Sawyerville: Horror Short Stories From Another Earth Vol.3
Author: Remi Aubert
Date: 2015-06-13 05:00:00+00:00
Description: “Sawyerville” revolves around Gail Fuller. She lives in the quaint little town with her pa, a man with one eye and one leg, and her sister, Shaney. Her peaceful life turns into a nightmare when she receives a parcel that seems to have been sent by the Devil himself.

Sawyerville

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – The Message

Chapter 2 – The Ride

Chapter 3 - Pip

Chapter 4 – Stone's Throw

Chapter 5 – Sheriff Farce

Chapter 6 - Shaney

Chapter 7 - Moonshine

Chapter 1 – The Message

The town of Sawyerville was the kind of place that no one would really care to talk about, at least not until after the incident. The place was home to 987 residents, each of them being self-sufficient enough with their small farms and engaging in occasional trades with other towns to make ends meet. Gail Fuller's pa, for instance, is the town's go-to guy for organic cantaloupes.

"Pa, why haven't you ever tried leaving Saw' and went to one of the bigger cities to make a living?" Gail had once asked her father while he was piling up cantaloupes after a modest harvest.

"It's too bad a place out there, Gail," her father had replied, his one good gray eye looking at her before it focused back at the pile of fruit. "I tried leavin' when I was a young lad and look what it did to me? The devil himself came out of nowhere, knocked me out cold, and left me bleedin' and half blind."

Gail had wished she hadn't asked. When she was 5, she wondered why her pa only had one eye and other little girls' papas have two, so her mother had told her that her father lost his left eye to a very bad man who wanted to steal her father's money. Her mother had not told her that it happened when her father was on his way to the city, trying to find a better-paying job.

The authorities never caught the criminal.

While on her way to the post office one afternoon, Gail thought about what her pa had said to her, about the city being a bad place to live in. She kind of doubted that now. She's 19 and fresh out of high school. She had heard that some of the town's rich families' daughters were planning to leave Sawyerville to go to college in the city. She had always dreamed of becoming a nurse, and what she was hoping to find at the post office would determine her fate. She knew that her father alone could never afford to send her.

All of her parents' hard-earned savings went to pay for the hospital bills 6 years ago, when her mother had found out that she had cervical cancer. The cancer had metastasized when they had brought her in for a check-up, and by the time her mother was admitted to the hospital, it was too late to save her. Now, her mother is gone and all Gail has left to remember her ma was an old brooch and a few faded photographs.

As she continued to walk, her thoughts started to drift toward her memories of Ma. Ma, who always knew how runny she wanted her porridge. Ma, who always sang old love songs in her soft voice as she faithfully washed the linen in the wee hours of the morning. Ma, who had loved her and her little sister, Shaney, more than anything in the world.

My little ladybugs. That's what her Ma used to call them. Ma, who was now buried deep beneath the earth.

But it's not her ma down there anymore.

It's just a shell, she thought. Because Ma is now an angel who is up in heaven and looking down at me and Shaney. I'll see her again, someday. At least, this was what she has been telling herself for the last 5 years. She was the one who has been taking care of her now 12 year old sister, Shaney, ever since.

Gail sighed deeply then composed herself. Stupid girl, she thought. Why do you always have to think of something sad right before meeting other people?

She had shed a tear once, while waiting in line at the local grocery store. The memory of her mother had come to her when she had caught the scent of the lavender soap her mother had always used. When old lady Fatima had asked her what was wrong, she had said that something got into her eye.

Now, she's at the post office and about to talk to Ronnie, the pimply teenage son of Mr. Bertrand, the postman.

"Is there anything in the mail for me?" she asked, staring at Ronnie's severe cystic acne on his forehead. Poor boy, she thought. I wonder if it hurts.

"Hey, Gail," Ronnie greeted in a squeaky, adolescent boy voice. "Lemme just check your PO box. Number 433, right?"

"Yes, please," Gail replied.

As Ronnie shuffled to the back of the office, she began to look around the place. Not much has changed in the Sawyerville post office, except that it looked even more run down, like it could fall apart at any time. The paint on the wall was peeling, and it looked like the termites have taken residence in the wooden benches next to the postman's desk.

She sat down on one anyway, and started picking at a loose splinter. The piece came off, exposing a line of termites. They began to scamper back into a nearby hole.

"Gross!" she exclaimed in disgust. She began to use the splinter she had pulled off to crush the tiny creatures, causing their bodies to get stuck into the little canal where they were passing. Some of them still wiggled feebly after this little act of genocide.

"Here you go, Gail Fuller."

Gail didn't notice Ronnie coming out from behind the counter. He approached her and handed her a small package.

"A parcel?" She stood up and took it from him, a confused look on her face. She had been expecting a letter from one of the universities in the city to which she had applied. She applied for a scholarship without her father's knowledge, and she had been anticipating for the reply for weeks.

