“I don’t know.” Peggy Ann said, looking down at her feet as they walked down the sidewalk. The plaza had long been left behind, giving way to small homes and even smaller yards. “Reverse psychology. Paul’s idea. He thinks that being nice to Brian will make him soften up over time.”
“Paul’s the cook, right?”
“Yeah, and he’s the owner of the diner too. He took it over when it moved into the plaza. It used to be his wife’s place, but like my momma, she just up and disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yep,” Peggy Ann sighed. “My momma died when I was a little younger. That was a long time ago. I was still a kid then, but Paul’s wife was more recent. He has no idea where she is. No one does. And she isn’t the only person that’s gone missing either.”
“Really?” Greg said with genuine concern. “If I were in charge, first place I would start with all of that is this Brian guy. I was only around him for a minute, but the dude seemed pretty unstable, and like you said, he’s new, right?”
“Yeah. Moved into town after he was laid off from a construction job or something. I don’t really know.”
“You think he has something to do with the disappearances?”
Peggy Ann shrugged, falling silent. They continued through the neighborhood. All of the homes were super old looking. As they walked along the sidewalk, the broken cement given way to overgrown roots and time, reminded Greg of his grandmother. She had lived in the same old house her entire life. It was the house that his grandfather had built when he and she had gotten married. Greg couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to live in the same house for that long. She was almost 90 years old when she finally passed and she had gotten married when she was 17. That was a long ass time to live in one place. When he visited her as a kid, the sidewalks looked a lot like the ones they were walking along now. Weathered and falling apart. All of the homes looked just as beaten and worn. The paint was flaking and the roofs needed to be replaced. Even so, something about the area still spoke home to him. He felt welcome, safe; like nothing bad ever happened here. Everyone knew everyone. No one locked their doors and when you needed sugar, you just walked over to the neighbors. They stopped in front of an ordinary home. It did nothing to stand out among the other houses. It was small and the paint needed tending to. The bricks that lined the walk up to the door were brittle and missing in some spots. One of the windows on the garage door was burst out, and the mailbox was a little crooked.
“Well, this is it. This is home.” Peggy Ann waved an open palm at the dilapidated structure.
“Looks cozy.” Greg nodded.
“Dad must still be at work and there’s no telling where Teddy ran off to.”
“How do you know that?”
“Cause, there’s normally two cop cars parked in the driveway. My car is in the garage, but I hardly ever use it.”
“Yeah. I noticed everything’s pretty much in walking distance around here.”
“That is one convenient thing about this town, but it sucks for an excuse when I end up late for work. Got to come up with something better than getting stuck in traffic.”
They both laughed at the remark and made their way across the yard to the front door. Greg hadn’t seen any dogs along the way, but he heard a dog barking in the distance. It was hard to tell, but it sounded like it was coming from the direction they had come. Peggy Ann reached for the door and Greg was surprised when he watched her pull out a set of keys to unlock the door.
“Can’t say I thought the door would be locked in a neighborhood like this,” Greg commented.
“Just because you know everybody in town doesn’t mean you know everybody,” Peggy Ann claimed, turning the key and opening the door. “Besides, some of the homeless people around here are freaking crazy.”
“Oh, and how’s that?” Greg chuckled.
“I don’t know,” she said, ushering Greg into the living room. “Some of them come into the diner sometimes talking about all kinds of crazy stuff.”
“Like what?” He asked, with his interest peaked.
“Monsters and stuff. This one guy, Elliott, he comes in every day talking about these things that ride on our backs or something. Big gray things with nasty teeth. The guy gives me the creeps.”
Peggy Ann was saying something else, but Greg’s mind went elsewhere. He felt his heart slam into his throat and the pit of his belly twisted into knots. Cold chills ran up his spine as an image of that thing he saw at the wreck flashed in his mind. And the gray mass of a creature that had been on old man Doc when he came down the hall at the clinic. He felt himself struggling to breathe and his palms started to sweat. Fear gripped him at the thought of those things. Whatever this Elliott was talking about, he had seen them too, and Peggy Ann mentioning it now, only confirmed that the nightmares he had last night weren’t related to the bump on the head.
This was real.
“Come to think of it,” Peggy Ann said, “I didn’t see Elliott today. That’s the first time in months that he hasn’t stopped by the diner in the morning for a cup of coffee.”
Suddenly, the neighborhood didn’t feel quite that familiar. Quite that inviting. As Greg Teeter found a seat on the living room couch, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. A sense of dread and a multitude of tense emotions that he couldn’t quite describe flooded his being.
After a few minutes of sitting in the living room alone to dwell on what was said at the door, Peggy Ann returned, no longer in her uniform. What she wore was breathtaking. The skin-tight jeans, a pair of faded Chuck Taylors and a low cut V-neck shirt that hinted at her having ample cleavage was all topped off by the fact that her long golden hair was pulled back in a pony-tail. With the hair off of her neck, her face looked more vibrant and beautiful than before. Her lips were bright red. The fresh coat of lipstick was just the right color to accent the natural tones of her creamy completion.
What Greg said next wasn’t what either of them expected to come out.
“Who’s this Elliott dude and where can I find him?”
