tales from the freakboy zone…: HAUNTING STURGEONS: Chapter Five

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

HAUNTING STURGEONS: Chapter Five

Previously in this blog serial...

Now the HAUNTING-continues...

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Haunting sturgeons, chapter 5 by John L. Harmon

I am retrieving a single piece of luggage from my car. As I close the hatchback, I take another glance at my accommodations. The three-story turn of the century home, turned motel office, stands proudly in faded blue paint. Adjacent to the office is a long, urine yellow building of twelve rooms. Someone has taken great care to retain the seedy, no questions asked vibe of the original business. Maybe this is why I chose the Teeter-Totter Motel for my stay in Sturgeons.

The manager either didn’t know me or didn’t care. He didn’t even ask for identification when I paid cash. I was simply handed an actual key and told to have a nice stay. There was no mention of a continental breakfast or paying extra for late night companionship. All the lurid stories I heard as a kid must have just been rumors.

I unlock the door and enter my temporary home. The single bed centers the small room with a nightstand on the side. A long dresser stretches out in front of the bed, topped with the essentials: a TV, microwave, and coffee-maker. There is also a writing desk in the corner trying to add class, but it looks like a relic from a different time. I just need a place to shower and sleep, which makes this plain room perfect.

After locking the door, I set my duffle bag down and drop onto the bed. I have more than physical baggage to unpack, but I’d rather just think about meeting Eddie later. My buzzing phone interrupts my thoughts, adding to the baggage. I knew the text message was coming, so I type a quick reply and hope it’s enough. A few minutes pass and my phone remains silent. I place the necessary evil face down on the nightstand and close my eyes, trying to relax.

I open my eyes to the sound of my father’s voice shouting my name. Eddie is already unzipping the tent as I sit up, fully awake. We glance at each other and I feel the confusion in his eyes. For a split second, I worry someone overheard us talking last night, but I don’t think that’s it. There is something deeply wrong in my father’s voice. He isn’t just shouting in anger, there’s panic mixed in with each syllable.

Eddie hands me my backpack as I step into the blinding light of Sunday morning. My father immediately grabs my arm and starts dragging me across the Newcastle backyard. Trying to yank myself free, I demand to know what’s going on. All he says is that something has happened to Tommy, which only adds to my confusion. I look back at Eddie and he is standing by his tent, sadness filling his 11 year-old face.

I open my eyes and catch my breath, wishing it was just a bad dream, but it wasn’t. It is my memory of first hearing about Tommy’s disappearance and of the last time I would see Eddie until today. Conflicting emotions turn inside me as I rub the tears from my eyes. I gradually notice the shadows on the ceiling have shifted and I reach for the necessary evil. My phone doesn’t lie at how long I’ve been asleep, causing me to sit up and glance out the window at the fading light.

A jarring sight envelops my eyes, pulling me from the bed. I was subconsciously aware of the reminder as I drove through town but I wasn’t ready to see it until now. Stickler Hill stands immovable in the distance, a scattering of trees topping its highest area. Bathed in a dim glow from the setting sun, what should be a simple hill is as impressive and menacing as ever. Maybe more after everything that happened.

I step closer to the window, wondering what happened to Tommy after the sunrise breakfast. Was he scared? Was he in pain? Was Tracy Newcastle the last person he saw that morning? I imagine my brother staring expectantly at me through the other side of the glass, but it’s not time. There is more to learn and tonight is as much for Tommy as it is for myself.

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The HAUNTING continues in…