Chapter Thirty Seven
was this, and from who?
I kept reading, it went on and on about him trying to figure out some kind of book, I remembered the old woman saying something about a book that she had found in a hidden room upstairs. There were only four letters written and the last page talked about the knife. It said that he had found it in a hidden passage when he was in England and that if it was dipped in the blood of the demon and driven through the center of its heart you could kill it.
I didn’t really fully understand, but thought maybe the blood was what was in the little jar. I picked it up and shook it, but nothing moved. I slowly slid the wire holder that held the glass cap on it and took the lid off. Whatever was in the jar before had dried up. I smelled inside the jar but it really didn’t have a distinct smell to it. I carefully placed the lid back on, then set everything back in the little drawer and shut it. I wanted to go upstairs and see if I could find out where the hidden room was if there even was one. I went to the far bedroom and looked over the boards that covered the walls. About four feet out from the corner there was a board that looked like it was pulled away from the rest just a little. I pushed on it and could tell it was loose. I had some tools down in my pickup so I ran downstairs and out the door. I wasn’t gone for more than a minute and I was back in the house. I ran back upstairs and went right to the place where the board was loose.
After a couple quick taps from my hammer I pried the first board off. I could see that there was a frame for a door so it must be true. I instantly ripped the other boards off and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was a exact duplicate to the front door, with the same words and symbols on it. I tried the knob. It turned but I couldn’t push the door open because their was a dead bolt on the door and it seemed to be locked. I thought about the key on the mantel. According to the old woman it was the key for this door so again I had to go downstairs. I grabbed the chair the old man had been sitting in so I could get up high enough to see. Then I tried to get the key out of the top of the mantel but I couldn’t get my fingers on it. Damn, I couldn’t believe my bad luck. I ran back out to my truck again and grabbed a flat screw driver, then went back in.
It didn’t take long and I had the key in my hand. I couldn’t wait to get upstairs and see what was in that room. As I walked back out of the living room heading to the stairway I noticed the cellar door was open about four inches or so. My heart started pounding and the back of my hair stood straight on end. I knew I had shut the door so someone had to have opened it. I thought that maybe whoever it was must still be in there and maybe they were just watching me threw the crack in the door. I had the screw driver in my hand so I turned and walked straight for the door! I don’t even know why, but I grabbed the knob and pulled the door wide open. Expecting the worse I held the screw driver in front of me but nothing was there.
I wasn’t sure but maybe I didn’t shut it all the way the first time? I stood there watching down in the cellar, listening to see if I could hear anything. In my mind I knew I should go down to make sure that door was still locked that went into the hidden part. I mean those things still could be alive and from what I read in those letters the only way to kill those freaking monsters was with that knife dipped in that black crap. But if that were true then why did they seem like they were killed when I shot them. Besides, I shot them both in the head so there is no way in my mind that they could be alive, so I reached over and shut the trap door to the cellar, then took the screw driver and jammed it between the door and the jamb. I guess that made me feel a little better. I closed the door and this time made sure it was shut. I waited by the door for a little bit just to make sure I didn’t hear anything. When I felt all was good I went back upstairs. I took the key and put it in the lock and when the key turned, my anticipation went through the roof. I had a million thoughts about what I was going to find. As the door swung open what I was seeing was unreal. It was just like the old woman had said. The old desk, the books, the candle holder....I mean everything seemed true. Oh, my God, the old woman must have been telling the truth. I walked in then, closed the door behind me, and locked it. I don’t know why but this room felt safe. As I looked over at the desk I noticed a little box on the shelf that was over the desk. I slid it open and looked inside. There were about ten small pieces of black stone and a larger one, plus some kind of grassy stuff. At first I wasn’t sure what it was, then I remembered that years ago they used to use flint to start a fire. I took one of the smaller stones and hit it against the larger one. That’s exactly what this was, but why would they have it here? I shrugged my shoulders, then put it down and started to look around at the rest of the things. I found some matches so I thought I would start the candles. It was getting pretty hard to see since the sun was starting to go down.
After I started the candles I went over and looked at the larger book sitting on the table by the window. It was as the old woman had said, the cover of the book was full of the same lettering and had symbols on it just like the two doors. As I paged through the book I came to a blank page, but behind that page it seemed as if it was the end of the book. As I lifted it up and flipped it over, I found a hollowed out part of the book. It was where something had been placed. To me it looked like it was cut out for a knife and another cut out that was kind of oblong. Then it dawned on me. This looked like the same size as the knife I found in the steps. I wanted to go get it, so I unlocked the door and went down the steps and grabbed the knife and the little bottle.
I ran back to the room and locked myself inside. I then took the knife and placed it in the hollowed out part of the book. Oh my God, it fit perfect. I laid the bottle in the other spot and it also fit perfectly. Wow, now what? I knew I had to find out how to read what ever was written in this book. This could be the key to ending whatever this is that had happened to me, and maybe for those people the cellar.
I kept reading, it went on and on about him trying to figure out some kind of book, I remembered the old woman saying something about a book that she had found in a hidden room upstairs. There were only four letters written and the last page talked about the knife. It said that he had found it in a hidden passage when he was in England and that if it was dipped in the blood of the demon and driven through the center of its heart you could kill it.
I didn’t really fully understand, but thought maybe the blood was what was in the little jar. I picked it up and shook it, but nothing moved. I slowly slid the wire holder that held the glass cap on it and took the lid off. Whatever was in the jar before had dried up. I smelled inside the jar but it really didn’t have a distinct smell to it. I carefully placed the lid back on, then set everything back in the little drawer and shut it. I wanted to go upstairs and see if I could find out where the hidden room was if there even was one. I went to the far bedroom and looked over the boards that covered the walls. About four feet out from the corner there was a board that looked like it was pulled away from the rest just a little. I pushed on it and could tell it was loose. I had some tools down in my pickup so I ran downstairs and out the door. I wasn’t gone for more than a minute and I was back in the house. I ran back upstairs and went right to the place where the board was loose.
After a couple quick taps from my hammer I pried the first board off. I could see that there was a frame for a door so it must be true. I instantly ripped the other boards off and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was a exact duplicate to the front door, with the same words and symbols on it. I tried the knob. It turned but I couldn’t push the door open because their was a dead bolt on the door and it seemed to be locked. I thought about the key on the mantel. According to the old woman it was the key for this door so again I had to go downstairs. I grabbed the chair the old man had been sitting in so I could get up high enough to see. Then I tried to get the key out of the top of the mantel but I couldn’t get my fingers on it. Damn, I couldn’t believe my bad luck. I ran back out to my truck again and grabbed a flat screw driver, then went back in.
It didn’t take long and I had the key in my hand. I couldn’t wait to get upstairs and see what was in that room. As I walked back out of the living room heading to the stairway I noticed the cellar door was open about four inches or so. My heart started pounding and the back of my hair stood straight on end. I knew I had shut the door so someone had to have opened it. I thought that maybe whoever it was must still be in there and maybe they were just watching me threw the crack in the door. I had the screw driver in my hand so I turned and walked straight for the door! I don’t even know why, but I grabbed the knob and pulled the door wide open. Expecting the worse I held the screw driver in front of me but nothing was there.
I wasn’t sure but maybe I didn’t shut it all the way the first time? I stood there watching down in the cellar, listening to see if I could hear anything. In my mind I knew I should go down to make sure that door was still locked that went into the hidden part. I mean those things still could be alive and from what I read in those letters the only way to kill those freaking monsters was with that knife dipped in that black crap. But if that were true then why did they seem like they were killed when I shot them. Besides, I shot them both in the head so there is no way in my mind that they could be alive, so I reached over and shut the trap door to the cellar, then took the screw driver and jammed it between the door and the jamb. I guess that made me feel a little better. I closed the door and this time made sure it was shut. I waited by the door for a little bit just to make sure I didn’t hear anything. When I felt all was good I went back upstairs. I took the key and put it in the lock and when the key turned, my anticipation went through the roof. I had a million thoughts about what I was going to find. As the door swung open what I was seeing was unreal. It was just like the old woman had said. The old desk, the books, the candle holder....I mean everything seemed true. Oh, my God, the old woman must have been telling the truth. I walked in then, closed the door behind me, and locked it. I don’t know why but this room felt safe. As I looked over at the desk I noticed a little box on the shelf that was over the desk. I slid it open and looked inside. There were about ten small pieces of black stone and a larger one, plus some kind of grassy stuff. At first I wasn’t sure what it was, then I remembered that years ago they used to use flint to start a fire. I took one of the smaller stones and hit it against the larger one. That’s exactly what this was, but why would they have it here? I shrugged my shoulders, then put it down and started to look around at the rest of the things. I found some matches so I thought I would start the candles. It was getting pretty hard to see since the sun was starting to go down.
After I started the candles I went over and looked at the larger book sitting on the table by the window. It was as the old woman had said, the cover of the book was full of the same lettering and had symbols on it just like the two doors. As I paged through the book I came to a blank page, but behind that page it seemed as if it was the end of the book. As I lifted it up and flipped it over, I found a hollowed out part of the book. It was where something had been placed. To me it looked like it was cut out for a knife and another cut out that was kind of oblong. Then it dawned on me. This looked like the same size as the knife I found in the steps. I wanted to go get it, so I unlocked the door and went down the steps and grabbed the knife and the little bottle.
I ran back to the room and locked myself inside. I then took the knife and placed it in the hollowed out part of the book. Oh my God, it fit perfect. I laid the bottle in the other spot and it also fit perfectly. Wow, now what? I knew I had to find out how to read what ever was written in this book. This could be the key to ending whatever this is that had happened to me, and maybe for those people the cellar.
Chapter Thirty Six
I just stood there wondering what the hell they were doing. Then I heard the screams of those poor people inside. I walked over by the door and listened closer. I could hear screams, and what I could only imagine bones being broken. I looked at the door thinking I should just barge in, but what could I do? Then I looked down at where the sheriff had taken off his clothes. I noticed his gun, so I picked it up and looked it over. I made sure I knew exactly how to shoot it. I even took the extra clip. I didn’t even know if I could kill them with a bullet but I had to try. I pushed the door open and heard some noise that sickened me. I shined the flashlight toward the noise. They hadn’t even noticed me come in the room. They were both bent over. One was tearing the mans flesh from his legs, and the other was ripping apart the mans chest. I pointed the gun at the head of one of them and squeezed the trigger. Without hesitation I kept squeezing the trigger, pointing it at one, then the other. They both slumped over the body they were feeding on. My eyes were glued to their every movement. I quickly switched clips and walked up to them. I shined the flashlight all around the room. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t any other of those damn things in there. I turned back toward the two freaks and shot them both again in the head.
I slowly backed my way out of the room and this time I shut the door and bolted the locks. Once I figured I was safe, I went back up stairs and looked in every room. I had to find the old man. I wasn’t sure who was telling me the truth anymore. All I did know is that there was more to this than what I had thought. There wasn’t anything downstairs so I made my way upstairs. On the way up I took my time and at each step I stopped and listened. When I was about halfway up the steps I heard one of the steps make a funny sound. It was different than the rest. I remembered when I had first looked at the house I had thought there was something funny about it then. Keeping an eye forward I reached down with my hand and tapped on it then, pulled up on it slightly. It seemed solid. I couldn’t help but to look down at it and try and figure out just what the heck was different about it. That’s when I noticed a slight separation in the toe kick board. I pushed on it but again nothing. Frustrated I hit the side of the tread. It moved inward toward the kick board. I knew there was something wrong with it. I was thinking that the carpenter must have missed nailing it down, but when I pulled it back toward me it actually slid open like a drawer on a dresser.
In total amazement I stared at what was in the hidden compartment. There was a large knife and it looked like it was pure silver with a symbol of a dragon on the face of it. Lying next to that was a small stack of hand written letters and a small jar with some black stuff in it. I laid everything on the steps above, then looked at the letters. I could tell they had been there for quite awhile because they were written with a fountain pen. Plus, the paper was a thicker kind. I started to read the first page.
"Years have passed and now he has turned to the flesh and souls of beyond the night. He no longer cares of who he kills. At dawns break I watched him transform into the devils form. He ripped a man from limb to limb without mercy. I am scared for our family now, even though he is part of us. I can see death awaits us. I studied late again, hoping to figure out what drives him. The books are from a language I do not know, and fear I will not find out until it is too late."
"I locked him in the cellar last night, I tried to read a passage but it didn’t work. It seemed only to evoke more terror in him.
I fear that my son will never be rid of what has taken his soul."
I slowly backed my way out of the room and this time I shut the door and bolted the locks. Once I figured I was safe, I went back up stairs and looked in every room. I had to find the old man. I wasn’t sure who was telling me the truth anymore. All I did know is that there was more to this than what I had thought. There wasn’t anything downstairs so I made my way upstairs. On the way up I took my time and at each step I stopped and listened. When I was about halfway up the steps I heard one of the steps make a funny sound. It was different than the rest. I remembered when I had first looked at the house I had thought there was something funny about it then. Keeping an eye forward I reached down with my hand and tapped on it then, pulled up on it slightly. It seemed solid. I couldn’t help but to look down at it and try and figure out just what the heck was different about it. That’s when I noticed a slight separation in the toe kick board. I pushed on it but again nothing. Frustrated I hit the side of the tread. It moved inward toward the kick board. I knew there was something wrong with it. I was thinking that the carpenter must have missed nailing it down, but when I pulled it back toward me it actually slid open like a drawer on a dresser.
In total amazement I stared at what was in the hidden compartment. There was a large knife and it looked like it was pure silver with a symbol of a dragon on the face of it. Lying next to that was a small stack of hand written letters and a small jar with some black stuff in it. I laid everything on the steps above, then looked at the letters. I could tell they had been there for quite awhile because they were written with a fountain pen. Plus, the paper was a thicker kind. I started to read the first page.
"Years have passed and now he has turned to the flesh and souls of beyond the night. He no longer cares of who he kills. At dawns break I watched him transform into the devils form. He ripped a man from limb to limb without mercy. I am scared for our family now, even though he is part of us. I can see death awaits us. I studied late again, hoping to figure out what drives him. The books are from a language I do not know, and fear I will not find out until it is too late."
"I locked him in the cellar last night, I tried to read a passage but it didn’t work. It seemed only to evoke more terror in him.
I fear that my son will never be rid of what has taken his soul."
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, what the heck....
Chapter Thirty Five
I sat there for a minute. I thought about every outcome possible, but there really wasn’t any. I decided that I should go back to town and go see the sheriff. I didn’t know what had happen to my cell phone, and I didn’t want to stop and call from a payphone. I drove for about four hours or maybe just a little bit longer when I finally made it to Pennsylvania. I had about forty-five minutes left to go before I got to my house so I figured I better fill my tank just in case I needed to get the heck out of there in a hurry. God knows what was in store for me once I got there.
After filling up my gas tank I headed back on the road. The last leg of this little journey seemed to drag on. I guess it was because of everything going through my head at the time. Once I pulled into town I went straight to the police station. I sat in my truck for at least a half hour going over everything I was going to say when I got there. I didn’t want to have them ask me something I couldn’t answer.
When I was ready, I walked in and asked if I could talk to the sheriff. The dispatch told me that he was out on a disturbance call and that he should be back in a half hour. I paused then I asked if he knew where he was? The dispatcher looked at me kind of strange and then said that he was up on Shallow Pine Ridge. My throat begin to close immediately. I thought that someone must have discovered something and he was called up there to investigate. I stood there for a few more minutes then told him I would come back later.
