Driving through East Tennessee allowed time to clear my head. The onerous fall semester of college began to drain my spirit, and I needed a distraction from exams and research papers. The two way road curved around small subdivisions and pierced through hills. Autumn colored leaves began to drift through wind and fall to their death. Winter was around the corner, and each passing day grew colder than the day before.
Daylight began sinking behind the clustered trees which surrounded both hills and highways. The radio of my pickup truck was blaring louder than necessary. I listened to an old 90s rock song; Tool – Lateralus, while smoking a cigarette. My thoughts turned to Kevin as I subconsciously drummed my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of drums and guitar riffs.
My brother, Kevin, deemed it necessary to return to Chicago and finish packing his possessions. He recently experienced a messy divorce. An extremely messy divorce. Kevin discovered his wife of four years was indulging herself in infidelity. A few pieces of furniture remained at his previous residence in Chicago, and he was determined to retrieve them.
I felt my pocket vibrate as I meandered through the highway, flowing and curving among traffic. I reached in my pocket and clutched my flip-phone. An unread text message from a friend shined from the screen.
Andrea: ‘hey! Our project is due this weeknd, want to workk on it?’
I dismissed the message and crammed the phone back into my pocket without giving her a response. I have never worked on homework during a Friday night, and was not about to begin. I assumed Andrea held a crush for me, but I uncertain if she would travel 40 minutes away from campus to house sit with me.
Andrea was an average looking female. Her best feature was her hair; beautiful golden curls which streamed across her neck. I often found her to be distracting, in a good way, when working in class together. She always ran her fingers through her curls and flick them away with the back of her hand during our lectures.
The sudden change of tempo in the song shifted my thoughts from Andrea toward my destination.
The song continued to sing in my truck, bouncing off the windows and vibrating the seat beneath me. As I stretched for another cigarette, I mouthed the lyrics ringing from my stereo, over thinking, over analyzing, separates the body from the mind… I peered around Kevin’s neighborhood searching for his new home. Modest homes were scattered throughout the subdivision. His house was enclosed in a cul-de-sac.
Kevin sat on his front porch chewing tobacco while embracing his new surroundings. He wore a heavy, wool pea coat, which was layered over a long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. I saw his head pipe up when he recognized my vehicle pull in his driveway, although I assumed he heard my music echo throughout the street before he noticed my truck. … is so much more and beckons me, to look through to these, infinite possibilities. As below, so above and beyond, I imagine… I turned the keys in the ignition while flinging the door open simultaneously.
“Hey man, what’s going on?” Kevin said, before spiting in an empty beer bottle.
“Hey, not too much. I’m just glad it’s Friday. You want a beer and a smoke before you leave?” I asked.
“Better not. I’ve already had a few, plus it’s a long drive from here,” Kevin said as he grabbed the chew between his lip and gums, and flicked it across the yard. “There’s plenty of beer and a frozen pizza in kitchen. You know how to handle Biscuits, let her out every few hours or so, and her food is under the kitchen sink.” Kevin already packed a suitcase and the other required items for the long road trip.
“Thanks for watching my house. I should be back tomorrow night. Take care of Biscuits, and make yourself at home.” He said, smiling through a red and stringy beard.
“Sure man. I’m just glad you’re living here now,” I turned and looked at his house. “I still can’t believe it. You’re really living here now. It’s awesome.” I said with a chuckle.
“I know. It was a fuckin’ steal too.”
I glared at my brother with raised eyebrows, waiting for him to explain further.
“The previous owners had been having… trouble… selling the place. With the history of the daughter and all.”
“Daughter? What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, as it turns out… The daughter of the family who lived here. She, well… She drowned in the pool.”
“What the fuck man? You bought a house where someone had died in it… Drowned? In the pool?
“I know, it’s weird. Sad story really. The owners wanted to move out as soon as possible… And I needed a new home.” Kevin said, as he stared at his shoes, “Look, don’t think too much into it. People die all the time in their homes. It’s sad I know, but the price was a steal.”
My lips curled and my jaw clinched. I could feel a look of contempt linger on my face.
“Thanks again for doing this, but I really need to go. Don’t forget, take care of Biscuits for me. I’ll see ya tomorrow night.”
Kevin sprang toward his vehicle after a hug and a pat on the shoulder. I watched him drive out of his driveway. I waved my hand in a farewell gesture while the song still played in my head… I lose my self between the sounds and open wide to suck it in, I feel it move across my skin. I’m reaching up and reaching out…
Barking from the house startled me from my brief thoughts about the daughter. I returned my focus to the task at hand. House sitting.
