rated *

 

Strangers in Creepy Cars

by Elaine

 

Chapter 1                                                

“Oh, it is spooky out here at night,” Diana said to Honey as she nudged a little closer to her friends. They were just in the middle of the parking lot at the local mall, but with all the crazy dressed kids milling around the theater, Due to the fact that Halloween was so near, the festive mood was showing in their clothing. Most of them seemed to be in heavy make up with strangely spiked black hair, and awfully dressed clothing. In the store, window’s pumpkins flashed their orange colored lights that lit up those creepy pumpkins.

The security cars were roving the parking lots but now the flashing lights seemed to be on the other side of the mall.

Someone howled loudly playfully, but it just added to the sense of scary as the girls desperately tried to talk Trixie out of walking all the way home in the dark.

“That fog is kind of creepy Trix, let’s just go wait at the car,” Honey begged as the chill in the air caused a violent shiver up and down her spine. “I know you are angry, but it is safer, taking the ride home with the guys than it is walking in the fog like it is tonight.”

“I am not afraid of the fog, you two can wait at the car for the guys if you want to, but I am going home,” Trixie answered stubbornly.

“But your feet have blisters, because of your shoes being too small,” Diana pointed out. “Do you think you can walk four more miles on those blisters? It is at least four miles back home.”

Trixie just pulled off her shoes tossing them at the BWG wagon and kept on walking barefoot.

“Stall, let’s find a way to stall her,” Diana Lynch said to Honey desperately. Just then, a car drove past with its stereo cranked up as high as it would go. The song that played was so creepy. Trixie recognized the song playing as one nearly always played during their Halloween parties.

At Dawn, They Sleep.

The song was in its chorus. Blood sucking creatures of the night… Nocturnal specter hiding from the light… Cries screaming out every fright… Eagerly awaiting plight

Diana nearly screamed when the guy in the car stopped and rolled down his window. A smoky haze seemed to lift from under the car. Trixie suspected that was smoking motor oil judging by its smell. The man’s hand was the first thing they saw as he rested it on the door jam.

“Are you ladies free tonight,” he asked in a low baritone voice as he leaned out to look at them with his pale skin and deep dark circles around his eyes those long fingers seemed pale and bony. His hair seemed oddly cut very thin and short.

“Ah no buddy, Halloween is next month,” Trixie gasped.

“So, for me Halloween is merely a night for playing,” he laughed some.

Diana shrieked, and held up her necklace that dangled a long silver cross on the end.

“Where is a bottle of Holy Water when we need it?” Honey shouted

“Your friends spooks easy, don’t tell me she believes in the underworld?” The man in the car laughed loudly as he made eye contact with Trixie. “Why are nice girls like you doing out on a night like tonight? Doesn’t your mother have you on a shorter leash little lady?”

“Back off, do not attempt to come out of that car, I carry Mace,” Trixie grabbed a black bottle out of her purse and held it up threateningly. “I also take self defense classes. I’ll kick your butt…”

“Oh you children are funny I’ll introduce myself another time then little lady. Have fun on your spook night.” The man rolled up his window and pulled away from the curb.

“I am not walking tonight.” Honey ran back for the BWG wagon, and unlocked it and jumped inside Honey and Diana both weren’t coming out of there for nothing in the world.

“You guys are funny. He was just playing a joke with his new Halloween costume. It was probably even somebody we know. The voice sounded familiar somehow.” Trixie thought a moment about why the man seemed familiar but dismissed it completely a second later.

“We aren’t walking,” Honey said point blank.

“Okay, I am not waiting on those baboons to realize that we aren’t in that mall either. I am going to the theater. Care to watch a movie with me?” she asked.

“The new Blade is playing.”

“Trixie, not a vampire movie, I would freak out...” Honey gasped.

“Then how about the new Underworld?  That sounds spooky.” Trixie giggled, she was teasing her friends.

“What is Underworld about? Is it about the ocean?” Diana asked curiously.

“Could be.” Trixie giggled again. She finally convinced them to head for the theater and buy tickets popcorn and sodas as well. “My personal favorite is the move from Dusk till Dawn. When are they ever going to make another one of those?”

“Oh Trixie, who cares about those spook movies…?” Honey giggled.

“You like them too?” Trixie protested.

“True, but in the safety of my safe home where they couldn’t possibly get at me through my fathers new security system on the house, then it is fun, but not here.”

“Oh this movie is not about the ocean,” Diana gasped. “I wish Mart were here,” she said skittishly. Diana never was one for scary movies even if she did have an enormous amount of fun with her friends because of being scared of the sickening movie.

“It’s cool, calm down.” Trixie knew her friends were having fun even if they were acting scared. Honey’s giggle proved that Diana joined in the laughter a second later.

She managed to get her friends quieted, but this movie was so gory that even she shivered with fright.

 

 

Chapter 2

“Why can’t we find those girls?” Jim Frayne was getting panicky, it was nearing two hours, and still there was no sign of the girls at home or on the road. He called every friend known to them to see if they went to someone’s house and still nothing. It was time to call their parents about the missing three girls soon.

Brian and Mart did not look forward to this explanation. Their father would be so angry. They would get the lecture about upsetting their sister needlessly and leaving her to fend for herself in the city. Okay a big part of her upset was Brian and his big mouth this time.

“Wait Jim, maybe they didn’t go home,” Brian pointed at the theater getting out as they drove back to the mall for the 6^th time. “I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before, but Trixie loves scary movies. There are two on the billboards. She loves Blade. She thinks he’s hot. It is possible she is calming her temper down with a scary movie. If you had blisters all over your feet, would you walk home or do something else until it was later and then call a taxi to take you home? When Trixie gets angry she feels the need to punish us for her anger and right now she is angry with me.”

“Yes, that is exactly where Bobby gets it from. He watches Trixie do the exact same thing.” Mart agreed with his brother 100%.

“That is as good of a place to search as any,” Dan agreed.

Jim and Dan were elected too check the malls for the girls.

Brian and Mart knew that they would have to notify their parents of their missing sister soon. They drove back too Crabapple farm dealing with that announcement after they dropped Jim and Dan off in front of the theater. Dan headed into the theater that was showing Blade 3 to look for them. After pausing to stare at that big guy that he knew was the main star of the movie, how he mastered the art of using those fancy weapons. No, wonder the girls, thinks he is hot. Dan thought to himself. Maybe I’ll learn some of those moves, cool. Dan didn’t see his friends in this theater so he moved on to the next one that was playing another festive show. This one was geared more for young children it was a Disney production. Na, they are too old for kiddy shows like that,” Dan told himself as he left that theater as well.

That mysterious man in the long black cloak slowly moved from one chair to the next with each passing moment, he crept closer and closer to the girls so slowly they didn’t even notice him behind them with is bloodshot eyes staring at each of them with anticipation. His hair was slicked back, skin deathly pale, his fingernails blackened to a creepy shade of dark purple. All that was on his mind was the thirst. The hungry wild thirst that took over his every sense of reason, all humanity was gone for he had taken the turn, the virus with in his body destroyed what he once was, now he was little more then a wild animal unleashed to walk in the darkness.

Jim interrupted his plan to overhear the girl’s conversation as he decided which one might make an interesting pursuit and which one would only be worth a moments glance.

Suddenly someone climbed over the seat and right past him as he slipped down right next to Trixie. The creepy looking man stopped moving in those seats to stare at the man, that just made a bold move like he did on those girls that he was about to check out.

She screamed in shock of that sudden invasion of her personal space.

“You scared me, you goon,” Trixie gasped.

“Don’t you think the appropriate thing to do would have been to tell us guys about the choice to see this movie,” Jim asked. “We have been worried sick over trying to locate you.”

“Hell no, the appropriate thing to do would have been to tell me that you were seeing someone else,” Trixie said coldly.

“Is the movie any good?” Jim asked as he reached in her popcorn bucket for a handful of corn popping it into his mouth.

“Shush, he’s about to run that Vampire through with the wooden stake. She invited that creepy guy into her house in the middle of that hurricane and then discovered that he was a vampire,” Trixie whispered loudly.

“EW,” Jim gasped. “That was simply gross,” He said soberly. “I am not seeing someone else. Are you going to fault me for having opportunity now? I don’t fault you for having opportunity, I am not stupid ,Trix. I have even been present before when you have been asked out.”

