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Tommy Myers and his best friend, Shawn Jinks, were crouched behind several large, full bushes, shielding them from what seemed to be evil watching eyes of the old Miller Mansion. The old two-story home was built over one hundred years ago. The year was 1891. Having been lived in and remodeled numerous times through the years, had helped keep the structure solid and stable through the years. The old home, though, had seen its share of tragedy and strange happenings. In 1901, a fire that did little damage overall to the house itself killed a family of five. The year 1935 brought a father that woke during the night of a fierce storm, and murdered his wife and three children. A child was found dead in 1951 inside the abandoned house, apparently having fallen down the steep staircase. A tornado also did slight damage in the mid 1960’s. And sometime around 1971, the stories and legends and began. Each year, several days before Halloween, the legends would circulate, reaching their highest level on Halloween night. Rumors that ghosts of men, women, and children could be seen roaming inside the home and outside around the grounds; lights floating inside, passing in front of windows. Strange sounds being heard during the night on various evenings through the years. Even reports of the smell of fire and smoke being smelled – though never a trace of fire being found. But the worst situation…three teens that disappeared on Halloween four years before. Friends had dared the boys to go into the house. The friends waited for the three boys to return. But they never did. They simply vanished. Therefore, to Oakwood, Louisiana residents, the old Miller Mansion was nothing less than haunted. Tommy and Shawn were, of course, well aware of that. Neither really believed in ghosts, but being young boys, they still weren’t totally giving up the idea. “Then let’s get out of here, man,” Shawn suggested. The boy hadn’t had any desire to approach the old house, much less step foot inside. Tommy answered his friend. “No way! We’re going in there, take come pictures for proof that we were actually here, and then tomorrow we’ll be famous.” The lanky, blond teen began double-checking his backpack, making sure he had what they needed. Shawn Jinks began checking his Timex Indiglo watch. “Well, it’s getting late. I gotta be home soon. So whatever we’re gonna do, we better do it.” Shawn felt his bravery and resolve beginning to slip. But he didn’t want his fear to be seen by his buddy, Tommy. Tommy Myers was a tough guy. He played the tough guy part each day of his life. But Shawn knew that below the hard, tough shell, Tommy was scared and lonely. Shawn had always admired Tommy. And he always would. But Tommy had many reasons to try to be and act tough. He and his family had to deal with a high level of poverty. Tommy had a mother had long been addicted to pain- killers and other drugs, due to a car wreck injury from several years before. Being constantly on these drugs, all his mother did was sleep. And if that wasn’t enough, Tommy had an abusive father. His father was unemployed, primarily because of alcoholism. He had not been able to keep a job for many months now. Shawn knew that when Tommy’s father came home drunk, he spewed curse words, broke and threw things all over the house, always ending up physically beating the whole family, especially Tommy. The young boy was coming to a place where he felt he hated his father. His father had also spent several months in a hospital for depression and attempted suicide. Shawn knew all of this added up to that Tommy looked forward to a life and future with very little hope. Yet, Tommy had great hope in such a good friend in Shawn. He just wasn’t mature enough to realize it. “Come on, dude. Relax! There ain’t nothing to be scared about. We’ll be fine.” Shawn couldn’t believe his ears. “Relax? Tom, guys have disappeared in that house right there in front of us – three guys kind of like us. Not to mention, it was Halloween jut like tonight.” Tommy looked at his friend and started laughing. Finally, he grabbed his backpack and took from it two Motorola walkie-talkies. He turned both radios on and handed one to Shawn. He spoke softly. “Let’s go. Inside we can keep in touch with each other on the radios. Shawn thought in his mind that that there was no way that he was going to separate from his friend. Shawn followed his leader friend. They left the cover of the bushes that sat immediately across from the house. Seeing no one brave enough to be at the Miller Mansion on such a frightening night, the two boys sprinted across the street and stepped through a deteriorated section of fence that surrounded the house. They stopped in the shadows of the house and yard. “How do we get in?” Shawn asked. Tommy shrugged. ‘I’ve always heard that the place is closed and locked up tight. But it looks like from here that the front door is open.” Shawn and Tommy headed in that direction, when Shawn pulled up, grabbing his friend by the arm. “Did you see that?” He asked Tommy, pointing to the upstairs area of the house. “See what?” Tommy asked. Shawn continued, with fear in his voice. “I saw a light flash in the window upstairs.” Tommy laughed again. “Man, get real. There ain’t no ghost-light floating around this place. So stop being a baby and let’s get inside before the cops show up.” Shawn again refused to let his friend continue. “I’m serious, you goofball! I saw a light. It was just for a second – but I know I saw it!” “Probably just a reflection in the glass. Now come on!” Tommy said very sarcastically. Shawn breathed deeply and said, “I sure hope your right.” The wooden front porch popped and groaned under the boy’s weight. Approaching the front door, they indeed found it slightly ajar. “Oh, man,” Shawn said, “Why is that door open?” “Be quiet. The wind probably blew it open.” Tommy reached his