The Horror in Smithville

               Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. About a week, maybe ten days, ago I promised you all to publish… Horror stories. Well, your wait is over. Today I share with all of you, My Dear Readers, my first venture into the realm of horror writing. I have loved this genre of writing, since I was a boy. I have never been much for the modern day ‘vampire’ type horror writing. It lacks the suspense and build  to which I am accustomed. Today, for the first time ever I bring to you my type of horror. Here’s hoping that you all enjoy!

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Part One

 

 

           

Timmy Marref lived on a farm outside Smithville. Smithville was a little town smack dab in the middle of America. Timmy’s father, Kenneth Marref, worked the family farm. As his father did before him, and his grandfather did before that, and his great-grandfather did before him. From what Timmy could gather the Marref’s had worked this land for more than 100 years. Timmy didn’t mind living on a farm. As a matter of fact, more times than not Timmy just downright loved living on the farm.

 

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Now, to be honest Timmy didn’t know much about what you would call city life. Timmy had never lived in, or near, any big cities. But Timmy had seen pictures of big cities, like New York City. He’d seen pictures of the tallest skyscrapers packed floor on top of floor on top of floor with more and more and more people. He had seen pictures of the streets packed elbow-to-elbow, block after block after block, with people lined up like sardines in a can. It made him shutter to think of having to live like a sardine in a can.

 

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Timmy loved the fresh air of the great outdoors, the smell of a oncoming rainstorm, and the crunch of new fallen snow under the heel of his boots. Now, don’t get me wrong. Timmy knew full well that if given the chance he wouldn’t mind staying in a moderate to slightly large town like the capital of his state. He had thought about that, often, because even at 12 years of age Timmy knew he really wanted to go to college. It wasn’t that Timmy was afraid of a life working hard on the farm, like his father and his father’s father and his father’s father’s father before him. Timmy wasn’t afraid of the hard work it was just that Timmy, as an adult, wanted to do more for his parents, and his family, than he could as a farmer.

 

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Timmy’s father, Kenneth, didn’t pull punches when he talked at the dinner table about what it was to be a farmer in America today. The farm was not a very big farm. His father grew mostly corn, beans, pumpkins, lettuce and cabbage. Timmy’s father wasn’t much for the idea of only growing one thing. Ken use to tell Timmy “If the good Lord had meant for me to only grow corn, and nothing else, he would’ve made us all so that we all would be full and healthy just eating corn.” Their farm also had different kinds of animals.

 

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They had several horses, two of which were used for pulling and hauling this that and the other around the farm. They had about a dozen cows, which Timmy milked religiously every single morning come freezing rain or waist high snow. They had a couple of dozen sheep, which they sheared every year and used the wool to make clothes, and other things. Most of the clothes were for Timmy, Timmy’s father Ken, and his mother Mary. The rest were sold, throughout the year, at the local market in Smithville and sometimes at the family's produce stand. They also had a couple of dozen chickens, and roosters. They provided the family with eggs on a regular basis, and every so often they would roast one.

 

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All the vegetables they raised on the farm, all the produce, and all the extra eggs and extra meats the family sold either in the farmer's market in Smithville, at the roadside stand there at the farm, or at the yearly Harvest Festival. Now along with all the chores and work that Timmy did on the family farm, Timmy went to school full time at the middle school in Smithville. Now, not all the children that went to his school lived on farms. When he was elementary school that was more true than not. However, by the time he got to middle school a growing number of the children did not live on farms. Now Timmy got along with most everyone. Timmy was a good-natured boy quick with the joke and quick to laugh at others’ jokes. He was an average boy; average looks, average height, average weight, and average grades. He wasn’t a pretty boy, but he was 'easy on the eyes'. Timmy had red hair and freckles on his cheeks across his nose. He wasn’t fairly complected, Timmy always sported a bit of a tan, even during the winter. This was mostly due to the fact that Timmy spent most of his time outdoors, working on the farm and playing and fishing in the nearby creek.

