Moondeath

by Rick Hautala

  “I’m leaving town,” Bob repeated simply.

  “You aren’t serious,” Lisa said.

  “Oh, yes I am,” Bob said, nodding his head. He looked at her intently. “I’m serious and, and I want you to come with me.”

  “Do you know where you’re going?”

  “I’m not sure. I was thinking it might be nice to spend the rest of the winter in Florida.”

  “Just like that?” Lisa snapped her fingers. “You want me to leave my job and everything and come with you to Florida?”

  Bob nodded. “Yeah. What the hell do you expect me to do? It feels to me like Cooper Falls would just as soon spit me out. I’m not gonna let it chew me anymore! They can have the damn job. And as for this, this werewolf, or whatever, I’ve had it!” He cut the air with the knife edge of his hand. “I’m not going to wait around until this beast gets me! This isn’t my hometown. I’ve got no responsibility.”

  “Well I do,” Lisa said with an edge in her voice. “It’s my hometown and I don’t think I can just, can just give up on it and leave. After what we’ve seen and what we know, don’t you think we have to do something or tell someone or try something to stop it?”

  Bob’s resolve suddenly strengthened. He walked over to Lisa and took her arms with a firm grip. Fighting to keep his voice steady, he said, “I have had it! I’m leaving by noon tomorrow. If you want to come with me, you can. But I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to spend another full day in this town! I’ll give you a call tonight.”

  With that, he turned and left the library.

  .III.

  Bob was up in the attic, digging out his suitcases, when the telephone began to ring. He stuck his head down through the trapdoor and glared at the phone as it jangled again.

  “Damn!” he whispered harshly, shifting his body around so he could drop down to the floor. He hurried because he figured it was Lisa calling. It seemed perfectly timed; as soon as his feet hit the floor, the phone cut off in mid-ring.

  He stared at the silent phone for a minute, then went to the kitchen for a cigarette before heading back up into the attic. The phone started ringing again, and Bob dashed over to it quickly and picked it up.

  “Hello,” he snapped, exhaling smoke into the receiver. He was expecting to hear Lisa’s voice, so he was surprised when Amy said hello.

  “Oh,” Bob stammered. “Hi. How you doing?”

  “I’m just fine,” Amy said. She sounded happy, and Bob wondered if it was real or put on.

  “And how is married life treating you?” Bob asked. “This time.”

  There was a long silence, and then Amy said, “Fine.”

  “Did you try to call just a second ago?” Bob asked.

  “No,” Amy replied.

  “Hmmm.”

  “So, how have you been doing? The winter’s not too tough for you, is it? You never did like snow,” Amy said.

  “It’s, it’s OK.”

  “And teaching’s going well for you?”

  Bob inhaled from his cigarette and debated whether or not he should tell Amy that he had quit—been fired. “It’s going OK, I guess.”

  “Well,” Amy said, “the last Jamie and I heard was a Christmas card with a pretty short note. We were wondering if you had forgotten about your promise.”

  “My promise?”

  “Jesus, Bob, you know, Jamie’s your daughter too. You could show a little more interest in what she’s been up to. You don’t remember that you said you wanted her to come out there and stay with you for February vacation?”

  “Oh, shit,” Bob muttered, looking down at the floor. He knew now that there was no way of getting around it. He would have to tell her what had happened.

  “You’ve made other plans?” Amy said, her voice taking on the harsh edge he remembered.

  “No, I, uhh…” His eyes darted around the kitchen. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now, I—”

  He looked at the door, at the window looking out onto the snowy night, and for a brief flash, he though he saw a shadow shift through the darkness outside.

  “Bob? You there?”

  “Yeah, uhh, what I was saying was that, well, things have been going on here and I’m not sure I want Jamie around right now.”

  “Who are you shacking up with?” Amy asked snidely.

  “No, no. It’s nothing like that.” His voice was shaking. The cigarette in his hand had burned down to the filter. “It’s, well, I’m not teaching anymore.”

