by Joe Zito
“Jeb, shut the hell up and go call the sheriff!” Sam’s father yelled.
“What’s wrong?” Jeb asked.
“Just do it, now!” John said with strong authority in his voice.
As they came closer to Jeb, he could see how pale and scared his little brother was. His demeanor changed dramatically.
“Holy shit. Ok dad.” Jeb flew away from the door; the smirk on his face replaced by a mask of fright.
“C’mon boy. We’re almost there.” Sam’s father had to practically drag his son across the gravel parking lot. “Let’s get you inside and set you down on the couch.”
My older brother Jeb, boy he could be real cold hearted sometimes, but when I got inside and sat down on the couch in my father’s office, the look on his face was like somethin’ I’ve never seen before. He looked almost as scared as me. My father brought me a Styrofoam cup of cold water. He made me sip it slowly. I remember seein’ old man Walt standing there in the corner of the office. He was staring at me but he wasn’t at the same time. He looked something awful because he done saw the same as I did. I’m sorry Gavin if my hand writing is a little jagged. Just thinkin’ about this makes me nervous. My father called the sheriff immediately. He got there pretty quick beings that it was early morning and not many people were out. The sheriff had brought along a younger, newer cop with him I remember. This kid had a look about him like he was excited or something. They were all standing around me looking down at me and I was so scared and out of it. The older sheriff, I think his name was Brady or something like that. He kneeled down to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I remember him saying……
“It’s ok son. You just take your time. We’re gonna find out what scared the jesus out of you, all right. Everything’s going to be ok.” He stood up and adjusted his belt and gave his deputy Red Brown a nod. Quickly like a well behaved and fresh out of the academy rookie, Red got out his small notebook and pen, ready to take notes on the situation that occurred on 650 s. also known as Devils Bluff road.
“Just start from the beginning and tell us everything you can remember.” Officer Brody’s voice was gentle sounding to Sam. It made him feel not quite as scared as he was just a few minutes ago. He slowly sat up, giving his father an unsure look.
“Go on Sammy. It’s ok. Just tell him what happened.” John smiled faintly at his son.
Then the sound of sobbing came from the corner of the office. Walt was leaning against the wall with tears flooding his eyes. He still had that distant look of horror on his face.
“It was bad John. Oh it was so bad. I don’t know what that thing was. Oh dear god.” Walt fell into hysterics as he kneeled down to the floor, huddled up in the corner.
Brody said, “Maybe we should get him outside for some air. Get some water for him to. Let him calm down a bit.”
“Jeb”, John began, “Get old man Walt some water and go with him outside for a while, will you.”
“All right dad, but…” He was cut off suddenly by Walt’s growing hysteria.
“OH No! I ain’t going back out there John. It might be out there. You can’t make me!”
“Now listen here old friend,” John said, “Your scaring my boy. Now I need you to go outside for just a minute. There ain’t nothin’ out there, now stop all this jibberin about nothing!”
Walt cried out in terror at the ceiling in the office.
“Now just take it easy old timer,” Red Brown broke in. You’re safe, ok.” His voice sounded young and boyish.
“Dad!” Sam yelled over top of the ruckus.
The room became silent. All eyes and faces had turned around at the young boy’s voice.
Sam had his head down but then slowly raised it. He said, “Old man Walt ain’t lyin. There was somethin’ out there.”
John gazed at his seventeen year old son with a sad look on his face of wanting to believe him. He looked at Brody.
From the corner Walt said, “Sammy’s a good boy John. You know that. He wouldn’t lie none.”
Of course John knew that his son was a good kid and got good grades and never got into trouble. He just didn’t understand why his son would be making up things like this.
Officer Brody then took command. ‘Ok, old timer, you can stay inside but I need for you to keep quiet all right. Go have a seat over there by the desk and relax.”
Jeb helped Walt over to the desk and took a seat. He covered his face with his old hands.
Red Brown sat down next to Sam. He said, “You’re ok boy,” and smiled. “Were you all out on a run, like pickin’ up some old junker or something?” Red asked. Quietly Sam said, “Yeah.”
