A Small Gray Dot

“You’ll know if ya see it. Jist be sho ta stop. Had a friend wit’ me last time I went that didn’t.”

“What happened?”

“You don’t wanna know but he ain’t wit’ us no more an’ I ain’t never goin’ back ‘cross that shit.”

My heartbeat slammed in my ears and my breath caught in my throat, as through the trees about ten feet to my right, a long dark undulating shape came slinking down towards me. I held my freeze and it veered off five feet away and went sliding by heading down the way I’d come. I don’t know if it was just me or what but the whole time it was passing, I felt a vibration, a thrumming as if someone was plucking the bass strings of a cello, and all over my body I could feel my hair trying to lift from my skin.

I can’t say how long the… thing… was but it was about seven feet high and maybe five feet wide. There was a double row of rectangular green glowing spots on its front end about where you’d think eyes would be, and what might’ve been a long set of curved horns. It felt like days before it finished rippling its way past and as soon as the tail end of it disappeared into the murkiness of the night, I hustled my quaking ass toward the wall.

I got to the narrow, ten-foot open strip between the trees and the wall only glimpsing a few vague white blobs and what seemed to be a cloud of gnats both of which Cue said I could ignore. I also saw several outlines of dark, people-shaped figures that reminded me of the ones I’d seen the day of the Event. Since he hadn’t mentioned those, and they appeared to ignore me, I ignored them, too.

I stopped, breathing hard. I shivered as an icy breeze fingered its way between my knit cap and the collar of my jacket, chilling the sweat that popped out and trickled down my neck. There was a faint light coming from a streetlamp positioned near the wall. I couldn’t actually see the post, only the light, but Cue said it would be slightly to the left and in front of a tree. It was approximately where he said it would be and with tree branches limned against the light, I was confident that it was what I was looking for. I exhaled with relief. It’s good to know folk who’ll steer you right.

I took a quick glance up and down the stretch into the darkness. I couldn’t see much and debated whether to give my flashlight a brief click but decided not to take the chance. That… thing… might see it and come back.

Realizing I’d been standing there longer than I intended, I pulled up my jacket collar, took a deep breath, and trotted to the vine-covered wall.

I did a fast search among the dead and dried-out kudzu for the break in the wall that Cue drew on the map. It took a minute but I found it and carefully squeezed through the jagged opening.

I came out behind the big tree and stood in its shadow while I took a moment to orient myself – as much as that was possible. Then, ignoring the sting to my eyes, I moved off through the bushes and out into Blue Heaven.

Chapter Twenty-two

THE MOMENT I GOT THROUGH THE WALL, I reflected on how I’d promised myself I would never go back to that neighborhood. Yet, there I was again. So much for self-promises.

As I forged ahead, I discovered another unpleasant facet of Blue Heaven. Unlike during the day when it was quiet and practically empty, vague dark forms roamed the streets and there was an undercurrent of sound that came across as sibilant whispers and shuffling steps. I didn’t think these were regular pedestrians, instead, like the ones in the strip, they reminded me of the dim outlines I’d seen the day of the Event. I did not try to get a good look at them and they didn’t appear to notice me, but it was damned disturbing.

It seemed a whole lot darker than it had to be, and working streetlamps were few and far between. It was a good time to use that flashlight I’d brought along, the one from years ago that I kept for emergencies. It fit better into a pocket but, staring into the gloom, I wished I had brought the larger one of my father’s that I sometimes used when working a case. It cast a larger light and was nice and heavy – which could come in handy if I needed a club for bashing. Ah, well, with a little luck, I wouldn’t have to do any bashing.

I knew the location of the bar where the man I wanted to see hung out, as it was the same one I’d found, the one Adam verified that he also stumbled upon after getting lost in Blue Heaven. As long as I kept its whereabouts in mind, I’d have no problems finding it.

I pulled out the flashlight and switched it on.

After one quick, initial glance around, I concentrated on the bar and kept my gaze straight ahead as I crunched my way through the graveled streets. I ignored the shifting figures and unsettling noises, and in five or six minutes, I turned down an alley and spotted the flickering neon sign that spelled out the small bar’s name.