“That isn’t the way it sounded when Brian said it.”

“Brian is stupid,” Jim answered. “He was just angry at you for being so angry at the situation that he lashed out. He already apologized for making it worse to me,” Jim said soberly. “Don’t stay mad please.”  Jim put his arm around her leaning over and kissed her cheek.

“I can stay mad if I want to,” Trixie answered.

“Oh, but I need you, and not someone else, you’re my special girl,” Jim whispered in her ear.

“What?” Trixie gasped, as she turned her head toward him. Jim planted a kiss on her lips through gentle force.

Honey nudged Diana and pointed at Jim and Trixie. “Would you look at that?” she whispered to Diana.

Trixie’s struggle didn’t last for more than a minute before she relaxed. Jim’s kiss went passionate. It was the first time in her entire life that he ever kissed her so passionately. Honey gasped at her best friend’s reaction. Normally she would have never let a guy kiss her like that. This was a complete shock for the best friend of that Diehard tomboy.

“Hey, the ending credits are coming up.’ Honey finally interrupted them both.

“Oh!” Trixie gasped as she let turned her attention toward Honey.

As they headed for the back of the theater, Trixie paused to look at the girl slumped over in the seat in the last row.

“That is a strange way to sleep. Someone should wake her up before she gets a bad neck ache.” Trixie pointed at the young girl slumped precariously in the theater seats.

“No kidding,” Jim agreed as he surveyed the young girl recognizing her as a local girl.

“Nicole, wake up.” Jim knew that girl she was in his class in school. Jim wouldn’t have had to take a year in community college before getting into a decent University. But he didn’t realize that he needed a foreign language until it was too late to do something about it. Although, he graduated high school a year earlier than expected, he was stalled in town until he got that course. The community college was located less then a block away from the high school. It worked out for the better though, because this way he could get a years worth of required courses out of his hair and for a cheaper price in tuitions as well, but since he only had four classes a day, he had time to kill. So after that he volunteered to tutor the high students that needed extra help as a classroom volunteer at the high school. Jim’s ultimate goal was to be a teacher one day. Trixie was happy, because that meant that Jim was still in school for an extra year even if it were just for volunteer work.

Brian usually kidded him about stalling so he wouldn’t have to go to college so quickly, because he would miss Trixie so badly. Down deep Jim knew that was actually the truth, but he normally put on a throw it off sort of air so it didn’t look like he was that big of a chump.

Matthew Wheeler was Jim’s adopted father and the one in charge of his inheritance until he reached 21 years old. He encouraged him to stay home a little while longer if he needed to. He didn’t mind the idea of taking some of those required courses at the community college. The economic savings alone would be huge. He thought that Jim wasn’t quite ready to leave the moment he graduated. Jim was a mature eighteen- year old young man, but still he suffered a lot in his lifetime, losing both his father and then just a couple years later his mother died as well. After that, he suffered through living life with an abusive stepfather that he ran away from and suffered through life on the streets with nothing to his name, but a, silver christening mug and the old family bible, and a will to survive against the odds.

Matt knew that Jim’s life on the road was traumatic, there were things that he lived through still remained unspoken, until he was ready to face it again on his own he was best off at home.

“Oh, what happened?” Nicole woke up feeling dizzy and disoriented.

“We don’t know, but you are going to have an awfully bad neck ache if you don’t wake up soon,” Trixie said soberly.

“Thanks,” Nicole got up and followed them out of the theater. “Thanks, Jim,” she said to him sweetly as she rubbed the side of her neck. She gasped in pain, pulling her hand back discovering there was blood on her hand.

“Ouch, I am bleeding,” she gasped.

“What did you do?” Diana asked as she and Trixie and Honey quickly followed her into the restroom to check to see if she was okay.

“Maybe someone was playing a prank on you when you were asleep?” Trixie asked the young dark haired girl. Nicole was a quiet type of a girl but she was friendly. She often had interests in Jim as a potential boyfriend, but Trixie hadn’t noticed yet. Jim knew it, but he hadn’t even tried to make any moves. His interest in Trixie was to strong to risk losing the opportunity to date Trixie one day soon.

“Maybe, but it kind of hurts….” Nicole answered as she gently washed off the side of her neck with a cloth.

“She’s actually got some marks,” Diana looked closer

“That looks nasty. I wonder who played that prank, it goes beyond clean fun. Would that have been a stun gun mark or something like that?” Trixie wondered.

“You guys were in there. Did you see anything?” Nicole asked them.

“We were in front of you not behind you,” Trixie pointed out. “I am sorry but I didn’t see anything.”

“That is okay,” Nicole answered. “I’ll just head on home I am so tired I could drop right now.”

“Maybe you should go to the emergency room to see if you are okay?” Trixie asked.

“I can’t my family doesn’t have medical insurance. I am sure it was just a prank, I’ll see you guys later.” Nicole headed for her old banged up car and drove away after that.

“I hate to say it, but that looks like a vampire bite,” Honey whispered loudly as they found Jim who was standing with Trixie’s parents and Dan.

“What took you so long in there?” Peter Belden asked his daughter.

“Nicole was just pranked on badly,” Trixie answered.

“What is the big idea, leaving your brothers like that for hours when they didn’t even know where you went?” her father asked her firmly.

“Who cares if they knew where I went,” Trixie said loudly “I am a big girl I can take care of myself.”

“Ha, barefoot in town, you are actually barefoot in a movie theater. Do you know how unsanitary those floors are?” Her mother asked firmly.

“My shoes hurt my feet.” Trixie knew her parents didn’t approve but she sat her jaw stubbornly and protested like a typical teenaged child.

“So you are running around with blisters on your feet and you are letting your feet come in contact with how many germs?” Helen asked her firmly.

“Well so, it’s my feet not yours,” she said bluntly.

“You need an attitude adjustment,” Peter commented.

“No, it looks like you need to buy your daughter better shoes, how inhumane.” An older woman walking past actually sneered openly at her parents. “The president of the bank no less, can’t you get a loan?”

“We’ll see you kids at home,” Peter told Jim, Honey and Diana.

“But we,” Jim looked at Trixie knowing within himself that he really needed to speak to his best girl. She was so pretty at that moment it nearly took his breath away watching her trying to deal with her annoyed parents.

“I bought her a pair of shoes, they are in my car.” Jim pointed at the car in the parking lot. “We had an argument Mr. Belden please don’t be so hard on her. She was extremely upset. Most of that upset was Brian’s fault,” Jim added.

“What did Brian do?” Helen gasped.

“He opened his big mouth about Jim seeing some other girl,” Diana said soberly. “That set Trixie off big time.”

“Are you seeing someone else?” Trixie’s father’s face went instantly sour. “What is this about seeing someone? Just how serious are you with my daughter?”

“Oh geez,” Jim groaned, his stomach churned with actual fright would Mr. Belden have a problem with his daughter actually dating him?

“No, she’s not old enough to be seeing anyone at all. I don’t think so,” Peter said firmly.

“Oh brother,” Helen gasped as she thought instantly that they couldn’t keep sheltering their daughter so much it would make life at home much worse.

“Dad, we are just friends,” Trixie gasped. “Nothing has ever happened past a simple kiss give me a break. You are talking about honorable to a fault Jim there. He wouldn’t know how to spark something serious if my life depended on it.”

“If he’s bought you your shoes then we don’t have to go shopping. What do I owe you for those shoes?” Peter asked Jim.

“I don’t know?” Jim shrugged his shoulders.

“It was out of the Bobwhite fines fund.” Honey jumped forward quickly in efforts to protect her brother from getting another lecture about inappropriate gifts and his reasons for buying her something so expensive.

“You can’t use the fines money for my shoes,” Trixie gasped.

“I’ll just do something stupid to be fined for so it replaces itself,” Jim cringed. “You needed the shoes now and not next payday. I’ll just start cussing or something, that aught to fill the fine jar up real fast,” Jim added.

“Let’s just go home,” Helen groaned.

“My daughter isn’t allowed out on non chaperoned dates,”  Peter told Jim when he ran that box of shoes to the car where Trixie was getting inside.

“I hope they fit. You can exchange them if they don’t.”

“Did you buy the regular priced stuff? I always buy the sales stuff.” Trixie looked down into the box.

