The Devil's Touch

'Thirsty,' Max said.

'Yes,' Marie replied. 'Come. For there are many who are not yet one with us.'

The undead walked into the night in search of something to drink.

Dan and Jerry sucked one form of life from the young boy and left him to feel another darker form of unlife renew his body. Soon he would open his eyes and view the world quite differently.

Deputy Vernon Parish ignored the sobbings from his wife and continued raping his daughter. His wife, Susie, tried to struggle out of her bonds. She could not free herself. Vernon, after stripping her naked, had handcuffed her to a bedpost. She could only scream at her husband and the ugliness taking place before her.

Her son entered the bedroom and pushed the father off his sister. The son took the father's place, grunting his way into the young girl.

The mother put her face against the floor and wept. She did not understand what was happening; what had so changed this town.

She just didn't understand.

She looked up as Dan Evans entered the bedroom and dropped his trousers to the floor. She could not believe her ears when her husband said, 'Go ahead and fuck my old lady. Maybe that'll shut her goddamn mouth.'

Jon Le Moyne looked at the orgy taking place on the den floor of his house. Patsy was attempting to sexually satisfy five boys at once. Somehow, she was succeeding quite well. But Jon could not see where he had any opening. He padded naked across the floor, his semi-hardness swinging heavy between his legs. A teenage boy looked at Jon, open envy and lust in his eyes. Jon nodded to him. The boys went into a bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Nellie Bennett shouted out her joy as Hoss Patrick filled her. She had not felt this good in several years. She grunted as he slammed his bulk into her. Nellie did not regret making the pact with the Dark One.

Not yet.

Charles and Frances Le Moyne walked the darkened alleyways and back streets of Logandale, mangled and torn from the accident. They looked for Father Le Moyne. They wanted to give him something. They wanted the priest to be as them.

They would find him. If not tonight, then another night. It had been promised them.

Will Gibson sat in his car, Judy beside him. 'Are you thirsty?' she asked.

'Yes,' Will said, running his swollen tongue over his teeth. 'Very.'

'Why are we waiting?'

Will started the car and drove into the night, searching.

Janet Sakall knelt between the bare legs of her father and took him orally, while Mayor Kowolski serviced the teenager from behind.

Professors Frank Gilbert and Edie Cash sat in the darkened room at Giddon House with Norman Giddon and Xaviere Flaubert.

'Princess,' Edie asked. 'Now that Balon knows Desiree is not of our kind, how many days of pleasure are you allowing the members of our coven?'

'Three,' the young witch replied. 'Until midnight of the twenty-sixth. Thursday night we will cleanse ourselves and meet with our Master. On Friday, the town and all its people will be ours.'

'Or dead,' Norman said with a profane giggle.

'That is true. Now hear me well: I must mate with Sam Balon on Friday night, between six P.M. and midnight. I don't care how it is accomplished; but it must be. I am counting on you to see to that little matter.'

'It will be as you order, Princess,' Edie said.

'It better be,' the young woman replied ominously.

Father John Morton stood guard in his home, a pump shotgun close at hand. His children had gone, leaving the home after cursing both parents, calling them the vilest of names. Tomorrow, or today, he corrected, at first light, he and his wife would go to the Draper home, to join the small group of Christians. The priest wondered what in the world had happened to Byron Price and Richard Hasseling.

Richard Hasseling bumped into something and recoiled in fear. He put out his hand to touch the—thing. He could neither touch it or see it, but somehow, it was there.

'Byron?' he whispered.

'I'm here,' Byron returned the whisper. 'For the love of God, Richard—let's get out of this awful place.'

'I'm trying!' the man replied, his voice ragged from fear. 'But we're—we—we're locked in!'

'Locked in? What in the hell do you mean, locked in?'

Hasseling took a deep breath and calmed himself. 'There appears to be some sort of invisible field around the area. We can't get out!'

Methodist shoved Baptist out of the way. He lunged toward the invisible barrier and smacked his head hard. He stumbled backward and sat down heavily on the ground. 'Son-of-a-bitch!' he muttered. He looked heavenward. 'Forgive me, Lord.'

'I think,' Hasseling said slowly and softly, 'that at first light, we had best rejoin the group at Chief Draper's house.'