Southern House

by Mark Deloy

  “She’s a great cook,” he said. “Why don’t you come out to the house and eat with us. Cash in that rain check. I have a few things to discuss with you anyway.”

  “Why not,” I said. “All I got at the store was frozen food anyway.”

  He made a face.

  “Frozen food is an abomination,” he said. “Right behind that horrible microwavable stuff they pass off as food nowadays. And call me Jim, please.”

  “I won’t disagree with you there, Jim.”

  He smiled and clapped me on the back. “Just let me finish up here and I’ll come and collect you at the house.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll put away my abominational meals and change clothes.”

  He laughed. “Nothing fancy. We dress casual for dinner.”

  I saluted him and drove back to the house. Girl had gotten out of the truck, presumably to stretch her legs, because she ran alongside me as I drove back to the house.

  I put my food away and changed my shorts and t-shirt for jeans and a polo. Jim drove up ten minutes later.

  Girl was sitting out on the porch when I came out. She’d made no move to follow me into the house. I patted her big bushy head as I passed.

  “Be a good girl and watch the house,” I said.

  She barked a reply. Smart dog.

  I jumped in Reverend Jim’s van and we drove back into town. As we passed the church, I asked him how long he’d been the pastor there.

  “I took the job in nineteen ninety three. I’ve lived in Linden my whole life, though. I knew your granddad going on thirty years. I met you a few times when you were a boy, although you probably don’t remember.”

  “I probably had either hunting or girls on my mind back then.”

  He laughed. “I understand.”

  We pulled into the driveway of the reverend’s modern- looking, one- level ranch. There was a Prius in the driveway.

  “That get good gas millage?” I asked, and pointed at the lime- green electric car.

  “Yes, but don’t get me started. Marjory just had to have it. I hate the little thing. Cars are supposed to growl and have some horsepower,” he groused. “That thing wouldn’t know power if you jammed horses in the back seat.”

  “Marjory is your wife?” I asked with a chuckle.

  “Yes. Impossible woman, but I love her dearly. She gets whatever she wants and she knows it. Don’t bring up the Prius at dinner. She’ll go on about it for an hour, if you let her.”

  “Okay,” I grinned. “You picked the color, right?”

  “Get out,” he said, grinning back. “Jerk. I’d use stronger words, but I’m a man of God.”

  “Uh huh,” I said and got out, petting the Prius as I did admiringly, making sure he saw me do it.

  We went inside, and immediately the smell of pot roast hit me and my mouth started to water. I realized I hadn’t eaten since my walk that morning.

  “Smells delicious,” I said.

  “Agreed” Jim said. “Margee, where are you?. We have some company.”

  Marjorie came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel, and proceeded to kiss her husband. She was a plump, but pretty, lady with an infectious smile and bright blue eyes. Her hair was dark, but I’ve noticed many women in the South dye their hair regularly.

  “This is Hickory Grimble,” Jim introduced the two of us. “He was left the farm after Ellen passed.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry I couldn’t make the funeral. I was at my sister’s in Hartsville. She’s bedridden with cancer, so I make the trip as often as I can.”

  “That’s a long drive,” I said.

  “Yes, it surely is,” she agreed. “Supper is almost ready.”

  “It smells delicious,” I repeated.

  “Thank you. I try to cook as often as I can. Jim just hates anything pre-made and to be honest, so do I, but sometimes, the convenience is worth the lack of taste.”

  “I understand,” I said. “I just filled my freezer with the stuff.”

  We all sat down a few minutes later to a huge meal of pot roast, greens, ‘taters’, and carrots. Everything tasted even better than it smelled. By the time I was finished, I was as full as a tick. But then I found some more room when Marjorie brought a double- crusted lemon pie out of the fridge.

  “Coffee?” she asked. She hadn’t even bothered asking if I wanted pie as she placed a generous slice in front of me.

  “Sure, that would be terrific.”

  “Me too, hon,” Jim said, digging into his pie.

