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Jordan Segal

Professor McDermott

ENG-559-Q2327

28 February 2016

The Ghosts of McAlister County: A Short Story Compilation

Fear of the Dark

     Jenna Freemont looked out her bedroom window at the flakes that were falling against

the black backdrop of the December sky. The snow was beginning to stick to the ground,

blanketing her front yard along with the trees and bushes that ran along the perimeter. The only

light around was the dim glow coming off of Jenna’s front porch light. It made the falling snow

look beautiful, peaceful even. She looked back at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It was just

after midnight. Jenna knew she would need to go to sleep soon, but she had an unsettling feeling

in the pit of her stomach. She attributed it to this being the first night she would spend alone in

this big house. Her boyfriend, Shawn, had flown from Chicago to Dallas for a business trip. Past

events from Jenna’s life added to her feelings of unease.

     Reluctantly, she slipped into bed and pulled the heavy comforter up to her chin. She

left the TV on in the background. The break from complete silence usually comforts her some.

Jenna yawned to acknowledge that she really was tired, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling

that something wasn’t right. She got up, looked out again at the snow covered ground, convinced

herself she was just psyching herself out, and crawled back into bed. Thinking she was being

silly, she laughed at herself and turned on to her right side, curled up to make sure her toes would

stay under the blankets, and started to drift off to sleep.

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     Just as she was about out for the night, she heard what sounded like footsteps

downstairs. In an instant, she was sitting straight up in bed. She lowered the volume on the TV

and sat as quietly as she could, listening for more strange noises. A few moments passed and

Jenna didn’t hear a thing. She started to wonder if she had actually fallen asleep and the sound

she heard was part of a dream starting. She got up and walked to the window. Something about

watching the snow fall had a calming effect on Jenna. This time; however, the view would not be

so settling. As Jenna glanced down at the area of the yard the porch light showed her, she noticed

fresh footprints in the snow below. Just as she realized what she was seeing, the porch light went

dark, and so did her TV. Jenna frantically reached for the lamp on the bedside table, but to no

avail. The power was out.

     Jenna felt paralyzed. She stood there frozen with fear. Her mind was racing as she

tried to figure out what she was going to do. She picked up the portable phone from the

nightstand, pressed the on button and held it to her ear. The sound of the dial tone was replaced

with dead silence. She tried to remember where she had left her cell phone. Jenna was petrified

when she realized it was in her purse, downstairs on the kitchen table. As quietly as she could,

she opened the drawer of the nightstand, fumbled around, and grabbed the flashlight. It was hard

to hold onto with the way her hands were shaking. She did not turn it on, just gripped it tightly as

she crawled under the bed. She laid there on her stomach, in the pitch black, and waited.

     She didn’t know what she was waiting for. She was scared and alone. Was she waiting

to die? It dawned on her that she was not in a place where she would be able to have a fighting

chance. If there was an intruder in the house looking to cause her harm, she was a sitting duck.

Having not heard or seen anything since the power went out, she decided it was time to move.

She crawled out from under the bed and crept quietly towards the bedroom door. She took a deep

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breath and put her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything coming from the other

side. In the darkened house, Jenna could make out only one sound aside from her breathing. It

was a short clicking and scratching sound, like the sound a Bic makes when a smoker lights up.

Ch-ch-ch. She knew she wouldn’t rest if she didn’t go down to investigate. She also knew her

only chance at finding help was to get to her cell phone.

     Jenna slowly turned the handle and pulled the door open just enough to peer out of it

with her left eye. She could see down the long highway towards the stairwell. There was an

ominous glow off in the distance. Again, Jenna mustered her courage, telling herself that she was

not just going to lay in wait. If something was going to happen to her, it would not be without a

fight. Curiosity had also gotten the better of her. She needed to know what was lighting up the

stairwell in a home that had no electricity.  She pulled the door open as slowly and quietly as she

possibly could before beginning her descent into the hallway.

     She tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway. Her bare feet sunk into the plush

carpeting as she slowly made her way down the hall. Her next step caused the floor to creek and

she winced, freezing in her tracks. One more step and she would be able to have a view of the

stairwell. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it. Near the top of the

stairwell, she caught the flicker of a flame dancing on top of a candle. As she got closer, she was

caught even more off guard. A lit candle on every other step illuminated the path down the stairs.

     Jenna had no idea what was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Her hand

gripped the railing as she led herself down the stairs one trembling foot after the other. Aside

from the mysterious candlelit stairwell, Jenna could neither see nor hear anything out of the

ordinary. She was almost to the bottom when a figure came out from behind the corner and knelt

down in front of the last step. The figure was dressed in black and wearing a hood that prevented

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Jenna from making out a face in the glow of the bottom step’s candle. She stopped and watched

the figure. Her heart was racing and she could feel her entire body trembling. The hair on her

arms and the back of her neck stood straight up. The figure reached into a pocket and pull out a

small box. The lid of the box was open. Jenna saw an object shining back at her. As she realized

she was looking at a ring, the figure raised his head up into the glow of the candlelight. It was

Shawn.

     He smiled at her and she smiled back. She jumped into his arms, nearly tackling him

to the ground.  “That feels like a yes,” he said. “It is a yes,” she replied with a kiss, “As long as

you never scare me like that again.” 

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Detour

The pavement turned to gravel beneath the tires of Quinn’s Ford pickup. Dust kicked

up as the truck adjusted to the new terrain. Quinn had decided to travel at night because there

would be less traffic. The drive from Eagle River, Wisconsin back to his home in McHenry,

Illinois was supposed to take about five hours. He had been on the road for nearly eight now and

the clock on the dash was approaching 2:00 AM. A heavy thunderstorm and an unexpected

detour had knocked Quinn off of his course. He had been using the GPS on his smartphone but

the signal had been lost hours ago. The dirt road he was driving down now was definitely

unfamiliar to him and there were no lights or signs to guide him so he slowed down a bit and

flipped on his high beams to navigate.

The road quickly narrowed and Quinn could see he was surrounded by trees, getting

deeper and deeper into what looked like a forest or an area where campers would pull off for the

night. Another set of storm clouds was rolling in overhead. Not knowing exactly where he was,

Quinn thought it might be a good idea to try and find a place to stop for the night. The narrow

road in conjunction with the surrounding trees would make it impossible for Quinn to turn his

truck around without hitting something or scratching his truck. He decided his only option was to

trudge forward to see if he could spot a main road or a trail to lead him back to civilization. Even

a Motel 6 would be a sight for sore eyes at this point.

The next 20 minutes through the bumpy and somewhat dangerous terrain felt like a

couple of hours to Quinn. He could not see anything in the distance that suggested he was close

to anything resembling a way out of the woods. He came to a spot in the road where a large

branch had fallen and stretched across the dirt path he was driving on. At first glance, he thought

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his pickup would have no problem going over this branch but he didn’t want to take any chances

or risk being stranded out here.

Quinn was traveling back from a trip to a cabin that belongs to his friend Tommy. He

had just gone through a pretty bad breakup and Tommy decided what Quinn needed was a guy’s

weekend away filled with boating and fishing during the day, and drinking to excess at the cabin

in the evening. The weekend had come to a close and Quinn needed to be at work the next

morning. This detour was nothing he had planned for and meant he was in for a long day at the

office tomorrow. At any rate, here he was stepping out of his truck to remove a fallen branch

from his unknown path in the middle of nowhere. God knows how far away from home or a

place suitable to bed down until daybreak.

No sooner had he shut the door to his truck than the sky opened up again and rain

began to hail down on Quinn amidst an almost deafening boom of thunder. Quinn looked up at

the sky and smiled in an “ah, that figures” sort of way. Since his choices were still to move this

branch or sleep in the cab of his truck, Quinn went to work on the branch. As he got closer to it,

he was glad he had not decided to attempt to drive over it. This thing was huge, close to fourteen

inches around if Quinn needed to guess. His next issue was figuring out how he was supposed to

move this damn thing on his own. He decided pulling it from the side where he could get the best

grip was the best way to tackle this. He bent down and gripped the end protruding off of the left

side of the road where there was a clearing large enough for him to plant his feet and still have a

little room to maneuver. As he gripped the branch, which was more like a tree stump upon closer

analysis, he realized his bare hands were never going to gain any leverage against this soaking

wet piece of tree.

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Wishing he had brought his winch, Quinn headed back to his truck, opened the

passenger side door, and pulled his heavy duty gloves from the glove box. He looked around the

cab of his truck for anything else he could use to his advantage and he spotted a belt in the back

seat. He walked back over to the tree in the middle of the road, slipped the belt underneath, and

pulled the ends up on either side of the roadblock. Just as his luck had seemed to have gone all

evening, the other side of the log was completely lodged under some various other tree parts that

had also fallen victim to the storm.

Quinn’s method was to heave the trunk up and settle it down, heave the trunk up, and

settle it down. He figured this type of jarring would eventually pull the other end loose from its

wooden coils. Suddenly, there was a crunching from above. The crunching quickly changed into

a cracking followed by a snap. Quinn backed away from a large branch that had been shaken

loose above him in the commotion, or so he thought. He felt a warm, wet trickle from above his

eye and realized the falling branch had caught him. He removed the glove from his right hand

and dabbed his fingers against his forehead. When he brought his hand back down to where he

could see it again, he noticed the tips of his fingers were covered in blood. Again, he retreated to

his glove box to see what he had in his first aid kit.

As he was sitting in his passenger seat fumbling through his kit for some gauze or a

bandage, Quinn was startled by a light tapping on the window. His head cocked to the right to

see what was outside. Much to his astonishment, a young woman was standing outside. She

looked at him with a soft smile that seemed warm and inviting despite the matted down wet hair

that was matted to her face. She was dressed only in a long white night gown that had started to

turn transparent from the rain. Quinn could not help but notice her hard nipples poking through

her nightshirt.

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The woman’s wet breasts danced in a circle as she motioned for him to roll down the

window. Quinn turned the key forward into the “on” position so he could respond to her request.

Caught staring at what was certainly an unexpected sight for Quinn, he reached for the button

that would remove the barrier between him and this tantalizing, although mysterious, creature.

The window hummed as it lowered. Smiling, the woman pointed to a house in the distance. The

home was brightly lit and Quinn couldn't believe he had not seen it before he hopped out to

move the obstruction.

“I saw your headlights from my bedroom. No one ever comes down this road anymore.

When I noticed you were stuck out here in the storm, I thought I would come out and offer you a

warm place to dry off and maybe call for some help with your truck.”

“Speaking of warm dry, you came all the way out here with no coat, not even a robe?”

“I appreciate your concern sugar, but real country girls don’t mind a good

thunderstorm.”

Quinn looked down at the road that was turning to mud beneath his shoes and then

back up at the woman. She was soaking wet and seemed to glow in the moonlight. She was not

wearing any makeup so Quinn didn’t have to look past raccoon rings to see the sparkle in her

eyes provided by the moonlight shining through the raindrops. He was still in shock that such a

beautiful woman was standing in front of him given his situation. What were the chances; he

hadn’t seen another person for miles. Yet, here was this blond bombshell with soft blue eyes and

a near perfect figure standing nearly naked right in front of him.