 

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Timmy didn’t like watching much TV. He enjoyed watching the evening nightly news, the weather channel (during the fall and winter seasons) and, much to his father’s chagrin, Timmy liked PBS. He liked public broadcasting for all the documentaries and educational programs it offered for free. (Timmy's favorite things were free things) Timmy enjoyed watching and learning about outer space and planets and whatever the newest mission NASA and JPL had going. Timmy’s single most favorite thing to do, when he wasn’t at work on the farm or at school, was to read. When all the chores were done, and it may have been too cold or rainy or snowy or wet to go outside and play, you would find Timmy in his bedroom with his red hair and freckles pasted to a good book.

 

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It was just such a day when we join Timmy as he’s laying on his stomach kicking his feet back and forth reading the newest book he’d found at the discount store in Smithville, When his friend Archer called him it was a cold and cloudy day in late October. We join Timmy reading a book in his bedroom. Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring. He hears his mother Mary pick up the phone in the other room. He hears her speaking to someone. Then he hears his mom call out

 

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“Timmy. Phone's for you... it is Archer!”

 

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Now Timmy didn’t get that many phone calls and he saw Archer every single day in school. If Archer was calling, it meant that it wasn't something that could wait until tomorrow at school. Meaning, it was kinda' important. So he hopped out of bed and ran fast ran down the long hallway and downstairs into the front room. Then, picking up speed in the front room, he skidded on his socks to the phone in the kitchen. His mother, Mary, gave him a quick scowl when she saw him sock surfing.

 

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“Now Timmy… You know that surfing on your socks wears them out mighty quick! Lessen you learn how to darn your own socks, best not let your father catch you socks surfing.”

 

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“Okay Mom. Don’t tell Dad I will be more careful.”

 

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Timmy took the phone from his mother’s hand, gave her a quick wink, with his right eye, and began to speak to Archer on the telephone.

 

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“Hey Archer, what’s up… What's so important this couldn’t wait to school tomorrow... like I don’t see you enough?” He says with a big smile on his face.

 

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Timmy and Archer had been the best of friends, for as long as Timmy could remember. Timmy’s mom and Archer’s mom were best friends since they were born. The boys were born within hours of each other. When the boy's were toddlers their mom’s used to bathe them together in the same kitchen sink. For Archer, Timmy had no secrets. And for Timmy, Archer had no secrets. So it came as some surprise, to Timmy, when he heard Archer speaking so quickly and so excited he could only understand every third word. Archer had asthma, even as a young boy. Often Timmy had to tell Archer to

 

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“Calm down or you are going to give yourself an asthma attack!’

 

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It wasn’t that bad, right now, but Archer was well on his way to getting his warning.

 

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Timmy went on to say;

 

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“So, now slow down and tell me again, Archer. All I heard was… Smithville… harvest… Haunted… Can you go…”

 

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Archer laughed really hard at what Timmy said, took a deep breath that Timmy heard over the phone (and almost thought he could hear it without the phone… Archer was Timmy’s closest neighbor). Then Archer began to speak, again, this time in a measured pace and tone.

 

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“Timmy, did you remember that this weekend is the Harvest Festival in Smithville? They brought in a Carnival this year… and they have a really scary Haunted House. I heard, from Terry Neal, it scared some kids nearly to death, last year!”

 

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Now, Terry Neal was Archer’s eldest cousin. He was twenty going on twelve. Meaning Terry Neal was bigger than all the other kids his age, but wasn’t the brightest bulb in the pack, or the most mature. Also, Terry Neal took to being scared a might too easy for Timmy’s taste. Archer totally looked up to Terry, but he respected Timmy’s opinion most. That explains the next bit, too.

 

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“Now I know that you think Terry Neal is a bit of a scaredy cat... but I heard the same thing, just a little while ago, from Tommy Bryant.”

 

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Now, Tommy Bryant was the quarterback on the JV football team. He was 17 and stood every inch of six feet. He wasn’t a hard-ass, mostly a nice guy. Tommy ran for student body President his freshman year. He gave the front runner, Kathy Rutgers, a run for her money. Now, if Tommy Bryant said that the Haunted House was scary… it just might be worth the time and money to check it out.

