The Horror in Smithville - Part Five

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Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today is Thursday so that means it is time for another episode of ‘The Horror in Smithville’. This brings us up to the Fifth episode of this thrilling piece of homespun literature. Now, if you have not read the previous four episodes? I strongly suggest that you go back, and do just that, read the previous four episodes.

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Today, I am going to do something a little different with this episode. Looking back, at Part Four, I realized that (in my haste to publish) I left out a very important scene. That will happen with an episodic story which is written then published on-the-fly as this one… is. Therefore, I have taken the liberty to backtrack about a half a page. So, the first couple of paragraphs… just might seem familiar.

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Familiar because you would have read… some… part… of what you are reading, last week. However, I strongly suggest that you go ahead and read it… over again. Reason? There is a very important… moment… meeting that takes place, today, that should have last week. That’s right, today’s revision includes an all new character. Having said, you will want this first impression of this… critical character.

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Now, with that said and done, I leave you with ‘Part Five – The Horror in Smithville’.

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ENJOY!

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Part Five

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Standing there, Timmy felt a cool breeze passing under the door. Now, he knew that he and Archer had kept the window in his bedroom closed. As hard as it was raining, outside, an open window would have drenched the bed and sleeping bag. He leaned over to the right, slightly, looking at the space between the bottom of the door and the sill below. Sure enough, there was a light on in the room. It was lighter that what his ‘Adventures of Princess Nadia’ nightlight created, too. Timmy screwed up his courage, wrapped his hand around the doorknob, and turned the knob.

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As Timmy opened the door, air whooshed out and bathed him in a cold breeze. Just as the breeze blew past Timmy another chill ran up, and then back down, his spine. Timmy didn’t think he had hair on his back, yet, but it sure felt like someone’s hair was standing up on the back of his neck. Timmy leaned into the room, not stepping in, just enough to look around the door into his bedroom. First he saw that, yes, the overhead light was on in the room. Panning from the far left of the room, to the right, he next saw that, yes, the window was somehow open. His glance next feel in the space between his bed and Archer’s sleeping bag.

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At first, he thought that it was just a shadow in the room. The curtain, with the help of the breeze, causing a shadow to form… somehow. That or perhaps the curtain flew up and blocked his view. Then it formed in his vision. Like black smoke condensing and taking form, right before his eyes. It was tall! I mean really really TALL. This was the kind of tall where the person actually has to stoop over in order for him to walk in a door, or pass through a doorway. The blackness formed more clearly and Timmy saw that the figure had a black hat, on his head.

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It was one of those stovepipe hats, like what President Lincoln wore. There was dark curly hair protruding out form beneath the black… felt or what was this material. Timmy kept trying to get the hat in focus, but the hat was not cooperating. It was as if the hat, itself, kept forming and unforming. Or, the material that the hat was made from was… moving. This realization sent another chill right through Timmy. It was as if the blood in his veins had turned into ice water. His blood was replaced with ice water at the sight of this… man?

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Timmy’s eyes moved down the figure’s frame, from his head down to his shoulders. Timmy was sure that, whatever he was wearing was deep black. Again, his clothes just kept… changing? Moving? It was almost as if this person was dressed in shadows and only his height and width could be seen clearly. Just as Timmy’s eyes were making their way down his frame… Timmy could have sworn he heard… laughter. He looked back up, towards the figure’s head. His (yes, Timmy was sure from the cut of the jacket and the hat on its head, whatever this was… it was a male) shoulder’s, Timmy could clearly see, his shoulders were bobbing up and down. Just like when a person is laughing, like, really hard or deep.

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Then, Timmy heard the laugh. It wasn’t so much a ha-ha laugh. It was deeper and had a gravel-ish quality. Like small rocks… gravel, or bones bouncing in a hollow stone, box. The laugh part… echoed. Timmy had a small-ish room, and the walls were mostly covered with posters. There wasn’t an echo, in his room, that he had ever heard. Yet this Tall Man had a course and deep laughs that echoed in Timmy’s tiny room. Now Timmy’s icy blood was moving rapidly through his veins.