I lingered through the front door while Biscuits blocked my passage, sniffing and jumping at me. Biscuits was a German Shepherd, black and gold, and barely 2 years old. She was fully grown, but still acted as if she were a puppy. Once I entered the house I scanned my surroundings.
Moving boxes were tugged away in the most awkward places; weaving in-between furniture and appliances. Kevin’s home had the ability to be both spacious and confining. A master bedroom and a master bathroom was adjacent to the living room, which separated the kitchen from the guest bedroom. All of which rested above the basement and the garage.
Kevin had now officially owned the house for a 6 days, and has yet to spend the night in his new found living quarters. I would be the first person to ‘break it in’.
I wandered through the house, searching for nothing in particular, analyzing and interviewing the house itself; judging the color scheme and inspecting the floor plan. The home was lovely and welcoming, but my mind was focused on the daughter. The daughter who died here.
I opened the backdoor which led me to the pool. The backyard was surrounded by an old, wooden, paint chipped fence. Biscuits darted passed my legs once I opened the door. A rectangular pool, which lacked creativity and spontaneous design, greeted me. The depth of the pool was waist high at one end, which soon plummeted to a depth of 10 feet. A heavy tarp, which was held by bricks and buckets full of water, covered the pool. Drowning must have been a horrible way to go, I thought to myself.
Biscuits was sniffing the grass at the far end of the yard. I decided to go back inside, it was too cold for my comfort. She will let me know when she is ready to come back in.
Kevin’s home lacked internet and cable, and I had trouble understanding how to work the thermostat. I remembered seeing the wood burning stove in the basement, and concluded to build a fire for warmth.
I gathered an old newspaper, kindling, and heavy logs. After carefully laying the kindling over a fire log, and shoving torn newspaper between specific areas, I grabbed my lighter. The flame slowly spread across the newspaper, dancing and jumping across. The orange fire was coupled with short bursts of green from burning the newspaper. It took several minutes of managing the kindling until the fire became self-sufficient.
I moved several cardboard boxes, which rested upon the couch, and sat down in the basement while staring into the fire. I grabbed my laptop and resumed writing my poetry while resting my feet on the moving boxes. I enjoy writing poetry while listening to music. The work from my last poem illuminated on the screen as music rattled from my playlist. I still had the song from earlier stuck in my mind, so I resumed where it left off.
I stared at blinking cursor at the end of my unfinished poem while mouthing the lyrics ringing in my earbuds, Feed my will to feel this moment, urging me to cross the line. Reaching out to embrace the random. Reaching out to embrace whatever may come…
Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thrum-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… Thru-thru-thru-thrum… thrum-tisk thrum tisk tisk thrum tisk boaum…
My ears became slightly tender from the earbuds drumming and pounding and rocking in my ears. I removed my hands from the keyboard, and grabbed the thin wires from the headphones, and plucked them from my ears.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of footsteps seeped through the floorboards of the kitchen. The noise rattled down the floor into the basement. The floor is thin. I must be able to hear everything above me, I thought to myself.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
Did… I thought Biscuits was outside. My bushy blonde eyebrows furled together as my mouth curled down. Did I let Biscuits back inside?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Slam.
A heavy bang of wood against wood pounded from upstairs. My heart palpitated within my chest. I realized someone else, unbeknownst to me, was inside the house.
The music from my laptop was inaudible, yet I paused the playlist, and continued listening for more noise from above. The logs from the fire began to crack and pop and swell. A faint bark could be heard. Biscuits…
I began to jog up the stairs which connected the basement to the kitchen. Each step harder than the first.
I opened the door.
The kitchen and living room was unoccupied. Only furniture and moving boxes accompanied me. The faint barking could be heard louder now. I opened the back door to look for Biscuits.
The silhouette of a shadow resembling a dog was visible. The outline streamed across the tarp that covered the pool. She was growling, thick fur was spiking from the base of her neck and over her spine. She was looking at the pool.
“Biscuits… Come here girl,” I yelped. “Biscuits! Here!”
The throaty growl simmered within her as she began to trot towards me. I reached down to sooth her ruffled fur. Her fur was cold and sticky from the elements of outside. My search for a possible, unwelcomed guest continued. I scanned the backyard from end to end, stopping my gaze at the pool. Darkness filled the area of my view, yet an outline of a person was visible. Someone was standing on the pool tarp. My phone began to vibrate in my pocket, which caused me to shift my view away for a second. I rested my hand over the phone, pushing the side button through my jeans so the vibrations would stop. I returned my gaze at the pool.
No one was there. The person who was standing on the pool tarp was gone. I slammed the kitchen door, turned the deadbolt lock, and turned around. Biscuits was running around my feet, smelling and sniffing the air. I grabbed my phone and looked at the source of the vibrations. Andrea was still calling me.
