"BULLERSTEN"
by Robert W. Howington


It moved.  Larry backed  away.   "SHIT!   Did you see that?"
Jonathan smirked.  "Convinced,  huh?"  Eyes  bulging,  Larry
nodded.  "Get me the hell out of here man."

                                *

It had gone.  "It was right here." Larry pointed.  "Jonathan
showed  it to me." He chewed on his nails.  "You better tell
him it rolled off," Cindy said.

                                *

Jonathan raised his  hand.   Larry  saw  it and walked over.
"That thing isn't there anymore!  Cindy and I went  to  look
at it." Jonathan threw down his menu and punched the booth's
cushioned seat.  "I wanted to videotape it.  I coulda made a
bundle  selling  the tape to a network." Larry pulled at his
hair.  "That thing is LOOSE!"

                                *

Jonathan stopped the car.   "How  can  you see anything with
those binoculars?  Your hands are shaking.  Give'em to  me."
Larry  rolled  up  his window and locked the door.  He wiped
away the  sweat  on  his  forehead  with  his  shirt sleeve.
Jonathan adjusted the binoculars focus.  "I  don't  see  it.
We'll  have  to drive around more.  Sundown ain't for a hour
or so." Larry sank into his seat.

                                *

Cindy looked at Larry with anticipation.  "So?" He bowed his
head.  "Couldn't find it.  We  drove all over town.  It must
be hidin' someplace." "Maybe it only comes  out  at  night?"
"Maybe."  "It can't hurt nobody can it?" Larry walked to the
hall closet and got  his  .45  auto.   He slapped a magazine
into the gun well and pulled the slide back and released it,
chambering a round.  "It's not gonna hurt us, baby."

                                *

Tarrant County Sheriff's Detective Harold  Lutz  pulled  the
sheet  away  from the body.  "Looks like coyotes fed on it,"
he said.  "Not much left." "Good thing for us the guy didn't
shave," said Assistant  County  Coroner  David Dinks, "or we
would've had to have had to run tests to determine the sex."
Detective  Lutz  replaced  the  sheet.   "What  a  beautiful
fucking morning."

                                *

MAN FOUND DEAD  IN  FAUSTUS  PARK  Larry  read  the  evening
paper's  top  story.   "This spot where the guy got murdered
isn't too far from  where  we  saw  it." Jonathan sipped his
coffee.   "It  killed  him  for  sure."  Larry  tortured   a
toothpick.   "We  gotta  tell the cops, man." Jonathan shook
his head.  "We're

gonna find it and kill  it  and  sell  the story rights to a
Hollywood studio."  Larry  showed  Jonathan  his  .45  auto.
"Know  how  to  use  it?"  "I was in the Marines, man.  They
taught me how to kill a man a hundred different ways." "This
thing ain't no man."

                                *

Maria Cort  closed  the  compact.   "How  do  I  look?" Andy
Criswell opened the Channel 7 newstruck's door and  followed
her  down  the  steps.   "Somewhat  better than the corpse."
"Smart ass." Andy smiled and handed her a microphone.  "Give
me a sound check,"  said  cameraman Richard Ackles.  She put
the mic to her mouth and exhaled an orgasmic moan.  "Cut the
crap and do  your  job,"  Andy  said.   "You're  working  in
Dallas/Fort  Worth  now.   This is a major market and a long
way from that pissant TV station in Lubbock.  We

got you for your  great  body  and  voice.  Now show us some
moxie." Detective Lutz stood next to Maria.  Andy  held  his
hand  in  the  air.   "Five...four...three..."  He pointed a
finger at Maria.   "Go!"  "Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputies
have found a second body here at Faustus Park.  Identity  of
the  victim is unknown, but it is believed to be the body of
a female.  Here with me is Detective Harold Lutz.  Detective
Lutz can you tell  us  how  the victim died?" Detective Lutz
cleared his throat.   "We  don't  know  at  this  time.   An
autopsy  will  have to be performed.  Coyotes chewed up this
body too." Maria, with an  appalled  look, said, "Is there a
mad killer stalking this once peaceful park?" Detective Lutz
cleared his throat again.  "We don't know.  The killer could
be dumping the bodies here figuring the coyotes will feed on
the remains and make it difficult, if not impossible, for us
to solve the crime." "Do you have any clues or leads?"