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His arms and face, exposed to the cold air coming in through the window, were chilled to the bone. His breath formed small clouds, when he let his breath out. The man was, still, laughing… almost silent. Then Timmy could have sworn he heard him… speak. It was only one word. His back was squarely facing Timmy and the word spoken between bouts of ominous laughter. The ‘Tall Man’ did not turn to speak. He did not say his name, nor did his hands make any movement. All Timmy, thought, he heard was one word.

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“Beware.”

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The word, spoken in a raspy yet deep and rumbling, voice. This ‘Tall Man’ had an almost ‘Caretaker’ appearance. Like the man that comes to pick up the body of a loved one, when they pass away. The gravely laughter, the raspy and deep rumbling voice. The clothing, and hat, that seemed to be made of shadows and smoke. Timmy was trying his best to focus… and remember. Rememberall of these characteristics when the man… Well, the “Tall Man’. When ‘The Tall Man’ just began to turn intosmoke.

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Slowly the breeze coming in through the window swirled smoke around the ‘Tall Man’… as he became undone. First went his ‘Stovepipe’ hat, into wisps of black smoke and then out the window. Then went his curly locks of deep dark hair, into wisps of smoke… then out the window went this dark smudgy smoke. Then his shoulders, slowly caught up in the breeze, they turned into wisps of black smoke. Wisps of black, dark, smoke that went lofting out the bedroom window. Then his chest and torso dissipated, slowly turning from solid form into wisps of black smoke, too, leaving out the window.

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Finally, his waist and legs and… yes, black boots? (Timmy couldn’t really tell… they could have been boots… or they could have been… hooves) Theyall shifted, dissipated, and then turned into wisps of black smoke lofted out of the bedroom. Out of the bedroom and out through the open bedroom window. When the last wisp of black smoke made its way, out the bedroom window, the window… slowly… closed.

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All by itself, without a single sound, it closed. Timmy was shaking from his head to his toes. He was so chilled… and frightened, that his teeth were chattering, too. Then, just as soon as the window shut? The light, in the room, went out. All by itself. Just then Timmy felt something pushing him. Something was pushing against his chest. First lightly, then with greater force it pushed Timmy out of his bedroom doorway. Then, to his amazement, the door… too, shut. All by itself. A shudder went up and down Timmy’s spine.

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“Archer, what did you see, just now?”

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Much to Archer’s confusion, Timmy turned around and shut the bedroom door behind him. Archer thought that they were headed into the bedroom, and quickly too so they didn’t get caught! When Timmy turned around Archer was struck by two things; first Timmy was as white as a sheet. Second, Timmy was shaking from his head to his toes! Just as soon as Archer had processed that information, Timmy asked the strangest question. ‘What did you see…?”

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All Archer had seen was Timmy open the bedroom door, stand in the doorway for a few seconds, and turn his head from left to right. Archer had figured that Timmy was just checking the room to see if one of his parents had gone into the room… or something. It took Archer by complete surprise when Timmy closed the bedroom door, turned around and asked his silly question. So, Archer decided he was going to getTimmy into the bedroom. Then Timmy could ask all the silly and/or crazy questions he wanted. Archer responded firmly;

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“Timmy, I didn’t see anything… now be quiet… open the door… and let’s get inside your bedroom before one of you parents catches us out here and grounds us BOTH!”

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Not sure if it was the firmness of his voice, or the words he chose, Timmy seemed to snap out of his daze, some. He turned around and opened the door to the bedroom. Again, Timmy looked around, before stepping into the room. Yet, this time Timmy actually went into the bedroom. Archer was right on Timmy’s heels, as he went into the bedroom, and he closed the door silently behind them both. With their backs to the door, they both slid down the door and sat on the floor. Archer was the first to speak.

