Hole in a Field, Chap 16

A little while ago I wrote a short story for the L. Ron Hubbard "Writers of the Future Contest".  I did not win, and I know why, my story is really more horror than Science Fiction or Fantasy.  But I decided that I will post each chapter here on my blog.  There are 37 very short chapters, for a total of 15,000 words, about a fifth of a modern novel.  Here is the start.

Chapter 16:

Todd didn't react immediately.  He had been entirely prepared for Allison to tell him yet again that she wasn't getting anything, and that they needed to keep working the waking world. He didn't expect her to burst the way she did.

Allison seized, her back arching, head tossed back, eyes clenched, and let loose a howling scream to the sky. She slid from her seat, flopping to the ground, and stopping her howl only to gasp before continuing the painful scream deeper and longer.

Todd dropped beside her and pulled her away from the ground in an attempt to keep Allison for beating her head to a pulp as she convulsed. She began struggling instead and he received a full set of fingernails across the face for his efforts.  At which point he was quietly cursing as she continued to howl.

Then there was an immediate silence. Todd’s heart sank as he looked at Allison’s face; her eyes were open, but the irises had turned from brown to deep red and the whites of her eyes looked yellow and dry. Her nose was bleeding.  Todd looked at her agape, his face bleeding from the scratches, and watched as she faintly whispered the words, “Carnival’s come to town,” and slumped motionless into his arms.