Vintage Misery: Part Four (special preview)

Neil sat beside me in the cell, and that was pretty much the only thing I was registering. I had pretty much shut off everything else. There was no point in wasting energy on such things. I was here, I’d stay here, I’d probably rot here.

“I’m sad to think that I may never have a burrito again,” Neil sighed. He slouched back against the wall and slid a bit against the seat. “That last one was so good too. They really had something special with that salsa.” He kicked his feet back and forth. “This would have really been something to tell your parents too.”

I started to grimace.

“Vampires?” He scoffed. “That would have blown their minds. You think they would have believed that?”

I sat back up on the bench seat and continued to scowl.

“I still don’t even believe it, and I was put onto a cross with so much peyote in my system I-” Someone walked into the room just then. They stood in front of the bars and placed their hands upon their hips.

“Al,” Neil said urgently.

“What do you want?” I grumbled, thinking it was Officer Pitbull.

“You were under my house,” a man said. His voice was wheezy and choked, sputtering almost.

I furrowed my brow and looked back up as the man came through the bars. “Who are you?” I asked.

The ghost stood before me, thick arms, barrel chest, and a rope hung around his neck. “Louis Hervé, ma’am.”

“Oh! You’re that butcher guy!” Neil announced loudly.

I shushed Neil then stood, approaching the domineering ghost of Louis Hervé. “I was under what used to be your house, that’s correct. How did you know?”

“I heard the commotion.” He turned and pointed down the hallway. “This place was built over the old holding cells and gallows where I died.”

I hadn’t been looking or paying attention either time I came to the station. I’m not surprised I missed feeling any ghosts here. “What made you stay here?”

“I was innocent,” Louis’ voice strains. “I never killed anything except livestock. I was just as shocked by what happened under my house as you are.”

“If you didn’t, then who did?” Neil asked.

“My sisters in law,” Louis answered, a timid look upon their face. “They controlled everything about the house, my wife, my business. All I did was work and do what they asked. I never knew what they had me selling was-” He stopped, his breath coming out more constricted than before.

“It’s okay, Louis, calm down.” I reached out, taking the ghostly rope off his neck. The bruising there began to vanish as the rope dissolved in my hand. “Go ahead.”

Louis touched his neck then nodded at me. “Thank you,” he said clearly. “My sisters in law came almost immediately after the wedding. They took over, claiming my wife’s illness was the reason. But they were like a swarm of locust. They took and they devoured everything I held dear. I barely saw my wife; they often made me stay down in the shop, working.”

“How did you find out what they were doing?” I asked.

“I went home one day, I just wanted to see her. I missed her so much and we’d barely spent any time together since her sisters came. But when I got into the house, I saw-” He stopped and shook his head. “Next thing I knew, I was being called a murderer.”

“But what did you see, man?” Neil’s voice quivered.

“They were eating someone.” Louis’ voice started sounding strained again.

“Ew,” Neil whispered.

I sat back down upon the bench and clutched my hands together. “So it was vampires.”

“You doubted that? After what I said?” Neil snapped at me.

“You died high, your judgment is always going to be a touch impaired,” I grumbled. “I wasn’t sure but-” I pressed my mouth into a firm line.

Neil took a pompous stance and grinned. “Say I’m right!”

I glared at him, but just as I was about to say something, a commotion went on outside. I heard yelling and screaming, radios buzzing all over. Outside, sirens were blasting as most of the station took off. I went to the bars of the cell, looking out as best I could.

“What’s happening out there?” I asked.

Neil went out, going into the chaos as more officers began speeding away in their cars. Neil returned a moment later with a confused look upon his face. “Something happened at that house again.”

“Shit.” I went back into the cell. “Well, I’m here. That’s at least good.” I plopped back down. “Although, I wouldn’t put it past Officer Pitbull to blame it on me somehow. Say I’m a witch and summoned a demon or some shit.” I chewed on my bottom lip while I tried to think.

“Officer Pitbull?” Louis asked.

“Gradings,” I scoffed. “The guy who threw me in here.”

Louis nodded slowly. “I never had a good feeling about him. He took over after the last sheriff had an accident.”