A Small Town

Chapter Thirty-Three\Crash

Bax tore his eyes off of the terrible sight of Teddy growing out of the ground and looked back up to the top of the well. There was still no bucket and no sign of Lisa. He wasn't angry, he understood how afraid she must be and he loved her.

He turned back to find Teddy almost fully formed. He picked up one of the bricks that had come loose from the wall, it was soft and wouldn't be much of a weapon but it was all he had.

"Stay back Teddy! Just leave us alone!" His voice sounded small and weak even to himself.

Teddy laughed and took a deliberate step towards him, wrenching the roots of his 'foot' easily out of the damp ground this time.

"You know, you could live through this-sh Bax-ssh. Just tell me where sss-she is and walk away." The jagged scar across his face looked like a crooked smile as he spoke and Teddy took another step towards Bax.

"Never! I won't let you have her!" Bax said calmly, brandishing the brick.

Teddy laughed again. "I've always had her, she's been mine since she was born. She just didn't know it. We only needed you to make the baby Bax-shhh... you're just a sperm donor!"

Teddy was closing the distance between them quickly now and Bax backed up a step still holding the brick aloft.

"That's not true! She loves me, you freak!"

"If she loves you then why has she left you down here to die, Bax-shh?" Teddy yelled and broke into a run for the final ten feet. Bax threw the brick with everything he had, catching Teddy square in the face. Something other than blood spouted from his flattened nose and Teddy stumbled, sinking both arms deep into the soft earth.

At that moment something hit Bax's shoulder and he jumped away instinctively, wheeling around to face the new threat. Less than a foot from his face was the bucket hanging suspended from its rope. Bax did a double take and leapt for the rope, grabbing it and hauling himself upwards. Teddy was still down on all fours, but instead of trying to rise, two thick roots had sprung up from the ground in front of him and were reaching out for Bax's dangling feet.

He began to climb but immediately knew he would never make it. He was too heavy and his arms burned already with the strain. The roots were moving too fast, now they were just inches from his feet. Bax pulled up his legs and climbed another foot up the rope, all thoughts of walking the wall like a mountaineer were gone. Maybe if he dropped to the ground he could dodge the roots and run past Teddy, but the thought of being back in the darkness of the tunnels scared the shit out him and besides, he couldn't leave Lisa to face Teddy alone.

One of the roots hooked his right foot and Bax jerked it up losing his shoe in the process. The other root began to curl around his left leg and he knew it was over.

Suddenly the rope shot through his hands, burning his palms and he almost fell. The rope was moving upwards in jerks and Bax hung on for dear life as the roots and rope played tug-o-war with him in the middle. His hands slipped but he caught himself again and twined the rope around his right arm. The next powerful tug on the line ripped his leg free from the root and he was sailing upwards, ignoring the pain and wondering how Lisa could be so strong.

Below him Teddy had dragged himself up from the floor, his arms were three times their normal length ending in branching tendrils that seemed to twist and wave of their own volition. Teddy bellowed in anger and began to climb up behind Bax, using only his arms and looking more like a giant spider than a man.

Finally, Bax reached the top and hands were pulling him out of the well. Lisa was there and to his shock so were Sarah and Pastore Black very much alive.