Sawyerville: Horror Short Stories From Another Earth Vol.3 Read Free Page B

carry them. They could hear the distant voices turning into a commotion from behind, but this time, Gail did not bother to look back. Just run! Run for your life, Gail! her mind screamed.
    She could feel her heart almost bursting inside her chest, her lungs painful and almost out of breath. She continued to run, a bit more slowly, but just to catch her breath. Pip ran farther away before he stopped, turned to her, and waved his arm to signal her to keep going.
    She picked up her pace and began to run again. Please, she thought. Mother, help me!
    The image of her sister suddenly appeared in her mind, and this gave her the courage to run faster. She had to save her sister from this madness! She continued to follow the trail until she reached the main road again. Pip was waiting for her. As soon as she caught up with him, he began to run again, this time, across the road toward the back of a small building.
    The sheriff's office! Her heart began to beat wildly.
    The lights were on inside, and she could hear people talking. She and Pip quickly ran to the front of the building and pounded on the door.
    "Hold your horses!" someone said from inside. The door was opened by the paunchy, mustached Sheriff Farce himself.
    "Please, help us!" Gail cried out. "They're out to get us!"
    "Get in." That was all the sheriff said when he ushered them into the small building and shut the door.
    "They're chasing us!" Gail panted. "They might still be outside!" She immediately went over to the window to take a peek. Pip was catching his breath, one hand on his chest.
    "Who's been chasin' you?" the sheriff asked curiously.
    "My father," Pip piped up. "And Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw. My mother... My mother's dead."
    "Your mother is what?" The sheriff sounded shocked. He immediately locked the door and made Gail and Pip sit down.
    "My father, he killed my mother," Pip continued. "Mrs. Travis an' Mr. McLaw want to kill her, too." He pointed at Gail.
    "Now, what you're saying is a very serious thing," the sheriff began. "those are kind Saw' folk you're talking 'bout."
    "It's true!" Gail wailed. "We were on our way to this office here when Mrs. Travis hit something, and then her car broke down along the way, and then  ... Well, I think you'd better call for backup. There's three of them and one of you!"
    "Now, hold on..." The sheriff went to pick up his radio and tried to his officers through it, but there was no response. He placed his radio on his table and picked up the telephone. He started to dial a few numbers then he pressed the receiver against the side of his head.
    "No dial tone..." he muttered. He placed his hand on his gun as if to assure himself that he is still safe. He then checked the phone lines, but shook his head when he realized that there was nothing wrong.
    Gail watched him as he picked up his radio once more and attached it to his utility belt. He turned to look at them, but before he could say anything, Gail blurted out, "I need to fetch my sister. I need her with me."
    "Yes, but we need to get to the bottom of this situation, young lady," Sheriff Farce said. Then he turned to Pip. "You are the Stammers' son, am I right?" he said gently.
    "Yes, sir," Pip said. He had started crying quietly while the sheriff was busy trying to contact his officers. "Please, sir, they're on their way, and they will hurt us."
    The sheriff walked toward the door and checked that he had locked it. Then, he checked his gun if it was loaded and began packing some extra bullets into his utility belt.
    "We're going to go out there, kids," he said to them. "For some reason, I can't reach my officers. I'm gonna have to keep trying, but in the meantime, I'm driving you to the town's health center. There's bound to be more people there, and God knows the doctor can help you two out."
    He grabbed his car keys, peered through the window, and said, "Alright, now I'll secure the area outside for you, and once I tell you to come out and get inside the car, you do so