Worm Read Online Free Page A

that a single—albeit large and freaky—worm could cause that much damage. Worms were soft-bodied creatures and maybe somebody needed to remind this thing of that.
    It was still silent in there.
    Stevie looked up at him with the same WTF look and Tony gave it back to him. What the fuck, indeed. He felt a curious camaraderie with the little mutt. They’d always actively despised each other, but he felt that had somehow changed now. Common desperation and common fear had linked them together in a universe of mutual need. Wouldn’t Charise be surprised—and hurt—when Stevie started hanging out with him?
    Tony crouched down by the dog and ruffled his fur.
    “I hope to God that thing is gone,” he whispered to the dog. “Either way, we better get the hell out of here before it gets back.”
    So that was the plan. But plans required action and action meant moving and that meant turning his back on the door and he did not like the idea of that at all. But it was silent in there and he didn’t honestly believe the worm could play possum quite that well.
    He stood up slowly.
    He wrinkled his nose at the foul stench coming from the bathroom. He couldn’t put a finger on what it was exactly, some kind of weird, dank smell of shit and piss, fungal rot and maggoty decay. Horrible.
    “Stand guard, Stevie. You hear anything in there, yip your head off.”
    He pretty much thought he was talking to himself, but as he backed away into the hallway, Stevie stayed right there, fixing the door with a steely, resolute glare. Tony jogged into the bedroom and peeled off his wet socks. He pulled off his joggers and slipped into some jeans, threw on a hoodie and put dry socks on. That was better. He got his backpack out of the closet. He’d stuff bottled water and food in there. Enough to last them until they got free of town anyway.
    When he got back, Stevie was still manning…or dogging …his post.
    Tony threw on his gum rubber snow boots and grabbed his softball bat out of the closet. Maybe it wasn’t the best weapon, but it was hardwood and it could easily split skulls and, hopefully, worms.
    “Okay, Stevie,” he said. “I’m going to look in there. I think it’s gone but I have to know for sure.”
    Stevie gave him one of his looks. What? You want the worm to eat you?
    Tony went to the door and, without hesitation, opened it, a white bolt of fear digging down deep into his belly.
    Nothing.
    The bathroom was an absolute mess, but he saw no worm. Nothing in the tub. Nothing in the sink. The toilet had pretty much exploded, nothing left but its base, which was bolted securely to the floor, and the black, ugly outgoing pipe and its flange.
    Tony sighed, releasing his death grip on the bat.
    It was a fluke. That worm was some mutant that had been growing in the putrid darkness down there for years. One of a kind.
    It’s gone back and will probably die out before anyone else ever sees it.
    This was what he told himself and it made him feel better. Much better, in fact…though he knew he’d never be able to sit bare-assed on a toilet again, exposing himself to subterranean, worming horrors.
    “Okay, Stevie, let’s be sheep and get the flock out of here,” he said. “Let’s go visit Stephani or drop in on the O’Connors.”
    Then, from the pipe, there was a splashing sound. It was more than just water and he knew it.
    “Shit,” he said.

 
     
     
    6
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “What is it now?”
    “Down here!” Kathleen cried. “Hurry for godsake!”
    Pat Mackenridge sighed. He looked out the window at his Dodge Ram sitting in the driveway. Then he turned and went down the hallway. “Where the hell are you?”
    “I’m down here! Hurry it!”
    God, this better be good. This better be something real good, something applicable. If he got down there and she was panicking because a stupid fucking spider had crawled out from under the dryer, he was going to lose it. Really lose it.
    “Are you coming or what?”
    She