"Yep, s'all that was in your box, now." Ronnie shrugged.

"Must be for Pa," Gail said, more to herself than to Ronnie.

"Naw, s'for you," Ronnie assured her. "It's got your name on it, an' all."

Gail looked at the package. Sure enough, her name was scribbled on it. There didn't seem to be a return address.

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you, Ronnie."

"Sure, come back anytime." Ronnie replied, a bit awkwardly.

"I will," Gail replied.

As Gail walked out of the post office, she started to press the package gently with her fingers. She could feel that there was something inside. It was round, and it felt a bit firm, yet soft enough to become indented if she would press too hard on it. She began to wonder deeply what it was, so she approached a nearby bench underneath a large oak tree and sat down.

The sun was setting and the people around her were getting ready to close their shops and go home. Shops usually closed up at 6 o'clock in Sawyerville.

Gail peeled the tape off the back of the package, then started unfolding the paper. When she finally unwrapped it, she clumsily let what was inside drop onto her lap, and when she bends down to look at it, the first thing she felt was confusion, as if it were some sort of joke. But when she finally realized what it really was, she began to scream.

Chapter 2 – The Ride

The people of Sawyerville rushed toward Gail, eager to come to the rescue. It had seemed like yet another bland evening to them, which somehow made the young woman's scream a welcome change to the dullness in the small town.

"What's wrong, child?" Samuel McLaw, the town's most trusted tailor, asked anxiously. Mr. McLaw was always known for helping people around.

Gail's hands were held against her cheek, but she slowly dropped them to her sides and said in a panicked voice, "An eye! It's an eye!"

Shivering, she pointed to the small, reddish white orb on the ground. It had collected some dust after it fell, but sure enough, everyone could tell what it was.

The crowd erupted in gasps and oh, my Lord’s. Mr. McLaw pulled out a handkerchief from his trousers' pocket and gingerly picked up the eye. He scrutinized it and pressed it gently, his fingers protected by the flimsy cloth.

He looked at Gail, his forehead lined with worry. "Who on earth would send such a horrible thing?" he asked her.

Gail could only shake her head. She shakily bent down to pick up the paper, which had been the package. She thought she had seen something written on it before she noticed the eye. On the paper, scrawled in thick, black letters, was: I'm coming for you.

She let out a whimper and dropped the paper. Someone in the crowd picked it up and read it out with wide eyes. Suddenly, people started to whisper fervently to each other.

One plump, middle-aged lady by the name of Mrs. Travis said, "We'd better report this to the sheriff's office."

Mrs. Travis is the strong-willed widow of the long dead Mr. John J. Travis, God bless his soul. She was one of the few people in Sawyerville who owned an automobile.

"Shouldn't we tell her father?" someone from the crowd suggested uneasily.

"Yes, definitely," Mr. McLaw agreed. "But, Mrs. Travis is right. The sheriff ought to know about this."

"Indeed," Mrs. Travis nodded matter-of-factly. "We'd better leave now before it gets too dark. Maybe you should come with us, McLaw, since you already have that, that thing in your hand."

Several people escorted the trembling Gail to Mrs. Travis' 1963 Austin Freeway. Mr. McLaw opened the passenger's door for her, helped her settle inside, then carefully shut the door. Mrs. Travis slid into the driver's side and slammed the door shut with ease. Mr. McLaw, who had the message and the eyeball with him, slid into the backseat and pulled the door shut.

"Buckle up!" Mrs. Travis said. She and Gail pulled down the seat belts and clicked them into place, except Mr. McLaw; there was no seat belt in the back seat.

Mrs. Travis started the engine. During their 30 minute drive to the sheriff's office, Mrs. Travis started asking Gail some questions.

"How's your father, dear?"

"He's... he's fine. He'll be back tomorrow," Gail managed to say. "He's gone off to trade with Pickler." Pickler was a store owner who lived in a town 20 miles away from Sawyerville.

"I hope his business is doing well," Mrs. Travis said softly. "My husband and I always thought his cantaloupes are the best in town."

"Thank you, ma’am."

"When your father was younger, he was such a promising young man. He had wanted to leave Sawyerville and become a doctor, I heard. But after your mother got..."

"By the way, Gail, where is your sister?" Mr. McLaw interrupted from behind.

"I left her at our neighbor's. Camille's her best friend. They play dolls there every day."

Gail thought about her little sister. I'm supposed to pick her up by now, she thought miserably. However, Gail finally managed to calm down and rationalize the incident as a prank that someone from high school must have pulled on her. Probably Mack Altaire, the high school jerk and Sawyerville's most promising baseball player. He had always been trying to get her to sleep with him. She began to wonder where he was now.

"Will she be alright over there, while we're on our way to the sheriff's?" asked Mr. McLaw, concerned.

"Yes, I believe she will be. I just want to get this over with." Gail sighed.

