Whisper: The untold stories

by Bray, Michael

"Last place I remember seeing her was at that tree down the trail," Dave said, nodding down the path. “The girls thought it might have had something to do with the massacre.”

  “Was it off the track, with holes spaced evenly around the trunk?” Kimmel asked.

  “Aye, that’s it.”

  “I know the place.”

  “Was it the one used during the massacre? The one henry Marshall attached all those people to?” Dani asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.

  Kimmel nodded. “That’s the right tree, but the wrong story.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you shouldn’t always believe what you read. That tree was the scene of one of the most horrific acts of that entire event, and yet the truth never came out.”

  “What are you saying?” Dave asked.

  “I’m saying that Henry Marshall had nothing to do with nailing those people to that tree, despite the press saying otherwise.”

  “How do you know so much about it?” Dave said.

  Kimmel didn’t answer. He just stared at Dave until he averted his gaze.

  “So who did it?” Lucy asked, shrinking closer to Dani again.

  “A kid. About your age, actually. Came up here, just like you to try and find some kind of…cheap thrill. To laugh in the face of the stories about this place. To prove it was all just a joke that nothing so malevolent could exist in the modern world.” Kimmel sighed as if the act of recollection was physically tiring. “Like you just found out, this place isn’t like anywhere else. This… whatever it is that exists here, got into his mind. It likes the young ones. How old are you?” He said, nodding at Dani.

  “Nineteen.”

  “What about you?” He said, this time looking at Lucy.

  “The same.”

  “What about you, big man, how old are you?”

  “Forty one.”

  Kimmel nodded. “It will be harder for them to get to you.”

  “You keep saying ‘them’. Who are you talking about?”

  Kimmel grinned. “Listen.”

  They held their breath and strained their ears.

  “I don’t hear-”

  “Shhhhh. Just listen. Not to the wildlife. Listen past it. Behind the natural sounds of the forest.”

  “I don’t hear anything,” Dave said.

  “No, I don’t expect you can. The two girls, they might, though.”

  Dani and Lucy did as they were told, opening their senses.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Lucy said, staring at Kimmel.

  The former general shrugged. “Well, maybe they’re not ready to be heard yet. You can guarantee that when they are, you’ll hear well enough.”

  “You were talking about the tree. About what happened?” Dave said, trying to pull the conversation back on track.

  “Oh, yes, I was wasn’t I? Well, I don’t think now is the time to go into it. We need to find your friend and then get out of here. This is a restricted area for a reason.”

  “Then I think it’s fair for you to answer the question Dave asked. Why are you here?” Dani asked.

  Kimmel stared at her, not quite smiling. “Well, young lady, let’s just say this place and its secrets have been such a big part of my life for so long, I’m finding it hard to let go.”

  “Do the army know you’re here, Mr. Kimmel?”

  “I don’t think they care. This place has been a goddamn burden on them ever since they found out about it. I think they were under the impression that if they closed their eyes and stuck their fingers in their ears for long enough, it would all go away. I suppose to some extent, they were right.”

  “Out of sight, out of mind,” Dave said.

  “Exactly. Only, the people in the army are so goddamn stubborn, they didn’t take it seriously until it was too late. I think because it wasn’t something they could kill with bullets or explosives, they lost all interest.”

  “So what is it that’s up here? Surely, if you’ve spent so long here, you must know something.”

  Kimmel sighed, took his cigarettes out of his jacket, then remembering the sour taste the last one had left, put them back. “Well, I can tell you what it isn’t. The damn army was full of explanations as to what was going on out here. Magnetic anomalies, natural phenomena, all sorts of other shit which is easy to say until you come out here and see it disproven. The problem with the people making the theories was they were over four thousand miles away, crunching data on their computers from their nice, warm little offices. They wouldn’t come here and experience it first hand. Not a chance. Instead, they hole up in their little caves, trying to explain away things they don’t understand. For people like me, people who were down on the ground and living it… well. It was different, that’s all.”

  “Look, we need to find Kelsie,” Dani said, glancing into the woods.

  “Of course, that’s our first priority.” Kimmel agreed. “Let’s get back to the tree and take a look.”

  Kimmel led the way, taking charge of the group. He walked to the tree without fear or hesitation, coming to a stop in front of it, fists on hips. The others gathered around him, happy to let him take control.

  “So where do we start,” Dave said, glancing into the trees.

  Kimmel remained stony faced and without reply.

  “We’re not going to look for her, are we?” Dani asked.

  Kimmel shook his head. “Not now. It’s not safe. We can’t be wandering around the woods out here after dark. I can’t tell you why, but you’ll just have to trust me. I’m sorry.”

  “But we can’t just leave her out here on the say so of someone we just met.”

  “I have no intention of abandoning your friend. I’ll call it in, get some men out here to conduct a search. A safe search. Soldiers. Trained to work in the conditions up here. Trust me, this is the best way.”

  “It’s easy for you to say, this is our friend.”

  “Please calm down.”

  “No, not until you tell us what has you so spooked.”

  “Let’s just get back to safety, and I’ll tell you everything.”

