What seemed an eternity was truly no more than a few brief seconds, but in that time, my frustration level grew beyond containment. I was fighting to concentrate, to ground, and simply to keep my sanity. Unfortunately, I feared that I was losing them all.
I wanted to scream, to literally shout out a demand for the drone to be quiet so that I could think. I was on the verge of making the desire a reality when the ‘something’ reared back an ethereal fist and planted it between my eyes.
Realization didn’t creep in- it sucker punched me.
I dropped my hands and listened, tracking the sound of the engine as it hummed into the night. I twisted quickly, focusing right and then left. The echoing sound seemed to be coming from the other side of the house, but I couldn’t pinpoint an exact direction.
A quick glance told me that on my right, there was lawn and darkness. I took a step forward and looked to my left. There was more lawn and a large tree. Beyond them, I could see illumination from what appeared to be a dusk-to-dawn light high atop a pole. And, behind that was a large shed, bordered by a walkway. I didn’t even bother weighing the options. I was already moving to the left, so I just kept going.
I darted around the corner and ran between the side of the house and the tree, skirting quickly around a cinder block well housing. As I came out of the shadows, the light seemed overwhelming, casting a harsh glare across the back of the house.
I kept moving, rounding the second corner and continuing along the walkway at a fast jog. My head kept swiveling, eyes searching frantically for the generator. The drone of the engine was growing louder, so I knew I was on the right track.
On my right was a screened-in porch. The walkway ran parallel to it for two-thirds of the length and then made a quick diagonal turn, leading up to a single stair and door. On my left was the shed. It ran the full length of the walkway and beyond, ending a few feet past the corner of the porch.
I picked up my pace and then suddenly stumbled as an ethereal spasm hit my leg, causing me to jerk uncontrollably. I fell hard on the concrete walk, raking my hands against the rough surface. A stab of pain bit into my knees, but I gritted my teeth and pushed myself back up.
The spasms were coming more frequently now, and that only served to heighten my fear. My connection with Kimberly Forest was nothing compared to Felicity’s, so I could only imagine what they were going through. The one positive thing I was able to attach to the convulsions was that as long as I was experiencing them, it meant that they were both still alive.
The decibel level of the small engine increased with each unsteady step I took until I reached the corner of the oblong shed, whereupon it leapt dramatically. I shot a glance to my left. The large shed was blocking most of the light from the dusk to dawn sentry; however, enough was filtering into the expanse of the backyard to reveal a smaller wooden shed some forty to fifty feet away. My eyes caught a flash of motion, and I saw a flat rain cap flapping in the air where it was hinged atop a vertically mounted exhaust pipe.
I immediately raced for the small structure, limping and stumbling the entire distance as I struggled to deal with the spasms. I was only a few feet away when my entire body froze. I felt my heart jump as I struggled to breathe. My jaw began to clench and blood filled my mouth as I gnashed my already tortured tongue.
With a hard jerk, I fell face first onto the lawn.
CHAPTER 42:
I purposely tensed my body and snapped my head back. I couldn’t allow myself to succumb to the unearthly torture that was ravaging me. I pushed myself up and for a moment, simply knelt in one place. My brain was a tangle of scattered impulses, and I suddenly realized that I couldn’t remember where I was or even who I was.
Confusion had overtaken me, and I was frightened. I didn’t know why. All I knew was that I was afraid. I shook my head, furtively glancing about. There was a loud noise thrumming in my ears, and it was making my head hurt.
Something in the back of my brain kept telling me that I was supposed to be doing something important, something that couldn’t wait. I just had no idea what it was. I tried to concentrate, but the noise was pounding in my head, and it wouldn’t let me think. I knew that if I was going to be able to remember, the noise had to stop. My eyes fell on the shed, and something told me that it was the source. If I could make the noise stop, then I would remember what I was supposed to do. I just knew it. I pulled myself to my feet and started moving.
My left hand was twisted into a tight claw, my own fingernails digging deep into my palm. My forearm was hugged against my chest and was shaking violently. My right hand was threatening to do the same thing. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I knew I didn’t like it at all.
I stumbled against the small shed, and the noise was now louder than ever. The smell of exhaust was thick in the air as I leaned against the structure, and warmth seeped into my body from the wooden walls.
I pitched myself to the side then reached out with my right hand to grasp the handle on the shed door. I tugged and it moved a pair of inches then snapped back. I tugged again with the same result. I looked down and saw a hasp held securely in place by a padlock.
I yanked on the door, throwing my full weight into the attempt and achieving nothing. I was angry now. I wanted the incessant thrum to stop. I braced myself and kicked the door hard, managing only to send a lance of pain through my foot and up my leg.
I felt myself screaming, but the sound mixed with the maddening drone to become a single, painful chord. I stepped back from the shed, pitching to the right as I stumbled. I stood there screaming at it to stop, but it wouldn’t listen to me.
My heart was racing now, and the pain in my head was becoming almost intolerable. As I stood there bellowing at the small building, my eyes fell on a sheet metal vent screwed into the side of the wall. The noise was pouring from it, and I stepped forward, infuriation driving me into a frenzy. In my rattled brain, the inanimate building was provoking me, and I’d had all that I was going to take. I did exactly what my emotions wanted me to do. I attacked it.
I swung my fist hard, slamming it directly into the slotted porthole. The sharp ribs bit into my hand, slicing nearly to bone, but I felt the vent move. I brought my hand back and drove it into the galvanized metal sheet again. This time not only did I feel it move, but I heard the sharp sound of cracking wood against the backdrop of the drone. For a third time I drew my arm back. In the dim light, I could see blood dripping from the ragged cuts, but I ignored it. I launched my fist, twisting my torso and throwing my weight behind the punch.
The sound of splintering wood snapped in the air, and the clatter of the sheet metal vent falling inward added itself to the cacophony. My body fell forward as my hand, and then arm, followed the vent covering in through the rectangular hole. I landed on my knees, and my hand automatically began groping the hot interior of the shed.
I jerked my arm back as an intense burning sensation started against the back of my hand, but I immediately thrust it back in and began to feel around once again. I didn’t know what I was looking for or even if I would recognize it by feel, but I had to make the noise stop.
The hair on the back of my neck began to rise once again, and I felt my body beginning to tingle. The muscles in my chest were working into a spasm, and my breath caught suddenly in my throat. My teeth started to grind, and I felt myself shaking.
The burning sensation returned to my hand and I flinched. Trying to ignore it, I forced my arm farther inward, pushing my shoulder into the opening. I continued to grope, and my hand brushed against something flexible. It was the first thing, other than hot metal, I’d felt, so I wrapped my tortured fingers around it and pulled as hard as I could.