51: The Series

51: The Storm Chapter 8 Part 1

Wren awoke shortly after midnight. He looked over at Lindsay’s pillow and saw Crook lying on it. The dog promptly kicked Wren in the face. Wren sat up and looked around, thinking that maybe Lindsay had gotten up, but the light was off in the bathroom. He got out of bed and pulled on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The house was cool, and Wren could hear thunder in the distance. He quietly walked through the house. Not seeing Lindsay, he knew where she would be. He grabbed a bottle of her favorite orange soda from the refrigerator, took the blanket off the back of the couch, and stepped onto the front porch. Lindsay was sitting on the oversized chaise lounge, watching the storm to the south.

Wren handed her the soda, sat down beside her, and asked, “Why are you up, babe?”

“I woke up, couldn’t go back to sleep, and didn’t want to wake you up, so here I am,” Lindsay told him as he covered them with the blanket and put his arms around her.

“You could have watched TV,” he said.

“I tried. I was hoping I could find some nice, boring documentary about something like cheese or the history of string, but I couldn’t. The more TV I watched, the more awake I became, so I am out here watching the storm move in. I can also hear things that aren’t normal, which isn’t helping with the whole sleep thing either,” Lindsay said.

They sat quietly, watching the lightning flash across the sky south of their home. The storm had just entered the south side of the county, and the thunder and lightning were both beautiful and haunting. They could hear cattle on one of the neighboring farms balling, upset by the incoming storms, but then, occasionally, there were sounds from something other than cattle. They could hear howls, whistles, and deep screams. Some they knew were of the large creatures they had encountered in the past, but others they had never heard before. It was just before 1 a.m., and Lindsay was taking the last drink from her bottle of soda when a sudden gust of wind hit them, blowing rain onto the porch.

“I think it is time for us to go inside,” Wren said.

“I’m thinking the same thing,” Lindsay answered.

Wren stood and picked up the blanket. Lindsay reached over to the table next to her, picking up the home phone and cell phone lying on it. When they went inside and walked into the living room, Lindsay put the home phone and cell phone on their chargers, then she and Wren sat down on the couch. She took the blanket from him and placed it over them. Wren picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and began looking for something to watch together.

“You can go back to bed. You need to get some more sleep, too,” Lindsay said.

“I have been getting two and three times the sleep you have been getting, so that isn’t going to happen. I’m going to do what I can to help you get some more sleep, even if that means sitting up and watching bad sci-fi movies with you,” Wren said, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

“Don’t bother. There aren’t any good ones on tonight,” Lindsay said.

“Good, bad, sci-fi movies? How does that work?”

“Simple, they must have a ridiculous storyline with bad special effects and acting, but they cannot be all blood and guts. It also helps if you can predict who the creature eats next. Creatures like sharks, crocodiles, and giant snakes are usually the best,” Lindsay explained.

“OK, I understand now. I have seen some movies that fit that description. I have to agree they were bad and fun to watch simultaneously,” Wren said. “How does a documentary about sea monsters sound?” he asked.

“Like a report from the evening shift, but it could be interesting. Either that or it will bore me to sleep. At this point, I will take either one,” Lindsay answered.

“Give me your hand,” Wren said as he took her hand and began to rub it.

“Make sure that whatever top-secret thing you do lasts longer than a couple of hours this time,” she said with a smile.

“Don’t worry about that. Just close your eyes and try to relax,” Wren told Lindsay.

-

Lindsay woke with a start. She could feel the house shake from the thunder. Lindsay looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 6 a.m. She was on the couch beside Wren, who was somehow still asleep. Lindsay continued to lie there and thought about going back to sleep for a moment, but knew that would not be possible. She was also considering letting Dillon skip school that day and having him go to work with her. At least that way, there would be one less person she would worry about, but she decided to have him go to school as usual. Lindsay knew that she and Wren both needed to get up and get ready for work. She shook him gently to wake him.

“Hey, when did you wake up?” He asked, barely awake.

“Just now, it’s 6 o’clock, so we both need to get ready for work,” Lindsay told him.

“After sleeping out here all night, I’m not sure that I can get up. This may take a few minutes,” Wren told her.

“I know what you mean. I’m not sure I can turn my head to the left, so that might be a problem,” Lindsay told him, wincing as she moved and began getting up. “Will you turn on the local news so we can see what is going on? I have the feeling my department could have burned to the ground last night, and no one would have called me.”

“I know Big Bob and Max wouldn’t have called you. They would have called me so I could tell you,” Wren said as he sat up and turned on the TV.