John shook his head in agreement with his son. “We got a call about an abandoned truck out on 650s. So I sent out Walt here and my other employee George. I told them to take Sammy with them so he could get some experience on towin’ in automobiles. Next thing I know, an hour later Walt comes bustin’ in here and George is missing and my son was sitting white as a ghost out in our truck.”
Red started writing the information down in his little notebook. “You say 650 s.?” He asked looking up at John.
“Yeah that’s right. There was a pickup sittin’ out there on the side of the road.” John said.
Red tapped his pen on his notebook. “Huh, they call that stretch of road Devils Bluff. Kids like to race their rods out there.”
“That’s what I hear,” John said.
“Me and a buddy of mine use to ride out there a few years back.” Red shook his head at the memory. “Yeah, ol’ Billy ended up murderin’ this cute little blonde waitress at Joe’s Diner on rt. 11. You just don’t know who you friends are sometimes I guess.” Red all of sudden felt Brody’s eyes burning in to him. Red felt a warmth cover his face as he was embarrassed he got off subject and the matter at hand. He cleared his throat and continued, “So you went out to Devi- I mean 650 s. to tow this pickup right?”
“Yes sir,” Sam said with the quivering sound of fear leaving his voice. “Dad wanted me to go out there with Walt and George so I could learn how to tow…..
And boy was that a bumpy ride goin’ out there, both on the inside and out. George was an old man of about fifty two but he acted like he was seventy two. He smelled real bad and always wore this heavy plaid jacket, even in the summer time. His two front teeth stuck out also. I couldn’t figure out why my dad would hire someone that smells and had bad teeth and told bad jokes and who was just plain dumb. I was sittin’ on the end by the window thank god. Walt was in the middle. We were all crammed together in this little tow truck. The green light from the radio shined on our faces and Johnny Cash was singin’ about the big river. I just wanted to sit there and look at my comic book but George kept making stupid jokes and askin’ me…..
“You get any pussy yet boy?” He let out a long, wheezing type of laugh and hit the steering wheel with his fist. Walt shook his head in disapproval and told Sam, “Don’t mind him none. Feller was born without a lick of sense. George you just shut yer damn mouth and drive. Boy don’t wanna hear your babblin’ and such.”
“Ohhh,” George pouted and scrunched his face.
I continued to look at my comic book even though it was a bumpy ride and it was hotter than the devil pissin’ on burnin’ coals. Just up ahead we saw the pickup sitting there on the side of the road. It would be dawn soon but it was still so black all around me. We got out and I suddenly felt scared and I don’t know why. Maybe it was all that corn around me or maybe I’d just been readin’ to many scary comic books. Whatever it was I felt as though something was wrong. We pulled in front of the pickup and George was wailing about what kind of…….
“Stupid ass just leaves there automobile sittin’ around for no damn reason?”
“Oh hush up you old bastard and let’s just get it towed up all right!” Walt scowled at George. “C’mon Sammy, I’ll show ya how we do it.”
Old man Walt began to show me how to hook up the chain and then tow the pickup onto the tow truck.
It seemed easy enough I guess but I still had this bad feelin’ about bein’ out there. Walt must have notice because I seemed kind of quiet I guess. He asked me….
“Boy, are you all right? You haven’t said one word since we left.”
“What?” Sam said as if startled. “Yeah, sure Walt, I’m ok.”
“He’s got that sweet pussy on his mind Walt.” George belted out laughter in the hot early morning. “Just remember boy to hold your nose when you get some. Ain’t nothin’ worse than a skunk cunt in your….
It was then when we heard something from the corn. At least I think it was from the cornfield.
“What in the sam hell?” George said.
“That sounded like somethin’ growlin’” Walt said to no one in particular.
The low and growling tone swept through the corn again.
“I’m gettin’ in the truck!” Sam said.
“Good idea son, c’mon,” Walt agreed.
I did my best to convince myself that I really didn’t hear something growling inside the corn. But I know I wasn’t deaf. George started in again with his mouth. He said…..
