Vintage Misery: Part Two (rough draft)

I just wanted to get out of this town. If Officer Pitbull had any say about it, I was suspect number one. This meant the possibility of him unearthing a slurry of unsavory facts about my family. Facts he could use to connect me to the murder of these two girls, or at least use as excuses.

Beth took me to a twenty-four hour diner so we could talk. The place was quiet, filled with exhausted university students, a few truck drivers, and the two waitresses working the shift. I ordered coffee and waffles, but only because Beth was paying. My bus had already left, I would have to wait another day to leave.

“There’s not much on her I can read,” Neil is sitting beside Beth at the booth. He’s been going through her pockets and small bag. “Just some loose cash and a student ID.”

I was looking at my coffee while he spoke. She could see the creature going into the window last night, but not Neil. It seemed strange.

“I know who you are,” Beth finally said. He small songbird voice warbly and timid. “I’ve read the books your parents have written.”

I swallowed hard, pushing my tongue against my teeth. “Is that why I’m here then? Because you’re a fan of my parents.”

Beth shook her head. “No. I promise you, I’m genuinely asking for your help. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this creature around campus. And if anyone could help us, you must know what you’re doing. Your parents have been all over. The Wakefield house, the Seamstress murders-”

I set down the coffee mug a bit too hard on the table. “I know what my parents have done. That was them. Not me.”

Beth’s eyes widened. “But your card says you perform exorcisms and paranormal investigations. Just like they do.”

“Go back to what you said before,” I said. “You’ve seen the creature around campus before? Why have you not told anyone?”

“I’ve tried, but my sisters call me crazy. They say that there is no way such a thing could exist. But from your parents' books I’ve read that all sorts of phenomena can occur. I suspect this could be some sort of demon, or even a poltergeist.”

I shake my head. “Demons aren’t so easy and poltergeists don’t let themselves get seen. Is this the only strange thing you’ve ever seen? Or has this happened to you before?”

Beth shook her head. “Not that I could recall. Have you seen anything like this?”

I was seven years old when I experienced my first real paranormal phenomenon. My parents had always been good about keeping me away from their work, away from their museum they kept close to the house. Back in those days my mom talked about a lock box or something too, but I never knew what that was.

Anyways, I was seven, I was testing my independence as well as my frustration at my parents for always being away. I snuck into their museum, a treasure trove of artifacts and trophies from their past jobs. I was never allowed there, I knew this, but I didn’t care. I was clutching my teddy bear, the one that I would later equate Neil with. Next thing I knew my dad was dragging me out, my mom was screaming inside, and I never saw that teddy bear again until years later when I discovered they had it locked into a glass box like a fire extinguisher.

The memory of what happened in their museum never came back to me, but afterwards it became apparent to my parents I had a gift. I was able to attract ghosts in a way they hadn’t seen before.

I sighed, pushing my plate aside to where Neil looked at it hungrily. “I missed my bus for this. I need something more concrete to go off of. Your friends were murdered, and I know you’re shaken by this. But I don’t deal with murder in the present tense. I deal with the after effects, the residual hate and spite so powerful it lingers for centuries. I’m not quite sure what you’re asking me to do, or even to look for.”

Beth stared at me, between anger and tears. “But, what about this creature?”

“Then call animal control. Wrap yourselves in garlic, hang crosses over every opening in the house. Call a priest but don’t call me.” I tried to stand up but Beth stopped me. Using one of her crutches to hit me in the leg.

“Could you tell if something was there if you went to the house?” She asked.

“Maybe, but it’s a crime scene. And the head dog in charge already has a prejudice against me. I don’t exactly want to give him ammo.” I had already been inside that house. There was nothing there. I didn’t need to go back to know that.

“I can get you in. No one will be there tonight. There wasn’t even anyone there when I came to get you.” Beth sounded so hopeful. Perhaps if I gave in and went with her, I could convince her there was nothing and leave it at that. Whatever got to those girls wasn’t a ghost, it had to be something more in the physical realm than that.

“Fine,” I sighed. “But this will cost you extra.”

Beth nodded, so determined to see this to the end. “That’s fine with me.”

She took me back to the campus, which due to the murders had been cleared out. The girls in the sorority house had all gone home by now. And the area around and leading to the house itself had been sealed off. Leading the way on her crutches, guided me to the back of the house. All the doors should have been locked, but the back door opened with relative ease.

