Infestation: A Small Town Nightmare Read Online Free PDF

understand, Dave,"
Marie's calm return was somewhat sinister. "Powerful forces are
driving these people to do such things. I strongly feel that in the
moment, they are clueless as to what's happening or at least, if
they know, they cannot control themselves."
    "Do you know this for a fact, Marie,
or is this conjecture?"
    "What I do know is that a gateway has
been opened by which these entities came and somehow, some way, I
have to find out where it is," Marie replied.
    "Do you mean an actual, physical
gateway?" Dave asked.
    "No." She sighed. "It's a spiritual
gateway. If I can locate where it originated, then I'm assuming
that something can be done about it."
    "How in the world will you do that?
Find out, I mean."
    Marie thought carefully. "All I can
say is… if God showed me the problem, He'll somehow lead me to the
solution."
    "God doesn't need man's help for a
solution, Marie. That's why He's God," Dave thought he should clear
that up.
    "I believe that sometimes, He does.
Not that the problem can't get solved without man's involvement,
but sometimes God requires it. Right now, in this case, I don't
know which one it is."
    (NEWS ANCHOR: "Within the
past twenty-four hours, police have indicated that there have been
four armed robberies, five reported cases of rape, and another
suicide in Foxdale. Folks, this escalation of crime and suicide is
unheard of in Bringham).
    Marie, horrified, looked at Dave who
was pretty much gaping at the television screen.
    "That solution had better come fast!"
Dave finally vociferated. "If it goes on like this…"
    "I know." Marie leaned back quietly on
the sofa.
     
    * * *
     
    "I still don't understand why we had
to come here!" Amy grunted in the back seat as they pulled in front
of the white, split-level house with the perfectly manicured lawn.
The large yard was one of the most well-kept in the neighborhood
and Sylvia Stokes took great pride in that.
    "We'll only be a while," Marie said,
feeling a degree of apprehension that she was trying hard to
conceal. She glanced at the car clock. "It's 6:15 now. I don't
suppose we'll be here longer than an hour or two max."
    "Listen to your mother, honey," Dave
interjected. "Before you know it, we'll be walking back to this car
and heading home."
    Amy sucked her teeth. "I guess we can
all go in there, be fake and pretend just as well as Grandma does.
Then maybe, when it's all over, we'll feel like we've accomplished
a great, big, amazing task, right?"
    "Amy Adams! You suck your teeth again
and you'll be missing a couple!" Marie charged. Dave and Amy knew
her warnings were nothing more than laughable since she never
backed anything up. "I know my mother has never been much of a
grandmother to you, Amy, but in spite of that, when you go inside
that house, remember to be respectful. We cannot change people—only
God can do that. Leave it to Him."
    Amy got out of the car.
    "Take a deep breath in," Dave told
Marie.
    "I'm fine," she replied.
    Dave knew she was lying.
Marie hadn't been anywhere near that house or the neighborhood for
that matter for several months and he knew that walking through
those double doors just ahead would be one of the most
uncomfortable things Marie would have to do. Not only were the
people inside there considered toxic by Marie, but the house held
many memories of her beloved father.
    "Let's go," she said. "Let's get this
over with."
    Amy was waiting for them and they all
walked toward the front door together.
     
    Dave rang the doorbell once and they
waited quietly on the porch, each one silently dreading the fact
that they were there. The door flashed open moments later. It was
Steven. "Dave, how are ya?" The men shook hands. "It's been a
while," Steven said.
    "Yes, it has." Dave nodded.
    "Amy!" Steven grabbed his niece and
hugged her tightly. "You've grown so much since I last saw you. Sis
surely has a woman on her hands now." He looked at Marie. "It's
great to see you. I'm really glad you came."
    Marie's attempt to smile