Derry,Maine
Part One-
The Storm
The air was cool and moist that Winter day. It was one of those days when you feel so at peace with everything. Jack Collins walked down Main Street as he fumbled with the change in coat. He was amazed at how quickly he had spent the three dollars that his grandmother sent him for his 11th birthday. God bless the old woman. With that money he had bought 7 new comic books, 2 packs of gum, and a few packs of baseball cards and to top that off, he still had a nice amount of change left over. Yeah, he loved birthdays, especially when his grandmother spoiled him like this. Jack continued to walk down the street when he noticed the sky darken overhead. He knew it meant rain. Rain was not a rare occurrence at all in Derry, Maine. In fact, it was known to flood at least once a month if not more. Jack hurried home before the first rain began to set in. He stood in the front room and as he hung his jacket on the brass stand, Jack heard thunder in the distance.
* * *
Clay Porter sat in the living room of his home. He was reading the book "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. He had a report due in three days and he had to spend double time trying to get it ready by the deadline. Clay knew better than not to turn in a book report for Miss Rose. He shuddered as the name entered his mind. Miss Rose was the strictest and most agonizing teacher to deal with in all of Derry Elementary. If you didn't do her assignment you got a lashing with her tongue and with her paddle. He had once heard older kids say that she called it "Old Reliable". Clay wouldn't have doubted it for a second. He tried not to think of her and concentrate on his book but then Clay heard the thunder. It rumbled loud and clear. It was so fierce it made the dishes in his mother's antique curio shake. Of course she ran to hold onto the old piece of furniture, so that not one piece of her finest china be scratched. "Heaven forbid that", Clay thought to himself with a laugh and then in the comfort of his living room Clay Porter finished the first page of his book.
* * *
Delia Roberts was helping her mother prepare dinner when the rains began to pour. She looked up to the ceiling and then back to the large pan of soup boiling on the stovetop. Her mother put the biscuits in the oven and looked to Delia's father and said, "Looks like we're gonna have a storm tonight Harold."
"Ayah." said Delia's father, "Heard on the radio there's supposed to be some fierce winds with it too. Might just blow the house to Oz. Right, darling?" He looked at Delia.
"Right Papa." she said smiling as she continued to stir the soup on the stove. All of a sudden she felt a strong feeling of icy wind surround her. She shivered a little bit.
"What's wrong Sweetheart?" her mother asked.
"Oh Nothing", Delia replied as she stirred the soup and added a little bit of salt and pepper, "Just felt a little bit of a breeze, I s'pose." Delia continued to concentrate on the soup and then the rain began to pour making a fierce sound on the tin roof of her family's house.
* * *
"Dear Lord", said Mrs. Irma Benson, " If we don't fix this darned leak the whole house'll float right out onto the river. She went to the closet and pulled out a steel bucket. She put it under the leak and the water dropped down into the bucket making a hollow PLINK sound. Mrs. Benson looked upstairs and called out, "Leonard Benson, if you don't get downstairs this moment and pick your dripping boots out of the doorway you won't be able to sit down for a week."
"Be right there Ma!" Leonard said as he came down the stairs and picked up his wet goulashes. "Where do you s'pose I put 'em?"
"Well, I guess you could just put 'em out on the front porch, the weather's so bad tonight nobody'd bother to steal anything tonight anyway."
Leonard just stood there. "Are you waitin' for an invitation son? Go put your rain boots out on the porch, now!"
"They're called goulashes Ma. Goulashes." Was what Leonard managed to get out before he went outside and then, from inside the house he could hear his mother reply, "I don't care what in the world you call the things just put 'em outside!"
When Leonard got outside the wind blew so badly that he couldn't see. He threw his boots down on the porch and he tried to open his eyes. (Leonard already feared thunderstorms and having to go out in one wasn't his delight.) Leonard slowly opened his eyes and saw something unreal.
It appeared to be two long extending arms with claws reaching out from the thunderstorm. The arms appeared to be reaching towards...him. He tried to get inside but he couldn't find the doorknob. His eyes were fixated on the arms reaching out to him. The fog from the storm surrounded the porch and Leonard felt as if though he were being squeezed to death. He couldn't breathe and an increasing amount of pressure was being put onto his ribcage. Leonard tried to scream for help, but he couldn't make a sound. He thought in his mind that he may be in his last moments so he began to recite the first line of the Lord's Prayer over and over to himself so that he focus on something else during his final moments...
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
Leonard could feel the forceful grip surrendering itself, and as it let looser and looser the faster and louder he said the Lord's prayer...
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
Finally the grip let completely loose and Leonard broke free. He opened the door and ran inside. His mother came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron, "What took you so long, I thought you'd been blown away!"