“I’ll stay here and keep watch,” Beth said to me. “Be safe okay?”

I nodded and just went inside. As Beth closed the door behind me I waited for Neil to pop back in. “There’s nothing,” he said.

“Nothing at all?” I asked. “Did you check their rooms?”

Neil shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare go in there.”

“You’re a ghost, Neil,” I scoffed. I walked from the kitchen, stepping into the foyer. I had been here before, but everything felt so different. I took a deep breath, smelling the air for any sort of changes. I started to go up the stairs when Neil grabbed me and held me back.

I huffed. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t think you should go up there. It could be dangerous.” Neil’s bloodshot eyes stared at me. “Please.”

“There are no ghosts here.” I yanked my arm back and continued to walk up. “So stop acting like a-” The stair under me opened up. I can’t say exactly how it happened, but it almost felt like it was pulled out from under my feet. I grabbed hold just before I completely plummeted and I dangled there in the darkness before my grip completely failed me. I sliced through the darkness before I fell into water.

“Al!” Neil screamed from above.

I panicked. Unable to find anything solid to grab hold of I splashed and kicked and flared. I screamed for help, Hoping Beth could hear me. My voice echoed off something, so there must be a wall or land somewhere around me. “Neil!” I cried out.

He reached me, pulling me above water and helping me find something solid to hold on to. I clung to the ground, gasping for breath and shuddering all over. I reached into my pocket, praying that the lighter in it still worked.

“Are you okay?” Neil asked.

The lighter sparked and squeaked as I tried to get it to light. “No, I’m not fucking okay.” It sparks to life, a single flame illuminates to cast a small circle of light around me. I stand up on this small patch of land. “What the fuck is this.”

“The basement?” Neil chirped.

I shook my head. “There’s no way. A dungeon lake under an old house? Does that make sense?”

“It’s cold down here,” Neil whispered.

“How would you-” A chill cut through my body, and I wished it was because I was soaking wet. I stretched out my arm, going closer to the edge of the water. As I looked out, I could see things in the water, floating near the edges. “Are those-” Something clung extremely close to the small patch of land that I was on. The water pushed it up along the side, rocking it gently against the dirt. It looked like tattered clothes and rope.

“This isn’t good, Al,” Neil whimpered. “We need to find a way out.”

“Yeah, no shit.” I moved back further onto land. “I need something to light. I can’t keep this lit forever.” I tried to search for something on the ground. “You start looking for a way out.”

“Are you sure you want to be left alone?” Neil asked.

“What else do I have going for me? Just go.” I kept looking, hoping to find something to illuminate better than the solitary lighter. Eventually I found what looked like an old flashlight, and by some strange miracle it still worked. I turned it on, shining the light out over the water. That’s when I saw it. I turned the light off and held my breath.

“Al, I think I found something!”

“Show me,” my voice cracked.

“It’s over this way.” Neil touched me. “Did you find a flashlight?”

“Neil,” I swallowed hard. “It’s bad. It’s really bad.”

“Well sure. That’s a given.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s worse than that.” I closed my eyes and turned on the light. I shone it out over the lake until Neil screamed and I turned it off again. I didn’t need to open my eyes to see it again. The skeletons, the bodies, all draped over the patches of land on the walls.

“What the fuck is that? What the fuck? What is- That is-” He was beginning to panic. After all, it looked vaguely similar to the mass grave he was left in.

I grabbed him. “The exit Neil! We need to get out!”

“It’s a murder house! What is happening?” Neil was still spewing a stream of thought as he tried to come to grips with what was there.

“That’s why we need to go!” I yanked him hard, hopefully snapping him back into his senses. He ran, pulling me along behind him. I had to go through water, step on things that felt like bones, but we eventually made it to an exit. There was a grate covering the exit but it pushed open easily when force was applied to it. I stepped out onto marshy wetlands that were behind the campus, underneath an overpass where I could hear cars driving by.

I took deep breaths as I looked around. My body was shaking horribly all over. “Okay.” I breathed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Neil snapped. “What was that in there?”

“I don’t know.” I started walking around, keeping my fists clenched. “But we are leaving. That’s for damn sure. I don’t care what Beth says or begs from me. I’m not going back.”

