December 24th 2020

10:00 A:M

Hope Grace Constance POV

''Charlie, is it?'' I hear the old woman ask.

''Yeah.'' Charlie answers.

''What an unusual name for a girl.'' the old woman says.

''So they say. I'll be right back with your water.'' Charlie says and turns around and takes the lady's order to the cook.

''Actually, Charlie is short for Charlotte half the time. The female form of Charles meaning free man.'' I say and then, I see I have everyone's attention and I start to blush when my whole family, Evan Downey, who I had accidentally bumped into when going to the bathroom, Audrey, Kyle, Percy, and Charlie start to clap.

The old lady then turns to the Andersons.

''Hello, I'm Gladys. Gladys Foster.'' Gladys says. At least I don't have to call her old lady anymore.

''Nice to meet you, Gladys. I'm Sandra and this is my husband Howard.'' Sandra says.

''What a nice young couple you are. What brings you out to these parts?'' Gladys asks.

''We're moving out to Scottsdale. But our truck broke down, and so we're stuck here while it's being fixed.'' Sandra says.

''Oh, what a nuisance.'' Gladys says. A fly begins to buzz around Gladys's head. She doesn't seem to notice it.

''Say, Gladys, it seems the lines are down around here. The phone and TV, you know?'' Sandra asks Gladys. ''And I just was wondering if you might have heard something on your way up? You know, about what's going on?'' Sandra asks Gladys.

Gladys smiles strangely. ''Oh, don't worry yourself about that, sweetheart. It'll all be over soon.'' she says.

Sandra nods at the old woman, unsure of what to make of that response. The fly that was circling her head, now lands on Gladys's face. It crawls across her cheek without her reacting in the least.

Howard and Sandra exchange looks. Creepy.

Jeep POV

The door jingles as I walk in. I head straight for a quiet huddle with dad. All the while though, I keep one eye fixed on the old lady sitting at the table near the Andersons. Something about her...

''The carburetor's shot. Don't know why. Looks brand new.'' I say to dad.

Dad glances over at the Andersons. ''Ah, shit. They're gonna be pissed.'' dad says.

''I could try to rebuild it, but it'd take a while, and I don't think we have all the parts. If we call right now, we might be able to get a new one down here tomorrow morning.'' I say.

''That's not gonna happen. Goddamn phone's out.'' dad says.

''What?'' I ask, surprised.

Mandy Lace Shawnever POV

Charlie places a bloody red steak in front of Gladys and I get nauseous at the sight.

''Thank you, dear. How far along are you?'' Gladys asks Charlie.

Charlie rests a hand on her belly. ''Just about there.'' Charlie says.

''And you dearie?'' Gladys asks Hope.

''I'm a week away from my due date.'' Hope says.

''The fathers must be very proud.'' Gladys says.

''I wouldn't know.'' Charlie says as Hope gets that look when she realizes Corbin might not be in his child's life.

''You mean they're...'' Gladys goes to say.

''Out of sight. Out of mind.'' Charlie says.

''Corbin's in the Army and fighting overseas.'' Hope says.

''Oh, I see. So, Charlie you're not married, I take it?'' Gladys asks as she looks at Hope with a little pity. A fly lands on Gladys's steak. Charlie tries to wave it away. But another one lands in its place.

''Nope.'' Charlie says.

Gladys starts to dig in to the steak with a real ferociousness you wouldn't expect from an old lady. More flies begin to land on her body. On her food. Charlie is still trying to wave them away.

''That's too bad.'' Gladys says.

''No, I prefer it that way. I don't need a man tellin' me what to do.'' I hear Charlie say.

''But what about the baby?'' Gladys asks Charlie and Hope goes to step in but John just shakes his head.

''I've got it under control.'' Charlie says to both Gladys and Hope.

''Yeah, but it's gonna burn.'' Gladys says. My whole family freezes. Charlie freezes. The Andersons turn to look as well. Kyle glances over from the counter.

''What did you just say?'' Charlie asks.

''I said your baby's gonna burn.'' Gladys says and I see Hope wanting to smack Gladys to kingdom come.

