Mary

Bobbie Jo Mack

Mary

Mary had a little lamb,

little lamb,
little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb,
its fleece as white as snow.

Mary

Chapter One

My brother Denny and I had been driving for miles down

the center of Interstate 80, making our way from Elyria, Ohio. We
were headed to an area near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Elyria was
where we had grown up. Our whole lives we had never left the
place. Now that there was nothing but dust covered sheets and
photos covered in dried tears amongst smudged fingerprints, we
were on our way to visit the only other relative we knew existed.
Someone we had never met before.
10 years ago
Black silence was the only sound that could ever be heard
at night in my house; a silence that was earth shattering loud.
Nothing squeaked, or cracked, or swayed like they did in normal
houses. I knew that someone in my house was awake and moving

Bobbie Jo Mack
through the upstairs obstacles of what was our attic. There was a
noise that I named a shuffle. The shuffle noise got closer to my
bedroom top with every breath I executed swiftly. I shut down all
of my body functions when the house reinstated black silence at
the moment the shuffle stalled above my toes.
The world was spinning, but I refused to give in to my need
for oxygen. The one image that stole my thoughts was that a dark
shadow was standing at the end of my bed gathering my emotions
and preparing to attack. I saw bulging blood eyes piercing into my
soul through the fine floor boards, waiting patiently for the breath I
was inevitably going to take. I waitedfifteen secondstwenty
secondsjust when I thought it was finally safe to breath
SLAM!
A noise louder than any black silence had ever been echoed
through the cracks in the ceiling and bounced off each of my four
walls and smacked me directly in the face. I didnt react as I
thought I should of. Instead of jumping out of my skin and
screaming, I was petrified. Not one muscle had I moved, my breath
had finally come as I said farewell to the carbon dioxide I exhaled
and welcomed in fresh shiny new air. My lungs were thankful.
I found the small sliver of courage that I had been hiding
deep within me and scooted myself out of bed. Praying, secretly in
my head that there would not be anything standing at the end of

Mary
my bed or across my room in the corner. I slowly twisted the on
switch underneath the lampshade of the lamp on my bedside table.
The light bulb quickly illuminated the radius of the small square
room and confirmed for me the aloneness that I had not been
feeling. Reassuring myself that I was truly alone the closet and
under my bed were areas I made sure to check before leaving my
room. I shut my bedroom door behind me and crept along the
hallway making no sound at all. I rounded the corner and about
twelve feet in front of me was the door to the attic.
The door that always remained closed tight except for
around Christmas when Dad would fetch all of the decorations for
the house. Right now an eerie chill bathed my body with its shivers
as I approached the wide open attic door. There was no light in the
attic and you could only go up there in the daytime when the help
of the six small windows led you through the mess of the two
rooms. The logical thing to do would have been to go down to the
basement to grab the one and only flash light we had in the entire
house, but that was much too far away.
With my eyes only slightly adjusted to the pitch blackness
of the stairwell, I gently climbed each stair to the attic. For the first
time ever I was actually relieved for the black silence. As I got
closer to reaching the top step I realized how scared I actually was.
My breathing was fast, but quiet and my fingers were shaking ever
so slightly; enough that if you looked at me you could tell that
something was going on. I finally placed my right, bare foot on the

Bobbie Jo Mack
floor of the attic and right away became aware of a presence
besides myself hiding in the shadows of the attics eerie mist. A
strange mossy odor filled my nose and distracted all of my other
senses. I could not have taken more than two more steps after my
first when I heard a fast click and was blinded by the light of a
thousand suns. Well, thats what it sure felt like. This time I did
scream for a second and fell backwards smacking my head off of
the top step.
The world was spinning ever so slightly as I tried to pick
myself up off the floor. I heard a voice speaking to me, but still
could not quite make out who it belonged to. As my senses became
clearer the mossy smell was replaced by the smell of body odor
and acne medication. My older brother Dennis was holding onto
my shoulders whisper-shouting my name at me.
Katie! Katie! Hey! What are you doing up here?
II heard a loud noise so I came to see what it was. Is
that why youre up here to? Did you find anyone, er anything? I
asked pushing him off my shoulders and regaining my balance.
He backed away, gave me a stern look, and turned around
before he spoke, I did not come up here searching for a noise
Katie. Im the one who made the noise.
He moved forward making his way to the doorway in the
center of the attic. The first room of the attic held the Christmas

Mary
decorations and some old family furniture Dad could not seem to
get rid of. The second room to the attic was behind a mound of
boxes. The doorway was small. I use to be able to fit through it
perfectly, but now I had to duck just a few inches. Dennis, who had
recently caught a major case of puberty, had to almost crawl to fit.
It did not have a door on it anymore. Dad had taken it off the
hinges when Dennis was little because he and his friends would get
themselves trapped inside ever so often.
Dennis lowered his voice another octave and spoke facing
away from me still. Ive been searching up here for the past two
nights. I heard Dad talking to Aunt Kyla the other day about some
old photos in torn boxes up here that he wanted her to take. He
mentioned mom. He stopped shuffling for only a moment to
glance at me from the corner of his eye. I didnt let him read my
face. I turned away from him and went to the pile of boxes closest
to my right.
Mom is dead Dennis, why does it matter if there are
pictures of her up here or not? My coldness towards the subject of
my mothers death was largely due to the fact that we had never
actually met the woman. When I was just a baby and Dennis was
almost six years old our mother left our family for a man she fell in
love with in Pennsylvania. Dennis told me that she sent us money
every month for a year and then she was never heard from after
that.

Bobbie Jo Mack
It was just a month ago when the rumor traveled from
Pennsylvania that a man went crazy and skinned his wife and
daughter alive, dumped them into the Ohio River, then jumped
from one of the viewpoints on Mt. Washington in the city of
Pittsburgh. The rumor also let a little bit of hope come alive that
the daughter had actually gotten away. Nothing was ever
confirmed, but the rumors were there and the family was not.
Dad said something to Aunt Kyla that I couldnt believe,
so Ive been up here searching for proof that its not true. Ive got
about four more boxes to dig into, so why dont you help me out
and take over with those two and let me know if you come across
any pictures of her.
I started towards the two boxes he pointed at for me to look
through and I questioned him, What exactly bothered you so
much that you have been looking so hard? I opened the flaps to
the card board box, coughed from the amount of dust particles
circulating in the open air around my face and pulled out mounds
of old fabric and sewing supplies.
I dont ever remember Dad sewing anything, I spoke
turning to show Dennis what I had revealed in my assigned box,
and he picked such ugly fabric too. I giggled shaking out a piece
of the old fabric.

