too,” Maynard said. “Pardon me,
I’ve never used one of these things. I’d like you to go back over your story.
Start from the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”
“Roy?” Steven asked, hoping he’d take over and tell the story,
so he could use the time to get dressed.
Roy began relating the incidents at Grays Harbor to Maynard,
and Steven began to locate his clothes. Once he finished, he sat down at the
table next to Roy and took a long sip of the coffee Roy brought. It tasted
terrible.
“Did you touch it?” Maynard asked. “The rod in the attic?”
“No, we didn’t,” Roy replied.
“Well, don’t!” Maynard said. “Steer clear of it at all costs.
You could make things infinitely worse by meddling with it.”
“You seem to know what it is,” Steven said. “Can you tell us
how to stop it?”
“Have either of you had any experience with vorghosts?”
Maynard asked.
“Never heard the term before,” Roy said.
“Where are you at, again?” Maynard asked.
“Aberdeen, Washington,” Steven said. “It’s about two hours
west of Seattle.”
“I’ll leave here in a little bit,” Maynard said. “Where can I
meet you tomorrow morning?”
“It’s a long haul, Maynard,” Steven said. “Seattle to
southern Utah is at least sixteen hours.”
“I’d better get started then,” Maynard said with a little
irritation. “Where can we meet?”
“We’re staying at a motel in Aberdeen,” Steven said, giving
Maynard the motel’s address and their room numbers. “We could meet in the lobby
of the motel tomorrow morning at nine if that’s not too early.”
“It’s not, that’ll be fine,” Maynard said. “Goodbye for now.
Don’t touch that rod until I get there, remember!”
“No, we won’t,” Steven said.
“So, I guess that’s it,” Winn came back on the line. “Maynard
has left the room and has gone to pack, I think.”
“We appreciate you hooking us up with him,” Steven said.
“He’s the best at what he does,” Winn said. “But he doesn’t
like to work over the phone. That’s why I drove up to his place this morning,
and I’m guessing it’s why he’s gonna drive up to see you.”
“I hate to put him out,” Steven said.
“He just does what he does,” Winn said. “And honestly, you’ll
want him there. He looked a little worried when you described the rod, how the
coil was broken. I think he feels it’s serious.”
“Alright, we’ll wait the day for him,” Steven said.
“And like he said, don’t touch it,” Winn said. “You’ve
probably already seen some strange things. It will become much worse if you
touch it.”
“No, we won’t,” Steven said. “Thanks again, Winn.”
“No problem, guys,” Winn said. “Good luck.”
“Say thank you to Deem for us, will you?” Roy asked.
“Sure thing.”
They hung up.
“You haven’t touched your coffee,” Roy said.
“I took one sip,” Steven said, standing up. “I’m not in the
mood for bathwater.”
“Was it just me, or did Winn sound like he knew a little bit
about this thing?” Roy asked.
“Yeah, the way he talked didn’t sound like he was just
repeating what Maynard had to say. Sounded more like someone who’d had some
experience.”
“Well, OK, we won’t touch the damn thing. What now?”
“Breakfast,” Steven said. “And better coffee.”
◊
As they walked into the motel’s lobby on their way out, Steven
was surprised to see Barbara at the front desk, talking with the hotel clerk.
“Barbara?” he asked, walking to her.
“Oh, Steven!” she said, the worried look on her face easing a
little. “Are you staying here?”
“We are,” Steven said. “You’ve moved out?”
“We had to,” Barbara said, and then motioned to Steven to
follow her outside. They walked through the front doors and into the chilly
morning air.
“What happened?” Steven asked, seeing his breath as they
stood next to an overflowing ashtray.
“I was going to
I’ve never used one of these things. I’d like you to go back over your story.
Start from the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”
“Roy?” Steven asked, hoping he’d take over and tell the story,
so he could use the time to get dressed.
Roy began relating the incidents at Grays Harbor to Maynard,
and Steven began to locate his clothes. Once he finished, he sat down at the
table next to Roy and took a long sip of the coffee Roy brought. It tasted
terrible.
“Did you touch it?” Maynard asked. “The rod in the attic?”
“No, we didn’t,” Roy replied.
“Well, don’t!” Maynard said. “Steer clear of it at all costs.
You could make things infinitely worse by meddling with it.”
“You seem to know what it is,” Steven said. “Can you tell us
how to stop it?”
“Have either of you had any experience with vorghosts?”
Maynard asked.
“Never heard the term before,” Roy said.
“Where are you at, again?” Maynard asked.
“Aberdeen, Washington,” Steven said. “It’s about two hours
west of Seattle.”
“I’ll leave here in a little bit,” Maynard said. “Where can I
meet you tomorrow morning?”
“It’s a long haul, Maynard,” Steven said. “Seattle to
southern Utah is at least sixteen hours.”
“I’d better get started then,” Maynard said with a little
irritation. “Where can we meet?”
“We’re staying at a motel in Aberdeen,” Steven said, giving
Maynard the motel’s address and their room numbers. “We could meet in the lobby
of the motel tomorrow morning at nine if that’s not too early.”
“It’s not, that’ll be fine,” Maynard said. “Goodbye for now.
Don’t touch that rod until I get there, remember!”
“No, we won’t,” Steven said.
“So, I guess that’s it,” Winn came back on the line. “Maynard
has left the room and has gone to pack, I think.”
“We appreciate you hooking us up with him,” Steven said.
“He’s the best at what he does,” Winn said. “But he doesn’t
like to work over the phone. That’s why I drove up to his place this morning,
and I’m guessing it’s why he’s gonna drive up to see you.”
“I hate to put him out,” Steven said.
“He just does what he does,” Winn said. “And honestly, you’ll
want him there. He looked a little worried when you described the rod, how the
coil was broken. I think he feels it’s serious.”
“Alright, we’ll wait the day for him,” Steven said.
“And like he said, don’t touch it,” Winn said. “You’ve
probably already seen some strange things. It will become much worse if you
touch it.”
“No, we won’t,” Steven said. “Thanks again, Winn.”
“No problem, guys,” Winn said. “Good luck.”
“Say thank you to Deem for us, will you?” Roy asked.
“Sure thing.”
They hung up.
“You haven’t touched your coffee,” Roy said.
“I took one sip,” Steven said, standing up. “I’m not in the
mood for bathwater.”
“Was it just me, or did Winn sound like he knew a little bit
about this thing?” Roy asked.
“Yeah, the way he talked didn’t sound like he was just
repeating what Maynard had to say. Sounded more like someone who’d had some
experience.”
“Well, OK, we won’t touch the damn thing. What now?”
“Breakfast,” Steven said. “And better coffee.”
◊
As they walked into the motel’s lobby on their way out, Steven
was surprised to see Barbara at the front desk, talking with the hotel clerk.
“Barbara?” he asked, walking to her.
“Oh, Steven!” she said, the worried look on her face easing a
little. “Are you staying here?”
“We are,” Steven said. “You’ve moved out?”
“We had to,” Barbara said, and then motioned to Steven to
follow her outside. They walked through the front doors and into the chilly
morning air.
“What happened?” Steven asked, seeing his breath as they
stood next to an overflowing ashtray.
“I was going to
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