“Are you not going to tell anyone?” Neil quickly gained pace behind me.

“No! Of course not!” I snapped. “I am not telling anybody about that mass grave! Not until I’m a thousand miles away and can leave an untraceable anonymous tip at some phone booth in New York.” I trudged through the sludge until we reached dry land. I came out and looked around, trying to get my bearings straight. I then realize I’ve wound up in someone’s backyard.

“I just want to get out of here.” I started walking across the lawn. It was too late in the evening for anyone to notice me anyways. “Get my fucking things, and go.”

The back door opened, light flooded my vision and the sound of a gun cocking deafened me. “Don’t move!”

I stood still, quickly throwing my arms up into the air.

“Ms. Young?”

I squinted through the light until I could focus. There was a young man on the porch wearing a shirt and boxer shorts. “Mercy?”

He lowered his gun and stared confused at me. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“That’s my question.”

“You’re soaked.” He set his gun aside and waved at me. “Come in.”

I shook my head. “No. I really should go. I need to go.” I turned to continue making my getaway when I tripped over the hose and face planted directly into a rock. Needless to say, I was pulled inside by Officer Mercy. He gave me ice for the black eye and even offered me dry clothes. He then sat across from at the table.

“I’m sorry about what happened at the station today.” He said. “I didn’t think Gradings would go off like that on you.”

Seeing him like this, he doesn’t seem like a police officer. Just some baby faced guy. “I’m sure he’s perfectly nice when coeds haven’t been brutally murdered.”

Mercy shook his head. “No…”

I sighed. “I see.”

“Tell him,” Neil hissed.

I shooed him away like I was swatting a fly. “Is this the first around here?” I asked. “I mean like...gruesome as it is.”

“We’ve dealt with a lot of missing persons reports,” he says. “But nothing like this. Nothing like-” his eyes drifted away into nothing and he rubbed his hand over his jaw and mouth.

I furrowed my brow. “Missing persons?”

“It’s a college town, it’s normal. Kids run away, join cults, bands, lovers, you name it. Most of them turn up or we’re told they got home.” He shrugged. “I mean, I heard stories that before the college was built here there were some shady businesses at foot. But that was just rumors.”

I move the ice bag from my face. “What kind of shady business?”

“Oh man, that looks bad.” Mercy stood up and approached me. “You’ll probably have a shiner in the morning. I’ll set up aspirin out for you.”

I scowled. “I’m not going to stay. I really should be going.”

Mercy makes me hold the ice back over my eye. “Look, the buses don't run again until the morning. You might as well stay the night. Whatever you were doing out there, it can wait too, can’t it?”

“Some cop,” I huffed.

“I don’t think you’re guilty. I felt bad even waking you up this morning. But Gradings was dead set on it. Especially when he found your card on one of them uhm...the uh girls.” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words.

“You’ve probably had a bad day too,” I muttered. “You saw right?”

Mercy’s skin when pale and clammy.

“Look, take it from an old hat at this, there was nothing you could have done. But you can work hard to see it doesn’t happen again.” I took the ice away from my eye again. “I’ll sleep on your couch.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” Neil snapped at me.

Mercy gave me a curious look. “Old hat?”

I stood up from the kitchen table. “I deal with ghosts, remember? I see death in a different way, but it’s still death.”

That seemed to be enough for him. “Oh, right.” He led me into the living room. “If you need another blanket just asked.”

I saw there was an open book at the recliner along with half a beer. “Can’t sleep?”

Mercy avoided the question by pretending he didn’t hear me. He turned off the light then the one in the kitchen.

“You need to tell him,” Neil snapped at me.

“How the fuck do I tell him?” I scoffed. “I told you, I’ll make an anonymous tip once I am out of here. There’s no sense in putting myself into this drama.”

“You were literally dumped into the middle of it, Al!” Neil hissed. “Something is going on! Those poor girls could be part of it. You could have too! The stair didn’t just open for nothing.”

I put an old throw pillow over my face to try and drown him out. “This has nothing to do with ghosts!” I snapped.

Neil threw the pillow across the room. “You’re an idiot,” he snarled into my ear.

I laid there, staring out into the shadows. Everytime I closed my eyes I saw that beam of light with bodies in it. I had to stay awake, had to keep that image out of my head. I got up as soon as there was light out, and when I did I noticed Mercy sitting in his kitchen. He was already in uniform and had my dried clothes laying on the table.

