THE UNDERTAKER and other Macabre Tales

THE WATCHER PART II

That night James slept fitfully. He was anxious, dark thoughts filled his mind. The kind of thoughts that creep in late at night and shout at you until your eyes are bloodshot. It was that thing in the yard. What if? The what ifs wouldn't leave him alone. At night things that were scary became even scarier. Night is when fear thrives. It takes any logic or reason that brain has and locks it away in the closet. Night is for the darkness. And for the thing in the road.

James' alarm startled him awake. He wasn't ready to face the day. He forced himself out of bed and spent five minutes just sitting there, rubbing his eyes. It was that kind of morning. For a moment all he could think was how tired he was. Then he remembered. The thing.

James flew to the window, peeking out through the curtains.

It was there. It was still there!

James' heart sank in his chest. How was that possible? The man just stood there all night? Why? He instantly felt unsafe.

James checked the time. 8:30. He didn't have to be at work until noon today. He picked up the phone. He needed to talk to someone. Steve was his best friend. He'd understand.

"Hi. Steve?"

"What's up, bud?"

"Can you come over before work?"

"Uh, I don't know. Why?"

"I've got something you need to see."

"What is it?"

"It's important. You just have to see it."
"Ok. Give me 10 minutes."

James threw on pants and an old tee. He walked right through the kitchen. Anne had already poured his daily cup of coffee for him. It was sitting on the counter, but he moved right past it. He was already awake.

James entered the garage. He needed something. Some kind of weapon. Just in case. He moved instinctively to his wooden baseball bat. He used it for his men's softball league. What would he say if the man asked why he had the bat? He would say he was helping his son practice. The man wouldn't know any better. Besides, it was just a precaution. He wasn't actually going to use it.

James moved out into the driveway. After a few moments Steve's car pulled around the bend. The car slowed as it passed the thing in the road, then moved on and parked in the driveway.

Steve stepped out. "What the hell is up with that guy?"

"You can see him?"

"Hell yeah I can see him. What's his deal?"

"I don't know. He's been there ever since I got home from work yesterday."

"He's just been standing there?"

"All night."

Steve ran a hand over his shaved head "Geez. Alright, let's go talk to him."

James and Steve walked together down to the end of the driveway. James felt safer when Steve was around. The fact that Steve could see the thing too made him feel a lot better.

As they approached it became clear that something wasn't right. The man, or at least he thought it was a man, was all wrong. Instead of clear skin, his was black and sickly colored. His clothes were the same way, filthy. More rags than clothes. His face was hideous. Distorted. His nose was missing, leaving a gaping hole in his face. His hair was all gone.

"Holy Hell," Steve stayed a few feet back from the man.

"Hey buddy. Can I help you?"

The man didn't respond. He turned his head and looked right at James and Steve. Silent.

Steve took a step closer. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be. Steve was small and thick, but strong. Not the kind of guy you wanted to mess with. "He said can he help you? You're standing outside this man's property, it's getting a little weird."

But the man didn't respond. Steve reached out to touch it, but the thing's hand shot up, grabbing Steve's wrist. Steve cried out in pain, fighting and pulling to get his wrist free. After a moment, the thing let go. Steve fell back, clutching his wrist. "What the hell is this thing!"

"Anne couldn't see it."

"What?"

"Yesterday, I told her to look and she said she couldn't see anything."

James took another look at it. The eyes, staring right at James. "Does this thing...does it kind of remind you of Brian?"

CONTINUED IN NEXT PART...