Chapter 7
Deputy Teddy Walters gritted his teeth while reminiscing over his father’s stupid demands. Both of his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he eased the patrol car through old-downtown on Main Street. Why he was already in uniform hours before his shift was beyond him. So what if one of the other officers went home with a cold. There were plenty other deputies Teddy’s dad could have called in to take over. But no, good ol’ Sheriff Walters was gonna call his kid in instead. Teddy was tired and yet restless all at the same time. Had he known that he was going to get called in to cover someone else’s shift, he might have slept longer. His cheeks were red and his blood pressure was rising. In the end, he knew why his old man had called him in. The prick wanted to see if his son had it in him. Ever since joining the force, nothing had really happened in Grayson. Teddy had spent more of his time on patrol hanging out at the diner’s new location in the plaza and writing the occasional parking ticket. The town was small and small towns were slow. Easy going. Quiet. But now, for the first time ever, an anonymous call had come in. Signal 7, plain as day. At first, he thought dispatch was pulling his leg, but they weren’t. It was real and for the first time since he was given the badge, there was an actual assault in progress.
As the car rolled to a stop just in front of the abandoned building where the old diner used to be, he asked himself if he was nervous. Absolutely. He’d never been in a real confrontation before. However, more than anything, he was angry and aggravated with his father for forcing him to take this call, and for making him come in hours before his shift. Ultimately, he was disgusted that he had forced him to become a cop in general. Teddy didn’t want to wear the badge. He wanted, well, he didn’t know what he wanted, but one thing was for sure, it wasn’t this.
He got the call to report to dispatch just when he was about ready to sign on to eBay at home. He had his computer booted up, his camera plugged into
the USB, and a handful of signed items ready to upload. He knew he wasn’t going to get much for the items that Greg had autographed for him, but he was going to try anyway. Eager to get this day over with and get back to his computer, he would be happy if even one of the shirts Greg signed went for fifty bucks. He didn’t need the money. That was one good thing about working for his old man. He got a lot of the perks and benefits some of the other officers didn’t. Thinking about it, that was probably part of the reason he hated his job. None of the other deputies respected him. They made his life hell, and you would never guess who wasn’t there to stand up for him either. That’s right, his old man. So what if his dad was the Sheriff, his dad was a dick. It wasn’t the money that made him want to sell Greg’s stuff. It was eBay all together. He was addicted. He loved the bidding. The auctioning off of items. There was something truly exciting about seeing what some of the stuff might go for. The rush it gave him. One time, he had watched and even bid on a VHS tape. It was tape three of the Phantasm tetralogy, the one with the tall man wreaking havoc on small towns all over the world. Watching that single tape sell for more than a hundred bucks, then show back up a week later and resell for even more, just blew him away. If he didn’t want to be a cop, he thought about becoming an auctioneer. He was addicted to the buy and resale of—
A frightening ‘tap, tap, tap’ jarred Teddy from his thoughts. With the cruiser still idling in park right in front of the old diner, Teddy jumped in his seat, his heart skipping a beat and his muscles tensing. A thin, short man was standing at his window tapping on the glass. Luckily, the small man was too perturbed to have noticed that he had given Teddy a startle. Then again, that wasn’t a good thing. The man seemed really upset. Teddy swallowed hard, checked his belt by easing his hands over his gun, the small can of mace, and the extra clip. It was all there. He patted his chest to make sure he hadn’t forgotten the badge in his haste to change into his uniform. Satisfied, he waved the clearly homeless, small man to step back and then he opened the cruiser door.
Stepping out after telling radio dispatch that he had arrived at the call location, he got a whiff of stench that drifted off the little man and it was ungodly. Teddy’s nose stung and his stomach churned a little. He fought back the smell, trying his best to keep a straight face.
“Oh, thank the great stars in heaven you’ve come. Hurry quick, you’ve got to see,” the small, smelly man frantically said. His clothes were tattered and he was covered in a thick layer of dried dirt and grime. He reached out and grabbed Teddy by the arm. “Come, you’ve got to see. Quick!”
“Slow down there, mister.” Teddy calmly pushed the small man back while resting his right hand on his holster. “What’s this all about? You the one that made the call? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Bonnie…” the homeless man contended. “Something’s wrong. Bonnie’s been attacked.”
“And how do you know that?” Teddy asked, but the small, dirty man turned around, headed for the back of the old diner.
As the filth covered man disappeared around the corner of the building toward the back, Teddy paused. He scanned his surroundings. Across the street, a few of the small shops were still open. Customers, passers-bys and people that worked the shops were all stopped, watching Teddy. With nothing ever really happening around Grayson, they all watched, wondering what was going on. Teddy wondered the same thing. He waved with a smile, trying to appear confident and in control. The smile felt too forced and he found himself fearing that the shoppers and onlookers could tell. Whatever it was, something had this guy scared. And Teddy didn’t like that feeling at all.
