Richard Matheson - Ride the Nightmare

Biting her lip, she turned back to the stove. She had to heat the coffee quickly, get it to Steve before it was too late. He’d lost so much blood though. There was a dark patch of it on the floor around him; the cloth of his shirt and trousers was saturated with it.

Hastily, she picked up the book of matches beside the stove, then froze as Steve gasped with pain. Stooping hurriedly, she looked over and saw him gaping at Adam, his mouth almost wide open. She glanced at Adam. He was almost coiled against the wall, ready to leap. Helen stood with the matches, one arm still tensed around Connie.

“Mommy, let’s go,” said Connie.

“Yes, yes.” Hands shaking, Helen tore one of the matches loose and struck it. It didn’t light. She dropped it quickly, tore another one free, glancing toward Steve.

He was leaning to one side; it seemed as if he had to fall from the chair at any second. His eyes were almost closed, the revolver was in his lap as if he hadn’t the strength to lift it anymore. With a faint, shaking murmur, Helen struck the match once, twice. A tiny flame seared up, she leaned forward and touched it to the burner. It wouldn’t light.

Helen made a frightened sound and looked back once again at Steve. His eyes were almost shut. He sagged off balance. She started to turn, the match still in her hand. He grunted and sat up a little, a look of dread on his face. He looked over at her and she turned back to the stove, dropping the match with a hiss as it burned her fingers. Shaking helplessly, she lit a third match, then noticed that the tiny cock hadn’t been opened on the stove. She twisted it, touched the match flame to the burner. In a moment, it ignited with a faint, puffing sound, burning blue. Helen leaned over automatically and looked into the pot. She had to—

There was a crashing sound behind her. Helen whirled. Across the room, Steve was sprawled on his side, trying to struggle up. Helen saw him raise the gun to fire at Adam who was rushing at him. Before he could pull the trigger, Adam’s shoe was kicking the revolver from his hand, it was clattering across the floor. Adam started for it but Steve, with a final effort, lunged out and grabbed at his ankle. Adam lost balance and went crashing down heavily on his chest.

Helen didn’t wait to see anymore. In an instant, her fingers had clamped down on Connie’s wrist and she was rushing for the doorway, half dragging her daughter with her. Running, she glanced over at the two men and saw Adam kick his right foot against Steve’s bandaged shoulder. The wounded man fell back, screaming.

Then she and Connie were out the doorway. Which way? Muscles seemed to answer before her mind, driving her along the front of the shack and around its side. There could be no doubt about the result inside. In a matter of moments, Adam would be coming after them with the gun. His first instinct, she sensed, would be to go toward the road, assuming that it had, also, been her first instinct. There was not enough time to make the road though. Their only chance was to hide in the brush until—

Reason ended there. There was no until. She pulled Connie across the dry, eroded ground, past the back edge of the shack and toward a tangle of bushes. Suddenly, in the shack, there was a shot, another. It was over!

“Hurry, baby!” she gasped. Her grip tightened on Connie’s wrist as her daughter started to fall. She pulled Connie up almost brutally. “Run!” she said, “Run fast!”

Then the only sound was that of their feet and of their straining breath. Helen looked back across her shoulder. No sign of Adam yet.

Abruptly, they were in the bushes, their bodies thrashing past the dry-leaved branches. Connie cried out as one of the branches whipped across her forehead. Helen glanced down at her and saw a long, red scratch across her brow.

”Keep your head down!” she ordered, “I’ll lead you!”

She grunted as a razor-edged twig sliced across her arm. She glanced back again. Had he heard them yet? They were making so much noise! She tried to run faster but Connie tripped and fell and, for several yards, Helen was almost dragging her. She stopped an instant to haul her erect, then started running again.

“Hurry, baby!” she whispered.

Now they were out of the bushes, struggling through long, brownish grass. Helen felt the dry blades scourging at her legs and skirt. Connie started to fall again and she pulled her up, a painful shooting in her back and shoulder. Breath was hot and stinging now, burning her throat. Abruptly, a stitch needled at her side. She bit her lip to cut off the gasp of pain. They couldn’t stop! With a lunge, she started up the hill, her sandals slipping on the hard, flaking ground. Again, she looked behind. Where was he now?

“Mommy, I can’t!’

“You can!” She dug her fingers into Connie’s wrist. “You have to!”

Once more, Connie, unable to match her mother’s stride, was pulled from her feet. Once more, Helen jerked her forward and up. The slope was so steep now that she was unable to run. She could only climb with short, desperate strides, pulling Connie with her.

They reached the top of the hill. The heat which had clung to the hollows was gone now, replaced by a damp coldness. Helen looked back, for an instant, her eyes catching sight of the broad hills in the distance, the curving ribbon of the Latigo Canyon Road. Then her gaze had dropped, she saw the shack below, the dirt lane, the—

Breath caught. Adam was just charging from the bushes. He was stopping, looking around.

“No.” Helen spun around and lunged over the crest of the hill, dragging Connie with her.

Suddenly, they were plunging down a grass-thick slope, their legs pumping frantically to keep themselves from falling. Helen felt herself losing balance and, twisting, pressed the sides of her sandals against the ground, leaning in heavily toward the slope. She fell on her hip and slid on the ground, wincing as it raked skin from her calf, then from her thigh as her skirt pulled up. Connie cried out faintly and fell against her. They were skidding downward, jolting violently against the bottom of the narrow draw. Pain lanced along Helen’s right ankle as it twisted beneath her. They stayed there for a second, gasping at the warm, heavy air. Helen tried to hold her breath and listen, It seemed as if she heard, in the distance, a thrashing noise, a sound of thudding shoes.

“Hurry!” she said, and suddenly, they were running again, rushing along the foot of the draw, unable to climb because the wall on its other side was too steep.

Helen clenched her teeth against the shooting pains in her ankle, her side. She mustn’t stop! Eyes straight ahead, her face a mask of dread, she kept on running. In front of them, the draw turned gradually toward the east.

“I can’t, Mommy!” Connie cried out shrilly.

“You can!” Helen almost sobbed the words. She pulled Connie up again, then, hastily, lifted her. She thudded along the rock-strewn base of the draw. Something exploded up above. There was a piercing whistle and earth erupted nearby. Connie shrieked. Dirt specks stung into Helen’s cheek and she jerked her head around.

Adam was running along the crest of the draw, pointing the revolver at them. With a desperate lunge, Helen ran around the beetling wall. They were out of sight of Adam now. Helen dropped Connie to her feet.

“Run!” she commanded.

Ahead, the draw widened into a grass-covered slope. The two of them ran onto it, frightening off a flock of birds which scattered darkly into the air. Helen’s gaze kept jumping around as they fled, searching for a place to hide. They couldn’t go much farther. Connie was dragging at her arm so much that she was virtually carrying her. Her own legs were exhausted, her ankle threatened to give at any second. Still there was no place to stop, to hide. There was nothing in sight but open space and knee-high grasses.