Detective Lutz shook his head.

                                *

Larry tapped his foot on the floor.   "You  see  the  news?"
Jonathan  sat  on  the  couch and opened a beer.  "Yeah.  So
what?  It's  hungry.   A  squirrel  ain't  gonna satisfy its
appetite.  It's hunting bigger game." Larry rubbed his hands
together.  "We gotta call the cops, man.  We  can't  let  it
kill  someone  else."  Jonathan  pulled  out  his wallet and
showed it to Larry.  "What do you see?" "Nothing." "We'll be
heroes if we stop  it,"  Jonathan  said,  "and this won't be
empty." "We should be thinking  about  peoples'  lives,  not
money." "Look," Jonathan said.  "I got a plan.  I know it'll
work.  This is the end for it."

                                     *

Sheriff's  Deputy John McCall whistled nervously.  He kept a
hand on the  grip  of  his  revolver  and aimed a flashlight
ahead.  He spotted a boulder and  walked  over  to  it.   He
stopped   there  and  leaned  against  it.   He  got  out  a
cigarette, tapped it against the  boulder and lit it.  As he
inhaled, McCall felt a sharp pain in his back.  He wanted to
scream, but something covered his mouth.

                                     *

Cindy balked.  "I could get killed." "Larry's got  that  big
gun,"  Jonathan  said.  "I've got a knife and this gasoline.
If anything goes after  you  we'll  be  on  it like black on
burnt toast." Cindy looked to Larry for reassurance.   "Come
on, baby." He walked over and kissed her.  "This is going to
work."

                                     *

Detective  Lutz  kneeled  down  and looked at McCall.  "Poor
bastard." Dinks covered the  body  with a blanket.  "I think
you should get animal control to  round  up  those  coyotes.
They're  eating  all of the evidence." Detective Lutz phoned
Tarrant County Sheriff  Tom  Noonan.   "Sir,  I want Faustus
Park off limits  to  everybody.   Three  killings  in  three
nights  will  have  all sorts of nuts out here." "OK, Lutz,"
Noonan said.  "I'll get  some  road  crews  to block off the
entrances.  The press is all over me on  this  case  and  my
image is taking a beating.  I'm slipping in the polls.  Know
what  I  mean?" "Yes, sir.  I'll get this Mickey and Mallory
wannabe."

                                     *

Larry, Jonathan and Cindy sat still.  "Someone else got it,"
Larry said.  "We'll  do  our  thing  after  the cops leave,"
Jonathan  said.   "I  wonder  what  it  feels  like  to  die
violently?" said Cindy.  "That goddamned thing is  going  to
know  after we get through with it," Jonathan said.  He gave
Larry a high  five.   Cindy  shook  her  head.   "Men are so
macho," she said.

                                     *

Maria stood in front of  the  camera.   Detective  Lutz  was
standing  next  to  her.   Andy  pointed  a  finger.   "Go!"
"Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputy John McCall was murdered as
he patrolled Faustus Park last night.  His body was found in
the  same vicinity of the other two victims.  Again, coyotes
fed on the  corpse.   Here  with  me  is Sheriff's Detective
Harold Lutz.  Sir, how is the investigation  going?"  "We're
making  progress and we've got some leads I can't divulge at
this time.  As of now the park will be closed to the public.
I guarantee you I'm going to stop this serial killer."

                                     *

The last police  car  left.   "Let's  do it," Jonathan said.
Cindy got up and wiped the dirt and leaves off of her blouse
and jeans.  "Go stand near that boulder," Larry said.  Cindy
hesitated.  "I'm scared." Jonathan slapped her behind.  "Get
your ass out there." "Cool it, man," Larry  said.   "Go  on,
honey  we're  right  here."  Cindy  walked cautiously to the
boulder.  She looked back at  Larry and Jonathan.  They gave
her an "OK" sign.  She looked around, but saw nothing.   She
paced  near  the  boulder  for  several minutes.  Bored, she
leaned against it and looked into the bushes where Larry and
Jonathan hid.  They  gave  her  a  "stay  right there" sign.
Cindy put her hands in her pockets and  dug  a  toe  in  the
ground.   A  yawn  turned into a gasp upon feeling something
touch her from  behind.   She  quickly turned around.  "What
was that?" Nothing was there.  She looked over at Larry  and
Jonathan.