“Go on ya chicken shits. There ain’t nothin’ out here. I’ll finish up.”
Me and Walt got back in the truck. I don’t really think old man Walt was scared. I just think he knew that I was and didn’t want to leave me alone. He was a good man like that. George started chaining up that pickup and we heard that awful sound again but it sounded closer and I think it finally got Georges attention.
“What’s that!” George said in a startled tone as he turned around quickly facing the corn. He grabbed the crowbar sitting on the back of the tow truck and began taunting the phantom sound from the corn.
“Who is it? There better not be some youngin’ punk playin’ games and such. I’ll whack you a thousand times to hell if there is ya here!” He stepped off of the gravel road known as Devils Bluff and walked into the narrow lining of grass in front of the cornfield. “C’mon now. Don’t be scared. Ol’ Georgy’s got a surprise for you, c’mon!”
Walt looked at Sam and said. “Just wait here. It’ll be ok. You should know by now that old dumbshit gets a little loopy. Probably runs in his family.” He patted Sam’s leg and opened the door and got out.
Walt said, “George, what in the hell are you doin’? We wanna get back. C’mon now!”
“Just hang on Walt. There’s some punks that want a crowbar sandwich,” George said threateningly looking out into the corn.
‘Dammit George, ya big dumb oaf, there ain’t nothin’ out there, now c’mon I said.”
That big dumb idiot just wouldn’t listen to Walt. I was gettin’ more and more scared by the second to. I just wanted to get out of there but then I heard a yell from outside and then a heavy thud like something hittin’ the ground. I saw the look on Walt’s face when he said…..
“Oh jesus! What the hell!”
I know I shouldn’t have got out of the truck but my fear and curiosity got the best of me I guess. This is so incredibly hard to write about Gavin, but it’s been tugging at me for years now, especially at night when I wake up around three in the morning to go to the bathroom and pass myself in the mirror in the dark. I just stop and stand there and lean my hands on the sink and ask myself did I really see what I thought I did all those years ago. What I’m talkin’ about Gavin is there was something in the corn that night and it got George; pulled him damn straight into the corn. This thing or whatever it was, it was hard to tell because it was dark, it was damn huge and it was pulling George by his legs into that cornfield. And ol’ George was screamin’ and grabbin’ at the night air for his life and all me and Walt could do is just stand there because we was in shock and horrified by what we were seein’. I was standing right next to Walt and his mouth was wide open like he was wanting to scream or something but he couldn’t. That beast thing finally pulled George all the way into the cornfield and then we heard those god awful screams of agony that George was doin’. I think that scared me the most, hearing him scream like that. I’ve never heard a man scream like that or anyone for that matter……………………………..I’m sorry Gavin. I had to take a break from writing for a bit. Then there was silence. It all had stopped. No screaming, just the buzzing of all the cicadas in the cornfield. I couldn’t speak. My throat felt like it had tightened up or something and then I heard Walt say in a very scared and quiet voice…..
“George.”
There was just a little breeze blowin’ and it made those tall corn stalks sway. Then we heard that horrid, growling sound again. I was trembling all over and Walt said again…..
“George, you ok?”
I felt my stomach turn queasy and tighten up. Tears started welling up in my eyes because I knew George wasn’t comin’ out of that corn and even though I knew he was a foul mouthed, nasty old man, I would never wish any ill will on him. The growling continued and as I write this, remembering that very scary night, I can’t help but remember the utter sickness I felt from what I was hearing in that corn in the dead, black morning. That thing was laughin’ at us. I know what I heard Gavin and I know I’m not crazy. That monster was laughin’ real low like it was playing with us and wanted us to get in that corn and come see what surprise it had to show us. Both Walt and I were stuck to the ground it seemed. We didn’t move and inch. The growling tone moved closer and closer to the edge of the corn. Sometimes I wake up screaming in the middle of the night, still after all of these years, and I can still see those red eyes of horror staring back at me. Oh, dear Gavin, it had red, evil and deadly eyes and they were lookin’ straight at me it seemed and that’s when the vile thing threw George’s lifeless body from the corn. It landed right in front of me and Walt. He let out this puking type of sound and held his mouth closed with his hand. I just looked at George’s body with my big, scared eyes and couldn’t stop gawking at the stump of his neck where his head use to be. That beast had ripped George’s head right off. Walt stumbled back and fell to the ground. Then I heard him sayin’…..
