Sanctuary

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Authors: T.W. Piperbrook
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tower were seared into his mind. Help. Another person had needlessly died.  
    If they'd happened by earlier, perhaps the man would still be alive.

Chapter Fifteen

    Keller watched out the window as Dan surveyed the scene. He contained a smile. He didn't need to see the details of what had happened, because he'd already been here. He'd been meaning to check back on the man at the water tower.  
    He'd wondered how he'd fared.
    A few days prior, Keller had passed the man on the way to town. The man had waved frantically for help. Keller had stopped the car he'd been driving and gotten out. A handful of creatures had been groping at the base of the tower, shrieking up at the man who was several hundred feet out of reach. Every so often, they'd found footing on one of the ladders, but they were unable to find the proper coordination to climb the rungs. The man had been frantic, tear-stricken. He'd begged Keller to dispose of the creatures. He'd begged Keller to rescue him. On the horizon, another horde of creatures had been advancing toward the commotion.
    Keller had only laughed.
    Keller had spoken with the man, verifying he had no weapons, food, or drink. Then he'd gotten back into his car and hit the horn. He'd blared it for a full minute before whooping into the air and driving off, leaving the frenzied creatures behind, drawing more of them to the area. Over the next day, he'd checked on the man several times, verifying the creatures were still holding the man at bay, laughing at the victim's plight. The man had pleaded for help, but Keller had only taunted him, watching from afar.  
    After a while, Keller had gotten bored and left.
    He'd been meaning to make it back. He'd made bets on how long the man would last. Would the man die of thirst before the creatures got to him? Or would he try to get down? Keller smirked as he surveyed the results of his experiment. He'd never considered the man might jump.  
    Perhaps he'd fallen or been pulled down.  
    In any case, the outcome was the same. He'd died, just like Dan, Quinn, Meredith, and John eventually would.  
    The only question was how Keller would dispose of his new companions.

Chapter Sixteen

    Dan watched the water tower recede in the mirror, reflecting gravely on what he'd seen. A few minutes ago, he'd been hopeful but nervous. His mood had since darkened. They were only miles from the Sanders farm, but already it felt like they were stranded without safety.
    He was still staring out the window when Ernie began to bark.
    "What is it, Ernie?" Meredith asked, as if the animal might answer.
    The dog's stubbed tail crept between his legs, his ears reared back. They'd been driving for several minutes, and Meredith had taken a turn onto another road. The road was empty, but on their right, Dan noticed a barn set far back in the distance. The dog continued to bark.
    "Keep driving," Dan told Meredith, his eyes locked on the landscape. Thoughts of the man on the water tower were still fresh in his mind.
    He leaned his gun on the windowsill, searching for the source of the dog's irritation. The barn's paint was red and faded; several of the wood panels were cracked and hanging loose. A few hundred feet to the left of it was a house.  
    "Any idea who lives there?" Dan asked.
    "I think the house is vacant. It used to belong to Bobby Adamson, but he died a few years back. His children were going to sell the farm, last I heard."
    Dan nodded and kept looking, but he didn't see anyone on the property.
    They were almost past the house when Ernie leapt up against the windowpane, whining. It took Dan a moment to see what the dog was looking at. A child had emerged from the barn—a boy about Quinn's age. The boy sprinted toward the car.
    "Meredith! Stop!" Dan shouted.
    Meredith ground to a halt, pulling to the road's shoulder. The boy dashed toward them, his arms swinging wildly at his sides. His shirt and pants were torn, his face smudged with dirt.
    "Don't leave!" he screamed.
    Dan

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