I jumped in my truck and headed up Willow Street, then turned on Shallow Pine. As I got closer to my house I could see the sheriff's car sitting in the driveway. My God, my heart started pounding again. I couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened to him. I slowly drove up behind his car and shut my truck off and sat there watching for any movement inside the house. I couldn’t take it any longer so I opened my door and headed to the house. When I stepped on the deck I noticed the saying on the door and remembered what the old woman had said it meant.
"This place rests of tasteless blood, thy veins run alone, let who walks through this passage walk without fear, and who passes here will burn of the torches of the black angel ."
But, what did this mean? I was almost too scared to open the door, but something was driving me. I had to keep going. As I swung open the door what I saw next would have scared the hell out of anyone. There was blood everywhere. I walked into the living room and looked over by the fireplace. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I guess I was thinking I would see the old man sitting in the chair but it was empty. The house smelled like a sick musty smell. I was thinking it must be the blood. I walked over toward the cellar door. I wanted to holler out loud to see if the sheriff would answer me, but then I didn’t really want to let anyone know I was here either. I slowly opened the cellar door and peeked inside. I waited and listend to see if I could hear anyone talking, I wasn’t sure at the time but I thought I heard someone. I opened the door wider then stepped in. There was a light on but that could have been when I was down there last time. I slowly made my way down the stairs. Once I was at the bottom I stopped and looked over to where that shelf cabinet was sitting; it was closed. I remember when I was leaving I only shut the first door so someone had to be down here.
I walked closer, listening as close as possible for any noise at all. As I put my hand on the shelf I heard the low tone of something that I knew wasn’t very good; then I heard a door open. Oh my God someone was coming out of the hidden room. I quickly hid behind the old well that sat in the middle of the room and laid down flat on the floor so it would be harder for whoever it was to see me. I could hear someone talking, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then the door opened and I heard the sound of screams coming from in that room, I couldn’t help but peek around the well and see who it was.
There were two men, one looked like he had a police jacket on but I wasn‘t sure. I didn’t know what to do. I thought about standing up and asking them what was going on. Just then I heard someone scream again and then the one man said, "Watch out! He’s trying to get away." The person knocked over one of the men then pushed his way by the other. I was about to stand up again when I heard a gun shot. Oh my God! They shot him! His body fell not two feet from me. I could hear the blood gurgling from his head. I tried to not to look because I knew I would have freaked out. The two men drug his lifeless body back into the room and then I heard the one man tell someone that they will eat good tonight. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I got to my knees and made my way to the other side of the well. I looked into the room and then I saw who it was. It was the sheriff! What the hell was going on? The two men walked back out into the main part of the cellar. The sheriff took off his jacket, then started to take off the rest of his clothes, and the other man did also. My eyes narrowed as I watched. What are they doing I thought? Then In a blink of an eye they shape shifted into one of those freaking monsters like the old man did. Oh my God, then they opened the door back up into the hidden room and went back in and closed the door behind them.
After filling up my gas tank I headed back on the road. The last leg of this little journey seemed to drag on. I guess it was because of everything going through my head at the time. Once I pulled into town I went straight to the police station. I sat in my truck for at least a half hour going over everything I was going to say when I got there. I didn’t want to have them ask me something I couldn’t answer.
When I was ready, I walked in and asked if I could talk to the sheriff. The dispatch told me that he was out on a disturbance call and that he should be back in a half hour. I paused then I asked if he knew where he was? The dispatcher looked at me kind of strange and then said that he was up on Shallow Pine Ridge. My throat begin to close immediately. I thought that someone must have discovered something and he was called up there to investigate. I stood there for a few more minutes then told him I would come back later.
I jumped in my truck and headed up Willow Street, then turned on Shallow Pine. As I got closer to my house I could see the sheriff's car sitting in the driveway. My God, my heart started pounding again. I couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened to him. I slowly drove up behind his car and shut my truck off and sat there watching for any movement inside the house. I couldn’t take it any longer so I opened my door and headed to the house. When I stepped on the deck I noticed the saying on the door and remembered what the old woman had said it meant.
"This place rests of tasteless blood, thy veins run alone, let who walks through this passage walk without fear, and who passes here will burn of the torches of the black angel ."
But, what did this mean? I was almost too scared to open the door, but something was driving me. I had to keep going. As I swung open the door what I saw next would have scared the hell out of anyone. There was blood everywhere. I walked into the living room and looked over by the fireplace. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I guess I was thinking I would see the old man sitting in the chair but it was empty. The house smelled like a sick musty smell. I was thinking it must be the blood. I walked over toward the cellar door. I wanted to holler out loud to see if the sheriff would answer me, but then I didn’t really want to let anyone know I was here either. I slowly opened the cellar door and peeked inside. I waited and listend to see if I could hear anyone talking, I wasn’t sure at the time but I thought I heard someone. I opened the door wider then stepped in. There was a light on but that could have been when I was down there last time. I slowly made my way down the stairs. Once I was at the bottom I stopped and looked over to where that shelf cabinet was sitting; it was closed. I remember when I was leaving I only shut the first door so someone had to be down here.
I walked closer, listening as close as possible for any noise at all. As I put my hand on the shelf I heard the low tone of something that I knew wasn’t very good; then I heard a door open. Oh my God someone was coming out of the hidden room. I quickly hid behind the old well that sat in the middle of the room and laid down flat on the floor so it would be harder for whoever it was to see me. I could hear someone talking, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then the door opened and I heard the sound of screams coming from in that room, I couldn’t help but peek around the well and see who it was.
There were two men, one looked like he had a police jacket on but I wasn‘t sure. I didn’t know what to do. I thought about standing up and asking them what was going on. Just then I heard someone scream again and then the one man said, "Watch out! He’s trying to get away." The person knocked over one of the men then pushed his way by the other. I was about to stand up again when I heard a gun shot. Oh my God! They shot him! His body fell not two feet from me. I could hear the blood gurgling from his head. I tried to not to look because I knew I would have freaked out. The two men drug his lifeless body back into the room and then I heard the one man tell someone that they will eat good tonight. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I got to my knees and made my way to the other side of the well. I looked into the room and then I saw who it was. It was the sheriff! What the hell was going on? The two men walked back out into the main part of the cellar. The sheriff took off his jacket, then started to take off the rest of his clothes, and the other man did also. My eyes narrowed as I watched. What are they doing I thought? Then In a blink of an eye they shape shifted into one of those freaking monsters like the old man did. Oh my God, then they opened the door back up into the hidden room and went back in and closed the door behind them.
Chapter Thirty Four
When I came to, I really didn’t know what had happened. This was crazy. I was in my truck sitting at what looked like a gas station. I looked around trying to get my bearings, but really couldn’t figure it out so I got out of my truck and started my way toward the little store. A couple of people that were walking out looked at me like I had a disease or something. I tried to ask them where I was but they turned and walked away from me as fast as they could.
I thought how rude they were but just shrugged it off and went inside. I went over by the coolers to get a soda, but just before I opened the door I noticed my reflection in the glass. Something didn’t look right. I looked down at my shirt and that’s when I noticed it was torn to shreds plus there was what looked like blood all over it. Oh, my,God! What the hell was going on? I bolted to the restroom as fast as I could. When I walked in there there was a gentleman washing his hands. When he looked up at me through the mirror he immediately spun around and asked me,"What the hell happened to you?" Confused and not knowing really what to tell him I said that I had gotten in a fight earlier and was just going to wash up.
The gentleman shook his head, then told me that he hoped the other guy was in worse shape than me. That’s when I started to remember what had happen prior to me ending up here. I asked the man where I was, he paused for a second then scoffed and said, "Your in a rest plaza on the Ohio turnpike just outside of Toledo." "Toledo?",I said. "Are you sure?" "Yes, you sure are", he said. Then he asked if I was alright. I shook my head yes and then thanked him for the information. After he walked out I looked at myself in the mirror. My heart started pounding and to tell you the truth I think I blacked out again for a second. My face was full of blood and I had scratches across my neck. I didn’t understand it but my jaw hurt as if someone had punched me. I looked down at my feet. The only thing I had on was one sock and it was blooded and torn, my pants were only on me because of the belt I was wearing, because if not for that they would have for sure been off.
What the hell has happened to me? I kept trying to think of something, anything, but my mind was blank. I thought back to what had happened again, just before everything went blank. Oh my God, those poor people down in that cellar. I needed to get them help. I tried to wash myself up as much as I could, then went back out to my truck to get my check book. I needed to buy some clothes. When I got to my truck I heard someone say that’s him. I turned around to see a man pointing at me. He was talking to a security guard that must have been working there. I don’t know why, because I did nothing wrong, but I got scared so I jumped in my truck and headed out on to the freeway. About a mile up the road I turned around and headed back toward Pennsylvania. I had to somehow get help for those people.
I had driven for almost a half hour when I saw a sign for another plaza coming up. I really needed gas for the truck, plus I wanted to get some clothes and possibly some shoes. I filled up my tank and went inside the store. All they had was some sweat shirts, sweat pants and some moccasins. I wasn’t going to be picky so I grabbed one of each. I also picked up a bottle of Mt Dew because I figured I could use a little pick me up.
I headed back onto the turnpike thinking of what to do. Should I call the cops? What would happen then, am I involved with anything? I didn’t really know what the hell had even happened. All I knew is that I was two hundred miles away from where I was yesterday. Hell, I wasn’t sure if it was yesterday even. All I knew is that I woke up with my clothes torn to pieces and me all bloody. Then it dawned on me, was it possible that I had changed into something? My clothes were torn just like I had seen on Red and the old mans. Oh my God had I shape shifted into one of those monsters? I had tears falling from my eyes, and I could barley see the road in front of me, I kept shaking my head and screaming out loud, NO THIS CANT BE HAPPENING TO ME!!!
I wondered what happened to the old man? Had he somehow been waiting for me to come upstairs, then knocked me out, or did I change without knowing it. I kept pounding on the steering wheel, then I noticed something. My arm where I had been bitten...my bandages were gone. I wiped my eyes and took a closer look. Oh my God there wasn’t even a scar there! I pulled my truck off to the side of the road, my body was shaking uncontrollable and I didn’t know what else to do.
I thought how rude they were but just shrugged it off and went inside. I went over by the coolers to get a soda, but just before I opened the door I noticed my reflection in the glass. Something didn’t look right. I looked down at my shirt and that’s when I noticed it was torn to shreds plus there was what looked like blood all over it. Oh, my,God! What the hell was going on? I bolted to the restroom as fast as I could. When I walked in there there was a gentleman washing his hands. When he looked up at me through the mirror he immediately spun around and asked me,"What the hell happened to you?" Confused and not knowing really what to tell him I said that I had gotten in a fight earlier and was just going to wash up.
The gentleman shook his head, then told me that he hoped the other guy was in worse shape than me. That’s when I started to remember what had happen prior to me ending up here. I asked the man where I was, he paused for a second then scoffed and said, "Your in a rest plaza on the Ohio turnpike just outside of Toledo." "Toledo?",I said. "Are you sure?" "Yes, you sure are", he said. Then he asked if I was alright. I shook my head yes and then thanked him for the information. After he walked out I looked at myself in the mirror. My heart started pounding and to tell you the truth I think I blacked out again for a second. My face was full of blood and I had scratches across my neck. I didn’t understand it but my jaw hurt as if someone had punched me. I looked down at my feet. The only thing I had on was one sock and it was blooded and torn, my pants were only on me because of the belt I was wearing, because if not for that they would have for sure been off.
What the hell has happened to me? I kept trying to think of something, anything, but my mind was blank. I thought back to what had happened again, just before everything went blank. Oh my God, those poor people down in that cellar. I needed to get them help. I tried to wash myself up as much as I could, then went back out to my truck to get my check book. I needed to buy some clothes. When I got to my truck I heard someone say that’s him. I turned around to see a man pointing at me. He was talking to a security guard that must have been working there. I don’t know why, because I did nothing wrong, but I got scared so I jumped in my truck and headed out on to the freeway. About a mile up the road I turned around and headed back toward Pennsylvania. I had to somehow get help for those people.
I had driven for almost a half hour when I saw a sign for another plaza coming up. I really needed gas for the truck, plus I wanted to get some clothes and possibly some shoes. I filled up my tank and went inside the store. All they had was some sweat shirts, sweat pants and some moccasins. I wasn’t going to be picky so I grabbed one of each. I also picked up a bottle of Mt Dew because I figured I could use a little pick me up.
I headed back onto the turnpike thinking of what to do. Should I call the cops? What would happen then, am I involved with anything? I didn’t really know what the hell had even happened. All I knew is that I was two hundred miles away from where I was yesterday. Hell, I wasn’t sure if it was yesterday even. All I knew is that I woke up with my clothes torn to pieces and me all bloody. Then it dawned on me, was it possible that I had changed into something? My clothes were torn just like I had seen on Red and the old mans. Oh my God had I shape shifted into one of those monsters? I had tears falling from my eyes, and I could barley see the road in front of me, I kept shaking my head and screaming out loud, NO THIS CANT BE HAPPENING TO ME!!!
I wondered what happened to the old man? Had he somehow been waiting for me to come upstairs, then knocked me out, or did I change without knowing it. I kept pounding on the steering wheel, then I noticed something. My arm where I had been bitten...my bandages were gone. I wiped my eyes and took a closer look. Oh my God there wasn’t even a scar there! I pulled my truck off to the side of the road, my body was shaking uncontrollable and I didn’t know what else to do.
Chapter Thirty Three
I almost started running. There were what looked like half eaten bodies everywhere. Then I heard someone say something. I turned my flashlight toward the sound. It was Red. I ran over to him. His body was broken his jaw hanging as if it had been smashed in by a baseball bat. I asked him what had happened He just looked at me with a blank stare. I heard something else so I shined the light over toward the corner. There sat what looked like an old woman, her hair hung down over the front of her face. I asked Red what the hell was all this? Again he just stared at me. I told him I would be right back. I could tell he didn’t understand even what I was saying. I walked over to the old woman, I reached over and moved her hair from in front of her face. Oh my God, her eyes were gone. I turned and threw up. I couldn’t take this. I had to get out of here. As I was about to go, I heard her say something. I bent over and asked her what she said. I couldn’t believe what she said next, she told me that she was taken in late June, and had seen such horrible things that she couldn’t take it. She screamed and screamed for them to kill her so she didn’t have to see anymore. I asked her what was this place? She grabbed my arm and pulled me close, then whispered this is the feeding place. This is where the screams of death no longer can speak.
I didn’t know what to say. I told her I would get help. As I pulled away she tried to hang on but she was to weak. She then said something that instantly haunted me. She asked me to kill her. I shined the light at her and I told her it would be ok, and that I would be back. Crying, she told begged me to kill her. She didn’t want to be eaten alive, and she said she was the one who clawed her own eyes out so she didn’t have to see the people’s faces while they were fed on by those creatures. I told her I couldn’t and that I would do everything I could to help her. I went back over to Red and told him I would be back. As I was about to leave I heard another sound coming from just behind the door. I shined the light. There was a man slumped over scratching on the wall. In his hand there was what looked like a stick. As I looked closer I could see it was a pen. I shined the light and could see that he had written something on his arm. Not really wanting to but knew it had to be something important, I shined the light closer. What it read was crazy. He had written over and over the same thing, Purgatory! He had written it so hard that his arm was bleeding. I shook him and told him I was going to get help for him. As I was getting up my light shined across his body and that’s when I saw that his legs were gone. It had looked like something had eaten parts of his legs, with parts of bone sticking through. Oh my God!! What kind of sick place was this. I turned and headed toward the door. I didn’t know if I should close it and lock it. I was so sick to my stomach, that I just left it open and made my way slowly out of the cellar. I had forgotten all about the old man, but when I reached the top of the stars everything went dark.
