Page 3

"Well there's not a whole lot we can do about it now, huh? They've ruined it. All that goddamn money I paid for it! They'll pay, each and every one of them." He ran a hand over his balding head and sighed. "We need to get to the Cordell's grocery. They have a phone there. We can call the police. Get those men arrested."

"There's something wrong with them, Harry. It was like they were in a trance. Did you see?"

"Drugged up hooligans! That's what they were."

Helen began to shake. She had enough. "All of them, Harry? There were men in suits, men in bathrobes, young, old, at least thirty of them, and you think they were all just simply on drugs?"

"Don't fight with me on this, Helen. Goddamn it!"

From the direction of the car, four men appeared on the moonlit road. They lurched forward, their arms swinging heavily by their sides. They dragged their legs along the dirt path, slowly. Dust swirled about behind them.

Helen kept her voice down to a whisper. "Why don't they say anything? Why aren't they talking, or running?"

Harry grabbed Karen by the wrist and pulled her along. Karen cried out, but pumped her legs to keep up with her father's pace.

"God damn it, Harry. Don't hurt her."

"I'm saving her from these psychos, Helen. To stay here would be to hurt her. Now hurry the hell up."

They rushed as quickly as possible. Helen's body shook with fear. She tried concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other but even that seemed too much for her right now. She wanted to fall down and cry.

Karen complained that her feet hurt, so Helen lifted her up into her arms, her legs quivering from the strain. She was heavy, but Helen pressed on without a word. Harry led the way, paying no attention.

You asshole, she thought. You absolute monster. As soon as we're home, you're leaving for good. This time I mean it.

Harry pointed ahead. "Here we are, see? Cordell's store. Come on, hurry it up."

Harry jogged ahead to the store. It sat to the left of the road, a single-roomed wooden building that sold overpriced general groceries to the town. Helen had wondered on many occasions how Patrick Cordell were still in business. She knew no one that came here. She caught up to Harry and lowered Karen to the ground. The place was silent.

"Patrick?" Harry called. "You in there?"

They stood in the light of the store window. It cast a rectangular glow on the dirt around them. The cold night air made Helen shiver now that she'd stopped moving. She hugged her coat around herself tightly.

"It's closed," Harry said. "Pat must be gone home. We need to move on. If we keep going we can make it home in a half hour or so. Pick up Karen."

"Oh for god's sake." Helen barged forward and banged on the door. "Patrick, it's the Cooper family! Open this door right now or god help you! We've got Karen out here and we've just been attacked. Now open this door!"

The lock rattled from the other side of the door. It opened a sliver, bathing Helen in light. She squinted. Patrick Cordell's old face stared out.

"Get inside, hurry," Patrick said. "Hurry."

Patrick slammed the door closed behind them, his weather-worn hands fighting to clasp the lock back into place. When it was secure, he took the shotgun that leaned against the wall and held it tight to his chest. His eyes were wide with dread.

"Did any of those ghouls see you come this way?" He asked.

"Ghouls? You mean those men? Why are you calling them that?"

"Haven't you been listening to the broadcasts, Mrs. Cooper?"

"No, I, we haven't had-"

"Come with me."

Patrick led them to the other end of the store where the cash register was. On the counter sat a transistor radio. Helen felt as if she were in a dream. The whole world seemed faint somehow.

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