A/N: Hey! There was a prologue here earlier. But I decided I like this
version better. It's also a nice way to start the story. Hope you enjoy
this one better. Please review to tell me what you think about the
improvement or vice versa. K.O? Thank you bunches!
****
Rae Barone plops down for the first time that evening. Her old, dusty couch enveloping her body. Although it is older than her twenty-five years, it is very comfortable.
While Rae's style is quite opposite her run-down cabin, she does not have the money to improve. Not all authors are lucky enough to hit it big with their first book. Nevertheless, Rae is everything but unhappy.
Rae lets an exasperated sigh release her mouth. Her eyes wander around her shack for something to occupy her time. It is hard to believe that not even two minutes prior she was wishing for time to relax. Her brown eyes fall upon her Grandmother's old, dirty bookshelf.
"Reading never hurts. If I am going to do something, better it be productive."
She chuckles at herself. "Here I go talking to myself again."
Rae starts to hum a happy tune while she scans her many books for something good.
"Let's see.....hmm...." she clicks her tongue indecisively. "The Prayer, read it; A Walk to Remember, seen it; Kiss the Girls, no thank you. Hmm? Ooo! Here's one! Secret Window, Secret Garden!"
She grabs the book and drags her feet back to her couch.
"Funny, I don't remember purchasing this one." She glances at the author. "No wonder, it's by Stephen King." She turns the book over and looks at the picture of him. "Freak," she says with a disgusted look. "Might as well give it a shot."
She opens the book and a stale scent reaches her nose. "Woo! I guess I need to clean a little bit more, huh?" She looks at her dog lying on his bed across the room. "Fine, don't answer me. I guess you'll be getting dry food tonight, Peanut." His ears shoot up and he glances over to her and whimpers. "Ha, ha! I knew that would get your attention."
She begins to read the first page.
Quite suddenly a loud, protrusive knock interrupts her silent reading. She slightly jumps at the unwelcoming sound. Her dog, Peanut, runs into her bedroom. "Wimp!" Rae yells after him.
Again the intruder knocks. This time with more force and growing impatience.
She places her book on her rickety coffee table and trudges to the door.
Again, it knocks.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She silently curses at the person's arrogance.
When she reaches the swinging door, she hesitates to open to the lurking shadow before her. She finally gains the courage to open the door.
A man appears in front of her. His shoulders slump and his back arcs downward.
The man before her is cloaked in a long, black jacket and black pants to match. His skin is white with dark brown, matted hair that touches his shoulders. His beard is identical to his hair. Atop his head sits a large, black hat. His green eyes are deep and glazed over.
He smiles. His teeth are crooked and yellowed with age.
Rae shivers. She doesn't know if it is the chilly, autumn night amidst the woods of South Carolina or the appearance this man carries.
"Hello Ma'am. How are you this evenin'?" The man's voice is deep and slow. He pronounces his words with such indulgence. He lingers upon every syllable he speaks.
"My name is Henry Wallace of Richmond. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Mr. Wallace. I'm Rae Barone. It's a pleasure to meet you too."
He puts his hand out in gesture for her to shake it. His nails are yellow and brittle; his skin dry and cracked. They are the hands you would see upon a farmer.
Rae hesitates to take his hand but does not want to be impudent.
His grasp his firm. The handshake lasted but a moment. To Rae, it was but a moment too long. A smile grows upon his face once again.
"I don't want to sound impolite, Mr. Wallace, but what is a man from Richmond doing here in Tashmore Creek?" Rae rubs her arms to create friction to warm her body.
"I'm visitin' my family 'cross the river. I was over by this way on account of I was lookin' for some firewood. I decided that I wanted to explore a little."
"Well with that said, why are you knocking on my door at ten o'clock in the evening?"
"You mean to tell me you don't remember?"
"Obviously not."
"You called to me, Ms. Barone. Several times to be exact. I would like to know how you know my name 'fore I told it to you, is all."
Rae's eyebrows arch. "I called to you? Is that what you say? Mr. Wallace, for the past five hours I have been writing my fanny off. Now, if this is your idea of a joke, than you are certainly taking pranks to another level. And anyways, I don't even know you let alone your name." Rae grew agitated.
"But I heard it from yonder." He points deep into the woods behind him.
"This is not funny, Mr. Wallace. I don't doubt that you heard something, but I would like to know why you are on my doorstep accusing me?"
Mr. Wallace steps up onto the second step leading to the entrance where Rae stood.
