While Allen answered his grandfather, every part of him wanted to run.
It felt like a thousand unseen eyes were staring at him.
Watching.
Waiting.
He refused to look back.
"Allen?" Mimi asked softly. "Are you okay?"
Without lifting his head, Allen gave her a shaky thumbs-up.
He still couldn't bring himself to look at anyone.
Sheriff Angie and Sheriff Johnson exchanged uneasy glances.
Something wasn't right.
Everyone in town knew how much Allen adored his grandfather. He never stopped talking about how brave and kind Sheriff Steven was.
But today…
It looked as though Allen was terrified of saying the wrong thing.
Sheriff Steven slowly stood up and walked toward his grandson.
Each step echoed through the silent station.
He stopped in front of Allen.
"Are you okay, son?"
Allen slowly raised his head.
A wide smile stretched across his face.
Too wide.
"Yeah, Grandpa," he said cheerfully. "I'm okay."
The smile never reached his eyes.
A chill swept through the room.
Allen lowered his head again without another word.
Trying to ignore the strange feeling in her chest, Sheriff Angie began calling the parents of the missing children one by one.
"I need you to come to the station immediately," she told each of them.
None of the parents understood why they had been called after so many years, but the urgency in Angie's voice convinced them to come.
When they finally arrived, all three sheriffs stepped outside to speak with them privately.
The children were left alone inside the station.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Kyler looked at Mimi.
Mimi looked at Jack and Jeff.
Finally, Kyler broke the silence.
"Why did you act like that around your grandpa?"
Allen took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry."
Everyone looked at him.
"I needed them to leave."
The room became deathly quiet.
"What do you mean?" Mimi asked.
Allen looked at each of them before speaking.
"You aren't safe."
Those three words made everyone's heart race.
"You all disappeared… and somehow ended up in my universe."
The others stared at him in confusion.
"What?" Jack whispered.
Allen nodded.
"The parents outside…"
He swallowed.
"They never had children in this world."
Silence.
"The man you've all been talking about…"
"The one chanting," Kyler interrupted.
Allen nodded.
"Yeah. He's real."
" The thing he chants "
"'Grass Man… Grass Man… come… come… come…'"
All their faces turned pale.
"That's how he brings people here."
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Allen took one final, trembling breath.
"And there's something else…"
He looked up.
"I'm not from this universe either."