“Who cares about the sales? I didn’t have the time to shop the sales aisles for the cheap stuff.” Jim pulled the receipt off the bag and handed them to her.

Peter grabbed the receipt from Jim and looked at it. Then he looked at Jim with a big frown. “5 hundred dollar shoes, you bought 5 hundred dollar shoes. Didn’t anyone ever teach you economics?” He looked shocked “You had 5 hundred dollars in the fine funds at the clubhouse?”

“No way,” Trixie grabbed the receipt. “Oh jeepers, no way, we didn’t have that much in there. We were lucky to have a hundred dollars in there. Jim what are you thinking?”

“I am sorry Trixie. Don’t be angry at me. There is no one else, I love you,” Jim said sincerely.

Helen grabbed Peter’s mouth refusing to let him interrupt when Trixie jumped out of the car into Jim’s arms for a hug.

“I am not mad, it’s okay. I am just mad at Brian for lying,” she added.

“You and me both,” Jim put his arms around her and squeezed her gently. “You are my best friend in the entire world that is special. There is no one that will ever be more in my book that is impossible,” he added. “I do so know how to spark something.”

“Okay, I admit it that isn’t the fines funds. It was my allowance for this month. I don’t need that money. I have plenty in my savings account anyway please if they fit just, keep them.”

“Jim, I could buy shoes for my entire family for that much money.” Trixie pulled back to gasp.

“I know.” Jim nearly teared up, he was so sincere.

“Oh geez,” Peter groaned when he realized that he was being way over panicked for nothing, Jim Frayne was definitely sincere. He could see that a mile away, it was in his eyes.

“Let it go,” Helen told her husband. “He isn’t a bum off the street. He isn’t some street gang drug dealer either. Just let it alone.”

“I’ll be willing to take the chaperoned dating,” Jim turned to say to Peter instantly. “I can get Miss Trask to chaperone for us. Please don’t say no, I am not that old, please?”

“Okay fine,” Peter smiled his face broke into an instant relieved smile. “But if your intentions aren’t above board. I will hunt you like a dog, do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly...” Jim answered with a nod.

“Thanks dad,” Trixie was shocked. This was completely sudden going from just good friends to actually having a boyfriend in less than just a few hours.

“Here,” Jim wrenched off his class ring and handed it to her “I know it is way too big, but keep it.”

“Oh.” Trixie looked down at the ring and smiled her stomach churned with sudden change it frightened her just a little.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jim leaned over for a kiss before he let her go and she got back into her parents car and seat belted down.

 

Chapter 3

Jim called a few minutes after she finished with her shower to speak to her so she took the cordless phone into her bedroom for more privacy.

“Did you get grounded?” Jim asked.

“No, I just got the whole speech about abstaining and safe sex.” Trixie rolled her eyes as she stretched out on her bed.

“That is typical parental issues,” Jim answered. “They just feel it is their job to have those talks with us. I got the same thing a couple years ago from Matthew. He panicked when I gave you that ID bracelet.”

“True and they care about me I understand all that, but really, it wasn’t necessary though right?” Trixie asked.

“Do they approve of chaperoned dating?” Jim asked.

“Yes I think so but when exactly were you going to actually ask me to go somewhere?” Trixie asked. “I haven’t even been allowed to tell you yes or no yet, how fair is that?”

“How does tomorrow night sound? I didn’t get to see that movie and it looked really good.”

“It was but you interrupted right at the ending,” Trixie accused.

“Okay so I did. I’ll buy you a ticket to make up for it.”

“Speaking of buying me something, Jim I am sorry but I really love those new shoes, but my father insists that I return them. He said do you know how many people you can feed in Ethiopia with that much money. As much as I hate to admit it, he is correct. He also worries that since I go to a public school that I might end up mugged for those shoes because the majority of the kids there can’t afford shoes this expensive. He might have a point?”

“He has a point, definitely,” Jim answered. “To tell you the truth I just grabbed a cool looking pair in size seven and tossed them on the counter. I was so upset over where you had gone that I didn’t even pay attention to how much money I actually spent. I would not recommend wearing a pair of shoes that expensive to high school, however if you want them for good. I think you should have them. It might improve your basketball game.”

“No the shoes, isn’t what makes players good. Practice is what makes a player good,” Trixie, answered. “I tell you what, let’s go out tomorrow back to the shoe store and let’s do the buy one get one free shoes. You buy yourself a new pair and I’ll just get one free, how is that?”

“It is a deal,” Jim, answered. “I am glad tomorrow is Saturday so you don’t have to wear the old pair all day long.”

“You and me both, I’ll just wear my old flip flops from summer.”

“Nice plan. I hope tomorrow isn’t a cold day though,” Jim answered.  “We need to think about organizing that fundraiser, do you have any ideas?”

“We need permission from your dad about the haunted house idea.”

“Actually, we already asked permission, and he said that he doesn’t own that particular property. You would need permission from that property owner.”

“Who owns that ground? I was sure your dad did.”

“No, it isn’t owned by him.” Jim just grinned.

“Okay, who owns it? We’ll ask them.”

“You will have to figure that out at the courthouse, I suppose.”

“Your dad normally tries to buy everything. Doesn’t he know who owns it?” Trixie asked.

“He said it was inherited property and the new owner won’t sell because of the family grave yard in behind the house that has been in existence for 200 years.”

“The old house has a graveyard? Oh man, mom never would let us go up there and explore. I had no idea.”

“Apparently, there is some old family curse or secret involved with that house. Dad said the skeletons would rattle someone’s house big time if we weren’t careful. He recommended that we have our Creepy Hollow trail night out in the trails that wound around out by Bobby’s old tree house, but we would have to fence in the area so no one gets lost in the preserve. He also recommended that we put in fake tombstones and make a fake cemetery look like an ancient one, but we should just stay away from private property.”

“Oh, but now I am really curious about that old house and the graveyard out behind it.”

“There is no mystery out there by that old house,” Jim answered.

“Now, Jimmy, you just gave me a mystery,” Trixie giggled.

“Don’t ever call me Jimmy again,” Jim said .

“Oh, but I like that name.”

“Trix, please that is what my mother used to call me.  You even sound like her over the phone,” Jim answered.

“Oh, I am sorry! I didn’t realize.”

“I know you don’t, but it just makes me miss her so badly.”

“I am sorry!”

“Hey, I know it is getting late, but do you want to slip out and down to the clubhouse? We can work on this creepy trail idea of yours. We can do a virtual reality plan on the television. Then we need to start advertising it on the Net, too.  Let’s get some work done on it now.”

“Okay, there is no way I am sleepy now.”

“Don’t bring the whole gang though, just you come this time,” Jim said.

“Oh, I’ll see how easy it is to slip past them then,” Trixie answered as she hung up the phone.

This might prove difficult, normally she just got her brothers and they went over together.

Her parents had gone to bed and so had Bobby, but Brian and Mart were up. They were still watching the late night movie in the living room. This would mean she would have to exit the house through the kitchen and the screen door always squeaked loudly. There had to be another way out of this house. Trixie thought a moment and then she realized the bathroom off of the kitchen had a window large enough to slip out of, but that was practically on top of Reddy’s dog pen, and he would freak out if she left from that side of the house.

Finally, she smiled as the thought struck her. She could get out through the basement cellar doors that opened up on the other side of the house, well away from the living room and the dog, but right under her mother and father’s bedroom window.

She crossed her fingers and hoped for the best when she slipped into the basement and shined her flashlight around at the old underground space. This was not her favorite place in the house. It was creepy down there. The dark shadows cast a scary glow as she carefully stepped past the boxes that were placed down there for storage and the old antique tools that hung on the wall so scary like. Why her father kept those tools in the basement was beyond her, but she always cringed at the thought of what an axe murderer could do with the tools in that big room under the living room. She grabbed the old axe that she nearly knocked off the table on to her foot, just before it fell to the ground but in doing so it hit an old tin cracker barrel and made a tremendous noise.

Trixie nearly shrieked to the top of her lungs, when a big spider crawled over her arm as she tangled herself up in a large cobweb. But she managed to keep herself as quiet as she could.

She just hurried after that up those cellar steps to the cellar doors that would open up after she turned the handle and pulled on the lever.

