Page 9 of Coven of Corpses

A shadow stretched across the end of the aisle. Cody saw Tracey’s boyfriend, Heath…sort of. Heath's body was there, thick dark hair and matching beard, black framed glasses, but something was very, very wrong. He moved with a stiff, unnatural gait, as if his joints didn't quite bend the right way. He wore a tan Carhartt jacket over a flannel shirt, and the seam at the top of the left sleeve was split. He turned his head with mechanical precision until he was looking directly at them. His eyes were completely black.

“I…I need to go." Tracey's voice shook slightly. "I need to… “ She backed away, keeping her eyes on the shadow-shrouded figure of Heath.

“Back door," Cody said quietly, while keeping his eyes fixed on Heath. “Through the swinging doors in the back and then straight ahead. Go.” Something was profoundly wrong with him. His body seemed to vibrate slightly, as if it could barely contain whatever was inside it.

Heath titled his head at an unnatural angle. When he smiled, his teeth looked too big and white, his grin too wide for his face.

"Traaaaacey." The voice that emerged wasn't Heath's. It was deeper, resonant in a way that made Cody's skin crawl. "I just want to talk."

"Fuck this," Tracey said. She took a step back, then looked directly at Cody. "Whatever you do, do not let him touch you."

“Not high on my list,” Cody replied, but Tracey was already backing away.

Heath took a step forward, his movements suddenly fluid, too quick. Tracey bolted down the aisle toward the back of the store.

"Don't. Run." Heath took another step, and that spoiled roadkill smell intensified.

“You know what?” Jugs said in a wounded high-pitched voice. Cody cursed quietly and looked over his shoulder. Jugs was coming toward him from the opposite end of the aisle. He passed Tracey without a second look. His brow was furrowed at Cody, and he clutched his gloves in a tight fist. “I don’t deserve to be spoken to like that, Bonker. We’ve been friends for too many years, and we’ve lived through too much supernatural bullshit for you to take your pissy mood out on me.”

When he was a few steps away, Jugs pulled up short at the sight of Heath. “Oh, excuse me, sir. I didn’t see you there.”

“Jugs, it’s Heath,” Cody said, keeping a few feet away. “From Parson’s Hollow library.”

“Oh, okay.” Jugs frowned. “Why’s he look so…”

“Can I help you find something, Heath? Maybe something in another aisle across the store?”

Heath snapped his head toward Cody. For a terrifying moment, those black eyes locked with his. Then, with a smile that stretched unnaturally wide, the thing wearing Heath's body turned and began walking after Tracey. Cody took a step back as he tried to think about what to do. He could tackle Heath, which would buy Tracey some more time.

The backs of his shins connected with the pallet puller, and he sat down hard on it, flailing slightly. His heart raced and icy fear flooded his body. He heard Jugs say something, but couldn’t hear him over his own swearing and the rush of blood in his ears. When he got to his feet again, Heath was out of sight, but that terrible odor lingered.

“You okay?” Jugs asked, approaching him.

“Yeah.” Cody headed after Heath and Tracey. “Come on.”

“What in the roller derby hell was all that about?” Jugs asked, following him. “And what the hell is that smell? That’s nasty. Dude needs to lay off the lactose.”

Cody stopped and crouched to pick up a leaf. It had fallen from Tracey’s hair when she’d turned to flee. Nothing unusual about it. It was an oak leaf, dry and brown. Tens of thousands of oaks were in the woods around Parson’s Hollow and Harriettville. Cody held the stem and twirled it between his fingers. Jugs stopped beside him, looking at it.

“No idea what was wrong with him. But something’s definitely off,” Cody said, moving to the end of the aisle. “He’s really freaked Tracey out.”

“Wait, that was Tracey? From the library?”

“Yeah, detective, good eye,” Cody said, stopping at the end of the aisle and looking both ways. No one was in sight, and he turned to go in the other direction, finding Jugs standing behind him, scowling.

“Rude,” Jugs said, then lifted his chin in the direction Tracey and Heath had gone. “Think you should call Lucia?”

Cody nodded. “Yeah. Tracey looked really scared.”

Cody reached for his phone, surprised to realize his hand trembled slightly. Jugs folded his arms across his big chest and cleared his throat. Loudly.

“What?” Cody held up his phone. “I’m doing it.”

“Don’t you have something else to do first?” Jugs’s eyebrows went up again.

“Are you kidding me? After what you just saw?” Jugs simply stared. Cody huffed and shook his head. “Fine. Jugs, old buddy, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’ve had a shitty few weeks, and I took it all out on you.”

“And?”