Mary
Dennis laughed, avoided my first question and responded,
That was actually mine. Sewing was one of the few odd things I
picked up after mom left.
Oh, I replied shoving all the fabric and supplies back into
the box, moving onto the next one, Did you ever actually make
anything?
Dennis countered, No, not really. I just sewed torn
clothing or anything else I could find to fix, he frowned, I liked
to fix things.
Hmm
It was all I could think of to say. I knew he liked to fix
things. Its what he tried to do every time there was something
needing fixing; no matter how small. Thats why I knew there was
no reason for me to even try to get him to give up on whatever it
was he was wishing to find up here in these boxes.
I used a heavy breath to remove a thick layer of dust from
the flaps of my second box and opened it up to what had to be over
two hundred photos. I called Dennis over to help me sort them out.
With the pile divided between us it didnt take long before we
realized what we were looking for was not amongst any of these
photos. Most of them were pictures of people we did not even
recognize. Frustration enveloped us as we emptied the final box
and had not come across one photo of our mother.

Bobbie Jo Mack
Maybe Dad has already moved the box to Aunt Kylas.
Maybe he did it while we were in school or somewhere else, I
spoke trying to make Dennis calm down a bit.
Dennis sighed, Yeah, maybe.
He gave me an exhausted look and lay back on the floor,
hands behind his head, knees propped up.
I guess this just proves that it wasnt true. Maybe Dad was
playing a prank on me or something.
I scoffed, I dont think Dad would joke about anything
that has to do with mom, even to Aunt Kyla. I sighed identically
to his and copied his movements.
I turned the flashlight on and set it in between us facing the
ceiling so I could make shadow puppets. As I made my shadow
bunnies make kissy noises to each other one of the bunnies ears
started to disappear into a crack in the ceiling. I made my bunny
follow the crack until it came full circle. I killed my bunny
shadows and sat up straight off the floor. I quickly grabbed the
flashlight and used it to make the circle with the light two more
times.
Dennis, Dennis do you see this? I jumped to my feet and
kicked him in the leg. Dennis, get up! I yelled.
Alright, jeez, what is it? He sat up and leaned back on his
hands to examine my discovery.

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Mary
Look at this. Have you seen this before? I circled the
crack again to show him what I meant.
He jumped up to his feet and pushed me out of the way.
Move over! He grabbed the flashlight from my hands and
examined the circle. What the hell is this? He punched it then
pushed it trying to see if it opened upwards. It didnt budge.
Try pushing it to the side. I suggested, taking the
flashlight from him so he could use both hands. He pushed hard to
the right and nothing happened. Then he pushed to the left and it
moved slightly forward.
I think it twists, he stated and then moved his hands
forward and left in one motion. The hole opened up to more black
silence. It was clear from the squinting expression on his face that
Dennis could not see one thing inside of the hole.
Flashlight please, he requested.
I handed it to him and he shined it into the hole before he
climbed up. Its a small crawl space up here. I dont think we
could both fit. I can sit and the top of my head just hits the roof.
Despite his given facts I climbed up the boxes I arranged to
reach the hole and made it into the space next to him.
What a strange place to put a tiny room.
Its not a tiny room Katie; its a secret storage space.
He moved the light all around us and I could see pictures.
There were pictures nailed to the side walls. Each of the pictures
showed a family of three. It looked like a Dad, Mom, and a

Bobbie Jo Mack
daughter. Each picture had one distinct similarity. There was a burn
circle right where the mothers head should have been. It was like
someone had lit a match and placed it directly underneath her face
and then blew it out once her face had disappeared from the photo.
Wow, what are all these? I asked not really directing it
towards Dennis, but to myself. Some of these are doubles of the
same picture. I tried to get one off the wall, but I couldnt do it
without the nail ripping it up the top half. Do you know who these
people are Dennis? I turned my face to his. Hey, whats the
matter?
He was staring at the photos like I was, but not with
curiosity, with loathing and displeasure.
Dad was telling Aunt Kyla the truth Katie. These are it.
These are what I have been looking for up here. I dont think these
are the exact ones Dad was telling Aunt Ky about, but they are
definitely the copies. He was speaking more to himself than to me
now.
Who are they Dennis? Tell me. Did you hear Dad say who
they were?
Yes, Katie, I did. He ripped two of them from the wall.
The woman without a face, thats mom. Dad must have been so
angry when she left that he did all of this. But the real reason Dad
hid these from us isnt because of her. You see, theres a little girl

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Mary
in the picture too. Dad said the little girl is our half-sister. Mom
had another baby after she left.
It must have been a full minute that had gone by before I
could focus again on the real world. My mind had wondered. It had
wondered to a place where my mother, her new husband, and that
precious little girl were a big, happy, normal family. They were
living life as if the words betrayal, cheat, and lie meant nothing.
The words did not even exist. I shook my head back and forth
uncontrollably. I dont believe it, I turned away from the photos,
Dennis, and what he was telling me and jumped down the hole.
Dennis followed after me. What dont you believe Katie?
The picture is right in front of you, what more proof do you need?
Maybe its not her daughter. Maybe shes from a previous
marriage of his or something. I leaned over to walk back through
the tiny door to the front of the attic. He grabbed me before I made
it through.
Do you honestly believe that? I told you I heard Dad say
she was our sister, Dennis explained with a somewhat pained look
on his face.
Yeah, well maybe you heard him wrong. Im just going to
ask him myself, I snatched the picture from his hands, ran through
the door and down the attic stairs.
Katie, wait! I heard Dennis scream for me, but I didnt
care. I had to hear it for myself. I hurdled from the third step and

Bobbie Jo Mack
sprinted towards my Dads bedroom all while thinking in the
back of my mind, Please, please dont be true. Please.
I crashed his bedroom door open and flipped on the light.
He woke and sat up as fast as a fly fleeing and fly-swatter. Then he
mumbled, What? What happened?
I threw the picture at him. It landed in his lap. This
happened Dad. I want to hear it from you. Tell me the truth. Do I
have a little sister?
I could feel the rage on my own face and in my voice. I
knew better than to speak to my father this way, but some part of
me thought he didnt deserve any other tone of voice but this one.
He picked the photo up after rubbing his eyes with the
palms of his hands and then pulling his face downwards with a
sleepy sigh to try and wake up. I witnessed as his face went from
sleepy and relaxed to shocked and somber. I couldnt help but feel
the anger slip away from me as I watched my fathers eyes start to
glimmer in the light from his own obstructed tears.
Katie, listen to me.
No, My head was shaking back and forth again, No,
Dad, how could you not tell us?
Dad was much more awake now. Katie, how could I tell
you? You were so young. Youre only twelve now. Youre so smart,
but when do you suppose would be the right time to tell you that