I flipped the phone opened and gently pushed the green accept button. “Hello?” I said with confusion, as if I was unaware of who was calling.
“Hey! What’s up?” Andrea said gleefully.
“… Hey… uhh, not much,” I lied as I continued to glare through the window, searching across the pool. “What’s going on?”
“Oh nothing. My friends suck and I’m bored. If you’re not doing anything, do you want to work on that Business Administration project?”
“Umm…” An uncomfortable pause lingered on my tongue as my attention was focused at the backyard.
“Hello? You there?” Andrea asked.
“Hey, umm yeah.” I said, as I lowered my finger from the plastic shades, turning to look at Biscuits. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I would love to work on that project, but I’m stuck house sitting my brother’s house right now.”
“Oh.”
“We could work on it if you wanted to come out here.” I said, rubbing my forehead with my fingertips, staring at Biscuits.
“Okay!” Andrea said.
I told her the address to my brother’s house. Andrea proclaimed she would be here within the hour. I strolled the kitchen, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. Did I really see someone outside?
I opened the refrigerator and searched for beer. A 12-pack of Heineken was crammed behind a gallon of milk. I grabbed a beverage and tried to twist the cap off, before realizing that a bottle opener was necessary. I began searching every kitchen drawer, only to find each compartment remained empty. Kevin has yet began unpacking his kitchen boxes.
I decided to rest the lip of the beer bottle cap on the marble counter, hanging the rim ever so slightly, and pounded the top with the palm of my hand. The bottle cap shot across the counter, ringing and clinking across the counter.
Biscuits was still near me. I tilted the Heineken upward with the lip of the bottle pursed between my lips. The cold and stingy beer went down smoothly. I emptied the bottle in seconds before belching.
After glancing out the window one last time, I grabbed a few more Heinekens, and strolled back into the basement. Biscuits reluctantly followed me down the stairs. I threw a few more logs into the wood burning stove and rested upon the couch. I flicked my finger across the touch-pad of my laptop to bring life back into the computer. My unfinished poem stared at me. I dismissed what I saw earlier, convinced it was my imagination.
I plugged one earbud back into my right ear and played the song again. I no longer mouthed the lyrics, but actively sang along. I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow, to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain…
I washed a few more beers down my throat as the song continued to play repeatedly. My poem never grew. Biscuits remained laying at the base of my feet. My pocket began to vibrate again. I answered the call from Andrea.
“Hey! I’m outside… which house is it?”
“I’ll be outside in a sec. Hang on.” I began to spring up the stairs with Biscuits at my side, and opened the front door. Andrea’s car was idling a few houses down with her headlights beaming in my direction. “Hey is that you? Come down the street a little bit, I’m outside.” I said.
“Oh okay… I see ya now.”
I grabbed my pack of Marlboro Lights from the pocket of my jacket, gently pulled a cigarette from the case, and rested it between my lips. I flicked the lighter and lit the end. I exhaled a long drag from the cigarette while watching Andrea exit her vehicle. She was bundled in a black and white jacket with her golden curls falling above the collar. I watched her grab her bag and purse and scurry across the yard. Biscuits darted to her; smelling and jumping at Andrea in a friendly fashion.
“Hey there, you’re so pretty,” Andrea said. “What’s its name? Boy or girl?”
“Biscuits, and she’s a girl.” I replied with lungs full of smoke.
Andrea walked up to me, clutching her bags close to her body in an effort to stay warm. “You know those things will kill ya.” She was referring to the cigarette in my hand.
“Yeah, I plan on quitting someday, it just won’t be tomorrow.”
Andrea, Biscuits, and I soon headed inside the house, with Biscuits leading the way. Andrea was surprised to see the condition of the house. I informed her about Kevin and his situation.
After friendly chatter, and listening to her complain about her friends, I gave her a brief tour of the house. I showed her the master bedroom, living room, kitchen, and eventually we arrived in the guest bedroom.
We entered the guest room but Biscuits remained in the living room watching us. I found it strange that Biscuits would not follow us into the room. I began to feel uncomfortable. The room was oddly colder than every other room in the house. Only a few moving boxes were scattered across the floor. No furniture had entered the room yet. I wonder if this was the daughter’s room… Andrea felt a sudden chill after lingering in the room. I watched her hug herself.
“Do you have the heat on? I’m really cold.”
“No. I can’t get the damn thing to work. There’s a fire downstairs, we can do the project and stay warm there. Want a beer?”