  “You can get up and fix your own,” she said and kissed him on the cheek. “You know where the cream and sugar you aren’t supposed to have are.”

  Jim groaned, but got up and fixed his coffee. Marjorie brought me mine.

  When we finished the pie, Jim asked if I wanted to finish my coffee out on the porch.

  “Terrific idea,” I said. I wanted to know what he wanted to talk to me about.

  We sat in twin orange rocking chairs with the Tennessee Vols logo on the headrest of each.

  “So, what are your plans for the farm?” he asked. “Do you plan on sticking around, or are you gonna’ sell it?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” I said. “To be honest, it depends on how things go with my marriage.”

  “Ahh, yes, that makes sense. Do you think your wife would want to move down here?”

  “There’s a good chance. She works from home mostly, so she could if she wanted to. Why?. Do you want to buy it?” I asked, although I couldn’t imagine he had the money with attendance so low.

  “No, no. I just need to tell you a few things about the place. Some things your grandparents confided in me. I believe in keeping most things in confidence, but since they are both gone now and you have to live there, it’s in your benefit to know.”

  “What? Is the place haunted?” I asked.

  “No, at least, not that I know of. But there have been some strange things that have happened out there. People have seen things in those woods for years.”

  I should have told him about the two creatures I’d seen just since arriving two days ago. The yeti- looking creature that ran across the field during the thunderstorm and the wolf- monster that tore apart a full- grown bobcat, but I kept quiet and listened to what he had to say, instead.

  “A few years before your granddad died, he caught some hunters on the land that were poaching the deer. They came running up to the house, swearing something had chased them. Apparently they had parked on the other side of the property around Route 50 and walked in. They’d gotten turned around, and spent a day and a half running from something. They swore it was a big, black dog, bigger than a wolf. And they also said they saw something else, something they wouldn’t even talk about. The one fella’s hair had gone completely white. He wasn’t talking at all. His friend said he’d seen something that scared him dumb. He’s up at Hillford home now in one of those rubber rooms drooling on himself.”

  “What do you think he saw?” I asked.

  “I have no idea, and frankly, not many people believed the story, but word got around. Before you knew it, kids were daring each other to go into the woods. Hickory had to put up ‘no trespassing’ signs all through the woods. Then, about ten years ago, the Bettigold boys disappeared. Their mother said they’d been talking about going into the Grimble woods, but she’d forbidden them from entering the Grimble Woods. And you and I both know there’s nothing worse than telling a teenager he can’t do something. Makes ‘em want to do it even more.”

  I nodded. “So they were never found?”

  “Nope. Search parties looked all through those woods. No one found anything. We finally gave up after a couple of weeks. That was the summer a tornado tore through the area. We had to give up the search. “

  “Wow,” I said. “That wasn’t what I expected when you said you had something to talk to me about.”

  “I wanted you to know. I know you used to go hunting in those woods all the time, but I
believe there is something to all the stories. I’m not usually taken in by tales of ghosts and such, but when we were looking for them boys, I got the strangest feelings. Almost like being watched, but worse than that. I can’t even describe it. It was like there was something bad out there. I don’t use the term evil to describe things, but whatever was out there with us, felt demonic.”

  “You’re giving me chills, rev,” I said. “That’s some creepy shit. Excuse my language.”

  “It was some creepy shit,” he affirmed. I was glad when they said the storms were coming in and I could get out of there. Reason I’m tellin’ ya this, is just be careful if you decide to go out hunting this season. I’ve been on this Earth a good, long time and I ain’t never felt anythin’ like that.”

  “I’ll be careful,” I said. “I’ve started carrying Papa’s revolver when I go for walks. And now I have Girl to keep me company.”

  “Good. To be honest, I was hesitant about having the revival there, but I also realize how silly all of this sounds. It was a generous offer and an even more generous gesture to pay for the tent and facilities. “

  “As I said, it was my pleasure. Granny Ellen would have wanted me to do it. Also, I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you. Thank you for the advice.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. “I was very fond of your grandparents. They were good people. They would want me to make sure you were safe.”