I didn’t know what to say. I told her I would get help. As I pulled away she tried to hang on but she was to weak. She then said something that instantly haunted me. She asked me to kill her. I shined the light at her and I told her it would be ok, and that I would be back. Crying, she told begged me to kill her. She didn’t want to be eaten alive, and she said she was the one who clawed her own eyes out so she didn’t have to see the people’s faces while they were fed on by those creatures. I told her I couldn’t and that I would do everything I could to help her. I went back over to Red and told him I would be back. As I was about to leave I heard another sound coming from just behind the door. I shined the light. There was a man slumped over scratching on the wall. In his hand there was what looked like a stick. As I looked closer I could see it was a pen. I shined the light and could see that he had written something on his arm. Not really wanting to but knew it had to be something important, I shined the light closer. What it read was crazy. He had written over and over the same thing, Purgatory! He had written it so hard that his arm was bleeding. I shook him and told him I was going to get help for him. As I was getting up my light shined across his body and that’s when I saw that his legs were gone. It had looked like something had eaten parts of his legs, with parts of bone sticking through. Oh my God!! What kind of sick place was this. I turned and headed toward the door. I didn’t know if I should close it and lock it. I was so sick to my stomach, that I just left it open and made my way slowly out of the cellar. I had forgotten all about the old man, but when I reached the top of the stars everything went dark.
Chapter Thirty Two
When I walked in the house I was met by this woman. She told me that my wife had passed away while I was gone and that she didn’t know what to do with the body so she put her down in the cellar. I immediately went down to tend to her body. There is a part of the cellar that is blocked off from the rest and she said she had placed her body there, but when I stepped into the room, there was a small cot in the corner that had a cover over what looked like a body. Once I walked closer I heard the door close behind me. Not thinking anything about it I took the cover off the cot to find some old gunny sacks instead of my wife.
I turned around to ask the woman where my wife was, but she wasn’t there. At first I didn’t know what was going on so I went back to the door and tried to open it but it was locked. I pounded on the door for a long time but no one came and that’s when I realized I was set up. "Wait a minute, I asked, "I just saw you turn into something that looked pretty strong. Why didn’t you change into that thing and bust your way out?" He paused for a second, then took a deep breath. "I couldn’t, I didn’t know it at the time but she had found out through reading the books that if put into a room barred by a passage you could not change", he said sorrowfully. I thought about what he was saying. Something felt wrong. I asked him how he got out then? He told me that he heard Red and the old woman talking about the passages and that they were close to finding out the secrets behind them. "When Red came down to get me out of the cellar I tricked him into thinking I couldn’t leave the room unless he said the passage that was written on the door. Once he did, I killed him and that brings us to here."
I tried to think back of all the things the old woman had told me. I remember her saying that the only way one of the demon looking things could get past the door was if someone had let them in by saying the passage. Maybe he was telling me the truth. I looked over at the old man, his head slumped over as if he were sleeping. I watched him for a second then took a step toward the hallway. He didn’t seem to be moving at all. I had to go see what had happened to Red. I took another step, still he didn’t move so I hurried into the hallway. I took one last look at him then opened the cellar door and made my way down the steps. It was dark as hell. I remembered when I was with the realtor he had turned on a light, so I put out my hands in front of me trying to find the string for the light. That’s when I heard something moving. I stood still and listened. It sounded like two pieces of sandpaper being rubbed together. I wasn’t about to say a thing. I searched for the light sweeping back and forth, then I found it. Reluctantly I pulled the string, not really wanting to see anything at that point but knowing I had too.
The cellar lit up, my eyes moved across the room as fast as they could, but there wasn’t anything there. I walked around the back of the well thinking the worst, but again nothing. Then I heard that sound again. It was coming from behind a old built in shelf. I thought it must be a mouse or even a rat. I slowly walked over to it. I noticed something shining on the floor in front of the shelf. It looked like water. I knelt down and ran my finger over it then smelled it. I couldn’t really smell anything, so I held it up to the light and that’s when I could see it was blood. Oh my God, this must have been where he had killed Red! But what did he do with his body? I looked around the room again, but there wasn’t anything, then I heard the scratching sound again. It had to be coming from behind the shelf. I don’t know why but I grabbed the shelves to try and move them. I wanted to see if there was a mouse behind the damn thing, but when I pulled on it the whole thing swung open. It was a door. This must have been that hidden room, the one the old man had told me about. I started to second guess myself. Maybe the old man really was telling me the truth? I stepped back away from the door, then quietly asked if anyone was in there. I heard something so I took a step forward. There was some light shining in from where I was standing and I could see that there was another door so I slowly walked up to it. There was three large bolt locks on it, but only one had been locked. I started to pull up on the handle when I heard that scratching sound again. I slid the lock open, then pushed on the door. Oh my God the smell was unbearable, my eyes burned so bad and I almost immediately started gagging, it ricked of death! I went back into the main part of the cellar, that’s when I noticed a small flash light sitting on top of the well, I grabbed it thinking there’s no way it would work but to my surprise it did.
I started to head back into the room when I heard a noise from up stairs, It had to be the old man, oh my God, if he woke up he will for sure turn back into that freaking monster looking thing and probably come down here and kill me, I had to hurry, I wanted to know what had happen to Red, don’t ask me why but it was something inside of me that was pushing me. I walked into the hidden room and shinned my light around, quickly at first, what I saw was horrible.
I turned around to ask the woman where my wife was, but she wasn’t there. At first I didn’t know what was going on so I went back to the door and tried to open it but it was locked. I pounded on the door for a long time but no one came and that’s when I realized I was set up. "Wait a minute, I asked, "I just saw you turn into something that looked pretty strong. Why didn’t you change into that thing and bust your way out?" He paused for a second, then took a deep breath. "I couldn’t, I didn’t know it at the time but she had found out through reading the books that if put into a room barred by a passage you could not change", he said sorrowfully. I thought about what he was saying. Something felt wrong. I asked him how he got out then? He told me that he heard Red and the old woman talking about the passages and that they were close to finding out the secrets behind them. "When Red came down to get me out of the cellar I tricked him into thinking I couldn’t leave the room unless he said the passage that was written on the door. Once he did, I killed him and that brings us to here."
I tried to think back of all the things the old woman had told me. I remember her saying that the only way one of the demon looking things could get past the door was if someone had let them in by saying the passage. Maybe he was telling me the truth. I looked over at the old man, his head slumped over as if he were sleeping. I watched him for a second then took a step toward the hallway. He didn’t seem to be moving at all. I had to go see what had happened to Red. I took another step, still he didn’t move so I hurried into the hallway. I took one last look at him then opened the cellar door and made my way down the steps. It was dark as hell. I remembered when I was with the realtor he had turned on a light, so I put out my hands in front of me trying to find the string for the light. That’s when I heard something moving. I stood still and listened. It sounded like two pieces of sandpaper being rubbed together. I wasn’t about to say a thing. I searched for the light sweeping back and forth, then I found it. Reluctantly I pulled the string, not really wanting to see anything at that point but knowing I had too.
The cellar lit up, my eyes moved across the room as fast as they could, but there wasn’t anything there. I walked around the back of the well thinking the worst, but again nothing. Then I heard that sound again. It was coming from behind a old built in shelf. I thought it must be a mouse or even a rat. I slowly walked over to it. I noticed something shining on the floor in front of the shelf. It looked like water. I knelt down and ran my finger over it then smelled it. I couldn’t really smell anything, so I held it up to the light and that’s when I could see it was blood. Oh my God, this must have been where he had killed Red! But what did he do with his body? I looked around the room again, but there wasn’t anything, then I heard the scratching sound again. It had to be coming from behind the shelf. I don’t know why but I grabbed the shelves to try and move them. I wanted to see if there was a mouse behind the damn thing, but when I pulled on it the whole thing swung open. It was a door. This must have been that hidden room, the one the old man had told me about. I started to second guess myself. Maybe the old man really was telling me the truth? I stepped back away from the door, then quietly asked if anyone was in there. I heard something so I took a step forward. There was some light shining in from where I was standing and I could see that there was another door so I slowly walked up to it. There was three large bolt locks on it, but only one had been locked. I started to pull up on the handle when I heard that scratching sound again. I slid the lock open, then pushed on the door. Oh my God the smell was unbearable, my eyes burned so bad and I almost immediately started gagging, it ricked of death! I went back into the main part of the cellar, that’s when I noticed a small flash light sitting on top of the well, I grabbed it thinking there’s no way it would work but to my surprise it did.
I started to head back into the room when I heard a noise from up stairs, It had to be the old man, oh my God, if he woke up he will for sure turn back into that freaking monster looking thing and probably come down here and kill me, I had to hurry, I wanted to know what had happen to Red, don’t ask me why but it was something inside of me that was pushing me. I walked into the hidden room and shinned my light around, quickly at first, what I saw was horrible.
Chapter Thirty One
His voice more demanding with every word he said, I could tell he wasn’t happy. I hollered out, "STOP IT!!" What the Hell did you do with RED?" He turned to me, his eyes frozen in a timeless stare, then he said, "You know nothing about what is going on here." The old woman said something, then he walked closer to her. She started saying something over and over again, then without as much as a blink of an eye the old man shape shifted into the most god awful thing I have ever seen. I can’t even begin to explain the feeling I had inside of me. He stood about eight feet tall, a hairless body that looked as if its skin was wet. He had long fingers with claws that curled back around toward his hands, his feet blackened and had sharp claws. I could hear them scratch the floor as he walked toward the old woman and I could see every bone in his back. He towered over her with a fear I could feel deep inside of me. I knew something was going to happen. She changed forms into what looked like the wolf that had attacked me earlier. I didn’t understand what was happening, but whatever that thing was , it scared the hell even out of her. In a matter of seconds he attacked her. He ripped at her with his long claws tearing parts of her. He then grabbed her like she was nothing and snapped her neck, then threw her lifeless body to the floor.
I thought about bolting for the door, but who was I kidding. I knew either way I was in for something so I might as well try and keep my back against the wall and let him come to me. He turned toward me, blood dripping from his body. I screamed, "what do you want from me?" Then his body quivered and he changed back to the old man. I thought about trying to kill him while he was the old man but as fast as he changed the first time I knew it was a lost cause, so I just stood there. I asked him why he killed Red and the old woman. His breath slowed, then he came closer to me. I told him not to come any closer. He took another look at the old woman, then he said, "She was the keeper of my house." My thoughts went wild. "What do you mean keeper of your house? Who are you?" Without hesitation he said his name was Tershaune Vagnue. I looked at him, then looked at the old woman. "What do you mean? You’re trying to tell me that you’re the same Vagnue that built this house?" "No," he said, that was my son Charles Vagnue. He had built this house." He took a few more steps closer to me, then told me he needed to sit down. I slowly moved away from him as he sat down in a chair next to the fire place. His body seemed to be shaking as if he were cold. This was crazy because not two minutes earlier he had ripped apart that wolf looking thing. I asked him if he was ok, and then asked him just how old he was because the house had been built in 1817, and then he said it was built by his son. He told me that I was right, and that his son built this house.
"So where’s your son is now?" I told him, "The old lady said she was hired to take care of his mother, which I guess would have been your wife?" He shook his head no, then he started to explain who the old woman was. "My son had lived here for many years before my wife and I came here. It was late in the fall when we finally arrived. The reason we had come here was to try and rid ourselves of the demands that haunted us. My son learned of some old books that when read in the right way could end all of my families torment. When he found out that he had no way of reading these passages, we were to go back to England and find someone to help us. We knew we had to keep it quiet because if found out by others we would have been killed."
"My wife was ill and could not travel, so my son found a woman to watch after her. At first everything was fine, but after the next week the woman was going to say something to the local people, so my son turned her, knowing that if we could find out how to read these books things could be changed back. We had several rooms that we boarded up so the books would be safe when we returned, but when we were in England something happened. The man we contacted wanted the books back. He had been changed since my son had talked with him. My son was killed by the very man that gave him the books in the first place. I knew that I had to get back to my wife before it was too late, but when I arrived back home something had happened.
I thought about bolting for the door, but who was I kidding. I knew either way I was in for something so I might as well try and keep my back against the wall and let him come to me. He turned toward me, blood dripping from his body. I screamed, "what do you want from me?" Then his body quivered and he changed back to the old man. I thought about trying to kill him while he was the old man but as fast as he changed the first time I knew it was a lost cause, so I just stood there. I asked him why he killed Red and the old woman. His breath slowed, then he came closer to me. I told him not to come any closer. He took another look at the old woman, then he said, "She was the keeper of my house." My thoughts went wild. "What do you mean keeper of your house? Who are you?" Without hesitation he said his name was Tershaune Vagnue. I looked at him, then looked at the old woman. "What do you mean? You’re trying to tell me that you’re the same Vagnue that built this house?" "No," he said, that was my son Charles Vagnue. He had built this house." He took a few more steps closer to me, then told me he needed to sit down. I slowly moved away from him as he sat down in a chair next to the fire place. His body seemed to be shaking as if he were cold. This was crazy because not two minutes earlier he had ripped apart that wolf looking thing. I asked him if he was ok, and then asked him just how old he was because the house had been built in 1817, and then he said it was built by his son. He told me that I was right, and that his son built this house.
"So where’s your son is now?" I told him, "The old lady said she was hired to take care of his mother, which I guess would have been your wife?" He shook his head no, then he started to explain who the old woman was. "My son had lived here for many years before my wife and I came here. It was late in the fall when we finally arrived. The reason we had come here was to try and rid ourselves of the demands that haunted us. My son learned of some old books that when read in the right way could end all of my families torment. When he found out that he had no way of reading these passages, we were to go back to England and find someone to help us. We knew we had to keep it quiet because if found out by others we would have been killed."
"My wife was ill and could not travel, so my son found a woman to watch after her. At first everything was fine, but after the next week the woman was going to say something to the local people, so my son turned her, knowing that if we could find out how to read these books things could be changed back. We had several rooms that we boarded up so the books would be safe when we returned, but when we were in England something happened. The man we contacted wanted the books back. He had been changed since my son had talked with him. My son was killed by the very man that gave him the books in the first place. I knew that I had to get back to my wife before it was too late, but when I arrived back home something had happened.
Chapter Thirty
I told her , "This doesn’t make any sense at all. You said because that passage was written on the door that no evil could enter this house." She nodded, "Only if you were not invited in by the keeper of this house." I looked at her and said. "So how the hell did you or Red get in, and who let you in?" I wasn’t liking the feeling I was getting in my gut. There was something more here that I wasn’t getting. I paused for a minute and that’s when it hit me. I think they needed something from me. I asked her to explain this to me. "Why, when I walked in there was a wolf that attacked me," I asked. "I mean if you were the one who pulled me in the house, then you sure as hell wouldn’t have tried to attack me right?" I must have been on the right track because she took a few more steps closer to me. I held the poker up over my head and yelled, "Don’t come one step closer or I’ll......." She stopped me from what I was going to say and then she smiled. "What, you think you can kill me with that poker?" Her face still had a slight grin. Then she looked over at Red and told him to open the cellar door. "What! Don’t you take a step Red." I yelled. Then without as much as a blink he shape shifted into a wolf and ran into the other room. My body started to tremble at the thought of what was going to happen next.
Oh my God. I was getting really nervous. I asked her what he was opening the cellar door for. She turned and looked behind her then back at me, then said, "You will understand once you see it for your own eyes." I heard a crashing noise, then the most dreadful scream I have ever heard. I asked her what it was. She looked at me nervously and then said, "It was Red." Then I heard footsteps slowly coming down the hallway. The old lady took a few steps back, away from the opening that led into the living room. Then I saw it. My eyes didn’t even want to focus on what I was seeing.