  “No, that won’t do. I want answers now. You claim you’re retired, then in the next breath you talk about bringing soldiers in here like you can command them at a click of the fingers.”

  “That’s not how it is.”

  “Then explain it. Tell us what’s happening here.”

  Kimmel opened his mouth to answer, then was cut off by the wind as it raced through the trees. Although the day was mild, the breeze which touched them was icy cold and brought the near argument to a complete stop.

  “Come on,” Kimmel said, for the first time looking shaken. “Let’s get back across the bridge.”

  “Not until you tell us the truth about what you’re doing out here. About how you knew we were out here.”

  “Young lady, you need to calm down.”

  “Shut up!” Dani screamed. “How do we know you didn’t do something to Kelsie? How do we know you weren’t involved?”

  “When we’re across the bridge, you’ll get your answers. You have my word.”

  “Not good enough. I want them now.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to hear this here. You have no idea what you’ve walked into.”

  “What are you hiding from us?” Dani said.

  “Your friend is probably dead.” Kimmel Snapped.

  Dani drew breath and stared at Kimmel, the fight knocked out of her. He was the centre of attention now, and, perhaps recalling his past life as a general, swelled into the role. Back straight, chest out.

  “Why would you say that?” Lucy asked.

  Kimmel sighed and looked around into the trees. For the first time, he seemed unsure and a little agitated. “We’ve been here too long. Damn you people will you just listen?”

  “After you tell us what you mean.”

  “That’s how it happens up here. People think they can handle it. They think they can deal with it, and they can’t. Now I’ve
already told you, I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but I won’t say another word until we’re safely across that bridge. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can feel that…presence in the air.”

  The trio looked at each other, then at Kimmel. They, of course, could all feel what Kimmel was talking about. The cold, clammy edge to the air, the feeling of being watched by a thousand pairs of unseen eyes from the deepest recess of the forest. It was impossible to ignore. Then, of course, was the wind, which was increasing in its bluster.

  “Okay,” Dave said, speaking for the group. “Let’s get across the bridge and then you can tell us who you are and what you think is happening here.”

  “Alright, but you might not like what I have to tell you.”

  Without waiting for any form of reply, Kimmel strode off down the dirt trail towards the sound of the river.

  II

  The oppressive, greasy atmosphere was noticeably absent the instant the group reached the other side of the river. The tensions which had been so close to breaking point had calmed significantly, and now they all stood and waited to see if Kimmel would make good on his promise. With the deserted hotel at his back, Kimmel addressed them, his voice loud and crisp.

  “I understand how important it is to find your friend, but I need to prepare you for the possibility that you might not see her again.”

  “What is this place?” Dave asked. “We came here to explore the town. We didn’t want any of this.”

  “Most people don’t until it’s too late.”

  “Jesus, enough with the corny lines, we need to find our friend.” Dave snapped.

  “I appreciate what you’re saying, but you can’t go running around out there after dark. It’s not safe.”

  “Isn’t that more reason to go look for her? She’s out there alone.”

  “Look, I know this is hard to accept. You just have to believe me when I tell you this is bigger than anything you could ever imagine.”

  “What if Kelsie is looking for us out there?” Lucy said, glancing over her shoulder at the shadow draped trail across the bridge.

  Kimmel sighed and followed her gaze, then refocused on the group. “Did she exhibit any strange behaviour? Any quietness? Anything that might seem out of the ordinary?”

  “No, I don’t know,” Dani said with a shrug. “I wasn’t paying too much attention to her.”

  “That could be good, that gives us a chance.”

  “If you’re about to blame the ghosties and ghoulies, don’t bother,” Dave said.

  “What the hell do you take me for? You think I’m some kind of fool who would waste my time lying to a bunch of stupid kids who stuck their noses in where it didn’t belong?” Kimmel snapped, pushing his chest out, extending to his full height.”

  “Look, I didn’t mean any disrespect, I just…. All this supernatural stuff is crazy. I read about this town. It was dying long before they found all those underground sinkholes and closed it. No ghosts, no monsters. Just nature.”

  “And where do you think the sinkhole story came from? The fact is, the unique situation here demanded we found a way to empty the town.”

  “That sounds a bit extreme. Surely you could have just restricted access to this site and not uproot hundreds of families.” Dave said.

  “We couldn’t do that. There were reasons.”

  “We’re all listening. Why don’t you enlighten us?”

  Kimmel hesitated, wondering how much he should say, then decided he didn’t much care either way.

  “Alright, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but what the hell, there isn’t much they can do about it now. After the massacre, I’m talking immediately after, I was flown in direct. Redeye flight from Washington. Back then, I was like you. Believed only in the world in front of me. What I could see. What I could touch. When I got here, this place was crawling with people. Forensics, police. Paramedics. The funny thing is, anywhere else in the world, there would be an army of rubberneckers straining to try and catch a glimpse of the horror. Not here, though. There wasn’t a single civilian up here looking into what had happened or curious as to what was going on. I didn’t understand it then, but now I know it was because the locals weren’t in the least bit surprised that when Henry Marshall and his brother put their hands in the lion’s mouth, it decided to bite and tear anyone nearby to pieces. So get here and nobody knows what the hell is happening. People are running around like headless chickens. Body bags keep coming. Out of the hotel. Out of the woods. All the time that damn wind keeps rocking the trees, almost like it was mocking us. That was bad enough, but it was even worse later. When the paramedics had gone, taking the dead with them, the police likewise with their suspects. That’s when I started to see this place for what it was.”