“Yeah, I uh, guess I got myself turned around. Where am I?”

“You’re in Clayton, sweetie. Where ya headed?”

“Home to McHenry.”

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Quinn had heard of Clayton but he had never been there. It was a little farm town that

had all but been abandoned. He also knew that he had ended up south of his home which means

he had missed an exit along the way and actually travelled about 60 miles past McHenry.

“Come on up to the house. We can clean up that cut and get you out of this storm till it

passes.”

Quinn nodded as he rolled up the window. He reached over and turned the truck off,

pulling the key from the ignition. The woman backed away to give him room to open the door.

As he stepped out, she reached for his hand. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. The

fingers on his right hand slid between hers and he reached back to close the door with his free

hand. She started off towards the house and he walked with her. Neither of them spoke until they

got up the walkway and into the house.

“Hey, I really appreciate this. My name is Quinn, by the way.”

“Sarah,” she smiled as she closed the door behind her.

Quinn looked around the old farmhouse. It was nothing too fancy. There were a few

throw rugs spread over an aged wooden floor. The electronics were outdated. It looked like the

place had not been renovated in some time but you could tell it was a woman’s home, or at least

that she had made the lion’s share of the decorating decisions. Quinn noticed the size of the

house and looked at the stairs stretching up to the second story and wondered if there was anyone

else at home.

“It’s just you in this big house?”

“Yep, it’s just me. My parents owned this house for years but they passed away some

time ago and left it to me. I did a lot of the restoration on it. Not quite finished yet, but it’s cozy

enough

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She left Quinn sitting in the living room and went into the kitchen. Quinn sat in a large

chair that was wrapped in one of the ugliest burnt orange fabrics he had ever seen. It reminded

him of being at his grandparent’s house when he was a child. Everything looked like it belonged

in a previous era. The home looked to be in pristine condition even though the décor and the

amenities within it were similar to what Marty McFly experienced waking up in his mom’s

house after the time traveling Delorean had taken him thirty years back in time. The house was

large but the doors, windows, and walkways were smaller or narrower than what is found in

newer construction. This always made Quinn wonder if people had just grown taller over time.

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that, about your parents, I mean. That must have been tough

on you.”

Sarah came out of the kitchen carrying two rocks glasses filled with ice. She walked

over to a wet bar in the back of the living room and gripped a bottle of Makers. Quinn watched

her and listened to the ice crackle as the bourbon filled in the holes the ice had left. Sarah lifted

the glasses and walked out from behind the bar, handing him a drink.

“It was hard for a while, but I’ve gained comfort in knowing they are in a better place.”

She lifted her glass and he raised his to cheers with her. Clink. They both took a sip.

Quinn was completely thrown off guard. Here he was, in a strange home with a wonderfully

intriguing country girl, drinking bourbon and talking like they had known each other forever.

Quinn suddenly felt a cold air moved past him and it chilled him to the bone. He looked at her to

see if she felt it too. She was still in the wet nightgown she was wearing when she got out to his

truck.

“Aren’t you freezing? You should put on something warmer.”

“I’m alright, but I should get out of this wet nightgown.”

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Sarah stood up and dropped the gown from her shoulders, standing there naked in

front of him. Quinn had a look on his face as if he was seeing the moon for the first time. He was

mesmerized. She walked over to him and sat in his lap. Quinn tried to play it cool as if this was

something that happens to him all the time but his mind was racing. Sarah leaned in and kissed

his neck. He instantly got the chills when he felt her lips against his skin. She brought her head

back to catch his eyes in hers. He moved his lips towards her but she placed her finger against his

lips.

“Not yet,” she said with a grin.

“Well, that’s not fair. You can kiss me, but I can’t kiss you?”

“Not yet,” she repeated.

Sarah stood up, holding her drink in one hand and grabbing Quinn’s hand with the

other. He grabbed his drink with his free hand and let her lead. They approached the stairwell

and he had no problem following this beautiful naked woman wherever she felt the need to lead

him. They reached the stairwell and he caught himself staring at the backside of her body as she

walked up the steps one gorgeous leg at a time. He refrained himself from pinching her round

butt as she reached the top of the stairs. She led him down a hallway and past a painting hanging

on the wall. The painting was one that Quinn could tell was quite old. Its frame was the style you

see around antique mirrors and earlier oil paintings. He was sort of caught off guard. The main

focal point of the painting was a man who looked like he could be Quinn’s twin. Sarah made a

cute sort of coughing sound to remind Quinn that his attention should be on her and not some

painting in the hallway. He wanted to ask about the painting but thought now might not be the

best time for an art lesson. She opened a door to the right and motioned for Quinn to follow her.

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Quinn looked in amazement at a bedroom that appeared as though it had not been

updated for years, but it was immaculate. There was a large four post bed against the wall and

the sheer white curtains were dancing in the wind sneaking through the open windows behind

them. Sarah’s naked body glistened in the light of the chandelier; she was still quite wet from

being outside in the rain.

She turned Quinn around by the bed and playfully pushed him so he was sitting on the

big down comforter that covered the mattress. She grabbed a second bottle of bourbon that was

sitting on the nightstand and filled Quinn’s glass. Quinn watched her, thinking to himself that

these kind of things just don’t happen in real life. She topped off her own glass and took a sip.

There was a robe hanging next to where she was standing but she didn’t bother to grab it.

Instead, she looked longingly at Quinn.

“Looks like you have a lot more clothes on than I do. Let’s change that.”

Sarah stood Quinn up and fumbled at his jeans, pulling then off once she unbuttoned

and unzipped them. She ran her hands down his chest and moved her face to meet his. She was

finally ready for him to kiss her. They embraced and explored each other’s bodies with their

hands as they collapsed onto the bed. Twisted and tangled up in one another, they made love for

what seemed like hours. Exhausted, they both took up one side of the bed and fell soundly

asleep. Quinn woke up hours later at the feel of wetness dripping on his forehead.

He woke up smiling, expecting to see his mysteriously enchanting companion from

last night. Instead, he saw a state trooper standing over him with a flashlight shining into his

eyes. All he could really make out was the light since his eyes had been glazed over from the

blood running off of the cut on his temple. He quickly asked where Sarah was.

“There isn’t anyone else here,” the trooper said.

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Quinn looked to his right where the house had been, but he couldn’t see the porch

lights amidst the rain and the daylight. Quinn struggled to his feet while the trooper tried to

convince him to wait for the EMS to arrive. He was staring off in the distance, looking puzzled.

The trooper kept watch as he was not sure yet what had happened. He wanted to be ready in case

Quinn took off.

“There’s a house, at the top of this hill” Quinn said, “I was there last night.”

“The only house that’s ever been there, son, is the old McCaskey place.”

“McCaskey, so that is Sarah’s last name?”

“Yeah,” the trooper said. “Sarah McCaskey, but there’s no way you were with her last

night.”

This irritated Quinn whose eyes slanted as he shot a look towards the officer. “What

are you talking about? I spent the night with Sarah in that house last night.”

Quinn pointed off into the distance toward the top of the hill. He held his position for

what seemed like an hour even though it was just a couple of seconds. His eyes were straining

now, looking for the houselights that he had been able to see from where he was standing the

night before. But now, his finger just pointed out into nothing. Obscure darkness was all that

filled the distance for as far as Quinn could see from his vantage.

The trooper raised his eyebrow and walked over to Quinn. He put his hand on his

shoulder.

“Son, the McCaskey farm burnt to the ground fifty years ago. Sarah died in the fire.”

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Pulse

A bunch of us spent the better part of last night at the local dive bar. It was your

standard guys night out for a couple of beers, which led to shots, which led to it getting a little

foggy after that. We had gone out to celebrate a promotion our buddy Luke had been offered.

This would require him to move across the country from Illinois to Colorado so the gathering

was a combination of Congratulations and Bon Voyage. We were getting pretty deep into the

bar’s stock of Jack Daniels. Johnny had left with some girl he just met which was typical Johnny.

Ron went to the bathroom to prove to the toilet that he had too much to drink, and Luke and I

were matching one another shot for shot. This is the last bit of detail I can tell you about last

night’s events. In a normal situation, waking up in my bed only remembering half of the night

would not have bothered me, but we were not in a normal situation. The dead girl in the bed next

to me was proof of that.

The insult to injury part was that I had no idea who this girl was. As far as I could

remember, she was not someone from the bar the night before or anyone that I had met

previously. My first instinct was to call some of the guys that I was with last night, but common

sense told me I was in a situation that I may not want to tell anyone else about just yet. Common

sense also told me I should call the police and report this, but that sure as shit wasn’t going to

happen, not until I could get some kind of idea about what the hell had happened last night.

Fortunately, I live alone and had no plans to see anyone today. It was also a quiet Sunday in

December. I took one last look at the half naked corpse taking up residency in my flannel sheets

and decided I needed to get out of the house, clear my head, and develop some kind of plan.

I shut the front door behind me which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. The cold gusts of

wind blowing off of Lake Michigan felt like a thousand needles punching me in the face. You

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know how cold enough temperatures have a way of making it feel like your nose hairs are

forming crisscrossing icicles inside of your nostrils? It was something like that. Luckily, even in

my hungover state, I had the presence of mind to use my remote start so at least the car would be

warm. Although, I thought I should take a moment to appreciate the cold since I have been told

that Hell is hot. What the fuck? There’s a dead woman, with her tits hanging out, lying in my

fucking bed! This is what I said to myself when I felt the door seal behind me. I wondered why I

had waited until I got outside as if there was a chance I’d have been overheard by the dead girl. I

wasn’t sure what my eventual plan was to be, but I knew there was only one place a guy in my

situation could go.

The Wal-Mart was about nine miles from my house. I started imagining the shopping

list of items that I may need. Really, an axe is the first thing you thought you would need? I

apologize for talking to myself, old habit. Anyway, my plan was simple when I actually got to

the store. For every item I would need for this unfortunate event, I would buy an unrelated item

that made sense out of the other item. For example, since I was buying an axe, I grabbed a shovel

as well. This way, they would figure the axe was for chopping down a tree, and the shovel is for

digging up the roots. Or, maybe the axe is to chop up a body, and the shovel is to dig a hole to

bury it in.

It was about 10:00 when I pulled into the icy Wal-Mart shopping lot. I eased on the

breaks because I didn’t need to add an accident to my already fucked up Sunday morning. I

parked towards the back of the lot. This was not to be inconspicuous; this was because it was

Sunday morning at Wal-Mart and the back of the lot was the only place left to park. I stepped

down and out of my truck and was welcomed by the bitter cold and a blustering wind that had

not let up since I had left the house. I walked quickly, but cautiously because landing on my ass

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on the blacktop didn’t sound especially fun either. The automatic doors seemed to groan as they

parted before me, granting me access into the world of sweat pant clad shoppers and rollback

deals. The bright overhead lights blared into my eyes and enhanced my hangover with a mother

of a headache right between my temples.