There stood a old man. His skin almost looked green and he had patches of white blotches all over his body. He was slumped over and seemed as if he could barely walk. His eyes seemed larger than life and his head was mostly bald with only a few strands of hair remaining. As I looked closer I noticed his fingernails were long and that his arms looked as if they were bloody. I asked the old woman who this was supposed to be. She took a couple of more steps away from the old man nervously. The old man looked over at her and said something that I couldn’t understand. She backed up a few more steps. They were talking about something and it wasn’t good. I could tell that she was getting upset about what he was saying. I asked her where Red was. The old man looked over at me, and with a graveled voice said, "He is dead".
Dead? What the hell did he mean, he is dead? The old man turned back toward the old woman. She slowly stepped away again. He kept saying something over and over again, but it wasn’t anything I could understand.
Oh my God. I was getting really nervous. I asked her what he was opening the cellar door for. She turned and looked behind her then back at me, then said, "You will understand once you see it for your own eyes." I heard a crashing noise, then the most dreadful scream I have ever heard. I asked her what it was. She looked at me nervously and then said, "It was Red." Then I heard footsteps slowly coming down the hallway. The old lady took a few steps back, away from the opening that led into the living room. Then I saw it. My eyes didn’t even want to focus on what I was seeing.
There stood a old man. His skin almost looked green and he had patches of white blotches all over his body. He was slumped over and seemed as if he could barely walk. His eyes seemed larger than life and his head was mostly bald with only a few strands of hair remaining. As I looked closer I noticed his fingernails were long and that his arms looked as if they were bloody. I asked the old woman who this was supposed to be. She took a couple of more steps away from the old man nervously. The old man looked over at her and said something that I couldn’t understand. She backed up a few more steps. They were talking about something and it wasn’t good. I could tell that she was getting upset about what he was saying. I asked her where Red was. The old man looked over at me, and with a graveled voice said, "He is dead".
Dead? What the hell did he mean, he is dead? The old man turned back toward the old woman. She slowly stepped away again. He kept saying something over and over again, but it wasn’t anything I could understand.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Then she said, "I went down and got the key and tried it in the lock." "I couldn’t believe it when I heard the snap of the lock as it opened." "For a brief second I was almost scared to open the door." "As it swung open, I remember the door made a eerie screech as it opened." That made me more jumpier yet." "As I walked into the room I saw it was filled with cob webs and there was dust everywhere." "Then I saw a small desk with a brass candle holder." "I could tell that someone must have used this room a lot because the candles were almost burned to the ends."
"The desk had some papers spread out across it and there was a shelf built on the back of it with some books on it." "What caught my eye though was a large book sitting on a small table close to the window." "I walked over to it and started looking at it." "The words were written in some kind of language that at the time I didn’t understand so I closed the book and looked at its cover." "It was amazing." "It had symbols that were raised and some of the same kind of wording that again I couldn’t read at the time."
"The desk had some papers spread out across it and there was a shelf built on the back of it with some books on it." "What caught my eye though was a large book sitting on a small table close to the window." "I walked over to it and started looking at it." "The words were written in some kind of language that at the time I didn’t understand so I closed the book and looked at its cover." "It was amazing." "It had symbols that were raised and some of the same kind of wording that again I couldn’t read at the time."
I cleared my voice, and asked her what she meant when she said she couldn’t read it at the time? Did you find out what it said? I asked. "And was it the same language that is scribed in the front door?" She nodded then I said, "Well? "What does it say?"
It says,
“This place rests of tasteless blood, thy veins run alone. "Let who walks through this passage walk without fear and who passes here will burn of the torches of the blacken Angel ”.
What does that mean? She told me she didn’t really know other than the book said to place those words on a place you want to rid of evil. So after looking through the book she went back over to the desk and looked at the papers. That is when she found out the secrets to the book. On the papers were the key to the wording in the book, someone had spent a long time trying to figure that book out.
I asked her what the book was. She paused then looked over at Red. He just stared at her without saying anything, I asked her again what it was? Then she said it was a book of passages to rid the darken spirits. She said that the cover of the book was actually a passage of purity, and things of evil could not enter if it is put out right. Out right?, "What do you mean by that?", I asked. She told me. "Like the carvings on the front door." "You mean to tell me that what is written on the front door is supposed to keep evil from entering?", I said warily. She nodded, then told me, "That is why I pulled you inside the house after you collapsed in the yard." Then Red finally spoke up and said, "It was the same reason Earl didn’t want to enter the house." "The only way he could enter is if you opened the door, or if the right passage was said during the changing of a spirit. I looked at him unbelievably and asked, "You mean like when you shape shift?" Red nodded.
I turned back to the old woman, and then asked her how she and Red could be in the house then? I was still thinking this was all bull but some of the stuff she was saying, well it kind of made sense. I asked her who put the carving on the front door. She looked over at Red, then said, "It was Mr. Crane." "He wanted to cure himself after he had been captured by the curse." "He hated the feeling of being controlled by Vagune and vowed to somehow end all of that." "It was his room that had been boarded up. "I found some letters of his saying he was worried Mr. Vagune was getting suspicious, and was worried he would find out and end up killing him."
“This place rests of tasteless blood, thy veins run alone. "Let who walks through this passage walk without fear and who passes here will burn of the torches of the blacken Angel ”.
What does that mean? She told me she didn’t really know other than the book said to place those words on a place you want to rid of evil. So after looking through the book she went back over to the desk and looked at the papers. That is when she found out the secrets to the book. On the papers were the key to the wording in the book, someone had spent a long time trying to figure that book out.
I asked her what the book was. She paused then looked over at Red. He just stared at her without saying anything, I asked her again what it was? Then she said it was a book of passages to rid the darken spirits. She said that the cover of the book was actually a passage of purity, and things of evil could not enter if it is put out right. Out right?, "What do you mean by that?", I asked. She told me. "Like the carvings on the front door." "You mean to tell me that what is written on the front door is supposed to keep evil from entering?", I said warily. She nodded, then told me, "That is why I pulled you inside the house after you collapsed in the yard." Then Red finally spoke up and said, "It was the same reason Earl didn’t want to enter the house." "The only way he could enter is if you opened the door, or if the right passage was said during the changing of a spirit. I looked at him unbelievably and asked, "You mean like when you shape shift?" Red nodded.
I turned back to the old woman, and then asked her how she and Red could be in the house then? I was still thinking this was all bull but some of the stuff she was saying, well it kind of made sense. I asked her who put the carving on the front door. She looked over at Red, then said, "It was Mr. Crane." "He wanted to cure himself after he had been captured by the curse." "He hated the feeling of being controlled by Vagune and vowed to somehow end all of that." "It was his room that had been boarded up. "I found some letters of his saying he was worried Mr. Vagune was getting suspicious, and was worried he would find out and end up killing him."
Chapter Twenty Eight
He said that he could sense it in me. I looked over at the old woman. She stepped closer to me and said something. I told her I couldn’t hear her, so she came closer. Her voice was just a whisper but this time I could hear her. She told me that she was sorry but that what Red was telling me was true. I had been captured by the curse of Vagune. "Curse? What curse?", I asked. She begin to tell me how when she lived back in England she had been hired to help with Vagune’s mother. "After the first week I noticed that the old woman never slept." " I explained to Mr. Vagune that we needed to do something about it and that’s when he got very irritated with me and told me to just do as he said." "Months went by and I told him that I was going to do something about the old woman not sleeping." "That’s when he begin to pace back and forth across the room." "He started screaming hysterically. I tried to leave but it was too late." "I stood there in disbelieve because that is the first time I saw him change."
"I had fainted and when I woke up I felt strange." "It was if he had complete control over me." "I couldn’t speak." "My voice was gone." "I hadn’t the will to try and get away, nor did I want to." "One night Mr.Vagune came back from somewhere, his clothes torn and bloody." "He told me to gather up what we could, that we had to move." "I asked no questions." "Several months later we ended up here." "He built this house and we have been here ever since." I looked at her. She was pale and looked as if she was ill. I interrupted her. "Just a minute here, this house was built in 1817?" And now your telling me you moved here with the Vagunes?" She nodded, so then I asked her. "If I were to believe this, which I don’t , where did Vagune and his family go?" Just then Red stood up and looked over at the old lady, then told her, "Be careful what you say from this point on." She looked at Red, then said she didn’t care anymore and that they were close to finding out how they could stop this. She looked back at me, then told me that Vagune had gone back to England several years ago. "He told me to stay here and watch over his mother, so I did." "Years went by and we never heard from him." "Then one day his mother died." "I didn’t know what else to do so I buried her in the back of the property." "I still couldn’t speak at that point, then a week went by after his mother passed on and I could start to feel something." " I cleared my throat, then tried to speak." "At first I couldn’t believe it." "I felt better every day and time went by." "Year after year, I waited for him to return." "One day I heard something." "It sounded like glass breaking, so I checked all the windows in the house but nothing was broken." "I went outside to look and that’s when I noticed that one of the dormers had a broken window." "I didn’t have any way to get up there to fix it so I figured there had to be away to get to it from inside the house."
I asked her why would I care about a broken window or any of this crap as far as that goes? She took another step toward me, then she told me that she had had a man come fix the window, and when he had looked inside the dormer he told her that it looked like there were some things in there. When he came down from the ladder she asked him what was in there. He told her it looked like a desk and some old books. They both wondered why there would be a room with no way in to it. I She then asked him if he would go inside and see if there was away to get inside of the dormer. After several hours the man pulled off some boards that were covering the walls and discovered a door. The door had been locked so the man asked her if she wanted him to break in. She figured she shouldn't let him and told him to cover it back up.
"Several months went by again, and all I could think of is what was in that room." she continued. "So one night I took the boards down and then just stood there staring at the door." "That’s when I remembered seeing a key in the top of the Mantle." I shook my head because I knew she was telling the truth because I had seen that same key while I was looking at the house with the realtor.
"I had fainted and when I woke up I felt strange." "It was if he had complete control over me." "I couldn’t speak." "My voice was gone." "I hadn’t the will to try and get away, nor did I want to." "One night Mr.Vagune came back from somewhere, his clothes torn and bloody." "He told me to gather up what we could, that we had to move." "I asked no questions." "Several months later we ended up here." "He built this house and we have been here ever since." I looked at her. She was pale and looked as if she was ill. I interrupted her. "Just a minute here, this house was built in 1817?" And now your telling me you moved here with the Vagunes?" She nodded, so then I asked her. "If I were to believe this, which I don’t , where did Vagune and his family go?" Just then Red stood up and looked over at the old lady, then told her, "Be careful what you say from this point on." She looked at Red, then said she didn’t care anymore and that they were close to finding out how they could stop this. She looked back at me, then told me that Vagune had gone back to England several years ago. "He told me to stay here and watch over his mother, so I did." "Years went by and we never heard from him." "Then one day his mother died." "I didn’t know what else to do so I buried her in the back of the property." "I still couldn’t speak at that point, then a week went by after his mother passed on and I could start to feel something." " I cleared my throat, then tried to speak." "At first I couldn’t believe it." "I felt better every day and time went by." "Year after year, I waited for him to return." "One day I heard something." "It sounded like glass breaking, so I checked all the windows in the house but nothing was broken." "I went outside to look and that’s when I noticed that one of the dormers had a broken window." "I didn’t have any way to get up there to fix it so I figured there had to be away to get to it from inside the house."
I asked her why would I care about a broken window or any of this crap as far as that goes? She took another step toward me, then she told me that she had had a man come fix the window, and when he had looked inside the dormer he told her that it looked like there were some things in there. When he came down from the ladder she asked him what was in there. He told her it looked like a desk and some old books. They both wondered why there would be a room with no way in to it. I She then asked him if he would go inside and see if there was away to get inside of the dormer. After several hours the man pulled off some boards that were covering the walls and discovered a door. The door had been locked so the man asked her if she wanted him to break in. She figured she shouldn't let him and told him to cover it back up.
"Several months went by again, and all I could think of is what was in that room." she continued. "So one night I took the boards down and then just stood there staring at the door." "That’s when I remembered seeing a key in the top of the Mantle." I shook my head because I knew she was telling the truth because I had seen that same key while I was looking at the house with the realtor.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Oh my God this is just too much to handle. I looked over at Red, then asked him what he was. He put his head down slightly and said he didn’t know. All he knew was that when all this started it was uncontrollable. I asked him what was uncontrollable. he looked up at me and said the shape changing. He said after several years he had learned how to change, and for the last three years he had been hunting down who had been killing those people. I asked him what he would do now that he had found him and killed him. He shook his head, then told me that Earl was only one of many. "Many?" "What do you mean?", I nervously asked. He told me that the day before when he was after Earl he saw another shape shifter run into that small building, but that he was focused on Earl so when I came out of the house I had went over in that same direction so I must have scared him off. Puzzled I asked Red why he would have been scared off by me. He paused for a minute then said, "What I am going to tell you next is going to be hard to handle." "Why, what is it?" My voice was high pitched as if I was scared to hear the answer. Not knowing what he was going to say next, I told Red that this was all way too crazy for me, and whatever he had to tell me I think was better off not being said.
Just then I heard something walking up behind me. I jumped up and turned toward the doorway. My heart couldn’t hardly take anymore of this. Red stood up and told me it would be alright, then he shouted in the direction of where the noise was coming from. "It’s ok you can come out now." I looked over at Red and asked him , "Who can come out now?" I said with my voice still shaking and me clutching onto the poker as if it were my life line. Red was just about to say something when I saw a shadow of something out of the corner of my eye. Not wanting to look but knowing I had to I slowly turned my head and looked. Oh my God it was that damn wolf! I backed up to the fireplace, keeping my focus on both of them and in a raised voice asked Red what the hell was going on. Red took a step toward me. I thrust the poker toward him, then told him to stay away from me. He told me to calm down and that no one was going to hurt me. "Yeah, right." I told him. "That’s probably what you told Earl."
Red started to tell me again how Earl wasn’t what I thought he was, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time you told me that," I said as I glanced over to where the freaking wolf thing was standing. That’s when my mouth went dry. Every thought, every word, was frozen at that instant, because what I had just seen would have sent chills down the back of anyone. It shape shifted right in front of me. Standing there in the place of the wolf was a old woman, her hair long and straggly with streaks of black running through it and it looked as if it was wet. Her face was worn and cut up and her eyes could burn through the soul of a dragon. Her clothes old and torn, she tried to speak but before she could, I started to freak out, screaming at the top of my lungs. I told them to get away from me, and that I would kill them if they tried to come close to me. Red cleared his throat, then he said, "You have to hear this Scott." "Hear what?", I screamed back at him. "Am I supposed to listen to some more of this bullshit story about how you and this other freak bitch are not going to try and eat me?" "Well, I do not believe you for a second." Red took a step toward me and told me to listen. "Fine." "Say what you have to say then leave me the hell alone.", I shouted. He told me that I might want to sit down first. "Screw that!" "I’m not sitting anywhere, just say whatever you need to say."
"Ok," he began. "Do you remember when you hit your head then passed out in the yard?" I nodded, "Yes why?" "What the hell does that got to do with anything?" "Well," he continued. "When you were laying there one of the shape shifters was going to kill you, and would have if it wasn’t for her." He pointed over toward the old woman. "She had tried to drag you inside the house earlier but couldn’t do it in this form, so she shape shifted into what you saw earlier." "Then she dragged you in the house." "She was the one who dragged me in the house?", I asked. "Yes, that is how you have those bite marks on your arm."Red said. I looked down at my arm and rubbed on the bandages. I looked back over at Red. "That really doesn’t explain to me what you want with me.", I told him.