  “What do you mean?” Dani asked.

  “When it was quiet when the dark came, that was when we saw the truth. At first, there were just a few of us up here, an investigation team. Completely off the books of course. Just another military project conducted under the radar.”

  “Why were the military interested? It all seems a bit…. I don’t know, beneath them maybe?” Lucy said.

  Kimmel nodded. “And right you are. However, the powers that be had known about this place for a while. They had been keeping tabs on the reports. The deaths. Did you know that by area, Oakwell has the fourth highest death rate in the country? A lot of the time, the official line is suicide or natural causes. Tell that to the locals, though, and they’ll look at you with a knowing smile that tells you they know different. They know the truth.”

  “Which is what you keep skirting around. Spit it out.” Dave said.

  “Whatever it is, it’s older than us. Older than mankind. People always think this is all due to the Gogoku curse, but we know that’s not true. We know whatever this is was here before they were. It affected them too. Hell, it destroyed them and their entire existence. Whatever it is that exists here, it’s something deep. Something black and foul, buried in the earth until our species came along like the idiots we are and dug it out. We set it free. Worse than that, we allowed it to grow strong.”

  “You talk about it like it’s a real thing,” Dave said, forcing a smile which was part cocky, part afraid.

  “Maybe it is. Is it wrong to suggest just because we can’t see something with the naked eye it doesn’t exist? Take bacteria or any other microorganism and it isn’t too much of a stretch. Either way, it’s all guesswork. We had our top men up here and they were no closer to figuring it out before the plug was pulled.” Kimmel stared into the distance, recalling the horrors which his team experienced. “We were up here for a while, my team and i. We were supposed to be babysitting the scientists that had been sent in to investigate. Anyway, right from that very first night when we set up camp at the hotel there it started. Every night they plagued us, toyed with us. Never quite to breaking point, but close. Right on the ragged edge. Anyway, on it went. Men started to lose it. Some of them killed themselves. Others walked out there into the woods and were never seen again.”

  “Jesus,” Dani whispered.

  “We called it in, of course, radioed back to ask for help, but none came, not right away. They thought I was making it up. Can you believe that? Me, a career military man. Third generation told by some snot nosed little shit in Washington that I’m seeing things. Anyway, nobody came, and so we did our jobs the best we could. The days weren’t too bad, but the nights, the nights were something else. You ask why we can’t go and look for your friend, and I answer by asking you to look around. It’s dark, we need to set up some kind of camp and then set out in the morning.”

  “I don’t understand,” Lucy said, hugging herself against the chill. “If this place is so dangerous, why is it unmanned? What I mean is, how was it so easy for us to just walk in here without being stopped?”

  “Why do you think?” Kimmel said with a grimace. “Money. The funding dried up. We had wars to finance, countries to assist. A little shithole backwa
ter place like this didn’t justify the cost of the operation. When the budgets were restructured, it was one of the first things to go.”

  “You don’t seem like the kind of man who would accept that. Didn’t you fight for it?” Dani asked.

  “Why do you think I’m retired? When they did send another team down here and found out I was telling the truth, they washed their hands of me. Told me I was no longer needed. I fought with everything I could, leaned on all my connections in order to keep the operation running. I was curious to know what the hell is up here. I still am. But those pricks in suits didn’t like me asking questions or trying to put pressure on some of the people I knew for answers.”

  “They fired you?” Dave asked.

  “Not as such. It was suggested that I take early retirement, full pension, nice gold watch, all the usual bullshit as long as I let it go. Of course, I saw the writing on the wall long before that and had already soured on being part of the military after the way they treated me so I accepted. What the hell else could I do?”

  Kimmel sighed, then took out his cigarettes and lit one, this time savouring the taste rather than stubbing it out. They all noticed the tremble in his hands. Catching them looking, he tried to smile, something which he couldn’t quite manage. “Anyway, that’s all done now and in the past.”

  “So how did you know we were here?” Dave asked.

  “Motion detectors. You triggered them when you cut through the gates. My beeper goes off if anyone is bold or stupid enough to try and get into the town.”

  “It all seems a bit low tech for this military,” Dave said, folding his arms.

  “That’s because it’s got nothing to do with them. As far as they’re concerned, this place doesn’t exist anymore. The motion detectors were my idea. I spent long enough up here that my conscience wouldn’t let me just ignore the idea that people like you might decide to come and take a look. Call it my post retirement hobby of you like, but it is what it is. When people come it, I follow and make sure they get out in one piece. This time, however, there is one extra complication that you should all know about.”

  “Go on,” Dave said.