"Alright, well, then let's hope that this will be..." Mrs. Travis started to say, but before she could finish her sentence, something suddenly collided, hard, against the hood, causing her to frantically swerve the car on the side and crashing it against a big old tree.

Fortunately, the impact was minimal, so all Gail felt was a fright and pressure on her shoulder from the pull of the seat belt. She quickly turned to her side to see Mrs. Travis frozen in shock, her hands still on the wheel.

"Heavens!" Mrs. Travis burst out. She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. It was getting dark, so Gail could barely see her walk back toward the road to the place where she had hit something. Or someone.

"Mr. McLaw, are... are you alright?" she managed to blurt out as she fumbled to unbuckle her seat belt. "Mr. McLaw..."

"I'm fine, child," Mr. McLaw said from behind her. "Although I think my neck hurts a bit."

After she managed to pull off her seat belt, Gail quickly turned to face the backseat. Mr. McLaw was leaning against the back of her seat. The handkerchief holding the eyeball was on the floor of the car. It had unfolded, exposing what it held inside. Did it seem like the eyeball was staring straight at her? Gail shook the thought from her head.

"Mrs. Travis... she, she went out, to, to take a look at what the car hit..." she said nervously, looking at Mr. McLaw's worried face and trying not to bring her eyes back toward the sickening orb. "D'you think, d'you think we should go out there and help her?"

"Yes, it would be a good idea to get out of this car."

Gail opened the door and stumbled out of the car. She walked toward where Mrs. Travis went. It was getting dark, so she could barely see Mrs. Travis. She managed to see the plump woman running back toward them. It was unusual to see someone who usually walks at an evenly pace move so frantically.

"Mrs. Travis?" she called out. She could hear Mr. McLaw open the car door behind her and step out onto the gravel.

Gail could see the look of shock on Mrs. Travis' face as she approached them.

Chapter 3 - Pip

"Did you feel it?" Mrs. Travis asked her breathlessly.

"Feel what?" Gail wondered.

"The car! Did you feel the car hit something!  I swear I hit something!" Mrs. Travis said nervously.

"Yes. Yes, we did," Mr. McLaw said, nodding.

"But there was nothing there!"

"It must have been an animal."

As Mr. McLaw and Mrs. Travis continued to talk about this curious accident, Gail began to look around her. They were on a road in between large fields of wheat, with the occasional old tree lining the sides of the road. She suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Will the car start?" she interrupted the two.

Mrs. Travis only looked at her. Then she quickly walked back to her car and slid into the driver's seat. She tried to start the car. It revved up a bit but it stopped a few seconds later.

"I suppose we have to ask for help from the Stanners," McLaw sighed. The Stanners' home was a 10-minute walk from where they were standing.

Gail was glad that she was wearing her old sneakers and a pair of jeans. She felt sorry for Mrs. Travis, who was wearing a full skirt and a pair of kitten heels.

"Well, we'd better get started then," Mrs. Travis got out of her car with her purse. "I do not want to stand out here while it's getting darker by the second."

They began to walk on one side of the road, each of them hoping that a car would pass by the road and give them a ride. Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw entertained themselves along the way by talking about each other’s neighbors, while Gail continued to think about the eyeball.

Whose could it be? She wondered, then she shook her head. Must be some animal's. Probably a pig's eye. Then she shuddered. But why would they say that they're coming for me? Why?

She started to quicken her pace. The sooner they're under a solid roof, the better.

When they finally reached the Stanners' home, they noticed that all of the lights were out even though their beat up old pickup truck was parked right outside.

Mr. McLaw approached the front door and began to knock.

"Hello? Robert? Are you there?" he called out.

There was no answer.

Mrs. Travis rapped on the door more fervently. "Mr. Stanner! Please. Our car broke down and we need your help to get to the sheriff's office. It's important!"

Gail was standing behind them and noticed the curtain fall behind one of the glass windows.

"Someone's inside," she whispered to them.

McLaw nodded quickly and began to rap on the door again.

Suddenly, they noticed the doorknob turn. At first, the door creaked open by just a crack, then a little boy peeked out. It was the Stanners' nine year old son, Pip.

"Hello there, Pip," Mrs. Travis said gently. "Where are your ma and pa?"

Pip looked at her with wide, scared eyes.

"Remember me, Pip?" Mr. McLaw smiled at the boy. "It's me, Uncle Sam."

Pip's eyes brightened a bit then he pushed the door open and nodded to let them know they could come inside. As soon as they got in, he quickly shut the door and bolted it.

All the lights were out inside the small cabin except for a small candle at the far end of the room. All three of them thought they should not ask about that; the Stanners were not particularly well off, and it might be embarrassing to find out that they have not paid their power bill.

Pip sat down on a chair to the candle, while Mrs. Travis sat down on a chair next to him, took off her shoes, and began to rub her sore feet.

"Where's your ma and pa?" Mr. McLaw asked Pip, but the boy only shook his head. Mr. McLaw stood still for a moment and cocked his head to one side, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Well then, I hope you don't mind me checkin'," he said. He began to search around the house.