He went on to tell me that when she pulled me in the house, she had shape shifted. "Yeah, that’s what you said, so why does that make any difference,?" I said. "You said she was too weak to do it if she didn’t change into the wolf thing." He nodded, then said because she was shifted her bite entered my blood. My eyes narrowed, wondering what the hell that meant. He looked over at the old woman, then back at me, and what he said next sent terror through every fiber of my being.
Just then I heard something walking up behind me. I jumped up and turned toward the doorway. My heart couldn’t hardly take anymore of this. Red stood up and told me it would be alright, then he shouted in the direction of where the noise was coming from. "It’s ok you can come out now." I looked over at Red and asked him , "Who can come out now?" I said with my voice still shaking and me clutching onto the poker as if it were my life line. Red was just about to say something when I saw a shadow of something out of the corner of my eye. Not wanting to look but knowing I had to I slowly turned my head and looked. Oh my God it was that damn wolf! I backed up to the fireplace, keeping my focus on both of them and in a raised voice asked Red what the hell was going on. Red took a step toward me. I thrust the poker toward him, then told him to stay away from me. He told me to calm down and that no one was going to hurt me. "Yeah, right." I told him. "That’s probably what you told Earl."
Red started to tell me again how Earl wasn’t what I thought he was, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time you told me that," I said as I glanced over to where the freaking wolf thing was standing. That’s when my mouth went dry. Every thought, every word, was frozen at that instant, because what I had just seen would have sent chills down the back of anyone. It shape shifted right in front of me. Standing there in the place of the wolf was a old woman, her hair long and straggly with streaks of black running through it and it looked as if it was wet. Her face was worn and cut up and her eyes could burn through the soul of a dragon. Her clothes old and torn, she tried to speak but before she could, I started to freak out, screaming at the top of my lungs. I told them to get away from me, and that I would kill them if they tried to come close to me. Red cleared his throat, then he said, "You have to hear this Scott." "Hear what?", I screamed back at him. "Am I supposed to listen to some more of this bullshit story about how you and this other freak bitch are not going to try and eat me?" "Well, I do not believe you for a second." Red took a step toward me and told me to listen. "Fine." "Say what you have to say then leave me the hell alone.", I shouted. He told me that I might want to sit down first. "Screw that!" "I’m not sitting anywhere, just say whatever you need to say."
"Ok," he began. "Do you remember when you hit your head then passed out in the yard?" I nodded, "Yes why?" "What the hell does that got to do with anything?" "Well," he continued. "When you were laying there one of the shape shifters was going to kill you, and would have if it wasn’t for her." He pointed over toward the old woman. "She had tried to drag you inside the house earlier but couldn’t do it in this form, so she shape shifted into what you saw earlier." "Then she dragged you in the house." "She was the one who dragged me in the house?", I asked. "Yes, that is how you have those bite marks on your arm."Red said. I looked down at my arm and rubbed on the bandages. I looked back over at Red. "That really doesn’t explain to me what you want with me.", I told him.
He went on to tell me that when she pulled me in the house, she had shape shifted. "Yeah, that’s what you said, so why does that make any difference,?" I said. "You said she was too weak to do it if she didn’t change into the wolf thing." He nodded, then said because she was shifted her bite entered my blood. My eyes narrowed, wondering what the hell that meant. He looked over at the old woman, then back at me, and what he said next sent terror through every fiber of my being.
Chapter Twenty Six
"Red, What the hell are you talking about here?" "Do you even hear what you are trying to say?" He said, "I know this is hard to understand , Scotty, but it’s true." Curiously I asked him what happened to his Dad. He paused slightly then told me that on that night his dad changed forever. "Changed in what way? " "I thought you said your dad died from a heart attack?" I said. "He did, well at least my real Dad did." he answered. I shook my head not understanding what the heck he was trying to say. "What do you mean you’re real dad?" "What happened?" I shook my head in disbelief. Red looked at me, his eyes glistened over with tears and he said, "That night the man saved my dad’s life and took it all at the same time." "For years after that night my dad wasn’t the same." "Every waking hour he researched in old books about witchcraft, and sorcerors, things about shape shifting and things like that."
"Well that still doesn’t explain to me what happened to your dad." , I said. He said, "Fine, I will explain." "The night of his heart attack he said the man turned into a wolf and bit my Dads neck. "My dad didn’t remember anything else after that. "All he knew is that when he woke up he was laying on his front porch and his clothes were ripped to shreds. "Pulling on his own clothes he looked down, they were kind of like mine are right now." I stood up and held the poker out in front of me. "What the hell are you telling me Red?" "That you’re a shape shifter?" I couldn’t even fathom what the hell I was even saying, let alone contemplate believing this bunch of bull. Red stood up and asked me to calm down and let him explain everything. After thinking it over and seeing everything I’ve seen the last few days I thought I better at least hear what he had to say, I told him to go ahead, and then we both sat down. Red told me about ten years earlier, he was in a bad motorcycle accident, his dad was the one to find him . Red wasn’t breathing and had lost a lot of blood, and figuring he was going to die, his dad brought him up here to see the old man. His dad asked him to save Red like he had him. Several years later his dad told him what had happened, and like me he didn’t believe what he was hearing.
"I have I lived a normal life", he said. "That is until about five years ago." "I was working on a small project for someone, when the husband and wife started arguing." "One thing led to another."I started pacing back and forth. "I started to sweat, and all of a sudden I blacked out." "When I came to I was laying in the middle of the woods, my cloths torn to pieces and I had blood on me everywhere." I made my way back to my place and cleaned up." "The next day I went up town for breakfast before heading over to work." "When I heard talk about someone getting killed I asked the waitress what they were talking about." "That’s when they told me what had happened."
"She told me that there was nothing left of their bodies." " I asked her who she was talking about." "When I heard their names I knew I had something to do with it." " I went over to my dad’s place to talk to him about what I thought I had done, and that I believed what he had told me." "I was worried that the sheriff would have come after me but no one ever did."
I stood up again, and asked him why he was telling me all this. My heart was pounding again and I started sweating. He said, "Because, there is something you need to know." "But first I have to tell you everything." "Later that day I had went back to my place to get something when my phone rang."
"It was my Dad", he told me. He thinks he knows what to do, he said. That he was going up to talk to the old man and see if there were some way to stop what was happening to me. And ask him why nothing like this has ever happened to him."
"That was the last time I heard from my dad." "Later that night I went over to my dad’s, but he wasn’t there." "I went straight up to the old Cranes place and pounded on the door, but no one answered." "I went around to the back of the house and tried the back door and it was open so I went in." "I searched the house top to bottom but it was empty." I went back into town and got the sheriff. I had told him that my dad said he was going out to the Crane place to talk to the old man about something and hadn't come home."
Still standing and listening in disbelief, I asked him again why his clothes were ripped. Red shook his head and said he didn’t want to say right now. I asked him if he was the one that killed Earl. He stood up and looked at me. Then said yes. "Oh My God WHY? ", I asked.
He told me Earl wasn’t what I thought he was. "What do you mean by that", I asked. Red said, "Do you remember that day you followed that wolf into the cellar?" I looked at him and said, "How do you know about that?" He asked me again, do you? I nodded, and then he told me that was Earl. He was what was killing all these people around here. I took a step back, what! No that’s nuts, all of this is crazy. Red spoke up louder, then grabbed my arms and said no, it’s true!!. He wanted to kill you so no one would move into this house because this is where there secret is hidden. I think they killed my dad because he knew something, I have been trying to figure just what that is but can’t. The next day Earl helped you move. This was his opportunity to get rid of you, just like so many others before you, but this time his plan was foiled because I was here. I heard that Earl had come up here to help you and I knew I needed to get here fast. What you didn’t know was I wanted you to believe he didn’t want to be here, but in reality he wanted you to feel like you had led the way. Once you went back inside, he started to follow you. That’s when I confronted him, but you came out too quick before I could finish him. When you finally saw him walking down the road, he was already close to dead, and when you went to get help I finished him.
Again I didn’t believe what I was hearing. He told me he wasn’t sure it was Earl that was killing all these people, but once he found out he had went with me up here, he knew he had to watch him.
"I knew I was right when I saw him change just as you went inside the house," Red said. "I had to act quick, he wasn’t quite changed when I slashed his throat, and he took off down the drive way trying to get away as fast as he could, but it was too late." "Once he turned back into human form, that’s when I knew he was close to death."
"Well that still doesn’t explain to me what happened to your dad." , I said. He said, "Fine, I will explain." "The night of his heart attack he said the man turned into a wolf and bit my Dads neck. "My dad didn’t remember anything else after that. "All he knew is that when he woke up he was laying on his front porch and his clothes were ripped to shreds. "Pulling on his own clothes he looked down, they were kind of like mine are right now." I stood up and held the poker out in front of me. "What the hell are you telling me Red?" "That you’re a shape shifter?" I couldn’t even fathom what the hell I was even saying, let alone contemplate believing this bunch of bull. Red stood up and asked me to calm down and let him explain everything. After thinking it over and seeing everything I’ve seen the last few days I thought I better at least hear what he had to say, I told him to go ahead, and then we both sat down. Red told me about ten years earlier, he was in a bad motorcycle accident, his dad was the one to find him . Red wasn’t breathing and had lost a lot of blood, and figuring he was going to die, his dad brought him up here to see the old man. His dad asked him to save Red like he had him. Several years later his dad told him what had happened, and like me he didn’t believe what he was hearing.
"I have I lived a normal life", he said. "That is until about five years ago." "I was working on a small project for someone, when the husband and wife started arguing." "One thing led to another."I started pacing back and forth. "I started to sweat, and all of a sudden I blacked out." "When I came to I was laying in the middle of the woods, my cloths torn to pieces and I had blood on me everywhere." I made my way back to my place and cleaned up." "The next day I went up town for breakfast before heading over to work." "When I heard talk about someone getting killed I asked the waitress what they were talking about." "That’s when they told me what had happened."
"She told me that there was nothing left of their bodies." " I asked her who she was talking about." "When I heard their names I knew I had something to do with it." " I went over to my dad’s place to talk to him about what I thought I had done, and that I believed what he had told me." "I was worried that the sheriff would have come after me but no one ever did."
I stood up again, and asked him why he was telling me all this. My heart was pounding again and I started sweating. He said, "Because, there is something you need to know." "But first I have to tell you everything." "Later that day I had went back to my place to get something when my phone rang."
"It was my Dad", he told me. He thinks he knows what to do, he said. That he was going up to talk to the old man and see if there were some way to stop what was happening to me. And ask him why nothing like this has ever happened to him."
"That was the last time I heard from my dad." "Later that night I went over to my dad’s, but he wasn’t there." "I went straight up to the old Cranes place and pounded on the door, but no one answered." "I went around to the back of the house and tried the back door and it was open so I went in." "I searched the house top to bottom but it was empty." I went back into town and got the sheriff. I had told him that my dad said he was going out to the Crane place to talk to the old man about something and hadn't come home."
Still standing and listening in disbelief, I asked him again why his clothes were ripped. Red shook his head and said he didn’t want to say right now. I asked him if he was the one that killed Earl. He stood up and looked at me. Then said yes. "Oh My God WHY? ", I asked.
He told me Earl wasn’t what I thought he was. "What do you mean by that", I asked. Red said, "Do you remember that day you followed that wolf into the cellar?" I looked at him and said, "How do you know about that?" He asked me again, do you? I nodded, and then he told me that was Earl. He was what was killing all these people around here. I took a step back, what! No that’s nuts, all of this is crazy. Red spoke up louder, then grabbed my arms and said no, it’s true!!. He wanted to kill you so no one would move into this house because this is where there secret is hidden. I think they killed my dad because he knew something, I have been trying to figure just what that is but can’t. The next day Earl helped you move. This was his opportunity to get rid of you, just like so many others before you, but this time his plan was foiled because I was here. I heard that Earl had come up here to help you and I knew I needed to get here fast. What you didn’t know was I wanted you to believe he didn’t want to be here, but in reality he wanted you to feel like you had led the way. Once you went back inside, he started to follow you. That’s when I confronted him, but you came out too quick before I could finish him. When you finally saw him walking down the road, he was already close to dead, and when you went to get help I finished him.
Again I didn’t believe what I was hearing. He told me he wasn’t sure it was Earl that was killing all these people, but once he found out he had went with me up here, he knew he had to watch him.
"I knew I was right when I saw him change just as you went inside the house," Red said. "I had to act quick, he wasn’t quite changed when I slashed his throat, and he took off down the drive way trying to get away as fast as he could, but it was too late." "Once he turned back into human form, that’s when I knew he was close to death."
Chapter 25
Red grabbed my arm and turned me around, then told me I needed to listen to him very carefully, I nodded and said ok, he said that it was about his Dad and also about what I had seen in the house. He reached around me and turned the knob an...d pushed open the door, then said it will be alright and that the wolf was gone, I looked back at the open door and then slowly walked in. I heard the door shut behind me, not wanting to take my eyes off of what was in front of me I told Red that maybe we should leave the door open in case that thing wants to get out. What he said next raised the hairs on my neck, and made it almost impossible for me to turn around and look at him, He said that it doesn’t want to get out it lives here, what the hell do you mean it lives here I asked? He walked by me and went into the living room, my eyes fixed on his every step I followed him, he sat on the chair next to the fire place, then looked over at me and asked me to sit down. Still clinging to the fire poker I said don’t you think we should look for that dog or wolf? He shook his head no, and then asked me again to sit down, reluctantly I walked over to the couch and stood there a few seconds before sitting down, I was so uneasy about all that has happened to me.
I asked Red what he meant when he said that the wolf lives here, and what did his Dad have to do with any of this and why is your clothes all ripped apart and what is stain on your shirt, is that blood? I could see Red getting uneasy, he leaned forward and told me that what he is about to tell me is going to be hard to believe but it’s all true. Will explain why your clothes are all ripped?
He sat back in the chair, then he said he had gone through a change, my eyes narrowed, I change, what do you mean by that? He told me that he would tell me everything but wanted to tell me how this all started, I was getting really uneasy about all this. He said it started about thirty years ago, My Dad had a lumber yard in town and had a late night delivery out here, the man told my Dad that he wanted to have him bring some plank boards up to this house but couldn’t do it until one am. My Dad asked him why he couldn’t just drop the boards off outside and send him the bill, but the man insisted that it be brought up there at around one am, My Dad was a gentle man and respectably agreed to the man’s conditions. When my Dad showed up he said there was what my Dad said a large black wolf sitting on the porch, he was used to making delivery’s to places that had dogs so he wasn’t too worried, only that this one seemed pretty big. As he walked up to the door he said that he was keeping an eye on the wolf when right in front of his eyes the wolf turned into a man, what are you talking about I said, the wolf turned into a man right in front of your Dad, that’s crazy! What are you trying to do here Red scare me more than I already am? Red continued on, he said that his Dad wasn’t really sure if he believed what he was seeing, and figured it was just late night jitters, then the man walked up to my Dad and told him that they needed his help. The man told my dad that he wanted to have a special room built and he knew my Dad to be a good carpenter, My Dad confronted the Man about what he had seen, but the man denied it. After off loading the boards the man again asked him to do the job and offered my Dad a lot of money to do it, the only stipulation was he had to do it at night. At first my Dad said he didn’t want to do it, but business was slow that year and he really needed the extra money.
I said that still doesn’t explain the wolf I saw and the fact your clothes are torn, He shook his head, then said, remember when I meet you in the café and I told you that my Dad had a heart attack and died? I said yes, why?