I had no time to worry about the pain. I was on a mission. There were not many carts

to choose from. I am convinced I got the loudest, most rickety one they had. The front right

wheel was locked up and it made a clunking sound with each step I took behind it. I made my

way to the hardware section and began my search. There was no aisle labeled “Body Disposal

Tools,” but that is essentially what I was looking for. I wondered if I needed to get some lime. I

didn’t actually know what that was, but the movie Goodfellas suggested it was something useful

in this type of situation. Garbage bags, industrial ones, I need some of those. As I walked the

aisles, I realized I was still in a bit of a haze from last night’s festivities. I may have even still

been a bit drunk. I suppose I would have taken it easier at the bar had I known, but I hadn’t

planned on doing much other than watching football today. Knowing nothing about the rate of

decomposition after death, I loaded up on scented candles and air fresheners. I looked over the

odd array of items in my cart and consulted my vast knowledge of cinematic crime to determine

what else might be useful. Bleach, maybe? It was increasingly harder to determine what I needed

because I still didn’t have the foggiest idea of what I was going to do. I knew only one thing at

this point. I was severely dehydrated. I made my way to the checkout and added a liter bottle of

Mountain Dew to the sporadic assortment of shit already in my cart. I paid in cash I was

surprised I had after a night at the bar, and made my way back out to the parking lot where my F-

150 was waiting to take me back to the scene of the crime.

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I started the truck, took a big swig of my hangover elixir, and pulled the gearshift into

drive. I clicked open the garage as I pulled into the drive of my one-story ranch house. I left all

of the items in the truck, grabbing only my Mountain Dew as I got out of the truck and made my

way into the house. The body was in the back bedroom and I really did not want to look at it just

now so I put my drink on the table next to the recliner and sat down. I flipped on the TV to have

some background noise while I contemplated what I was going to do. Considering the items I

purchased, I started to review my options. I could dig a hole in the backyard after the sun went

down. However, wintertime in Illinois isn’t the most conducive for digging. I finally decided the

only real choice was to chop up the body. I could place the pieces into garbage bags, haul them

in my truck to someplace that is secluded, and dump the bags off there. I didn’t know this

woman so I figured there was no way to trace this back to me as long as I didn’t leave any

physical evidence on the bags or at the dumpsite.

Sitting in my recliner and satisfied with my plan, I drifted back to sleep. I hadn’t

planned on a nap, but the mental and physical exhaustion from partying and planning to dispose

of a body overwhelmed me. An hour passed before I came back to reality. Knowing the dead

lady wasn’t going to dispose of herself, I got up. My plan was to get the body into the bathtub so

I could accomplish this gruesome task with as little of a mess as possible. As I walked into the

back bedroom, I almost collapsed at what I saw. The bed was neatly made, the body was gone.

Had I fallen asleep in the recliner when I got home last night? Did I dream this entire thing?

I giggled to myself as I left the bedroom and headed back to the recliner. The feeling

of relief was possibly the most amazing feeling I had ever had. I sat back down with the remote

and flipped on Fox. The Panthers were playing the Seahawks. I turned up the volume so I could

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hear the broadcast and glanced off to my right. That’s when I saw it. My half empty, still cold

Mountain Dew, sitting right where I had left it.

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Whispering Woods

If you are reading this, congratulations are in order. You have made it to the end of

your life. In retrieving this letter, you may have noticed that you are restrained, with the

exception of the movability necessary to grab this letter off of your nightstand. You may have

also noticed there is a selection of weapons well out of your reach. The reason you cannot reach

them is because they are not for you. Well, they are, but in a different sense. It can also be

assumed that you are asking yourself the basic five at this point; who, what, where, when, and

how? That is reasonable. Don’t worry. Everything will be cleared up for you soon enough. Keep

reading.

Conceivably, you weren’t always this complete waste of skin. It is possible that you

had a decent childhood with loving parents in a nice home with a picket fence. Or, maybe you

became the way you are, because you did not have those things. Maybe mom didn’t hug you

enough. Maybe dad hugged you too much. Only you know the reason why you turned out the

way you did. The reason is inconsequential, however. All that matters is that you became the

monster you have become. I’ve waited fourteen years for this very special moment. When you

are ready; turn on to your other side. That way, you can see the eyes of the person that is about to

kill you.

Well, hello. Do you recognize me? This is a blast from the past... There are a few

things you probably did not count on fourteen years ago. Did you know if had been that long? I

did. I have counted every single day, every single minute, all of them leading up to this very

moment. You didn’t count on new technologies helping to process old evidence. You didn’t

count on that little kid spending years looking for you. You didn’t think he’d find out you were

guilty of killing his sister after you had your way with her in this broken down shack you call a

Segal 20

home. You didn’t assume that little boy would grow up and work for the police department. And,

most importantly at the moment, you didn’t assume he’d be the one to review the evidence once

it could be processed. You sick son of a bitch!

It stands to reason that a piece of shit like you may have wronged a lot of people. That

being said, you are probably not sure about exactly who is standing in front of you. Who am I?

That is the mystery, isn’t it? After all, we both know who you are. YOU are the motherfucker

who took my sister from me, and now, it is payback time.

You are wearing what you freaky people refer to as a “ball gag.” You can, “Mmmm,

mmmm, mmmm,” all you want. See, much like your life, your words are meaningless here. You

look confused; let’s see if we can clarify things for you.

On December 31st, 1985, you waited until my parents, your “friends,” left for a New

Year’s Eve party, leaving my sister in charge of the house. You knew it would be hours until my

parents would return. You knew the hide-a-key was by the back door and it was all you needed

to gain entry into our home. The volume of the TV worked to your advantage as you crept

through the kitchen. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve kept Tara and I glued to the

television, allowing you to move around the house, unannounced. You waited until the ball

dropped in New York City, almost as if you knew my sister would be tucking me in at that time.

Since it was only ten o’clock in Oregon, you knew you would have at least three hours before

Mom and Dad would be ringing in the New Year and heading home.

After Tara tucked me in, she went back to the couch in the living room. You poked

your head into my room to make sure I was asleep. You thought that I was, but you were wrong.

You were fortunate though. You didn’t allow your face to be seen. You hid, like the coward you

are, behind a black ski mask. That is the only reason you have been allowed to live this long.

Segal 21

Crippled with fear and only seven years old, I hid under the covers, silent and still. For years, I

was forced to wonder if I had screamed, or ran, or did anything; would my sister still be here?

For fourteen years, I have tortured myself with the what-ifs, the blame, and the shame. It’s been

building up, but I am done with that now. Now, that all becomes your problem.

Tara’s body was found in Whispering Woods on New Year’s Day, 1986. Police

investigated, but since she had made no enemies in her short life, and since my parents were

honest and good people, there was no one we could think of that would want to bring harm to the

her or our family. Hence, there were no real suspects and ultimately, the case went cold. DNA

testing was in its infancy. The police collected samples from my sister’s body and the area where

she was found. It took fourteen years, and one misstep, on your part, for the woods to finally

whisper your name.

No doubt, your past has haunted you for years. This led to your battle with alcoholism,

which led to your arrest for DUI when you wrecked your truck out on Route 20 a few years back.

You denied the breathalyzer at the scene. However, since there was an accident involving injury,

you had to submit to a blood panel. The result revealed much more than your blood alcohol

content. Don’t you worry though; no one else is aware of the connection. You will not be

arrested or brought up on charges. There will be no lengthy trial. Instead, you will be brought to

justice the old fashioned way; an eye for an eye; a life for a life. Let’s get started, shall we?

You should make yourself comfortable, this may take some time. Chances are, you

will die pretty quickly when you are shot in the head. That is not always the case and is

completely dependent on which head takes the bullet.

You know that hurts. You can tell by your muffled screams that it does. This wound

could be fatal, but it will take a good amount of pain and a good amount of time before that relief

Segal 22

would come for you. Amazingly enough, that is only the second most painful place to be shot.

You want to know what the most painful is? It’s said to be the kneecaps. You tell me.

Oh my! It looks like you are in exquisite pain. I am starting to feel a bit better though.

You won’t have to suffer much longer. There is only one more surprise in store for you tonight. I

had initially planned on torturing you with some of the instruments you noticed when you first

regained consciousness. Fortunately, you had some acetone lying around. It gave me a much

better idea.

They say the worst way to die is to be burned alive. If you want a fire to work quickly,

acetone is for you. With an ignition temperature of 869 degrees, things get hot in a hurry. For

your convenience, you and your bed sheets have been drenched in acetone. I do have a prior

engagement that I need to be headed to soon, but I do have time for a cigarette before I go.

Segal 23

Hellinois

Ryan and Kate Marshall had been driving around with Marty Richman, a realtor they

found online. He had promised to show them a few pieces of property in the sleepy town of

Clayton. Clayton, Illinois is set about seventy-five miles west of Chicago within McAllister

County. It is a small rural town with a lot of open land and a lot of unused or abandoned

farmhouses. The properties had been fairly well kept so young couples looking for a break from

city life were able to find a large amount of land for a smaller amount of money than they may

have to cough up in a more heavily populated area. At least, that is what they had been told.

Unfortunately for the Marshall’s, Mr. Richman had not shown them anything that matched quite

what they had been picturing in their minds when they set out that morning.

It was a chilly day, even for Illinois in early October. The cornfields had turned from

vibrant green to light brown and the stalks of wheat danced back and forth within the grasp of the

morning’s breeze. An orchard appeared in the near distance and a sign advertised hot apple cider.

Kate looked at Ryan with a childlike grin and made it known that she had not had a good cider

since the last time she had gone to pick out pumpkins with her parents over twelve years ago

when she was 13. Ryan suggested Marty pull off at the orchard so they could take a break from

the monotony of house hunting and warm up with a mug of cider.

A nice older lady named Elise filled a Styrofoam cup to the lip and dropped a long

cinnamon stick into the steaming drink. The apple-cinnamon aroma rising out of Kate’s cup

enticed Ryan enough to have the woman behind the counter duplicate the order. Ryan paid Elise

for her troubles and the couple headed back to their realtor’s jet black Ford Explorer where

Marty had waited for them having declined a cup of cider for himself. The warm scent of apples

Segal 24

and cinnamon quickly filled the SUV as Richman shifted into drive and headed towards the other

side of Clayton to the next available lot on the list.

It was just passed 4:45 and the sky was fading from a salmon colored sunset into a gray

mist intensified by a fog rolling in off of a nearby lake. The SUV turned down a dirt road kicking

up dust which contributed to the threesome’s already obscured vision. In the distance, they could

make out a light that sat on the second story of a tall Victorian style farmhouse. There did not

appear to be another house anywhere in sight and thick trees and forest lined the back and right

side of the home. There was a gravel drive and a rich lawn in the front of the home with a field

that had most certainly been used for crops when this had been a working farm. Out beyond the

field, about an acre and a half back sat the old red barn, which aside from faded paint and a

broken window or two seemed to be in pretty good shape.

