Dust Bowl Children (Encyclopocalypse Originals) by Wile E. Young & Emily Young

Author:Wile E. Young & Emily Young [Young, Wile E. & Young, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Encyclopocalypse Publications
Published: 2022-06-27T11:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

Abigail

The storm had quieted enough that by the time the sheriff returned I could see the late afternoon light filtering in through the blinds. No one had left the diner, only broken up into smaller groups trying to leave the grieving family to themselves.

Cal still hadn’t come back from the kitchen, and I fidgeted anxiously in my seat, feeling uneasy. Will smiled weakly at me and gave my knee a pat before returning his attention to the commotion up front.

“So, you didn’t find anything?” someone near the back asked.

Krauss shut his eyes and pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger looking exhausted. His cheeks were wind-bitten and red. The news of Samuel Boone had taken whatever wind he had left in his sails, and he looked defeated.

“Now that’s not what I said now, is it?” Krauss asked opening one eye to peer at the crowd. He sighed heavily, pulling his hat off his head and running one giant hand through his hair. “I said I didn’t find Mrs. Poole. There was evidence of some kind of struggle, but the woman was nowhere to be found.”

“Struggle?” a woman asked.

Krauss nodded. “Best I can figure it, there was some sort of accident or scuffle at the house and Mr. Poole tried to make it to town to get help.” He waved a hand as if wiping his words from air. “I’m just speculating, and that don’t amount to much. But I’m gonna have to call up the boys from the state for this. It’s no simple missing person’s case anymore. This is dangerous.”

He eyed the crowd carefully, chewing his next words over. “That’s why I’m gonna ask you all to stay on guard. Don’t travel alone or at night or when the weather’s bad. During the worst of it today, it was dark as three feet up a bull’s ass and I damn near ran off the road. Don’t be careless. Don’t give anyone any more chances than they already have to harm you.”

This was met with silence as the weight of his words hung in the air.

We weren’t safe.

“Now,” Krauss said straightening up and starting towards the kitchen. “I’m going to see to the boy, but I recommend you all get home while there’s still some daylight left.” And with that, he disappeared through the swinging doors leaving us to mull that over.

“What do you think he found at the Pooles’?” Scarlett asked across from me. I’d had to track her down after the Samuel spectacle, seeing as I hadn’t seen her since that morning, but she’d just been sitting alone in a corner looking a bit green. “I mean, what kind of struggle?”

I shrugged. “Who knows anymore? Nothing makes sense.” I dropped my head into my hands. I just wanted to be back home. I wanted to sit in our living room as Cal rocked in his chair whittling some knick-knack. I wanted to listen to the soothing static of the radio. Hell, I even wanted Mama. At least she’d tell me to stop paying heed to all of this nonsense.

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