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Mary
not only did your mother leave me for someone else, but she left
you for someone else too. I never could have the heart to tell you
or Dennis that. He moved just a little to embrace me, but I back
away.
This isnt something you keep from people Dad, Dennis
said finally catching up with our conversation. Im seventeen.
When were you planning on letting me know? What exactly were
you planning on saying to us whenever we found out? You had to
know one day this would get to us. These kinds of secrets never
stay a secret.
Dad stood up out of bed. He looked like a mess. He was a
well-built athletic man with dark black hair just like mine. He and
Aunt Kyla were what I liked to call, adventurers. They climbed
mountains, snowboarded, skied, and snorkeled with piranhas. They
were gone pretty much every other month or so documenting their
travels and selling the footage to whatever nature-adventure show
would have it.
Dad replied, Honestly, I had hoped you never would find
out. I still dont know how you have.
I heard you on the phone the other day. Ive been
searching the attic for days. I found nothing until Katie came to
help and she accidently found your secret hiding spot.
Im sorry you had to see that and Im also sorry you had to
find out this way. I dont want you to view your mother in that
way, Dad confessed.

Bobbie Jo Mack
We already do. That bitch can rot in hell, Dennis choked
out.
Please Dennis; dont speak like that in front of your sister.
Lets try not to ruin her view of her mother more than it already
has been.
Whatever, Dennis threw back, Im going back to bed.
Ive had enough of this for one night. He slugged off to his
bedroom and slammed the door behind him.
Im going too, I whispered, turning to leave.
Katie, wait, Dad commanded clutching my shoulder
gently. Would it really have changed anything? Does it really
change anything that you know now? he asked with hope painted
all over his face. I could see it in the way his eyebrows furrowed
and the way his lips curled under.
It changes how I think of momand it changes how I
think of you, My face then matched the grimness of his as I left
the room.
I love you baby! Dad hollered to me.
I love you too Dad. I said softly but loud enough for him
to hear. Sadness still traced the walls of our voices, but not much
could keep a family as strong as ours from loving one another.
I carried myself back to my room. The wooden floors felt
cold on my bare feet. Dreams darkened my mind as reality

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Mary
diminished. I could see a field with animals grazing under the
setting sun; a familiar nursery rhyme was playing in the
background, soft and slow. I heard a faint cry of distress and a
broken heart through the mistiness of my dream world. It turned
out Dennis was habitually more upset then he let on.
Present Day
Her name was Mary. My little sister displayed in her
childhood picture a length of hair beyond her belly button that was
a dark black matching almost perfectly to mine. A light auburn
could be seen throughout the strands of her hair from the cameras
flash. She was over ten years younger in this photo than she is
now. She could have dyed her hair and gotten fat, but I still knew I
had to find her some way.
Interstate 80 turned into back roads, moss, and bark as we
reached the street name that our new house resided. We followed
Park Road and the only building we saw was a bar at the very start
of the road named Big Gs.
We turned right onto East Hookstown Grade Road and the
first thing we did was cross a small bridge formed over a large
creek. Directly to the left of the bridge as we crossed was a
gigantic field of grass and mud. It looked like the place had just
been flooded. We had to curve to the left and started climbing the
tiny spiral mountain of land to find our new house and we noticed

Bobbie Jo Mack
deep back in the grassy field, stuffed like meatloaf into a green
pepper, was a tiny house. It was a dull yellow that looked to have
been a bright sunshiny color once upon a time. The roof looked
shattered and the bottom looked like it had suffered major water
damage. It was a charming house though and I promised myself I
would check it out one day soon. We drove up the hill for about
another half mile and what we found was a clear open grassy area
to the left with one very long driveway leading to a very bulky,
magnificent house. To the right, a pebble stone driveway laid
between the bare trees presenting at its end a tiny garage and a neat
trailer home with blue shutters. We shook forward with our rusty
florescent blue truck and parked it in front of the garage. Dennis
wasnt even sure it would fit inside.
Lets go check out the house, I said hopping out of the
passenger side, anxious to see the new place we were going to be
living. I battled Dennis to the front door and he pulled out the key
that had been mailed to us by the previous owner when we were
back in Elyria.
Dennis opened the door slowly and I pushed him aside to
enter first. I regretted that act almost instantaneously. I shrieked in
trepidation and by the time Dennis took three seconds to file in
behind me it was too late.

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Mary

Chapter Two
23 years ago

The beautiful sunshine stole its way beyond the curtains of

Anabelles hotel suite. The magnificently charming, blue walls of
the suite sparkled and shined, if possibly, even brighter than the
reflection of the sun on the Caribbean waves. The breathless, white
down comforter caressed Anabelles body softly and gently making
her sigh softly and she snuggled up against its warmth.
The calm wind whispered through the open balcony doors,
cooing sounds of the morning dusk. The wind touched each of the
trinkets waiting on Anabelles breakfast table. A light pink rose
smiled as the wind said good morning. The beauty of the
Caribbean displayed in the necklace birthed with colors of blue and

Bobbie Jo Mack
purple slept by the rose waiting patiently to be the wonderful
surprise it was meant to be. A breakfast of waffles cooled
soundlessly in the presence of the wind, but with the help of this
wind the waffles aroma was carried expeditiously throughout the
room forcing its tenants to react suitably.
Anabelle came to realize that her dream was so
harmoniously her reality. She smiled sweetly and stretched out her
body kicking the blanket from the bed and it dropped soundlessly
to the floor. She scooted from her bed, threw on her robe, and
followed that delicious smell her nose and stomach were telling her
to find. She smiled again when she saw the pink rose. He knew
they were her most favorite. She sat down in a way that only a
woman with grace, such as herself, could and she ogled the charm
of the gift that had been left for her.
She ran her fingers all over the necklace and smiled once
again. This time her smile was much different than the previous
ones. This smile was covering a great sadness that was hidden deep
in her gut. She was troubled and afraid, secretly of course.
She stood up abruptly, checking the time on the wall above
the fake fireplace. She quickly grabbed the necklace and the pink
rose to rush back into the bedroom. She took out her suitcase from
the suite closet and gently shoved the necklace into one of the
small inside zippers.

