Summer Ghoul: Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #5

Chapter 3

"Mrs. Torkells !" "Mom!" yelled Robert and Glenn.

Mrs. Torkells was already sprinting across the beach to them. She knelt down and turned the man over. 

The man was pale and his eyes were closed. His wet hair was long and in his face as she turned him over. She started chest compressions. Robert and Glenn stood by feeling helpless.

After what seemed like forever, the man coughed.

"Kack! K-hack !" He tried to sit up.

"Easy, easy, lie back down. You are safe now. Glenn, run for help."

Glenn hesitated. "I don't want to leave you with some random dude."

"Go. Robert and I will be fine. His mom is a nurse."

Glenn ran off in the direction of the beach parking. Robert knew from there it was a diagonal to  Florence's Gas Station and Grocery and that was where his friend would call for help.

Now that the man's eyes were open, Robert saw they were a strange shade of blue-green. 

Mrs. Torkells spread a beach towel over the man. Robert offered him his bottle of water, but he pushed it away. 

"I'm Jean and this is Robert. You are in Dunwich, Massachusetts. What is your name?"

The man sat up. He seemed agitated. He looked around, seeming to not recognize his surroundings at all. "I have to go home. Please, let me go home.'

Robert felt bad for the man. "My mom is a nurse. Can I check you out to see if you are hurt?'

The man nodded. Robert pressed along his arms and legs, feeling for any broken bones. Other than a few bruises, there were none. He looked in his eyes and held up three fingers on his right hand and one on his left. "How many fingers am I holding up?'

"One."

"He's dehydrated," the boy said to the woman. "I don't know how much sea water he swallowed, or if he has a concussion."

"I don't see any wreckage, any flotsam and jetsam," she said. "Where did he come from?"

"My name ... I don't remember my name."

Mrs. Torkells put a hand up to her eyes and searched in the distance. "Where is Glenn?" 

"Look." Robert pointed to a car, hood shimmering in the heat, driving towards them. It was a police car. 

Sherriff Underwood got out of the driver's side, Glenn out of the passenger side. Glenn started to sprint to his mom, but the sheriff stopped him. "Stay back, son. Let me check it out." 

The Sherriff was portly, and he swayed slightly as he walked to the man and knelt near him. Instead of rendering medical aid, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them on the man.

"Hey!"

"Stop This man needs medical attention!"

"Are you a doctor?" said the Sherriff as he hoisted the man none too gently to his feet.

"What ?"

"I don't believe he washed up on shore. He's probably a drifter you found laying off a bender. I'll check his prints and I'll bet he's in our system." He shoved the man forward, "Come on, hippy."

The trio gaped in disbelief. Glenn's mom had tears in her eyes. "This is outrageous." Her voice shook. "Come on, kids. We're going to see Robert's mom."

An hour later, Mrs. Arthur came out of the police station to the car where the trio waited for her.

"They let me examine him when he didn't turn up in any databases. He's definitely had some sort of head trauma. He has amnesia."

"Where are they taking him?"

"He has no place to go. With no insurance he can't go to therapy for it. They are going to turn him loose after he finishes the supper they gave him."

"Ellen, bring him out here. He's going to stay with me and Glenn."

TO BE CONTINUED