Gail noticed that Pip was holding his arms across his chest, looking scared.

"What's wrong, Pip?" Gail finally asked.

Pip squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head rapidly. Gail sighed and bent down in front of the boy.

"You can tell us, Pip," she said softly. "We're your friends."

Mrs. Travis only glanced at them both as she continued to massage her aching feet.

Pip peered at Gail, then opened his arms as if to embrace her.

"Bathroom," he whispered into her ear. "You need to come with me." Gail pushed her head back to look at Pip's pleading face. She glanced at Mrs. Travis and noticed that the lady was looking strangely at her. She returned to look at Pip again. He leaned forward toward her ear.

"Please," Pip whispered again. Gail wondered why, but she decided to accompany him and find out what he might want to tell her.

"I, I guess he needs to go to the bathroom first, Mrs. Travis," Gail said. "I should go with him, since he's scared to go alone."

"Whatever you say, dear." Mrs. Travis said in a somewhat tired voice.

Pip led her by the hand toward the Stanners' small bathroom. Gail wondered where Mr. McLaw had gone off to.

"Come inside with me," Pip whispered to her. As soon as they were inside the bathroom, Pip quietly shut the door and locked it. Moonlight was shining through the large glass window from above the toilet.

Before Gail could say anything, Pip approached her, immediately pulled her arm to bring her ear down toward his mouth.

"We need to escape. They're coming to get you," he whispered frantically.

Chapter 4 – Stone's Throw

"Who?" Gail whispered back. She felt the hairs on her arms beginning to stand on end, and her mind ached from all of what was happening. She walked toward Pip, who had already let go of her arm and had gotten himself up on the toilet seat. He was carefully pushing the window open.

"No time," he whispered to her. "Let's hurry!"

To Gail's frustration, he pushed himself up and out of the window.

All of a sudden, someone was banging on the bathroom door.

"Gail!"

It was Mr. McLaw.

"Gail, open the door! There's something we've gotta show you!"

The banging became more violent. Instinct told Gail to follow Pip. She scampered on top of the toilet seat and grabbed the window frame. The door began to shake as if two bodies were hitting themselves against it.

"Gail! Don't you listen to that boy!" Mrs. Travis shouted from the other side. She could hear Mrs. Travis hiss at Mr. McLaw, which sounded something like "the little snitch!"

Gail pulled herself through the window and fell down, rolling on the grass. Pip was standing next to her. He signaled her with his hand to follow him, quick! Then he began to run. She picked herself up and, half-blindly, followed him. She could hear shouts from behind her from her two former companions.

Pip was running toward the thick fields of wheat. Gail trailed along behind him as fast as she could. For a small boy, Pip was quite fast. She could hear the noisy rustling of the wheat stalks as she brushed past them. Run, just run, her thoughts focused on getting away, far from danger. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, Gail!

Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw certainly sounded like danger back there.
She could hear them cursing and shouting.

They were now deep in the fields. She could barely see Pip in the midst of the tall wheat stalks. Pip had stopped in the middle of the field and was lying on his stomach on the ground. With his right hand, he sent a signal to her to approach him and do the same and she did.

He pushed his forefinger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet. He then held his palm against his mouth. She followed suit. There was a rustling of wheat stalks, then several voices that were not too far from where they were hiding.

"Darn it, where d'you think they ran off to?" Gail heard a deep voice saying. It happened to be Mr. Stanner.

"I believe they're just somewhere around here." It was Mrs. Travis.

"Why'd you let us meet your blasted son anyhow, Stanner?" Clearly, Mr. McLaw was not the friendly town tailor anymore.

"Didn't think Pip is immune to it," Mr. Stanner said glumly. "Didn't think he'd have the courage to be a snitch!"

"We're just gonna have to punish him, then."

"I've got no problem with that. You can even kill him, if you want," Mr. Stammer said nonchalantly. "Him ruinin' the plan, and all..."

"Shh... Both of you!" Miss Travis hissed. "They could be hidin' around here and we can't hear 'em if you two keep yappin'."

Gail could hear them searching around the field again, so she turned to face Pip, but the boy signaled for her to follow him. They both crawled farther into the fields. Without saying anything, they both managed to understand each other that they should time their movements with that of the group of adults.

The moonlight was bright, which helped them to see a bit of where they were heading. Gail hoped that Pip knew exactly where he was going as they continued to crawl as silently as they could through the field.

Pip was a little ahead of her when he suddenly froze. She heard a faint whimper from him, but she saw that he clamped his mouth to keep himself from screaming. Gail did the same before she knew what caused Pip to panic. It was a close call, because they had just came across Mrs. Stammer.

Or what used to be Mrs. Stammer.