hand out and carefully pushed open the front door. The hauntingly, eerie, creaking of the door made the young boys want to run for their lives from the house, though both fought not to show any signs of that. Walking to the center of what was a foyer of the house, Shawn and Tommy had to cover their nose and mouth, trying to grow accustomed to the smell of the old building. “Man, it sure stinks in here. This is nasty,” Tommy said. Shawn wouldn’t remove his hand from his mouth to even speak or answer his friend. As the boys stood still in the old entrance, Shawn finally found the desire to speak. “Where should we start?” Shawn asked. “I think upstairs,” Tommy said. “All the ghost stories talk about the upstairs area of the house. That’s where we start.” “Upstairs is also where I just saw that light a few minutes ago.” Shawn swallowed and looked up the stairs. Tommy turned and faced his friend in frustration. “Don’t start that light stuff again. There ain’t no light! Can’t you understand that?” The thirteen-year-old, slightly overweight, brunette teen nodded, then hit Tommy on the arm. Tommy barely flinched. Slowly walking, the boys felt as if they would never reach the stairs. A high level of fear made everything seem to move in slow motion. Not to mention, that Shawn felt that if they actually ventured up the stairs, they would never return. Shawn suddenly couldn’t get the three boys who had vanished in the house out of his mind. Those three young men were doing exactly what he and Tommy were about to do. He began to feel foolish for being in the mansion. Shawn tried to fight the powerful urge to start crying. But cry in front of his best friend? No way! Shawn would never hear the end of it. The first step onto the stairway was the hardest. The steps to follow wouldn’t be any easier. But most of all, the following steps weren’t needed, and most of all shouldn’t be happening. Even in his young years, Shawn felt his life was actually in danger. Tommy and Shawn were about half way up the stairway, when out of the blue, the two boys heard a blood-chilling scream. The scream was faint, but still audible from somewhere inside the house. “Wow! Did you hear that?” Tommy asked. “Yea, I heard it,” Shawn said. Before either boy could speak again, another scream ran out again. This second scream was more faint than the first. The second scream was all that Shawn needed. “I’m outta here! Come on!” Shawn jumped the so fast it even surprised Tommy. Shawn never looked back. He bolted through the front without bothering to close it. Tommy never moved. He stood looking at the door his best friend has just departed through. He slowly shook his head in disappointment at his friend. Tommy turned back toward the top of the stairs. His eyes suddenly widened. Standing at the top of the stairs was a man. As fear assaulted Tommy, that same fear quickly began to subside. Especially as he began to recognize the man. In the few seconds he stood looking at the man, he realized the man was his father. “Dad? What are you doing here?” Tommy suddenly realized he was in trouble. “The question is…what are you doing here?” The father had fire dancing in his eyes. His fists were clenched. “Well,” he stuttered, “Me and Shawn were just messing around having some fun.” He turned to look for support from his friend that was no longer with him. “Was that you screaming, dad?” Tommy asked hopefully. Herbert Myers stepped down until he was on the step above his son. “Do you have any idea the dilemma you have put me in? No one is supposed to be in this house.” His blood shot eyes drilled into his son. Tommy suddenly felt an eerie sense from his father. Something was wrong. Very wrong. “Have you been drinking, dad?” Tommy asked. He felt sure his father was drunk. Alcohol was always the culprit for his father’s strange and embarrassing behavior and actions. Especially the beatings and abuse. The young boy still had marks from the last round from his father. His father said again, “No one is to be in this house except for me! This was supposed to be my house, this is my house, and this will always be my house.” Dread ran through Tommy. A sickness began to form in the pit of his stomach. “I don’t understand, dad. We have a house already, remember? We’ve lived there since I was born.” Tommy’s eyes began to fill with tears. His father’s eyes seemed to be filled with confusion for a moment. “This was supposed to be my house! Years ago, my father was in line to buy this house. The Miller family, by very questionable means, bought the house out from under my father. We were left with nothing.” Tears began to run down the elder Myer’s face. “The great master above told me years ago that anyone other than me that entered this dwelling must no longer be allowed to exist.” Tommy’s father hesitated. “You are one of those, son. You broke the rules set by my master.” Tommy now began to cry. “What do you mean, dad? Are you serious?” “You must be punished.” Hate filled Herbert Myer’s heart and was evident on his face. “I’m so very sorry.” “Dad…please! You can’t do this!” Tommy turned to flee, but he was too late. The boy’s father had his hand around his neck. He carried Tommy back up the stairs to the secret places in the house. Several minutes later, another muffled scream filled the dark Halloween night. By the time school began the next morning, a full-scale investigation had began into the vanishing of Tommy Myers. In his second hour class, Shawn Jinks couldn’t help but look across the classroom at his best friend’s empty desk. He wanted to throw up. Tommy Myers would never be seen again. He knew that. Tommy was another number in a line of Halloween disappearances. Shawn Jinks began to quietly cry. The Miller Mansion had gained another life. Things would never be the same, at least until next Halloween. Written
by: Eric S. Hodge - Ringgold, Louisiana
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