apomissfy1979

@@@@@ "Probably nerves," I said The breeze, which had been coming at us from the Gulf, switched slightly and puffed out of the south insteadIt brought a stench of putridity with it Jack recoiled, grimacing"What the fuck is that!" 950 "Perfume from the pool would be my guess," Wireman said"Jack, I love the smell of sludge in the morning "Yeah, but it's afternoon Wireman gave him a duh look, then turned to me "What do you think, muchacho? On we go?" I took a quick inventoryWireman had the red basket; Jack had the bag with the food in it; I had my art suppliesI wasn't sure just what we were going to do if the rest of Elizabeth's drawings had blown away in the storm that had torn the roof off the ruin just ahead (or if there were no more pictures), but we had come this far and we had to do somethingIlse insisted on that, from my bones and heart xii We had reached the point where the driveway began to be overgrown with strangler fig when I saw that black thing go flickering through the high tangle of weeds to the right of the houseThis time Jack saw it, too 951 "Someone's there," he said "I didn't see anyone," Wireman saidHe set down the picnic basket and armed sweat from his brow "Switch with me awhile, JackYou take the basket and I'll take the foodYou're young and strong Wireman's old and used upHe'll die soo - holy shit what's that!" He staggered back from the basket and would have fallen if I hadn't caught him around the waist Jack shouted with surprise and horror The man came bursting from the undergrowth just ahead on our leftThere was no way he could have been there - Jack and I had glimpsed him fifty yards away only seconds before - but he w