Mrs. Stammer's body was lying on the ground, her limbs pointing at odd angles, her neck twisted too far back that indicates that she is already dead. Her face was expressionless and bloody and her mouth partially open, revealing missing teeth. Her faded pink dress was soaked in crimson red. She looked like she had been stabbed several times and had struggled with her captors. The smell of dried blood wafted in the air.

Pip's eyes were brimming with tears, but the poor boy was brave enough to know that he should not become hysterical. It almost seemed as if he knew this was going to happen.

Pip stifled his sobs as Gail ran her hand down his back as a gesture of comfort, but they both knew there was no time to mourn. Even though the rustling of the wheat stalks was faint, it was still a sign that Mrs. Travis, Mr. McLaw, and Mr. Stammer were not too far behind.

They picked themselves up to a crouching position. Instead of crawling, they began to squat walk. They moved to the side to avoid the body before they continued on a straight path. They began to move faster, until finally they reached a fence made out of barbed wire.

As Pip signaled for them to start digging a trench underneath the wire for them to crawl through, a horrifying image crossed her mind and made her feel faint.

Mrs. Stammer had no eyes.

Chapter 5 – Sheriff Farce

Gail held the barbed wire up so that Pip could crawl underneath through the trench to the other side. When he finally got through, he held the barbed wire for her as well.

Finally, they were both on the other side of the fence. They were on an empty field. Across it, there was a trail far up ahead.

"We need to stay low," Pip whispered to her. "Let's follow that trail. It's a shortcut that'll bring us closer to the sheriff's office."

They both ran for the trail. They were now out in the open, and Gail feared that at any moment, their three hunters would catch sight of them.

As soon as she got to the trail, she glanced back. To her horror, she could see Mr. McLaw's head poking out of the wheat field, his head facing their direction. She could almost see his mouth stretched out into a malicious grin.

"Run fast!" Pip whispered to her hoarsely. They both broke into a sprint, following the trail as fast as their legs could carry them. They could hear the distant voices turning into a commotion from behind, but this time, Gail did not bother to look back. Just run! Run for your life, Gail! her mind screamed.

She could feel her heart almost bursting inside her chest, her lungs painful and almost out of breath. She continued to run, a bit more slowly, but just to catch her breath. Pip ran farther away before he stopped, turned to her, and waved his arm to signal her to keep going.

She picked up her pace and began to run again. Please, she thought. Mother, help me!

The image of her sister suddenly appeared in her mind, and this gave her the courage to run faster. She had to save her sister from this madness! She continued to follow the trail until she reached the main road again. Pip was waiting for her. As soon as she caught up with him, he began to run again, this time, across the road toward the back of a small building.

The sheriff's office! Her heart began to beat wildly.

The lights were on inside, and she could hear people talking. She and Pip quickly ran to the front of the building and pounded on the door.

"Hold your horses!" someone said from inside. The door was opened by the paunchy, mustached Sheriff Farce himself.

"Please, help us!" Gail cried out. "They're out to get us!"

"Get in." That was all the sheriff said when he ushered them into the small building and shut the door.

"They're chasing us!" Gail panted. "They might still be outside!" She immediately went over to the window to take a peek. Pip was catching his breath, one hand on his chest.

"Who's been chasin' you?" the sheriff asked curiously.

"My father," Pip piped up. "And Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw. My mother... My mother's dead."

"Your mother is what?" The sheriff sounded shocked. He immediately locked the door and made Gail and Pip sit down.

"My father, he killed my mother," Pip continued. "Mrs. Travis an' Mr. McLaw want to kill her, too." He pointed at Gail.

"Now, what you're saying is a very serious thing," the sheriff began. "those are kind Saw' folk you're talking 'bout."

"It's true!" Gail wailed. "We were on our way to this office here when Mrs. Travis hit something, and then her car broke down along the way, and then  ... Well, I think you'd better call for backup. There's three of them and one of you!"

"Now, hold on..." The sheriff went to pick up his radio and tried to his officers through it, but there was no response. He placed his radio on his table and picked up the telephone. He started to dial a few numbers then he pressed the receiver against the side of his head.

"No dial tone..." he muttered. He placed his hand on his gun as if to assure himself that he is still safe. He then checked the phone lines, but shook his head when he realized that there was nothing wrong.

Gail watched him as he picked up his radio once more and attached it to his utility belt. He turned to look at them, but before he could say anything, Gail blurted out, "I need to fetch my sister. I need her with me."

"Yes, but we need to get to the bottom of this situation, young lady," Sheriff Farce said. Then he turned to Pip. "You are the Stammers' son, am I right?" he said gently.

"Yes, sir," Pip said. He had started crying quietly while the sheriff was busy trying to contact his officers. "Please, sir, they're on their way, and they will hurt us."

The sheriff walked toward the door and checked that he had locked it. Then, he checked his gun if it was loaded and began packing some extra bullets into his utility belt.

"We're going to go out there, kids," he said to them. "For some reason, I can't reach my officers. I'm gonna have to keep trying, but in the meantime, I'm driving you to the town's health center. There's bound to be more people there, and God knows the doctor can help you two out."