“Oh, dear god! Oh sweet jesus!”
And then he puked. He started tuggin’ at my leg and was sayin’…..
“We gotta go Sammy. We gotta get the hell outta here. C’mon boy!”
I could hear the terror and franticness in his voice. I don’t even remember him pushin’ me back inside the tow truck or him crying all the way back to Salem and Son’s or even my father opening the door to the truck and asking me If I was ok. The cops came out to the shop and I started tellin’ them my story and…..
“That’s what happened sir. I ain’t makin’ it up.”
Sam sat on the couch with a blanket around his shoulders telling officer Brody of what had occurred on Devils Bluff road roughly and hour ago. Deputy Red Brown had worn his pencil down to nothing from writing in his little notebook everything Sam had told him.
Officer Brody was silent for a moment after hearing Sam’s story. He sat up in his chair and sighed. He looked at Red and then John Salem. Getting up from his chair, he adjusted his belt and gun holster and said, “Ok then. Me and Red here will go check it out all right.”
“NO! you can’t go out there. That thing will get you!” Sam said in terror as he jumped up from the couch.
“Now take it easy son. It’s gonna be all right. We’re just gonna go check it out. It’s our job,” Officer Brody firmly told Sam.
Sam looked at his father with lost and hopeless eyes. John shook his head and told his son that the police officers knew what they were doing and that he should try and relax. Sam unwillingly sat back down on the couch and watched the two officers go through the door, out into the dark and muggy morning.
“Hell, I think the kid has just been reading too many comic books to be honest,” Brody said to Red as they drove along a gravel backroad towards Devils Bluff.
“Yeah, but what about the old man, he looked just as spooked as the kid,” Red said.
“I reckon you’re right Red. He done looked like he�
��d seen the devil.”
“Maybe he did,” Red said and Brody turned his eyes to the young deputy and stared in silence at him for a moment from his creepy comment.
They were on Devils Bluff and slowly came up on the pickup sitting on the side of the road. The headless body of George was nowhere to be seen.
“Well there she is,” Brody said as they pulled up to the pickup.
The squad car came to a stop next to the truck. Red started to open the door but Brody said, “Look Red, why don’t you just hang tight for a minute. Let me go check it out ok, please.”
“What?” Red told him. “This is my first big call since graduating from the academy. Why can’t I go with you?”
“I know Red that this is your first big run but when dispatch called us out to Salem and Sons they said there was a deceased body involved, according to what the kid and the old man had told them.”
Red sat there almost pouting like a child. He thought to himself, Once again at the kiddie table, let the adults eat.
“I’ll wave to you if I need your assistance ok,” Brody told Red and then opened the door and got out. His shoes crunched against the gravel road as he slowly walked around the abandoned pickup. As he surveyed the truck a rush of thoughts went through his mind, Dammit Brody, why did ya have to do that to the kid? He’s just too young and green to see anything real bad right now.
A hint of dawn was beginning to show itself in the morning sky but it was still very dark. Brody shined his flashlight all around the area of the truck. Then he noticed a small opening in the cornfield. It looked like the corn had been smashed down. He stepped a little closer to it and peered inside. Red sat in the squad car looking out the front windshield. He wondered what his partner was doing snooping around the corn. A few seconds later Brody stuck his head out from the corn and put his hand up to Red letting him know to stay put. He pointed to the corn and then stepped inside the blackness. Red threw his arms up in frustration and sighed. He tapped his fingers nervously on his knee. Why didn’t he ask me to go with him? It’s just a damn old truck on the side of the road. I don’t see any dead bodies layin’ around.