 

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“Tommy Bryant said that, Archer? You sure? You know I can make two calls and find out if you are fibbin'!.” Timmy said flatly into the phone.

 

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"Honest Injun, Timmy. I wouldn’t lie about a thing like that, now would I?" Archer said into the phone.

 

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Again, Timmy had known Archer since before they both could walk or talk. In all that time he had known Archer to lie only twice. One of those times was about… Archer wetting his bed during a sleepover. Timmy and Archer never spoke of it, but Archer had a problem wetting his bed until he was nearly ten. So, Timmy was sure Archer was telling the truth, as he knew it to be. That meant that this Haunted House was something that he and Archer just had to go and check out, together.

 

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The only stumbling block between their desire to be frightened to within a inch of their lives, and the reality of riding the Haunted House ride? Timmy’s father Kenneth. To be exact it was his father's frugal nature. Kenneth would not be fond of Timmy spending money on something a frivolous as a 'Haunted House' ride. Timmy worked hard for every penny he had saved. He did chores around the farm, every single day, and then he augmented his income by doing chores for Mrs. Calendar. Mrs. Calendar was an elderly woman who lived down the road, and a friend of his mother from church. His mom was always telling Timmy that Mrs. Calendar had this that or the other for him to do "If you want to earn some xtra spending money!" Timmy always wanted to earn some "extra spending money"! OFten he would take Archer with him so as they could do the bigger jobs that paid even more (like cleaning out the attic or moving furniture). Then they would split the money 50/50.The pastor, at their church, always had chores for a boy not afraid of; hard work, spider webs, confined places, sweat… and a few snakes.

 

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Truth be told? Snakes never gave Timmy a second though. Spiders, on the other hand, well spiders made Timmy’s skin crawl! All in all Timmy had stashed away more than a hundred dollars, over the summer and the first part of the fall. He had no intention of spending more than $10 to $20 at the carnival. That still left him $80 to $90 and two months more to raise even more money for Christmas presents.

 

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All the while Timmy was doing this thinking, and sorting out funds, Archer was begging and pleading, on the phone. Archer had made up his mind; he WAS going to ride the ‘Haunted House’ ride… PERIOD. The only matter that remained was getting Timmy to come along with him. Archer was not easily frightened, then again Archer wasn’t really from around here he moved into town from West Virginia. Archer has, what Timmy’s father called, ‘Hard Nosed’, he got it from his father, a coal miner. Archer’s family had been coal miners, in the West Virginia area, for as long as Timmy’s family had been farmers.

 

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Right about the time Becky (Archer's Mother) was pregnant, the mines, like, dried up. This forced his parents to move to Smithville for work, and Becky's Aunt (Linda) already lived in Smithville. Linda worked for the Sheriff’s office as a dispatcher. Linda was very close with Becky and had insisted, when she found out that her niece was pregnant, that they move to Smithville so Linda could "keep and eye on" Becky. Archer’s mom was a teacher at the middle school, and his father worked there as a janitor. Archer, and his family, lived right down the road from Timmy and his family. They took over the house that belonged to the William’s family farm (right next to Timmy's family farm). Timmy’s father had bought the farm land, the bank had kept the house and put it up for rent.

 

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Timmy often found himself mighty thankful that the coal gave out, where Archer’s family had worked for generations. Otherwise, Timmy would have never met Archer. Timmy just couldn’t imagine life without Archer; they were the best of friends. They were up at the crack of dawn every day doing chores for their respective families. When it came time to go to school Timmy and Archer always met on the road out front Timmy’s house. They walked to school together, they had the same classes with the same teachers together, they even had lunch at the same. They even had gym, every day, at the same time in the afternoon.

 

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Timmy just knew, in his heart of hearts, that he and Archer would still be friends when they were wrinkled old men. Timmy was through counting his money and doing his figuring. He wasn’t going to be able to fool Archer with you not going to the Haunted House for a lack of money. He was going to have to tell Archer the truth, who knows maybe Archer had a good idea on how to help.