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Mary
Suddenly, she heard the key card being swiped outside of
her door, the beep, and then the click to signal the unlocking.
She zipped the suitcase back up, shoved it back into the closet and
ran to the bathroom carrying the pink rose between her fingers. She
shut the door quietly and quickly hoping that he would think she
had been in there for longer than she had.
She went over to the shower and turned it on and then
stepped to the right a few feet to reach the toilet. She began picking
apart the rose and throwing it into the toilet bowl. She hopped into
the shower for two minutes to clean herself and then flushed the
toilet. Anabelle didnt even have time to grab a towel before he
stormed into the bathroom to announce his arrival.
Daniel! Anabelle squealed loudly covering herself. The
least you could do is knock you know.
Daniel chuckled, but then I would have denied myself all
of this. And who would want to do that?
He grabbed her and spun her around. He embraced her and
nuzzled her neck and nibbled her ear. Youre so beautiful
Anabelle. He turned her around to face him. No matter if you are
fully clothed or completely naked you will always be the most
beautiful woman I have ever known to exist. I love you so much.
He kissed her lips, undressed himself and guided her back into the
shower.
Between kisses and caresses Anabelle glanced between the
shower curtain and the wall only for a second. A lonely pink rose

Bobbie Jo Mack
petal stared intently at her from behind the toilet on the floor. She
closed her eyes and continued to make love to her husband of
seven years, shame rekindling with every word he had said a few
moments ago repeated in her thoughts.
When their shower was over each of them dressed quickly
and Daniel called down to the kitchen to order two more plates of
waffles. I dont understand why you didnt just eat it when it was
still hot, Daniel said putting on his second shoe and tying it tight.
I realized I wasnt hungry after I ordered it and it had
arrived. Its just a waffle Daniel. Its no big deal. So how were the
fish this morning? Anabelle asked trying to change the topic.
They were biting the same as the last few days. While I
was on the dock, though, I got to talking with one of the fisherman
down there. Hes going to let us rent one of his brothers yachts
tonight for our dinner.
I told you I made reservations for us already at the
restaurant downstairs, Anabelle complained just a little.
Well call down and cancel. Our anniversary dinner should
be more exciting than just a simple dinner in our hotels restaurant.
Anabelle pouted a bit and wouldnt look over at Daniel, but
she could tell he was smirking at her. He always thought her
pouting was adorable. Even though Anabelle knew her pouting

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Mary
would be ineffective she couldnt help it. Its what she did when
she didnt get her way but really wasnt willing to argue about it.
Fine, well go on your little boat. Should I rent a giant
yellow trench coat like the fish sticks guy? I asked making fun of
his favorite hobby.
Daniel glided over to Anabelle, still smirking. He kissed
her forehead and unfolded her crossed arms to put them around
him for a hug. Baby you wear whatever you want, but youll look
real silly next to my bow tie if you wear a yellow trench coat.
Anabelle pushed away from their hug and looked up to see
Daniels face. I need a dress, she told him then ran to the
bedroom to get her purse. I dont have any dresses nice enough to
go with a bow tie, hun. Im going to go shopping in town and Ill
be back before you know it. Take a nap while Im gone so you
arent so tired tonight when we get back. Anabelle smiled and
winked at him before closing the suite door behind her.
Daniel had watched Anabelle as she had gathered her
things. She was sure as to what he was thinking. He thought her
panic about not having the perfect dress for tonight was cute. In
truth, she was not even thinking about a dress or the plans the two
of them had for that night.
Anabelle walked down the beautiful hotel hallway until she
reached the elevator. The doors opened and she skipped inside
quickly. She stood there for just a moment before pressing the
ground floor button. She took several deep breaths and shook her

Bobbie Jo Mack
hands out trying to get her nerves to fade hastily. As the elevator
dinged at each floor Anabelle calmed as she got closer to the
ground floor. A few more deep breaths and the elevator stopped
and the sixth floor, the doors opened and a handsome new
passenger joined her in the confines of the small elevator.
The heat of the elevator had doubled and doubled again.
Sweat was seeping out of every pour on Anabelles body. Her
breathing tried to slow as the past ten minutes flashed in a lustful
color of red before her eyes. The hunger for Anabelle on the dark
haired, scruffy mans face, the strength he showed when he picked
her up and slammed their bodies against the back of the elevator,
and his hot, heavy breath after each kiss on her collarbone.
Anabelle stood up from the floor, fixed her dress and
pushed the button to make the elevator go again. She turned around
to stare in the eyes of the man that was most definitely not her
husband.
Swallowing any guilt that felt like creeping up her throat,
Anabelle made a stoic face, Our plans changed tonight. Hes
decided to take me on some yacht for dinner. Its probably better
this way anyways. If we cant stay away from each other for more
than a few hours then we really do have a serious problem. Ill try
to end it quickly so we can make it back by midnight. Im really
exhausted with how fake I have to be around him.

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Mary
The thin, luscious lips on Kents face formed a frown
before he said, You know I dont like sharing you like this. You
are having sex with him and then with me. It makes all of this even
more wrong then it already is.
Dont give me that bullshit again, Kent. You know this is
mostly your fault. We could have left already. We dont have to
pretend like this is the first time we have met. We can just tell him
and leave, Anabelle spoke to him as they left the elevator.
Kent followed her out of the elevator and squinted his eyes
towards her, You know damn well why we have to wait. Marcel,
the fisherman down at the docks, is one of my close friends. The
yacht was my idea. There will be no one else around and it can be
staged much more efficiently.
Anabelle squinted her eyes right back at him, this is never
what I wanted to do, Ill see you tonight. Kent grabbed her ass
and she turned from him with a smile, a smile with a hidden secret.
Anabelle stood in front of her mirror, not staring at herself
in her new dress, but into her own eyes. Was she really about to do
this? Was she really going to ruin everything she had so
wonderfully created for herself over the past seven years? She ran
her hands down the length of her body to smooth out the already
smooth skin-tight orange dress.
Beyond incredible, a voice echoed towards her.
Anabelle jumped and clutched her chest in shock. Jeez
Daniel, you really need to quit doing that. Its freaking me out,

Bobbie Jo Mack
she turned from the mirror, too ashamed to look at herself any
longer. She floated to the bed and sat down next to the box of
shoes that she had bought to go with the dress. She took the first
one out of the box and put it on. She bent over to click the strap
and Daniel met her there.
Let me, my love. He took a hold of her foot ad clicked it
into place. He took the other shoe and clicked that one in place as
well. Instead of letting go of her foot he lifted it a little higher. He
lowered his head to kiss the top of Anabelles pedicured foot. Then
he kissed her ankle, her shin, her knee, the top of her thigh, the
inside of her thigh.
Daniel, I murmured in a daze. Daniel. We have to get
going. Lets not make Marcel wait for us any longer.
He looked up at me then. Marcel? Whos Marcel?
Anabelle could have punched herself in the throat. But
wait, why didnt he know the name of the man he talked to this
morning?
Yea, Marcel. Hes the fisherman you talked to this
morning. The one lending us the boat. I, uh, ran into a few
fishermen today at lunch and I told them about tonight and Marcel
introduced himself to me as the man that talked with you. How did
you not get his name? That was awfully unkind of you Daniel.