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“Timmy… WHAT happened to you? You are as white as your sheets… You are shaking ALL over… and you look frozen!”

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Archer reaches over and carefully touches Timmy’s closest arm to him, his right arm. It is cold to the touch. He reaches over Timmy and touches his left arm. It, too, is cold to the touch… and they both have goose bumps on them, too. Archer gently puts his fingers under Timmy’s chin, slowly turning his face towards Archer. Sure enough, Timmy’s pupils are as big as dinner plates. Something scared the punk out of Timmy, and that wasn’t easy from what Archer knew. Cold skin on both arms, goose bumps on both, shaking all over and eyes the size of dinner plates. If Archer hadn’t known better he would think that Timmy had seen a ghost!

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Archer sat there, in complete silence, and waited for Timmy to; speak, laugh, cry, yell, do something. They had been sitting there for, about, five minutes when Archer let out one of his infamous burps. Archer was so good at burping; he was the very first of his grade to actually speak in burps. This time, he didn’t say anything but it must have been just enough of perfectly timed. Just as soon as the burp quit resounding in Archer’s gut, Timmy began to laugh.

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Archer quickly joined in, and before either of them realized it, they were laughing and rolling on the carpet. Suddenly Timmy put his hand over his mouth and the other over Archer’s mouth. Then, for the first time since they came up the stairs, Timmy spoke.

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“Archer, now I want you to be completely truthful… OK? Don’t, like, lie to make me feel better or anything. I can count on you to do that, right?”

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Timmy knew the answer to that question even before asking, but Archer answered anyway.

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“Of course, Timmy, you know that I would never lie to you. Not even to spare your feelings… not for any reason. Timmy… you look like you just saw a ghost or something. You have goose bumps, you arms… both of them, are cold as ice and your eyes are as big as dinner plates. Whatever happened, when you stuck your head into the bedroom, you can talk to me… ask me questions… anything!”

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Timmy was very comforted by Archer’s words. As well, he felt comforted by one thing he did say. Archer said that his arms were cold! Timmy looked up at the window. Right now, it was closed… tight. But, had they remained closed, while they were in the kitchen… while they are blueberry cobbler and while they made their way back up stairs and into the room? How the heck did his arms, both of them, get cold? This was turning into a mystery… and nothing more kept these two boys up, late at night, like a mystery.

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“Archer, when we came up the stairs, did you… at any point… see light under my door? At any time, since we left the room, coming down the stairs, or coming back up did you see any more light than what is thrown off by my ‘The Adventures of Princess Nadia” nightlight?”

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Archer and Timmy were both going to be teenagers in a matter of months. You would think that having a nightlight would be… something Archer would kid Timmy about. Thing of it was? Both Timmy and Archer loved ‘The Adventures of Princess Nadia’… the books… the movies that it was not only ‘OK’ to have a nightlight based on the stories, it was considered cool.

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“No, Timmy, there was no light from anywhere once we got up the stairs. I looked hard under your door… and under your parents. I was scared to death… that whatever was going on with you… we were going to get busted. Glad that you stayed quiet. Timmy.”

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Timmy spoke

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“It wasn’t easy Archer… not easy at all. Archer, I am going to tell you… what happened, when I opened the door. Now, no matter what you think… you have to know I am telling you the truth. I saw what I saw… “

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After the ‘nightmare’ they both just sharedArcher’s mind was open to pretty much any tale Timmy could tell. For whatever reason, every since he and Timmy had decided to make going to this Haunted House such a major priority, things got weird. It was time to get up off the floor, before Timmy explained what had happened.

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“OK, Timmy, but first let’s get up off the floor. You have a better chance of warming up sitting in bed.”

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Then they both got up and got in bed. Timmy stopped Archer from getting into the sleeping bad saying;

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“Hey, Archer, why don’t you sit up here, with me, for a few minutes? That way when we talk, I can actually see that you have a face.”