Finally, being sure of himself, Teddy left the patrol car and rounded the corner of the building. Headed toward the back, he calmly and mentally readied himself for the worst-case scenario. However, the big question was, ‘What was the worst case?’ A dead body? Surely, a murder would be it. He’d never seen a dead body up close before. Spooking himself, Teddy retrieved his sidearm, clicking the safety off. With weapon at the ready, he rounded the back of the building. His palms were sweaty, his heart racing. The back door to the old diner was wide open. As he eased over cautiously, the small homeless man popped out from the doorway and made Teddy jump for a second time.
“Shit man, don’t do that.” Teddy warned. “I could'a shot you!”
“In here. In here.” The man ushered Teddy into the room. “This is where Bonnie lives. Look and see; something definitely happened, and she’s missing. She was supposed to meet me at the train tracks and never showed. That’s not like her. She’s been wronged. I just know it.”
The homeless man smelled so bad that Teddy had to raise his arm up over his nose and mouth as he scanned the old diner’s back room. A heavily stained mattress lay on the floor next to some boxes and bags. Across the small room on the other side lay a hefty pile of filth and trash. Flies, rats, and maggots were probably having a field day in there, but other than that, the room was empty. There was nothing and no one. No sign of forced entry. No blood, unless you counted the stained mattress. That thing was so worn and old that there was no telling how long those stains had been there. Teddy knew that the homeless in the area had raided some of these older abandoned shops and were living in them. However, like this, under these conditions, it was awful.
Teddy’s adrenaline rush and his heart pounding in his chest as if it were going to explode was all for nothing. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, he scratched his blond mustache and waited for himself to calm. As much as he was relieved to see that this was just a crazy homeless man worried about one of his homeless friends, he needed to keep his head in the game. This homeless man standing in the room with him needed to know that calling the police was a serious matter, and if his friend was missing, then he needed to go to the station and fill out a report. He couldn’t just call like that, scaring everyone senseless. People out on the street and the shop owners across from the old abandoned diner would probably talk about today for the next month.
“Listen.” Teddy said, looking the homeless man in the eyes, his voice stern. With the way it came out, he kind of scared himself. He sounded just like his old man, Sheriff Walters. “The police force in Grayson is here to protect and serve. We ain’t…” he coughed, clearing his throat. “We aren’t someone you can call just because you’ve lost a set of keys or a friend.”
“No, you don’t understand, I…”
“No, I do understand,” Teddy said, cutting him off. “You’re worried about Bonnie. I know Bonnie. Everybody does. Trust me, she’ll turn up, okay? Now calm down and tell me how long she has been missing.”
“She’s not missing. I’m telling you. Something happened to her.” The homeless man said, raising his voice. “They got to her! I just know it.”
“They? And who are they?” Teddy asked, motioning that they step back outside. The stench of Bonnie’s living space was too overwhelming. Finally back out in the fresh air, Teddy asked again. “Who got to her?”
The small man fidgeted where he stood. Kicking the dirt and grass at his feet, his eyes left the deputy’s. He looked at the back door of the old diner, back to Teddy, then to the door again. Even though, he already knew where this was headed, he had to ask. Most of the homeless in this town had to be smoking crack or something, because they were all nuts. Real whack-jobs. Invisible monsters and killer clowns from outer space. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if what came out of this homeless man’s mouth next was that he was the Pope. But despite the regret, it was too late. He had already asked.
“Who? I’ll tell you who got to her.”
“Oh, I’m sure you will.” Teddy rolled his eyes, irritated that he had been called in early for this.
“The Hitchers. It was the Hitchers.”
“Riiiight,” Teddy said, sarcastically long and drawn out. “The invisible back-riding monsters. That’s been a big problem lately, hasn’t it? I am up to my elbows in monsters. We’re even running out of room for them in the holding cells down town. What ar
e we eeeever going to do?”
“No. you don’t understand.” The homeless man’s voice was filled with dread and fear. He pleaded with true concern. “They’re real. They’re out there. It’s this town. This town is a bad place.”
Teddy smiled, deciding to amuse this lunatic for the moment. “Is that right? Hitchers you say. Why are they called that exactly?”
“Because. Don’t you know? They ride on us. They control us. They need our bodies to get around. To do what they need to do to live.”
“Oh, okay, so they ‘hitch’ a ride?” Teddy said, using quotation fingers. “Is that it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And what do they do when they hitch a ride? Hell, sounds like a bunch of homeless people with their thumbs out on the side of the road to me.” Teddy laughed.
“This is no laughing matter!”
The irate little man’s insistence only made Teddy laugh a little more. Realizing that the man’s temper was rising, Teddy pulled back, easing into a more stern and serious demeanor. He cleared his throat and holstered his pistol, finally taking things serious again. It was clear that this homeless man was disturbed. Maybe it would be best if he brought him in and let him rest up in one of the cells until he calmed down and become a little more reasonable.
“I’m telling you. They’re out there.” The filth covered man continued. “I’ve seen ’em myself. It’s this town. Someone’s opened a portal of some kind and let them out. They’re from another world. Another dimension,” he said, working himself up with excitement.
Teddy swallowed hard at that word; portal.
Teddy patted the man on the shoulder and nodded that he was listening. He wasn’t even sure if the homeless man even noticed that Teddy had headed back toward the patrol car ushering him along. He just blindly followed Teddy back around to the front of the old diner, still frantically excited.
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