Infernal

6

-83:00

A cry from Vicky shattered Jack's reverie.

"Jack!Jack!"

The fear in her voice had him on his feet and almost to the door when she rushed in.

"What's wrong?"

"That thing!" she wailed.

He gripped her upper arms. She was trembling.

"What thing?"

"Tom's sea treasure… I touched it!"

Oh, shit.

"You went into the closet?"

"I… I wondered where it was and I peeked in and saw the box in there and I wanted to see it again so I opened it and touched it—I only put my finger in its belly button—and—"

Fear quick-crawled on clawed feet through Jack's chest.

"You touched it?"

He wanted to be angry, but at whom? Vicky or himself?

She nodded. "But only once."

"Did it hurt you?"

A quick shake of her head. "No, but it moved!"

"Moved? How—?"

"Come see!"

She pulled him toward the hall but slid behind him as they left the TV room.

"See it? See it?"

Jack's heart began to pound. Yeah, he saw it. But what the hell—?