IV. Beneath a Darkened Sky

Four miles to the East of Points Corners, Kansas, Reverend Hathorne sat on a folding chair by the light of a small campfire, his eyes on the overturned truck. He took a drag from his cigarette.

The rig was scheduled to be torched in the morning. In the meantime, a NO TRESPASSING sign and about a mile of yellow police tape had been set up around the wreck. The man from the Associated Press had told the police about previous cases like this--victims of the so-called Traveling Plague--and they had decided to follow the lead of the cops in Tulsa and burn the wreck to keep the stuff in the truck from spreading. Hathorne had seen this personally, and knew that something else would happen before then.

"Any time now." he muttered, tossing his cigarette butt into the fire. He put a fresh cigarette to his lips and opened his Zippo to light it. Just then, he heard the sound of glass breaking. Hathorne put the cigarette away and pulled a pocket watch out of his coat. "Right on time."

Hathorne started towards the truck. He took his cross off from around his neck and wrapped the chain around his left wrist. He pulled the Colt .45 with his right and cleared his throat.

"Come forth, fallen creature, in the name of God!" Hathorne yelled. "I adjure you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"

The cross hanging inches below Hathorne's hand began to glow, casting silvery light through the overcast night. He could see a figure crawling through the broken windshield of the direlect truck. It stood up and faced him.

"On your knees, foul creature! I speak with the authority of the one called I Am!" Hathorne yelled.

The figure growled, but knelt in the mud. Hathorne closed the distance and gazed upon the earthly remains of Michael "Jonesy" Jones. The skin was yellowed and wrinkled, with black ichor dripped from every orifice. The eyes were sunken and yellow.

Hathorne stood before the creature. "Fear not, friend. I will find the creature that has done this to you, and he will face judgment." he said in a conversational tone. He resumed his chanting tone a moment later. "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you--"

The glow from the cross became stronger and the creature began to grunt as if in pain.

"And be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you--"

The light from the cross became blinding and the creature cried out in pain.

"And give you always His peace."

Hathorne touched the glowing cross to the creature's forehead. It issued a sudden flare of light and the creature collapsed, lifeless once more.

Hathorne stepped back and holstered his gun.

"Amen."