The Marshalls scanned the perimeter in opposite directions. By the time their eyes met

each other’s, they were both wearing big goofy grins from ear to ear. Finding the perfect place

on the first day of their search had not been a necessity, but the look they shared at that moment

told them they may have found it. They hoped Marty had not noticed their enthusiasm as they

prepared to enter the property to see if the interior was as perfect as they were imagining from

what they had seen out front.

Marty had not noticed as he was busy freeing himself from the entangling enigma that

was his seatbelt. Once he had escaped from its deadly grasp, he met the couple midway up the

drive of what they were already beginning to think could be their first home. A light broke

brightly through the blackness surrounding the farmhouse. It was coming from the front porch

and had been invisible to the threesome until they reached the top of the drive. It was as if

Segal 25

someone had just flipped it on as they approached the house. The Marshall’s squinted and turned

to Mr. Richman.

“Is someone home?” Ryan asked.

“From what I know of this property, no one has lived in the residence for some time. That

porch light must be on a sensor of sorts.”

As they got closer to the front door, they were unable to see anything that looked like a

sensor but did not think much of it and they enjoyed the idea of a lighted path into their future

home.

Marty pulled a keychain from the right-hand pocket of his Dockers slacks and slid the tip

of a long and slender bronze key into the handle of the door. Before he was able to turn the key

at all, the door popped open.

“The last looky-loos must not have locked the door on their way out,” Richman said

smiling. “The good news is no one has made a bid on her yet so it may just be your lucky day.”

Kate briefly thought of how she hates when people refer to cars or homes as “her”

because she believes it is demeaning and further illustrates a tendency for men to refer to women

as property. She gave a disapproving look towards Ryan which he had expected knowing her

disdain for the reference. He smirked at her in way that let her know he understood but still

thought she was silly and motioned his head towards the open door. Kate stepped inside followed

closely by Ryan with Marty a few steps behind. Kate reached to the right trying to feel for a light

switch in the pitch black of the front foyer. After a few taps against the wall, she finally flipped a

switch into the on position. A few moments past before the chandelier flickered gently, then lit

brightly highlighting the spiral staircase made of cast iron and the beautiful old, oak hardwood

that span the entire first floor and the stairs up to the second story. They started to walk around

Segal 26

the first floor. The sound of Kate’s heels echoed throughout the barebones empty home as she

moved from room to room.

Ryan looked back at the realtor after viewing the fairly recently renovated condition of

the kitchen. His inquisitive look triggered Richman to prepare for question answering mode.

“When did you say this house was last occupied?”

“There was a middle-aged couple that lived in the home over the past winter season.

Their kids had grown and moved away and they wanted a quieter spot to live. The husband was a

retired contractor but is the innovator behind the updates you will notice throughout the home.

They have been out of the home almost a year now.”

Ryan and Kate looked at the realtor, each with a somewhat confused look on their face.

Marty knew immediately what they wanted to know.

“Their quick departure was not their original plan. Shortly after the renovations began;

the husband, Mr. Patterson suffered a heart-attack. The ‘project-home’ became too much to

tackle and the Patterson’s moved to a retirement community closer to where their eldest son

would be better able to keep an eye on his parents. Under the circumstances, the bank that owned

the home let them out of their loan and the house has been on the market ever since.”

Satisfied with the explanation, the Marshall’s moved on with the walkthrough. Beyond

the nook area, there was a half-wall and a step down into another open space. This looked to be

where they could set up their living area. They stepped out onto a deck that was huge and

provided a beautiful setting and space to view the stars overhead in the October night sky. The

moon was especially bright but that may have been partly because the sky out in rural Illinois

tends to get especially black after sunset. Ryan envisioned friends over for an afternoon barbecue

Segal 27

while Kate imagined an outdoor hot tub where she and Ryan could share romantic evenings

underneath the stars. Either way, the couple was beginning to fall in love with the property.

Ryan asked Marty for a few moments to speak to his wife in private to which the realtor

obliged as he descended down the stairs. The couple waited until he reached the bottom and

disappeared from sight. Ryan looked inquisitively at his stunning wife who was still smiling

from ear to ear.

“So?” Ryan asked but he already knew the answer.

“Baby, this house is amazing. I absolutely love it.” She confirmed what he was already

thinking.

“Can you picture us living here, starting a family here?”

“I could see us moving in tomorrow!”

“Well then, it is settled. I will put a bid in on the house and we will start making plans to

start moving.”

Her eyes lit up and he smiled back at her when their eyes met. They walked back down

the stairs with their fingers intertwined as Kate trailed one step behind Ryan. They caught up to

Marty in the kitchen staring out the back windows off of the nook. He seemed really honed in on

something and jumped back when they called out to him as if he had been startled out of some

sort of trance. He turned to look at them with a surprised look on a face that had become

somewhat pale.

“Are you alright, we didn’t mean to frighten you.” Kate smiled.

“I am fine. I was just dazing off into the dark country night, I suppose. What’s the

verdict?”

Segal 28

“Well, we are not sure if we will find anything that is closer to what we had in mind.

We’d like to make an offer on the house.” Ryan finished speaking and turned to Kate with a

smile.

She smiled back and soon they were all smiling. Marty put his arms around the couple

and started leading them towards the door. It was clear that he was ready to get out of there. He

told them he would draw up some paperwork when he got back to the office and bring it to them

at their apartment first thing in the morning. The threesome exited the house through the front

door. The crisp chill instantly caused Kate to shiver as the wind picked up and caused the front

door to slam behind them, startling Kate. Ryan giggled at her as Marty reached in with the key to

turn the lock and the three of them headed back to his SUV.

Once they were all in the car, Marty started it up and turned on the heat. Kate snuggled in

under Ryan’s arm in the backseat, daydreaming about their future in their new home. A dusty

trail of dirt rose up as the SUV swept down the drive. Ryan turned around to and saw it dancing

in the light that had welcomed them when they first arrived. As soon as the car reached the end

of the drive, the light shut off as if someone inside of the house had waited for their guests to

leave and flipped the switch when the light was no longer needed.

Kate’s daydreaming turned into actual dreaming as she fell asleep against Ryan’s chest.

Marty grinned at Ryan through the rearview as he lowered the radio to allow her to sleep. Ryan

had started to doze off too by the time he felt the car come to a stop. He looked up and noticed

they had made it back to their soon-to-be-former apartment complex. He nudged his wife as he

opened the car door. Ryan stepped out and walked around the car to open the door for Kate. He

reached his hand in to help her out, and closed the door once she was clear of its path. He held

his free hand out towards Marty’s open window. Marty reached his hand out to meet Ryan’s and

Segal 29

told him he would call them when he was headed out to meet them in the morning. Ryan looked

at his tired wife and let Marty know the meeting did not need to take place too early; they were

going to sleep in. Marty nodded and told Ryan to call him when they were up and at ‘em.

Satisfied with their plan for the morning, Ryan put his arm around Kate and led her towards the

apartment as Marty backed out of his parking spot and turned towards the exit. The couple gave

a final wave as they reached the entry door for their building.

Once they were in their apartment, Kate must have gotten a second wind from her nap in

the car. She looked around at their modest apartment and began to tell Ryan where she planned

to put all of their things in the new place. Ryan smiled as he suggested she wait until they get the

place before her mental move-in. Kate obliged, but internally continued to imagine where their

stuff was going to go. They walked together into the bedroom and changed for bed. Kate crawled

in first as Ryan turned off the light. He crawled under the covers and gave her a kiss goodnight.

They wrapped up in each other’s arms and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The sun broke through the shades of Ryan and Kate’s bedroom windows. Ryan rolled

over to look at Kate who was already awake and looking right back at him. Their eyes met and

they shared a closed mouth, morning breath kiss. Ryan got out of bed and made an offer to make

breakfast. Kate thought for a moment and then shook her head no.

“Let’s go down to Dexter’s. We may not have many chances left to eat there and I want

their famous Blueberry French Toast at least one more time.”

Dexter’s was a place near their apartment. It was a little ma and pa place that the

Marshall’s had frequented for brunch on Sunday mornings. Their Blueberry French Toast was

“famous” because the blueberries were inside of the French toast as well as on top. They also

smothered them in whipped cream which is what Ryan suspected Kate really liked them for. It

Segal 30

was also close enough to the realtor’s office that Ryan could ask Marty to meet them at the

restaurant without taking him very far out of the way. He confirmed with Marty that the change

in plans would be alright and they got dressed and ready to meet him at Dexter’s. Kate was

wearing her favorite pair of not-too-tight blue jeans and a gray sweater Ryan had gotten her

while Ryan wore blue jeans and an oversized Chicago Blackhawks hoodie that he almost always

had on once the weather was cool enough for it.

Ryan opened the passenger side door of his Ford F-150 and helped Kate up and into the

vehicle. If chivalry is dead, Ryan always seemed to do his best to revive it. He checked to make

sure her feet and fingers were clear of the door and closed her in. He hopped up into his captain’s

chair and closed the door behind him. Kate leaned in for a kiss and Ryan obliged as his key hit

the ignition. The motor cranked right up and roared as the modified dual exhaust let out a throaty

growl. Ryan took extraordinary pride in his truck and performed all of the maintenance himself.

Kate often joked about him loving that truck more than he loved her. The needle on the dash

flipped from P to D as Ryan’s foot pressed the gas. A group of leaves danced in the wake left by

the exhaust as the truck sped away.

There were not many people there when they arrived at the restaurant which wasn’t

necessarily odd, but always surprised Kate and Ryan because the food and the service were both

outstanding. Ryan and Kate sat in a quiet booth in the back corner. It was their usual spot when

they came here. Dexter’s was designed to look like a countryside log cabin. Ryan liked this

booth because they had mounted a majestic moose head on the wall above it. Kate liked to look

out the window at the landscape. This was especially true this time of year as the leaves changed

from green to a fiery orange red.

Segal 31

A few moments went by before a waitress stopped by to ask if they would like something

to drink while they waited for the third person to join them. Ryan got a Bloody Mary and Kate

ordered a Mimosa. The Marshall’s weren’t big drinkers but they had something to celebrate this

day. The waitress arrived with their drink order and set the glasses down on the table. As she

stepped away, Marty was standing in front of them as if he had just appeared out of thin air. Kate

slid over closer to Ryan so that Marty would have room to slide into the booth.

He placed a file folder down on the table as he lowered himself into the booth. The

waitress had come back and she asked if she could get Marty something to drink.

“I’ll be fine with just water, uh, with a lemon, if you would.”

The realtor pulled a pen from his pocket as he opened the file folder towards the

Marshalls. Their eyes lit up when they realized they were actually doing it, they were about to

sign the paperwork for the purchase of their first home.

The waitress returned with the Marshall’s morning cocktails and a water as Marty went

into exhausting detail about the ins and outs of first time home buying. Ryan and Kate nodded

like a couple of hyenas. Their minds were well past the incidentals and had moved on to what

they were going to do once they officially owned their new place. Ryan took a big sip of his

spicy Bloody Mary and looked towards the realtor.