  There was a stunned silence at the other end of the line.

  “I, uhhh, I had a little bit of trouble with a few of the administrators and I, uhhh, I resigned. Just today, in fact.”

  “Jesus, Bob!”

  “It’s a long story, but I’m packing. I’m going down to Miami or Orlando for the rest of the winter.”

  “You haven’t even seen Jamie since last August, Bob,” Amy said pleadingly. “Don’t you think you could just stay around for that week so she could see you? I want her to know she does have a father, too.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s, that’s not all. I—” He stopped himself before he told Amy about the series of deaths that had plagued the town. He didn’t even want to mention a wild dog in the area, much less a werewolf. She’d think he was cracking up for sure.

  “Well?”

  “Well, there’s been some trouble out here. No one’s really sure what’s going on, but it looks like there’s a wild dog or something that’s been attacking people.”

  “Really?” Amy sounded surprised, but there was an edge to her voice that suggested that she suspected Bob was making up the story just to get out of having Jamie come to visit.

  Bob felt a twisting in his bowels, and he ran his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t think this would be a safe place to be, that’s all.”

  “I haven’t seen anything about that in the papers,” Amy said.

  “Yeah, well, they’re trying to keep the whole thing under wraps, you know?”

  “I know there was that story about the student nurse in North Conway who was killed by a wild animal, but I hadn’t—”

  “What?” Bob shouted. “What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t hear about it?” Amy asked. “It must have been, oh, two weeks ago or so. It was in all the papers down here. It must have been in the Sunday paper, because that’s the only one I get to read. A student nurse at General Hospital was attacked and killed by a wild dog.”

  “Holy shit!” Bob looked out at the doorway again and his mind replayed the sound of smashing glass and wood as the beast crashed its way into the house. He shivered. “They said it was a wild dog?”

  “I think so. I just skimmed the article.”

  “You don’t remember if it said that there were any eyewitnesses, do you?” Bob asked agitatedly. “Anyone else who saw the, the animal?”

  “I don’t recall it mentioning any,” Amy said distantly. “Of course, that doesn’t mean there weren’t.”

  “Jesus,” Bob said softly. He held the phone tightly against his ear. Glancing at the wall calendar, he ran his fingers across the dates. He went back two weeks, and his fingers stopped on Thursday, January 15. At the top of the dated box was a picture of a full moon.

  “Could it have been on Wednesday or Thursday?” he asked excitedly.

  “I told you, I can’t remember. It was about two weeks ago. Why, why do you ask?”

  “Oh.” Bob glanced again at the kitchen door. “It was about that time that I saw a dog, a stray, sniffing around my house.”

  “I think you might be right, Bob,” Amy said at last. “I think we can wait a while before Jamie comes out to visit.”

  “That’s a damn good idea,” Bob replied. “I have to get packing. I’ll give you a call once I get down there and let you know my new address.”

  “Sure. Bye.”

  “Bye. Thanks for calling,” Bob said, and then hung up.

  He was still standing beside the phone, contemplating calling Lisa, w
hen a sudden thought hit him. When he had seen Lisa earlier that day, hadn’t she said that Ned Simmons had been in the hospital?

  “Oh, Christ!”

  He thought back, trying to remember. He had been so worked up about getting fired that he hadn’t really listened to her, but as he dredged through his memory, he was sure Lisa had said Ned had been in the hospital. And the only hospital in the area was in North Conway!

  He had to find out when Ned had been in North Conway, he realized with a deep urgency. Some intuitive glimmer told him that it would coincide with the night the student nurse had been killed. And if it did…

  “It wasn’t Julie Sikes at all!” Bob said aloud. “All this time I’ve been thinking it was Julie Sikes, and it wasn’t! All this time it’s been Ned Simmons!”

  He knew. The final piece had fallen into place with the click on the end of the line as Amy had hung up. He knew!

  He lifted the receiver and started dialing Lisa’s number. “Well,” he said, listening to the phone ring, “if she’s coming, she’s coming now.”