He grabbed his car keys, peered through the window, and said, "Alright, now I'll secure the area outside for you, and once I tell you to come out and get inside the car, you do so instantly. Hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Gail said. "But what about my sister? She's still at the Carvers’ apple grove."

"I'll check up on her as soon as I'm done with the Stammers' residence."

"My mother's body is still in the field," Pip said softly. "She's just lying there."

"You are very brave, son," the sheriff said. "I will make sure to have your mother receive a proper burial, but let's get going now."

He went out, his gun in his hand, then shut the door behind him. Gail and Pip rushed to the window to look. The sheriff approached his vehicle and whipped out his keys then he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Gail breathed a sigh of relief.

He drove the car to the front of the building then honked to let them know that they should come out now.

Gail and Pip stepped out of the office, locking the door behind them. They approached the car, opened the door to the backseat, then quickly slid inside and shut it behind them. Then she immediately pressed the lock down.

"You settled, kids?" The sheriff turned to look at them. "First, I'll bring you to the town center, then I'll..."

CRACK!

Gail shrieked and Pip jumped when a huge mallet hit the windshield of the sheriff's car. She saw Mr. Stammer's grinning face outside the sheriff's, his eyes blood red, his hands gripping the handle of the mallet.

"Hello there, Sheriff." he said. "Where are you taking my son?" He raised the mallet over his head to take another swing.

The sheriff revved the engine and backed up to avoid another heavy blow. Gail could feel him concentrating hard to take them out of the driveway.

As they drove out onto the road, she saw Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw standing by the side. It was dark, but she could see that they were grinning. The sheriff began to drive fast while calling through his radio once more.

"Code eight! Code eight!" he barked, but there was no response at all.

He continued to drive toward the residential area of Sawyerville, and to their horror, all of the lights were out.

"I'm bringing you kids to secure yourselves in the health center," he said. "Then I'll have to go back to the office and arrest Mr. Stammer and the other two."

Gail nodded silently. She didn't want to stay put while her sister was still out there, but she needed to make sure that Pip was safe. The sheriff seemed to have made up his mind, so she was going to have to take things into her own hands if she wanted to save her sister.

"Tell me exactly what happened," he commanded.

Gail and Pip took turns telling him everything that happened, starting from the eyeball Gail had received up to the time when they were chased along the trail. Gail heard Pip mention that he had heard his parents arguing outside the house while he was still inside an hour before Gail and the other arrived, then he heard his mother scream.

The lights were already out, and all he did was cower close to the candle his mother had lit for him. He said his parents often argued, but he never thought that it would go that far. Gail felt sorry for the pooroloy.

"I'm sorry to hear that, son," the sheriff said kindly. "I thank you for saving Gail from... them." He was about to say something more, but he shut his mouth and concentrated on driving.

As soon as they arrived at the health center, they stepped out of the car and strode over to the front door. The lights were out, except for a candle that was flickering behind a glass window.

The sheriff knocked on the door.

"This is Sheriff Farce!" he called out. "I need to speak with Doctor Anderson." Gail heard someone unbolt the door and turn the knob.

"Hello, Sheriff." It was Doctor Anderson himself. He pushed his thick, horn-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose as he peered at them.

"I hope you do not mind me leaving these two under your care, Doctor," the sheriff said. "There is a disturbance in town that I need to address immediately. It seems that the health center is the best place for these two."

The sheriff nudged Gail and Pip in through the doorway.

"I don't mind at all, Sheriff," The doctor smiled warmly at them and said, "You take care out there and let me know how I can help."

"Thank you, Doctor." The sheriff nodded once, then briskly walked back to his car. Doctor Anderson shut the door behind him and showed Gail and Pip to the couch. As soon as they sat down, the doctor asked, "You're Fuller's daughter, right?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Ah, so your father is out of town?"

"He is, but he'll be back tomorrow."

"What about you, you're..."

"I'm... I'm Pip Stanner." Pip kept his head bowed. He seemed to be concentrated on picking the dirt from underneath his fingernails.

"Ah, well then, I hope you're father's doing well."

Pip didn't look up to face the doctor but continued to pick at his nails.

"So," the doctor began to say as he took off his glasses and began to rub the lens with the hem of his shirt. "What's going on out there?"

But just as Pip was about to say something, Gail pressed his hand and held it. "There was a brawl outside, Doctor," she said as calmly as she could. "We almost got caught in it, but the sheriff managed to save us and bring us here."

"I see," the doctor stroked his chin. "Well, I'd better get you two some refreshments to cheer you up." He walked over to another door that probably led to a small kitchen and entered it.

"Come," Gail fervently whispered to Pip. "We have to get out." She quietly stood up, taking Pip by the hand. Quickly, she opened the front door, and they stepped outside.