Well one of the nights my Dad was working out here he did have a heart attack, and was close to dying when the man told him he wouldn’t have to die and that he could save him, but he wouldn’t be the same ever again.
I asked Red what he meant when he said that the wolf lives here, and what did his Dad have to do with any of this and why is your clothes all ripped apart and what is stain on your shirt, is that blood? I could see Red getting uneasy, he leaned forward and told me that what he is about to tell me is going to be hard to believe but it’s all true. Will explain why your clothes are all ripped?
He sat back in the chair, then he said he had gone through a change, my eyes narrowed, I change, what do you mean by that? He told me that he would tell me everything but wanted to tell me how this all started, I was getting really uneasy about all this. He said it started about thirty years ago, My Dad had a lumber yard in town and had a late night delivery out here, the man told my Dad that he wanted to have him bring some plank boards up to this house but couldn’t do it until one am. My Dad asked him why he couldn’t just drop the boards off outside and send him the bill, but the man insisted that it be brought up there at around one am, My Dad was a gentle man and respectably agreed to the man’s conditions. When my Dad showed up he said there was what my Dad said a large black wolf sitting on the porch, he was used to making delivery’s to places that had dogs so he wasn’t too worried, only that this one seemed pretty big. As he walked up to the door he said that he was keeping an eye on the wolf when right in front of his eyes the wolf turned into a man, what are you talking about I said, the wolf turned into a man right in front of your Dad, that’s crazy! What are you trying to do here Red scare me more than I already am? Red continued on, he said that his Dad wasn’t really sure if he believed what he was seeing, and figured it was just late night jitters, then the man walked up to my Dad and told him that they needed his help. The man told my dad that he wanted to have a special room built and he knew my Dad to be a good carpenter, My Dad confronted the Man about what he had seen, but the man denied it. After off loading the boards the man again asked him to do the job and offered my Dad a lot of money to do it, the only stipulation was he had to do it at night. At first my Dad said he didn’t want to do it, but business was slow that year and he really needed the extra money.
I said that still doesn’t explain the wolf I saw and the fact your clothes are torn, He shook his head, then said, remember when I meet you in the café and I told you that my Dad had a heart attack and died? I said yes, why?
Well one of the nights my Dad was working out here he did have a heart attack, and was close to dying when the man told him he wouldn’t have to die and that he could save him, but he wouldn’t be the same ever again.
Chapter Twenty Four
I grabbed the blanket and turned toward the dog, as I leaped through the air and onto him. I collapsed to the floor landing on nothing but the blanket. Somehow I had missed him completely or so I thought. I spun around thinking the worst. My hands were ready to try and grab his neck to hold him off any way possible, but there was nothing there. I didn’t even hesitate. I scooted backwards toward the fire place and grabbed the poker then jumped to my feet and waited. I listened carefully to see if I could hear him breathe, but nothing. I cleared my throat hard, then hollered, "Where are you, you son of a bitch?!! " I was sweating like mad, and shaking uncontrollably. I didn’t understand how he had gotten in here in the first place. The image of him was embedded in my mind. His long black hair, and those black eyes staring at me as he growled that horrible growl; I really didn’t think it was a dog at all , it seemed too big for one. I thought it through, picking out every detail, from the height and size of him to his large fangs and long tail. I think it might have been a wolf.
Waiting no more I crept toward the doorway leading out of the living room. Every step I made seem to make the floor creak. I stuck the poker around the corner and hollered, but nothing moved or attacked so I peeked around the corner down the hallway running back toward the kitchen, then stepped out into the hallway. I glanced up the stairs to see if I could see him up there but nothing was there either so I took a step closer toward the kitchen. I thought about opening the door so if he wanted to get out, there would be away for him to escape, so I slowly walked backwards toward the door. I reached for the knob but kept watching wildly for any movement in front of me. As I swung the door open, my back to the door, I heard a voice. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I spun around swinging the poker at what was there, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it. To tell you the truth I don’t even think I remember seeing anything at that moment other than the vision of that thing jumping on me. I swung wildly then I heard a man’s voice yell out SCOTTY! Focusing on what was there I stepped back and put down the poker. Oh my God, it was Red. I was out of breath and shaking. He asked me what the hell was wrong. I was at a loss for words at first, then I stepped out onto the deck and closed the door behind me. "I’m so sorry, Red." "There is a wolf in my house." His eyes narrowed and he said, "A wolf?" "What do you mean?" I explained to him what had happened and that I was just about to open the door to try and scare it out when he had showed up and startled me. I told him I didn’t mean to swing at him but I didn’t know what was behind me and that I was really jumpy.
I stood there catching my breath, still telling him every detail of what happened when I noticed that his clothes were torn to shreds. He had what looked like a blood stain on his right shoulder, and his hands were all dirty. I glanced up at him, then asked him what the hell happened to him? He stared at me with a demanding stare and told me that he needed to talk to me about something. I asked him if he was alright and if he needed a doctor and he shook his head no. Then he asked me if we could go inside. I was about to open the door but then turned to him and said, "We can’t." "That big dog or wolf or whatever the hell is still in there!"
Waiting no more I crept toward the doorway leading out of the living room. Every step I made seem to make the floor creak. I stuck the poker around the corner and hollered, but nothing moved or attacked so I peeked around the corner down the hallway running back toward the kitchen, then stepped out into the hallway. I glanced up the stairs to see if I could see him up there but nothing was there either so I took a step closer toward the kitchen. I thought about opening the door so if he wanted to get out, there would be away for him to escape, so I slowly walked backwards toward the door. I reached for the knob but kept watching wildly for any movement in front of me. As I swung the door open, my back to the door, I heard a voice. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I spun around swinging the poker at what was there, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it. To tell you the truth I don’t even think I remember seeing anything at that moment other than the vision of that thing jumping on me. I swung wildly then I heard a man’s voice yell out SCOTTY! Focusing on what was there I stepped back and put down the poker. Oh my God, it was Red. I was out of breath and shaking. He asked me what the hell was wrong. I was at a loss for words at first, then I stepped out onto the deck and closed the door behind me. "I’m so sorry, Red." "There is a wolf in my house." His eyes narrowed and he said, "A wolf?" "What do you mean?" I explained to him what had happened and that I was just about to open the door to try and scare it out when he had showed up and startled me. I told him I didn’t mean to swing at him but I didn’t know what was behind me and that I was really jumpy.
I stood there catching my breath, still telling him every detail of what happened when I noticed that his clothes were torn to shreds. He had what looked like a blood stain on his right shoulder, and his hands were all dirty. I glanced up at him, then asked him what the hell happened to him? He stared at me with a demanding stare and told me that he needed to talk to me about something. I asked him if he was alright and if he needed a doctor and he shook his head no. Then he asked me if we could go inside. I was about to open the door but then turned to him and said, "We can’t." "That big dog or wolf or whatever the hell is still in there!"
Chapter Twenty Three
After they left the nurse checked me over, then asked me if I was feeling better, I said yes then asked her when would I be able to get out of here, She smiled and told me that she would have to wait and that it was up to the doctor and that he wouldn’t be in until the morning, I asked her what time was it getting to be, she told me it was around ten o’clock at night, Wow really, I couldn’t believe it, how long was I out I asked her, she looked puzzled then said she thinks I was only in here for about a hour or so, an hour? What are you talking about I said, I though you said it was ten o’clock? Yes it is she said. I thought back at what time it was when I had picked up Earl to come and help me, It had to been around two pm when we got done, so I figured by the time the Sheriff arrived it had to be at least close to three, I turned to the nurse, then I asked if she was sure that I was only here for an hour, she said it had to be close to that, then asked me to look at my wrist band because that has the time when you were admitted, I turned the band around so I could see the time, It said eight fifty five pm. She asked me if everything was alright, I said yes then asked her if I had any stitches or anything? She looked and said no, and the only thing they were monitoring me for is a concussion, we already gave you a cat scan and it checked out fine. The doctor said to keep a close eye on you and he had giving you a light sedative to slow down your heart rate, other than that we feel you will be fine.
The next morning I woke up ready to get the heck out of there, another nurse came in to check on me and I asked her if I could go home now, she walked over and checked the monitors then told me that the doctor does his rounds at eight am so he will be here shortly. I didn’t really like the idea of being here anymore than I had to so I asked her if she could see if he could check me first, as she left the room, I sat up and swung my legs over to the side of the bed and stood up, I was a little lit headed but figured it was just because I had been hit on the head pretty hard. After a few minutes the door opened and the doctor came in, He said well it looks like you’re ready to get out of here uh? I told him yes then he asked me to sit down for a minute while he goes over some things, he told me that I might be a bit dizzy for a little while until the swelling goes away, and that I shouldn’t lift anything or drive a car, but other than that I can release you as soon as we get your paper work done, I quickly asked him about driving a car because I didn’t have anyone else around to drive for me, he shook his head and said that he didn’t recommend that at all because it was too dangerous this early after a head trauma like that. He told me that they have someone that can bring me home so I wouldn’t have to drive. I said that would be great, then I started thinking I didn’t even know where my truck was anyway.
About an hour later I was in getting a ride home from a elderly man that drove the service vehicle for the hospital, he asked me where I lived, when I told him I could see his eyes light up, I couldn’t help but ask him what that look was for, Oh I’m sorry sir, it’s just that I heard some bad things about that area. Then he didn’t say another thing, I asked him what kinds of things, but he just kept a straight face forward and never said a thing, as he pulled up the drive way I could see his eyes passing back and forth, it was as if he was looking for something, he pulled up to the front of the house and waited for me to get out, I was barely out of the van door when he put it in gear and started backing up, woo I said, the door of the van pushing me back a few steps, he looked over at me and said he was sorry but he needs to get going right away, I thanked him for the ride and as soon as I closed the door he floored it out of my driveway and out into the street without even letting off the gas. I shook my head in disbelieve as to how people are so skittish around here, I walked up the steps and onto the front deck, then turned and watch as he turned off of shallow pine onto willow, I shook my head again then went inside.
I just wanted to go lay down on the couch and forget any of this had happen, when I walked into the living room, my heart damn near blew right out of my chest, I couldn’t even take a breath, because of what I saw standing next to the fire place, it was that big black dog! I thought about spinning around and running for the door, but then figured he would have me before I would even take two steps, motionless I stared at him, his mouth was partly open and I could see his razor sharp teeth, all I could think of is what that is going to feel like once he decides to attack me, my eyes looked around the room trying to find something to protect myself with but couldn’t see anything except for the fire poker that was six inches away from him.
I swear hours went by when I finally knew I had to do something, so I cleared me throat, his ears perked straight up and he moved forward just a little, then I said, how is it going boy, where did you come from, I could see his hair stand up on the back of his neck, then a low steady growl that seemed to echo throughout the house, the sound he made terrified every bone in my body, I knew there was nothing I could do at this point other than try and fight him off the best I could, I thought about rushing him, maybe I could get to the poker and somehow use it to defend myself, his eyes were focused hard on me now, they were almost black, drewl fell to the floor as he let out a blood curling bark, then he took another step closer. I saw that there was a blanket draped over the back of the couch and figured I could get to it before he could get to me, if I could, then maybe I would be able to wrap it around his head and hopefully hold him down until I could get to the poker, I hadn’t even finished running the thought threw my head when I made a leap for it, all I remember from that point was...
The next morning I woke up ready to get the heck out of there, another nurse came in to check on me and I asked her if I could go home now, she walked over and checked the monitors then told me that the doctor does his rounds at eight am so he will be here shortly. I didn’t really like the idea of being here anymore than I had to so I asked her if she could see if he could check me first, as she left the room, I sat up and swung my legs over to the side of the bed and stood up, I was a little lit headed but figured it was just because I had been hit on the head pretty hard. After a few minutes the door opened and the doctor came in, He said well it looks like you’re ready to get out of here uh? I told him yes then he asked me to sit down for a minute while he goes over some things, he told me that I might be a bit dizzy for a little while until the swelling goes away, and that I shouldn’t lift anything or drive a car, but other than that I can release you as soon as we get your paper work done, I quickly asked him about driving a car because I didn’t have anyone else around to drive for me, he shook his head and said that he didn’t recommend that at all because it was too dangerous this early after a head trauma like that. He told me that they have someone that can bring me home so I wouldn’t have to drive. I said that would be great, then I started thinking I didn’t even know where my truck was anyway.
About an hour later I was in getting a ride home from a elderly man that drove the service vehicle for the hospital, he asked me where I lived, when I told him I could see his eyes light up, I couldn’t help but ask him what that look was for, Oh I’m sorry sir, it’s just that I heard some bad things about that area. Then he didn’t say another thing, I asked him what kinds of things, but he just kept a straight face forward and never said a thing, as he pulled up the drive way I could see his eyes passing back and forth, it was as if he was looking for something, he pulled up to the front of the house and waited for me to get out, I was barely out of the van door when he put it in gear and started backing up, woo I said, the door of the van pushing me back a few steps, he looked over at me and said he was sorry but he needs to get going right away, I thanked him for the ride and as soon as I closed the door he floored it out of my driveway and out into the street without even letting off the gas. I shook my head in disbelieve as to how people are so skittish around here, I walked up the steps and onto the front deck, then turned and watch as he turned off of shallow pine onto willow, I shook my head again then went inside.
I just wanted to go lay down on the couch and forget any of this had happen, when I walked into the living room, my heart damn near blew right out of my chest, I couldn’t even take a breath, because of what I saw standing next to the fire place, it was that big black dog! I thought about spinning around and running for the door, but then figured he would have me before I would even take two steps, motionless I stared at him, his mouth was partly open and I could see his razor sharp teeth, all I could think of is what that is going to feel like once he decides to attack me, my eyes looked around the room trying to find something to protect myself with but couldn’t see anything except for the fire poker that was six inches away from him.
I swear hours went by when I finally knew I had to do something, so I cleared me throat, his ears perked straight up and he moved forward just a little, then I said, how is it going boy, where did you come from, I could see his hair stand up on the back of his neck, then a low steady growl that seemed to echo throughout the house, the sound he made terrified every bone in my body, I knew there was nothing I could do at this point other than try and fight him off the best I could, I thought about rushing him, maybe I could get to the poker and somehow use it to defend myself, his eyes were focused hard on me now, they were almost black, drewl fell to the floor as he let out a blood curling bark, then he took another step closer. I saw that there was a blanket draped over the back of the couch and figured I could get to it before he could get to me, if I could, then maybe I would be able to wrap it around his head and hopefully hold him down until I could get to the poker, I hadn’t even finished running the thought threw my head when I made a leap for it, all I remember from that point was...
Chapter Twenty Two
When I finally opened my eyes, I didn’t know really what the heck had happen, I looked around the room then I heard someone say my name, I looked over to where I heard the voice, there was a nurse standing next to me, she leaned over and asked me how I was feeling, I didn’t know I said, I’m not really sure what happened, She told me that I had been brought in by the ambulance and all she knew is that I had been knocked out by a blow to the back of the head, Oh my God, that’s when I started to remember what had happen, I told the nurse I was getting kind of nauseated and would like a bowl or something, she quickly handed me one of those little half circle bowls, I sat up a little then threw up, I felt embarrassed and told her I was sorry about that, she smiled and said not to worry, and that this happens a lot when people get head injuries, I said thank you and then laid back down.
It wasn’t five minutes and in walked the Sheriff, he had another man with him dressed in a leisure suit my guess was he was an investigator or something, he asked the nurse how I was doing, she had told him that I had just woke up and that I was feeling nauseated, he shook his head and then asked her if she could leave the room for a few minutes. I got a little uneasy about that, because it must have been the Sheriff that hit me in the back of the head with something, the nurse came over to me and checked me over once more, then asked me if I was feeling good enough to talk to the Sheriff, I nodded my head and said yes I am ok, on the way out the nurse told the Sheriff he only had a few minutes then he would have to go.
