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there’s something out there just waiting for… I don’t know what. Shit. And
this damn rain…”
    “Yeah. The way it started at the same time as all
this trouble is creepy,” Ann said, a shiver passing through her body. “It’s as
if there was some kind of connection between the two. You don’t think there is,
do you?”
    Mike smiled with a grim amusement. “Not unless you’re
talking spooky book stuff, and I’m not buying that.”
     
    *          *          *
     
    An hour later Derek walked Ann back to the hotel, and
with her goodnight kiss still warm on his lips, he climbed the stairs to his
room. He stood for a while in front of his window, watching faint flickers of
lightning search through the thick clouds. He thought of Ann, the murder of the
doctor, and the drowned boy he had found.
    Mike had been right. Something was wrong, very wrong,
and Derek had the black feeling that it was far from over. There was too much
happening, too fast, too evil.
    He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
     
    *          *          *
     
    Derek moaned in his sleep, for it was a sleep without
rest. It was filled with strange, grotesque shadows that belonged somewhere,
anywhere, but not in the world of man. Shadows that clawed and ripped and
laughed and leered with hatred and contempt, flaunting their damned powers in
the face of an unbelieving, helpless world. Shadows that grew larger and larger
and came closer and closer, reaching…
     
    *          *          *
     
    His heart pounded madly, and his body was slick with
sweat despite the coolness of the room. He cursed at his trembling hands as he
lit the first of many cigarettes.

Chapter 4
    The morning brought no improvement in the weather; the rain poured over
the already saturated soil with a dreary persistence. Many worried faces were
turned toward the sky, aware of the damage that such heavy, unseasonal rain
could do. More than one farmer looked forward to considerable losses, and
everyone would suffer from the damage done to the roads.
    Cider Springs lay under the grey blanket, showing
just enough signs of movement to indicate life. An occasional car or truck from
one of the nearby farms would slog its miserable way through the muddy streets,
or some poor, unfortunate person would dash futilely from one building to
another. Nothing moved that didn’t have to.
     
    *          *          *
     
    Ann gave a plastic smile to the frowzy, grey haired
woman complaining about over-priced, low quality materials as she held a
shredded dress in her hands. She insisted that the store replace it, although
it was obvious that the damage had been done by some animal; probably torn from
a clothes line by a dog. Ann pressed on bravely, despite the threat of spinal
decalcification from the woman’s shrill voice.
    “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sims, but the dress is not
returnable.” But I’ll gladly show you where you can put it. “We can’t
make refunds on damaged goods.” You could buy a broom and fly home; I’ll
give you one if you’ll leave now.
    “All I did was put the damn thing on,” Mrs. Sims
whined. “It just fell apart!”
    “I don’t understand how. I’m sorry, but there’s
nothing we can do.”
    The woman muttered away and left Ann feeling relief.
Mrs. Sims was one of those people that made arguing particularly distasteful.
Ann slumped into one of the overstuffed waiting chairs by the counter, glad to
sit down, and was startled by the thin frame of Miss Cooper as it landed in the
chair beside hers.
    Miss Cooper was the owner of the small clothes store
and, when her back was safely turned, was referred to as “The Old Maid.” She
made no bones about the fact that, in her estimation, men were slightly less
than useless, comparable to mosquitoes. Needless to say, it had been years
since she had been bothered, much less bitten, by one. Several of Ann’s worst
nightmares had to do with the idea of