They began to trot away from the health center and in the direction of Gail's neighbor's house, which was a 20 minute walk away. She began to pick up her speed until she was running again.

"What's wrong?" Pip asked in a scared voice.

"Didn't you see?" Gail couldn't help sounding frightened as well, "His eyes, they were bleeding..."

Chapter 6 - Shaney

Gail and Pip did their best to stay hidden by walking in the dark side of the road, and to dodge behind bushes as often as they can. Every now and then, they could hear screams echoing from some houses, but they kept moving forward as quietly as they could.

They were five minutes away from the Carvers' apple grove when someone grabbed Pip's shirt from behind.

"Aaargh!" Pip screeched. Gail turned to see what had just happened and saw that it was Camille, Shaney's best friend. Her face was pale and her skin damp, but it was the fresh wound on her left cheek that was dangerously close to her eye. She clung to Pip's shirt desperately.

"Please!" Camille cried in a hoarse whisper. "Please help me!"

Gail pried Camille's hands from Pip's shirt and held them between her own.

"Camille," Gail said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Where's Shaney?"

"No!" Camille cried. "Let go of me!" She quickly jerked her hands from Gail's trembling grip and ran in the direction from where Gail and Pip had come.

"Camille!" Gail blurted out. "Come back here!"

In the moonlight, Gail and Pip could see that some people were starting to come out of their houses. Some of them were carrying weapons: a hoe, a pitchfork, a knife.

"Camille!" Gail cried out again. Pip was about to come after her, but Gail held him back. "We need to go to apple grove and look for my sister."

They both ran toward the house. When they finally reached the front porch, they could see a small figure sitting on the floor next to the door. The figure was thin and frail, and she was covering her face with her hands, but the faded gingham dress looked all too familiar to Gail.

"Shaney?" she called out softly. "Shaney, it's Gail! I'm here."

The figure did not move an inch.

"Shaney, we need to leave now." She slowly approached her sister. She held out one hand.

"Let's go, Shaney. We can't be here." She reached out to take her sister's hand from her face.

"Gail," she heard Pip say in a quivering voice. "We need to hurry. They're... They're getting nearer." He began tugging at Gail's sleeve.

"C'mon, Shaney." She held Shaney's hand and tried to pull her to stand up. As soon as she could see Shaney's face, she noticed that her sister was grinning, but Gail didn't think too deeply on it. Her priority was to leave at once and find some place to hide until they could find a way to escape or look for the sheriff again.

She pulled Shaney to her feet.

"Grab her hand, Pip!" she cried out. They both began to pull Shaney by the hands and got her to stumble forward. She and Pip hobbled down the porch and continued to drag Shaney. Her eyes were blank stares, but the grin on her face remained. It was starting to bother Gail. She slid her hands underneath Shaney's legs and began to carry her in her arms and for once, she felt a horrible gratitude that her sister was thin and light.

Despite this, her body felt powerful as adrenaline flooded her veins and helped her to run toward their home. She couldn't think of anywhere else to go.

Lock ourselves in, her thoughts began to race. Get Pa's rifle. Lock ourselves in. Get Pa's rifle. Lock ourselves in...

"Ah! There she is!" she could hear someone from afar shout. It sounded like Mr. McLaw, but she didn't care enough to want to find out.

Lock ourselves in. Get Pa's rifle. her mind continued to scream.

Pip tripped and fell on the ground. She stopped, but only for a second to say, "Hurry!", before she continued to run. She heard Camille's blood curdling scream coming from the crowd.

When they finally reached the front door, she placed Shaney on the ground and fumbled for the key, which she wore on a necklace and kept underneath her shirt. Her hands trembled as she tried several times to insert the key into the keyhole.

She could hear herself blubbering in panic when she finally got it in. She twisted the key, turned the knob, and pushed herself into their house.

As soon as she got in, she heard Pip scream.

"GAIL!" Pip was holding onto Shaney, who was trying to run toward the crowd. He could barely hold on to her, as he was so much smaller and even thinner.

She ran toward them and wrapped her arms around Shaney's waist then she lifted her kicking and screaming sister and quickly carried her into their house. Pip quickly followed. When they got inside the house, Pip slammed the door shut.

Gail placed Shaney, who had calmed down, on the ground. She secured the bolts on the door.

"We're going up to the attic," she quickly told Pip. "They can't get up there easily." She turned and grabbed Shaney by the hand. She raced up the stairs to the second floor, Pip following close behind her. She then opened a closet door and stepped inside. It was very dark, but she knew her way around easily. She pulled at a rope that was hanging from the ceiling and it brought down the pull-down stairs that led to the attic.

"C'mon!" she barked as she pushed Shaney to climb up. Her sister simply clambered up without resistance.

"You're next, Pip!" she said as she pushed Pip up the stairs as well.  She could hear the noise of the crowd coming closer to their front yard.

As soon as the two were up there, she pushed the stairs back up again.

"But what about you?" Pip cried out.