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Mary
Huh. I dont know how I forgot to get his name. Ill have
to apologize to him when we get down there. Im going to brush
my teeth and then well leave. Daniel left the bedroom and
Anabelle could breathe again. She only started to hyperventilate in
tiny strides. She had to get out of that room.
Ill meet you down there, hun. II forgot to pick up your
gift at the front desk, Anabelle falsely informed him and ran out
of the room before he could say anything back that would ruin her
chances of getting out of there.
Anabelle broke down for a few moments in the elevator.
The weight of everything murdered her insides and she couldnt
think. Unattractive, loud tears poured from her face making tiny
puddles appear on her eyelashes. She hugged herself tightly and
leaned back against the elevator wall. This just made her think of
Kent. Daniel was such a wonderful man; he was the man of her
dreams. But Kent - she thought about the sex, the breathing, the
everything. Kent was the man of her fantasies. And how often did a
girl get to be with the men they fantasized about?
That exact logical explanation is precisely how she ended
up here. She had no choice but to give in to him. Not because he
made her, but because there was no way physically or mentally
possible that she could let this man walk out of her life. Not even
for a moment. For as much as she though she loved Daniel it all
tragically seemed false to her after she met Kent. Then, as she
spent more and more nights with Kent she started to dread going

Bobbie Jo Mack
back to Daniel simply for the fact that he was not Kent. She had
never hated anyone more than she hated herself at that point, but
then she thought about what was planned for later that night.
Night had come way too fast for Anabelle. It made her
tremor as she sat on the starboard side of the outside deck. She
pulled her knees to her chest cuddling the sweatpants she so
graciously thanked Daniel for remembering to bring. She peered
out into the darkness over the water; it reeked of sinister sounds
and silent slithers of water. She looked over her shoulder to see if
she could still see the towns lights. They were far off and seemed
imaginary like a mirage of a drinking fountain to an over-heated,
dehydrated desert traveler.
Anabelle closed her eyes and leaned her head back
listening to the silence that was, in moments, going to be greatly
torn to pieces. She was never more worried. She heard Daniel open
and close the door to the deck and kept her eyes shut as she
counted his steps towards where she sat.
Are you enjoying the air, babe? Daniel asked sitting and
pulling her into his lap.
Yes, its very peaceful but also kind of chilling.
He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms tightly
around her. Youll always be safe with me Ana. Forever. He

28

Mary
kissed the top of her head and then nuzzled his face into the
backside of her neck.
Its so sad that we only have two more days here. I wish
we could stay longer. Im sure the chI wonder who that hell that
could be?
Anabelles stomach flipped over six times in six seconds as
she heard the faint roar in the distance and the questioning
statement from Daniel.
He jumped up and yelled to me, Go downstairs Anabelle.
Ill be down there in a few minutes. Im sure this is just Marcel
checking up on us. He took her hands and pulled her up from her
sitting position. He guided her to the door, opened it, kissed her
lips, and shut the door.
Anabelle stood there on the other side of the door peering
out the glass door watching as the speed boat drew nearer.
Moments kept passing by as she watched. When it got close
enough that she could pick out Kents face, her body unfroze from
behind the door and stepped back out onto the deck. No one
noticed her.
Daniel stood about ten to fifteen feet northwest of her with
his back towards her.
Hello men, did Marcel send you to check up on us? If
thats the case everything is fine here and wed actually greatly
appreciate some privacy. Its out anniversary tonight, you see?
Daniel pointed to his bow-tie.

Bobbie Jo Mack
There were two other men with Kent, one that stayed on the
boat and the other a few feet behind Kent as he leapt from the
speedboat to our yacht.
That is a pretty nice bow-tie Daniel. Im sure Id look
better in it though. Im sure that pretty little dollface would agree.
Wouldnt you sweetheart?
Daniel took a few steps to his left to hide Anabelle form
Kents line of sight.
What exactly is it that I can do for you gentlemen? Do you
want our money? Because I can write you a check if youd just let
me get my checkbook from inside.
Daniel was acting brave but Anabelle knew he had to be
terrified. She took a step forward afraid for him. Then she retreated
as Kents face came back into her view. Gosh he was such a
gorgeous man. It literally took her breath away. She had to remind
herself to take another breath.
We arent here for your money Daniel. We are here for
something way more precious than what you have in your wallet or
in the bank. Were here for the woman.
The two men that had arrived with Kent both pulled out the
guns they had been concealing and pointed them at Daniels head.
Daniel took a step back but did not retreat.

30

Mary
Whoa there gentlemen, those are completely unnecessary.
Now Im sure there must be some kind of price that could buy you
off without harming my wife.
Kent smiled, Who said anything about harming her. I have
no intention of hurting an inch of skin on that beauty. Its just you
that stands in the way of me having her all to myself. So why dont
you actually just do me a favor and drown in this ocean so these
fine men dont have to hurt you.
Daniel stood firm, Im sorry I cant do that.
Daniel. I whispered loud enough.
Go back inside baby and call the cops, Daniel demanded.
Daniel, I repeated. Please Daniel, just cooperate with
him. Ill go. Ill go with him and then you can go to the cops
yourself. Please Daniel.
Anabelle saw Kent give her a curious look but she ignored
him.
Enough of this! Kent shouted, grabbing the gun from his
own jeans and charging at Daniel.
Daniel, distracted by the likes of Anabelles conversation
did not have enough time to get defensively ready. He was thrown
to the floor by Kent and throat locked by a large boot. Kents gun
pointed right in the middle of Daniels forehead. Daniel struggled
but Kent had the advantage of a surprise attack and a few pounds
more of muscle.

