hand to hold the door closed. I kept my eyes
on Greer, even as I locked my grip on the twisting door knob.
“No fears, Ian Moore, I will not harm nor
allow harm to come to your child. But that will not be easy,” he
said. The door started to pull open and I exerted myself, slamming
it back shut, twisting around to glare at Ashley. She let go with
an angry look and I spun back to check on Greer. He was gone,
completely. A really, really fast individual could possibly have
made the trees or the corner of the barn in the short time I had
looked away. Possibly, but the implications of that kind of speed
were chilling.
Chapter 6
Ashley had that sullen glare thing going, the
one teenagers get when they feel they’ve been wronged. I love
Ashley with all my heart, but at that moment I didn’t like her very
much.
“When. I. Tell. You. To. Get . Away. You do
it! Understand?”
“Who was that man? Why did you point great
Grandpa’s gun at him?” she sputtered, attempting to control the
moment.
“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” I shouted. Rarely is my
voice raised to my daughter, but there are times.
Both girls jumped. Lindsey looked stricken,
like she would rather be anywhere then here. Ashley was still
glaring but it had slipped a little, as if just maybe she had begun
to realize how serious I was.
“Yes,” she said finally.
“I don’t know who that man is, but he’s
dangerous! If you see me with a gun pointing in someone’s direction
that should be your clue that they’re trouble,” I said.
“Grandpa says never point a gun at anyone or
anything unless you are ready to kill them!” Ashley said, her tone
petulant.
“Grandpa is exactly right!” I said. It took a
second for her to realize my meaning. Her tan face went white.
“But who is he? He wouldn’t hurt anyone or at
least he doesn’t look like he would,” she said in a rush. Something
in her voice gave me pause and I replayed Greer’s image in my
mind’s eye. Tall, lean, dressed in black, exotic hair, exotic
coloring and vivid ice blue eyes. Crap!
“Girls, you need to listen to me. You cannot
judge someone’s intentions or ability to harm based on how they
look! Most serial killers are attractive, well mannered people
right up until they hit you in the head, duct tape you and toss you
in their van.”
Both sets of eyes were wide, both heads
nodded, but deep inside a part of me was quailing at the thought of
them meeting Greer without me present.
“His name is Greer, I don’t know what he
wants, but he is very, very dangerous. You are not to talk to him,
never go near him and never open the door for him. I don’t care how
good he looks or how smoothly he talks to you. Got it?”
They both nodded again.
“Listen, he’s gone, so why don’t we put on a
movie or something and get settled in for the night. Okay?”
“Alright Mr. Moore.” “ Kay, Dad.”
I turned on the tv and handed Lindsey the
remote, then headed into the kitchen to make popcorn, while I
thought through the last ten minutes of my life.
It took two bags of microwave popcorn to get
things lined up in my head to the point where I could start to
organize them. When I did, I had a list of thoughts to process.
One, I had witnessed Greer fighting with a
pack(?) of vicious green apes that he said were goblins
( t’oorcs ).
Two, he had fought insanely well with a
weapon I couldn’t begin to identify.
Three, the green goblins melted into goo when
killed and reacted to steel or iron like it was acid.
Four, he said he was from another world and
entered this one to steal or supervise the stealing of
children.
Five, he said he owed me a life debt.
Six, something small, fast and nasty was
killing animals and birds around the farm.
Seven, my dear, departed grandfather had
covered every window with steel mesh and loaded his shotgun with
steel shot.
Eight, there were at least two factions to
Greer’s world, one green (Summer), one white (Winter).
I picked up
on Greer, even as I locked my grip on the twisting door knob.
“No fears, Ian Moore, I will not harm nor
allow harm to come to your child. But that will not be easy,” he
said. The door started to pull open and I exerted myself, slamming
it back shut, twisting around to glare at Ashley. She let go with
an angry look and I spun back to check on Greer. He was gone,
completely. A really, really fast individual could possibly have
made the trees or the corner of the barn in the short time I had
looked away. Possibly, but the implications of that kind of speed
were chilling.
Chapter 6
Ashley had that sullen glare thing going, the
one teenagers get when they feel they’ve been wronged. I love
Ashley with all my heart, but at that moment I didn’t like her very
much.
“When. I. Tell. You. To. Get . Away. You do
it! Understand?”
“Who was that man? Why did you point great
Grandpa’s gun at him?” she sputtered, attempting to control the
moment.
“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” I shouted. Rarely is my
voice raised to my daughter, but there are times.
Both girls jumped. Lindsey looked stricken,
like she would rather be anywhere then here. Ashley was still
glaring but it had slipped a little, as if just maybe she had begun
to realize how serious I was.
“Yes,” she said finally.
“I don’t know who that man is, but he’s
dangerous! If you see me with a gun pointing in someone’s direction
that should be your clue that they’re trouble,” I said.
“Grandpa says never point a gun at anyone or
anything unless you are ready to kill them!” Ashley said, her tone
petulant.
“Grandpa is exactly right!” I said. It took a
second for her to realize my meaning. Her tan face went white.
“But who is he? He wouldn’t hurt anyone or at
least he doesn’t look like he would,” she said in a rush. Something
in her voice gave me pause and I replayed Greer’s image in my
mind’s eye. Tall, lean, dressed in black, exotic hair, exotic
coloring and vivid ice blue eyes. Crap!
“Girls, you need to listen to me. You cannot
judge someone’s intentions or ability to harm based on how they
look! Most serial killers are attractive, well mannered people
right up until they hit you in the head, duct tape you and toss you
in their van.”
Both sets of eyes were wide, both heads
nodded, but deep inside a part of me was quailing at the thought of
them meeting Greer without me present.
“His name is Greer, I don’t know what he
wants, but he is very, very dangerous. You are not to talk to him,
never go near him and never open the door for him. I don’t care how
good he looks or how smoothly he talks to you. Got it?”
They both nodded again.
“Listen, he’s gone, so why don’t we put on a
movie or something and get settled in for the night. Okay?”
“Alright Mr. Moore.” “ Kay, Dad.”
I turned on the tv and handed Lindsey the
remote, then headed into the kitchen to make popcorn, while I
thought through the last ten minutes of my life.
It took two bags of microwave popcorn to get
things lined up in my head to the point where I could start to
organize them. When I did, I had a list of thoughts to process.
One, I had witnessed Greer fighting with a
pack(?) of vicious green apes that he said were goblins
( t’oorcs ).
Two, he had fought insanely well with a
weapon I couldn’t begin to identify.
Three, the green goblins melted into goo when
killed and reacted to steel or iron like it was acid.
Four, he said he was from another world and
entered this one to steal or supervise the stealing of
children.
Five, he said he owed me a life debt.
Six, something small, fast and nasty was
killing animals and birds around the farm.
Seven, my dear, departed grandfather had
covered every window with steel mesh and loaded his shotgun with
steel shot.
Eight, there were at least two factions to
Greer’s world, one green (Summer), one white (Winter).
I picked up
Similar Books