The handle turned okay, but it grated against metal as it unlocked. Apparently, the hinge hadn’t been oiled in a while because it squeaked.

She closed it and did a little dance as she hit her self, trying to knock off any spiders that might have been on her clothing, as she shook her shirt and shivered badly at the thought of those creepy crawling insects. Then she went running away from the house as fast as she could. Reddy was barking from the other side of the house loud enough to wake the dead.

She just had to hurry, but she dared not to turn on that flashlight. It might alert her brothers as to what was outside. The fog seemed to be thicker then it was earlier at seven Pm, so thick you could barely see. A little fog didn’t scare her at first, but those big old trees moving two and fro, cast a scary shadow where the streetlight pierced the foggy night.

A furry little critter with green glowing eyes turned to stare at her as she hurried along, something growled. Trixie clicked on her flashlight and turned it around the area long enough to make that raccoon scamper away from her in a fast run.

She ducked behind one large tree to the next, as she ran, making her way toward the clubhouse by using her memory as to where she was by counting the trees over there.

By the time she reached there, she was panting from breathlessness.

“What took you so long?” Jim asked her.

“I was trying to avoid my brothers. They were still up watching television downstairs. I snuck out through the basement and up the cellar door, but the noise was loud enough to wake the dead.” She added, “Then I upset a humongous raccoon.”

“That sucks,” Jim laughed. “I am glad my house has multiple entries.”

“That was fun, but I sort of feel badly because normally we plan our events as a group.”

“True, I know, but this time is different because you are currently angry at your brothers. I wanted you over here alone so I didn’t have too listen to you fighting with either of them, plus I am not exactly speaking to Brian either.”

“I never thought about it like that before.” Trixie smiled. “You are not speaking to Brian?”

“Not at the present time, you have no idea.”

“What, are you angry over something else?”

“Sort of, well, it can’t really be sort of.  Yes, I am angry over something else.”

“What is it?” Trixie took a seat beside the computer to ask.

“Honey is so hung up on him it isn’t funny and he knows this. Still, he picks a girl in college to hang out with behind her back so she doesn’t find out about it, because he thinks what she doesn’t know about won't hurt her. He tells me it is just because he is in community college at first before heading out to medical school once he has all his secondary classes finished, plus pre med. What he accused me of doing he really is doing and it ticks me off that he can act holier then thou, when it comes right down to it. He is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.”

“Who is this chick that he is seeing? I’ll run her out of here on a rail!”

“Trixie, that really isn’t fair to the innocent girl, hoping to find lasting love somewhere,” Jim answered. “The real one to blame is Brian because he knows better and he doesn’t even care. I would rather die than be like him.”

“You are right. Now it is time to show that jerk. Honey needs to know about this.”

“I think so too, but if I tell her she is just going to hate me., Jim said soberly.

“She won’t hate me if I tell her,” Trixie answered. “We girls stick together and you know it. I won’t let on as if you told me. I’ll just get proof and ask her for advice on how to run this chick out of his life or something.”

“That is going to really hurt,” Jim groaned.

“It won’t hurt for long believe me. My best friend is capable of moving on. She isn’t going to take this easy she is capable of finding any guy she pleases.”

“Okay.” Jim looked relieved. “I had to listen to him telling me about how I should move on. It wasn’t worth it putting up with your jealous temper half the night. Let’s see how well he handles this when the shoe is on the other foot.”

“Wait, Jim, he does have another girl right?” Trixie asked.

“I guarantee it.  Her name is Jennifer Galveston. He’s seen her on seven different occasions. At first, it started out as just his study partner but then he discovered that she is interesting. They have gone out to dinner once and then the movies. The last time I heard they went out sailing in the Manhattan harbor, because she just loves sailing, she is in pre=med as well. I met her last week.”

“What did she look like?”

“She’s pretty enough. She has long black hair and big brown eyes kind of tall and thin but packing,” He animated with his hands. “She has the curves of a supermodel.”

“Oh, so he is letting his distraction, rule his world?” Trixie groaned.

“Definitely, I can’t tell you that she is a low life because her family has deep roots in Texas. She is in Sleepyside because her mother recently divorced her Texas rancher husband and moved back home to her mothers. I did a little checking. Her father dabbles in oil out on his ranch now because he found a rich enough vein under his property to cash in on. He certainly wouldn’t do badly with her. It is just that I am partial to not hurting my little sister you know.”

“Don’t tell me, let me guess, he lives somewhere near Galveston?” Trixie rolled her eyes.

“I believe so,” Jim answered.

“I don’t know.” Trixie frowned suspiciously. “Something is rotten in Sleepyside.”

Jim’s cell phone rang as he sat next to her and put his arm around her.

“Oh.” Jim grabbed his phone and answered.

“Who is this,” Jim asked his expression changed.  “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know, I don’t have medical insurance and I am getting really scared here. Do you know how to find Brian? He is in pre med right?”

“Have you tried to call him at home?”

“I tried over there but no one answered the phone. Do they have dial up internet, it is always busy.”

“Oh well look the community hospital takes patients without insurance,” Jim said soberly. “I tell you what, I’ll get in my car and come by and pick you up and drive you there. If you take an ambulance, the bill would get really, expensive real fast. Are your parent’s home?”

“No, they are out at the bars about now, but I don’t know which one, why can’t I quit shaking?” She asked.

“I don’t know.  Listen, let me get my car.” Jim pointed at Trixie and motioned for her to follow him.

“What is the matter?” Trixie asked.

“It is Nicole, she is at home alone and something is wrong. She called to see if I could get Brian to help her. She doesn’t have insurance. Come with me I don’t want to go alone right now.”

“Oh, let’s hurry,” Trixie answered.

 

Chapter 4

Fifteen minutes later, they were at the address that Nicole gave them. It was in a poor neighborhood on the opposite side of the school district in a small apartment on the second floor.

“She lives in the projects,” Jim whispered.

“A lot of people live in the projects, so what,” Trixie answered as they hurried to find the apartment number.

“Nicole, we are here, open the door,” Jim said soberly as he knocked.

“Try the door.” Trixie turned the knob and found it to open easily.

“Oh!” Trixie gasped as she had a look around the apartment. It was poorly furnished with sofa’s that had the stuffing coming out of them. Beer cans were everywhere. An old television with a wooden cabinet sat in the corner with old rabbit ears with aluminum foil wrapped around them. A distinct odor was coming from the kitchen area that smelled of rank old fermenting beer.

Jim stifled the urge to gag as he rushed through the apartment. Nicole was in the small bedroom nearly passed out.

“Oh, geez.” Jim took her pulse.

“Is she drugged up?” Trixie asked.

“Well, I don’t know for sure. She just said that she felt worse.” Jim answered.

Jim picked her up and carried her out of the house and to his car. They drove her to the hospital and explained the best they could to the doctor about what happened earlier at the movie theater.

“She should have come in immediately and reported this,” The doctor looked at the marks on her neck as he spoke. “This isn’t the first incident like this lately.”

“What do you mean?” Trixie asked.

“What ever these marks are is beyond me, but so far we have had nearly seven cases just like this all over the county. Each patient that comes in here is treated for a mysterious illness and a severe case of anemia.”

“Why the marks on her neck, though?” Trixie asked the doctor in mild alarm.

“Don’t start with the vampire theory again,” Doc Ferris answered.

“You mean you don’t believe in vampires?” Jim asked.

“Of course not, the only vampire out there is some sadistic Satanist worshiper trying to create some crazy spell that requires a blood sacrifice or something. They are completely human and deranged enough to prey on innocent people. That is all nothing more. My theory is that we might have a atanic cult working in the area.”

“Oh! That wouldn’t be good.” Jim gasped as he looked at Trixie his green eyes so wide she could see the whites all around them.

“Now listen, that is the worst case scenario. I am just speculating here, for all I know there is a mutant spider out there biting people and it is secreting something that is causing this anemia or possible allergic reaction to its venom.”

“Mutant spiders,” Trixie gasped as she started doing the heavy jevie dance.

Jim smiled at her “He is speculating Trixie he doesn’t know what it is yet.” Jim laughed.

The nurse came in with the tests that the doctor ordered. “She is type O negative.”

“Okay.” The doctor read over the charts as the nurse put in an IV line into her arm.

Trixie spoke to the cops out in the lobby while the doctor ran his tests. Jim stayed with Nicole, because she was so scared once she came back to.