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Archer laughed, climbed up in Timmy’s bed, and put his bathrobe over his feet to keep them warm. He looked up at Timmy and thought… ‘It’s really nice to see his face, again. It’s really nice to have a face, again.’

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They both just sat there, looking at one another, for a couple of minutes. Timmy got under his sheets and blankets, to keep them warm. The lightening struck, and the room filled with a wash of white light. Both boys began to count.

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“One Mississippi… Two Mississippi… Three Mississippi…” Thunder breaks their count. Then Archer speaks.

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‘Funny, the storm seems to be kind of parked over town. It hasn’t moved in more than an hour, has it?”

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Archer was right and Timmy though he knew why the storm hadn’t moved. The storm had brought something with it, or… something had brought the storm to town with… it! The time had come for Timmy to tell Archer everything he had seen… and heard standing in the doorway. One of two things would happen; Archer would think Timmy was just spinning a yarn to try and scare him, or Archer would believe Timmy and end up as frightened. Timmy honestly thought Archer would believe him. There was no reason for Timmy to lie, and Archer had felt his freezing arms right after. Well, here goes nothing!

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Timmy started by telling Archer that he saw the light on in his room, from under the door. He explained why he left Archer standing in the hallway; he didn’t know why the light was on in his room. Archer sat hanging on Timmy’s every word. Timmy explained how, when he opened the door, it appeared to him the overhead light was on. The room was freezing, the window was open and the curtain was flapping in the cold breeze.

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Then Timmy told Archer how he had thought he saw… a shadow. How the shadow had taken form, like smoke forming into a person. Then Timmy described ‘The Tall Man’ to Archer. Explained how the stovepipe hat… seemed to be constantly moving. How this ‘man’ was somehow clothed in shadows and difficult to see. Archer intently listened, as he pulled his knees up close to his chest, wrapping his bathrobe around him tightly. Now, Timmy described the laughter. How deep and gravely it sounded, like rocks or bones shifting in a stone… box.

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Now Timmy could see that it was Archer’s eyes, that were as big as dinner plates, and Timmy saw it clearly. Best to just tell the rest and let it be done. Timmy explained how The Tall Man’s laughter faded into a rumbling warning. The single word, “Beware”, which was spoken. Then, Timmy did his best to explain how a more than six foot tall man, just disappeared into wisps of smoke. How the smoke drifted out the open window. How the window shut, all on its own. Last, he told Archer how it felt like someone had pushed him out of his own bedroom, shutting the door in front of him.

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When Timmy had finished explaining… telling his tale to Archer, they both just sat there on the bed. Sat there, for what felt like forever, not saying a single word to each other. There silence as broken by another flash of light that filled the room with an eerie glow. Before either could acknowledge the lightning flash, Crack! The sound of a thunderclap filled the room, and both boys jumped nearly out of their skins. As the light in the room faded, back to normal, their eyes met.

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Both were shaking, and it was not from the cold, either. Timmy pulled his sheets and blanket up tight around his neck, and motioned for Archer to climb up beside him. This was no normal circumstance, so Archer put bravado aside, and climbed in the bed and under the sheets and blanket. He grabbed one of Timmy’s pillows, from behind his head. Timmy hardly noticed, and just turned to fix his remaining pillow so he could sit up in bed.

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They both sat there, speechless, for some time. Timmy got out of the bed, opened a drawer and pulled out another blanket. He threw the blanket over both of them, and got back into the bed. They both shifted and sorted out the sheets and blankets, till they both were comfortable… and completely covered. Then, Archer was the first to say something, but his speech was halted and he sounded nervous… even scared.

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“Timmy, I am really glad that it was you and not me that saw The Tall Man. I have no idea why I couldn’t see what was happening. Except that maybe I wasn’t meant to see…yet.”

