The Monster of Piedras Blancas Page #5

All right.

- Now remember.

- All right.

- You gave me quite a fright.

- I'm sorry, Fred.

- What's the matter?

- We found our killer.

- What is it!

- It's inhuman!

He's nearly 7 feet tall.

He's got tremendous strength!

That scale, that scale you found.

That was part of it.

He's killed 2 more

people and escaped.

Where'd he go?

South, along the beach.

We've got to track him down.

- I'll tell Lucy!

- No, no, no, no...

I've already warned her.

They're in no danger.

We'll go after him,

so come on!

Daddy, do you want some broth?

It's ready.

All right, wait a minute, men, wait.

Now look, Fred and I will cover

the beach along the rocks.

Merit, you take 2 men and

cover the cliffs from the top.

Jake, you try the moor.

Now don't get divided.

And don't try to take him for yourselves

because you're no match for him.

Now fire 3 signal shots in case

you come in contact with him.

But don't get too close.

Wait til the rest of us get there.

You understand that?

- Yeah.

- All right, let's go!

Look at the size of those prints!

- Want me to signal?

- No, no, no....

Let's wait until we're sure

that he's cornered.

You know, some of these caves

come out on top of the cliff.

Come on.

Come on. He must have gone out

through the top. Come on.

Over here!

Merit's dead!

We'll have to get Mike back right

away and patch him up.

We'll all have to go back.

We'll need reinforcements.

Well, come on, let's go then!

He needs medical attention!

Yeah.

Now look men,

we'll start the hunt tomorrow

morning at daybreak.

Bring Merit's body, boys, will you?

Let me help you.

Dad, you're feeling better.

You slept most of the day.

This is good and warm.

It'll give you strength.

No, I've got to get up to the light!

Eat this and we'll talk about it.

- You don't understand.

- Yes I do.

There, that's better.

- Dad?

- Yes.

Why didn't you want Fred

to go to the caves?

It's dangerous!

Is that the only reason?

What's between you and Fred?

I'm in love with him.

I don't want you to see him again.

Two more people have been

killed in the village.

Do you know anything

about the killings?

The people in the

village think you do.

They're fools!

Daddy, the last person

killed was a child.

A little girl.

Maybe I'm responsible, I don't know.

What do you mean?

Do you remember

the long walks I...

...used to take when

we first came here?

You'd say they helped to keep you

from brooding about Mother.

Yes...

well...

There were many caves

along the cliffs that I...

...I was sure had never been explored.

I noticed one in particular at low tide.

One day, when the...

...tide was at full ebb, I waded out

through the opening and....

...walked through it...

I walked for what seemed miles and...

...until...

I saw a light ahead.

I climbed up to it and...

...and found a

narrow fissure opening

at the mouth of the big cave

below the lighthouse.

It wasn't big enough for me to get

through so I had to go back.

Just before I got to the

the entrance

I realized the tide

had closed me in.

Suddenly, I

I had the strangest feeling

that I was being watched

and I heard sounds like

heavy breathing.

I dove through the

opening and swam out.

The next day I went

back to the mouth of the

cave below the light

and left some fish I'd caught.

The following morning

they were gone.

Is that why you packed me

off to boarding school?

I knew it wouldn't be

long until you'd...

...you'd fine that opening

and squeeze through.

I couldn't take a chance, Lucy.

After you left,

I was even more lonely.

Strange, but I got to worrying about

that poor creature in the cave.

I fished every day

and left my catch.

Finally, I...

..I just couldn't catch

enough so I...

...I got meat scraps...

It wasn't long before the fish was

refused and I had to get more...

...I had to get more meat.

And last night

when you mentioned

you had the

feeling someone

was watching you...

I had to go down and see.

I must have slipped

on the rocks or...

- I don't know, it...

- Sorry, Dad.

Can you remember anything else

that happened last night?

I just had the feeling somebody

was watching me, that's all.

Dad, do you mean to

tell me, you've been

feeding this this "whatever

it is" all these years?

Until Kochek gave my scraps

away the other day.

I'd have paid him for them

if that's what he wanted.

I'm sure he didn't do it spitefully.

So you see,

if there is a monster,

maybe, in a way,

I am responsible.

Don't say that, Dad!

You had no way of knowing.

But I should have guessed.

I should have guessed and

told the sheriff that...

But somehow I had a...

...I had a protective feeling.

Like it was my own.

After you left it was very

lonesome, Lucy and...

...it seemed less lonesome

knowing there was...

...some living

creature nearby.

I know it's stupid, but..

I never got along with

the townspeople and...

...it was something to hang on to.

I understand.

Doctor Jorgenson says

you'll have to stay in bed.

I've got to tend the light!

I'll turn it on when it's time.

But the prisms need cleaning

and it's got to be oiled!

- One night won't hurt!

- Lucy, you've got to help me!

It's going to be a clear night.

You don't have to worry.

But suppose the legend is true?

You could kill yourself

going up there tonight!

I could do less. I can't.

It's my responsibility.

Oh, all right!

I'll get you something warm.

You've got to help me.

If a ship went aground tonight...

...and he was out there hunting...

...there wouldn't be

a single survivor.

Let's rest awhile.

- All right, now?

- Yeah, let's go on.

I'll be all right, now.

- You can go down.

- Are you sure?

If I need you, I'll call you.

Better bolt the door and windows.

Now go on.

All right.

- What's that for?

- Because I love you.

Look, Doc, can I give you a hand?

No, I'm almost finished now, George.

- Well, how bad is he?

- Oh, he'll be all right.

Had a bad blow on the head.

He's suffering from shock.

Mashed hand.

But I can't find much

other damage.

Look, I don't know what...

...good all this snooping

around does.

Now that we got a monster

on our hands...

...let's go out and get it!

You saw what happened

this afternoon.

We're no match for him yet.

All right, I'm Sorry.

I'm just jumpy.

Well, what did you find?

It definitely a member of the

Diplovertebron family.

But a peculiar derivation.

Where'd he come from?

Well, from the description you

and the doctor gave me...

...and a careful analysis

of these 2 scales...

...I'd say it was created

at the bottom of the sea.

No, I don't understand it.

Well, it's obvious from the

structure of this scale...

that he's capable of sustaining

tremendous pressures.

The likes of which you'd

only find at great depths.

Still, he seems equally capable

of living out of water.

This leaves me to believe perhaps

he's from a subterranean cave.

You think he's some kind of fish?

No.

But he bears a marked resemblance

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