Darkness Follows by Mike Dellosso

Author:Mike Dellosso [Dellosso, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Christian, USA
ISBN: 9781616382742
Google: cYpTCNmtrDIC
Amazon: 1616382740
Barnesnoble: 1616382740
Goodreads: 9883489
Publisher: Realms
Published: 2011-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Thirty-Five

SAM HAD ONE PLACE LEFT TO GO: THE OLD FARMHOUSE UP IN Cumberland County. But first he had to talk to his mother.

Since that final incident with Tommy, Sam’s parents had abandoned the farmhouse, leaving it to the forces of nature and whims of time. Mom believed it was possessed, but she didn’t want to vacate the premises completely. Instead, they moved into a rancher on the farm’s edge, near Route 187, a quarter mile over a rise from their previous dwelling. Mom was convinced that if she could see the farmhouse it would worm its way into her head and control her, like it had Tommy. Irrational, maybe, but nobody wanted to argue with her. Nor could they.

Sam turned off the road onto a short asphalt driveway that led to the rancher’s garage. He parked his truck and got out. Not much had changed in the past twenty-one years. Mom had leased their property to other local farmers for growing corn and soy. The Murphys still lived across the road a hundred yards down or so, with the same Buick in their driveway that had been there when Sam left home. Nothing but farmland and rolling hills stretched in the other direction.

Sam rounded the garage to the back of the house. Mom was already outside, hanging laundry.

“Samuel? What are you doing here?” She looked past his shoulder. “Where’s Molly and Eva?”

“Hey, Mom. Boy, it’s good to see you too. Eva’s in school, and Molly’s home.”

“You drove yourself here? Is everything OK?” In the two months or so since Sam had seen his mother, she had aged a lot. She looked much older than her sixty-three years. Especially when she wore that light green housecoat.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. The doctor gave me the OK to drive again.”

She hugged him and gave him a dry peck on the cheek. “You sure you’re up to driving? I don’t want you doing anything you’re not ready to do. It’s no rush, you know. You could—”

“Mom, I’m fine. Man, you sound like Molly now.” Sam regretted not seeing his mother more, but the memories that surfaced when he did were ones he tried not to visit more than a few times a year.

She took his hand. “Well, come inside. I’ll get you a drink. Are you thirsty?”

“Parched as a sun-burnt cow patty.”

She laughed. “Your grandfather used to say that all the time.”

“I remember.” And he did. Being back here, even if only on the edge of the farm, brought back a rush of childhood memories. Some welcome, some very unwelcome.

Inside, the house smelled like tomato sauce and garlic.

“I’m making a batch of spaghetti for dinner,” Mom said. “Can you stay?”

As much as Sam was tempted, he knew he shouldn’t. He needed to get over to the farmhouse. “No. How’s Dad?”

Mom poured him a glass of instant iced tea. “The usual. Good days and bad days. Lately, more of the bad it seems.” She glanced toward the bedroom where Sam’s father spent most of his time. “Sometimes it seems as though … I don’t know.

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