Charlie shakes her head at the woman, not giving in. ''Go to hell, lady.'' she says.

She slaps the check down on the table and walks back toward the kitchen, passing Jeep and Bob.

''What happened?'' Bob asks.

''Total Jesus freak.'' she says.

Gladys begins to laugh innocently as she continues to devour her meat. Red juice drips down her chin. The flies are swarming now. How did so many get in here? Sandra and Howard are mortified at this sudden turn of events.

''All those babies. They're gonna burn.'' Gladys says and I am getting up to slap her.

''Gladys, please. There's no reason to -'' Sandra starts to say only to be cut off as Gladys's head suddenly whips toward her.

''Shut up, you stupid bitch! All you do is complain! Complain! Complain!'' Gladys says.

Sandra covers her mouth in shock. Everybody in the diner is now focused on the old lady. Howard gets up from the booth.

''Howard, it's okay! Don't listen to her!'' Sandra says but Howard's already standing over Gladys.

''Who the hell do you think you are, lady?! Now, I'd like you to apologize to my -'' Howard says only for him to be cut off by Gladys lunging at him and taking a monstrous bite out of his neck! She pulls back to reveal a mouth filled with tiny razor-sharp teeth.

Almost everyone freaks as Howard crumbles to the floor. Hope goes and gets him and brings him where we were.

Gladys rockets to her feet, knocking her table over. Blood covers her face and chest. ''You're all going to die!'' she says.

Percy is the first to react. From behind the counter, he whips a heavy metal frying pan at Gladys that knocks her head sideways. THWACK! Bones break and burst from her neck. Impossibly, Gladys is still standing.

Richard Aaron Shawnever POV

I hear Gladys let out an inhuman screech and see her scramble across the diner, knocking tables and chairs over in her wake. Bob pulls a shotgun from behind the counter.

''Don't move!'' Bob tells Gladys but Gladys not only moves, she scurries right up the wall like some kind of bizarre crab. Bob can't believe his eyes and neither can I as I move my wife, kids, nephews, and pregnant sisters behind me.

But Bob gets over it real fast, as the crab lady rushes toward him - ACROSS THE CEILING - UPSIDE DOWN!

Bob pumps the shotgun, trying to take her down, but he can't track her fast enough. Instead, he blows enormous holes in the ceiling, a rain of plaster. Gladys drops down right in front of Bob.

Bob struggles to cock the gun. ''Shit.'' he says. Gladys smiles sweetly before slapping him clear across the room! The shotgun clatters to the floor at Jeep's feet. He snatches it up and aims it at Gladys who turns calmly to face him.

''Shoot her, Jeep!'' Percy, Titus, dad, Lucas, and I say at the same time. Jeep's about to fire, when the old lady's eyes go all white.

''You'll never save her.'' Gladys says with a sickly-sweet smile. Jeep freezes, stunned by her words, overwhelming fear paralyzing him where he stands.

''Shoot the bitch!'' Percy yells. Gladys rockets straight at him but Jeep's too afraid to move. He clamps his eyes shut, bracing himself for the end.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! A rain of bullets rips into Gladys, taking her down like an animal. Jeep slowly opens his eyes. His gun's still cocked. Gladys lies dead in a smoldering, bloody heap at his feet.

We turn to see Kyle with smoke rising from the barrel of his silver-plated Western Arms 45. If everyone else wasn't so shocked, they'd probably be wondering why this guy is packing such serious heat.

''Somebody help me!'' Sandra says. Sandra is on the floor with her husband. Blood pours freely from his neck. Kyle stares at the dying man - a moment of hesitation - then he rushes to help.

''Press your hands over the hole!'' Kyle says. Sandra looks fearfully up at Kyle, at the gun still in his hand.

''Don't look at me like that, lady! I'm tryin' to help you! Now put your damn hands over the hole before your husband bleeds to death!'' Kyle says. Obeying, she cups her hands over the hole in his neck, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood leaking out between her fingers.

Percy scrambles over with a first-aid kit and together he and Kyle get to work on Howard's neck.