“So what do you know about this?” Sergeant Molinson asked Trixie.

“I just know that we saw her in the movie theater lying really funny and completely unconscious. It took Jim and I, nearly a whole minute to wake her back up and then she was really, dizzy. We noticed the blood on her neck and she went in to clean up in the restroom, at the time we thought someone just played a practical joke on her.”

“So was she high on some sort of drug?” He asked.

“I have no idea. I don’t hang out with Nicole so I don’t know what she is into, but the tests came back. I think she was drug free. Jim knows her a little bit better than I do because they are both in the same class at school. I think she is a study freak. She wants to be a teacher she doesn’t hang out with the types that are into drugs.”

“Okay,” Molinson answered. “So far none of our cases with these mysterious marks on their necks are drug addicts.”

“Oh, is this some pattern?” Trixie asked.

“Listen, I would ignore your question completely if I thought it would do any good at all, but I can’t in good conscious do that at this point. So far only the clean cut types are being affected. We haven’t seen even a single case where a pierced up gothic type has been bothered. Halloween is getting closer and the crazies come out of the woodwork about this time every year. I don’t want you investigating anything, do you understand me? This is dangerous.”

“Yes, but if it is mutant spiders they aren’t going to discriminate against a certain type of person Gothic, Prep, Redneck, Aristocrat, it isn’t going to matter who the person is. I don’t think you have enough of a pattern to make a decent profile yet sir.”

“We are aware of that fact. I just hope that this isn’t some nutcase filling up hypodermic needles with the aids virus or something?” Molinson answered.

“That’s the reason, why we are ruling out the possibility of it being a spider bite and leaning toward some Satanic ritual. I don’t want you involved with some Satanic Cult. You are a good girl. I plan on keeping you that way.” He added.

“Okay! But if it starts chasing me down, you better believe I am going to fight back,” she warned.

“Fair enough, just call me if you see anything more.”

“Oh Sarge another thing, A weird man stopped us girls outside in the parking lot.” Trixie remembered to tell him.

“What weird man?” The Sergeant frowned at her curiously.

“He wanted to know if we were available. But he wasn’t dressed like a normal guy. He was pasty pale and really, gross looking. His hands were kind of thin and bony with really long pointed fingernails that were crazy looking. Diana freaked out on him, she even held up a silver cross. I grabbed out my bottle of mace and warned him to back off. He left laughing at us after that, but could that be, what you mean by a satanic cult type of thing? Did we meet that guy?”

“That is what I mean!” Molinson nearly shouted. “Oh man, never take a ride with a creep like that.  Please, Trixie, don’t. Don’t you dare make me have to go out there somewhere and identify your mutilated body one of these days.”

“Well, maybe the guy was just in costume and playing with us?”

“That is possible; but just never, leave with anyone remotely like that unless you know them well enough to know it is just a costume.  Promise me that, Trixie.”

“I am aware. I don’t take rides from strangers anyway.”

“How is she doing?” Trixie asked as Jim came into the lobby.

“They are keeping her over night for observation. She is getting a blood transfusion.” Trixie explained what the Sergeant wanted to tell her.

After Jim finished answering the police questions, he drove Trixie home.

“This is kind of scary. It makes me rethink our fundraising project out in the actual woods. Maybe we should have a warehouse type of haunted house,” Jim suggested.

“Oh those aren’t scary at all,” Trixie groaned. “Let’s just find a way to solve this mystery so it is out of the way before we have to make a decision like that.”

“No but they are safer.”

“Jim, I have news for you, if there is some predator out there messing with people, this isn’t going to stop until he is found and arrested.”

“I know that,” Jim agreed. “I better get you home it is so late it is early.”

Well, at least no one is up. If I am really lucky they won’t know that I was gone all night long. Trixie thought as she quietly entered the house and sneaked to her bedroom so far the coast was clear.

 

Chapter 5

“Would you like a burger from Wimpy’s?” Trixie asked Jim later that afternoon after he arrived to exchange her new shoes. “It’s my treat.”

“Yes, I would love a burger and fries and a milkshake.” Jim winked.

“We might have to stop at the bank for a withdrawel from my savings account for that much.”

“I am kidding, Trix I’ll pay for it.” Jim laughed loudly.

“No, I want to pay.  You just bought me something and for once in my life I didn’t actually fight you over it, now it is my turn, stop at the bank.”

“Trix….”

“Don’t argue with me, I said stop at the bank.”

“Didn’t your dad give you money for those shoes?”

“Yes, but I sort of forgot it in my room. I was going to slip it back in his wallet.”

“Why?” Jim asked.

“Don’t ask, Jim, please.”

“Baby, I know we had that argument about my hoping to buy you nice things and your refusing to take them and how we came to the agreement to lighten up, but really I can afford to buy you lunch. You don’t have to do the fifty/fifty split on gifts now.”

“Jim, yes, I do. Don’t argue again or you can take those shoes right back in there.”

“Hey, have you ever given any thought to modeling?” Jim asked suddenly.

“What? There is no way I am a model,” she gasped.

Jim picked up the flyer that lay on the floor of his car and handed it to her. “I think Diana left that in here. Look it says they are looking for all types of personalities and figures. It says previous experience not required and it says the most wanted of all on the list is the wide-eyed innocent blue-eyed blond haired teenager.”

“What it does not.” She grabbed the flyer to read it.

“Oh, Diana has circled the part for the commercials, not the modeling work.”

“She isn’t the blue-eyed blond hair beauty so why bother with that?  It’s a dead end for her.”

“How much would something like that pay, I wonder?”

“I am sure it is more then nothing and less then a million?” Jim shrugged his shoulders. He handed her his cell phone and said. “Dial the number, make an appointment. The worse that can happen is they hire someone else. How hard can it be posing for the camera?”

“Have you heard of this company before is it reputable?” Trixie asked.

“Yes, Dad does business through that company. He normally calls them up and puts an order in for the type of model he is interested in and they send him a sample of the photos that they have for him to choose from. Most advertisers do it the same way.”

“Hey, Jim, don’t forget the diner. I am starving.” Trixie pointed at the diner as they started to passit.

 

Chapter 6

Jim zipped into the restaurant that Trixie pointed to and they hurried inside for dinner.

The diner was quiet, there weren’t too many people inside but Trixie’s keen eye spotted a man sitting at the front bar with his back to them. His hair was all slicked back.

That suit he wore looked ancient although perfectly pressed to pristine condition.

“May I take your order?” The waitress asked.

“I’ll have the fish sandwich and an order of fries and a piece of apple pie alamode. I would also like a large cola.” Jim looked over at Trixie who was still staring at that man who calmly sat there eating his pie.

“Sweetheart, she is waiting for your order.” Jim nudged her with his hand.

“Oh.” Trixie stopped staring at that man and looked up at the waitress. That seemed to look a bit on the pale side herself. She noticed a bandage on the side of her neck when she brushed a fly away from her face.

“I’ll have the salad and the loose meat burger and a diet soda please.”

“Is that all?” Jim asked.

“That is enough,” Trixie answered.

The waitress hurried away.

Jim leaned forward with a curious frown. “You said you were famished.”

“My idea of famished is not Mart's idea of famished.”

“What is it that has you distracted?”

“See that guy over there. I think he is the guy that spooked Diana so badly last night.” Trixie pointed at him.

Jim squinted, his eyes trying to get a better look.

“Okay, but it isn’t illegal for a guy to roll down a window and stop to say hello.” Jim pointed out. “Maybe he has cancer or something. Don’t be too hard on a guy just because he isn’t healthy, that is mean.”

“I know, but we should get his license number at least.”

“Thank you, Mr. Johnson, have a nice evening,” the waitress said to the man as he got up to leave.

“You two, little lady...” the man said in that low baritone voice as he touched her hair as he walked past.

Trixie blinked as the man turned around and she got a glimpse of his face. He was deathly pale too. Several people got up to leave at the same time and suddenly everyone in this diner seemed to be deathly pale.

“I am not eating here,” Trixie whispered to Jim.

“Okay, this is creeping me out,” Jim whispered. “It is getting late. Let's get the heck out of this side of town.”

He and Trixie jumped up. Jim tossed the money on the table, and the two of them hurried to the car. Jim sped off without even waiting for his date to get her seatbelt on.

