Thanks for listening and comment, Kibtizer and Unblinking! Yeah, I pictured Gabe at roughly 13 (but left it open to the reader) and he has aged, inside, a lot by the end. I wouldn't call Gabe a wimp. He was passive, a peace keeper, like his dad, but he had strength inside, and only needed something extraordinary to bring it out. Did Jim sacrifice himself because he knew it was the only way that Gabe would kill the thing wearing Robert's flesh, the strange creature still bound out by the gravel pit? I think that's why he got close, why he died-- to force his little brother to commit to destroying these things. Or it might be in their heads. He could be an unreliable narrator, though I don't believe that. It's all open to interpretation.
Again! I appreciate you taking the time and glad you still enjoyed it!