Blackwater Springs

Chapter Thirty

1

    The blood pounded in her ears as Audrey ran to help the boy. She heard Bradley cry out to her, but his voice was a million miles away. She watched in horror as two of the creatures scurried up Alan's pant leg, then turned to look at her with their fangs bared. She tried to run faster, but it seemed like she was running in place; she ran as hard as she could, but didn't feel like she was getting any closer to the boy on her porch.

    A strong gust of wind whistled through the trees and swirled around Audrey, the scent of something long-dead on it. Audrey resisted the urge to gag and kept running. The front door burst inward at the same time the storm door blew off its hinges, and the black hands started dragging Alan backward, into the house. The look of sheer terror was frozen on the boy's face. He opened his mouth to call out, but a third hand snaked around his head and clamped over his mouth. Audrey watched his eyes go side before they rolled back in his head; his body went limp. A sinister laugh came from under the black hood, and he dragged the boy over the threshold. The door slammed with enough force to break two windows and rattle the rest.

    Audrey sank to her knees in the mud and sobbed. Bradley caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes,.expecting him to be sympathetic. Instead, his face was full of questions. He helped her to her feet. "What was that about?" he asked in a voice that was a tad bit sterner than he'd intended. She stared at the ground.

    "Alan...he's in...they've got hiiiim," she wailed in between the racking sobs that just wouldn't stop.

    Bradley stroked her hair. "Shh, it's okay. Alan who?"

    "Alan...Alan Mills," she sniffed, trying to compose herself.

    "And he's where?"

    "In the house." Sniffle.

    "How do you know he's in the house?"

    Audrey lifted her head and gave him an incredulous stare. "He was just on the porch. You didn't see him?" The question came out as an accusation.

    "Audrey, there's no one on the porch." He took her hand.

    "I know there's not now. That black thing dragged him inside." She sighed in exasperation.

    "I've been watching the whole time, trying to figure out what you were running back to the house for. There was no one on the porch."

    "But the door..." She glanced over at the porch. The storm door was intact, as were the windows. What the fuck?

    "Look, let's get outta here. I don't want nothin' else to do with this fucked-up town." He turned and walked back to the truck.

    Audrey took one last look at the dark house and sighed. Bradley was right; it was empty and still. She shook her head and followed Bradley. A sharp pulse from the pendant stopped her in her tracks. She reached under her shirt and ran a finger over the necklace. It was cold; none of her body heat lingered on the metal. She pulled it out and waited, but the necklace was still. Had she imagined the movement?

    She tucked the pendant back under her shirt and took a couple more steps. There! It did it again! She held the pendant under the moonlight to see the opal. At first, she thought it had fallen off. Closer inspection, though, proved that the gem was as black as an eclipse. Audrey shuddered as a warm breeze tickled her ear. "You know he's in there," a voice whispered behind her. She snapped her head around.

    No one was there.

    Jesus, I'm really losing my mind. Images of straightjackets and padded walls popped into her mind. She shook her head and continued walking.