Haunted Tales

Once, when I was a child, I lived in a country town. It was a beat down place, with only one place to shop, and one place to eat. It was a quiet town, people knew everyone but they kept to themselves. Nobody said hello as they passed by, not even a polite nod of their heads. They took to their own thoughts, and I took to mine.

Which was fine by me, I thought they were all odd anyway. Didn’t want that rubbing off on me, oh no. But one day, a new truck came rolling into town. Shiny and new, that truck must off just rolled of the lot, all waxed and shiny. Stuck out like a sore thumb, in a town like mine. As the dust settled, a man stepped out. He was hesitant, like he didn’t want his shiny shoes to touch the soil. He turned and helped out a girl, all prim as could be, with her pressed blue dress and her long pigtails. A real snot to be sure.

They entered the store, and I got closer for a better look. The truck was plenty big, and I spotted an odd number on the right hand side of the trucks window. 13 was etched real tiny, almost too small to see.

I backed away. That was the Devils number! I heard the new folks talking in the store. I hovered on the outside of the door, listening.

“Oh yea, just moved from Charleston, great place. We are settling over by lake, cabin thirteen, just deliver my things there.”

I heard the footsteps coming closer to. I quickly backed away, and the folks just brushed by me and drove away. I narrowed my eyes; no devil-spawn would inhabit my town!

It didn’t take me long to gather my friends who felt the same way. I just mentioned the number thirteen and they all came to run out the unnatural demons. We collected our rocks and sticks and made our way up to that cabin. We watched from the trees as the new folks went about settling in their new home. One of my friends pointed something out to me.

“Lookee here Billy, see that girl? Too clean and proper to be a real girl. You were right! Tis unnatrual to be sure!”

I motioned my boys to follow me as we ran down to throwing distance. We hurled out rocks and shook our sticks, all the while hollering that they leave our town alone. Now the scariest thing in my life happened that day. That little girl with pigtails just came right out and stared at us.

We stopped under that forceful little gaze. Her eyes started to glow red and when she smiled, her teeth were sharp and pointed! She screamed and hissed, that little girls voice wild and feral. I raised my hand, readying another rock for a throw. The deamon raised her hands, claws sprouting from each finger.

Now, me and the boys, we didn’t hesitate, we ran fast as we could to escape. I chanced a look back, sto see if the devil was following me. What I saw would haunt me forever. The little girl was being petted and soothed by the gentelman- like a master would pet a dog! I never bothered those new folks again, I stayed far away. When I saw them in town, I went the other way. When my father got a better job and moved us out of that dirt poor town, I coundn't of been more pleased. I knew that demon would try to get revenge. I wanted to be nowhere near.

Later, I convinced myself it never happened, but me and the boys that were there that day, we knew. And we didn't forget.