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Sheriff Ellie

WHATEVER ELLIE EXPERIENCED HAD been as vivid as any dream, but unlike a dream, it didn’t vanish. The images remained in her head with the sharpest of clarity. When she blinked they replayed in the momentary darkness, each time more vivid than the last.

From her place in the passenger seat, the girl watched Ellie in silence, but unlike before, her eyes told a story. She’d not only seen the same vision Ellie had, but she understood what it meant, and now there was pity there. Pity and sorrow.

Ellie watched as the girl tugged up her sleeve and pointed at a place just below her elbow. Written there, among a hundred others, was Ellie’s name, and as she saw it, the words Matt had told her back at the house came rushing back with the force of a Mack truck.

Hope not ever to see Heaven. I have come to lead you to the other shore; into eternal darkness; into fire and into ice.

It was all too much. The breath left Ellie, and she had to force herself to inhale, like her body no longer wanted to perform the simple task on its own. Her stomach heaved, and Ellie jerked the door open. She managed to stumble over to the tall grass alongside the driveway before vomiting.

When it was over, when her body finally righted itself, she fished a tissue from her pocket, wiped her mouth, and drew in a deep breath of the cool mountain air. Even though the air was tinged with the acidic smoke from the town, it was enough to help clear her thoughts.

Ellie turned back to her truck and stared down the girl. She had a job to do. “Get out.”

At first, the girl didn’t move. Then she opened her door and climbed out. She’d pulled her sleeve back down, and Ellie was grateful for that.

Leery of touching her, Ellie guided the girl to the door of Buck’s cabin and knocked. When he didn’t answer, she pounded on the door with the back of her fist. “I know you’re in there, Buck! Open up!”

There was the rattle of locks.

The door opened.

Buck was standing there, holding a shotgun.

He took one look at both of them, then leveled the barrel at the center of the girl’s chest and fired.