pain, but it too quickly faded away.
The cruiser stopped in the middle of the street and in the driver’s seat, was a smiling Sheriff Alex Jones. In the passenger seat was his deputy, John Rogers. He put the car in park and stepped out of the vehicle. “Boy am I glad to see you,” he said with obvious relief.
“You have no idea Alex,” I sighed. Then, like a bolt of lightning, I suddenly realized that he was standing in the deep snow. Were there any more worms? “Get back in the car!” I yelled.
Alex’s smile vanished. “What?”
“You don’t know, do you?” I yelled, “It might not be safe!”
Instead of listening to me, he made his way over to me. “Whoa Fred, calm down,” he said, resting an arm on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“How did you know we were here?” I asked.
“Kevin and Brad’s mother called us,” he answered. “She said you guys were heading into town to the diner. I tried to reassure her that if they were with you then they were fine and then the phone lines died. We figured you guys might have gotten snowed in, like we did at the station. As the weather lightened up some, John and I dug our way out and here we are.”
“Oh,” I said. “Yeah, they’re inside along with Stephanie Adams.”
“I knew the boys were in good hands,” he said respectfully. “You okay?”
“No,” I said somberly. “We have several people dead here.”
Alex’s face lost what little color it had. “What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not more,” he said, more to himself than to me.
“I did my very best,” I said to him. “But, we didn’t know…”
“Didn’t know what?” he asked.
“Follow me,” I said as he motioned for John to join us. “Let’s go into the diner.”
“Sure,” he obliged and he and his deputy trudged through the snow and into Lovell’s.
“Remember Larry’s dog Spike?” I asked as we crossed the threshold.
“How could I forget?” he replied solemnly.
“Here is his killer,” I said, stepping away so he could get a look at the two dead worms on the floor.
“What on earth…” he gasped.
“This is what pinned us in the diner last night,” I continued. “We would have been able to have gotten home before the storm hit too bad, but these…things attacked us.”
“Attacked you?” John Rogers repeated, not believing what his own eyes were seeing.
“They killed Harry Meadows, Elaine Bernhard and young Billy Wilson,” I said, choking back my sorrow.
“No,” Alex said, dropping into a nearby booth. “No…” He looked at me through tear-stained eyes. “You mean Norm Donaldson and little Alice Saunders?” I nodded.
“What…what are they?” John croaked.
Glancing back at Brad Connor, I simply replied, “Some species of worm we guessed, possibly a creature that lived near the top of the mountains, out of sight, until now.”
“Why come down now?” John asked.
“Maybe the food supply ran low,” I answered. “Or perhaps the amount of snow we’ve had made them seem a little less timid; it’s anyone’s guess.”
“Unbelievable,” he muttered.
Alex looked down and saw my bleeding leg. “Fred,” he said. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s not too bad,” I lied.
“We have to get you to the hospital,” he exclaimed, jumping up.
“That’s fine,” I agreed, “But let’s take care of the kids first. They have been through quite an ordeal, and I would like them to be treated first.”
“Of course,” Alex said, motioning for the kids to follow him. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Careful,” I said to the sheriff as we exited the diner.
“There still might be more of them.” Alex nodded and both he and his deputy withdrew their service revolvers. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s move.” We quickly and quietly made it the car without any incidents.
The cruiser stopped in the middle of the street and in the driver’s seat, was a smiling Sheriff Alex Jones. In the passenger seat was his deputy, John Rogers. He put the car in park and stepped out of the vehicle. “Boy am I glad to see you,” he said with obvious relief.
“You have no idea Alex,” I sighed. Then, like a bolt of lightning, I suddenly realized that he was standing in the deep snow. Were there any more worms? “Get back in the car!” I yelled.
Alex’s smile vanished. “What?”
“You don’t know, do you?” I yelled, “It might not be safe!”
Instead of listening to me, he made his way over to me. “Whoa Fred, calm down,” he said, resting an arm on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“How did you know we were here?” I asked.
“Kevin and Brad’s mother called us,” he answered. “She said you guys were heading into town to the diner. I tried to reassure her that if they were with you then they were fine and then the phone lines died. We figured you guys might have gotten snowed in, like we did at the station. As the weather lightened up some, John and I dug our way out and here we are.”
“Oh,” I said. “Yeah, they’re inside along with Stephanie Adams.”
“I knew the boys were in good hands,” he said respectfully. “You okay?”
“No,” I said somberly. “We have several people dead here.”
Alex’s face lost what little color it had. “What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not more,” he said, more to himself than to me.
“I did my very best,” I said to him. “But, we didn’t know…”
“Didn’t know what?” he asked.
“Follow me,” I said as he motioned for John to join us. “Let’s go into the diner.”
“Sure,” he obliged and he and his deputy trudged through the snow and into Lovell’s.
“Remember Larry’s dog Spike?” I asked as we crossed the threshold.
“How could I forget?” he replied solemnly.
“Here is his killer,” I said, stepping away so he could get a look at the two dead worms on the floor.
“What on earth…” he gasped.
“This is what pinned us in the diner last night,” I continued. “We would have been able to have gotten home before the storm hit too bad, but these…things attacked us.”
“Attacked you?” John Rogers repeated, not believing what his own eyes were seeing.
“They killed Harry Meadows, Elaine Bernhard and young Billy Wilson,” I said, choking back my sorrow.
“No,” Alex said, dropping into a nearby booth. “No…” He looked at me through tear-stained eyes. “You mean Norm Donaldson and little Alice Saunders?” I nodded.
“What…what are they?” John croaked.
Glancing back at Brad Connor, I simply replied, “Some species of worm we guessed, possibly a creature that lived near the top of the mountains, out of sight, until now.”
“Why come down now?” John asked.
“Maybe the food supply ran low,” I answered. “Or perhaps the amount of snow we’ve had made them seem a little less timid; it’s anyone’s guess.”
“Unbelievable,” he muttered.
Alex looked down and saw my bleeding leg. “Fred,” he said. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s not too bad,” I lied.
“We have to get you to the hospital,” he exclaimed, jumping up.
“That’s fine,” I agreed, “But let’s take care of the kids first. They have been through quite an ordeal, and I would like them to be treated first.”
“Of course,” Alex said, motioning for the kids to follow him. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Careful,” I said to the sheriff as we exited the diner.
“There still might be more of them.” Alex nodded and both he and his deputy withdrew their service revolvers. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s move.” We quickly and quietly made it the car without any incidents.
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