But Leonard didn't reply, instead he ran upstairs to the bathroom and threw up. With every heave his ribs ached and he wanted to die. When he was finished he washed his face with cold water and went to his bed to lie down.
* * *
Michael Kirpatrick's family was in a panic. They were trying to get the family dog from the water that was flooding their backyard. The dog tried his best to paddle but the wind proved too strong. Michael couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't just let his only friend in the world die. He jumped into the water from the top step of his back porch. The water came up to his middle, (Michael was short for his age, and the fact that his back yard dipped down in the middle didn't help matters either), but Michael still treaded through the waters as he shielded his face from the strong winds.
In what seemed to be in the blink of an eye a bolt of lightning hit a tree in the neighbor's back yard. A heavy limb from the tree flew over and knocked Michael down into the water. He couldn't free himself and his dog floated farther away towards the electric fence at the end of the yard. Michael knew once the dog got there, all hope for saving his friend would be lost.
Michael tugged and pulled at the limb and still couldn't budge it. His father jumped down into the water and tried to help his son move the giant limb that pinned him to the ground. The wind began to blow harder and more powerfully than it had all night. It was almost enough to kill somebody. Michael kept his face down, but then he looked up to see his dog be carried away to the electric fence getting closer with each second.
Finally, the limb let go and Michael's father ran through the water and safely secured his son and himself on the back porch. Michael tried to go back but his father stopped him. He knew that now it would be too dangerous. Michael looked in despair as the poor terrier was carried right into the barbed wire of the electric fence. All of a sudden a cry of excruciating pain exploded from the defenseless animal. It was most horrible thing that he had ever seen in his entire life. Michael watched as the animal began to smoke and steam like a piece of beef on a hot grill and with the wind blowing you could smell the dog being fried against the barbed wire. It was almost enough to make somebody sick. After a few moments it became too much to see. Michael buried his face in his fathers side. The family went inside and Michael ran to his room and cried himself to sleep.
It rained the rest of the night. Harsh winds and hail destroyed some of the northern part of Derry and floods ran rapidly through the southern part of the city. The storm continued all throughout the next three days only stopping for minutes at a time, which was usually only long enough for people with leaky roofs to empty their water buckets before the rains set in again. Then after nearly half a week of pure rain and storms the skies of Derry, Maine became calmed, but though the skies of Derry were in peace again. Something had traveled in on the storm and it intended on staying a long time.
Part One-
The Storm
The air was cool and moist that Winter day. It was one of those days when you feel so at peace with everything. Jack Collins walked down Main Street as he fumbled with the change in coat. He was amazed at how quickly he had spent the three dollars that his grandmother sent him for his 11th birthday. God bless the old woman. With that money he had bought 7 new comic books, 2 packs of gum, and a few packs of baseball cards and to top that off, he still had a nice amount of change left over. Yeah, he loved birthdays, especially when his grandmother spoiled him like this. Jack continued to walk down the street when he noticed the sky darken overhead. He knew it meant rain. Rain was not a rare occurrence at all in Derry, Maine. In fact, it was known to flood at least once a month if not more. Jack hurried home before the first rain began to set in. He stood in the front room and as he hung his jacket on the brass stand, Jack heard thunder in the distance.
* * *
Clay Porter sat in the living room of his home. He was reading the book "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. He had a report due in three days and he had to spend double time trying to get it ready by the deadline. Clay knew better than not to turn in a book report for Miss Rose. He shuddered as the name entered his mind. Miss Rose was the strictest and most agonizing teacher to deal with in all of Derry Elementary. If you didn't do her assignment you got a lashing with her tongue and with her paddle. He had once heard older kids say that she called it "Old Reliable". Clay wouldn't have doubted it for a second. He tried not to think of her and concentrate on his book but then Clay heard the thunder. It rumbled loud and clear. It was so fierce it made the dishes in his mother's antique curio shake. Of course she ran to hold onto the old piece of furniture, so that not one piece of her finest china be scratched. "Heaven forbid that", Clay thought to himself with a laugh and then in the comfort of his living room Clay Porter finished the first page of his book.
* * *
Delia Roberts was helping her mother prepare dinner when the rains began to pour. She looked up to the ceiling and then back to the large pan of soup boiling on the stovetop. Her mother put the biscuits in the oven and looked to Delia's father and said, "Looks like we're gonna have a storm tonight Harold."
"Ayah." said Delia's father, "Heard on the radio there's supposed to be some fierce winds with it too. Might just blow the house to Oz. Right, darling?" He looked at Delia.
"Right Papa." she said smiling as she continued to stir the soup on the stove. All of a sudden she felt a strong feeling of icy wind surround her. She shivered a little bit.
"What's wrong Sweetheart?" her mother asked.
