The Reaping Page #2

Church is this way. Come on.

See you.

We were only a week apart.

It's number two for the both of us.

Know what you're having?

Heck, doesn't matter to me.

- Morning.

- Morning.

You got kids?

No, I don't.

They must be upstairs.

They?

The town council. Doug, the mayor, and

whoever else ain't doing their real job.

Boys sure do love to act important.

We certainly do, ma'am.

- Can't have a field trip in a damn gym.

- Then we'll postpone.

Gonna get real suspicious...

They'll get suspicious if every kid

comes down with a staph infection.

Oh, hi.

- Mayor Brooks.

- Hi.

These are the folks

I was telling you about.

I'm hoping Katherine here

can help us with our problem.

I understand you're not

a Bible reader.

Well, I've read it.

Just don't put much stock in it.

Yeah.

Some folks just don't

wanna go to heaven.

Maybe it's time to look at your river.

It ain't getting any better.

When did the fish start?

This morning.

Bubbled up like farts in a bathtub.

How far does it go?

That way, up to the channel.

And then down this way...

...almost half a mile to the dam.

- That could be your problem.

- How do you mean?

A dam gives pollutants

a place to build up.

Longer they're there,

the more toxic they get.

Is it blood?

You know, I wish I could tell you.

Never seen that before.

- Black's not even on the chart.

- Bad phenolphthalein?

- I hope not. It's the only we've got.

- Get more samples.

We'll overnight to the lab.

I'll get the waders.

Can't take it in any further. Too shallow.

Okay. We'll walk.

You gonna be all right

if I leave you alone?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm loving life right now.

Katherine?

Easy there. You all right?

I'm fine. I just hit my head.

I saw a girl.

- What? Blond?

- Yeah.

Kind of thin?

It's not how I figured

on you two meeting.

That's the girl everyone's worried about?

Loren McConnell.

We're not far from where her brother,

Brody, died.

They live out here?

And that's pretty much

how the rest of the town likes it.

- What's everyone have against these people?

- A single mom letting her kids run wild?

- Doesn't exactly fit the town's

self-image. - Where's the father?

Brody's dad drove his truck

off the causeway.

Loren's father was a traveling preacher.

Really? Covered wagon or a tent?

No, I think it was a Pontiac.

He only stayed around long enough

to leave her mom in a fix.

Folks been looking at her cross-eyed

ever since.

I haven't been out this way in a while.

- Nobody has.

- What did this place used to be?

A haven. About a hundred years ago.

Until three hurricanes in three years

pretty much wiped it off the map.

They buried all their dead

in that mausoleum.

- Then they started over on higher ground.

- Thought you said no one came here.

Katherine?

- Yeah?

- Yeah...

- Where are you?

- I'm close. Be right there.

I know I tend to jump to conclusions

on these things...

- Don't say it.

- Lf this town is thinking plagues...

...they got one closer.

- Don't you think it's early to go biblical?

Seeing I was waist-high in blood,

dodging dead frogs, no.

They died because the pH level

of the water was off the charts.

- We're gonna need to see the body.

- I'll call, see if I can arrange it.

Is there any way

I can overnight these samples?

Sure. We got a post office in town.

I'll point it out on the way to my place.

Your place?

Well, I hope you don't mind...

...but we don't have a motel here,

but I got two extra rooms all ready to go.

- I wasn't sure if you two were...

- No, we're not.

No accounting for taste.

- So that's okay?

- It's fine.

You wanna ride with me?

I can clean off the seat.

Sure.

Hey, Katherine, if you need me to

disappear so you can get acquainted...

...I can find a Stuckey's...

- Get those samples in...

...before it's too late.

- Your hair looks nice.

- Shut it.

What do you think?

It's probably Pfiesteria.

- Excuse me?

- Oh, it's a micro-organism...

...which gets lethal

under the right conditions.

Toxins bloom. Fish die.

Your river turns red.

Right.

You meant the scenery.

No, that's good. Very efficient.

I have a tendency to miss the forest for...

Literally.

It's beautiful.

From a ways off, maybe.

I've been trying to restore it

since my granddad gave it to me.

You must have been a good grandson.

Well, he didn't have a lot of choice.

I come from a long line of only children.

- I got it.

- Thanks.

This is a pretty big job for just one guy.

Yes, it is. Kind of.

I got it.

Katherine?

I got a bed set up in here.

- Thank you.

- It's not much.

No, it's great. Thanks.

And I got a couch in the other room.

I thought Ben could use it.

I hope he doesn't mind.

You folks really like these things. These.

Damn.

What?

My bracelet.

I must've lost it at the swamp.

Was it valuable?

Only to me, I guess.

- It might be a little hard to find in the dark.

- It's okay, really. I'll live.

Maybe I'll look in the truck.

- Yeah, sure.

- Yeah.

Well, I hope you like fish.

Well, where exactly

did you get the fish?

Grocery store. Seafood section.

- Great.

- Oh, well, then, grill on.

- Oh, sh*t. I forgot the Tabasco.

- I'll get it. Ben needs a refill anyway.

Cupboard above the sink.

So I guess it's safe to say

you're a church-going man.

Oh, yeah. Ten years, every Sunday.

How's that fit with disproving miracles?

You know, it's easy to lose faith.

Look at Katherine. If an ordained minister

can turn her back on God...

...then what hope is there

for the rest of us, right?

Plus, I think people

need to believe in miracles.

Find any real ones yet?

Yeah. Yeah.

Two semi-automatics, at 10 feet.

Punctured my liver, my kidneys, both arms.

Shattered my hip.

doing dumb stuff.

Hell, I was still hooked to the IV

when they rolled me into court.

Yeah, I knew I was supposed to die.

I guess Katherine doesn't have

the same tattoos.

No, I keep telling her to get

a question mark right here, but no.

- Weren't you getting me a beer?

- Guess you didn't pray hard enough.

Well, the first wave's done.

I hope everybody's hungry.

Amen to that because I'm starving.

Hey.

Yeah, sure. I'll ask.

We'll be right over.

That was Cade.

Jim Wakeman says his cattle

are acting strange.

- Well, did he call the vet?

- Can't until tomorrow.

Is their place close to the river?

About half a mile.

- Might be worth a look.

- Yeah. I'll go get the stuff.

I don't know.

I mean, the maggots and the flies.

Where did they come from so fast?

Katherine, do you still think this is?

What do you call it?

Pfiesteria. It makes the most sense.

- Are we here yet?

- Yeah, farm's just up here.

- How many head of cattle do they...?

- Oh, God.

What the f*** was that?

Doug?

Sh*t.

Sh*t.

Goddamn bull tore right through

my holding pen.

- Nearly gutted my boy before I got him clear.

- When did the cows start getting sick?

At milking this morning

some didn't wanna give.

Now most of them can't even stand.

Seems like they're shriveling up.

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