Bobbie Jo Mack
Anabelle watched it all happen so fast. She must have
blinked once and Daniel was on the ground. She stared at them for
less than a second. The man of her dreams and the man of her
fantasies were locked in a lethal loathing over her. She thought she
would have felt better about this, but all she could think about was
the past twenty-four hours and how this man did not deserve to die;
especially not a death that was also a betrayal of true love and
deception. As Anabelle thought all of that through in that very
minuscule second, Daniel kept struggling. Not giving up on his life
and not giving up on saving hers.
Anabelle reacted then, tears already falling from the guilty
eyes, Kent, dont! she rang out in the loudest voice she could
find within her struggling body.
Daniel stopped struggling as soon as he heard Anabelle say
his name. He looked at her, turning his head, gun now pointed at
his temple. The first thing Anabelle saw on Daniels face was fear,
fear that was not on his face a moment ago when his life was so
close to being ended. This fear was filled with a pain so
catastrophically devastating it made her feel pain too. She cried out
again, Kent, dont!
Kent looked at her and saw her pain.
You love him Anabelle. You love this man.
I do, Kent. I do love him.

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Mary
But do you want to be with him or be with me Anabelle?
Tell me. Tell me so he can hear it too.
Anabelles lips trembled and she fell hard to her knees. I
want to be with you, Kent. I really want to be with you.
I know you do Anabelle, and we have to get rid of him.
We have to get rid of him for us, so we can leave peacefully.
No! Anabelle cried out once more, waves of tears and
hysteria still overpowering her. Please. Please Kent. Lets just
leave. Lets just leave now. We can leave him here. Lock him
downstairs and we can get away before anyone finds him and he
tells what happened. Please Kent. I changed my mind. Dont kill
him. Please.
Anabelle hadnt been able to look at Daniels face since his
initial reaction, but she mistakenly looked down as she spoke. His
fear was still there, but now most of it was pain. He was staring at
her expressionless, but in so much pain. He almost looked like he
had been shot because he wasnt moving. If it wasnt for the rise
and fall of his chest Anabelle would be panicking even harder than
she already was.
Kent stared at her looking at Daniel.
Fine, Kent agreed.
He hauled his gun from Daniels face and put presser on his
throat with his boot, Dont look for us Daniel. She doesnt want to
be with you anymore.

Bobbie Jo Mack
Daniel reacted a bit to the slight choking and then went
limp again. Even though he was free, he remained where Kent had
tackled him.
Anabelle walked slowly to the left of Daniel, stay as far
away from him as possible, but looking him straight in the eye
until she reached where Kent was waiting to lift her onto the speed
boat.
Her crying slowed as she stared at Daniel still on the floor.
He was staring right back at her. His face expressionless.
Dont come after me Daniel.
Anabelle turned into Kents arms and let him lift her on to
the boat.
Daniel stood up after the speed boat roar was gone. He
walked slowly over to where he saw her get lifted away. He
gradually undid his bow-tie and stared at it in his hand. He then
dropped it into the ocean right over the last spot her hand touched.
Anabelle looked back to see if Daniel would get up after
they left. He didnt. At least not while they yacht was still visible
to her.
They were deep into the ocean and it was still the middle of
the night, so the blackness frightened her. The engine on the speed
boat was loud and she could barely hear her own voice when she
tried to speak to Kent.

34

Mary
How long until we get there? Anabelle shouted.
We should be there by the time the sun rises, Kent
responded scooting towards her noticing her shivers. Ill keep you
warm if you keep me warm. He pulled her against his chest and
spoke into her ear, My hands are frozen. He slid them up the
front of her jacket and pulled down the top of her dress to cup her
breasts. Mmm, much better, Kent sighed and kissed the side of
her cheek closing his eyes.
A few hours went by and Anabelle was getting tired of
sitting in one position on the tiny speedboat. They were getting
closer to the shores because she could see some strip of land in the
distance.
In the next ten seconds three things all seemed to happen
simultaneously. The boat stopped speeding, a gunshot went off and
Anabelle was now the one staring down the barrel of a gun.

Bobbie Jo Mack

Chapter Three

As Dennis followed in behind me, he stopped before he

suffered the same fate that I had. He looked to the floor and saw
me staring at him upside down. I was lying flat on my back in an
inch of wet, sticky mud. The entire entranceway was covered in it,
seeping through the floor tiles and coming from behind the washer
and dryer.
Dennis started laughing uncontrollably.
How is this funny? I asked trying to push myself off the
floor but slipping again instead.

36

Mary
Turn around and give me your hands Kate, Dennis
suggested holding out his hands waiting for mine.
I did as he said and he pulled me up and carried me to the
grass.
Go find where the hose is and rinse off. Im going to call
the guy who sold us this place to see if he knows what the hell is
happening. He wondered off back towards his truck dialing a
number on his phone. I shook some of the mud from my hands and
noticed big, flat, flaky chunks coming off into the grass. I gagged
and walked a little faster to reach the other side of the house to
look for the hose.
The hose was long, grey tangled mess in a giant knot
spread out on the ground. The end with the knob to turn the water
on was attached to a rusty metal pipe coming from underground
where the well was. It looked to need replaced severely. I turned
the knob and I heard the water come up the pipe and run through
the length of the hose, making a swooshing sound as it did so. I
followed the noise and where the water seemed to be going to try
and find the beginning. When I found it I picked it up and watched
in disgust as the water poured out. It was the exact same color as
the mud that masked my body, starting to dry and become hard.
It came out a dark brown at first, then to a light brown, then
to an orange clear. I waited another minute or so and the water
color dulled even more to a very cloudy clear. Not to mention the
horrid smell had decreased by a large fraction, which I was more

Bobbie Jo Mack
than thankful for. I rinsed myself off the best that I could and
turned the water off. I heard a scary screeching squeal as the water
came to a halt in the pipes.
I backed up from the pipe, my tennis shoes making a
squishing sound in the damp, muddy grass. It gave the impression
that the water didnt have any place to go but right where the hose
lay. I made the tip of my shoe press on the mound of mud and it
sucked in like a giant water bubble was underneath the earth.
I went back around the other side of the house to see if I
could find a shovel in the tiny silver shed behind the garage. I
looked over to see Dennis; he was still on the phone, sitting in his
truck with the door open. With the way his hands were moving all
over the place, it looked like he wasnt getting anywhere with the
owner.
I waved him off as he eyed me going around the garage.
The shed looked newer then mostly everything else around there. I
had to walk up a tiny wooden ramp supported underneath by two
large rocks growing a faithful spread of moss. I did not commute
the fact until I went to pull the doors open that it was padlocked
shut. I made a sound of frustration and threw my head back to look
up to the sky. I turned back around, marched down the ramp and
dashed back around to the front of the garage to find Dennis still in
his truck deep into the conversation.

