Page 82 of Coven of Corpses

“We won’t all fit inside the truck.”

“I wasn’t thinking about the truck.” Cody turned to the group. “We’re leaving.” He pointed at Dieter. “Open your garage door.”

“What?” Dieter said.

“We need the Cadillac,” Cody said. “And we have to leave right this fucking minute.”

“What’s going on?” Alice practically shouted. “Who is that woman?”

“Oh, apple orchards,” Amelia said. “What’s happening to Milton and Regina’s elm tree?”

“It’s moving awfully strange,” Otis said, squinting. “Is it a tornado?”

“Oh, shit,” Tracey said, taking a step back. “Whatever you’re thinking of doing, do it faster.”

“Dieter,” Cody snapped. “Now!”

Dieter jumped as if he’d been shocked. He hurried across the lawns toward his and Eileen’s condo.

“Why’d you ask him to do that?” Eileen said. “He shouldn’t be alone.”

“He won’t be for long.” Cody looked at Demmy. “Give me the keys.”

“The seat’s already set for your legs. It’ll be faster if I go.”

Before Cody could protest, Demmy ran off to where Dieter stood by the garage door. It was opening, but much too slowly in Cody’s opinion.

“Oh birch trees, it’s uprooting itself!”

Cody looked across the street. Sure enough, in the yellow glow of the streetlight, Cody saw the large tree in the neighbor’s front yard moving as if alive. It had lowered some of its branches and was using them to push itself up out of the ground, roots and all.

“Demon version of The Lord Of the Rings,” Cody muttered, facing the group behind him. “Everyone over to Eileen’s, right now.”

“How the hell will we be safe from that thing in my house?” Eileen said.

“We’re leaving,” Cody said, taking her by the arm and hurrying her along. “In the Cadillac.” He looked back to see his parents, Amelia, Otis, and Tracey following him. In the background, the tree had pulled a good portion of its roots from the ground, and a split ran up the center of the trunk. When he realized the demon was giving itself legs, he picked up the pace a bit more. “Gotta go, gotta go.”

“Easy, easy,” Eileen said. “My hip and knees don’t move like they used to.”

“It’s coming,” Cody said. “We need to get out of here, and hopefully lure it away from the neighborhood.”

“I can’t believe it’s inside a tree,” Tracey said. “And it’s pulling itself out of the ground.”

Ahead of him, Cody saw the Cadillac back out of the garage. He took a second to admire how his body looked behind the wheel before Dieter pulled open both passenger side doors. Cody handed off Eileen to him, and he helped her into the backseat. Amelia, Otis, and Dieter followed, crowding across the big bench seat. Cody slid in beside Demmy, and his parents crowded in beside him. They all looked out at Tracey, who stood on the driveway looking scared and alone. There was no room for her.

“Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll keep it from following you.”

“No! Lay across our laps!” Amelia shouted. “Come on!”

Cody leaned forward and shouted past his parents, “Get the fuck in the car. Now!”

Loud cracking, snapping, and tearing sounds made them all look down the street. The tree had pulled itself free. Terrifyingly long branches reached out for them as it stomped into the road on its roots. It knocked the streetlight over with one of the branches. The cover and bulb shattered against the asphalt with a pop and a bright flash.

That helped Tracey make up her mind. She dove into the backseat like a swimmer from a starting block. As she stretched out across the laps of everyone in the back, Dieter pulled the door shut.

“Drive!” Dieter shouted.

Demmy backed out of the driveway and angled the car into the neighborhood. He hit the gas, and the Cadillac’s V8 roared. The whitewall tires squealed against the asphalt and, as the tips of branches scraped across the trunk, the car shot off down the street like a rocket.