Michael Hunter - Come Get Me

Jim was pretty sure “everybody” meant this dumbass and his friends but unfortunately there was little he could do about it. Pete was his friend but he’d pretty much brought all this on himself by becoming the town hermit. There was no use in arguing with anybody. He wished there was someone else he could ask but when he finally reached the gaggle of people they’d already separated into little groups of their own. They gave him and the kids a wide berth though. Jim didn’t know if it was him or the kid they were trying to avoid. After hearing the crap coming from his mouth though he was pretty sure it was the kid.

“There sure is some weird shit that goes on out there,” the idiot said after a few seconds gesturing down the road. Jim looked where he indicated and saw a faint orange glow illuminating the sky. “See what I mean?” The teenager said making full use of his high school education. “You see all kinds of lights and stuff out there. It’s just plain weird.” Jim could honestly say he now understood why the future of today’s youth wasn’t that good.

Not wanting to be stuck with the garbage mouth for the rest of the night Jim quickly said his thanks and moved towards the police car stationed just beyond where all the groups were gathered. As he passed them he heard bits and pieces of conversation consisting of everything from rumors about the woods being on fire to aliens having finally invaded Pete’s house and taking him away. He almost hoped it was a fire or something but had a feeling it was probably closer to the one about aliens than anything else.

He’d just about reached the police car when he did see an actual flicker of fire in the distance. That explained the glow in the sky he’d seen. Now that he saw where the fire was he noticed two more police cars further down from the one he was standing near and just a little ways beyond them, a house. The fires made the place look as if it were on fire but it must not have been since the police cars weren’t there. They were on the road before the house. Maybe that meant Pete wasn’t involved in whatever was going on.

Jim could vaguely see a figure walking back and forth between the burning mounds around the house. The figure trudged back and forth pausing only to throw something on whatever fire he was closest to sending sparks spiraling into the night sky. It could only be Pete Jim thought as he wearily made his way toward the police officer stationed next to the car blocking the road. He hoped he could get through to make sure his friend was all right.

As Jim reached the first patrol car he noticed how cold it was outside. He was concerned about Rob and knew he shouldn’t be thinking about the cold but he couldn’t help it. The fires in the distance seemed like a good idea to him right about now. The sweat he’d worked up was quickly cooling in the night air. He wished he’d brought a jacket with him or better yet that he had driven his rental. If he’d done that, everything would’ve been fine. Nothing would’ve chased him, he wouldn’t have sweated from running and he’d be nice and warm. But no, walking had seemed like a better idea, so he being the idiot he was, had walked.

Slowing down to a walk once again, Jim approached the car with one hand raised to shield his eyes from the flashing lights that were about to blind him and saw another person who liked like a deputy but who obviously wasn’t Rob. He seemed to be standing guard on the road. From the look of it he was pretty worried about whatever was going on out at Pete’s.

Jim didn’t even want to imagine what Pete might’ve done to get himself in this much trouble. True he hadn’t been around for the past few years but from what he heard Pete was capable of some weird shit.

“What’s all the commotion about?” he asked the deputy as he got closer.

The guy seemed almost startled that someone would ask him a question. Looking at him appraisingly for a minute before informing him in a voice thick with country accent that there’d been some type of accident down the road and that no one was allowed down there until it was all cleared up. Before he even started speaking Jim thought there was something familiar about the guy. The deputy reminded him of someone. Trying not to seem like some sort of weirdo Jim studied the officer while he spoke. Not being exactly close enough to get a good look at him Jim slowly shifted his body so that the lights wouldn’t be in his line of vision and so that he was a little closer.

After a few second without the lights in his face his eyes adjusted and he realized who he was speaking to. It was Johnny Langill. The last time Jim had seen, or thought, about him he’d been a kid a grade behind him in high school. When Johnny’d finished talking Jim quickly stuck out his hand and told him who he was. Johnny shook his hand in return a little unsure at first but then, like a light going on somewhere in his head, seemed to recognize Jim and shook his hand a little more heartily in return. Johnny still looked edgy but Jim was sure that was probably because of what was going on down the road.

“So,” Jim said now that he was a little more familiar with who he was talking to, “what’s really going on back there?” When Johnny didn’t answer right away he quickly added, “Pete lives back there from what I’m told and I’m a little worried about him.”

“I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” Johnny answered after a few seconds.

“Come on Johnny,” Jim pushed. “This is Jim you’re talking to not some guy off the street. You can tell me.”

“I really don’t think I should,” Johnny answered then paused, “but, I, uh, guess it would be ok as long as you don’t tell the sheriff.” After getting Jim’s promise he continued. “I’m pretty sure something bad happened,” Johnny said looking over Jim’s shoulder to make sure no one else could hear them. “A little while ago we got a call from Rob over the radio saying he was coming out to check on Pete. He said Pete was out burning his fires again and he wanted to make sure everything was ok. Nobody thought anything of it until about an hour had passed and we hadn’t heard anything form him. Then suddenly the radio in the office seemed like it came to life. At first there was nobody on it but you could tell that the mike was keyed.” He paused for a second to run a hand over his face. He looked like he was about to cry before he got control of himself and continued. “Then we heard this horrible noise coming over the speaker. At first we didn’t know what it was. It sounded like static but after a few seconds we realized it was a scream. It was awful. We didn’t know what to do but we were pretty sure we knew who it was. The sheriff was out driving around so he got here first to check things out. When he got here he called and told me to come down here and secure the entrance to Pete’s road and not to let anyone down. I was on the other side of town doing a patrol over there and heard all the screaming over my radio. I told the sheriff I’d be right over and this is where I’ve been since. He hasn’t come up and told me nothing. Not even a peep on the radio or anything. I don’t know what’s going on.” He stopped and took a shaky breath.

Jim was about to bolt down the road when the radio in the car shouted Johnny’s name. Wanting to run and find out what was going on but also not wanting to miss what might be said he forced himself to stay. Johnny climbed in the car and shut the door so Jim couldn’t hear. After a few minutes he put the radio down and got back out looking a few shades whiter than when he got in.

“The sheriff just said that the state police and the coroner would be here soon,” Johnny said as he emerged from the car. “He also said to make sure I didn’t tell anyone anything I wasn’t supposed to.”