Part 7

The next thing David knew, Gayle Grieves had his head clasped between her ancient hands. Her frighteningly skeletal face hovered inches away from his, like a nightmare. David tried to pull away, but the old woman held him.

She stared at him, smiling....

...the smiling made it worse.

Much worse.

"Yess," she hissed. "Such a beautiful child. Such a lovely s-"

"Mother, shouldn't we help her get the house ready?" Theema interrupted.

Gayle straightened herself... with effort... and cleared her throat... with effort.

"Yes, of course." The old, ugly woman looked around, scowling. "Being such short notice doesn't mean... this... is acceptable. Yes."

David's mother gave him a sad, almost apologetic stare. She didn't seem to notice that she'd been insulted by old woman Grieves.

"Get the house ready for what?" David asked.

"The Watch," Gayle said dismissively.

"What are we watching?"

"Why, YOU, child! What a silly question-"

"Never you mind that, boy," Theema interrupted again. "It's not your time just yet."

"My time for what?"

"The womenfolk will be here soon," said Theema. It wasn't an answer to David's question; she was talking to his mother. Gayle Grieves joined the pair in the center of the room. "Quite soon, in fact. But everyone understands. The first to arrive will help make things ready for the next; mother and I will make sure of that. By sunset we'll have a proper Watch, don't you worry."

"I'm not worried," David's mother said. It was the truth. The tremble and tightness in her voice wasn't worry... it was something else that David was too young yet to understand.

What he DID understand, however, was that more people were coming. Womenfolk.

That didn't sound like any gathering he wanted to be a part of. His father wouldn't be happy to find a house full of women when he got back. And father not being happy usually translated into yelling, cursing, and the frantic dodging of fists, feet, and various household items.

Briefly, David wondered who would win in a fight between his father and Gayle Grieves.

The idea made him smile.

...and, still smiling, he turned and headed for the door. He would have fun exploring that mental image somewhere else. There were still a few chores to see too, and since the day was headed toward unpleasantness anyway, he may was well-

"BOY!" Came a sharp cry from behind him. Gayle Grieves' shout sounded like a large, angry bird swooping down behind him. David shuddered chills rippled down his spine.

"I-" He began. He'd stopped walking, and was in the process of turning around when a pair of talons clamped onto his shoulders and spun him-

He found himself looking up into the skeletal face of Gayle Grieves yet again.

Her accusing sneer almost made him wet his pants... but it melted into a smile that was clearly false, even to David's inexperienced eyes.

"Where are you going?" the old woman asked.

"Ch-chores?" David tried to look past the creepy old woman and find his mother, but somehow that drawn, wrinkled face kept pulling his eyes back to it. Was this they way that birds hypnotized snakes... or was that the other way around?

"No. You'll stay here with us. Don't worry, they'll be plenty for you to do."

"But the chores..."

"Enough of that. The town won't end if your chores go unfinished."

There was something odd in the old woman's last sentence... something in the way she stressed her words.

"Um...?" David finally found his mother's face. She looked suddenly tired. And very sad. There was no sign of the weirdness he'd seen before the old women came.

"The chores will still be there later," Rietta said. "You stay here with mother today, okay?"

"Besides," Theema added. The younger horror appeared behind her mother. "You can help us get ready. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Get ready for what?"

"For your party," she replied. "The party we're planning... it's for you, David. It's all for you."

"But I don't want a party," David said. The elder Grieves still had him in her grasp.

"Nonsense. All children want parties."

"Well you're still having one," Gayle snapped. "And you're not going anywhere until its time. That's the whole POINT, after all."

With strength born of eons of abusing children, Gayle flung David back into the waiting arms of his mother.

"Put him in a corner," the old woman snapped. "Where we can see him."