The Terror That Came To Amber

Chapter 7

After getting a bit of rest until the sun rose, the Sheriff opened the shutters. The sun peering over the horizon down the road. But the streets were still empty. The town looked just as dead in the morning as it did at night. By six the phones started ringing. It was the dispatchers followed by a few officers, calling in sick. Lydia called after and like the rest of the calls Arnold picked up. "Officer Arnold is that you?" "Yeah," "What's going on? There were these things outside last night making awful noises, Is it safe to come to the station?" "We think so, be Careful. "I will, don't worry. I'll see you at the station." Lydia looked out her window and Heard several trucks revving outside. Her jaw dropped open as she hung up the phone and ran outside.

Francis Callahan put his truck in Park when he saw Lydia flailing her arms at him from her yard. He got out leaving a hunting rifle on his seat. Him and all the people with him were covered head to toe in camouflage hunting gear The truck had about seven men with hunting rifles in the back each of the three pickups carrying a small militia. "What's going on?" Lydia asked as Francis approached her on her lawn. "Some concerned citizens and myself are driving out to the cult outpost north of town, whatever that was last night, we don't have any doubt they're the ones responsible for those monsters and without a doubt the murders leading up to it. Now we're gonna go down to the station and tell the sheriff what we're doing and he can either bring some officers and come along. Or stay, it makes no difference to us." "I need to get to the station now." "Get in the back, miss?" "Just Lydia." "Get in Lydia." Francis said, getting back in his truck and moving his gun. As she hopped in the back wearing Jeans hiking boots and a green hoodie that read Amber University in yellow letters. She didn't bother getting work clothes on, she felt it wasn't gonna be a normal day and a dress shirt, skirt and heels weren't gonna cut it if she needed to run, after getting off her bus last night she was almost attacked by an animal outside her building. If she didn't take off the stupid heels to run faster she probably would have been dead on her own doorstep. Lydia couldn't get the thought of it's eyes watching her as her apartment's elevator doors closed. Lydia was snapped out of her thoughts as the trucks sped off down the road and an old man with glasses pulled a rifle out of a brown duffle bag and handed it to her with shaky elderly hands, initially she wanted to say no but as the militia passed a burning car crashed into the electronics store, the roof of the now flaming silver car had been ripped off and the driver missing, she took the gun.

Abe and Ben were talking outside the station as the sun came up slowly. The two aging men slumped on the rails in front of them as they lit smokes, 'taunting their mortality' as Abe put it. "Those men we saw on the way to the lake last night." Ben started to ask. "Do you think they were there, looking for Gerald?" Abe blew out a cloud of smoke before answering. "I'm almost positive. It seemed like they were just blocking the road at the time, hauling off vehicles and bodies that fell into their sick trap, But they were too far into the woods. Why block the road to lake Squire? It doesn't make any sense. The western road goes to lake Squire and that's it. gotta take the southern and northern roads to really get the hell out of Amber and what's east?" " Just Forest." "Exactly." Abe said with a grin pointing the fingers holding his smoke towards Ben. "that forest is how we get to their compound." "If Gerald doesn't get there first. Not that that would probably be a bad thing." "No, it wouldn't be a bad idea, but I can't sit back and watch my son have a literal curse upon him and spread it to others willingly of all things. He learned a beautiful power and got bored with it. Twisted it to see if he could make himself into a monster. When he couldn't fully turn back, well you saw him." "Why is he like that and none of the others? Wouldn't nine foot grey giants be popping up over town?" "Not likely. Gerald was the first, so his change was willed, he forced his power to do that, maybe even against the powers' will. Yet still, He willed himself into a werewolf, spreadable curse and all." "Silver." "exactly. And Silver bullets aren't easy to come by otherwise my gun would be loaded with them and I'd be handing them out to the other officers like candy." Abe said with a chuckle that quickly disappeared before continuing "The others turned by force after being bitten by him or somebody bitten by him." "This is all so fucking crazy." Ben said flicking his smoke and lighting another one. "I know." Abe said doing the same. "If we can find out what the cult is up to, then we might know how difficult they will be to deal with." "Sneaking in?" Abe asked, sounding almost taken aback by the good sheriff suggesting a B and E as Abe used to put it. "Already have, Just gotta make a call." "Nice." Abe said as they both blew smoke clouds.