Andrew cautiously stepped into the yard, head swiveling back and forth, rifle at the ready. By the time he made it to the path leading to the dock, Kate knew with icy dread that he’d gone too far to make it back safely.

The microwave feels bubbled up and down her back. She doubled over when a sword went through the middle of her chest.

“Are you okay?” Nikki said, one hand on her back, the other gripping her upper arm.

“I’m fine. Just…just my stomach,” Kate lied.

That was a rough one. Any more like that and I won’t be able to fake my way through it.

She straightened up and searched for her husband. He was still walking slowly down the path. He’d never seemed so far away from her, not even that time he traveled to Italy for work for two weeks.

He stopped and held up his free hand. “I think I see them.”

Kate staggered to the porch, Nikki still holding on to her, straining to see if she could spot the couple past the tree line by the shore. Andrew broke into a run, heading for the dock.

“Andrew! No!”

Chapter Thirty-One

Andrew thought he saw the tip of a yellow kayak and couldn’t restrain himself. They were too close for him to wait.

He started shouting, “Henry…Ida…we need help! Can you hear me? We need you to call the police!”

A family of ducks floated around the dock. Sometimes he fed them crackers while he sat reading and sipping on a beer. In the weeks they’d been here, the babies had grown noticeably. To them, this was just another day and another chance to get some soggy crackers. He never thought he’d wish to be a duck.

Keeping his ear tuned for the monster’s heavy footsteps, he ran with his typical madman gusto to the shore.

Once he got past the stand of trees to his left, he confirmed that these were Henry’s and Ida’s kayaks.

“Henry! Ida!”

He waved both arms as he ran, not once thinking that he might scare them off with the rifle.

When the first kayak came into full view, he fell to his knees, acidic vomit splattering the ground, splashing up into his face.

The kayaks floated lazily past him.

Henry and Ida were in them, but they’d been torn in half. Wisps of steam curled from their cracked chest cavities. Their heads had been torn from their necks and placed in their laps.

“No, no, no, no!”

Andrew punched the dirt, spinning away from the grisly tableau.

He heard Nikki and Kate scream as the kayaks entered their sight line.

Eyes stinging with tears, he pushed away from the pool of vomit and got to his feet, his legs feeling like lead.