Chapter Five
Samantha cradled Alyssa’s head in her lap in the backseat of the cutlass. Gabe nursed the car off the highway onto the outer road as steam began to pour from the hood. He pulled into a small gas station on the outskirts of a small town and glanced back at Samantha.
“I’m going to go inside to get some ice for your mom’s head. We’ll let the car cool down for a bit then I’ll add some water, and we’ll be on our way.” He gazed down as Alyssa and added, “Keep the doors locked and don’t open them for anyone. If your mom wakes up, tell her I’ll be right back.”
Gabe returned quickly and handed Samantha a bag of ice. Unsure what to do, she placed the bag on Alyssa’s forehead. Alyssa’s eyes flew open, and she sat up. She grabbed her head and fell back down as her vision blurred. Reaching up for Samantha, she hugged her fiercely.
“Are you okay? Where are we?” She managed through the pounding in her head.
“I’m okay,” Samantha hugged her back and handed her the bag of ice. “Gabe got this ice for you.”
Alyssa accepted the ice and placed it on the back of her head. Pain throbbed in her temples. Yet it was no match for the pain that shot across her back as she released Samantha and sat slowly up leaning against the seat. Gabe opened the rear door and gazed inside.
“You look awful.” He said with a smile and handed her a bottle of juice and two small square packets of pills. “Take both packets of the medicine; it’s a mild pain killer. The car overheated, but it’s cooled off enough for me to add water so we can keep moving.”
“What happened to the truck?” Alyssa asked taking the water and opening the packets of pills.
Samantha said, “It crashed. Then there was a black car with a mean lady, and it crashed too.”
Alyssa glanced at Samantha then stared at Gabe expectantly. His smile vanished. “Our pursuers are getting more aggressive. That’s why we have to keep moving. You should lie down and rest; we’ll be on our way in a few minutes.”
After swallowing the pills, Alyssa handed Samantha the water and lay back down on the seat. The car was getting cold sitting in the shade of the gas station. She laid her head back on Samantha’s lap and reached up to snuggle with her. “I love you,” She whispered, kissing her daughter’s cheek.
“I love you too, mommy. Everything is going to be okay. Gabe is very smart and brave. He’s a good driver too; you should have seen him.” Samantha answered, glancing up as Gabe slammed the hood shut.
Gabe climbed into the car and started the engine. It sputtered and jerked then began to run. They pulled out onto the two-lane highway and headed into town. Gabe explained, “The attendant said there is a farmer’s supply store a short distance from here. We can buy a change of clothes and get you both a coat. The weather’s getting colder; there’s going to be a frost tonight.”
The farmers market was inside a large, brick building sitting just inside the city limits. The large blacktop parking lot was filled with cars and trucks. Gabe helped Alyssa out of the car. A wave of dizziness rushed over her but disappeared quickly as she clung to his arm. The interior of the store smelled of leather and animal musk. Alyssa’s head ached too much to be impressed by the assortment of harnesses, saddles and hunting supplies that filled the large store. Samantha spied the clothing and pulled Alyssa toward the racks of jeans, plaid shirts and cowboy hats. Gabe headed toward the back of the store as they searched the racks.
The variety of colors and textures thrilled Samantha. She pulled several shirts from the rack and laid them against her chest. “They have pink and blue mommy!” She gasped, finding another.
Alyssa fought against the pain in her head and back. She forced herself to reach out and pull a shirt off the rack for herself. They were listed by size, but the sizes made no sense. What was size 5/6 and 7/8? Was that age? The children’s clothing looked correct, although the 5/6 looked too small for Samantha. The woman’s clothing had the same sizes; it just didn’t’ make sense. Deciding to ignore the sizes, she found a shirt that looked right.
Taking hold of Samantha’s hand, Alyssa led her over to the skirts and pants. She pulled two suede skirts from the rack for each of them. The material looked sturdy and warm. She glanced around for Gabe. He was nowhere in sight. Noticing a closet labeled dressing room, Alyssa headed toward it. A young woman appeared beside them. Her name tag said Missy.
“Feel free to try on the clothes.” Missy instructed, pointing at the dressing room. “If they aren’t the right size, just give me a holler and I’ll bring you a different selection.”
By the time Gabe returned, Missy had Alyssa and Samantha fitted and changed. She brought them boots and took them to try on coats. Missy’s smile broadened as Gabe approached. Alyssa watched as Missy reached up and straightened her hair. She adjusted her stance and squared her shoulders in response to the handsome man standing before her.
Gabe smiled back at her then turned to Alyssa. “Good news! I just spoke to the owner. He also owns a taxidermy business. There’s a new sporting goods store in St Louis, and he’s got a huge shipment headed that way. Only his driver is out sick.”
Alyssa stared at him with a blank expression, not understanding.
Gabe explained, “We have a new vehicle. The truck is loaded and ready to go. We’ll leave the car here, and I can pick it up when I return the truck, after I get you settled at your grandmothers.”
“Taxidermy?” Samantha said with a frown.
Gabe grinned at her and said, “See that deer head over on the wall?”
Samantha turned and stared at the mounted deer. “Yes.”
“Once the hunter shoots a deer and harvests the meat, they take the head to a taxidermist who cleans it up so they can mount it on the wall as a trophy.” Gabe explained as much for Samantha’s benefit as Alyssa’s.
“So, the truck is filled with frozen dead animals?” Samantha wrinkled her nose.
Gabe laughed and added, “Something like that, they use them as decorations.”
“I think a picture of a rainbow would be prettier.” Samantha rolled her eyes and turned back to him.
This time Gabe paid for the purchase, and they headed around to the back of the building. The truck was a short, boxy vehicle. It reminded Alyssa of the delivery trucks that came to the compound once every few months. Gabe opened the door for the girls and said, “It’s just a day cab, but it’s got a bench seat so we can all ride comfortably.”
Gabe helped Samantha climb in then turned toward Alyssa and offered her his hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Achy,” Alyssa admitted, “My headache is better, but my back is stiff.”
Gabe helped her climb into the truck. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white bottle of pills. “I got you these, they should help.”
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Walton stood alone in the darkness before the altar in the sanctuary. He placed both hands on the altar and began to chant twisted words of evil. As his chant grew in volume and intensity, his body took on the glow of a dark purple light. Walton’s throat began to itch and swell as he struggled to continue.
Walton gagged and coughed as his voice left him. The light engulfed him and spread across the altar growing brighter. A burst of light exploded from Walton’s chest and landed in the center of the altar. Walton’s lips turned blue, and his tongue protruded from his mouth. Walton stood frozen before the altar, his eyes bulging from his head. A tall figure appeared in the light on the altar. It was a beautiful naked man with light hair, pale skin and black eyes. A pair of giant black raven’s wings sprang from his back and opened wide.
He gazed down at Walton and smiled. He whispered, “I long to be free of human form, but it is not time.”
Raising his hands high, he began to chant. A foul black mist sprang from his mouth as he spoke an ancient tongue. The shadows around him began to boil. The altar trembled, bursting to life as a black fire exploded around him. All manner of foul beasts crept from the fire; large and sma
ll, filling the sanctuary with their evil.
Ceasing his chant when the room could hold no more; he lowered his hands. The fire vanished. Slowly his wings sank into the flesh on his back. He floated inside the light moving back toward Walton and vanished inside him. The spark of life did not return to Walton’s eyes.