38

Mary
I cut him off mid-sentence, Give me the keychain with the
keys to the house, I demanded politely but with an edge of
frustration making itself present.
Dennis raised his eyebrow at me, but handed them over
without question. I grabbed them from his fingers and refused to
leisure as I went back to the shed. The third key out of the four
finally unlocked the doors as a shoved it in and twisted. I sighed in
accomplished relief and swung the doors open. The gust of wind
that so appropriately timed itself to occur condemned the doors to
the side making an echoing sound bounce off the trees in the
distance one by one.
I sauntered inside and found a very trivial area, much
smaller than what it looked to be from the outside. The wind
puffed again and made one of the doors slate shut and diminished
my light for vision by half. I did not need more than the light I had
now; however, I had already spotted what I had gone through all of
the panic to find. I crossed the small space and found a shovel and
two rakes propped up against the left side wall. I picked the shovel
up and tested its durability, bashing it on the floor a few times. I
left the shed without locking it back up and went to where I found
the hose.
The water bubble had gone down a few inches but
continued to be overly mushy when I pressed down on it another
time. I took the shovel and made a large cut in the ground where
the water was outwardly residing, taking out a hefty chunk of mud

Bobbie Jo Mack
and grass. A baby waterfall started coming from the ground and
fashioned a stream to where I was putting pressure on the ground
with my own weight. I heaved the shovel into a different part of
the bubble and removed more mud and grass. The water continued
to flow into the tiny river at my feet. I kept excavating up the pile
of mud until most of the water had drained and flowed out towards
other parts of the lawn.
I tunneled down about a foot deep and the water formed a
pool of muddy orange liquid. As that water started to absorb back
into the earth, something that I had hoped was just my imagination
caught my attention, surfacing from the earth involuntarily. I
actually had to back up a few paces before I could fathom what I
had come upon. I screamed for Dennis, but he didnt come. I
stepped towards my discovery and nudged one of the four hooves
goring out from the half an inch of water left in the man-made
hole, as if I was expecting it to move and be alive. I screamed for
Dennis again and no answer came. I sucked in a deep breath and
made the assessment to dig the poor thing up out of the ground. I
used the shovel to try and balance the body to raise it out of the
hole but it was much too large and wouldnt stay balanced.
I somehow noticed when Dennis came stalking around the
corner with his fists clamped together and muttering something to

40

Mary
himself. When he noticed me and what I seemed to be doing his
fists unclenched instantly and shock appeared as his expression.
What the fudge are you doing and what the hell is that?
Dennis asked all in one breathe moving closer to me now.
IIm not really sure to be honest.
Dennis got close to the edge of the hole and bent down with
his knees to properly examine my findings. I think its a sheep. A
sheep without any wool, or any skin.
I gasped at the realization. It was a little lamb that had been
skinned alive and buried here by our water spout upside down.
Dennis interrupted my realization, You know, Im no doctor or
forensic investigation science person, but I think it was put here
recently. Like, less than a few months Id say.
But nobody lived here in almost two and a half years
Dennis, how could that be? I asked questioningly.
He stood up still looking at the little corpse. Maybe some
kids nearby were playing stupid, evil games or something. Little
children can be truly cruel sometimes.
I dont think there are any children around here for miles.
From the looks of the house across the street those people dont
have any children. I said arguing his point.
I dont know Kate, maybe they do and they just dont get
out much. We should go over there in the next few days to
introduce ourselves, check things out, and ask about the area.

Bobbie Jo Mack
Alright, fine, but what do you suggest we do with this? I
asked pointing to the little lamb.
You go dig a hole out in the trees back there and Ill get a
trash bag from the truck and bring in out there.
We did just that, and as I watched Dennis re-bury the poor
animal I couldnt help but wonder how cruel a kid had to be to
do something like this. I could barely even imagine.
I carefully brought up the conversation Dennis had on the
phone as we were walking the length of the yard back to the house.
So what did he say?
He said he had no idea what had happened and that we
should block off the room and use the front door on the other side
of the house to get in and out. He also suggested we call the
insurance company and see if they will cover this to get fixed.
Thats why I took so long on the phone. I had to talk to our
insurance agent. They are coming to check out the house today.
Right, was all I replied.
For the next couple of hours Dennis and I cleaned up the
inside of the house and blocked off the mud room as suggested. We
carried in what little belongings we had. The trailer was partially
furnished. There was a small dark green, checkered white, loveseat
in the living room off of the kitchen. It faced towards the fake
stone fireplace with the small flat screen resting on the mantel. The

42

Mary
kitchen had been applied with cheap versions of all the essentials a
typical kitchen would need. I opened a few cupboards noticing we
had way more space than we would ever actually need.
The kitchen and living room were to the right of us when
we walked through the door. To the left was the dining room/office
area. The entire room made you want to not go anywhere near it
with any kind of food. The walls, carpet, table, and chairs were all
angel white with hints of dust scattered like mines in a field. I was
going to have to design a new look for this place.
Across the hall from the dining room was a wall that led
into a diagonal doorway that was closed shut. I opened it and
flipped the light on. It was one of the bedrooms furnished with
dark brown furniture including a twin bed, dresser, and nightstand.
Next to the bedroom was another door leading to the bathroom.
The floor tile was a florescent coral color blinding me for a
moment at first glance. The walls were lined with off-white
wallpaper spread with fading cuddling seashells placed on a sandy
beach. The bathroom needed a good cleaning and all appliances
including the shower curtain.
The last door at the end of the small hallway led to the
second bedroom, which I would be making my own. It was slightly
bigger than the other bedroom and more rectangular than square.
The closet was not big, but it was big enough for what I had. The
only thing in my bedroom was a small four drawer white dresser
with a matching night stand. There was no bed.