“Okay.” Andrea said uncertainly. We strolled into the basement. Andrea began unpacking her computer and notebooks from her bag as I continued to poke the fire. Hot embers began to sear and jump as I shifted the logs. Soon I was sitting on the couch, with my laptop resting on my knees, and Andrea next to me. I could feel her leg shift against mine.
I unplugged my headphones from the computer, causing the music which was still playing to scream throughout the basement. And following our will and wind we may just go where no one’s been. We’ll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one’s been.
Click. I turned the song off.
“That’s some… interesting music.” Andrea was not impressed by my choice of music genre.
I was about to ask her what type of music she liked, but Biscuits cut me off. She began barking madly. Yelling and growling at the staircase.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. THUMP. THUMP.
Andrea and I both heard footsteps above us. Each step grew louder and more distinct. Biscuits was insane. She darted up the stairs, barking and growling, dedicated to protect her new home. “Uhh… Is someone else here?” Andrea’s voice waivered over the barking of Biscuits.
I followed the dog up the stairs, unable to keep up. Andrea came up behind me. I looked and saw the kitchen door was open. I distinctly remembered locking the door. Biscuits had already pounded outside. Childish screams echoed from outside. We followed Biscuits.
Biscuits was running and jumping and barking and growling. Her voice thundered across the yard and the wind. She was focused on the pool. I looked.
Someone was kneeling on top of the pool, looking down. It was a girl. Her hair was matted down over her face. She was weeping and crying and gnashing her teeth. Andrea and I froze as the sight of another person. Biscuits began circling the pool, barking at the girl.
“What the fuck!” Andrea exclaimed.
She stopped crying and spoke to us. “I… I… Just wanted a friend. Why mom? Why did you do this to me?” The girl lifted her head to look in our direction, ignoring the dog, but her gaze fixated on Andrea and not me. She was only speaking to Andrea now. “I just want a friend.”
Andrea ran to the edge of the pool. I followed.
“Come off the pool.” I shouted. How is she sitting on the pool? How is the pool tarp supporting her weight? “Come to us, get off the pool.” I was afraid she would fall in.
Andrea knelt down at the edge of the pool. Testing to see if the tarp would support her own weight as well.
I lowered my foot over the tarp to see if I could walk out and grab the girl. I felt a thin layer of ice and plastic crack and shift as my foot rested on top. There is no way I could go out there! I will fall through!
I looked at Andrea to my side. She was already sliding across the thin layer of plastic on her hands and knees. I watched the buckets of water and bricks which held the tarp slide closer to the edge. I could hear ice and plastic crack as Andrea was sliding herself toward the girl.
“I just want a friend.”
Biscuits was mad and I was bewildered from what I was watching. Andrea had almost reached her. The girl continued to wail and moan. Her cries muffled the barking of Biscuits. Andrea reached out to grab her… I couldn’t tell who grabbed who. Within a second, both Andrea and the girl had latched onto each other. And in a split second, they fell in. The buckets and bricks which held the tarp in place had given way and fell into the pool. The girls plummeted in ice cold water, and the plastic tarp began wiggling and consuming them.
I watched the girls writhe in the pool. Searching and grasping for air.
The tarp enclosed the girls.
I jumped in.
The water sent a shock through my body. My muscles froze and were unresponsive. I was submerged.
I opened my eyes, trying to swim. Clawing and stretching and wiggling and reaching for Andrea.
The plastic ball of ice and water stopped squirming when I reached them. I began grabbing and tearing the tarp. I couldn’t find Andrea in it. She had been swallowed by the tarp.
A hand began to show itself from the tangled spiral of water and ice and plastic. I grabbed it and pulled. I saw Andrea. She was unresponsive.
I threw her arm over my shoulder and swam to the shallow end of the pool. My legs kicking off the tarp and my arm pushing the water away.
I dragged her up to my chest with her face frozen; eyes open wide and glassy, staring into the void of the darkness.
I carried her inside the house, shaking and dripping. Biscuits continued to circle the pool in a chaotic fashion. I laid her on the ground, pressing and pushing on her chest. Nothing happened. No water came out of her lungs. She had drowned.
I called 911. Police and emergency responders arrived at the house. I told them everything that happened. About the girl crying on the pool and Andrea going in to grab her. The paramedics and police officers untangled the tarp inside the water. There was no other person inside of it.
I spent the next 22 hours at the police station for “questioning”. They called it an interview. I called it an interrogation. I learned a lot from the detective who questioned me for hours. Three girls have now drowned in the same pool in the last 19 years. Kevin was only informed of one of the girls, the daughter from the previous family. Andrea became the third.
Kevin’s house is now for sale.
Submitted November 19, 2014 at 02:52AM by KingRumple4 http://ift.tt/11zGxeQ nosleep
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