“You’re awake.” He said simply.

“So are you.” I took my clothes. “I’ll go change and get out of your hair.”

“How’s your eye?” He asked.

I touched my face. “Sore. How does it look.”

A slight smile appeared on his lips. Dare I say he was almost handsome. “Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.” Mercy nodded. “Did you use my phone last night?”

I clenched my fist around the clothes tightly. He did this at the hotel too. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Because I thought I heard you talking to someone last night.” He shrugged. “Sorry must have been a figment of my imagination.”

“Yeah, there wasn’t any talking.” I went and changed, folding his clothes up and laying them aside. I looked back into the mirror and saw Neil standing behind me. “You really almost got me in trouble.”

“I did?” He laughed. “You and I must remember yesterday very differently.”

“Shut up,” I hissed. I left the bathroom quickly and went out the front door. I crossed the street and kept going. I could see signs for the campus in the distance. Once I got there, I’d be able to find my way back to the bus station. But that Beth girl had my stuff. I needed to find her first.

I turned back around, seeing Mercy was getting into his patrol car. I went back across the way and leaned over into his window.

“Those Harvey girls,” I started. “Do you know where they are?”

“The Harvey girls?” Mercy asked, taking off his sunglasses. “I think they said they were staying somewhere off campus. But they’ve probably left with everyone else.”

“Just tell me where they’re at, please.”

Mercy motioned to the car door, a slight smile upon his face. “Get in and I can take you there.”

I sighed and hopped in. As he drove off it was silent at first. Then he started to seem to want to say something.

“How did you know-” he hesitated.

“About your...medical condition?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. Just did.”

Neil scoffed from the back seat.

“It’s pretty amazing. Being able to see things like that about people.” Mercy said. “I wish I knew stuff like that sometimes without having to speak.” I noticed the way he was rubbing his fingers along the steering wheel, like he was trying to comfort himself.

“It’s not amazing,” I sighed. “It’s a problem.”

He nodded. “Oh. I see.” He started slowing down. “This should be it.”

The house was old, it looked like it should have been part of the campus. I stepped out of the car and looked up, seeing all the windows were shuttered and closed.

“Do you want me to wait on you?” Mercy asked.

I then saw that, on the porch, my bag was sitting in a chair. I went up and grabbed it, putting it over my shoulder. I then noticed there was a note and a key under the bag.

“I don’t know what happened to you last night. But if you come inside you can wait until your bus has to leave. I can take you to the station and pay you for the trouble. Beth-”

I should just leave and wait at the station. But for some reason, I felt I owed an explanation to Beth. At least let her know I was alive. I shook my head at Mercy. “No. Just go. Get to work.” I used the key and went inside, finding the house was dark and quiet.

“At least it’s not a death lake,” Neil whispered.

“Shut up.” I walked inside, hearing the click-clack of the grandfather clock by the stairs. “Everyone must still be asleep.” There was a sitting room just right of the entrance. I sat down there and felt drowsy.

“Should I go and look around?” Neil asked.

“No. Just stay put,” I grumbled. I went through my bag to make sure everything was there. Luckily, it all was. I then stood up just to look outside and make sure Officer Mercy had driven off.

“Oh good, you’re here.” I turned around and there was Beth standing there.

I stepped away from the windows. “I didn’t wake you did I?”

“I was actually just making my way to bed,” she chuckled. “I was up a bit too late doing school work and then I thought I heard you come in.”

“Go to sleep,” I said. “I can rest here on the sofa.”

Beth then tilted her head. “You look awful. What happened to you last night?” She approached me and stood very close. Her hand reached from the forearm crutch and took hold of mine.

“I was-” My voice cracked. “It’s hard to explain. I was trying to find your creature and I got a bit distracted.”

“Liar,” Neil grumbled.

She smiled at me. “Why don’t you get a shower, then you can get some rest before you have to go. I’ll even get a bed made up for you.”

I felt drowsier than before and I let her lead me away. As I walked down the hallway, I saw through an open door one of the other girls in her room. She was standing by her bed, but when I walked by her head turned. At first it looked like it went around one hundred and eighty degrees and her eyes turned red. But I was exhausted. I probably wasn’t thinking right.