VISION

sn’t think the estate is worth a great deal but it belongs to you and me, now. I’m going to hav

fore anything else happened. He swallowed as he gathered his cou

e cemetery,”

aused, seeming s

o the store and bought flowers and then put them on Mom and Pop’s grave, by the headstones—like you

nks. I bet Mom and Pop liked the flowers.” She cle

to cry. “Three weeks ago.” He felt another tear run down his cheek. He had to tell her. She wo

ight snapped o

ide-eyed at the slit of light

one else putting flowers on a gr

Tell her, hurry, tell her, but he couldn’t make the words com

voice speaking his name. His whole name, the way people used

Allen

ht from below shifting light

s there someone there

the devil could get to her through the phone?

t just the first part—then again, coming closer, moving

ave company? John?” “Run, Kate!” h

couldn’t get to her through the phone lines. He raced for

rly ma

grab his shirt and spin him around. The impact had dazed him. His nose felt like it had been hit with a baseball bat. He fel

stiff with terror. The

by pure evil. They were eyes t

e floor. The tines of the pitchfork punctured both of John’s shoes, severed the

, he wouldn’t have been able t

t the photos of Kate. As John trembled, unable to think, the pain keeping him from trying to mov

photos. The devil caught John’s hand and twisted his fingers b

isted and broken fingers with his good hand, the d

f trouble, Johnny boy.” “Leave

red deeply into John’s eyes. “Do

was just starting to register through paralyzing

remembered them all too well. J

med closer yet, as if trying to see some secret hidden in John’s eyes

ncontrollabl

hand grabbed John’s hair at the back

his mouth beside John’s ear, an

ring you everla

nd sickeningly sharp slammed twice up into the core of his bo

ned wide, coming for what he wanted. The teet

mb deep into the side of one of John’s eye sockets, “this do

hn as he struggled and screamed in th

sing into his eyes. He hoped that Kate