“Marty, I am new to this. All I have ever done is rented so please, take pity on me and

break down what all of this is in the most simplest of terms.”

“To put it simply, all you really need to be concerned with are the numbers. Those

include the down payment we discussed and what your mortgage figures to be once your down

payment clears. The rest of the information basically details what would happen should you fail

to keep up with the payments.”

Segal 32

Ryan nodded his head, “Good enough.”

Ryan reached into the back pocket of his jeans and produced a check written for the

$15,000.00 down payment that had been previously discussed. He slid it across the table towards

Marty. In turn, Marty grabbed the check, folded it in half, and stuck it in his jacket pocket.

Standing up, Marty shook Ryan and Kate’s hands.

“I will meet you out at the property on Monday morning with the keys to your new

house.”

As he turned to exit the restaurant, Ryan was a bit concerned about how easy the whole

transaction had been. However, anything that may have been bothering him dissipated when he

looked at the glow coming from his bride’s beautiful smile. They sat back down and Kate leaned

into Ryan as the waitress returned to take their breakfast order.

“She will have your blueberry French toast, extra whip cream. And I think I will have the

steak and eggs, medium rare, over-medium. Oh, and we will have another round of drinks.”

“Very well,” said the waitress. “I will be right back.”

They ate their breakfast, paid the tab and headed back to the apartment. The remainder of

the weekend would involve boxing up their things and renting a truck. The young couple had not

collected much stuff as of yet, but Ryan knew that it would not all fit in his truck and he wanted

to make only one trip from the apartment to their new home. It only took half a day to get the U-

Haul loaded up. Kate and Ryan looked around their empty apartment. All that remained was an

air mattress they were going to use for the evening and clothes for the following day. They

figured they could order a pizza, eat, and get to bed early so they would be ready to pull out first

thing in the morning.

Segal 33

It was about 8:30 when they left their humble apartment for the last time. Ryan was

behind the wheel of the U-Haul and Kate followed in his truck. This had been somewhat of a

debate as no one except Ryan had driven his truck until this day. In the end, Ryan decided to

give her the keys and show her that he really did love her more than his F-150. Ryan waved

goodbye to the Pleasant Pines Apartment Complex as they exited the lot. Kate blew the old place

a kiss and they were off. Ryan figured they would be able to stop to pick up a cup of coffee and

get to the new house to meet Marty by 10. There was a Road Ranger just down the street which

would be convenient because their coffee maker was already packed and the air mattress was not

designed to provide the most restful night’s sleep. Ryan went for his usual, a Columbian roast

with a shitload of sugar. Kate, feeling more daring, decided to give the Pumpkin Spice

Cappuccino a whirl. The woman behind the counter recognized the couple.

“Coffee is on me this morning, you two. We know you will be back for more.”

They thanked her and nodded without divulging that there was a very slim possibility of

them ever coming back here for coffee. Drinks in hand, they gave a quick kiss as they split off to

their respective vehicles and headed towards the next chapter in their lives.

As soon as they hit the long and winding country road toward the highway out of town,

Kate flipped the radio station from 97.9, Ryan’s classic rock station, to 99.5, her country music

station. Ryan didn’t despise country, he just preferred Motley Crue to A Boy Named Sue. Kate,

for her part, has a tendency to forget that though she is alone in the vehicle, she is not alone in

the universe.

I’ve been sleepwalking, been wandering all night Trying to take what’s lost and broke and make it right I’ve been sleepwalking too close to the fire But it’s the only place that I can hold you tight In this burning house

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Ryan smiled as he caught his wife putting on her little concert in the driver’s seat of

his pick-up. He knew exactly what she was singing. It was not because he was overly familiar

with the song, he just hadn’t switched the station in the U-Haul which was still broadcasting the

country station from the drive back from picking it up the day before.

The two car convoy made a right-hand turn onto Highway 9, the end of which was

where their new house was situated. Ryan caught an ear-to-ear grin on Kate’s face that made him

smile. He was just as excited as he was but was doing his best not to appear giddy. They were

just about to the driveway when the sky turned almost pitch black and a clap of thunder that

could have been mistaken for a freight train exploded overhead. As if on command, the sky

opened up and rain engulfed their vehicles as they simultaneously flipped on headlights and

wipers so they could see their way into their new driveway. They made it up to the top of the

drive and noticed that the porch light once again flipped on as if on a censor that was not there.

The driveway was empty except for the Ford and the U-Haul which meant Marty had not made it

out yet. They parked and Ryan motioned to Kate that he would climb in with her to wait so she

didn’t have to get out in the rain.

The storm didn’t seem to be letting up at all. It was coming down so hard that the

Marshall’s could hardly see their house through the rain soaked windshield. They were stuck

waiting it out in the truck because Marty had the keys to the house. Ryan leaned over to pull

Kate against him but accidentally hit the radio knob in the process.

And still those voices are calling from far away, Wake you up in the middle of the night Just to hear them say

Ryan felt Kate shudder against him as she let out a startled gasp.

“What’s the matter, babe?”

Segal 35

“Up there, in the window. Someone is watching us.”

“That’s impossible, there’s no one here.”

Ryan looked up at the window to humor her but he didn’t see anything. Kate looked

up again as well and she didn’t see anything this time either.

She giggled, “Maybe the rain is playing tricks on my eyes.”

Just then, the cab of Ryan’s truck lit up bright against the darkened sky. The glow was

from Marty’s headlights as he pulled in behind them. Almost as quickly as it had arrived, the

storm dissipated and the three of them got out of their cars and met in the middle of the

driveway. Marty handed the keys over to Ryan and reached out for a final handshake.

“Aren’t you going to come in?” Ryan asked.

“Uh, oh, uh, no. I’d better get going. I, uh, have to meet another client back in

Clancy.” Marty seemed uneasy.

“Oh, alright. Well, thank you for everything.” Ryan extended his hand to meet

Marty’s. “We really appreciate it.”

“You are welcome, pleasure doin’ business with ya.”

Marty walked quickly to his Explorer, got in and was out of the Marshall’s sight

before they knew it. Ryan and Kate gave each other a weird glance acknowledging that they both

found the transaction to be peculiar.

“Oh well.” Ryan said as he slipped his fingers between Kate’s. “Let’s go home.”

They smiled wide at each other and walked up to the house. Ryan opened up the

screen door but before he could get the key into the lock, the door slowly creaked open.

“I guess the house was expecting us.” Ryan reached down and scooped Kate off her

feet lifting her up into his arms. He used his foot to push the door open wide enough for him to

Segal 36

carry his wife across the threshold of their new home and sealed it with a kiss which made it

official in his mind. Kate laughed.

“You are so silly. I love you.”

“Love you more.”

Ryan lowered Kate back down until her feet were on the floor and started back out

towards the U-Haul. He looked up at the sky which had changed from black to a misty gray.

There was no sign of the sun beyond the cloud cover and nothing to lead Ryan to believe they

had seen the last of the day’s thunderstorms. He wanted to get as much of the U-Haul unloaded

as would be possible before the next downpour. Ryan popped the latch at the back of the truck

and flung the door up on its tracks. They had loaded all of the furniture in first to force

themselves to bring in all of the boxes of smaller stuff first. Ryan wrapped two of the boxes up in

his arms and headed back towards the house expecting to see Kate coming out to help him.

Instead, Kate had another idea in mind.

He called for her as he went to set the boxes on the front room floor.

“Up here,” she responded.

Ryan looked up to see his wife leaning over the railing and a trail of her clothes

leading up the stairwell. He knew it was possible that it would start to rain again at any moment,

but there was also no way he was going to be able to resist the way her pale naked body was

inviting him up the mahogany staircase. He grabbed a thick, fuzzy comforter that had been

tossed over the boxes he had just brought in and headed up the stairs. Kate’s smiling eyes

followed him as he made his way up to her. Ryan spread the comforter out on the clearing at the

top of the stairwell. As Kate approached, he lifted her, her legs wrapped around his waist as he

lowered her onto the plush makeshift bed below.

Segal 37

Their mouths came together as Kate lifted Ryan’s shirt off of him before stripping off

his jeans. Their bodies intertwined as they tangled up in the comforter. They stayed wrapped up

on the hallway floor, kissing and staring at each other, even after they had finished christening

their new home. Kate had promised she would come right out and help him unload the truck if he

held her for just a couple of minutes. Half an hour later, Ryan finally peeled himself away from

his wife’s grasp and onto his feet.

“You, are amazing!” He reached down to grip his wife’s hand and helped her onto her

feet, tapping her rear end as she turned away from him. He slid on his jeans and tossed his shirt

back on. On his way back down the stairs, he gathered Kate’s clothes and continued down the

stairs knowing she would have no other option than to walk down the stairs naked in order to

retrieve her coverings. Kate did just that.

In Ryan’s eyes, she moved like a dancer down those steps. Her slender legs seemed to

run all the way up to the somewhat embarrassed, yet beautiful smile she held on her lips as she

descended. Her red hair flowed down on either side, covering her nipples, even when her breasts

responded too each step she took. Ryan watched her all the way down. He looked like a puppy

watching its owner wave a Milk-Bone back and forth at close range. She reached the landing and

Ryan gave her clothes to her. The rain wasn’t going to hold off much longer, their break was

over.

Their apartment wasn’t especially big so they had not amassed tons of stuff. They

each made a few trips in with boxes filled with an assortment of knick-knacks, clothing, linens,

and stuff for the kitchen. Kate had labeled all of the boxes so they could be set strategically in the

area nearest where its contents would be situated. With only a bundle of boxes remaining in the

truck, Kate let Ryan grab the rest while she arranged the boxes according to their labels. All that

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remained in the U-Haul was their furniture. It was not a lot considering they had been living in a

one bedroom apartment. Seeing the items that filled their apartment displayed now in much

larger surroundings, it was clear that some work, and some shopping would need to be done in

order to turn their new house into a home.

Once everything was inside the house and the larger pieces had been put into their

places, they were all set to return the moving truck. They would also need to make a trip to the

grocery store. They had lived out their last week in the apartment on pizza and take-out so they

would not have many food items to move. Ryan handed the keys to his pick-up off to Kate and

got set to make a final trip in the U-Haul. He set his phone’s GPS to direct him to the location

where he was to drop-off the truck. It would take just about fifteen minutes to get there. Ryan

walked back up and used the key to lock the front door, check that it was secure, and made his

way back to the running U-Haul.

They dropped off the U-Haul and Kate moved over to the passenger seat so Ryan

could take his rightful place behind the wheel of his F-150. It was close to 4:00 by this time. The

couple decided it might be smart to take a bit of a tour around their new surroundings to see what

they had around them and to locate the grocery store. It may have been easier just to search for a

store on the GPS, but they did not mind the idea of driving around their new setting without a

mapped out route. It was just starting to get dark when they found a small grocery store. They

could grab what they may need for a day or two and find a Wal-Mart or something on another

day.