  .IV.

  Monday, February 16

  Bob held the envelope in his hand, turning it over and over as he walked down the wide steps of the Miami Post Office. He kept reading the postmark each time it came around: Cooper Falls, N.H. February 14, 11:17 a.m. The return address was Lisa’s.

  He sat in his car and took a deep breath before sliding his finger under the envelope flap and ripping it open. Enclosed was a single sheet of blue stationery, neatly folded. As he opened the letter, a small newspaper clipping dropped onto his lap. He snatched up the clipping and glanced at the headline. It gave him a quick chill in spite of the warm Florida sun. He quickly read the letter.

  Dear Bob, Friday nite

  I’m writing this in a hurry. It’s almost twelve and I’ve got to get to bed and sleep, if I can. I know you said you wanted to write first, but I thought you’d better know about Sue. I hope you’ll drop her folks a note. I know you didn’t have her in any of your classes, but a note would be appreciated. I know what you’re thinking! The official story from Thurston, still, is that it’s a wild dog. I just don’t know what to think! I can’t accept your idea, but after that night at your house, I don’t know what else could explain what happened.

  I want to make it clear to you too that I understand why you were so upset the night before you left. I wish neither of us had gotten so angry, but none of my reasons have changed. I love you, Bob. I really do. I miss you a lot, and I wish you’d reconsider what I said. If you don’t do anything, who will?

  It’s been a real hard winter. You wouldn’t have believed the last storm we had! Almost two feet a day for two days! School’s been cancelled for three days, and we’re just getting dug out now. Did they mention the storm on the news down there? It’s been real bad.

  One more thing. You’ve got me paranoid enough so I checked out when Sue was killed. It didn’t come close to the night of the full moon. She died on Wednesday, the 11, and the full moon wasn’t ’til Sunday, the 15. Doesn’t that screw up your idea? I don’t know. I’m so confused. All I know is that a friend of mine, someone I loved and worked with, has been killed and I’m scared! I wish to God this would stop soon!!! Please write. Let me know what’s going on with you. So far, all I’ve got was a post-office-box number in Miami. Communicate!!!

  Love, Lisa

  Bob’s eyes began to water as he read the article about Sue Langsford’s death. Lisa was right; the official story was the same. She was also right that Sue had died four days away from the full moon. His shoulder shook with a wild shiver as trickles of sweat ran from his armpits and down his side.

  .V.

  “I sent him a letter a few days ago,” Lisa said, smiling as she looked at Mrs. Miller. “He should have gotten it by now.” She paused, then added, “I’m sure he’ll send his regards.”

  Mrs. Miller carefully placed Lisa’s purchase into a bag and stapled it shut.

  “Well,” Lisa said, making a point of counting her change when Mrs. Miller handed it to her, “have a nice evening.”

  “I’ll be closing soon,” Mrs. Miller said, nodding past Lisa toward the fading evening light. “Until this wild animal’s caught, I’m closing before dark.”

  Lisa wrinkled her eyebrows and said, “I don’t blame you in the least.” There was a knot of uneasiness in her stomach.

  “’Specially after what happened to the Doyles.”

  “What?” Lisa reached for the countertop for support.

  Not again! she thought. Not again!

  “You hadn’t heard?” Mrs. Miller asked, surprised. She tapped the top copy of the newspaper on the counter. “Right here.”

  “Cooper Falls Couple Found Dead,” the headlines read; and below that, “Mystery Animal Strikes Again.”

  “I swear,” Mrs. Miller said, shaking her head solemnly, “I swear, it’s the curse of God.”

  “Good Lord, no,” Lisa said distantly. Here head began to hurt with a distant throbbing.

  They must not have had a silver cross, Lisa found herself thinking. They must not have had protection.

  “Dearie, are you all right?” Mrs. Miller asked. “You look a bit peaked.”

  “I’m, I’m all right,” Lisa said, shaking her head to clear it.