"No one is around for miles, Missy. So if it ain't you who was callin', than who in the devil was it? Now, I don't mind a funny joke once and 'gain, but I don't like folks messin' with my mind. Now, while I was in those woods choppin' fire wood, I heard a young lady call my name several times. If'n it wasn't you and the only house 'round here is two miles than my imagination is foolin' me. I may be old, Missy, but I's certainly ain't delusional."
Mr. Wallace was now only inches from Rae's face. His breath smells of tobacco and peppermint.
"And I am telling you for the second time that it was not me! Ask my damn dog!"
"Ms. Barone, if you think that I am foolish enough to talk to a dog, than we have a problem here."
"Mr. Wallace, if you think that I am foolish enough for you to convince me that I was calling to you, than we definitely have a problem here. Now, I don't appreciate you disturbing me in the middle of the night making accusations. I apologize for whatever you may have heard, but there is a time to draw the line. That time is now. If you would be so kind as to leave my property and return to your family, it would be much obliged."
With that, Rae closes the door and locks it behind her. She stands off to the side, out of sight until he retreats back to the woods.
"What a whack-job," Rae says to Peanut as he finally comes out of hiding.
"A lot of help you were, Peanut!" He whimpers.
Rae returns to her couch and picks up her book.
Not even two seconds after, her electricity flickers out. "Great."
She gets up and feels for her fireplace. When she reaches it, she searches for wood to burn. None. "Even more great."
Rae whimpers. "Now I have to go outside where the freaky pilgrim was."
She stumbles to the door and unlocks it. Stepping outside, a chilly wind hits her face. She shivers.
A stick cracks from the edge of the woods. She jumps. "Oh man, this sucks," she says in regards to the pitch blackness of the calm forest.
She grabs four pieces of pine and runs back into her cabin. Finally reaching the fireplace, hands shaking, she places the wood in the pit. Searching for the matches, she hears the sound of something fall. Again, she jumps.
Peanut runs over to her and sticks his head in her lap. "It's probably just the wind. It must've knocked over the pile of wood." He licks his lips. "You are a bigger baby than I am."
Again, the noise breaks the silence. This time, there is no soothing her or the dog. "Just breathe. Light this damn fire and breathe."
The faint sound of a female whispering engulfs her ears. "Oh my word. Just breathe, Rae, just breathe."
Again, it whispers. This time, Rae makes out her words.
"Raaaaeee." It was louder this time. "Raaaaeee."
Rae strikes the match and lights the wood as quickly as her tiny hands allow.
The room is finally lit.
Again, the sound of something falling protrudes. Rae glances at her door. She had forgotten to lock it. She dodges to it and clicks the lock as quick as possible. The door starts to shake violently. "Go away!" She screams. "Go the fuck away!"
The door stops shaking and the voices stop calling.
"What the hell was that?" Rae asks her dog. All he does is whimper.
Rae picks up her phone in attempt to call her best friend, Mort Rainey.
Before she dials, she listens for a tone. There is nothing but silence. "Hello?" Again, silence. The line suddenly clicks dead. A dial tone is heard. She shakily dials Mort's number. "555-9012," she says aloud as she dials.
"Hello?" A female voice answers. Rae rolls her eyes.
"Hi, is Mort around?"
"Don't you know what time it is?"
"Put him on, now," Rae snaps. She never liked his girlfriend, Joanne. Joanne had a thing for accusing Rae of everything that went wrong in their relationship.
"Hello?" a deep voice asks. Rae knew that this wasn't the bimbo.
"You are still with her?" Mort laughs at Rae's comment.
"Yes, Rae. I am. Do you realize that it is 10:45 on a Monday night?'
"You act like it's really late."
"For me, it is."
"Big baby."
"What's on your mind?" Mort asks. He can always tell when something is wracking Rae's brain.
"Do you think you could come down here tomorrow afternoon without the bimbo?"
"Sure, why?"
"Something weird is going on down here. I'll tell you all about it when you get here."
"Alright, see you then. Love you."
"Love you, too. Bye." Rae hangs up the receiver.
She looks around the room without moving a single muscle. "Up, Peanut." She gestures for her dog to come up onto the couch. Willingly, he does.
"Maybe it was just that old man trying to scare me." No matter how much Rae tries, she cannot stop thinking about what just happened. She almost shit her pants.
Little does Rae Barone know that something or someone is waiting for her in the woods of South Carolina.