The local news was grim. The storm system had moved in and was causing widespread flooding and damage. So far, most of it was to the south and west of Lindsay’s county, so they still had a little time before things got too bad. Seeing the news also gave Lindsay some idea of what was headed for them and how bad it would get. She reached across Wren, grabbed her cell phone, and called the sheriff’s department.

“Sheriff’s Department, how may I help you?” Hanna said when she answered the phone.

“Good morning, Hanna. How have things been going with the storms and Yuri so far?” Lindsay asked.

“So far, so good. Yuri gets very excited about weirdness calls, but not in a bad way. He and Max came back from one, and he seemed happy about it. As for the weather, we have only had a few minor issues. So far, there is nothing out of the ordinary for regular thunderstorms,” Hanna told her.

“OK, that’s good to know, and as for Yuri, this is like a day at the fair. He is a complete believer in everything that is considered paranormal and supernatural, so he loves this. Viktor, on the other hand, believes in none of it, so it may take him a little while to get used to that,” Lindsay explained.

“That explains a lot,” Hanna said with a giggle.

“Alright, since everything is OK, I will be there at my regular time. If anything happens before I get there, please call me,” Lindsay said.

“Will do, Sheriff,” Hanna said as she hung up.

Wren looked at Lindsay and asked, “Everything OK?”

“So far, so good. I think Hanna and Max might want to drug Yuri because of his excitement about all the weirdness,” Lindsay said, smiling.

“That is a good thing. At least you know Yuri isn’t going to freak out and quit because he sees something that shouldn’t happen or even be real,” Wren told her.

“You have a point there. I hope that Viktor stays, too. After all, he is the nonbeliever of the group.”

“He’ll be fine. Let’s get ready for work. Go shower, and I will make sure Dillon is up,” Wren said, standing.

“Thank you,” Lindsay said as she watched him walk toward Dillon’s room.

Lindsay stood up and walked to their bedroom to get her uniform ready before she showered. She gathered her things and entered the bathroom, placing her phone on the sink. Just as she reached to turn on the water in the shower, her cell phone rang.

“Hello,” she answered without looking to see who was calling.

Yuri responded, “Sheriff Gold, I’m sorry to bother you.”

“No, don’t worry about it. What’s going on?” Lindsay asked.

“There is a problem at the department. We had things move around on their own. Hanna and Max are trying to clean the department right now. Max asked me to call you and let you know what happened. Again, I am sorry for bothering you at home,” Yuri said.

“Are things still moving on their own?” Lindsay asked as she stepped back into the bedroom and saw Wren walking in.

“Not for a few minutes,” Yuri said.

Just as he finished speaking, Lindsay heard what sounded like glass breaking.

“What happened? Is everyone alright?” Lindsay asked as she began to put on her uniform, still holding the phone.

“Yes, we are alright. A coffee mug just hit a picture on the wall and broke the glass in the frame,” Yuri said, sounding very nervous.

“OK, if there is an area or room that has been left alone by whatever that is, have Hanna transfer the phones to that area, and all of you stay there. Do not worry about cleaning anything up while things are still flying. I will be right there,” Lindsay instructed, then hung up.

Wren asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, not much, just a poltergeist tearing up my department and throwing things at my deputies and dispatcher,” Lindsay said as she quickly got dressed.

“You want me to go to the department with you?” Wren asked, watching Lindsay put on her boots.

“No, that’s OK. I will just yell at this one the same way I did the last one. If that doesn’t work, I’ll call you. Will you do me a favor and wait for the bus with Dillon? I just have an off feeling about it for some reason,” Lindsay told him as she stood up and put on her duty belt.

“Of course, I was planning on him sitting in my car with me until the bus picked him up. I guess great minds think alike,” Wren said as she put her gun in her holster.

“Either that, or we are both completely off our rockers,” Lindsay said as she walked over and kissed him.

“That is always a possibility,” Wren laughed. “I love you. Be careful today,” he said in a serious tone as he took both of her hands.

“I love you too, and for your information, I am always careful,” Lindsay told him. Lindsay smiled and walked out of the bedroom. When she reached the living room, she called out, “Dillon, I’m leaving. Have fun at school.”

“OK,” Dillon called out from his bedroom with the door still closed.

“Bye, just in case I die today, I love you,” Lindsay yelled.

“Love you too,” Dillon yelled back, still in his room.

Lindsay laughed as she walked out the front door. She stood on the porch, putting on her raincoat and hat. The rain was pouring as Lindsay ran to her car and got in. As she fastened her seatbelt, lighting stuck nearby with a loud clap of thunder almost as soon as the lightning flashed.

“Oh yes, this is going to be fun,” she muttered as she started her car and pulled out of her driveway.