They loaded the groceries into the bed of the truck and Ryan pulled the tonneau cover

shut as he looked up at the clouds closing in, their outlines highlighted by the light of the moon.

He was not sure exactly where they had gotten to and it had been a long day so he punched their

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new address into the GPS and headed the truck homeward. They pulled in their driveway about

thirty minutes later and were once again greeted by the light on the front porch. Ryan gripped the

bags out of the truck bed with one hand and shifted through his keyring with the other until he

had located the house key. Kate closed the truck up and followed up the walk to the front door.

Ryan pressed the key against the lock and the door effortlessly swung open. He had not needed

to turn the key but he knew he had locked the door on his way out.

“Looks like we may need to switch out the locks on this place.”

Kate agreed. She liked the idea of having locks than no one else had the key for

anyway. It was hard to tell how many times this old place had changed hands and who may still

have a copy of the key for the current locks. They had both taken a week off of work and had

planned to dedicate that time to getting their new home up and running. They didn’t want to

break out all of the kitchen stuff so they settled for making a couple of sandwiches before

returning upstairs. Their goal was to get the bedroom setup, sleep, and get an early start for the

next day.

By the time they got their bedroom furniture arranged according to where Kate

pointed, it had started to rain. Both Ryan and Kate loved listening to the sound of the rain as it

fell. It was not a cold night and there was a nice breeze coming in from the back of the house so

Ryan opened up the window to let the breeze and the sounds of the storm inside. It was about

9:00 which was a little early for bed by both of their standards, but they were exhausted and had

a lot to get done tomorrow so they curled up under the covers, cuddled in together, and let the

sound of falling raindrops lull them to sleep.

A few hours had passed when an earth-shattering thunder clap shook the house and

woke Ryan who turned and noticed the sheets were lying flat on the other side of the bed. He

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jumped out of bed to see if he could find out where she had gone. The bathroom door was open

and the light was off so his first thought had proven wrong. He looked down the stairs, but it was

pitch black on the first floor. Wherever Kate had gone, she did not turn on any lights along the

way. Ryan lit a cigarette, a habit he is trying to kick, and started down the stairwell. He flipped

on the light in the foyer as he made it down off of the bottom step.

“Kate?” He called out but received no response.

He checked the downstairs bathroom but it was also dark and vacant. He figured he

would check the couch. Sometimes, if Kate was unable to sleep, or if Ryan was snoring too loud,

he would find her asleep or reading on the couch. She was not there either. Ryan’s truck was still

in the driveway so he knew she hadn’t left the house. He made his way back to the kitchen and

his jaw dropped while his heart stopped for a moment before starting to race. As he looked out

the kitchen window, he could make out the Kate’s naked silhouette standing out in the rain.

Lightning lit up the sky and Ryan could see his wife soaking wet and stark naked. She was not

moving. She was just standing with her back to the house staring straight up at the sky.

Ryan rushed out the backdoor and made his way over to her. He was calling her name

as he crossed the lawn but she did not move. If she could hear him, she was not acknowledging

it. When he got to her, he could see that her eyelids were open, but her eyes seemed to be rolled

back in her head. It was the blankest expression he had ever seen on anyone’s face. He scooped

her up in his arms and started back towards the house. Kate suddenly came too and screamed.

She was shaking violently.

“It’s me baby. I got you.”

Kate was conscious enough now to know that she was in Ryan’s arms. She stopped

screaming but she was still shaking like a leaf in a wind tunnel. Ryan knew he had to get her

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inside and dried off. He set her down on the couch and frantically searched for the box marked

“Towels.” It was a large box so it wasn’t long before he found it and pulled out an oversized

plush gray towel. It was Kate’s favorite but it was also the warmest. He wrapped it around her

still shaking body and pulled her against him hoping his body heat would help to warm her up.

After a moment, she stopped shivering and she looked at Ryan. She looked frightened, as if she

had just seen a ghost.

“Ryan, what were we doing outside?”

“Do you remember going out there?”

“All I remember is curling up against you in bed. I don’t remember anything else until

you were carrying me inside.”

“Have you ever been known to sleepwalk?”

“Not since I was a kid. Do you think I walked out there in my sleep?”

“I don’t know baby. I woke up in our bed and I couldn’t find you. I don’t know when

or how you left the room or how long you were out there.”

Kate was confused and so was Ryan. They curled up together on the couch and

eventually both fell back to sleep. A couple hours later, Ryan woke up and was happy to see

Kate still asleep on the couch next to him. He slowly got up and was careful not to wake her. He

thought he would start on the kitchen and at least get some coffee brewing. He had made it

through two of the kitchen boxes and had found the coffee maker and a skillet. He started a pot

of coffee and decided he could cook up some of the eggs they had bought at the store the night

before. Kate likes them scrambled so he found a bowl to stir the eggs up and poured them onto

the skillet over the lit burner. He looked back at the opened boxes and saw the toaster so he

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grabbed that as well. Kate woke up and made it into the kitchen just as the toast was popping up

in the toaster.

“Good morning, baby.”

Ryan turned around with a smile on his face and spoon in his hand. Kate looked a

million times better than she had the night before. He kissed her on the cheek and turned his

attention back to the stove.

“I’ll have breakfast ready in just a couple of minutes.”

“Great, I’m starving.”

Kate was genuinely starving. It was common for her to be hungry when she woke up,

but she felt like she hadn’t eaten in days. Ryan plated the eggs and some toast. He located their

TV trays and set them up in front of the couch. He delivered the plates and went back to grab a

couple cups of coffee. He liked his black but had taken the time to get to know how Kate likes

hers. Two packets of Splenda in an empty cup, fill the cup a quarter of the way with pumpkin

spice creamer, and fill the cup with coffee.

They ate their breakfast without much conversation. Ryan did not think he had ever

seen Kate eat so fast. Once they were both finished, he cleared the plates and sat back down next

to her on the couch.

“How are you feeling?”

“Now that I ate, I feel completely fine. I am not sure what last night was about, but I

am alright now.”

Ryan was going to let Kate relax, but she assured him she was fine to help out and she

knew how much had to be done. It was only about 7:00 in the morning so they would be able to

get the early jump on the day they were looking for. The cable guy was supposed to arrive

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between 9:00 and 1:00. They always give that four hour window, but the Marshall’s were

hopeful his arrival would be at the earlier end of the spectrum since they had some things to do

outside of the house as well. In the meanwhile, they would go through any boxes that were still

packed up and start putting their things wherever Kate wanted them to go.

Having done all he had committed to so far this morning, Ryan set his palms on the

counter and peered out the window. As he scanned the backyard, he noticed something peculiar

out of the corner of his eye. The sight froze him in his tracks for a second. Many of the leaves

still left on the trees had been forced to the ground during the preceding thunderstorms. In the

midst of all of the leaves, Ryan noticed a completely bare spot in the middle of the yard. Not

only was there not a single leaf in this spot even though the rest of the lot was covered in leaves,

but there was no grass either. It seemed to be the only spot in the yard that was void of life. A

sudden rush hit Ryan like a brick. This almost perfect circle of dirt, he thought to himself, where

none of the reddish-orange leaves had fallen, was the exact spot in which he found his naked

wife a couple of nights before.

Ryan was still irritated later that evening. After the weird night before, Kate was ready

for bed before Ryan was. They walked upstairs together. Kate changed and crawled under the

covers. Ryan’s hand stroked her forehead and pushed her hair back as he leaned in for a

goodnight kiss. “You’re not coming to bed?” Kate asked. “I’ll be up in a few sweetheart, just

gotta make sure the house is locked up.” Ryan knew Kate would go right to sleep. The real

reason he wanted to go back downstairs was to roll a joint and drink a beer. Pot was always

Ryan’s “go-to” when Kate had irritated him. It wasn’t a secret to her that he indulged and she

didn’t have a problem with it, even though it wasn’t her thing. But, she probably didn’t know it

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was his way of dealing with the shit she did that got to him. However, he had decided long ago,

that a little weed often had a much better result than a little argument.

Ryan had a small box he kept on top of the fridge. It was called a dugout if you were

to ask the kids. It was an oblong wooden box that held a one-hitter pipe on one side, and about an

eighth of an ounce of de-seeded marijuana on the other. The top flipped open with a twist of

Ryan’s thumb and forefinger and the spring-loaded pipe popped out. Ryan pulled out a metal

piece that was shaped and painted to look like a cigarette. He packed the hitter and placed it

between his lips as he flicked the roller on a green Bic lighter. He took in a deep breath of solid

smoke, let a puff drift out of his mouth and into his nose, and exhaled with a slight cough at the

end. His next breath looked like he was exhaling a second hit, but it was just his breath.

Suddenly, the temperature in the house had dropped dramatically.

Ryan shivered as he felt a cold breeze move past him. There was no one in the house

but he felt the same as if someone had just rushed past him. It felt like ice cold needles were

poking the exposed skin just above his shirt. His whole body clenched up as he slapped at the

back of his neck to find nothing there. Naturally, he blamed the pot for the strange sensation but

it was still cooler in the house than it was outside by the fire. Ryan went to check the thermostat

and found it was still reading seventy degrees. It was getting late so Ryan thought he would call

it a night, but made a mental note to check the downstairs for drafts the next day.

Kate was sound asleep when Ryan entered the room, but he was unnerved to find it

seemed to have gotten just as cold on the second story of the home. It was as if the cold air was

following him through the house. He opened up the bedroom closet and grabbed their heavy

winter blanket. He spread it over Kate and crawled in on his side of the bed. He knew this was

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just a temporary fix, but he was ready to crash. Tomorrow morning would be a better time to

figure out the cause for the cold.

Kate woke up not long after Ryan had fallen asleep. She was sweating under the

heavy cover and was not entirely sure why Ryan had added it to the blankets that were already

on the bed. She didn’t want to wake him up but she could tell he was also well warmer than he

ever liked to be when he was sleeping. If it wasn’t for Kate, Ryan would have opened up one of

the windows in the bedroom. He liked the feel of the cold breeze on his face while the rest of his

body was tucked under the covers.

She gently pulled the heaviest blanket from the bed being careful not to jostle Ryan.

When it was clear, she folded it up and set it on the floor next to the bed. Her eyes had adjusted

to the darkness and she could see her way to the bathroom without additional light. She felt her

way along the wall and into the bathroom where they had one of those nightlights that flips on

when the rest of the lights were off. The window in the bathroom was open slightly and the

breeze blowing in not only made the toilet seat almost too cold to sit on, but carried a foul stench

that Kate could only describe as reheated death. She held her breath, closed the window, and

finished what she needed to do in the bathroom. She crawled back into bed where Ryan was still

out cold and drifted back to sleep as well.