"I have to get Pa's rifle," Gail replied in a hurried voice. "Watch over Shaney." She swung the rope up toward Pip, who hurriedly caught it.

"Call out so I push the stairs down again." Pip said right before the hatch was shut.

She ran out of the closet, closing the door behind her, then rushed to her father's room.

Pa's rifle, which was usually hung on pegs right above the door frame inside the room, was not where it should be. She only had the moonlight coming in through the windows as she frantically started searching for the rifle.

CRASH! CRASH!

She could hear the windows from downstairs being smashed, and the door being struck violently by what sounded like a log.

"Open up, kids!" She heard Mr. Stammer cry out. "We're not going to bite!"

Gail tried not to be distracted by the noise as she began to search for the rifle. After she checked the bureau drawers and ran her hands across the shelves, she realized that her pa must have placed it underneath the bed.

She lay flat on her stomach next to the bed and slid her arm underneath. She began to feel around, when she felt the cold barrel of her pa's hunting rifle. Quickly, she pulled it out and checked to see if it was loaded. Her pa had taught her how to use it once, and she hoped that she won't miss if she had to use it.

As quickly as she could, she ran out of the bedroom and toward the closet door just as she heard their front door give in to the crowd's incessant banging. She heard them walk into their hallway as she slid as quietly as she could back into the closet. She locked the closet door from inside and willed herself to be still. It was pitch dark.

Stay calm now, Gail, she thought.

But she didn't know what else to do.

She was trapped.

Chapter 7 - Moonshine

Gail couldn't call to Pip to get him to push the stairs down, so she simply sat on the bare floor and pointed the rifle at the closet door.

Anything that comes through, just shoot it, she thought to herself.

She began to listen to the group of people moving about outside. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, doors being opened and shut, and some furniture being turned over. Some of the people were chuckling and bantering, and one of them was whistling an old tune.

Sweat trickled down the side of Gail's face as she concentrated on keeping the rifle steady. She inhaled and exhaled slowly and as quietly as she could, afraid her mere breath could draw their attention.

Then, she heard someone trying to open the closet door.

"Ooh, I think someone's in here!" It was a young woman's voice.

She braced herself to shoot as soon as the door opened.

But she never got the chance because at that instant, she heard a commotion coming from outside. The person who was trying to open the door had given up and she could hear the woman's footsteps walking away from the closet and going down the stairs.

Gail heard the sound of a moving vehicle that seemed to have entered their front yard. She heard some men shouting, then several gunshots. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard Sheriff Farce's voice.

"Get back! Get back all a' yeh!"

More gunshots. It sounded like three or more guns were being fired. She wanted to come outside, but just before she made the decision, she heard the hatch that led to the attic move. A bit of light from the attic caused her to squint as she looked up.

It was Shaney.

Gail watched her push the stairs down. Her sister's eyes were wide, and Gail saw that she was grinning again.

Gail slid the strap of the rifle through her right arm and began to climb up the attic stairs. Shaney had gone farther back.

"Shaney, wait."

As soon as she entered the attic, she pulled up the stairs again.

The attic had round glass windows with the moonlight flooding in through them. At the far end of the attic, Gail could see Pip lying, face down, on the floor.

"Pip?" she called out softly. No response. Shaney was sitting cross-legged next to Pip. Gail felt a hard lump on her throat as soon as she saw the pool of blood surrounding Pip's thin body.

"No!" she cried. She turned Pip's dead body to face her. She could see that his eyeballs had been gouged out carelessly, and all that was left were gaping, bloody, fleshy holes.

She could barely breathe as she turned to face Shaney, who was rubbing her own eyes vigorously.

"Shaney..." she croaked. "Shaney... Why..."

Shaney stopped rubbing and stared at her. She began to grin again.

"No one leaves..." Shaney said in a singsong voice. "No one should ever leave..." Then she lunged at Gail. Her bloodstained fingers aimed for Gail's eyes, but Gail used the butt of the rifle to push her sister back. She had aimed for Shaney's chest, but it landed on one side of her head, knocking her sister unconscious.

Gail was still sobbing and cradling her sister's head on her lap when she heard Sheriff Farce calling her name from below. She heard someone fumble with the hatch, then pull the attic stairs down. It was strangely quiet now, except for the sound of the sheriff's voice from downstairs along with his officers.

But what made her lift her head up was her pa's voice.

"Gail! Is your sister alright?"

"Pa!" she cried out. "Oh, Pa..." She then wiped her tears from her face with the back of her hand. She lifted her head to say something to her father, but when she saw her pa, she gasped.

In the moonlight, she could clearly see Pa's pale gray eyes staring at her.

Table of Contents

- Chapter 1 – The Message
- Chapter 2 – The Ride
- Chapter 3 - Pip
- Chapter 4 – Stone's Throw
- Chapter 5 – Sheriff Farce
- Chapter 6 - Shaney
- Chapter 7 - Moonshine