Bobbie Jo Mack
I followed the hall back out to the kitchen where Dennis
was testing the gas in the stove.
We have to call the gas company to get the propane tank
filled. I dont think there is much left, but Ill have to go out and
check the level before I call. Did you pick the bedroom you want?
Ill take the one down the end of the hall. We need to
make a trip to the hardware store and find a nearby mattress store
when we go out for groceries. The insurance guy should be here in
twenty minutes, so well go after hes done.
Alright, that sounds good to me Kate. What do you want
to get at the hardware store? There a pretty decent selection of
tools left out in the garage.
I dont need tools, although Ill probably need a
screwdriver to get the outlet plates loose. I need to buy paint and
painting supplies for my room and the dining room. Also, I want to
find a matching tablecloth for the dining roomand perhaps a rug.
I cannot handle all of the white. It makes me nauseous.
Dennis laughed and almost caught his eyebrows on fire in
the process. He slowly walked away from the stove and I in turn
started laughing hysterically at him.
After the insurance man said he would set up to have our
problem fixed, we locked up the house tight and set out to find the
closest town with what we needed. Moon Township was about

44

Mary
fifteen minutes through windy roads and tiny forests. The first
place we found was a small business hardware store with a limited
color paint supply. For the dining room I picked a color that I
thought would not be hard to match a table cloth; a medium
burgundy. For my bedroom I picked a color that felt elegant and
warm, but also young and fun; a light royal blue. It would look
beautiful with the white furniture. I also got a small can of white
paint to create two horizontal, six inch wide stripes in Denniss
room. It would still keep it manly but it would lighten the room up
with a little white on the dark brown. I grabbed a can of primer and
took my mixed paints to the checkout, paid and met Dennis back at
the truck. My new mattress was already in the bed of the truck.
Awe, Dennis you got me a full size? How sweet of you.
Yeah, well Serta was having a good sale so you got lucky,
but you still dont have a frame.
Thats alright. I have no problem with that. I will not have
to freak out about someone grabbing my ankles in the middle of
the night when they dangle off of the bed. I smiled and clicked
my seatbelt.
We bought our groceries at the Giant Eagle in the shopping
plaza and headed home. We decided to take a different route to
check out what else was around the area. The roads we were on
were a lot less crowded and it took a little longer. On one of the
back roads we saw a sign the read,
FRESH SWEET CORN

Bobbie Jo Mack
We quickly turned into the small drive and parked next to a
barrel of hay.
I climbed out of the truck, a little more impatiently than
Dennis, I hope they have that sweet white corn. Its my favorite,
I walked quickly to the front counter of the little brown shack
looking for a human being.
Hello? I screamed softly. Hello? Wed like to buy some
corn please. I leaned far over the counter trying to see anything
that said there had been a person here lately.
Maybe they are closed, Dennis suggested.
I scoffed at him, Dont you think the closed sign would be
in the window if they were closed Dennis? Lets check around
back.
Dennis followed as I circled the shack to find a gate in the
tall wooden fence. The gate matched the fence at about eight feet
high, towering over both Dennis and I. There was a padlock on the
gate, but it had been left open.
Come on, lets check it out. I said curiously taking the
lock off the door and pulling the gate towards us. Behind the shack
and beyond the walls of the fence was a clear field with the corn
stalks viewed clearly in the distance. White puffs of white seemed
to cover every few feet of the field we were standing on. The
lambs were grazing the field, not noticing the presence of us.

46

Mary
As we stood at the edge of the field the sun started setting
in the sky and everything seemed to become a tint of orange, the
only sounds being heard from the faint lambs in their own
oblivious world.
Peaceful creatures, they are.
I turned around so fast that the side of my face smacked
hard into the side of Denniss shoulder, knocking me hard to the
ground.
It seems yours meant to be at that level today. Dennis
sneered picking me up and setting me on my feet for the second
time that day.
Ha.Ha. I said turning to see where the unexpected voice
had come from. A man was standing a foot and a half to the left of
us smiling a small grin. I could feel his gaze staring right into my
soul. He appeared to be a younger middle aged man, about thirtysix or thirty-seven. I could have been wrong. He was about the
same height as Dennis, a little over six foot one. He had a pair of
black overalls on and timer boots to match. A short sleeve shirt
poked from under the overalls making his skin look darker than the
pale white and pink tone of his skin actually was. His hair was
black with a shine of grey, slicked back with a gel and his eyes
were concealed under a pair of orange-yellow tinted sunglasses.
What had really caught my eye was the cane that he seemed to be
dependent on to stand. The cane matched the color of his

Bobbie Jo Mack
sunglasses and I could see the blurs of mine and Denniss
reflections from afar.
Im sorry to have startled you miss, but you have
trespassed onto my property here. Now what can I do for you
young people? His voice was kind of smooth and sinister at the
same time. Almost like a mixture of Usher and Heath Ledger as the
Joker.
Um, we were just looking to buy some sweet white corn
sir. We saw the sign out by the road. We know its late in the day,
but we didnt notice any type of closed sign, or else we wouldnt
have bothered you.
Well who am I to turn away a bit of business in this
economy. Follow me back around front and Ill be happy to show
you what weve got.
We followed him and as we walked I couldnt help but
stare at his leg as we walked. He wasnt limping. He was dragging
his leg, and as I shook off the sudden wave of chills that shook my
body, I noticed how as the wind blew, and as his leg was dragged,
that there seemed to be a lot less leg under the right pant leg than
the left.
We made our way to the front of the shack and the man
went behind the counter to see what they had.

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Mary
So do you two live around here? the man asked pulling a
giant purple bin of corn from the ground onto the counter.
We actually just moved into a house a little ways from
here. Right off the road with Big Gs Bar, if you know of it.
Dennis answered eyeing the bucket of corn.
Big Gs huh, I didnt know there were many houses out
that way. Must be in one of the very few then, I say?
Dennis stated, Yes sir, weve only got the one neighbor we
know of, but weve only been here a day, so we dont know whats
all around us yet.
Well, let me do you guys a favor. You take this here entire
bin of sweet corn home with you. Let us call it a welcome to the
area present. He spat out looking like he was going to have an
amorism from pure joy. He smiled and the chills returned with a
whisper of chilly air.
Thank you so much sir. Um, well we have to be getting
back now. We dont want to get lost in the pitch black of night.
Thank you again.
Dennis grabbed the bucket of corn, and thanked the man as
well. I crawled back into the passenger side of the truck, clicked
my seat belt, and started to roll up my window, afraid of the cool
air causing me more chills. The man watched me, or so I thought, I
couldnt really tell with those sunglasses still on. I finally rolled the
window all the way up. Dennis backed up and before he reversed I
saw the man jerk his arm and the palm of his hand crushed down

Bobbie Jo Mack
hard on the counter smashing something that wasnt there when we
were. My stomach churned over thrice and I was almost positive I
saw a set of fingers lurch back behind the counter. I sat up
straighter in my seat to see and nothing unordinary was visible in
the half a second I had before Dennis tuned out of the lot.

50