They  both  waved  frantically at her.  "Get the hell out of
the way!" Larry shouted.   He  had  the  gun pointed at her.
She hit the ground.  Larry fired.  The bullet ricocheted off
the boulder.  Cindy crawled to them on her hands and  knees.
Larry  fired  again.  Jonathan ran to the boulder and doused
it with the  gasoline.   Before  he  lit  a  match to it the
boulder rolled over him.  It sucked  him  inside  and  shook
violently  for  several seconds.  The thing spit his remains
out.  They landed a  few  feet  from Cindy.  "Jesus, look at
him!" she yelled, "He's all ate up.  GODDAMN!!  GET  ME  THE
HELL OUTTA HERE!!"

                                     *

Maria  started  to move out from the bushes.  Detective Lutz
grabbed her arm.  "Where do you think you're going?" "I want
to get a better look,"  she  said.  "The hell you say." Lutz
pulled her close to  him.   Richard  put  new  tape  in  the
minicam.  "What that thing is I don't know," Lutz said, "but
its  our  killer.   This  one-man  stakeout of mine has paid
off." He looked at Maria.  "You've  got a story and I've got
a killer."

                                     *

It rolled towards them.  Cindy grabbed Larry's hand.   "COME
ON!"  They  climbed  into  a  tree.   "It can't get to us up
here," she said.   "I  can't  believe  this  shit," he said.
"That damn thing is sitting  down  there  waiting  for  us."
Cindy checked her pockets.  "Do you have any matches?" Larry
shook  his  head.  "It's soaked with gasoline and we haven't
got a match to light it with," she said.  "We're fucked." "I
got my gun."

                                     *

Detective Lutz and Maria  stayed  put.  Richard moved closer
to get a better shot.  "This story will make me a star," she
said.  "I'll be network material."  Detective  Lutz  nodded.
"Yeah, and with me solving this murder spree I'm going to be
the new Sergeant."

                                     *

Larry  tapped  his  index  finger  against the gun's barrel.
"The muzzle blast from  the  gun  will  produce a brief, but
highly intense, fire flash.  Enough to ignite the gasoline,"
he said.  "Only I've got to get right up next to that  thing
in  order  for it to work." "You're going to shoot it?" "Not
exactly.  I've got to lay the gun against it's side and pull
the trigger.  The bullet  will  go flying off somewhere, but
the fire flash is the key." "It'll swallow you up.  Jonathan
tried to light that match and look  what  it  did  to  him."
"We've got no choice," he said.  They hugged.

                                     *

Detective  Lutz  pulled  Maria  to  him and kissed her hard.
"What's this?" she said.  "A  good luck kiss.  I'm going out
there to finish that thing off.  We'll  be  stars,  you  and
me."  As  Detective  Lutz  crept  through  the bushes, Maria
kneeled next to Richard.   "Make  sure  you  get this all on
tape," she said.  "I don't want you missing a thing  because
this story will be my ticket to the network.  Connie Chung's
going to be kissing my ass."

                                     *

Larry  got  down out of the tree and stood several feet from
the boulder.  He slowly inched  towards it.  A fallen branch
cracked under his feet and he stopped.  The boulder remained
motionless.  He continued forward.  Slowly.  Once within its
reach he stretched out his hand with the gun.   The  boulder
throbbed.   "SHIT!"  He  pulled  the gun back.  "Get back up
here with me!" Cindy begged.  Larry shook his head then blew
her a kiss.   He  took  a  deep  breath  and lunged forward,
slapped the gun on the  boulder's  surface  and  pulled  the
trigger.   The  fire  flash  lit  the gasoline.  The boulder
rocked and rolled in  the  dirt  but it remained engulfed in
flames.  Larry got back into the tree and held Cindy  tight.
"I love you," she said.  They kissed.