“They aren’t following us, are they?” Trixie kept looking back through the rear window.

“Well, someone in an ancient Cadillac hasn’t pulled around us yet,” Jim answered.

“I got the number down. It is Jarred 45, they looked jarred big time. Have you ever seen a diner so quiet before when there were that many people in it and why the heck didn’t it have windows that let light inside? And how often do that many people finish a meal and leave at the exact same time? It is impossible. Food doesn’t come at the same time. There are only so many cooks. Diners don’t serve fast food.”

“I know all that. Look at how dark those windows are, in that Cadillac back there, you can’t even see the driver, is that even legal?” Jim asked.

“Oh how creepy,” Trixie groaned. “Oh traffic. Don’t stop for that bridge! Jim, can you beat that opening bridge?”

“The gates just went down,” Jim answered. “It is illegal to pass the closing gate.”

“Ram it, don’t stop now.”   Trixie was way overpanicked and it showed. “This feels like a trap. We are going to be trapped by those creepy guys. I don’t want to become a zombie or a vampire either.”

Jim just down shifted his father's car and popped the clutch as he gunned it that car narrowly missed the closing guard, rail and as the bridge began to open. The cars power wound out gunning to its full capacity as he lifted up and over to the other side of the bridge. He rolled off the other side and zipped around the closed gate on the other side.

“This is going to get me a ticket.” Jim groaned.

“No, call Molinson.  That was too creepy for words.” Trixie grabbed his cell phone out of his front pocket as she spoke.

“Del, this is Trixie Belden here,” Trixie said into the phone. “Listen, about that case you are working on. I might or might not have something for you to investigate. Do you know a Van Helsing in the area?” ahe asked him suddenly. “Jim and I were just downtown here by the opening bridge area.”

“What?” He gasped. “Why do you need a Van Helsing?”

“Well, do you? I think we must find one.”

“Trixie, my mother’s maiden name is Van Helsing, what does that got to do.” He stopped mid-sentence. “Trixie, vampires are myths, folklore, and...”

“Del, what Jim and I just saw was too creepy for words and it is back at that diner. It was like a bad episode of From Dusk till Dawn about to happen.”

“What diner?” Dell asked.

“It’s out on Washington and Industrial Connections. We were coming home down Industrial Connections and about a mile before you come to the old Continental Bridge. It was the Baker Diner, have you ever eaten there before?”

“No, that place is a dive. I would be afraid of the food.”

“What Jim and I saw there was way too creepy for words. They were like zombies or something coming out of that back room and then all the people from the front left right behind them. We didn’t eat there we just left right after ordering, Jim tossed the money to the table and we skedaddled.”

Trixie explained the details. “I know Jim ran through that gate at the bridge and we ramped the bridge too but don’t give him a ticket. I am not kidding we were surrounded by those creeps on all three sides. We were scared to stay and wait for that bridge.”

“Don’t worry about the ticket. I’ll speak to traffic control,” Del promised. “Did you get license numbers?’

“One was Jarred 45. It was right behind us. The car was an ancient old Cadillac from out of the 70’s. It was black, even the windows was so black you couldn’t see inside. Only its hood ornament wasn’t a Cadillac emblem. It was a bat the figure of a golden bat.”

“I got it. Don’t panic so much. It could just be a coincidence. I’ll have a look and tell you what I think, but in the meantime just go home and stay there until I can give you the all clear.”

“Okay.” She looked away. “Oh, he wanted us to go home so we don’t get into trouble. But I wanted to swing by the courthouse to see who owns that old house so I can speak to them about having a fundraiser possibly on a trail that leads to but not inside the old graveyard out back.”

“I don’t know that leads to mischief later. I wouldn’t allow it,” Jim shook his head “We should do that someplace safe and easy to find like dad suggested.”

“I still want to know who owns that place. You gave me a mystery Jim.”

“Oh you and your mysteries, we’ll find out who owns it but that doesn’t mean I am changing my mind about asking someone that kind of a favor.”

“Thank you sweetheart…” he said sweetly.

“You are welcome,” he answered. Jim zipped into the drive through of a fast food store and ordered a couple burgers and fries for the both of them they normally never ate on the go, but just this once they had their dinner while driving toward the courthouse.

“There we are,” Trixie smiled as she stuffed all the wrappers back into the brown paper bag when they were finished. “See, your dad will never know his car had open food inside.”

“That is good because he would likely feel the need to kill me for it,” Jim answered. His father had a major thing about eating in a car, for him it just wasn’t done unless during an emergency.

 

Chapter 7

Jim smiled as he got out of the car and dropped the trash in a litter box out in the front of the courthouse. Trixie got out of her side and walked up next to him.

“Let’s go.” Jim held out his hand for her to take it. This was getting more commonplace lately everywhere they walked they did it while holding hands. It didn’t take long before they located the right place in the courthouse to look up properties.

Trixie gave a description of where the property was located and what the house looked like to the lady standing there waiting to help them with their search.

“Oh, that is surrounded by the Wheeler property the game preserve,” the lady said soberly.

“What is your interest in that old place?” She looked at Trixie suspiciously.

“I just wanted to know who owns it, all this time we thought Mr. Wheeler owns it, but Jim said that he asked his dad last night about it. He says that he doesn’t own it. The owners wouldn’t sell it because of a family grave sight that is located out back and it is ancient almost as old as this country itself?”

“That old house is nearly as old as this country is itself.’ The lady smiled as she poked a pin into her hair that was pinned in a beehive style bun on the top of her head.

“Here are the property borders. I believe there is nearly 159 acres there. It used to be the home of a winery. I believe that there used to be a huge grape orchid on that property that and apple trees. The prohibition shut down the winery back in those days and the owners went to jail for bootlegging their wine. It opened back up after the prohibition was over but not for more than a few years before the owner died and his children took over. They never sold the place, but no one worked the land either.

“Who owns that?”

“Why, Trixie, why didn’t you ask your mother?” The lady laughed loudly as she held out the description file on the property.

“This says Helen and Martin Johnson” Trixie gasped.

“Is that where mother ends up getting those mountains of grapes at every year for all that grape jelly she makes?” Jim laughed suddenly it all made perfect sense to him.

“Could be? You don’t suppose there are still some vines producing up there do you?” Jim asked.

“I don’t know? We normally don’t explore that area of the woods. Mother never wanted us anywhere near that old house.”

“Do you suppose it is really haunted?” the lady asked.

“I have no idea, but if my mother owns that place there ain’t nothing in the world that is going to stop me now,” Trixie answered.

“Trixie, she might have a reason for not wanting you kids messing around.”

“Oh come on, if there is an old graveyard back there, it is of my relatives. Mine, James Frayne, I want to see it. I want to clean it out and show my ancestors the respect they deserve. Cleaning that out and showing them some respect is the proper thing to do. Why when I think of how neglected that is, it makes me angry.”

“Okay, but this should be only with your mom’s permission first.”

“Or with Uncle Martin’s permission, he co-owns it with her, am I right?” Trixie smiled mischievously.

“Girl, you got a devious mind.”

“No, I don’t,” Trixie argued. “It is still permission, I’ll just call him up and say something like 'you know, the weeds are getting pretty tall over at great grandpa’s old place. I could really use a good job, what about letting me borrow my best friends brush hog and go over there and cut the brush down for you?'”

“Oh,” Jim laughed loudly. “If you can convince him to let you cut that grass the brush hog is at your service, but I run that inferno thing, it is too much machine for you by yourself.”

“You are on,” Trixie giggled “Now just let me look in my purse. I am sure I have his number in my address book.”

“I have never met your Uncle Marty before.” Jim said nicely as she fumbled for the number once they were back in his car and ready to take another drive.

“I was pretty young when he visited last. I don’t even remember what he looks like, but he is Uncle Martin. You see my mother has a brother named Martin and you better not call him Marty he hates that, and my dad has a brother named Mart and he doesn’t mind the Marty name. It was how we kept them all apart. Martin is mom’s brother. Marty is Dads brother and Mart is my brother. Mart was named after Uncle Martin who saved his life during childbirth. He was delivered during a tropical depression so I am told the roads were out and the phones were too. Dad was stranded in town due to the flooded roads he couldn’t make it home.

“He was born in June.  That is early for a hurricane.”