  “I guess I should probably head back. I never fed Girl before I left. Her big belly is probably rumbling.”

  “I’m glad you could come. Please don’t be a stranger, okay?”

  “I won’t. But next time, I’ll cook. I make a mean lasagna.”

  “That sounds terrific,” he said.

  I said goodbye to Marjorie and Jim took me back home. I didn’t leave any lights on and the house looked dark and cold. I needed to remember to keep a porch light on at night. Anything could be waiting for me in the dark. Turns out, something was. Girl greeted me and scared the shit out of me by bounding out of the darkness in between the house and the carport, like some kind of a devil dog. She circled me and barked twice. It was very loud in the darkness.

  “I’ll bet you’re hungry,”

  She barked again.

  “Come on, Girl. You can eat in the house. I’ll get you a big bowl of food.”

  I turned on a few lights and found a huge Tupperware bowl in the cabinet. The kind of thing you use to mix a cake. I filled it half full, looked at it, looked at Girl, and then filled it the rest of the way.

  “You’re going to eat me out of my fortune,” I said as I put the bowl down. She plowed into the food as if she hadn’t eaten in a week, and other than the half a sandwich I gave her this morning, she might not have.

  I was happy she decided to come back in after I let her out later to do her business. She curled next to me as I sat in the recliner. It felt very good to have a dog in the house. It felt like home. The satellite guy was due to arrive the next day to hook up the dish and the Internet, but for now it was very quiet.

  “Let’s go sit outside,” I said to my new friend.

  We sat out on the back patio. It was covered, but not screened. Luckily mosquitos weren’t that bad. I’d switched on the outside light before I came out and now moths and beetles were swarming the light. I needed to remember to pick up one of those bug zappers.

  The fields were dark except for the occasional firefly. Anything could have been out there. I thought about the story Jim had told me and wondered why I hadn’t told him about the things I’d seen. I guess at the time, I wanted to keep them to myself. I’d seen them and no one else had. They were my secret. That, and of course, the fact I was a drug addict. I knew that tonight would probably be my last good night’s sleep for a while. It was a good thing that I didn’t have to go to work in the morning. I was practically useless without a good night’s sleep.

  Girl stood up quickly and started growling. The hair on her back stood up and she stared into the darkness.

  “What do you see, Girl?” She looked up at me and I scratched her back. “Good girl. Good job.”

  She wagged her tail and stopped growling, but continued to stare into the fields. I couldn’t see anything, but I was sure whatever she was sensing, she was probably smelling it.

  Then I heard one coyote howl, splitting the stillness, then another. Soon it sounded like a whole pack of them started yipping and howling. Girl just stood and stared. She was no longer growling, but now looked curious. After a few minutes, they quieted down.

  “Come on, let’s go to bed early.”

  I locked the back door and then re-checked the front one. I got the Ruger from the kitchen counter, brought it upstairs with me, and placed it on the nightstand. Girl followed me up the stairs and curled up at the end of the bed, as if that was where she had always slept.

  I was asleep shortly after laying down.

  I awoke a few hours later and thought a bear had invaded my bedroom and was growling furiously, then realized it was Girl snoring. I woke her up to get her to stop. She went downstairs, apparently to make her security rounds. By the time she came back up, I had fallen back asleep. Nothing else woke me—that night.

  10

  I woke around seven, intensely craving my pills. The normal aches and pains of being over forty were magnified: I had a headache, there was a deep nagging at the bottom of my throat and my arms and legs felt twitchy. Yeah, and it was just day two. This was going to suck.

  I got up and went downstairs, determined I was going to go for my walk. Girl padded down behind me, just waking up herself. She gave a big yawn and I laughed.

  “You hungry, Girl?”

  I heard the thumping of her tail against the side of the stairway. Affirmative.