                                     *

Maria ran to Detective Lutz.  He was sprawled on the ground.
The stray bullet from Larry's gun had gone through his head.
She  covered her eyes.  "What's wrong?" Richard zoomed in on
Lutz's dead-stare.  "Don't tell  me  you've never seen brain
stew before." Cindy pointed at a woman and man standing over
someone.  "That's the TV reporter," she said.  They  climbed
down  and  Cindy  walked  towards the smoldering boulder but
Larry pulled her away from  it.  "Come on," he said.  "Let's
go see what's happening over there." Maria met them  halfway
and  stared hard at Larry.  "You killed Detective Lutz," she
said.  "If you'd stayed  in  the  tree he would've saved you
and her." Maria pointed to Richard.  "He's  got  it  all  on
tape.  A jury will decide if you're a murderer." "Murderer?"
Cindy said.  "He's a hero, lady.  He risked his life to stop
that  thing.   Reporters  like  you  are always twisting the
truth around."

"If it makes for  a  better  story,  sure." Maria eyed their
ring fingers.  "An edit here  and  an  edit  there  and  the
tape'll  show  your husband shooting Lutz on purpose." Cindy
stepped toward Maria and said,  "You bitch," and slapped her
across the jaw.  Maria tumbled to the ground.  She lay there
a moment to  collect  herself  then  looked  impatiently  at
Richard.  "Well?" Richard put down the minicam and offered a
hand.  She took it and he pulled her up.  She dusted off her
skirt  and  tucked  in  her  blouse.   Larry made the gun go
around in circles around his index finger.

Maria put her hands on her  hips.  "Is that a threat?" Cindy
stepped in front of Larry.  "Fuckin' a, sister."  "Come  on,
Maria," Richard said.  "If you try to mess with this woman's
husband she'll beat some more shit out of you." Maria rubbed
her  jaw  and extended a hand to Cindy.  "Forgive me?" Cindy
took Maria's  hand  and  they  shook.   "Sure." Maria walked
passed them and stood next to the boulder.  Its surface  had
cooled  and  was  left blackened by the fire.  She picked at
it.  "Must be dead.  Richard get a shot of me sitting on top
of it." Richard  picked  up  the  minicam  and walked to the
boulder.  Larry and Cindy followed.  Maria got a foothold on
a jagged edge  and  pulled  herself  onto  the  top  of  the
boulder.   "It  feels  weird  up  here,"  she said.  Richard
adjusted the  minicam's  focus.   "Okay,  give  me a smile."
Maria gave him a frightful gape  instead  right  before  she
disappeared  inside  the boulder.  It rolled away from them.
Richard raced after it  with  the  minicam.  Larry turned to
Cindy.  "That's why I pulled you away from it," he said.  "I
saw it move."

Richard stopped his chase.  Larry and  Cindy  caught  up  to
him.   "The  dust  that  thing's  kicking  up is blocking my
lens," he said.  "I can't  breathe either." "It's headed for
Burger's Lake," Larry said.  "There's a trail  we  can  take
over  that  way." They rushed along the path and had to hold
their arms up in front  of  them to keep small tree branches
and tall weeds from whacking at their eyeballs  and  cheeks.
Cindy  got  to  the  lake's bank first.  She started crying.
Larry and Richard emerged from  the  woods and stood next to
her.

Larry took out his handkerchief and wiped  her  tears  away.
"What's  wrong?"  Richard said.  "Down there." Cindy pointed
to Maria's  remains  on  the  shoreline  and  ripples in the
water.  "It spit her out and went under." Cindy  wept  more.
"Come  on,  honey."  Larry  put his arm around her shoulder.
"It'll be all right." She  shook her head.  "My grandpa told
me when I was a child  that  a  great  rock,  Bullersten  he
called  it,  lived  at  the  bottom of this lake and came up
every 25 years or  so  to  find  humans, or animals, to feed
on." Richard's forehead contorted.  "What the  hell?"  Larry
nodded.   "She's  not crazy.  Jonathan, the guy who tried to
light the match, told  me  the  same  story.  He was jogging
through the park a few days ago and spotted it eating a dog.
He thought for sure it was Bullersten.  He figured he'd  get
rich off of it.  The damn fool only got dead."

Richard  brought  the minicam to his shoulder and panned the
lake's surface.  He turned on  the  boom mic and said, "This
is Richard  Ackles  reporting  for  Channel  7  News.   From
beneath  the  surface  of Burger's Lake came Bullersten.  It
satisfied its thirst  for  human  flesh  and  is now resting
peacefully below.  In another quarter of a century, it'll be
hungry again."


Robert W. Howington