“Not when you are in Florida. Tropical depressions aren’t as severe as a hurricane anyway. We didn’t live in Crabapple farm when Brian and Mart was born. My dad served a term of military service stationed in Florida. They returned to Sleepyside just before I was born I was the one born at the Farm.”

“Okay.” Jim nodded.

“Dad was so grateful that someone was with Moms when Mart was born that he named him after the man who saved his life.”

“That is as bad as my dad being named after his Uncle James, and then my mom insisted on naming me after my dad.” Jim smiled. “Uncle James was James. Dad was Jim and I ended up Win until my dad died. Jonesy just called me Jimmy all the time to tick me off though, because he knew I hated that name and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you went by the name of Win.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I figured that I wouldn’t bother using the old name. I was in a new family that deserved a new start complete with a new name.”

“What if I started calling you Win?”

“I might not realize you are addressing me.” Jim laughed.

“I’ll bet you would.” Trixie winked.

 

Chapter 8

“Uncle Martin,” Trixie said when the voice on the other end of her phone picked up.

“Who is this?” the man on the other end asked.

“This is Trixie Belden, I am the daughter of Helen Johnson. Is this my uncle Martin?”

“Oh hello, Trixie, is something the matter with your mother?” the baritone voice on the other end asked curiously.

“No, I think she is just fine, but she went to the country club in Stony Ridge today. What I was calling about was. I have been going around the area looking for odd jobs so I can make enough extra money to help, out with my own college funding, and I noticed this house in the woods that was grown over in weeds and stuff. You see the city fines people if they leave their lawn so uncontrolled now days. I thought that if I found the property owner, he might be interested in hiring someone with a brush hog to clear off the lawn. What I discovered when I investigated a little was that the property was your property. I wondered if you might be interested. It would be for a good cause.”

“I am sure it would be.” He started to laugh some. “Are you sure you are big enough to run a brush hog? The last time I saw you, you were knee high to your Irish Setter, girl.”

“Oh, here is the thing, I won’t have to run that machine I can use the weed whip machine, because my best friend has the brush hog and he is willing to run it through there for me.”

“The problem is with doing something like that is the fact that it hasn’t been done since I was in town last. It is pretty messy I would expect. There is a family cemetery in the back of the house that I wouldn’t want disturbed. Also, I think there is, a couple old cars up there in all those weeds. Probably a few hundred copperheads as well, I don’t know, when I was a young boy we used to call that lane Copperhead lane, because the copperheads were thick in there.”

“Oh well, we are natives from around these parts Uncle Martin. I know all about copperhead snakes. We even carry snakebite kits and shots for anti venom and everything in our first aid kit. Besides snakes are reptiles. That means they are cold blooded. They find warm places to hibernate during the cold weather. Right now is the opportune moment to clean up because most snakes will already have found a nice cave or something to disappear into until spring.”

“Would you not go into the house if I said yes to your job opportunity?”

“Okay, but what is in the house?” Trixie asked.

“Now Trixie, the house is very likely unsafe. It hasn’t been lived in for years. Your mother isn’t going to want you to enter that house. You have to promise me that you won’t enter there unless I or your mother is with you.”

“Will you let me have the job?”

“Will your brothers be helping you?”

“I probably could get Bobby and Mart to help, but Brian is away in college more often than not.”

“How big is Bobby now?” he asked.

“He is nearly nine years old and he is a regular speed demon with hedge trimmers.”

“Okay, what are you planning to charge this old man for this job?”

“Um, what would you pay for this job?” she cringed.

“I can expect it is a large job, but I am thinking of staying home once I return from military service for good.”

“You are returning?”

“I am back, darling. I had an accident while serving in Iraq that is keeping me on furlough, due to sick leave.”

“Why haven’t you been by to visit?”

“Oh, because I am staying in town, it is closer to the hospital.”

“What? Where…?”

“I’ll tell you where later, little lady. Maybe I’ll stop by in a few more days or so. Once you stop running from me when I stop to say hello,” he added good-naturedly.

“Oh, well, I suppose, but does mom know you are in town?”

“Not yet, but please let that be my decision, when to announce myself, little lady.”

“Trixie, be out of there by evening. I don’t want you near that house by evening.”

“What? Why?”

“Now, just don’t. Oh, my appointment is calling, I must go.  We will discuss price later.”

“Goodbye then.”

“We have the job,” Trixie said to Jim.  “I don’t know why I offered to do this I am not going to have the time, but...”

“Mart was just wishing he had a decent job just the other day himself. And Dan can always use the extra work. I am not opposed to helping out after all you did help me clean out the brush at Ten Acres. My brush hog is large enough to make quick work of it. Especially since it is fall now, we should be able to see what we are cutting down.”

“Yes, but we will want to save any grape arbor that might be up there.”

“We can check to see what is still good and what isn’t besides grapes would just grow back again even if we do cut them down pruning them is good for them anyway.”

“I know,” she answered.

“We better be getting back home soon.  It is nearly 10PM,” Jim said soberly

“It is that late already?” Trixie gasped.

“Boy, it is a good thing the courthouse is open later on Friday nights. I didn’t realize it was this late.”

“We got a late start. It is a good thing we didn’t have school this morning.”

 

“You ramped over the bridge in your father’s car today with my daughter inside?” Peter looked shocked later that evening when he saw the news.

“We had no choice there was a ton of crazy zombie like vampires surrounding us,” Trixie said quickly. “We felt safer running at that moment it was so creepy.”

“What,” Peter gasped in shock. “Zombie like vampires? Trixie Belden have you been watching too many scary movies lately?”

“I best go now.” Jim gave Trixie a quick hug goodbye as he hurried out of the house.

Trixie finally explained to her parents about the things happening around town that were mysterious. How she and Jim ended up taking Nicole to the emergency room the night before due to those mysterious marks on her neck.

“Oh good heavens,” Helen gasped. “That would have scared me badly too if I would have saw that in that diner.”

“Those men were probably having a business meeting in that side room. I have eaten in that diner before and their food is quite good actually. Barbara is deathly pale because Barbara hides the fact that she is an albino. She wears that brown wig and special contact lenses to hide her pink eyes. Helen you and I used to go to school with Barb Finch, remember her?”

“Oh of course, I remember her, we were friends in grade school, but not so much friends in high school because she got stuck up,” Helen answered.

“She married Mark Tuttle.”

“And they own that diner, I go visit Mark now and then,” Peter added. “I can’t begin to explain why she had a band aid in her neck. Maybe she was one of those mysterious people that was marked with this mark that Del said is becoming an epidemic of sorts?”

“I am sure it all has an explanation. You are very close to the furniture factory. Are you sure those men weren’t deathly pale because of sawdust? I do believe they work with White pine around there.”

“We didn’t stick around to see if that was sawdust or not,” Trixie answered. “We just high tailed it out of there because it was starting to get dark and the guy that drives that old Cadillac stopped Honey Diana, and I the night before and he scared us some.”

“Well calm down, gees my own brother used to own an old Cadillac like that when he was young. What is the problem, that doesn’t mean just because a person has a big black Cadillac with a bat emblem that they are automatically a Vampire?”

“Oh,” Trixie gasped. “Does he still have that car?”

“I have no idea,” Peter answered. “He’s spent most of his adult life in the military. He probably sold that car, years ago but your uncle was a crazy one during our teenaged years. He had a fascination with scary movies too he used to make scary rubber masks. He had a kit in his bedroom that allowed him to make about anything he liked as long as he had a decent mold to put it in.”

“You look tired dear, why don’t you go shower and head off for bed,” Helen said soberly.

“Do you think Jim will be yelled at for driving that car like that?”

“I don’t know dear,” Helen,answered. “Run along now and take your shower.”

“Well?” Helen looked at her husband.

“Trixie didn’t lie. There really is an issue that the press hasn’t picked up on yet that they are dealing with. It is more like a prank but oddly enough several of these victims of this so called prank has been hospitalized and in need of a blood transfusion. He said they try not to advertise because it brings the crazies out in droves and they don’t want that kind of reaction. You and I both know that vampires don’t exist and we know that this mystery will eventually be solved. The prankster will be put behind bars but until then, he doesn’t want our kids to leave the house after dark alone. He thinks that they should have cell phones that can link to the police instantly. They should have a friend to have their backs at all times in the middle of the night.”

