Disclaimer: I do not own COTC, or Micah, and Ezekiel. I also do not own Gabriel, (He Who Walks Behind The Rows). I do own the story line, Alley, Julie, Chasity, Edward, Nick, Bailey, and Chuck. I hope you enjoy my little chapter in the COTC series. Read on.





CHILDREN OF THE CORN;

THE BOOK OF SOULS:

The cornfield seemed to go on for forever. The town was quiet, and empty. Ally Felks stood in front of the two only other people in the town. two boys. "Only you can help." One spoke to her.

"The book shall lead the way." Instructed the other.

"What book? What can I do?"

The eighteen-year-old girl took a step forward. Her blue eyes showing much confusion, and her medium brown shoulder length hair blowing in the wind. The winds were getting very fierce.

Suddenly, the two boys disappeared. "No! Wait!"

The winds were getting worse. They picked Alley up, and hurdled her through the air. She grabbed on to a light pole, and held on with all her might. "Help me, someone!" she cried

But there was no one there to help her. "Thou shalt mind thy own business, outlander!" a voice boomed, the broke down in cackles. "Stay away from this land! Or you shall regret it!"

XXXX

"Bzzzzzzzzzzz!"

Alley jolted up the annoying sound of her alarm clock. She pushed the covers off of her, and stumbled her way into the kitchen. Edward Bowen, her half brother, and Nick Smith, her best friends brother, were already in the kitchen sipping coffee. "Hey!" Edward greeted, smiling.

He was beautiful. Even Alley had to admit it. He was half Italian from his father's side. He had beautiful sky blue eyes, and black hair. He was thirty-two, but looked eighteen. He had his share of girls after him.

"I said hey." Edward greeted again, a tent of worry in his voice.

She shook away her thoughts. "Oh! Hey yourself."

"Al, would you do me a favor?" asked Nick.

"Sure."

"Go up, and check on Julie before you go to work."

She nodded. Nick was always calling her Al. It never bothered her. Nick was a good guy. He was a bleach blonde, and had brown eyes just like Julie, and his other sister's, Chasity. All of them had their hair died a different color. Julie's was auburn, and Chasity's was an ash blonde.

"Well, Alley." Edward began, getting up, "I'm leaving."

"Yeah, me, too." Nick announced.

"Be careful." Alley smiled.

"You too." Edward, and Nick said at the same time.

They said their good-byes, and then the two men left. Alley got Julie's medicine, a medicine cup, and a lemon lime soda. She began tiptoeing up the stairs to Julie's room. She wanted to try and be quiet because Chasity was still asleep. She got to Julie's room, and peered inside. Julie was sitting up in her bed. "Hey, girl. You doing okay?"

"Oh, hey! Yeah, I'll live. I think this flue is finally passing through my system."

"I brought you your medicine."

Julie made a face. Alley gave her the bottle of liquid, and the medicine cup. Julie carefully poured the right amount of medicine into the cup. Then she took it. Alley handed her a lemon lime soda. She quickly opened it, and guzzled it. "Nasty!"

"But it's helping you."

"I know, but yuck!"

"You probably slept about as good as I did." Alley yawned.

"Another dream?"

"Another dream."

Julie sighed. "I wonder how come you keep having them."

"I don't know."

Julie sat her soda on her nightstand. "Well, when we were in Jacksonville, you never had dreams like these."

"I know. I think it's this place."

"Yeah, me too. I mean. Nick, Chasity, and I have lived with you, and Edward for years, and I've never seen anything like this from ya."

"It's weird, but. they are just dreams, right?"

Julie coughed. "Right."

"Well, Jules, I've gotta go get ready for work. Today's my last day for the week."

"TGIF, huh?"

"You said it."

Alley started to walk out of the room. "Hey, Alley. Be careful, okay. Going there, and coming home."

"Ah, don't worry. I will be."

"And drive carefully."

"I will. You keep plenty of liquids in you, okay."

"Yeah, okay."

"Bye, Julie."

"Bye, Alley."



As Alley drove home from where she worked, she had a weird feeling. Like the urge to go the other way.

"It's silly, Alley." She told herself. "You've never been that way. You don't know what's that way. There's nothing that way."

But the urge, and feeling to go there didn't go away.

"You've never been that way. You could get lost."

She wasn't convincing herself. She spun the steering wheel, and did a U-turn, then drove in the direction her gut was telling her to. It seemed like she was driving for forever. Finally, her gut feeling told her to stop. She got out of the car. Rain began to pour down on top of her. She started to run through the cornfield. She stopped when she saw two shapes in front of her. Two boys. one with black hair, and one with red. Both had piercing brown eyes.

"Who are you?!" she demanded.

"Only you can help us get our revenge on him!"

"The book will show you how! You must bring us back to our full form! The book will help you!"

"What book?! Who do you want revenge on?!"

"Stay away from the corn!" an evil voice boomed.

Alley looked up for only a moment. When she returned her gaze to where the boys were, they were gone. "I'm losing my mind."

Suddenly, another shape appeared. She couldn't make out his face. "You meddling little infidel! Get out!"

Alley took a step back.

"Go!"

Alley tripped, falling in the mud. She seemed to be sinking. She tried to get up, but was stuck. She tried to grasp something, but only brought back mud. 'I'm being buried' she thought.

With one last breath, the mud, and muck covered her, and everything went black.



"Alley! Hello!"

Alley jerked herself out of the strange daydream. "Sorry, Bailey."

"It's okay. You just scared me."

Alley looked around her. She was safe inside the Hilton, behind the registration desk. Bailey Schwartz, the girl she worked with, looked worried. "I was just lost in a daydream."

"Oh! About a guy?" Bailey asked, them smiled.

"No. hey, Bay. What's that way?" she asked, pointing in the direction her daydream had taken her.

"You've never been that way?"

Alley shook her head. "Nope. We've only been here a couple of months. I've really had no reason to go that way."

Bailey took a seat in a chair. "There's lot's that way. Two towns I know for sure. Gatlin, and."

There was that feeling again. "W-what is there?"

Bailey laughed nervously. "Nothing. Damn kid, and teenage population all of the adults. It was horrible. It's pretty much a ghost town, except for. well, kids. I won't go near that place.

Alley's feelings, at the mention of Gatlin, were growing stronger, and stronger. "Why did they do it?"

"Ha! Who knows for sure? A million different stories are circulating around this country. Who knows which to believe. All I know is the whole thing just creeps me out."

But Alley had made up her mind. Ghost town, evil children, scary people, or whatever. Alley was going to Gatlin.

XXXX