The Pale Man Rises

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

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Clay Reese returned to the living room. Meeker and the old woman were not about in there. He now could hear them in a room just down from the one just opposite the hallway entrance. Looking in briefly he could see the door was partially closed and he could tell by the soothing voice of the old lady that she was tending to his wound in what was the bathroom. There was a light on in there she having somehow convinced the soldier to leave it on.

"Well Reese?" the pale man asked impatiently in Deborah Schaefer's voice. He turned about eyeing the pale vision. "It's really bad master–the snow is very deep now–it's too deep to move I'd say no matter what we were driving." Clay said trying to sound sufficiently alarmed by the situation.

The pale man lowered his arms to his side. "We can still walk, can we not?" he asked with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and a smile that seemed taunting and virulent. "Yes master, but shouldn't we rest for now, I mean while Danny's injury is being treated?" Clay said meekly, he didn't want to press the issue, he wanted to sound reasonable as well as concerned.

The pale man looked as if he was pondering what Clay had said for a moment. "Yes–yes we shall do so–why this very moment he is being tended by Mrs. Rankin." he declared. "Yes I thought so." Clay said with a nod. "It's gettin' mighty cold in here now what with that door busted open like that." the old man said pointing toward the entrance way of the house.

It wasn't much of a house to speak of. It had no underpinning and so the cold wind that continuously swept beneath it caused a tremendous chill to any that might tread upon the floor. "We should light the heater now I suppose, for the child's sake." Clay now said.

"See here young man if you'll look on that side of the house you'll find a cord of wood there for the fireplace–if you'd fetch it we could keep using the fireplace and save that heating oil." the eternally cheapskate old man said directing his words to Clay Reese.

"I'll go get it!" Jack Rankin enthusiastically volunteered. "No–no wood! Put that fire out!" The pale man again demanded. "But it's cold sir!" the little girl said timidly raking the back of her left hand across her nose and making a sniffling sound.

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"Oh little Hildy don't you fret we'll have the heater lit and Clay here is going to repair the door–don't worry you'll be warm soon." the pale man told the child. "Aren't you cold sir–you don't have on any shoes?" she then asked the creature.

The pale man smiled. "I don't need shoes dearest–I don't need these clothes either." he told her. "You don't need clothes?" she laughed. "Why that's just silly." she added with a giggling now. "Why not?" she asked in all sincerity. "Don 't ask questions Hildy." The old man warned the little girl who was now beside him on the couch dangling her own bare feet over the edge.

The pale man moved those in his way and came in front of the child. He smiled down at her. His yellow teeth were glistening as if his mouth was watering. His red tongue was so thick that it looked like a serpent he had in his mouth. "In due time all will be explained my sweet Hildy." he said softly to her. Then the child asked him something no one had asked him during the whole of his journey. "Why do you have some many voices?" she asked.

His smile grew even wider as he looked at her with gracious malevolence. "I own them now–I took them from their owners." he told her in a whisper. "Then you stole them didn't you?" she decided. The beast furrowed his brow obviously upset with the statement. "No child!" he said harshly. "I did not steal them–I took them! You see my dear they had no need of them once they met me." he said then and without waiting for a response from the youngster he turned away.