“Oh brother,” Helen gasped. “Go lock all the windows and doors Peter now.”

Mart stopped listening at the door and then he headed up to his sister's bedroom to knock on the door.

“I just overheard mom and dad talking about what is going on. Dad called Sergeant Molinson to see what happened yesterday and today. How serious is this?” Mart asked.

Trixie stopped brushing out her wet hair and turned to look at Mart.

‘Something is definitely fishy in this town. I know Jim and I spooked at the diner, but it was just too weird for words. I suddenly got the feeling I was right in the middle of a From Dusk till Dawn episode just about to cut loose and start raining vampires on any unsuspecting visitor in the diner at any moment.”

“That is too creepy for words but cool as hell I wish I had gone with you.” Mart laughed.

“You should have been with us when Jim gunned that BMW right up that bridge and over when we went airborne. I thought we are gonners for sure you can’t imagine how fun that was.”

“Trixie, you are a daredevil,” Mart gasped. “I can’t believe Jim did that.”

“I can’t either, but we were both pretty panicked about then.” Trixie smiled.

“I would like to be over at the Manor right now to hear what his father has to say about that. I hope he isn’t too hard on him.”

“I doubt he will be because the article was about the bridge safety. He will probably call the county and complain about them needlessly endangering the life of his son or something?” Mart smiled. “I am pretty shocked to discover that Moms owns the old winery with Uncle Marty.” Mart sat down on her bed as he spoke. “She doesn’t like to talk about her side of the family much I wonder why?”

“I don’t know. Jim told me once that Mr. Wheeler told him that the owners of that property wouldn’t sell because of the old graveyard up there, but then he said that if we got to nosing in there we would rattle some old family secrets too. I wonder what the old family secrets are?”

“We are talking about our old family secrets and not a total strangers correct?” Mart asked.

“It’s Moms' family, I should say we have the right to know,” Trixie answered.

“So do I, but that doesn’t mean that she will think so. So how did you and Jim do on this first date?” Mart grinned some.

“It wasn’t a date. We took my shoes back and got new ones. Then we went for my job interview. Then we got chased, by those vampires, and then we went to the courthouse to figure out who owned mom’s property. And then we came home.”

“So, no romantic stuff, then?”

“Mart, do you seriously think he will spark some romantic stuff eventually?” Trixie asked.

“Why wouldn’t he, he wants to date you, doesn’t he?”

“He sure is eager to keep a chaperone along with us.” Trixie said soberly.

“And you are disappointed?” Mart asked.

“Well, yes, it is about time that he does spark better. Brian found a girlfriend to two-time Honey with.”

“I heard,” Mart answered. “He thinks she isn’t in love with him. He thinks it is a passing crush and she will get over it.”

“Oh, she is going to get over it, because I’ll see to it that she gets over it, but Brian is going to regret that decision the rest of his life, because I am going to teach Honey just how to make that one come about.”

Mart grinned. “What is the plan? I’ll help out with this one. Sometimes I think I picked the wrong girl to fall for because Honey and I have ten times more in common than Diana and I do. Diana is turning out to be a regular snob with all those commercials she is doing lately. I hate snobs.”

“I know what you mean. I think that we are only now old enough to realize what real compatibility means.”

“I’ll let you go, You look tired.” Mart headed off for his own bedroom.

But Trixie wasn’t that sleepy and she wanted to call Jim before going to sleep.

“Hello?” Jim sounded sleepy when he answered the phone.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Trixie said.

“Hi, babe, what’s up?” Jim rolled over in his bed and turned on his lamp.

“I was- well, I couldn’t sleep from worrying, did you get into trouble with your dad?”

“Not really, he just wanted to know what happened. I explained and he laughed for about ten minutes over the explanation and then told me to stop taking you to horror movies. Your overactive imagination is going haywire again. Then he told me if the suspension is messed up on the car that I had to pay for it out of my allowance. I just said fair enough. That was the end of the issue.”

 

Chapter 9

“Naylor, you can take the next week or two off if you would like,” Honey was telling the aging gardener.

“Why?” Naylor looked shocked.

“It is merely because we will be using all your equipment, I think, at least for a week. I spoke with father and he said that you haven’t had a vacation in nearly two years. You are welcome to go pick up your check for the next two weeks so you can take a decent vacation we are paying in advance.”

“Oh.” His eyes lit up. “My dear wife has been interested in taking a cruise for a while now. Tthat sounds very nice.”

“I am sure it does,” Jim smiled. “Use the Wheeler Employee card in the Caribbean and you will get thirty percent off your ticketed price. It is an Employee discount since we have so many business holdings in the travel industry.”

“That sounds perfect.” Naylor looked happy.

“Have Miss Trask set up your trip for you with the travel agent. The discounts might even be better than that,” Honey said nicely

“Wow, vacations sound nice,” Regan said happily as he overheard the conversation.

“We will be getting to your vacation after he returns.” Jim smiled.

“I am not complaining,” Regan answered. “Where are you guys going with the garden equipment?”

“The Beldens' Uncle Martin hired us to clear out his property of over grown brush and stuff,” Jim answered. “It is going to end up a pretty big mess to so we’ll need the brush hog and etc for a while. The Manor’s grounds look fine.  It isn’t going to hurt if Naylor takes off for a bit.”

“True, he was just telling me about how bored he’s been lately since the grass quit growing so fast now that it is cooling off.” Regan smiled. “Don’t forget to exercise the horses, though, kids.”

“We won’t forget to do that,” Honey answered.

 

Chapter 10

Trixie sat up once the alarm blared loudly in her ear enough to wake her up out of a sound sleep.

“Oh, it is too early to get up,” she groaned as she climbed out of the bed.

“Hey, you might want to hurry,” Mart said as he poked his head into her bedroom. “We are getting an early start up at the farm.”

It would be later that afternoon after they worked all day long on that brush surrounding the antique Victorian home in the woods before the old Cadillac entered the driveway.

Trixie stopped pulling weeds to notice the smoking car. She gasped in shock as suddenly it was as if a light bulb went off inside her head she knew exactly who that creepy man was. Uncle Martin!” she shrieked to the top of her lungs.

The unhealthy man climbed out of his car with a smile. Trixie’s mother Helen got out of the passenger seat with a big grin.

Jim stopped the brush hog that had made quick work of this job to smile as he watched his best girl running through the yard to give her uncle a big hug.

“What the heck was up with that car?  You scared me.”

“I am sorry.” Uncle Martin laughed. “I just returned from the military and it was the only car that I still owned. I just put a new battery inside and started it up. It’s been back and forth to the service station five times in two weeks but she’s running better now.”

“You said you were sick.” Trixie pulled away from his hug.

“I have a dose of radiation poisoning but I have good news the doctors say that the treatments are doing fine I should be okay in about a month.”

“Oh gosh,” Trixie teared up. “Does this mean?”

“I don’t have cancer yet,” Martin answered. “Don’t cry for me, little lady, I want to die doing what I do best and that is saving humanity from terrorism.”

“I love you, Uncle Martin.” Trixie gave him another hug.

“I love you two,” Martin laughed as he gave her a big squeeze.

“Helen tells me that you are investigating a possible vampire for real?” he asked.

“Well, there are strange things going on lately I can’t tell you it is real I can only tell you that someone is injecting unsuspecting people with something that makes them very sick,” Trixie answered seriously.

“Well, perhaps you might allow me to assist in your investigation,” Martin asked seriously.

“She’ll let you assist,” Jim said quickly.

“Of course I’ll let you assist.” Trixie’s face broke into a sweet smile,

“She has a lot on her plate lately,” Helen said with a big grin. “It seems that a certain photographer wants a photo session with you tomorrow. A certain business man bought your contract out.”

“You have to be kidding me?” Trixie nearly fainted.

“No I am not kidding.”

“Awesome,” Diana shrieked as she and Honey started jumping a jig together.

“Well, they can take a bunch of stupid pictures. I am not changing.  I’ll prove vampires don’t exist soon enough,” Trixie said gruffly.

The End 

Authors notes: I realized quickly, that I didn’t have this mystery completely solved, there is still the little matter of the possible vampire on the loose. I hope you all don’t mind if I solve that later..... For now I just wanted to say. HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 TBH Main