displacement in the stalks , only now it was moving , and it moved quickly . Too quickly . The rustling rushed from one end of the field to the other , but with a speed Ern had never seen in a human before . His first thought was an animal , like a coyote , a wolf even , but even an animal ' s speed didn ' t seem to line up with the haste of the shape in the field .
As the thing approached the edge of the corn , Ern saw it suddenly change direction , but that alone didn ' t seem to fit . It wasn ' t as if the rustling had slowed down to change trajectory . It had been moving to the field ' s left side one moment , and then in the next it was suddenly flying towards the right side .
The thing zigzagged through the field for what felt like forever , a hectic dance of panic and confusion , and Ern stood on the boulder , transfixed . No creature alive could move like that , Ern thought . No machine either . Ern ' s grip on his gun tightened . His hands shook , and his knees began to feel numb .
The displacement in the plants charged towards the field ' s opposite end before its course changed again . Ern watched as it came closer towards his side of the corn field . He could hear the leaves of his crop swishing as the thing whipped past them . Suddenly he realized the thing wasn ' t changing direction ; it was coming straight for him .
Ern stumbled down from the boulder , breath coming quick and fast , and ran as fast as he could towards the house . His feet pounded against the ground , occasionally slipping where they failed to find purchase . He had a few seconds at most before the thing from the
10