"Oh Nothing", Delia replied as she stirred the soup and added a little bit of salt and pepper, "Just felt a little bit of a breeze, I s'pose." Delia continued to concentrate on the soup and then the rain began to pour making a fierce sound on the tin roof of her family's house.
* * *
"Dear Lord", said Mrs. Irma Benson, " If we don't fix this darned leak the whole house'll float right out onto the river. She went to the closet and pulled out a steel bucket. She put it under the leak and the water dropped down into the bucket making a hollow PLINK sound. Mrs. Benson looked upstairs and called out, "Leonard Benson, if you don't get downstairs this moment and pick your dripping boots out of the doorway you won't be able to sit down for a week."
"Be right there Ma!" Leonard said as he came down the stairs and picked up his wet goulashes. "Where do you s'pose I put 'em?"
"Well, I guess you could just put 'em out on the front porch, the weather's so bad tonight nobody'd bother to steal anything tonight anyway."
Leonard just stood there. "Are you waitin' for an invitation son? Go put your rain boots out on the porch, now!"
"They're called goulashes Ma. Goulashes." Was what Leonard managed to get out before he went outside and then, from inside the house he could hear his mother reply, "I don't care what in the world you call the things just put 'em outside!"
When Leonard got outside the wind blew so badly that he couldn't see. He threw his boots down on the porch and he tried to open his eyes. (Leonard already feared thunderstorms and having to go out in one wasn't his delight.) Leonard slowly opened his eyes and saw something unreal.
It appeared to be two long extending arms with claws reaching out from the thunderstorm. The arms appeared to be reaching towards...him. He tried to get inside but he couldn't find the doorknob. His eyes were fixated on the arms reaching out to him. The fog from the storm surrounded the porch and Leonard felt as if though he were being squeezed to death. He couldn't breathe and an increasing amount of pressure was being put onto his ribcage. Leonard tried to scream for help, but he couldn't make a sound. He thought in his mind that he may be in his last moments so he began to recite the first line of the Lord's Prayer over and over to himself so that he focus on something else during his final moments...
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
Leonard could feel the forceful grip surrendering itself, and as it let looser and looser the faster and louder he said the Lord's prayer...
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.
Finally the grip let completely loose and Leonard broke free. He opened the door and ran inside. His mother came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron, "What took you so long, I thought you'd been blown away!"
But Leonard didn't reply, instead he ran upstairs to the bathroom and threw up. With every heave his ribs ached and he wanted to die. When he was finished he washed his face with cold water and went to his bed to lie down.
* * *
Michael Kirpatrick's family was in a panic. They were trying to get the family dog from the water that was flooding their backyard. The dog tried his best to paddle but the wind proved too strong. Michael couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't just let his only friend in the world die. He jumped into the water from the top step of his back porch. The water came up to his middle, (Michael was short for his age, and the fact that his back yard dipped down in the middle didn't help matters either), but Michael still treaded through the waters as he shielded his face from the strong winds.
In what seemed to be in the blink of an eye a bolt of lightning hit a tree in the neighbor's back yard. A heavy limb from the tree flew over and knocked Michael down into the water. He couldn't free himself and his dog floated farther away towards the electric fence at the end of the yard. Michael knew once the dog got there, all hope for saving his friend would be lost.
Michael tugged and pulled at the limb and still couldn't budge it. His father jumped down into the water and tried to help his son move the giant limb that pinned him to the ground. The wind began to blow harder and more powerfully than it had all night. It was almost enough to kill somebody. Michael kept his face down, but then he looked up to see his dog be carried away to the electric fence getting closer with each second.
Finally, the limb let go and Michael's father ran through the water and safely secured his son and himself on the back porch. Michael tried to go back but his father stopped him. He knew that now it would be too dangerous. Michael looked in despair as the poor terrier was carried right into the barbed wire of the electric fence. All of a sudden a cry of excruciating pain exploded from the defenseless animal. It was most horrible thing that he had ever seen in his entire life. Michael watched as the animal began to smoke and steam like a piece of beef on a hot grill and with the wind blowing you could smell the dog being fried against the barbed wire. It was almost enough to make somebody sick. After a few moments it became too much to see. Michael buried his face in his fathers side. The family went inside and Michael ran to his room and cried himself to sleep.
It rained the rest of the night. Harsh winds and hail destroyed some of the northern part of Derry and floods ran rapidly through the southern part of the city. The storm continued all throughout the next three days only stopping for minutes at a time, which was usually only long enough for people with leaky roofs to empty their water buckets before the rains set in again. Then after nearly half a week of pure rain and storms the skies of Derry, Maine became calmed, but though the skies of Derry were in peace again. Something had traveled in on the storm and it intended on staying a long time.