The Ever After

Chapter Thirty-One: A Figure in the Distance

THEY COULD HEAR THE DOGS' BREATH NOW, could even smell it. They were almost upon them.

Pumpkin, May, Beatrice, and Fabbio looked at one another, then back across the sand. The train was close now; they could see a skeleton wearing an engineer's cap at the front window. But it was too late. In another moment the dogs were there, yelping and screeching, pouring around them. Beatrice and Pumpkin crouched and held up their hands to defend themselves. Fabbio and May stood before them bravely. Fabbio waved his sword at the dogs uselessly. "Not another step!"

One dog was lunging for his throat when a high sharp whistle pierced the air, causing the dog to snap its jaws shut just inches from Fabbio's face. All of the dogs sat, but only just. Their teeth dripped bloodthirsty drool. They whimpered at being so close to their prey and unable to attack.

And then, from behind them, floated the Bogeyman.

He was smiling as he made his way around this dog and that one, his pointy teeth bared, his eyes crinkled up in what looked like a laugh.

May winced. Behind her she could hear the train squealing to a stop, and then the doors sliding open. She wanted to tear her eyes away to look back at the train, gauging their chances for making it, but she couldn't get herself to move an inch. She rolled her eyes to the side.

"Don't even try . . . ," the Bogeyman rasped, his voice- without the speakers-coming out low and whispery. He seemed to know what she was thinking. "You take one step, and a hundred Shuck dogs will tear you apart."

He floated up to May and ran his fingers along her chin. "There'll be nothing to help you now, May Bird." He looked around at the others. "Now is your time to die."

The Bogeyman held his fingers up to May's face and placed the suction cups on her cheeks. May felt her vision going black. Suddenly there was a squeal on her left. A shape shot forward and tackled the Bogey around the waist. It took a moment for May to realize who it was.

"Pumpkin, no!"

The Bogeyman, though thin and gaunt, did not even sway. He seemed amused as he plucked Pumpkin off him and tossed him onto the ground, stepping on him with one black-clad foot. "I'll save you for Mama. She loves house ghosts."

A whimper came from behind him, and then Mama padded up beside the Bogey, a full three times bigger than the other dogs.

Behind May a voice called, "All aboard."

May jerked her head to see a skeleton conductor standing on the top step of the train door, seemingly oblivious to all that was going on. In another moment he disappeared into the car, and with a sickening thud, the doors closed. The train chugged into life and began to pull away.

May felt the last hope die within her. Beside her, Beatrice began to cry. The Bogeyman once again stretched his fingers toward May. Her skin went tingly, and then it began to stretch. At that moment Mama let out a huge snuff, loud enough to make the Bogeyman look down at her. "Don't be jealous, Mama. You'll have your turn with the others."

But Mama wasn't listening to him. She had begun to whimper. And then a strange thing began happening with the other dogs. They all lifted up their heads and sniffed at the air, curiously at first. Then a few tails became ramrod straight, a few ears pricked up, and every one of them began sniffing and huffing hard, standing up and looking all around them.

The Bogeyman let go of May for just a second.

"Run!"

It had been Captain Fabbio that yelled it. And it was a hopeless cause. But they all started running, not toward the train but away from it, away from the Bogeyman, taking the dogs by surprise just enough so that they got a minuscule head start as they rushed across the sand.