The Sheriff came up to me and asked me if I remembered what had happen? You mean with Earl or how I ended up in here I asked, he made a grim look then said that he was sorry about the rap to the back of my head but he thought that I was resisting, I shook my head and told him no, and that I was just panicking because of what had happen to Earl. He then asked me if I could remember anything else that happened prior to Earl tripping. I shrugged my shoulders and asked him what he meant. I was worried that he would say it was because of him hitting his head that he died, He turned toward the other man and looked at him as if to ask his permission to tell me something, the man nodded, then the Sheriff told me that they had done a autopsy on Earl and found out that he only had two pints of blood left in his body, and that he died from blood lose and not the blow to the head, my eyes squinted slightly, what do you mean, he hadn’t lost that much blood.
I told him that when Earl was helping me unload my trailer he seemed fine, I told him that I had run back in the house to get my billfold and when I came back out Earl was gone I thought that was strange because I was only in the house, maybe a minute. The sheriff asked me if we had a disagreement about anything. No not at all, heck I was happy that he helped me, I paused for a minute and I guess I must have had a bewildering look on my face because the Sheriff asked me what I was thinking about, Well there was one strange thing, on the way to my place Earl became really jumpy about helping me once he found out where I lived, he told me that he thought the boogie man lived her. The Sheriff looked over at the other man, and nodded then he walked over to him and whispered something in his ear, I asked him what was going on, and if I were under arrest for something. The sheriff walked back over to me and said that they believe Earl had been drained of his blood after he had been laying there, I sat up instantly and said I didn’t do anything like that, He grabbed onto my shoulder, then looked me straight in the eye and said we know you didn’t.
My mind was bouncing off the wall, thinking of every scenario possible, well what do you mean then I asked, what happened to his blood? He stood up straight and asked the other man if he would explain it; the man nodded then walked up to the side of my bed. He told me his name was Mike Kerns with the forensic task force out of DC, and that they have been investigating things like this for the past twenty years, but this is the only time we have ever had anything happen like this during the day, I sat up again, what are you talking about, things like what? The man then told me that there has been at least thirty cases where we have found people dead, there blood drained from their bodies, and in some cases their limbs torn from their body. Oh my God, where are you talking about, around here or all over, he shook his head then told me it was within a twenty mile radius around Carl creek, I looked at him in disbelief, then I told him that I haven’t ever heard of this in the news, he said, you won’t either, we have to keep this quiet or we will never get to the bottom of it.
The Sheriff cleared his throat and then asked me if I had noticed anything strange at any point sense I have been here, I pulled back my gown and showed him the cut marks on my arm, then told him what had happened. He told me that I was very lucky that whatever did that didn’t do the same thing as they did to Earl; I nodded my head then explained to him that someone had drug me into the house, and that must have been what saved me, he shrugged his shoulders then said he didn’t understand why someone would have done that and never tried to call anyone for help. I didn’t know either, all I knew is that I woke up on the floor at about four in the morning, and the last thing I remembered before that was trying to make it to my truck after hitting my head on the ceiling of the old cellar, and that was around eleven am the following day. He asked me a few more questions about what had happen earlier.
Just then the nurse came back in and told the Sheriff that he would have to come back later because she had to run some tests, He looked back at me and told me to make sure that I keep things said between him and Mike, I nodded and told him that I would.
It wasn’t five minutes and in walked the Sheriff, he had another man with him dressed in a leisure suit my guess was he was an investigator or something, he asked the nurse how I was doing, she had told him that I had just woke up and that I was feeling nauseated, he shook his head and then asked her if she could leave the room for a few minutes. I got a little uneasy about that, because it must have been the Sheriff that hit me in the back of the head with something, the nurse came over to me and checked me over once more, then asked me if I was feeling good enough to talk to the Sheriff, I nodded my head and said yes I am ok, on the way out the nurse told the Sheriff he only had a few minutes then he would have to go.
The Sheriff came up to me and asked me if I remembered what had happen? You mean with Earl or how I ended up in here I asked, he made a grim look then said that he was sorry about the rap to the back of my head but he thought that I was resisting, I shook my head and told him no, and that I was just panicking because of what had happen to Earl. He then asked me if I could remember anything else that happened prior to Earl tripping. I shrugged my shoulders and asked him what he meant. I was worried that he would say it was because of him hitting his head that he died, He turned toward the other man and looked at him as if to ask his permission to tell me something, the man nodded, then the Sheriff told me that they had done a autopsy on Earl and found out that he only had two pints of blood left in his body, and that he died from blood lose and not the blow to the head, my eyes squinted slightly, what do you mean, he hadn’t lost that much blood.
I told him that when Earl was helping me unload my trailer he seemed fine, I told him that I had run back in the house to get my billfold and when I came back out Earl was gone I thought that was strange because I was only in the house, maybe a minute. The sheriff asked me if we had a disagreement about anything. No not at all, heck I was happy that he helped me, I paused for a minute and I guess I must have had a bewildering look on my face because the Sheriff asked me what I was thinking about, Well there was one strange thing, on the way to my place Earl became really jumpy about helping me once he found out where I lived, he told me that he thought the boogie man lived her. The Sheriff looked over at the other man, and nodded then he walked over to him and whispered something in his ear, I asked him what was going on, and if I were under arrest for something. The sheriff walked back over to me and said that they believe Earl had been drained of his blood after he had been laying there, I sat up instantly and said I didn’t do anything like that, He grabbed onto my shoulder, then looked me straight in the eye and said we know you didn’t.
My mind was bouncing off the wall, thinking of every scenario possible, well what do you mean then I asked, what happened to his blood? He stood up straight and asked the other man if he would explain it; the man nodded then walked up to the side of my bed. He told me his name was Mike Kerns with the forensic task force out of DC, and that they have been investigating things like this for the past twenty years, but this is the only time we have ever had anything happen like this during the day, I sat up again, what are you talking about, things like what? The man then told me that there has been at least thirty cases where we have found people dead, there blood drained from their bodies, and in some cases their limbs torn from their body. Oh my God, where are you talking about, around here or all over, he shook his head then told me it was within a twenty mile radius around Carl creek, I looked at him in disbelief, then I told him that I haven’t ever heard of this in the news, he said, you won’t either, we have to keep this quiet or we will never get to the bottom of it.
The Sheriff cleared his throat and then asked me if I had noticed anything strange at any point sense I have been here, I pulled back my gown and showed him the cut marks on my arm, then told him what had happened. He told me that I was very lucky that whatever did that didn’t do the same thing as they did to Earl; I nodded my head then explained to him that someone had drug me into the house, and that must have been what saved me, he shrugged his shoulders then said he didn’t understand why someone would have done that and never tried to call anyone for help. I didn’t know either, all I knew is that I woke up on the floor at about four in the morning, and the last thing I remembered before that was trying to make it to my truck after hitting my head on the ceiling of the old cellar, and that was around eleven am the following day. He asked me a few more questions about what had happen earlier.
Just then the nurse came back in and told the Sheriff that he would have to come back later because she had to run some tests, He looked back at me and told me to make sure that I keep things said between him and Mike, I nodded and told him that I would.
Chapter Twenty One
I was only gone for maybe fifteen minutes if that! He started to do CPR on him, I got down on my knees and helped him, I waited for him to stop the abdominal thrusts then I blew hard into his mouth, I watched his chest rise and then fall, we kept doing this for several minutes, then I heard the Ambulance coming up the road, I never was so happy to hear that sound in all my life, the man told me to keep going even when they get here, and not to stop until they take over, I nodded my head then blew hard into his mouth again, I put my hand on Earls neck to feel for a pulse, I wasn’t sure if he had one but thought I felt something, the Ambulance pulled up and I heard on of the EMT’s ask what happened, then he knelt down next to me and said that he would take over, he placed one of those squeeze bags over Earls mouth and started pushing large volumes of air into his lungs, again he asked if we knew what happened, I cleared my throat and said that he had tripped and hit his head on the road, immediately he started checking his head to see how bad it was, then he asked me what were all these bandages on his neck, my heart started to race oh, I said I had noticed that he had some bad cuts on his neck so I put some bandages over them, he looked up at me, then pulled the bandages off Earls neck, blood oozed slightly out of one of the cuts and the EMT quickly applied pressure to it, he hollered back to the other EMT that was grabbing something out of the ambulance, we have sever bleeding out of the corroded artery, his voice was stern but calm, I asked him if there was anything I can do, he shook his head no, the fire fighter was still applying abdominal thrusts when the EMT asked him to stop, they looked at each other and shook their heads, then he told him I that there was no pressure on the corroded, I asked them what they are doing, he looked up at me and said there was nothing he could do, In a panic I said no this can’t be, I told him that I had thought I felt a pulse just a few minutes ago, he sat up still sitting on his knees, then he said that this man has bleed to death. Bleed to death I said, that’s crazy what do you mean bleed to death, I pointed to the small amount of blood on the ground next to Earl, I stopped the blood when he fell and there isn’t hardly any blood on the ground so how the hell are you saying he bleed to death, the EMT, pulled the rest of the bandage away from Earls neck, then pointed to a deep cut that went across Earls main artery, then looked back at me and said this was the main blood flow to this man’s body and there isn’t anything coming out of it, plus his body temperature has already dropped to 87 degrees which is a sign of no blood flow, he took his stethoscope and listen to his heart, then shook his head and said there was no heart beat, Oh my God, I couldn’t even believe this.
After about five minutes the Sheriff pulled up and walked over to where Earl was lying, he asked the EMT to give him an update to what he thought had happened, The EMT took the Sheriff by the arm and pulled him to the side, I wasn’t sure what they were talking about but they kept looking over toward me, a few minutes later the Sheriff walked over to me, then asked me what I knew about this? I shrugged my shoulders and said that Earl had hit his head on the pavement and started bleeding from his head. The Sheriff said he tripped, what do you mean he tripped? Did you see him fall, Oh my God I knew I had to chose my next words very carefully, I cleared my throat and said that Earl had been helping me off load something’s into my house, I turned back toward my house and pointed toward it, when we were finished I guess Earl was in a hurry to get back to town so he started walking back. The Sherriff stood up a little taller then asked me how Earl got out here in the first place? Oh I gave him a ride. So what you’re telling me is that you brought him out here and for some reason he wanted to walk back to town? Which is about four miles, give or take right? I shook my head yes, then he asked me if we had gotten into a argument or a disagreement about anything, No not at all I said, all we did is off load some furniture into my new house and that was it, then I told him the next thing I knew I saw him walking down the road so I jumped into my truck and tried to give him a ride back into town.
Just then the EMT came over then pulled the Sheriff over to the side again, they walked over to Earl, and I could see the EMT pointing to Earl’s neck then they both looked back over to me, the Sheriff walked back over to me and asked me what happen to Earl’s neck? I had nothing to say so I shrugged my shoulders and said I didn’t know. The next thing I know he was spinning me around and told me that I was under the rest for suspicion of murder! I struggled to turn around screaming at the top of my lungs that I would never murder anyone! He pushed me to the ground and placed his knee in the back of my neck, then told me not to move, I kept trying to get up then I felt a hard thump on the back of my head, and all went dark.
After about five minutes the Sheriff pulled up and walked over to where Earl was lying, he asked the EMT to give him an update to what he thought had happened, The EMT took the Sheriff by the arm and pulled him to the side, I wasn’t sure what they were talking about but they kept looking over toward me, a few minutes later the Sheriff walked over to me, then asked me what I knew about this? I shrugged my shoulders and said that Earl had hit his head on the pavement and started bleeding from his head. The Sheriff said he tripped, what do you mean he tripped? Did you see him fall, Oh my God I knew I had to chose my next words very carefully, I cleared my throat and said that Earl had been helping me off load something’s into my house, I turned back toward my house and pointed toward it, when we were finished I guess Earl was in a hurry to get back to town so he started walking back. The Sherriff stood up a little taller then asked me how Earl got out here in the first place? Oh I gave him a ride. So what you’re telling me is that you brought him out here and for some reason he wanted to walk back to town? Which is about four miles, give or take right? I shook my head yes, then he asked me if we had gotten into a argument or a disagreement about anything, No not at all I said, all we did is off load some furniture into my new house and that was it, then I told him the next thing I knew I saw him walking down the road so I jumped into my truck and tried to give him a ride back into town.
Just then the EMT came over then pulled the Sheriff over to the side again, they walked over to Earl, and I could see the EMT pointing to Earl’s neck then they both looked back over to me, the Sheriff walked back over to me and asked me what happen to Earl’s neck? I had nothing to say so I shrugged my shoulders and said I didn’t know. The next thing I know he was spinning me around and told me that I was under the rest for suspicion of murder! I struggled to turn around screaming at the top of my lungs that I would never murder anyone! He pushed me to the ground and placed his knee in the back of my neck, then told me not to move, I kept trying to get up then I felt a hard thump on the back of my head, and all went dark.
Chapter Twenty
I really didn’t know why he would have took off like that, I pulled up alongside him but he just kept walking straight, it was if he never even seen me. I rolled down the passenger’s window and hollered out his name, but again he acted as if I wasn’t even there, so I pulled up about a hundred feet in front of him and got out, I walked toward the back of my truck then told him I was sorry and if he could get in the truck because I want to give him a ride back into town and that I still had to pay him for his help.
It was if he was in a daze, Oh MY GOD!!! That’s when I noticed the front of his shirt was filled with blood, I grabbed hold of him and stopped him, I asked him what happen to him, he just shoved me to the side and kept walking, I ran up along side of him again and tried to stop him, but he was determined to keep going, I could see that he was bleeding from somewhere on his neck but I couldn’t really get a good look at it, like I said earlier Earl was a big man and for me to try and stop him was just about impossible but I knew I had to so I ran up alongside him again and stuck my foot between his and tripped him to the ground, what happened next went so fast I couldn’t believe it. Because when Earl fell he never even put his hands out to catch himself, his head drove hard into the pavement and almost instantly I saw blood pouring out from his head! Oh My God I shouted!!! What the hell, he laid motionless on the ground for a split second I just stood there dumb founded as to what happened.
I got down on my knees and rolled him over and checked his vitals and made sure he was breathing, I kept shaking him telling him all along that I was sorry for tripping him and all I wanted to do is see what was wrong with him, I unbuttoned his shirt and opened it up so he wouldn’t be able to breathe better without being restricted, that’s when I noticed that he had several cuts on his neck, I looked closer, my heart was about to explode from my chest because what I thought were cuts looked more like bite marks, the same ones that I had on my arm, I glanced at my arm and then back at Earls neck, Oh My GOD! Whatever made these marks on my arm were the same as what were on Earl’s neck.
I ran back to my truck and grabbed my first aid kit I had behind the seat, I had first aid training but no amount of training ever seems to prepare you for the real thing. On my way over to Earl I called 911 and told them that a Man had fell and hit his head and they needed to hurry, I waited for them to say something but it was silent, I looked at my phone to find that there wasn’t any signal, Oh great I stuffed my phone into my pocket and started to try and stop the bleeding, after about a half hour I had managed to control the bleeding, I checked his vital signs again and they seemed fine, I shook him hard yelling his name, trying to get some kind of response but it was as if he was in a coma.
I stood up and looked down the road to see if I could see anyone but there wasn’t anyone around, I ran back to my truck and pulled up alongside Earl, I thought about trying to pull him in the back of my truck, but decided not to just in case he had a neck injury, I reached in my pocket and tried to call 911 again, but there was still no signal.
