The Past Comes Back

Prologue

Prologue
August 22, 2004

         The Old Peppers Place, as the citizens of Colan, Texas called the old house located on the outside of town sat in disrepair and looked like the old houses in a bad horror movie. Twenty-two years of harsh weather and hard winds had taken their toll on the house, causing shutters to fall and paint to slowly turn gray, crack and peel. The yard was overgrown and brown, killed by the searing heat of the West Texas sun. The flower beds were choked with weeds, the flowers long since dead. Teenagers looking for a good time on Friday and Saturday nights hurled rocks and sticks at the windows causing them to break. The front door hung on one hinge having been kicked in by kids fascinated with what the townspeople called a haunted house.

         The family who once lived in the house, The Peppers, had disappeared without a trace at midnight one night twenty two years ago. Searches for the family went on for weeks with no sign of them. Rumors spread after that about the disappearance, some said the government had spirited them off, everyone knowing Mrs. Pepper was a witch, while others said the aliens had abducted them. The local minister, was vocal that the devil had taken them to hell because of Mrs. Pepper’s craft. No matter what was true or not, the family was gone. Several people reported hearing strange screams and lights from the house. The brave ones in town had thought to save whoever was in the house, but said they had not been able to get in, having been block by and invisible force. Once the lights faded they were able to go inside but found no trace of anyone. Over time people had gotten use to it, but still the rumors and stories persisted.

         Nine year old Kevin Doral stood in the driveway with his best friend, Bobby staring up at the house, the stories he had heard all his short life running through his head. Although he would never admit it to anyone, the stories scared him and looking at the house, he wondered if maybe there was some truth to them. He and Bobby had a bet going that if he spent an hour in the house, Bobby would pay him his allowance for the month. Kevin shivered despite the warm night air and quickly glanced over to see if his friend noticed, but Bobby was too busy looking at the house. Kevin wanted to call the whole thing off but knew if he did, he would be the laughing stock of school on Monday.

         “Not sure if this is worth five lousy bucks,” he muttered under his breath as he finally walked to the front door. The air blew it open, causing Kevin to think the house was inviting him in and his heart began to beat faster. “Calm down,” he said to himself. He walked through the doorway and stopped letting his eyes adjust.

         Moonlight shined in through the broken windows, and Kevin could see years of dust and cobwebs over the stairs and walls. He walked through the rooms, the fear slowly leaving him when he realized this was just an old house long since abandoned. He walked up the stairs sure he would find the same amount of dust and more furniture the owners left behind. Kevin stepped on the top step and turned to his right when he heard a noise.
         He gasped. A man with a large, gleaming knife burst from the room and Kevin was sure the man was after him, but the man walked by him like he did not see him. He waited for a few seconds then followed the man down the hall to the bedroom at the end. The horror he saw was worse than any of the stories he had been told.

          Bobby stood in the driveway waiting for Kevin to come out. The hour was up and he knew how frightened Kevin had been about going into the house. He now felt guilty for egging him on, sure some vagrant had gotten his friend. Screams rose from the house and he saw lights come on from the top floor. He was about to run into the house to help Kevin, when the other boy came flying out the front door.

         Kevin collapsed on the driveway, shaking like a leaf, eyes full of terror. Bobby knelt by his friend, patting him on the shoulder sure what he had seen was nothing more than shadows, but as Bobby leaned down to hear what his friend was whispering, he was shocked.

          “Blood everywhere. The laughter, so evil.” Kevin shuddered once more, then lay still. Bobby could not get his attention and fear went through him. What was he going to do now? He knew they would get into trouble for being here, but he could not get his friend to stand up and Kevin was too heavy for Bobby to carry. The moon came from behind the clouds and when he looked down at Kevin again, he gasped. Kevin’s once dark, blonde hair was white as snow. Bobby took off running to find help, no longer concerned about getting in trouble.

         Kevin never spoke a word after that but the pictures he drew, caused even the most hardy in town to shudder. They realized that the old house held something worse than all the stories told. One woman in town knew what was going on and hoped the spells she performed would bring the one person that could help. The only one who could.