The Wells of Hell by Graham Masterton

Author:Graham Masterton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Horror, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780812522112
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 1990-05-15T16:47:31+00:00

Seven

We ran slantwise down the hill, kicking up leaves as we went, until we reached the bed of a damp overgrown gulley. The trees and the evergreen bushes were so thick down here that it was almost dark, and there was a musty smell of decaying vegetation and mould. We were panting, and confused, but we didn’t stop to talk. Instead, we ran on again, through the tangles of briar, and at last we came to a hollow, almost completely surrounded by thickets, where Sheriff Wilkes and two of his deputies were standing. They looked white-faced and frightened, and Sheriff Wilkes was frantically trying to contact his cars through his pocket radio.

‘What’s happening? Is anybody hurt?’ I asked him.

He shook his radio. ‘Damn thing. Must have busted when I fell over.’

One of the deputies, the long-nosed one called Martino, said: ‘It got Huntley. We came down here and the goddamned creature came out of the bushes and got ahold of his arm, dragged him back in there. It happened so quick we didn’t hardly see it. Fired a couple of shots, but that didn’t seem to do nothing.’

Carter tucked his radio back into his pants pocket. His eyes were dark and displeased. ‘I told you I was going to get that monster, and I will. Martino, go back to the car, call up headquarters, and tell them I want grenades, and anti-tank rockets. They’ll have to get them from Colonel Phelps, and he’ll probably want to know what they’re for, but just tell ‘em to flannel. I don’t want the National Guard in on this unless I’m forced to.’

‘Okay, sir,’ said Martino, and sprinted off.

Dan said: ‘Did you see where the creature went?’

Carter pointed a stubby finger towards the densest part of the bushes. ‘Right in there. It got Huntley by the arm. Snap, just like that. It’s so damned prickly in there we couldn’t even follow. Son-of-a-bitch.’

‘Did you see what size it was?’ asked Dan.

The sheriff nodded. He stretched his arms wide, as if he was telling a fishing story. ‘Big. Real big. One large claw, one smaller claw. But the large claw was five, six hundred pounds of lobster.’

‘How about the head or the body? Did you get a good look?’

‘No,’ said Carter. ‘It was all too quick. Huntley was behind us, and all I saw was the claw and the top of the head. It was kind of curved and boney, you know? Like a helmet, only green-and-black and patchy.’

Dan looked at me. ‘It could be either of them, couldn’t it? Jimmy or Alison. Or it could even be this man Karlen.’

‘I don’t mind if it’s Jimmy or Alison,’ I said. ‘At least I could try to talk to them.’

Carter Wilkes stared at me as if I’d said something obscene.

‘‘Talk to them? What in hell do you mean?’

‘Just what I say. I was able to talk to Jimmy before. I didn’t get too far, but then I didn’t know too much about what was going on.’

‘And now you do?’

‘I know more than I did before.

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