I had no choice but to drive into town and get help. I had some old saw horses in the back of my truck so I put them up on both sides of Earl to try and protect him from any cars driving by, after that I hauled ass into town as fast as I could, the only place I could think of going is the little café and see if anyone could call 911 from there, I pulled up hard and laid on the brakes coming to a abrupt stop then ran inside, I immediately screamed out someone call 911!! My shirt soaked in blood and me shaking like a leaf, the waitress asked me what had happen and if I was alright, I said yes then briefly told her that Earl had hit his head and that I needed a ambulance right now! There was a man sitting at a booth that jumped up, he said that he was on the fire department and that he could help, I heard the waitress on the phone with 911 she hollered out to me, Where is he at the ambulance needs a address, I told her it was up on Shallow Pine ridge road, She started to explain to them where they needed to go, so I asked the man if he could come with me, he shook his head and we ran out to my truck, I spun backwards then floored it back up to willow street then up to Shallow Pine, the man asked me what had happen and what I thought was wrong with Earl, I kept it brief and said that he had tripped and fell and hit his head while walking along the road, I pointed up ahead toward where the saw horses were, there I said, he is by those saw horses, as I came to a sliding stop the man rushed around the truck and went right to work on Earl, within seconds he turned to me and said that he wasn’t breathing, What I said!!! That can’t be,
It was if he was in a daze, Oh MY GOD!!! That’s when I noticed the front of his shirt was filled with blood, I grabbed hold of him and stopped him, I asked him what happen to him, he just shoved me to the side and kept walking, I ran up along side of him again and tried to stop him, but he was determined to keep going, I could see that he was bleeding from somewhere on his neck but I couldn’t really get a good look at it, like I said earlier Earl was a big man and for me to try and stop him was just about impossible but I knew I had to so I ran up alongside him again and stuck my foot between his and tripped him to the ground, what happened next went so fast I couldn’t believe it. Because when Earl fell he never even put his hands out to catch himself, his head drove hard into the pavement and almost instantly I saw blood pouring out from his head! Oh My God I shouted!!! What the hell, he laid motionless on the ground for a split second I just stood there dumb founded as to what happened.
I got down on my knees and rolled him over and checked his vitals and made sure he was breathing, I kept shaking him telling him all along that I was sorry for tripping him and all I wanted to do is see what was wrong with him, I unbuttoned his shirt and opened it up so he wouldn’t be able to breathe better without being restricted, that’s when I noticed that he had several cuts on his neck, I looked closer, my heart was about to explode from my chest because what I thought were cuts looked more like bite marks, the same ones that I had on my arm, I glanced at my arm and then back at Earls neck, Oh My GOD! Whatever made these marks on my arm were the same as what were on Earl’s neck.
I ran back to my truck and grabbed my first aid kit I had behind the seat, I had first aid training but no amount of training ever seems to prepare you for the real thing. On my way over to Earl I called 911 and told them that a Man had fell and hit his head and they needed to hurry, I waited for them to say something but it was silent, I looked at my phone to find that there wasn’t any signal, Oh great I stuffed my phone into my pocket and started to try and stop the bleeding, after about a half hour I had managed to control the bleeding, I checked his vital signs again and they seemed fine, I shook him hard yelling his name, trying to get some kind of response but it was as if he was in a coma.
I stood up and looked down the road to see if I could see anyone but there wasn’t anyone around, I ran back to my truck and pulled up alongside Earl, I thought about trying to pull him in the back of my truck, but decided not to just in case he had a neck injury, I reached in my pocket and tried to call 911 again, but there was still no signal.
I had no choice but to drive into town and get help. I had some old saw horses in the back of my truck so I put them up on both sides of Earl to try and protect him from any cars driving by, after that I hauled ass into town as fast as I could, the only place I could think of going is the little café and see if anyone could call 911 from there, I pulled up hard and laid on the brakes coming to a abrupt stop then ran inside, I immediately screamed out someone call 911!! My shirt soaked in blood and me shaking like a leaf, the waitress asked me what had happen and if I was alright, I said yes then briefly told her that Earl had hit his head and that I needed a ambulance right now! There was a man sitting at a booth that jumped up, he said that he was on the fire department and that he could help, I heard the waitress on the phone with 911 she hollered out to me, Where is he at the ambulance needs a address, I told her it was up on Shallow Pine ridge road, She started to explain to them where they needed to go, so I asked the man if he could come with me, he shook his head and we ran out to my truck, I spun backwards then floored it back up to willow street then up to Shallow Pine, the man asked me what had happen and what I thought was wrong with Earl, I kept it brief and said that he had tripped and fell and hit his head while walking along the road, I pointed up ahead toward where the saw horses were, there I said, he is by those saw horses, as I came to a sliding stop the man rushed around the truck and went right to work on Earl, within seconds he turned to me and said that he wasn’t breathing, What I said!!! That can’t be,
Chapter Nineteen
She paused, what kind of things, oh I said I had just moved here and I need help with the larger items, like a TV dressers desks and things like that, well she said, I know of one guy that does odd jobs around town maybe he could help you, I asked her if she knew his number so I could possibly give him a call, she chuckled then turned to a man sitting just down the counter from me and asked him if he knew what Earls number was, the man looked up then back down at his plate, a few seconds later I heard him say what do you want now Cindy, She smiled, then walked over in front of him, then pointed toward me, well Earl that gentleman right over there was wondering if you could help him move something’s into his house, the man leaned forward and looked down at me, not knowing really what to do raised my hand and waved at him, he half heartedly smiled then raised his cup of coffee then asked me what was it that I needed help moving, I told him a few things mostly the larger items like the TV and Dressers, he looked at his watch and said I guess I have a few minutes, Really, that would be great, I also told him that I would pay him for his time, he shrugged his shoulders and said he would help me as soon as he is done eating.
He was a bigger man about six foot five close to three hundred and fifty pounds, and maybe around fifty years old he looked as if he was a hard worker so it shouldn’t be too hard or take too long.
I was going to get something to eat but I had noticed that he was just about done so I figured I would just have coffee, a few minutes later he stood up and walked over toward me and said he was ready anytime, I shook my head and stood up, I placed a couple dollars on the counter and told the waitress to keep the change then headed out the door, the man followed me out to my truck, I turned to him and held my hand out so I could shake his hand, he leaned forward and grabbed onto my hand, I told him I sure appreciate the help, then introduced myself, he said his name was Earl and that it was no problem. he said that he had finished what he was doing for today anyway, I asked him if he wanted to ride with me or if he wanted to follow me, he shrugged his shoulders, then said I might as well ride with you, no use driving two rigs, I smiled and said that’s true enough.
We turned onto Willow street and headed south up to Shallow Pine Ridge, once I turned onto Shallow road, I noticed Earl sit up and lean back a little in the seat, then he asked me where I was going? I pointed up the road and said just up here a few more blocks, for the little bit I had been chatting with Earl, I had figured out that he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but seemed like a nice enough guy but what he said next sealed the thought in my head for good that he was missing a few flights, after a slight pause and him looking behind the truck then right and left he said I don’t like this place, I asked him what he meant by that, after another pause and him muttering something then he yelled out
THE BOOGIE MAN LIVES UP THIS ROAD!!!!, Oh my God I had all I could do not to laugh out loud, I said what? Again he said the same thing THE BOOGIE MAN LIVES UP THIS ROAD!!. The boogie man uh laughing I said, unless I’m the boogie man there’s no one that lives up here like that. But the closer we got to the house the more restless Earl became; he looked at me and said you live in the old Crane place? I nodded and said yes then pointed to the house as we pulled in the driveway, I asked him if he was alright, and if he would still help me, because all I need is a few minutes and I would bring him right back to town, he looked over at me, his face was sweating and hands were shaking, he nodded then said he would help me but he needed to leave right afterwards, I told him that would be no problem.
It didn’t take us long and we had everything in the house, Earl didn’t waist anytime he bolted right for the truck and climbed in, as I climbed in I told him that I really appreciated the help as I was about to pull away when I remembered that I left my wallet in the kitchen, I opened my door to go get it, with a raised voice, almost shaking uncontrollable Earl asked what I was doing, Oh I told him I had to grab something quick out of the house and that I would be right back, so I went in as fast as I could it didn’t even take me a minute, when I got back out to the truck Earl was gone! What the heck! I went over to his side of the truck and looked , I didn’t know what to think next, I hollered his name but nothing, I even went around to the back of the house figuring maybe he went to check something out, I even went over to that little shed and looked for him the first thing I noticed is that the door was closed, I knew that I hadn’t closed that door yesterday, oh my God, my throat immediately swelled shut and I swear I couldn’t even swallow, my heart started racing again and every bone in my body told me not to go open that door, for some reason I turned around and looked around the yard then down the drive way, my eyes focused on something moving about two or three blocks up the road, squinting my eyes hard I could see it was someone walking I took a few steps in that direction and hollered as loud as I could but whoever it was didn’t hear me, my thought was it had to be Earl, and that he must have decided to take off walking for town, I ran over to my truck and spun off in his direction, I could see it was Earl but when I got up to him I was at a loss for words.
He was a bigger man about six foot five close to three hundred and fifty pounds, and maybe around fifty years old he looked as if he was a hard worker so it shouldn’t be too hard or take too long.
I was going to get something to eat but I had noticed that he was just about done so I figured I would just have coffee, a few minutes later he stood up and walked over toward me and said he was ready anytime, I shook my head and stood up, I placed a couple dollars on the counter and told the waitress to keep the change then headed out the door, the man followed me out to my truck, I turned to him and held my hand out so I could shake his hand, he leaned forward and grabbed onto my hand, I told him I sure appreciate the help, then introduced myself, he said his name was Earl and that it was no problem. he said that he had finished what he was doing for today anyway, I asked him if he wanted to ride with me or if he wanted to follow me, he shrugged his shoulders, then said I might as well ride with you, no use driving two rigs, I smiled and said that’s true enough.
We turned onto Willow street and headed south up to Shallow Pine Ridge, once I turned onto Shallow road, I noticed Earl sit up and lean back a little in the seat, then he asked me where I was going? I pointed up the road and said just up here a few more blocks, for the little bit I had been chatting with Earl, I had figured out that he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but seemed like a nice enough guy but what he said next sealed the thought in my head for good that he was missing a few flights, after a slight pause and him looking behind the truck then right and left he said I don’t like this place, I asked him what he meant by that, after another pause and him muttering something then he yelled out
THE BOOGIE MAN LIVES UP THIS ROAD!!!!, Oh my God I had all I could do not to laugh out loud, I said what? Again he said the same thing THE BOOGIE MAN LIVES UP THIS ROAD!!. The boogie man uh laughing I said, unless I’m the boogie man there’s no one that lives up here like that. But the closer we got to the house the more restless Earl became; he looked at me and said you live in the old Crane place? I nodded and said yes then pointed to the house as we pulled in the driveway, I asked him if he was alright, and if he would still help me, because all I need is a few minutes and I would bring him right back to town, he looked over at me, his face was sweating and hands were shaking, he nodded then said he would help me but he needed to leave right afterwards, I told him that would be no problem.
It didn’t take us long and we had everything in the house, Earl didn’t waist anytime he bolted right for the truck and climbed in, as I climbed in I told him that I really appreciated the help as I was about to pull away when I remembered that I left my wallet in the kitchen, I opened my door to go get it, with a raised voice, almost shaking uncontrollable Earl asked what I was doing, Oh I told him I had to grab something quick out of the house and that I would be right back, so I went in as fast as I could it didn’t even take me a minute, when I got back out to the truck Earl was gone! What the heck! I went over to his side of the truck and looked , I didn’t know what to think next, I hollered his name but nothing, I even went around to the back of the house figuring maybe he went to check something out, I even went over to that little shed and looked for him the first thing I noticed is that the door was closed, I knew that I hadn’t closed that door yesterday, oh my God, my throat immediately swelled shut and I swear I couldn’t even swallow, my heart started racing again and every bone in my body told me not to go open that door, for some reason I turned around and looked around the yard then down the drive way, my eyes focused on something moving about two or three blocks up the road, squinting my eyes hard I could see it was someone walking I took a few steps in that direction and hollered as loud as I could but whoever it was didn’t hear me, my thought was it had to be Earl, and that he must have decided to take off walking for town, I ran over to my truck and spun off in his direction, I could see it was Earl but when I got up to him I was at a loss for words.
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I wasn’t sure what it was so I pulled it out. This was weird. It was three mirrors mounted on a metal bracket; two of the mirrors were facing the same way and were smaller than the one facing the opposite way. There was also large space between the mirrors. I wasn’t really sure what it was, or why they would have mirrors facing each other.
I put my hand between the mirrors but nothing happened. After looking it over for awhile I noticed that the center of the space between the mirrors had what looked like a place to hold something. I looked over at the book and laid it in the opening and it fit perfectly. What happen next boggled my mind. I started to move the mirrors around I thought maybe the light from the mirrors would somehow do something to the book. I know that sounds crazy, but it wasn’t anymore crazy than people changing form into a freaking monster looking thing. Anyway, as I moved the mirrors around I noticed something. On the corner of the third mirror I could see part of the page of the book, and I could read a word. It said (together) just as plain as day!!. My eyes narrowed and my mind went into overdrive! What the hell! I turned the third mirror so I could see the whole page, OH MY GOD!!!! I could read every word! I looked back at the book laying there. That’s when I could see it, the words were written backwards.
Oh wow, I just remembered the day I drove away in my truck to follow the realtor into town, I had looked through my mirror at the door and thought I could read it. When I got out and looked I saw that I couldn’t. At the time I didn’t catch on, but now it makes sense. The door must be written the same way.
This is hard to explain but as I looked into the third mirror it must have been lined up just enough with the other two that it switched it around. I adjusted all three mirrors so I could read it perfectly. I thought, what a smart person this was. He had to use three mirrors to actually write it perfectly like this. Looking into one mirror wouldn’t have worked because he would have had to write looking into the same mirror, but by using three mirrors he could adjust them just right so he could look into the one mirror and it would be as if he were really writing it normally. Amazing as heck. I knew I needed to start reading it from the beginning so I turned to the front of the book and started reading.
"This is the written words of Jacque Bechune. Today the sun sets with the sounds of hell closing in. I am close to finding a way to killing these demons. I caught one again two nights past. I tell you this hoping you are not going through the same torment that is inside of me. I’ve learned of a way to capture them, to hold there demon so it can not rise. They were coming for me and I knew it. I read from a old passage that if you were to burn the hair of the wild boar and the smoke rises from the strike of flint the spirit of what is within will be frozen, and at that time you must enter his heart with the blood of a silver tipped knife. Only then you can rid what lives inside."
I had to stop and think for a minute. What the hell am I even reading here? I looked over at the box that carried the flint. I walked over and opened it and looked inside. What I had thought was grassy stuff might be hair? I picked it up and looked closer, it was hair, though I wasn’t sure of what. I could only assume it was from a boar. Oh my God, this was getting too crazy again. I went back over and started to read. Page after page it told me of the horrors that he had lived through. One page really scared me.
It said that one night he heard a tapping at the door, he knew he couldn’t open it because of the evil that was on the other side of the door. He looked through the hole in the lock and he could see one of the demons. It had a small child, a girl, she was knocking at the door, her eyes full of tears and her voice shaking from fear. He could see the long claws of the demon already dripping blood. He said he knew they had killed the little girls family. Then he said that he couldn’t watch anymore because he knew he couldn’t open the door.
With his back against the door, the last thing he heard was the screams of something that will haunt him until his last breath.