The alarm clock woke them both at 6:02 the following morning. Ryan was headed

down to Peoria for the night to attend a convention. One of the few interests Kate and Ryan did

not share was Ryan’s love of all things horror. He didn’t go all out and dress up as Michael

Myers or Freddy Krueger, but he did attend these conventions where new films could be seen

before they made it to the theatres. Ryan was particularly excited for this event because it had

been rumored his favorite horror author, Tobe Garrett, would be there to sign autographs and

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mingle with fans. He shut off the alarm and got out of bed while Kate stole a few more minutes

of sleep before the back-up alarm went off at 6:30. She made breakfast while Ryan finished

getting ready. After they ate their omelets, Kate walked Ryan to the door.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright here by yourself?”

“Of course, sweetheart. And, I won’t be completely alone, I will have Jack and

Brandon Lee with me.”

Ryan smirked. It was October 30th and Ryan knew “Jack” was the pumpkin she

planned to carve as part of her holiday tradition and Brandon Lee is the main actor in the movie

The Crow which she always watched on All Hollow’s Eve while cleaning out and carving up her

plump orange friend. Kate smiled back in an attempt to keep Ryan from discovering that she

really did not like the idea of being in the house alone. She didn’t want to prevent him from

enjoying the convention and she knew he wasn’t going to be home all of the time anyway so she

would ultimately be in the house by herself at some point.

“Have a good time with your freaks and don’t worry about me. I am going to decorate

and make myself a nice adult cider for the evening.”

“Not too much, I won’t be here to carry you upstairs.” Ryan laughed. “I’ll call you

when I am all checked in at the hotel. I’ll be at the Peoria Marriot.”

He gave a quick grab of Kate’s butt and kissed her goodbye. She stood in the doorway

as Ryan backed out of the drive. They blew each other a kiss and she kept her hand raised,

waving at the truck until it was out of her field of view. Once Ryan was gone, Kate brought out

all of the Halloween decorations she could find. She spent most of the morning outside setting up

her fake graveyard, hanging ghosts from the tree, and hammering in her scarecrow. She stood at

the sidewalk admiring her handiwork. With the decorating done, it was time for lunch.

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Kate wasn’t too fancy or too picky when it came to her meals. This was especially true

when she was only cooking for herself. She put a flour tortilla on a skillet and added shredded

cheddar once the shell had warmed. She usually referred to this as the poor man’s quesadilla, but

it tasted good enough and really hit the spot after working in the yard all morning. Kate finished

eating, tossed the paper plate she had used as a crumb-catcher, and sat down on the couch. “Now

what?” She said this out loud even though there was no one there to answer her question. She

had finished the decorating and it was too early for boozy spiced cider, pumpkin carving, and her

traditional movie. Also, Ryan had the truck so she was basically grounded. She already had on

warmup pants and a sweatshirt from her outdoor activities that morning. She decided it would be

nice to take a little stroll around the neighborhood.

She grabbed her earbuds and plugged them into her phone, accessed her phone’s MP3

player, and stepped out of the house towards the sidewalk. A gust of wind kicked up some leaves

that swirled around her legs and feet before landing back on the ground. She felt them crunching

under her shoes as she continued on down the sidewalk. She headed east because she knew all

that she would find to the west was the highway. There had been no reason to drive past their

house so she was sure to see something new headed this way.

Kate had gotten as far away from the house as she had wanted to since she was still

relatively unfamiliar with the area. She was not listening to music on the way back and she could

make out the sound of running water to her right. She walked about ten feet before she could see

the source. Down at the end of a slight hill there was a small stream. She decided to give it a

closer inspection. The view was beautiful. Orange and red fall leaves were floating by. There

was absolutely no sound other than that made by the water running over rocks and whatever else

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lay beneath the water. It was serene. Kate didn’t know if she knew exactly what was meant by

the term “babbling brook,” but she imagined this was it.

Kate couldn’t be sure how much time had passed while she sat and watched the leaves

swim downstream. She was snapped out of her moment of meditation when something cold and

wet brushed against her hand. Startled, she whipped her head to the right to see what was on her

hand. She was completely surprised by what she found. Standing next to her, was a furry black

and white Siberian Husky puppy. He had one blue eye, and one brown. He was gorgeous. She

whisked him up and brought his face up to her own. He gave her little puppy kisses on her nose.

He was shivering as she brought him in against her chest and petted him from his head down to

the white tip of his black tail. She noticed he wasn’t wearing a collar and there was no way of

telling where he had come from. She looked around to see if she could spot his owner, but as far

as she could see from a scan of her surroundings, it was just her and the puppy.

She couldn’t very well leave him out in the cold. The sun would be setting soon and

the temperature was sure to drop at least ten more degrees when that happened. She carried the

little guy home and filled a cereal bowl with water for him. She didn’t have any dog food so she

looked around the house for something she could feed the little fella. She finally decided she

could steam some rice and brown some ground beef. This is what her family always fed their

dogs when they had an upset stomach. The little husky didn’t appear to be ill, but she knew this

was something that would be ok for him to eat until she could get him some actual dog food.

Ryan has always been a dog lover so she knew he wouldn’t have a problem with the puppy being

in the house.

The puppy wolfed down the food she gave him. She wasn’t sure how long it has been

since he had food but she could tell the little guy was hungry. When he had licked the bowl

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clean, he found a spot on the rug, curled up into a tiny ball, and fell asleep. Kate decided it was

pumpkin carving time. She had just gotten everything she had needed when her cellphone started

ringing.

“Hey baby, how was the drive?”

“Pretty uneventful, but I made it to the hotel and I am all checked in. I had a few

minutes before the convention starts so I thought I would call you. Anything going on back at the

house?”

“You’ll never guess what I found today?”

She was almost shouting with excitement.

“We got a puppy!”

She said this before Ryan had a chance to respond. Ryan was a little shocked on the

other end of the phone.

“A what?”

Kate told him about the brook and how she had stumbled upon the dog, or how he had

stumbled upon her. True to form, Ryan was thrilled by the news and said he couldn’t wait to get

home the next day to meet him. They exchanged “I love yous” and hung up the phone. She

looked back to the spot of the rug where the puppy had laid down. He was still there, sound

asleep.

Ryan pulled in the driveway a little after midnight and noticed the house was as

dark as the sky overhead. Kate knew Ryan would be returning home this evening. She doesn’t

think to leave one fucking light in the house on, he thought to himself. He rolled his head around

on his shoulders attempting to crack a stiff neck as he approached his front door. He pushed the

key into the lock and it stuck at the point that the door had previously seemed to open on his

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own. The wind kicked up behind him as painted leaves danced upon his feet. He turned the key

in the lock but the door would not open. The door was unlocked but wouldn’t budge. It felt like

there was someone or something on the other side of the door pushing back with the same

amount or more force than Ryan was applying. “What the fuck?” Ryan said this out loud as he

backed up to get a bit of a running start at the door. He could not back up too far because he

needed to keep his hand on the doorknob which was turned as far as it could go. Using all of the

energy he had left after the drive, he hurled himself towards the door. Just before the impact

point, the door swung open and Ryan landed on his ass in the foyer.

Ryan got to his feet and pushed the door closed. He could hear little scratching noises coming

from upstairs. Ryan had just begun to wonder what the hell he was hearing when the puppy

appeared at the top of the stairs. Ryan couldn’t help but smile when he saw the little guy. “Well,

hey there little fella.” The husky wagged his tail and Ryan crouched down at the bottom of the

stairwell to make himself smaller. He remembered this tip from his mother when he got his first

puppy as a child. She said, “The further up the puppy has to look up to find you, the more

intimidating you can be for them.” Ryan was the one looking up at the puppy from the bottom of

the stairwell. He patted his knees with both hands to see if the dog would come to him. The

puppy sat down and whimpered, his bushy tail still wagging, swooshing back and forth along the

floor. “Oh, I get it. You aren’t quite big enough to do the stairs on your own yet. Mom must have

brought you upstairs when she went to bed.”

Ryan started up the stairs keeping eye contact with the pup. When he made it to the top of the

stairs, he was greeted with two front paws which landed just below his knees. Ryan lifted the

puppy up so he was eye level with him. In return, the puppy feverishly licked Ryan’s face. They

were only just meeting but the puppy’s response was more consistent with the way a puppy acts

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when their owner returns home from a long trip. This might have come as a surprise to some

people, but for some reason, every dog Ryan has ever met has liked him from the very

beginning. His friends used to joke when they would see him with a dog. They’d say, “Hail

Cesar!” referring to Cesar Millan, “The Dog Whisperer.” Being careful not to wake Kate, he

carried the puppy down the stairs so the two could get better acquainted.

Ryan was never the type to be able to go to bed the second he walks in the door no matter

what he had been out doing. He flipped on the TV and then decided it may be wise to take the

puppy out back to see if he needed to relieve himself. There was no expectation that the puppy

would already be potty-trained, but Ryan also knew he did not feel like cleaning up any messes.

He set the puppy in the grass. The husky looked up at him with a confused look on his little face

as if to say, “Why did we come out here in the cold?”

Previous experience as a pet owner had taught Ryan that he needed to be patient and it was

necessary to remain outside until the puppy did his business. Telling him he is a good boy and

taking him directly inside afterward lets the dog know that was the purpose of being outside in

the first place. The puppy walked with his tail pointed up in the air. He was making his way

towards the barren circle of dirt. Just as he had stepped onto the patch of land where nothing

grows, something spooked him. He yelped and hurried back to Ryan’s side. Ryan laughed at the

puppy who was not really big enough for running yet. Finally, the puppy squatted to pee. When

he finished, Ryan snatched him up and carried him back into the house.

The couch was the most comfortable place Ryan had sat down for what seemed like days. The

chairs at the convention are not comfortable. They reminded him of the little plastic chairs used

by third graders across the country. The hotel bed was too soft and there was a bar that Ryan

swore was moving with him because it always seemed to be poking at his back no matter how he

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adjusted his position. Ryan flipped through the channels and was pleased to see AMC was

running a late-night showing of the original Halloween. Ryan was five the first time he was

introduced to Michael Myers and he watched this movie every fall since, at least once. With the

husky in his lap, he settled in to watch the movie.

Before long, the puppy seemed restless and was motioning as if he wanted to get down, but he

was afraid to jump off of Ryan’s lap. “It’s a long way down, huh buddy?” Ryan wrapped his

hands around the puppy’s midsection and gently lowered him to the plush carpeting below. The

little guy walked twice around in a circle before crumbling on the floor. He was asleep in a

matter of moments. Ryan reached down to give him one last ear scratch before sinking back into

the couch. Jamie Lee Curtis was just dropping the keys off at the Myers place against the better

judgment of little Tommy Doyle. The Scream Queen, Ryan thought to himself as he remembered

hearing that as the nickname given to Ms. Curtis for this role. Ryan yawned and it was not long

before he was battling with his eyes to keep them open.

He had all but passed out when he caught the puppy out of the corner of his eye. He had

moved his little legs across the floor as quickly as he could and was now standing by the sliding

glass door looking out into the backyard. He started growling, if that is still what it is called

when a puppy does it. It was more of a purring sound than a vicious growl but Ryan could tell

there was something going on that the pup didn’t care much for. At the end of each intimidating

purr, he would let out a small yelp which is a ferocious bark in puppy terms.

