R. Stine - Red Rain

Did she really think she could wound the Avenger? The Heater? Punish the Punisher?

“Please. . Oh, please. . please. .” She was begging now. Actually wringing her hands in front of her. She climbed to her feet. “Please?”

Samuel trained his gaze on the white skin of her tummy between the top and her low-riding shorts.

She shrieked in shock and agonizing pain as he cut a long line across the bottom of her stomach. Reflexively, Autumn grabbed at the deep opening in her skin and spread both hands over it.

But she couldn’t keep her insides from spilling out.

The twins watched in intent silence, as if watching a medical demonstration, as her intestines came sliding out over her hands and poured like long pink sausage links to the ground.

She made a hoarse choking sound, grabbing frantically at the waterfall of shiny wet organs spilling out. Spilling out of the deep slit across her belly. A gusher of pink and yellow sausage oozing through her fingers.

She choked and gagged until her eyes rolled up and her knees folded and she slumped face forward with a loud splaaat into the still-throbbing puddle of her insides.

The twins gazed down at her in solemn silence.

Samuel waited for his eyes to cool. Then he stepped back, let out a sigh, and called down to her, “Oh, poor Autumn. Lassie, where are those beautiful new shoes now?”

Daniel laughed and gave him a shove. “You’re a poet.” He stared down at the young dead woman. His smile faded. “You know, bruvver, we don’t have to worry about Pa now.”

That made Samuel laugh. “I think Pa is deep in trouble,” he said softly. “Come on, bruvver. Let’s find our way back to the Harbor of Sag.”

“A poet,” Daniel murmured. “My bruvver is a poet.”

It was a beautiful morning, just starting to warm up, the air so fragrant and fresh. White butterflies danced over a flowering hedge. A soft breeze tickled his skin and cooled Samuel’s hot face.

It made him think of the island. The ocean breezes over Cape Le Chat Noir. The simple life. Waves splashing as he and Daniel and Ikey ran along the cool, wet sand.

“I think the bus stop is over here,” he told Daniel. “It’s such a pretty day. I know we’re going to have a nice ride.”

When Lea’s Skype bell rang on Saturday morning, she was tempted not to answer it. But when she saw it was Martha calling from Cape Le Chat Noir, her curiosity won out over her weariness.

She clicked to take the call, and a second later, Martha’s pale blue eyes gazed out at her from the laptop screen. Martha’s short blond hair was wrapped in a colorful kerchief, but her face appeared pale and lined, and she wasn’t smiling.

“Martha? What a surprise.” Lea adjusted the laptop to get her face in the frame.

“How are you, Lea? Is this too early?”

“Well, no. Actually, I’m still up from last night. Look at me. I’m still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. I. . didn’t get any sleep.”

“Well, I’m sorry to call so early.”

“That’s okay. Really. It’s nice to see you. We haven’t been in touch for a few weeks.”

“You look awful, Lea. What’s going on there? Why were you up all night? Is everything okay?”

Martha’s image froze on the screen. Her face didn’t move but her voice continued. Then the screen popped, and her mouth caught up with her words.

Lea sighed. She rubbed her eyes with her finger and thumb. “It’s a long story, Martha. What a horrible night.”

“Why? What on earth happened?”

“The kids are gone. I mean, disappeared.”

Martha’s mouth dropped open. The screen stopped again with her face frozen in her startled expression.

“You mean the twins? You can’t find them?”

“No. All the kids.” The words tumbled out of Lea in a trembling voice. “The twins. Ira. Elena. Her friend. And a lot of other kids.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Oh, Martha. I don’t know what’s happening!”

“I don’t understand, Lea. You called the police?”

A bitter laugh escaped Lea’s throat. “Oh, yes. The police have been here. Local police. State police. The FBI. They’ve been here all night, Martha. All night asking Mark and Roz and me questions. Questions. Like it’s our fault. Like we’re hiding something from them. Like we know something we’re not telling.”

“Oh, wow. It sounds like hell. Do you want me to get off? I could Skype you some other time. Or I could email-”

“No, it’s fine. Actually, it’s good to have a friend to talk to. I can’t see straight I’m so frazzled and worn out. But it’s good to have a friend.”

“Well, where do they think your kids are? Do they think-”

“It’s not just my kids. There are maybe seventy or eighty kids missing in Sag Harbor, Martha.”

“Huh? That’s insane .”

Lea rolled her eyes. “Insane but true. At first the police thought it started here. You see, a bunch of kids were hanging out in our guesthouse in back.”

“Seventy?”

“No, not seventy. A few. Several. I. . don’t know. Mark and I went out last night and-”

“Are you sure you want to tell me all this now? You look so tired and-”

“I don’t understand it, Martha. They’re just gone . Where would they go? How could they all sneak off together? It can’t be a mass kidnapping. Whoever heard of that?”

“What do the police think? The FBI?”

“At first they didn’t believe us. There’s been some other trouble here. With Mark. And we had all these totally upset parents calling us and coming over. All night. Expecting Mark and me to know where their kids were. Angry at us. I mean, they blamed us for. . for. .”

“And no trace of any of them? No clues at all?”

“Not yet. The Sag Harbor police station-they started getting call after call. All from frantic parents reporting their kids were missing. So they finally caught on it wasn’t just Mark and me. It was happening all over town.”

“And so-”

“But that didn’t stop them from searching our house. And tearing up the guesthouse. I don’t know what kind of clues they expected to find. A map leading them to the kids? A ransom note for seventy kids? I–I-”

“Take a breath, dear. This must be so horrible for you. I can’t believe what you are going through.”

“No, you can’t.” Lea wrung her hands. “Elena is so sensible. I can’t imagine. .”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll all be found soon. Such a big group of kids can’t stay hidden for long, can they?” Martha leaned toward the camera. “Have the police considered this might be a big prank?”

“Huh? A prank?”

“You know. One of those mass jokes people dream up and spread over the internet?”

Lea shut her eyes. “No. No one is treating it as a joke,” she said in a whisper.

“Well, I don’t think I’m going to tell you why I Skyped,” Martha said, rubbing her cheek. “Oh, wait. Maybe I’d better. Actually, as I think about it, what I called to show you might help.”

Lea swallowed. Her throat felt dry as dust. “Help?”

Martha nodded. “I’ve been doing some photo research. You know. That’s what I do for a living. I promised you I’d do some checking.”

Lea nodded. “I remember. Did you find something interesting?”

“Interesting, yes,” Martha replied. “But not good news, Lea. In fact, it’s totally disturbing.”

Lea rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, Martha, what did you find out?”

“Let me email you the photos. I think you’ll understand why I wanted you to see them right away.”

“Okay. Send them to my gmail account, Martha. We can talk about them as I look at them. But what did you find? What is so disturbing?”