A/N: Sorry for the delay, been busy. I know how this story is ending, but I'm having trouble with what I want to have happen now, so please bear with me.
Jocelyn's parents were sitting in the living room, and must have heard the commotion of their return, for they were looking up at them with questioning eyes. For a long moment John-Boy and Jocelyn just stood there, gasping for breath, and trying to find the words to describe what had just happened to them.
"What is it?" Elaine asked in a soft tone.
"Ss-something was throwing rocks at John's car. And then the car wouldn't start!" Jocelyn reported in a trembling voice. Her father stood with an air that said he was going to find the culprits and make them pay. John held up a hand before the Sheriff could say anything.
"We saw it...the creature." He said, and watched the faces of Jocelyn's parents become stunned and fearful.
"Where? What did it look like? What did it do?" Elaine asked, approaching them slowly.
"It was in the graveyard, er...burial ground. After all the commotion with the rocks, and the car not starting, we noticed these red eyes in a tree in front of us. It jumped down and began to approach us, that is when the car started working again. When the headlights came on...we saw it." John-Boy gushed.
Adam looked at them solemnly, then came to stand before his daughter. He took her by the shoulders and said, "I am so sorry you had to see that. I should not have let you go; it should have been me accompanying John out there." He drew her into a protective hug, and she crumbled against him, crying softly. After a few long moments Adam pulled away from his daughter and turned to his wife. "Take her to her room, get her settled in." He said gently, but at the look that his wife and daughter gave him he smiled softly. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight; she shouldn't be alone after what she saw and has been through." He said, his wife nodded and guided Jocelyn up the stairs. When the women were well upstairs and out of ear shot Adam turned back to John.
"So what did it look like?" Adam asked softly.
"It was tall, with large wings, sorta like a bat. Its skin seemed a dark grey color and leathery, and it's eyes were large and red. I only saw it well for an instant, once the headlights came on it looked away and put its arms up to shield it from the brightness. It shrieked, and it was a sound like I've never heard before." John-Boy explained hastily, as if the faster he rid himself of the description the faster he could forget. Adam put a hand on John-Boy's shoulder and led him to the couch, and John-Boy sat down gladly, his legs still feeling like Jello, though every muscle in them was as tense as could be.
Adam went and got a glass of water and brought it back, handing it to John-Boy who eagerly drank half of the water instantly. Then he put the glass on the table and said breathlessly, "It chased us." Adam turned to the door defensively, "It followed you here?" He asked in alarm.
John-Boy shook his head and said, "Nn-no, it stopped as we neared town, it just flew off, and screeched that horrible sound again." Just then the phone began to ring, the Sheriff, deep in thought about monsters, seemed startled by the sound and looked at the phone suspiciously for a moment before going to answer the call.
John-Boy stared ahead and allowed himself to zone out, he could hear the Sheriff's voice as he spoke on the phone, but wasn't listening to what was said. Then Adam hung up and came to stand in front of John-Boy, who came back to the present and looked up. "There was a car accident, I have to go. I'm sure you wouldn't want to go anyway, but I'd appreciate it if you stayed. Just now with all this craziness I'll feel safer with you here while I have to be out." Adam explained sincerely, John-Boy nodded and managed a smile. Adam slapped a hand on John-Boy's shoulder thankfully, smiled and then left.
John-Boy decided he'd stay awake, there on the couch until the Sheriff returned. He thought of going out to his car and getting his notebook, putting his experiences down on paper. But he decided against it, he didn't want to walk even a few feet out into the darkness, and he didn't feel like coping with what had happened tonight. He just stared ahead blearily and forced himself to think of home, he wondered what had happened in the time he had been gone. And then he realized it was only his second night away from home, after the events he'd just gone through it felt like so much longer. It wasn't long, however, before John fell asleep, leaning back on the couch, too exhausted to even get comfy.
When the Sheriff returned about an hour and a half later he startled John-Boy awake as he walked into the house. As John looked over at him in tired confusion he smiled apologetically. Then he came and sat down on the couch next to John, rubbing his hands over his face.
"Is everything okay?" John asked before a yawn claimed him. The Sheriff nodded and then said, "No one was hurt thankfully. Our local drunk had a bit too much to drink and ran into a tree, right there at the intersection as you enter town. He is ok, though his car...well, let's just say he won't be running into anything again, which is fine by me." Adam reported, smiling at the end. With all he was busy with lately the last thing he needed to worry about was ol' Jaxon hitting someone while driving drunk.
"Strange thing though John, the man who witnessed the crash, he lives near that intersection. Said he heard the strangest, creepiest screech ever, and that is what drew him out of his house. He saw a car go speeding by, and he stood on his porch puzzling over the sound, and the speeding car, and only a few moments later Jaxon comes along and crashes. The speeding car he described, and it seems to me it was your car he saw. And it all happened so close together John...if you had been driving just a bit slower Jaxon might've hit your car." Adam went on in a somber tone, looking intensely at John-Boy.
John-Boy felt a shiver creep up his back and fought the urge to shudder. He looked up at Adam and said with a tired smile, "I just felt a wolf walk over my grave." Adam smiled and nodded as he stood and then ordered gently, "Get to bed John, you look terrible. And I could use your help tomorrow."
John-Boy needed no more convincing; he stood and headed toward the stairs. Adam called after him, "I think we've both earned getting to sleep in a bit though."