He got up from the couch so he could get to the same vantage point as the puppy had. As he

crossed the room, he was hit with a wave of cold air. The pup was staring and growling and

yelping. His little eyes were fixed on that bare patch. From Ryan’s vantage point, there was

nothing noticeable but he liked the fact that the husky would protect them against a blowing leaf

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or a squirrel or whatever the dog was fixated on. He pulled on the beaded string forcing the

blinds to slide over the sliding doors and cutting off any view of the outside. “Out of sight, out of

mind,” he said as he scratched the puppy’s little ears.

Ryan was back on the couch but the puppy wouldn’t budge from his spot at the door. It had

gotten so cold in the room that Ryan could see his breath each time he exhaled. The puppy

started shivering and raced across the room to Ryan. Ryan sat frozen in disbelief as the sliding

door opened and the blinds moved as if someone was manually sliding them to the side to walk

through them. The door closed and the blinds returned to the closed position, but there was

nothing and no one there. Without sound or warning, Kate was standing by the couch. Ryan was

still staring at the window so he couldn’t say that she hadn’t walked in from outside of his field

of vision, but it seemed like she had appeared out of thin air. Ryan could clearly see this was his

wife, but something was off. It was her eyes; they were cold, black. It was like they were dilated,

like the whites of her eyes had gone dark.

The puppy started growling and yelping again, only this time, it wasn’t the fire pit that was

upsetting him, it was Kate. Kate turned and looked at the helpless puppy. He whimpered and

curled up on the floor. Ryan did not know what the hell was happening. Kate’s hand gripped his

as she motioned for him to get up off of the couch. Her hand felt cold and rough. Kate’s hands

were often cold but they were usually soft and inviting. This felt different. Ryan wasn’t sure he

wanted to get off of the couch but he didn’t feel like the choice was up to him. He stood up as

Kate started out the room. Her arm trailed back behind her as she led Ryan to the stairwell.

“Kay,” Ryan started to speak but Kate abruptly turned and pressed her pointer finger against his

lips. It was clear that she was not going to say anything to him, and she wasn’t going to allow

him to say anything to her either. They made their way up to the bedroom. Ryan flipped the

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switch to turn on the light on the ceiling fan over the bed. Kate flipped the light off immediately.

It was pitch black in the room. Ryan couldn’t see an inch in front of his face. He could not

remember their bedroom ever being so black.

He felt Kate’s cold hands against his chest. She was pressing against him, guiding him as he

walked backwards towards their bed. The room was freezing cold as Ryan felt a shove and found

himself on the bed looking up. He felt Kate’s hands pop the button on his jeans and slowly slide

his zipper down. If it weren’t for the ice cold hand gripping his member, Ryan would have been

highly turned on by the lack of ability to see what was about to happen. They had played around

with blindfolds in the bedroom a time or two before. Maybe it was the oddity of the situation, or

maybe it was Ryan could not see what was going on, but he could not remember the last time he

had been as hard as he was in this moment. Ryan normally was the one who initiated their sexual

encounters. Kate taking control was reasonably new, but she was doing a good job based on how

Ryan was feeling.

He still could not make out a single thing in the dark, including the woman who was

straddling over him and lowering herself down on him. Ryan tilted his head back and closed his

eyes as he felt himself completely consumed by Kate. Despite the fact that he was absolutely

terrified, Ryan was convinced this was the best sex he’s ever had. Kate had pinned down his

arms and the way she was moving her body back and forth while simultaneously sliding up and

down is something Ryan had never felt her do before. Her hands were on his chest. Her

fingernails dug into his skin and it felt like his flesh was on fire. Ryan finally decided to open his

eyes. The view was just the same as when his eyes were closed. He had not had a drop of alcohol

but suddenly felt drunk, disoriented. There was one final thrust that resulted in a house-shaking

climax. The drunk feeling intensified and Ryan felt like he was about to pass out. He strained to

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keep his eyes open. His partner climbed off of him and walked to the bedroom door. Light from

the hallway lit up the figure in the doorway. Ryan was terrified. It wasn’t Kate. The strange

woman smiled and then vanished. Ryan looked to his side. Kate was sound asleep next to him.

He lost consciousness.

Ryan woke up to a wet feeling on his fingers. Something was licking him. He opened his eyes

to find the husky sitting at his feet. Ryan was surprised to find himself back on the couch. Had

the whole thing just been a dream? Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. He still felt a little off and he

badly wanted a cup of coffee, but he knew his little friend was going to need to take a trip

outside before that could happen. “C’mon buddy.” Ryan slid the door open and the puppy trotted

outside. A slight breeze tossed a leaf into the air and the dog chased after it until it landed and no

longer interested him. He squatted to pee and ran back over to Ryan’s feet. “You ready to go

back inside?” The puppy walked back in through the open door and sat to wait for Ryan. The

puppy was still acting like Ryan had been with him since the day he was born. He didn’t want to

be more than a foot away from him. If Ryan took a step, the puppy took a step. Ryan put on a pot

of coffee and turned back to find Kate standing right behind him.

She smiled. “Good morning baby! The bed was cold and lonely without you in it. I expected

to find you next to me this morning.”

Ryan wrapped her up in his arms. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? I meant to make my way

up there, but I was playing with the fur ball and I must have crashed out on the couch. Halloween

was on.”

“We both know you’re not going to pass up an opportunity to watch that. Happy Halloween!”

She kissed him on the cheek. “What’s the matter?”

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Ryan came back to earth and realized he had just been staring at Kate. “Nothing, you’re just

beautiful. Sometimes I stare.” He smirked as she patted his butt.

“You are too cute, sweet too.” Kate opened the cupboard and filled a bowl with puppy food.

The puppy heard the bag crinkling and ran right over. “How about Duncan?”

Ryan shot her a puzzled look. “Who is Duncan?”

“I was thinking that is what we could call him. I found him by Duncan’s Creek”

Duncan Keith was one of Ryan’s favorite Blackhawks players. “I can live with Duncan.”

Ryan filled his largest mug full of steaming black coffee and took his seat in the breakfast nook.

“I can call him Duncs. Whaddya think, Duncs?” Duncan’s face was buried in his food unable to

acknowledge that Ryan was talking to him. “Then it is settled, Duncan the Husky Marshall.”

Ryan finished his coffee and got up to pour another cup. “I am going to go up and take a

shower, babe.”

“You don’t want breakfast?”

“Maybe when I get back down. I haven’t showered since early yesterday morning. I feel

kinda gross.”

“I’ll make up some French toast, I have a craving. That will give you time to take a shower

and get back down here.”

“Sounds good, sweetheart.” He kissed her on his way out of the kitchen and headed up the

stairs. The bedroom was brightly lit from the sun leaking in through the open blinds. The room

looked completely normal and the bed was neatly made. Ryan grabbed a towel, a clean pair of

jeans, and a hunter green tee. Kate always reminded him that she had seen him naked before but

he had taken his clothes into the bathroom with him when he went to shower for as long as he

could remember. It was pretty much just an old habit by now and old habits die hard.

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Ryan slipped out of his jeans and tossed them in the hamper. He followed suit with his shirt

and turned to get into the shower. His reflection in the mirror stopped him dead in his tracks. A

feeling of terror overtook him and his legs buckled. He had to grip the corner of the wall to

remain standing up. His mouth hit the floor as he noticed, and suddenly felt, the eight bright red

scratch marks that were spread across his chest.

Ryan took the quickest shower of his life. He needed to figure out what was happening in

their new home. He also did not want for Kate to see his chest until he had some answers. He

would be difficult to explain the scratches happened during an intimate encounter that she had

slept through. He got out of the shower and dried himself off. As quietly as he could, Ryan

opened the bathroom door and peered into the bedroom. The coast was clear. He needed to get

across the room to the dresser and find a shirt. He opened the drawer and pulled a plain black tee

out. He did not want to run the risk of the scratches bleeding through a lightly colored shirt. He

slid into some jeans and finished off the ensemble with his trusty Blackhawks sweatshirt.

Ryan tried to act casual as he reentered the kitchen. He did not much feel like eating but he

did not want Kate to suspect anything was wrong. He smiled through his anxiety as he sat down

at the table in the breakfast nook.

“Blueberry or Maple?”

Ryan was lost in thought and did not hear Kate delivering his syrup options. He was looking

out into the backyard when he finally snapped out of his daze long enough to hear the sound of

Kate’s voice.

“Hello, Earth to Ryan. Are we reaching you?”

Ryan smiled. “I’m sorry honey, I must have zoned out.”

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“Get with it, man. Very important decisions need to be made. Do you want blueberry or

maple?”

“Very important decisions, huh? Maple is fine, babe.”

Kate smiled as she handed him his plate of french toast and set her own plate in front of the

chair next to his. Ryan ate without saying much. This did not strike Kate as unusual. Ryan took

his eating pretty seriously and believed the time for conversation was when there wasn’t a

chance of his food getting cold.

“What is on the agenda for today?” Kate asked excitedly.

“I actually want to swing by the library. We don’t have the internet hooked up yet and there

are some things I want to look into. You know, try and find out a little more about services in

town. Like who provides internet, for example.” He laughed.

“That sounds like fun. Mind if I join you?”

Kate coming with on this trip was the last thing Ryan wanted. He was hoping it sounded

boring enough that she would not want to tag along. He needed to think quickly. He looked

down while he thought and saw Duncan at his feet.

“I don’t know if it is a good idea to leave this little guy alone. We don’t even have a cage for

him yet. I tell ya what, you puppy-sit and after the library, I will run to the pet store to pick up a

few things for Duncs. I won’t be gone long”

Kate was a little bummed but she knew Ryan had a good point. They could not very well take

a puppy into the library and leaving him home to trash the house wasn’t a great plan either. Ryan

put his empty plate in the sink and kissed Kate on the cheek since she was still eating.

“I will be back in a bit.”

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Kate nodded, still chewing. Ryan exhaled a sigh of relief as he closed the front door behind

him. The library was not far from the house. It was actually within walking distance but Ryan

didn’t want to waste any time. He parked in the lot and walked inside. The small town library

only had a few computers. There was one that faced a back wall where it was unlikely anyone

would be able to see what Ryan was looking at. A half an hour had gone by and a multitude of

Google searches on their address, McAllister County, ghosts, and supernatural occurrences had

yielded nothing that could help Ryan to explain what was happening in their home. He had just

about given up when he noticed an ancient artifact off in the corner. Ryan hadn’t seen a

microfilm since he was in the third grade, but at least he had seen one. This one was dedicated to

the McAlister County Gazette and dated back to the mid 1800’s.

Another hour past as Ryan scrolled endlessly through the history of his county. He thought

there should be an article titled, “McAlister County: Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here.” He

had almost given up when he ran across an article that caused his heart to leap into his throat.

“Love Leads to Murder at McCaskey Farm.” The picture in the newspaper almost knocked Ryan

out of his chair. The caption underneath read, “Lawrence McCaskey,” but the image Ryan saw

was a black and white photo of himself from 1875.

To be continued…