It didn’t seem concerned with him.  Hopefully it was as harmless as the coyote-deer and the mutant livestock.

Again, Eric rubbed at the knot on his head.  He recalled seeing someone standing over him while fighting for consciousness.  Was it the foggy man?  Or was it someone else?  He didn’t recall seeing that weird illusion of invisible fog.  But then again, he hadn’t seen much of anything.  “I guess we should keep going.”

BE CAREFUL

He nodded and began walking, circling well around the red lizard.

Just in case.

The pain receded a little, but only a little.  His head continued to pound, his shoulder throbbed.  He ached all over.  But he was slowly regaining his focus.

Making his way through the valley, he checked the cell phone, but still it had no signal.  Only Isabelle could talk to him without a signal.

He also saw that his battery was starting to run low.  This surprised him a little, since he’d never had to recharge it after only a single day.  But then again, he’d never used the stupid thing this much.

He hoped it lasted long enough to see him through the rest of this odd journey.  As much as he hated the phone, he’d grown accustomed to having some connection with the world outside the fissure.

Besides, without the phone, he couldn’t talk with Isabelle.

He returned it to his pocket and glanced up in time to see a hawk soar overhead.

The pine trees grew denser, the terrain flatter, the ground rockier.  Then, just as quickly, the mountain terrain gave way to hayfields again.

His cell phone signal came back.

He’d missed only seven calls this time.

Among these missed calls, Karen had sent him the picture Paul took of the creature that chased him into the cabin.  It really did look like a little rhinoceros, except that it appeared to have legs more at home on a greyhound, though much shorter, and teeth similar to a boar’s tusks, though much bigger.

He’d almost forgotten about his brother’s sticky situation.

The next time he talked to Isabelle, he’d have to remember to ask her where Gold Sunshine Resort was located so that he could send directions to Kevin if he needed them.  But even as he made himself a mental note, his cell phone received a new text message.

I ALREADY TEXTED KEVIN DIRECTIONS

Right.  She could read his mind.  He kept forgetting.

“When did you do that?”

WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO PAUL

“Oh.”

FORGOT TO TELL YOU

SORRY

“It’s fine.  So you talked to Kevin, too?”

I JUST SENT HIM DIRECTIONS

“You didn’t tell him who you were?”

I SAID I WAS A FRIEND OF YOURS

“Cool.”  Kevin probably wouldn’t have thought much about such a message.  He would have even dismissed the curious way Isabelle’s messages were always fast-tracked straight to the screen, never bothering with those YOU HAVE A NEW TEXT MESSAGE notices.  He would’ve just thought it was an odd glitch with his phone.

At least he knew Kevin was on his way.  Now he only had to worry about Paul remaining safe until he could arrive.  He would have to call him soon.  But for now, he might as well wait for Karen to call.  It wouldn’t be long now.

And it wasn’t.  Within a few short minutes, the phone rang.

“Aren’t you there yet?” she asked him.

“Not yet.”

“This is taking forever.”

“I know.  Some idiot keeps leaving weird stuff in the path.  How’d Toni like her cake?”

“Loved it.”

“I had no doubt.  How did you decorate it?”

“Clown.”

“Oh.  I don’t like clowns.”

“I know you don’t.”

“They’re creepy.”

“Mine wasn’t.”

“I’ll bet he wasn’t.  Your clown would be cute and cuddly.”

“Very cute and cuddly.”

“That’s your thing.”

“It kind of is.”

“I don’t know what it is.  You see a clown on television, he’s fine.  You see one on a street corner, he’s scary as hell.”

“Toni said good luck, by the way.”

“You told her about all this?”

“Just that you’d been having some disturbing dreams and now you’re out trying to clear your head.”

“That’s a nice, clean summary.”

“The thought of trying to explain the whole thing to her was just way too exhausting.”

“I know what you mean.”

“So now where are you?”

“The usual.  More fields.”

“How’d it go at the factory?”

“Exceptionally weird.  And painful.”

“What happened?”

Eric told her about the residual factory workers and its one not-so-residual resident.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll live.”

“Why would he hit you and then just dump you back onto the path?”

“I don’t know.  It doesn’t make any sense.  It’s like he just decided he wanted to go out of his way to hit me upside the head.”

“Well, there are days when I can relate.”

“Ha-ha.”

“I’m just saying.”

“I can’t figure out why he doesn’t just go to the cathedral, find whatever’s there and leave.  He had a huge head start.  Why does he feel the need to come back and torment me?”

“Maybe he can’t get at whatever’s in the cathedral.”

Eric considered this for a moment.  “That’s not a bad theory,” he decided.

“Maybe he’s already been there, but he can’t get to it, or else can’t find it, so he’s trying to slow you down.”

“That would make sense.  Except why just knock me out?  Why not kill me?  He definitely had the opportunity.”

“I don’t know.  But I’m definitely glad he didn’t.”

“You and me both.”

“Be careful out there.”

“Definitely.  Hey, have you heard from Paul?”

“He called a while ago and said Kevin and Damien were on their way to pick him up at the resort.”

“Good.”

“He said a friend of yours sent Kevin directions.  Isabelle?”

“Yeah.  She’s pretty awesome like that.”

“She is.”

“I should call and make sure he’s still okay.”

“You should.”

Eric said goodbye and dialed Paul’s number as he scanned the fields around him.  He seemed to be alone for the moment, but the foggy man couldn’t be far.

Paul answered on the second ring.

“You okay?”

“No, I’m not okay!  The stupid thing still won’t let me out!”

“Still?”

“It’s just lying there!  Sleeping!”

“Did you try sneaking out while it was asleep?”

“It jumps up and charges the door!  Last time, I think I heard the wood crack.”

“Patient little freak, isn’t it?”

“No shit!”

“Have you heard from Kevin?”

“He called a few minutes ago.  They should be here any time.  But I don’t know what we’re going to do when he gets here.  I’m guessing the stupid thing isn’t going to let them out of the truck.”

“You’ll figure something out.”

“I guess we’ll have to.”

“Just remember, I told you not to follow me.”

“I know!  Don’t be a shithead.”

“Oh, I definitely reserve the right to be a shithead.”

“You would.”

“Yes.  I would.  You’re lucky that’s all you ran into.  It could be a lot worse.  The thing in that biggest building would be just as relentless, but it would’ve ripped the roof off that cabin and kept coming.”

“Got it.  Thanks.”

“Any time.”

“I’m going to hang up now and keep waiting for the cavalry.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Eric hung up and chuckled.  “Serves you right.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Eric continued on.  Time passed.  The fields gave way to a rocky, brush-strewn hillside and the path began to wind down into another wide valley.  Again, the land took on that deeply shadowed look, though the sky remained clear and bright.  And the stifling summer air was suddenly cut by a cool wind, as if a storm were approaching.

He scanned the area all around him, alert for any sign of movement.  Something he had never seen before would likely be appearing any moment and he was sure it wouldn’t be anything as benign as the curious but harmless coyote-deer or a few mutant chickens.