  “Dear me, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Mrs. Miller said with genuine concern. “I thought you knew.”

  “No I didn’t,” Lisa said. Her voice was strained.

  They must not have had protection!

  “Can I get you a glass of water?” Mrs. Miller said, rushing around the counter. “Here. Sit down for a minute.”

  “No. Really. I’m all right,” Lisa said weakly. “I just got a bit dizzy for a moment.”

  “I’ll be closing soon. Can I walk you home.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Lisa said, feeling suddenly foolish. “My car’s right outside. I’ll be OK.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  They must not have had a silver cross!

  “Good night, Mrs. Miller.” Lisa started toward the door.

  “You take care of yourself,” Mrs. Miller called out. “And if you need anything, just let me know.”

  “I will.”

  When Lisa got back to her apartment, she dialed directory assistance and asked for a new listing for Mr. Robert Wentworth in Miami. She was surprised when the operator didn’t tell her, “Sorry. There’s no listing under that name,” and, instead, gave her the number. Lisa wrote it down on the chalkboard beside the telephone.

  For almost half an hour, she debated whether or not she should call Bob and tell him about the Doyles. Would he want to know about it, or had he had enough? She wondered. Instead of calling Bob, she went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea.

  Just before she went to sleep, around eleven o’clock, she saw the flashing red light of the town’s ambulance swing across her ceiling as the emergency crew raced up Main Street.

  .VI.

  Thursday, February 19

  “I had just been with her last night,” Lisa said hoarsely, her voice breaking with tears. “I was probably the last person to see her alive!” Her voice broke off in a choking sob.

  Groping for words and finding none, Bob listened to Lisa’s sobbing. Finally, he said, “There wasn’t anything you could have done. How could you have known?”

  “I know! I know! It’s just that, that—” Again her voice broke off into crying.

  “Just take it easy, will you, Lisa?” Bob said patiently. “For Christ’s sake.”

  “It’s just.” Lisa sniffed loudly. “It’s just that whatever killed her was, was right there outside the pharmacy. Right when I was talking to her, maybe. It could have, could have—”

  “Do you think that might be why you got that fainting feeling?” Bob asked calmly. “If I’m right and it is a werewolf, maybe it was exerting some kind of psychic force that you picked up. Maybe subconsciously you were aware of its being
nearby.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know,” Lisa said, whimpering. “I think it was just from the shock of hearing about the Doyles.”

  “Maybe it was more than that,” Bob said evenly. “Maybe the werewolf—”

  “How can it be a werewolf?” Lisa said sharply. “How can it be when there have been four people killed this month, and none of them has been killed when the moon is full?”

  “Well—”

  “There’s nothing supernatural, and there’s no werewolf!” Lisa shouted, so loudly that Bob had to pull the receiver away from his ear.

  “Not necessarily,” Bob said after a moment.

  There was a long silence at Lisa’s end of the line. Finally, she said softly, “What do you mean?”

  “I mentioned it to you before, but you probably don’t remember. Also, I’ve being doing a bit of research on werewolves since I’ve been down here and, if most the legends are correct, it’s during the month of February that werewolves are most active. Most accounts say they’re active for the whole month, and don’t need the full moon during February.”

  “Come on!”

  “I’m just telling you what I’ve read, what the legends are. Of course, most of the folklorists who try to dispel the werewolf legends say that it was during the dead of winter that the wolves in the wild would prowl closer to towns and villages. I forget what year it was, but there’s a documented case of a pack of timber wolves right in the streets of Paris in midwinter.”

  “But those are real wolves,” Lisa said.

  “I know,” Bob replied. “But like a lot of myths, there might be more than a grain of truth in all of this. If there is a werewolf, if Ned or whoever is transforming, he would be able to do it for the whole month of February.”

  “That’s ridiculous, Bob. I mean, what—”

  “After what you’ve seen?” Bob said, angrily. “After what you’ve seen for yourself, you can say it’s ridiculous?”