Restless We Wait
Chapter VII
Dixie glanced up at the darkening sky and hastened to her car. The wind had died, but the clouds continued to roll and boil overhead. A long low rumbled rolled across the heavens quickly followed by a bright flash of light. Another storm had blown in from the coast and threatened to tear the umbrella from the head nurse's hand.
IT remained hidden in the clouds and did not flinch from the sudden flash of light. The week of feeding had strengthened IT and now IT feared no one and nothing. The darkness of IT was intense enough to bring a leaden appearance to the clouds.
IT saw the One get into the mechanical device that many of her kind used to get from place to place. IT had a knowing about the destination of the One and was prepared to put the plan into action.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
Dixie started the car and carefully backed from her place. She maneuvered around other parked vehicles and waited at the exit for traffic to clear. She gave the car some gas and joined the departing traffic from the hospital then turned left and headed to the hills just past the city limits. A friend was waiting for her at a small cafe' so they could finalize wedding plans for her friend's sister.
IT followed the swiftly accelerating vehicle and thrummed with excitement. SOON!
As the miles passed IT grew more and more excited. A blast of cold air caused IT too swing upwards into the clouds before descending once more to follow the prey.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
The darkness fell quickly and Dixie turned on her headlights. She felt the car sway in a sudden gust of wind and slowed her speed momentarily. Just ahead was the exit she needed and with a flick of the wrist her blinker was on and the car was slowing. The road ahead was filled with switch back turns and sharp corners, as well as several bad drop off spots that she wanted to avoid.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
IT felt the thrill of the hunt. The mechanical animal turned and headed across the sharp terrain. Quickly IT lowered to ground level and sped along side the creature within which road ITS prey.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
Dixie glanced out the side window of her car and peered into the deepening darkness. She had never seen the night so intense. Another gust of wind returned her attention to the road ahead. The trees on each side waved their branches around as if trying to sweep the clouds from the sky. The swoosh of her wiper blades made a hypnotic sound so Dixie turned the radio on for background noise. The blare of music made her jump and she laughed nervously.
Dixie saw the first switch back ahead of her and cautiously slowed to the recommended speed. Two other sharp curves followed and Dixie slowed even more. After the third curve she knew there was a straight-a-way of three miles before the final curves leading to her destination. With the music playing and the windshield wipers popping rapidly, Dixie relaxed slightly.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
IT saw the prey relax and knew the time had come. With the swiftness of a snake IT made a blurred shape of an unidentifiable animal. Ahead was a curve and just before the mechanical animal could slow, IT darted into the path of the lights.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
Dixie jammed on the brakes and felt the car slide. She turned the wheel trying to keep the vehicle on the road, but screamed in terror when the car slipped over the edge and down into a steep gully.
The car bounced and jounced its way down and came to a sudden stop against a boulder. Dixie felt her head crack against the side window and the last thing she saw was a dark shape looming over the car and a cold chill filled the space.
E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!
Marco walked into the day room and saw Chet sitting on the sofa, the station's mascot, Henry, was curled beside him.
"Hey, man, why the tense look?" Marco stood in front of his friend.
"What?" Chet said with a start. He dropped the book he was reading. "Man, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"What sneak? I walked in just like always. You're sitting there stiff as a board looking like you're gonna jump through the roof."
"Oh," Chet gave a weak smile and a chuckle. "Yeah? This book is enough to scare even the bravest heart. Especially in this kind of weather!"
"Let me see it." Marco snatched the book and read the title, "Spells and Incantations to Make You Rich in Thirty Days. Come on, you don't believe this stuff, do you? And what's so scary about it, any way?"
"Some of the stories in here," Chet grabbed the book back, "have the results of the spells, and they aren't pretty." He flipped through the book and stopped at one of the chapters.
"Look, this is about some dude from Georgia. HE used the spell on this page and got gobs of money, but before he could spend much of it, he died a mysterious death. And in this one,' he quickly flipped again, "A lady from Michigan used the same spell and she died of unknown causes just after she got her money!"
"So are you gonna try it, too? Maybe if you died I'd get a better partner and the Phantom would leave us alone." Marco laughed at Chet's incredulous expression.
"Marco, these are real people! You shouldn't laugh! Besides, I've said several of these things and nothing's happened to me, so they obviously don't all work."
"Yeah, right, they just bring spooks and goblins." Marco turned away and unseen by Chet, crossed himself, after all, one could never be too careful around the paranormal.
The door to the truck bay was heard opening, then the rattle of its closing filled the silence for a moment. Roy and Johnny strode into the room.
"Look, Johnny, I told you, what you saw was just a trick of the lights. What you saw was a shadow, nothing more."
"Oh yeah, where'd that sudden chill come from, a refrigerator? The fire was so hot that cold of air couldn't possibly have been natural and that animal was no shadow! I tell you, I saw the eyes! They were red!"
Roy handed his partner a cup of steaming coffee, "Okay, maybe you saw a dog. Sometimes the refracted light looks red. That cold we felt was probably a down draft from the storm brewing."
Johnny shook his head, "No way, man. There's something out there and it's stalking us or someone in this station."
"You sound like Chet, now." Marco joined the conversation. "I just scared his wits out of him by asking a question."
"That shouldn't prove too hard to do," Johnny said with a grin. "After all, he's already pretty witless."
"Ha-Ha," Chet said then hid once more behind the book he was still holding.
"What's that you're reading now?" Johnny asked as he walked across the room. "How to get a brain in one easy lesson?"
"For your information, Pal, I'm gonna be rich in a few days and then we'll see who's brainless!" Chet shot back.
"From reading a book? Let me see that thing!" Johnny grabbed it and looked at the title. His face lost all color and he stared at the short Irishman. He flipped through the book and stopped at a place where a page had been removed, leaving only the serrated edges attached to the binding.
"Where's this one?" Johnny pointed to the page.
Chet pushed Henry aside and rose from the sofa. "What one?"
"Here, on page one-sixty-six. It's been torn out."
Chet shrugged, "Dunno, that's probably why I got it for two dollars instead of five. Why?"
"It's a counter-spell to the one on page twenty-five, and it could be the reason we're having trouble again. Have you used any of these things?"
"W-w-ell, yeah, a couple of them. But, nothing's happened." Chet rubbed the back of his head. "I only read them, I didn't do any of the motions or anything."
Johnny stared at the chunky fireman and shook his head. "Man, you just never cease to amaze me. You do realize that these things are real? There's real consequences for the use of these things and if you do them wrong, you'll really be in big trouble."
"You have to do it all though to get any kind of results! Just saying the words won't make stuff happen. Heck, if that was true we'd all be in deep by now, cuzz I saw Cap reading it and muttering, and Mike, too." Chet stood with arms crossed against his chest.
Johnny looked at the quiet Engineer who was cooking the dinner. Mike shrugged in silent answer to Johnny's silent question.
"I've got a bad feeling about this, Chet. You're messing with something you have no idea how to handle. I've had my run-in with this stuff, never again."
The lights in the building dimmed then brightened as a flash of lightening lit up the sky; low rumbles followed. The sound of rain drowned out any further conversation and the men turned their sights to the food now sitting on the table before them.
As the men dug into their food Henry sat up and gave a short "Woof!" In strolled the cat who jumped up and attacked the dog's long floppy ears. She let out a rumbling purr and settled down to sleep.
The men laughed at her and the dog then concentrated on the food before them, hoping to eat before another run could be called.