  I made some coffee and got Girl some food in her cake-mixing bowl. I wasn’t hungry at all, which surprised me a bit. I attributed some of my over-forty thinness to the drugs. Percocet is an appetite suppressant. I thought maybe after I stopped them, I’d be hungry all the time. But, then again, it was still pretty early in the detox.

  After a few sips of coffee I went up and got dressed. If I sat down to enjoy my coffee, I might procrastinate the walk. So I grabbed the Ruger, a to-go mug from the cabinet, dumped my coffee into it, added a little more to top it off, and headed out. Girl was, of course, at my heels.

  The day had dawned a bit warmer than it had been yesterday. The weatherman on the car radio yesterday said it was going to start to heat up again. He predicted upper nineties by the end of the week. That was fine by me. I had air conditioning, and the cool of the woods on my walks.

  The fields were still covered in dew, except the part covered by the huge tent. I’d either have to get some gators to keep my pants from getting soaked, or hire someone to cut the field down a little more. I’d planned on waiting until the hay was ready to be cut and donate it to a local farmer, but I didn’t want to get soaked every day. We walked under the tent and I was actually glad the revival would be here tonight. I told myself it would be good to meet some new people. I hadn’t initially planned on going to the meetings, but decided right then I would make an appearance, at least for a few of the week- long services. The social interaction would be tough for me, a life-long introvert, especially without my pills, but I knew it would be good for me to go and tough it out.

  “Yeah, like a non-swimmer being thrown into the deep end,” I said to myself.

  Girl looked up at me and whined.

  “Yes, I know I’m talking to myself. It comes with age.”

  I could see the sun peeking through the forest to my right, sending rays of light through the trees. The usual plethora of animals were skittering through the leaves. It was good to have Girl with me. She was a big dog and would surely scare away most animals. She might even make the wolf- monster think twice before jumping me. I wasn’t too concerned, though. Wild animals were just that - wild. I figured seeing whatever I had seen was a chance encounter and the animal was probably miles a
way by now. I’d convinced myself it wasn’t hunting me, or after me. I’d spent plenty of time in the woods during my lifetime. An animal wasn’t going to keep me out of them. That said, there was no reason to be stupid. I was armed and ready to kill anything that tried to come after us.

  I reached the edge of the woods at the back end of the third field and slipped into them. I planned on going to the waterfall and then a bit further. The fresh air felt terrific and I breathed in big helpings of it, imagining the toxins of life exiting when I exhaled.

  Girl walked beside me, occasionally shifting her attention to one smell or another, then rejoining me when she lost interest. I half expected her to run off once we got into the woods as dogs do when they have an unlimited area to explore, but she didn’t. She stayed within thirty or forty yards of me at all times.

  “Good girl,” I said. She lifted her head for a second, and then went back to snuffling through the leaves.

  We passed the waterfall and I had to climb up a modest embankment to get to the top. It felt good to use my muscles, my balance, and any skills I’d learned from my dad and Papa Hickory. I almost slipped on some loose gravel, but I regained my footing and made it to the top. Once I’d reached the top, I called for Girl, who flew up the embankment like a Marine taking Hamburger Hill.

  “Show off,” I said.

  She huffed and then sneezed.

  “That’ll teach ya,” I said. “Kicking up all that dirt.”

  We made our way even further into the woods. They were getting thicker and I was sure to keep the embankment I had just come up on my right side. I could hear water up ahead. That didn’t surprise me. Papa had said there were several streams, creeks and springs all over the property.

  “Bootlegger’s wet dream,” he’d once said with a wink. “Many a moonshiner has asked me if they could set up a still here. Thought about it once or twice myself, to tell you the truth. This might just be the purest water in the whole state.”

  We finally came to a clearing bordered on both sides by rocky cliffs. A fast- flowing stream cut through the center of the land. It looked like something out of a nature magazine. It was absolutely beautiful. Water trickled over and out of the cliffs on both sides, and into the larger stream.