LOGINLibrary
Search
All Chapters of Things Slip Through: Chapter 21 - Chapter 25
25 Chapters
On A Midnight Black Chessie
Things Slip Through/Crystal Lake Publishing
ON A MIDNIGHT BLACK CHESSIENowBradley again turns onto the strange road bathed in the moon’s phosphorescent glow. He understands this place now. Understands what it is, where it came from, and how it came to be.Ned sits on the passenger side, still drunk, forehead pressing the window as he gazes at the glowing scenery. “Wow. Am I awake or dreamin?”“Neither,” Bradley whispers. “Or maybe both.”Toward Ned he feels a resolved sadness. Bradley no longer hates him so much but rather pities him, for he’s caught up in something much larger than himself, much larger than Bradley or anything else, and is completely helpless in the face of it.As Bradley is.And as they drive down this softly glowing road, Ned continues to stare. “Geez. Don’ recognize this at all. You lost?”“No,” Bradley says as he slowly pulls up to the glowing church at the road’s end. “Not at all.“I’m home.”Three Days AgoFriday afternoonBradley Sanders had just pulled shut his office door at Webb County C
Last Updated : 2021-09-0612.
Things Slip Through/Crystal Lake Publishing
12.Ambiguities. Shadowy, surreal ghosts seen out of the corner of the eye, like hallucinations dreamed during a fever, things that can neither be confirmed nor denied. These are the things I’ve been reading about.Though Webb Community College is ten miles out of town, between Clifton Heights and Old Forge, Bradley Sanders lives here in town. I’ve seen him around a few times, been introduced to him twice. And he does have an impressive train layout in his basement. Every Christmas he opens his home to the neighborhood for tours. I had night patrol this Christmas and missed it but luckily Meg convinced Grace—our sitter—to take her. She gushed for days about its meticulous detail in copying nearly every facet of Clifton Heights. I’d hated missing that and had vowed to make sure I was free next year to go see Bradley’s layout with Meg.Not so sure I’ll be doing that, now.A resigned weariness settles over my shoulders. “I suppose if I called Web Community College, asking after Ned Si
Last Updated : 2021-09-0613.
Things Slip Through/Crystal Lake Publishing
13.The Commons Trailer ParkEllen Danvers opens her trailer’s screen door and smiles sadly, as if she’s expected me this whole time and has been wondering what’s taken me so long.“Evening, Sheriff,” she whispers. “What can I do for you?”For a moment, the absurdity of my intentions strikes me speechless. We’ve gotten everything we can from Ellen. She’s got no more information to give, past her wild tale.So why am I here?In Gavin’s mind, I’m here so Ellen Danvers can tell me what really happened to her son. In mine . . . well, at this point I really can’t say. But I can’t stand here on the porch forever so I smile and lie. “Just stopping by to see how you’re doing, Ellen, let you know the State Police and my men are still searching for Timmy.”The last part is true, at least. Even though Ellen now claims there’s no need to search for Timmy, the initial report of a missing child set off a chain reaction that can’t be called back so easily. With the wheels turning on a missing
Last Updated : 2021-09-06Mr. Nobody
Things Slip Through/Crystal Lake Publishing
MR. NOBODY“Mommy! Noooo!”Laughter echoed through Ellen Danvers’ small kitchen as she knelt and bent her son Timmy backward over her knee. He giggled while she pretended to lose her grip.“Jeez, you’re heavy! What’ve you been eating? Hippos?”His face split into a toothy grin. “N-no! Just p-puppies!”“PUPPIES!” She shook him in mock fury. “That’s it! You’re gonna get it!”His blue eyes widened in anticipation. “No!”“Too late!”She raised clenched fingers, her fake scowl threatening to break into a grin. “Now. You. Die!”“Noooo!”With an exaggerated downward thrust, she planted her hand into his belly and tickled him. He laughed and jerked, and alarm shivered through her as her grasp slipped. Timmy was only six, but he was so big for his age. If she wasn’t careful, he could squirm free, hit the floor . . .Worry crept in, spoiling the moment and she stopped, gently grasping his shirt, tipping him up. She hugged him tight, closed her eyes, breathing deep. His speeding heart
Last Updated : 2021-09-0614.
Things Slip Through/Crystal Lake Publishing
14.“By the time I arrived on the scene that night you were nearly inconsolable, hysterical at Timmy’s disappearance, insisting something had taken him away. But then you called us three days later and changed your story, telling us to end our search because Timmy was ‘safe and in a better place.’”I lean forward, hands clasped before me, trying to be gentle because I can see that recounting her ordeal is hard for her, can see it in her wet and glimmering eyes. “Why did you tell us that, Mrs. Danvers? What was that . . . thing you saw? Where is this ‘better place?’ I can’t report any of this, can’t ever speak of it to anyone. But I need to know.”so the Guardian may protect the ThresholdShe nods, sniffing, and wipes both eyes with the heels of her palms. Composing herself, running a hand through her hair, she whispers, “I . . . I wasn’t in a good place after that. I’d lost Timmy, lost everything. With Timmy gone there was nothing left to live for and I almost . . . ”She sucks do
Last Updated : 2021-09-06