A/N: I did not mean to offend anyone with the Stephen King line. I personally like him, but my character does not.
****
Rae Barone plops down for the first time that evening. Her old, dusty couch enveloping her body. Although it is older than her twenty-five years, it is very comfortable.
While Rae's style is quite opposite her run-down cabin, she does not have the money to improve. Not all authors are lucky enough to hit it big with their first book. Nevertheless, Rae is everything but unhappy.
Rae lets an exasperated sigh release her mouth. Her eyes wander around her shack for something to occupy her time. It is hard to believe that not even two minutes prior she was wishing for time to relax. Her brown eyes fall upon her Grandmother's old, dirty bookshelf.
"Reading never hurts. If I am going to do something, better it be productive."
She chuckles at herself. "Here I go talking to myself again."
Rae starts to hum a happy tune while she scans her many books for something good.
"Let's see.....hmm...." she clicks her tongue indecisively. "The Prayer, read it; A Walk to Remember, seen it; Kiss the Girls, no thank you. Hmm? Ooo! Here's one! Secret Window, Secret Garden!"
She grabs the book and drags her feet back to her couch.
"Funny, I don't remember purchasing this one." She glances at the author. "No wonder, it's by Stephen King." She turns the book over and looks at the picture of him. "Freak," she says with a disgusted look. "Might as well give it a shot."
She opens the book and a stale scent reaches her nose. "Woo! I guess I need to clean a little bit more, huh?" She looks at her dog lying on his bed across the room. "Fine, don't answer me. I guess you'll be getting dry food tonight, Peanut." His ears shoot up and he glances over to her and whimpers. "Ha, ha! I knew that would get your attention."
She begins to read the first page.
Quite suddenly a loud, protrusive knock interrupts her silent reading. She slightly jumps at the unwelcoming sound. Her dog, Peanut, runs into her bedroom. "Wimp!" Rae yells after him.
Again the intruder knocks. This time with more force and growing impatience.
She places her book on her rickety coffee table and trudges to the door.
Again, it knocks.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She silently curses at the person's arrogance.
When she reaches the swinging door, she hesitates to open to the lurking shadow before her. She finally gains the courage to open the door.
A man appears in front of her. His shoulders slump and his back arcs downward.
The man before her is cloaked in a long, black jacket and black pants to match. His skin is white with dark brown, matted hair that touches his shoulders. His beard is identical to his hair. Atop his head sits a large, black hat. His green eyes are deep and glazed over.
He smiles. His teeth are crooked and yellowed with age.
Rae shivers. She doesn't know if it is the chilly, autumn night amidst the woods of South Carolina or the appearance this man carries.
"Hello Ma'am. How are you this evenin'?" The man's voice is deep and slow. He pronounces his words with such indulgence. He lingers upon every syllable he speaks.
"My name is Henry Wallace of Richmond. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Mr. Wallace. I'm Rae Barone. It's a pleasure to meet you too."
He puts his hand out in gesture for her to shake it. His nails are yellow and brittle; his skin dry and cracked. They are the hands you would see upon a farmer.
Rae hesitates to take his hand but does not want to be impudent.
His grasp his firm. The handshake lasted but a moment. To Rae, it was but a moment too long. A smile grows upon his face once again.
"I don't want to sound impolite, Mr. Wallace, but what is a man from Richmond doing here in Tashmore Creek?" Rae rubs her arms to create friction to warm her body.
"I'm visitin' my family 'cross the river. I was over by this way on account of I was lookin' for some firewood. I decided that I wanted to explore a little."
"Well with that said, why are you knocking on my door at ten o'clock in the evening?"
"You mean to tell me you don't remember?"
"Obviously not."
"You called to me, Ms. Barone. Several times to be exact. I would like to know how you know my name 'fore I told it to you, is all."
Rae's eyebrows arch. "I called to you? Is that what you say? Mr. Wallace, for the past five hours I have been writing my fanny off. Now, if this is your idea of a joke, than you are certainly taking pranks to another level. And anyways, I don't even know you let alone your name." Rae grew agitated.
"But I heard it from yonder." He points deep into the woods behind him.
"This is not funny, Mr. Wallace. I don't doubt that you heard something, but I would like to know why you are on my doorstep accusing me?"
Mr. Wallace steps up onto the second step leading to the entrance where Rae stood.
