▁and ▁asks ▁John ▁to ▁leave . ▁The ▁doctor ▁is ▁later ▁st ab bed ▁to ▁death ▁in ▁his ▁office ▁by ▁the ▁children . ▁Mic ah ▁and ▁the ▁children ▁later ▁kill ▁Mrs . ▁Bur ke ' s ▁sister , ▁Mrs . ▁West , ▁in ▁the ▁road ▁and ▁make ▁it ▁look ▁like ▁she ▁was ▁struck ▁by ▁a ▁car . ▁▁▁ ▁John ▁partners ▁with ▁Frank ▁Red ▁Bear , ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁a ▁nearby ▁university , ▁to ▁make ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁recent ▁cha os ▁and ▁death . ▁They ▁discover ▁that ▁certain ▁residents ▁are ▁s elling ▁spo iled ▁corn ▁from ▁the ▁previous ▁year ' s ▁har vest ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁c rop . ▁G row ing ▁on ▁the ▁spo iled ▁corn ▁is ▁a ▁dark - green ▁acid ic ▁to x in ▁which ▁they ▁believe ▁is ▁filling ▁the ▁town ' s ▁air ▁and ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁sp ate ▁of ▁del us ions ▁in ▁the ▁children , ▁rendering ▁them ▁em otion less ▁and ▁violent . ▁The ▁Sher iff ▁disco vers ▁them ▁sp ying ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁his ▁( and ▁the ▁dead ▁doctor ' s ) ▁mis de eds , ▁t ies ▁them ▁up , ▁and ▁tries ▁to ▁kill ▁them ▁with ▁a ▁corn ▁har v ester , ▁but ▁they ▁escape . ▁ ▁The ▁Sher iff ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Hem ing ford ▁adult s ▁attend ▁an ▁emer gency ▁town - hall ▁meeting ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁situation , ▁but ▁the ▁children ▁lock ▁them ▁inside ▁and ▁set ▁the ▁building ▁af ire , ▁killing ▁them ▁all . ▁The ▁children ▁then ▁kid