 

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“Look, Archer.. I want to go… and I do have enough money… for the both of us… the problem isn’t money… It’s.. you know… my Dad!’

 

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There was silence on the phone for, one… two… three… seconds. Then Archer began to laugh. Giggle is more like it, Archer may be 'hard-nosed' but he was still only 4 foot squat. When Archer (sometimes) his laugh sounded like a teenage girl. That’s all right Timmy didn’t sound much better. Just as Timmy was about to ask Archer why the heck he was giggling so much, Archer’s voice came over the telephone clear and determined.

 

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“I figured as much, Timmy. Don’t you give it no nevermind because I got a plan and it’s going to work. Now invite me over to dinner, and to have a sleepover tonight, and I’ll put it to work.”

 

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It was a Thursday night so Timmy knew it would be no small feat to convince his parents to have Archer over for a sleepover. Though, Timmy thought to himself, that would be a might bit easier than convincing his father to let him do a Haunted House on Friday night.

 

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“All right Archer, I 'll convince my mom to have you over for dinner, and a sleepover. Be ready in 30 minutes and I’ll call you. But, Archer, you're gonna tell me what your plan IS the minute you walk through my door... because I'm putting a lot on the line for this and we are not missing this Haunted House ride!”

 

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“Don’t sweat it, big brother o'mine." Archer says to Timmy." I got it all figured out. You just sell your mom on dinner and a sleepover tonight and I’ll take it from there.”

 

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“K… give me thirty minuets… My Mom’s in the kitchen making dinner right now. We’re having fried chicken… so there will be more than enough food.”

 

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Archer’s lips began to salivate the moment Timmy mentioned his mother’s fried chicken. Fried chicken at Timmy’s house was better than the Colonel's and meant that there would be; fresh drop biscuits, hot buttery mashed potatoes, probably a choice of green beans and or corn and, most likely, a buttermilk blueberry cobbler for dessert. Archer’s mom wasn't a half-bad cook but Timmy’s Mom’s chicken dinner was one for the history books.

 

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“Awww geeze! A sleepover AND your Mom’s chicken dinner, too?!? This is gonna be a night to remember, Timmy. Thirty minuets.. no longer, K?”

 

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“Thirty minutes Archer, no longer. You best be ready!”

 

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Timmy hung up the phone feeling pretty confident about tonight’s sleepover. However, the ultimate goal of going to the Carnival and the Haunted House ride, Friday night was shaky at best. Archer had a way with Timmy's parents. He couldn't count the times that Archer had come over and managed to get his own parents to agree to something that (not an hour before) they had refused Timmy. He wasn't sure just how Archer did it... but he had witnessed Archer's powers. With that thought in mind, it occurred to Timmy that he and Archer were well on their way to spending the next three days hanging out together. Day and night! On top of that the two of them were going to get to go to the carnival and ride the scariest Haunted House ride ever!

 

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Timmy was grining, from ear to ear, as he walked into the kitchen. Timmy was grinning because he knew he had the easy chore and Archer, on the other hand, was what left with a mighty big chore indeed. See, what Archer didn’t realize was that Timmy’s Mom, Margaret, looked on Archer as her second son. When Archer’s family had moved here they were living hand to mouth, week to week, paycheck to paycheck. Margaret was a good Christian woman and she went out of her way to help out Archer, and his family, every day and in every way she could. Honest to goodness in the past 12 years Archer had taken as many meals sitting at Timmy's side, under her roof, as he had in his own home. Margaret loved cooking for Archer, and Archer was the most polite, and genuinely grateful, guest. Archer was given to multiple and exuberant compliments and thanks. Margie could juat tell that Archer's thanks and compliments were genuine and heartfelt. She was confident that Timmy just couldn't have a better and more supportive friend than Archer.

 

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Still grinning Timmy walked into the kitchen. Walked up beside his Mother, at the stove. Leaned up against her, wrapping his left arm around her waist and her apron, and sighed. That’s all it took.

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As always I am deeply honored that you come here and read my work.

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Thank YOU!

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