Bo said.
     “I know, it is just what I feel I have to do.” Daisy said, as she climbed into her jeep.
     “Drive careful, watch out for them crazy city drivers.” Bo said.
     “They can’t be any worse then you.” Daisy joked.
     “Cute.” Bo said, with a wide smile.
Daisy started the jeep and drove away, as Bo stood watching the jeep disappear from sight and Jesse stood watching from the window.
     Bo finished with the chores and went back inside to clean up before he left to meet Luke. When Bo walked back out through the kitchen Jesse was sitting at the table.
     “Sit down, you need to eat some breakfast.” Jesse said.
     “I really ain’t that hungry.” Bo said.
     “Sit down.” Jesse said firmly.
Bo shook his head, being as defiant as ever. “I ain’t hungry.”
     “I have had about enough of this back talk. Now sit down and eat.” Jesse said.  “I ain’t hungry.” Bo said, ending the conversation by walking out the door.
Jesse stood and watched as Bo sped away in a cloud of dust in the General, thinking of how it seemed his family had fallen apart, and that Bo had changed drastically since his return, barely seeming to be the same person.
     Bo had no sooner then left when Rosco pulled to a stop in front of the Duke farm. Rosco climbed out of his patrol car and walked up to the front door, still trying to find the words to tell Jesse about what had been discovered in the graveyard. Jesse answered the door, and Rosco took off his hat, nervously fidgeting with it in his hands.
     “Morning, Jesse.” Rosco said.
     “What do you want, Rosco?” Jesse asked, giving no indication that he was going to allow the sheriff to enter.
     “I need to talk to you.” Rosco said. “May I come inside?”
Jesse finally relented and stepped to one side allowing Rosco to enter and they two men sat down at the dinner table.
     “I don’t rightly know how to tell you this.” Rosco said.
     “Just say it flat out, Rosco, I don’t got time for you to beat around the bush.” Jesse said in a gruff voice.
     “Oh.” Rosco said, mildly surprised by the gruffness in Jesse’s voice. “Well old man Johnson was taking flowers to his wife’s grave and it is right near . . . Luke’s grave. Well he called me to tell me that the ground was all disturbed and kinda dug up.”
Jesse’s face paled and he said nothing.
     “I think maybe it were grave robbers or something.” Rosco said, then noticed how pale Jesse looked. “Are you okay?”
     “It must have been that demon.” Jesse mumbled.
     “WHAT?” Rosco questioned loudly.
     “Nothing, it don’t concern you, Rosco.” Jesse said.
     “What is going on, do you know something about what happened up at the graveyard that you ain’t telling me about?” Rosco asked.
     “Bo returned home yesterday morning.” Jesse said.
     “Oh really what a goody goody.” Rosco said, not seeing why Jesse wasn’t happier about it.
     “Yes and no. He has changed a lot and . . .that thing has taken advantage of his grief and I think it has messed his mind up.” Jesse said, he felt awkward discussing it with the sheriff but found it was nice to be able to talk to someone.
     “Thing?” Rosco asked.
     “The creature that looks like Luke.” Jesse said.
     “You mean a ghost?” Rosco asked.
Jesse shook his head. “There ain’t no such thing as ghosts. This creature is just a demon that has taken Luke’s appearance and has taken advantage of Bo.”
     “Oh that’s terrible.” Rosco said. “Where’s Bo now?”
     “He took off this morning . . .after Daisy left to go stay at her friend Dorothy’s house.” Jesse said.
     “Do you me to go out and find Bo, being him home?” Rosco asked.
     “It wouldn’t do no good he will only listen to that damn demon it is as though it as possessed his mind.” Jesse said.
     “You sure it just ain’t Luke’s ghost?”
     “There ain’t no such thing. People don’t just return from the dead.” Jesse said.
     “They do if they’s a zombie.” Rosco said.
     “There is no such thing as zombies.” Jesse said.
Rosco just shrugged. “I gotta get back out on patrol, with Boss out of town for the week I’m in charge.”
Jesse didn’t make any kind of response as the sheriff stood up and left the house.
    It wouldn’t be long after Rosco got back into town that all the townspeople would hear about what was happening out at the Duke farm and Luke’s supposed return, since Rosco tended to do a lot of gossiping and being a small town word quickly spreaded. Most everyone’s beliefs sided with Jesse, thinking that it really wasn’t Luke but some evil demon, every few people actually believed that it was really Luke who had returned. The town became alive with many rumours flying around, and the scared townsfolk slowly began to take on mob mentality.

 Chapter 3: Deception and Betryal