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Archer took a moment to gather his thoughts. As they both sat there, again, the room filled with sickly light from the lightening. They both started counting; “One Mississippi… Two Mississippi… Three Mississippi… Four Mississippi… Five Mississippi Their counting stopped by a clap, then rumble, of passing thunder. The storm, finally, was moving away from the house. Without saying so, both boys hoped that as the storm passed, so would their bad dreams. Timmy was the first to speak, this time.

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“Look, Archer, its… like, ok… if you don’t sleep on the floor… tonight. It will be a lot warmer, in the bed. I’m still chilled from… well, from standing in the doorway with the window… open.”

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It was with those last few words that the memory of… what happened, earlier, flooded back for both the boys. Neither, really, wanted to be totally alone. In the back of both their minds was the fear that, when they fell back asleep, they would return to a nightmare world. They hadn’t faced the first one alone. They didn’t want to face… another one alone. Archer responded.

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“Yeah, no problem, Timmy. I don’t mind not sleeping on the floor… for sure.”

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They both, kind of, laughed under their breath. Then, at the same time, they sighed. Just then, they both went to speak, at the same time.

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(In stereo, at first…)

“If I start to…” Now only Archer spoke “If one of us seems to be having a nightmare?”

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Timmy finished the sentence

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“The other will wake him up… right?”

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They both nodded at each other, and relaxed. They both visibly relaxed for the first time since they had come back up the stairs. The storm was moving off. It was only about midnight. They had the rest of the night to get some sleep. It was Timmy that spoke first, this time.

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“Good night, Archer. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

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They both laughed, then Archer told Timmy ‘Goodnight’. They pulled their sheets and blankets up around their faces, and hoped they would just fall asleep.

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No sooner had Timmy closed his eyes, when he felt an unnerving feeling. He started feeling the strange but familiar… pulling at his feet! Timmy panicked and tried to kick his feet, loose. He tried to fight with the sheets, pull them back, and kick them off, something! Something to signal Archer, lying right beside him, that he was not going off to a quite sleep. No, Timmy could feel it. Timmy was getting pulled someplace he did not want to be.

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Suddenly Timmy was surrounded by darkness, but he wasn’t wet. Wherever Timmy was headed, at least he wasn’t going to be drowning. ‘Count your blessings.’ Timmy thought to himself, as he worked to open his eyes. He felt his eyes open, but he could not see anything for the pervasive darkness. He opened his mouth, and he breathed! What ever was in store, Timmy thought to himself, at least I can breathe. He reached up his hands to his face.

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He touched his face with his hands. He had eyes. He had a nose. He opened his mouth, and tried to speak. Nothing came out, but he could open his mouth. Timmy was greatly relieved. He had a whole face. Timmy signed deeply, and strained to see if he could see anything. You ever wish for something…, like, really hard… Only to seriously regret it just as soon as it happens? Timmy now knew that feeling.

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As Timmy looked around, straining to see, the world around him began to come into focus. The regret soon followed because… Timmy soon realized he was standing… in a graveyard!

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Well, My Dear Readers, that brings us to the end of Part Five of ‘The Horror in Smithville’ here at The Other Shoe. Today, you met… ‘The Tall Man’. This is the meeting that I had forgotten when I wrote the last of Part Four. With last week’s episode… corrected and today’s episode done. Now we can move forward, next week, with more of the story to unfold.

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I hope that everyone has enjoyed our adventure, today. I hope that you remember to ‘Share’! I just love to see your ‘Likes’, yet it is your ‘Shares’ that get more My Dear Readers coming to visit and read. We leave with Timmy standing in a graveyard, Archer nowhere to be seen. Nobody knows what is going to happen, next. Not even me!

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I look forward to spinning even more of this tale, just for you My Dear Readers. So, drop on by next week on Thursday for more of ‘The Horror in Smithville’. Well, drop by anytime and take some time away from the daily grind and read. Again, thanks for dropping by and I do really hope that you enjoyed today’s episode.

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Thank You!

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