followed the order. I shot high and to the left, taking off a good piece of bark from a nearby tree. Nobody else missed. I silently prayed that nobody noticed my intentional slight.
After the last innocent fell, the Sargent said quietly, “Dismissed.”
Suddenly I was back at Lovell’s with two young men staring at me intently. “Woody and I weren’t the same after that,” I said. “A man with a young daughter at home didn’t even blink about shooting someone else’s for absolutely no reason. So you see, basically good people can behave pretty horrifically when put into certain circumstances.”
The boys just stared at me in utter shock. “The moral of this story is no matter what your circumstances, always be who you are and don’t let your situation dictate your character. Understand?”
The boys nodded slowly and looked down at the booth. Then Brad looked up and said, “I’m sorry you went through that Mr. Harrison.”
“Me too,” I replied.
“You did the right thing.”
“I could have done more,” I said more to myself than to Brad. “But thank you.”
We sat and chatted about all kinds of things for the next half-hour. Anything, really, that would take their young minds off of their current dilemma. A few moments later, Elaine arrived, carrying coffee and soda for everyone. “Thought this might help,” she smiled, setting down a steaming cup in front of me.
Just then, Ted came through the swinging door from the kitchen and stopped. “Hey Elaine, you better make sure they pay for that!”
Elaine turned and glared at the cook. “Really?”
“I don’t think Mrs. Lovell would appreciate…”
“Stow it Ted,” Elaine snapped. “You apparently do not know Mrs. Lovell very well then. She would do a whole lot more than this.”
“I gotta get out of here,” he mumbled and walked away.
“He’s right about that,” Elaine conceded. “We all have to get out of here. In a little while it will be dusk and then it will be really dark.”
“Can you try your cell phone again?” I asked.
“Sure,” she complied and fished it out of her apron. After a moment of button pressing and walking about the diner, she finally gave up. “No luck Mr. Harrison.”
“Thanks for trying,” I sighed. Then it hit me; that unshakable feeling of being watched. I slowly turned toward my window and yelped. A mere inch or so away, a suction-cupped, tooth filled mouth was plastered against the glass. At the sound of my cry, everyone came scuttling over. Jumping up, I said, “There it is again.”
A small cry escaped Elaine’s lips as she stared off in a different direction. “And there,” she whispered, pointing shakily at the glass front door that the creature had been attached to earlier. It was back again, this time slithering around the bottom of the door, banging into the frame from time to time.
“There’s more than one?” Ted asked, completely astonished. “How many are there?” Nobody answered.
Chapter Twelve
We all stared at the creatures for a full five minutes until they disappeared back into the snow. Then Ted broke the stunned silence. “That’s it!” he bellowed. “If these things are out front then I am gonna head out back and get to my car.”
“Are you crazy?” Elaine asked. “Your car could be crawling with those things!”
“There’s only one way to find out,” he said and started toward the kitchen.
“Wait!” Brad suddenly sounded.
“Why?”
“If you insist on doing this,” he answered. “Then maybe we can help.”
“What have you got in mind?” I asked.
“Maybe we could distract them,” he replied. “I didn’t see any eyes on either worm.”
I stopped and thought for a moment; I didn’t recall seeing any either. “Go on.”
“Maybe we could make a lot of noise somehow and it would draw their attention away from Ted,” he
After the last innocent fell, the Sargent said quietly, “Dismissed.”
Suddenly I was back at Lovell’s with two young men staring at me intently. “Woody and I weren’t the same after that,” I said. “A man with a young daughter at home didn’t even blink about shooting someone else’s for absolutely no reason. So you see, basically good people can behave pretty horrifically when put into certain circumstances.”
The boys just stared at me in utter shock. “The moral of this story is no matter what your circumstances, always be who you are and don’t let your situation dictate your character. Understand?”
The boys nodded slowly and looked down at the booth. Then Brad looked up and said, “I’m sorry you went through that Mr. Harrison.”
“Me too,” I replied.
“You did the right thing.”
“I could have done more,” I said more to myself than to Brad. “But thank you.”
We sat and chatted about all kinds of things for the next half-hour. Anything, really, that would take their young minds off of their current dilemma. A few moments later, Elaine arrived, carrying coffee and soda for everyone. “Thought this might help,” she smiled, setting down a steaming cup in front of me.
Just then, Ted came through the swinging door from the kitchen and stopped. “Hey Elaine, you better make sure they pay for that!”
Elaine turned and glared at the cook. “Really?”
“I don’t think Mrs. Lovell would appreciate…”
“Stow it Ted,” Elaine snapped. “You apparently do not know Mrs. Lovell very well then. She would do a whole lot more than this.”
“I gotta get out of here,” he mumbled and walked away.
“He’s right about that,” Elaine conceded. “We all have to get out of here. In a little while it will be dusk and then it will be really dark.”
“Can you try your cell phone again?” I asked.
“Sure,” she complied and fished it out of her apron. After a moment of button pressing and walking about the diner, she finally gave up. “No luck Mr. Harrison.”
“Thanks for trying,” I sighed. Then it hit me; that unshakable feeling of being watched. I slowly turned toward my window and yelped. A mere inch or so away, a suction-cupped, tooth filled mouth was plastered against the glass. At the sound of my cry, everyone came scuttling over. Jumping up, I said, “There it is again.”
A small cry escaped Elaine’s lips as she stared off in a different direction. “And there,” she whispered, pointing shakily at the glass front door that the creature had been attached to earlier. It was back again, this time slithering around the bottom of the door, banging into the frame from time to time.
“There’s more than one?” Ted asked, completely astonished. “How many are there?” Nobody answered.
Chapter Twelve
We all stared at the creatures for a full five minutes until they disappeared back into the snow. Then Ted broke the stunned silence. “That’s it!” he bellowed. “If these things are out front then I am gonna head out back and get to my car.”
“Are you crazy?” Elaine asked. “Your car could be crawling with those things!”
“There’s only one way to find out,” he said and started toward the kitchen.
“Wait!” Brad suddenly sounded.
“Why?”
“If you insist on doing this,” he answered. “Then maybe we can help.”
“What have you got in mind?” I asked.
“Maybe we could distract them,” he replied. “I didn’t see any eyes on either worm.”
I stopped and thought for a moment; I didn’t recall seeing any either. “Go on.”
“Maybe we could make a lot of noise somehow and it would draw their attention away from Ted,” he
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