"Walter made another sign of the cross, fought back tears, and retrieved his shovel. He scooped up a mound of dirt then halted. Dear Lord!

He’d heard something that turned his insides to ice. Something that had to be at least a hundred miles south of bizarre. He swallowed, held his breath, and listened. It was weird, but the crickets had stopped chirping. Now, of all times, he heard his heart thumping. Was he hearing things? The whole thing felt unreal. Then he heard the sound a second time. He couldn't believe it. From inside the hole . . . he heard a soft whimper.

 How could that be? Old Moe had been dead eight hours. He'd grown stiff, nearly solid.

Walter couldn't move fast enough. He threw the shovel down, dropped to his knees, and reached into the hole. Something stirred inside the blanket as he unfolded it. A profound stench nauseated him. Dear God, is that gasoline?

***

Kevin spotted a crow perched on a tree at the outer edge of the forest. It shook its head, stretched its wings, turned, and stared at the twelve-year-old. All of a sudden a strange feeling overcame him, a feeling something awful was about to happen, like in one of his dreams or spells.

The bird sat motionless, staring with unusual intensity. Kevin felt helpless to divert his eyes. It appeared to be studying him, as if trying to get inside his mind.

Kevin’s Senses stirred. They always came alive when something important was about to happen. The bird's not curious. It wants something, the tiny voice inside Kevin whispered.

The animal quivered its feathers, cawed twice, and took flight. It glided gracefully over the highway before veering toward Kevin. Surprised, he backed into the rocking chair, lost his footing, and fell onto his backside. As the bird closed in, it increased its speed.

***

"Who's there?" Grandpa Al demanded. For the first time ever, he sounded nervous, maybe even frightened. "I said who's there? Damn it!"

Kevin's heart pounded harder. There was a long silence followed by a banging at the front door.

"Go away!" Grandpa shouted. His voice sounded stronger now. "Get the hell off our property!"

There was some more banging, louder this time and much more persistent. After a while it stopped, and a prolonged hush fell upon the house. Kevin could barely hear the ticking from the alarm clock over his own pounding heart. He sat motionless for the longest time, wondering what to do. Should he get out of bed and see what was going on? If he did, Grandpa Al would probably get mad and yell at him. He kept staring at the burnt-out candle on the dresser and his own murky image in the mirror. He kept waiting and listening for the slightest sound.

A low creak from the porch's floorboards broke the silence. He turned toward the window. More creaking. A strange pattern emerged. Each creak was followed by a dragging sound. It's right by my window.

The glow from the streetlamp illuminated a shadowy figure. Kevin shuddered and his heart pumped ice. He took an anxious breath and wrestled with his courage. Don't look. Why take a chance? Just stay here and you'll be okay. But the tiny voice inside him disagreed. If you wanna know the truth . . . you HAVE to look.

***

Kevin came to a sudden halt. He peered to his right toward a large clearing in the trees. He couldn't take his eyes away. His Senses had grown uneasy.

"What's wrong? You look like a ghost yourself! You didn't see anything, did you?" Natalie glanced around. "It's not like there's any bears left in these woods. Hunters killed them off years ago."

Kevin could never say anything during one of his spells, not even at the onset. All he was able to do was follow his Senses, which were guiding him to the clearing. Walking in a slow, deliberate manner, he inched forward. It felt as if he had lost the will to resist. He didn't know why, but his Senses wanted him to reach the clearing.

"Kevin, where are you going?" Hurrying to catch up, Natalie seethed with annoyance. "You should never leave the trail! It's a good way to get lost!"

He heard her but couldn't answer. His Senses had overpowered him, shutting almost everything out. He squeezed through a pair of trees and stepped into the clearing. He spotted bits of burnt rubble and broken glass lying on patches of bare ground. He heard a distant ringing, followed by a burning sensation. The ringing grew louder, and covering his ears failed to help. Orbs of darkness floated around him, changing in size and form. Feeling lightheaded, his surroundings turned black. He heard Natalie come up from behind, but she couldn't reach him in time. He fell face first onto the ground.

***

Kevin remained on the trunk for what seemed hours. He felt lightheaded and his heart pounded. Finally, he scooted off the trunk, hesitated, and steadied his legs. An unexpected grin crossed his face. Holy cow! Being scared by that rat was better than a roller coaster ride!

He turned toward the stairway and peered from one end of the attic to the other. It felt more than strange―it felt overwhelming. He couldn't shake the feeling or the persistent chills that overpowered him. But for the last few seconds, he had known beyond the slightest doubt, that something hidden in the shadows was scrutinizing his every move.
He inhaled and nearly gagged. The musty odor had vanished. The air had taken on an overpowering stench. Gas. I smell gasoline. But from where?

***

The dog remained stationary, letting loose with the most pathetic whine.
What the . . . ?

An icy chill crept down Karl's spine. The longer he stared at the animal the more disfigured it became. Large portions of its face and body had rotted away. He could see bits of flesh hanging from its fur. And there were bones―lots of bones—that stuck out from its neck and ribs.

"Was sollis! What happened to you?" Karl rubbed his eyes and looked again. The longer the dog stood there the more it deteriorated. It looked like the damn thing had died years ago.

***

As the smoke accumulated just down the intersection, something within it stirred. Squinting, Earle stepped away from the streetlamp and watched with grim interest. The object circled slightly, and a black silhouette gradually took form. It looked human in shape and hovered over the sidewalk, resembling an image out of full-blown hallucination. It seemed crazy, but Earle could feel it sizing him up beneath what resembled a dark hood. Then, taking its time, it slowly drifted toward him, moving unlike anything that resembled man or beast.