"No one is around for miles, Missy. So if it ain't you who was callin', than who in the devil was it? Now, I don't mind a funny joke once and 'gain, but I don't like folks messin' with my mind. Now, while I was in those woods choppin' fire wood, I heard a young lady call my name several times. If'n it wasn't you and the only house 'round here is two miles than my imagination is foolin' me. I may be old, Missy, but I's certainly ain't delusional."
Mr. Wallace was now only inches from Rae's face. His breath smells of tobacco and peppermint.
"And I am telling you for the second time that it was not me! Ask my damn dog!"
"Ms. Barone, if you think that I am foolish enough to talk to a dog, than we have a problem here."
"Mr. Wallace, if you think that I am foolish enough for you to convince me that I was calling to you, than we definitely have a problem here. Now, I don't appreciate you disturbing me in the middle of the night making accusations. I apologize for whatever you may have heard, but there is a time to draw the line. That time is now. If you would be so kind as to leave my property and return to your family, it would be much obliged."
With that, Rae closes the door and locks it behind her. She stands off to the side, out of sight until he retreats back to the woods.
"What a whack-job," Rae says to Peanut as he finally comes out of hiding.
"A lot of help you were, Peanut!" He whimpers.
Rae returns to her couch and picks up her book.
Not even two seconds after, her electricity flickers out. "Great."
She gets up and feels for her fireplace. When she reaches it, she searches for wood to burn. None. "Even more great."
Rae whimpers. "Now I have to go outside where the freaky pilgrim was."
She stumbles to the door and unlocks it. Stepping outside, a chilly wind hits her face. She shivers.
A stick cracks from the edge of the woods. She jumps. "Oh man, this sucks," she says in regards to the pitch blackness of the calm forest.
She grabs four pieces of pine and runs back into her cabin. Finally reaching the fireplace, hands shaking, she places the wood in the pit. Searching for the matches, she hears the sound of something fall. Again, she jumps.
Peanut runs over to her and sticks his head in her lap. "It's probably just the wind. It must've knocked over the pile of wood." He licks his lips. "You are a bigger baby than I am."
Again, the noise breaks the silence. This time, there is no soothing her or the dog. "Just breathe. Light this damn fire and breathe."
The faint sound of a female whispering engulfs her ears. "Oh my word. Just breathe, Rae, just breathe."
Again, it whispers. This time, Rae makes out her words.
"Raaaaeee." It was louder this time. "Raaaaeee."
Rae strikes the match and lights the wood as quickly as her tiny hands allow.
The room is finally lit.
Again, the sound of something falling protrudes. Rae glances at her door. She had forgotten to lock it. She dodges to it and clicks the lock as quick as possible. The door starts to shake violently. "Go away!" She screams. "Go the fuck away!"
The door stops shaking and the voices stop calling.
"What the hell was that?" Rae asks her dog. All he does is whimper.
Rae picks up her phone in attempt to call her best friend, Mort Rainey.
Before she dials, she listens for a tone. There is nothing but silence. "Hello?" Again, silence. The line suddenly clicks dead. A dial tone is heard. She shakily dials Mort's number. "555-9012," she says aloud as she dials.
"Hello?" A female voice answers. Rae rolls her eyes.
"Hi, is Mort around?"
"Don't you know what time it is?"
"Put him on, now," Rae snaps. She never liked his girlfriend, Joanne. Joanne had a thing for accusing Rae of everything that went wrong in their relationship.
"Hello?" a deep voice asks. Rae knew that this wasn't the bimbo.
"You are still with her?" Mort laughs at Rae's comment.
"Yes, Rae. I am. Do you realize that it is 10:45 on a Monday night?'
"You act like it's really late."
"For me, it is."
"Big baby."
"What's on your mind?" Mort asks. He can always tell when something is wracking Rae's brain.
"Do you think you could come down here tomorrow afternoon without the bimbo?"
"Sure, why?"
"Something weird is going on down here. I'll tell you all about it when you get here."
"Alright, see you then. Love you."
"Love you, too. Bye." Rae hangs up the receiver.
She looks around the room without moving a single muscle. "Up, Peanut." She gestures for her dog to come up onto the couch. Willingly, he does.
"Maybe it was just that old man trying to scare me." No matter how much Rae tries, she cannot stop thinking about what just happened. She almost shit her pants.
Little does Rae Barone know that something or someone is waiting for her in the woods of South Carolina.
A/N: I did not mean to offend anyone with the Stephen King line. I personally like him, but my character does not.
