A beat up brown Bronco rolled into the town of Perfection and pulled to a stop in front of Chang's Market. Burt and Jodi both made their way out onto the little wood porch because both one had seen this vehical before and the windows were tinted so they couldn't make out who was inside. About at the same time all four doors popped open and a ruff voice could be heard. "Darn it Valentine how come you always end up in trouble with the law and I have to come save your sorry ass?" Getting out where two woman and two men, Val and Earl had returned to Perfection.

The snap hiss of bottles being opened filled Chang's Market as Burt and Jodi opened beers and bags of chips and laid them on the table. "So what's brought you two back here?" Jodi asked inquisitaly, "We haven't seen either one of you for quite some time. I mean the last time I saw you was at," she paused, "Walters memorial." She hurried off into the back of the store.

All watched Jodi go and Burt just sighed, "She's never been able to get over his death, but she's a good girl and would have made him proud. Hell she's about as shrewd as he was at business."

"Well Burt it aint been that long for us, why the hell didn't you blow that thing up?" Earl said as he picked up a beer and leaned back in one of the chairs, "You let the feds come in here and protect the damn thing. Only good worm is a dead one."

Leaning over the table with his finger in Earl's chest Burt said with as much control as he could, "I didn't let them, Nancy called them for help when the things showed up again."

"Wooo boys calm down," Val jumps up from his chair and spreads the two apart, "It's just a giant man eating worm that shares the area where human inhabitants live! Damn it Burt couldn't ya do it right before they showed up, or hell we'll help ya now make it look like an accident."

"Can't do, that little shit Melvin is trying to buy up the valley and turn it into a housing development. That worms all that's keeping him out of here," a touch of resentment and forlorn in his voice.

"Should have figured," putting the beer back on the table Earl gets up and walks to the door.

"It's really not that bad, we have seismometers all over the valley and little watches that tell us when he's near. Besides he's stuck as a Grabiod don't have to worry about Shrikers or Assblasters," Burt wasn't talking more then thinking.

"Assblasters?" Rhonda and Kate say together, looking at each other.

"You mean they have another stage in their life cycle? Has anyone been able to document any of it," Kate had slipped into science mode and Rhonda seemed just as curies.

"Wait just a god damn minute," Val said, "You mean these things change?"

"I told ya they did when I got back from Mexico you idiot," Earl said, "But they change again? What they do grow wings," Earl laughed at what he thought was a joke but by the look on Burts face and where Jodi froze as she was coming back to join them, "Tell me they don't grow wings."

The sun began to set and everyone had been filled in on what had been going on in the Valley for the last few years. It had changed from a blistering hot wind to a freezing cold wind however it had not stopped. If anything the wind had intensified and sand was beginning to be blown about the streets and against everything. Jodi was outside closing the wood shutters over the windows of the store, Burt, Val and Earl were talking over by Burt's truck, and Rhonda and Kate were busily engaged in talking by Earls Bronco.

"You know what this means," Kate was trying to curb he enthusiasm, "We can actually study a live specimen in it's natural habitat."

"The guys wont allow that and you know it, besides we don't have any of the equipment we would need," Rhonda was just as excited as Kate but was worse at hiding it. "Besides you know what they would say if we told them we were going to study it."

"They'll be to busy trying to out piss each other trying to impress Burt, besides how often do you see an alive specimen of a Grabiod. Val and Earl have had their time in the lime light don't you think us girls deserve some?" Kate asked coyly.

"I've been chased by these things before, they're fast. If I was to study them I would want to be able to kill it if it decided to eat me," was Rhonda's reply.

"Where's your since of adventure?" She elbowed Rhonda

"What have you two ladies been talking about," Earl comes up and places his arm around Kate's waist and looks at Rhonda, "Hope you to science ladies aint getting any funny ideas about that worm."

"There smarter then that Earl," Val said as he came over and opened one of the doors, "Now get in the truck so we can get to Burt's."

Burt's place was sparsely furnished; he hadn't taken the time to fix it up since he blew it up. A card table with chairs was under a light and that's where the group was at the moment eating a dinner that the girls had fixed.

"Grady wants you to come by the park, thinks it will be a good publicity stunt ta have the real Burt Gummer there to meet people and sign autographs. Ol' Val's been there a couple times but no one comes," Earl hit Val's arm as he finished talking.

"I don't know I don't like to leave the valley. Besides the others are in town that would leave Jodi all alone. That and Twitchell would come up with something to keep us from reentering the valley I'm sure," turning to Val Burt continued, "Earl said something about you being in trouble with that law, what did you do."

Under his breath Val said, "I hit some guy who told me that the worm was endangered." He quickly stuffed another bite of food in his mouth.

"You did what!" Burt leaned into him, "Tell me it wasn't a short fat balding man in a bad suit, oh god please tell me it wasn't."

"Burt," Rhonda placed a hand on his arm, "Calm down Val didn't know."

Flopping back in his chair Burt couldn't help but just shake his head and laugh.