The Dead End Of Wilson Drive

The folks of Millard town have the same classic ghost stories just like any other old country town.
For example, twenty years ago it was said the bitter and retired Dr. Curry, that lived in an old large house a few blocks from main street, secretly found his young wife cheating with his former colleague Mr. Barns one night after a long day of work. Right after this discovery he went to the local tavern and swore to everyone there that he would kill both Mrs. Curry and Mr. Barns, for the hurt and betrayal that they caused him. From the record of the people at the tavern that night, they recalled he was drunk and could barely stand up straight to look anyone in the eye.
But suspicions arouse when both Mr. Barns and Mrs. Curry went missing the following weekend. They have no proof that Dr. Curry actually killed them. The only evidence that they found of them even being dead was half of Mrs. Curry’s torso, that was found half buried by the river bed after two weeks of searching.
All the local teenagers, bring about their own version of how he could’ve killed them. The most popular one of them all is that he found them together again and took a hatchet or an axe to them both. Then he buried them near the river where the coyotes and wild beast could destroy and devour the evidence.
Unfortunately this story does not have anything to do with the house that had been up for sale for the past ten years. The house located at the dead end of Wilson Drive. At least that was what most people thought.


The campfire was blazing as Casey Maddison gazed at the mysterious colors of the flames. She felt the cool summer breeze as she sat with a group of her friends, as they hung out by the Millard pond. To her right was her former boyfriend David Gatley, who she recently broke up with a month before school ended. Next to him was his brother Steven Gatley, then Makayla Oldham, Sara Hansen, the mayor‘s daughter Janelle Horris, Garrison Burntum, and his cousin Josh who was captain of the football team and then finally on Casey’s left was her best friend Kristen Hayes.
“ Lets tell some ghost stories!” called out Garrison from the silence of the group and the crackling of the fire.
“Let’s not, I hate those stories, seriously they get old after a while.” answered Sara.
“But Sara you know Josh tells them so well!” replied Garrison.
Everyone else agreed.
“Fine” muttered Sara.
Three of them giggled and then Josh began the story.

“ Everyone knows the house located at the dead end of Wilson drive. The house that has been for sale for about…… we’ll say 10 or 16 years.” Garrison paused.
From 50 feet away they heard the shuffling of feet. Everyone was dead silent. Casey felt a curious chill go down her spine as she realized that no one seemed to know who the footsteps belonged to.
The footsteps and shuffling stopped. Then seemed to turn around and go back.
“That was weird. I guess it was just some random person on a walk” whispered Makayla.
Josh gave a small coughed and continued on with his story.
“No one knows for sure what happened to the people that had originally lived there before. But they say it’s a similar case to what happened with the Curry and Barns story. Except, there was a whole family of five.
One summer this family went on a trip to an exotic tribal island and somehow ended up staying with some exotic tribe. Later on in the trip, the father offended the chief and some of the tribe members swore to get their vengeance.”
Casey sat attentively to Josh, until all of a sudden she felt a light breathing behind her. When she turned her head slightly to see who it was, she screamed and jumped out of from where she was sitting. Some of the other kids saw Casey fall from the log bench and fell off themselves from the scare. A group of three boys had been creeping up behind them and decided to scare them. They were laughing and rolling around on the grass and dirt, for their pulled off prank.
Casey lied on the floor and could feel the heat rushing to her face of complete embarrassment. She recognized two of the boys from school, that happened to be friends of Josh from the football team. The other one she had never seen before, but he came close to her and offered to help her up. Casey let him, and the two other boys laughed then introduced him as a new kid in town, his name was Evan.
The three boys took a seat with the rest of the group, Casey didn’t completely mind so she just took her seat back between Kristen and David.
Kristen leaned towards her
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah I’m fine, just got a bit freaked out” replied Casey.
She then noticed that Evan had been staring at her, even when she met his eyes, he wouldn’t look away.
Josh once again continued his story.
“ The family left for the island earlier than planned and was at home again peacefully for about a week. The father started to get frequent bad nightmares, and couldn’t sleep at night. One night he felt a pain in his arm, and when he got up to see what it was he saw his window open. He rushed out of bed and to the window, he saw a glimpse of a tall dark man run past the dead end sign and into the thicket that leads to the other side of this very pond.
The father carefully treated his wound but he decided never to tell his wife about it. He slept the rest of the night.
The next morning he complained that his arm was in excruciating pain. By the next day the man was beginning to go insane. After a while the town began to worry about this man’s sanity and so they confronted his wife about the situation. The wife agreed, but when she went to talk to him they got into a fight and he became more crazier than ever.
That night he unintentionally killed his wife and kids, before he himself died of shock. Only one of the children survived, he was soon taken to a new home and cared for.
But the father still haunts that dead end street. They say you can hear him groaning, because of his arm late at night when no one’s around.”
Josh ended his story at that.

“I’ve heard better versions of that story” said Steven.
“Yeah but are any of them true?” replied Josh.
“About as true as yours! Admit it, you make most of these stories up as you go!” Steven called out. Some of the group started to laugh.
“Well it was a creepy story and a fun night with you guys, I better be leaving.” said Kristen shyly, and then she got up and left for her car.

Casey leaned over and asked David if he could give her a ride home.
“Sorry Casey, I’ll be here for a while, but I’m sure Steven can. Is that alright?”
“Sure.”
“Hey Steven, give Casey a ride home, will you?”

Steven and Casey got up and walked back on the trail from the pond to Steven’s white truck. Steven held the door opened for Casey, and then walked around to the driver’s side of the truck and got in. Casey latched her seat belt and Steven started the vehicle. The two of them talked about family and the night out they just had with their friends.
“Do you miss being my brother’s girlfriend?” asked Steven.
Steven was a year older than his brother but they could easily pass off as twins. They both had shaggy blonde hair and a slender but muscular body.
“Not really, we’re probably better off as friends.” answered Casey.
“Oh, so then it wouldn’t be so awkward if I took you out on dates a few times, or would it?”
Steven started to reach his hand onto Casey’s.
He lightly fingered her favorite bracelet, the one her father gave her for her 16th birthday. Casey did actually feel awkward and removed her hand from his onto her lap. But Steven’s hand followed.
“I don’t know, it’s not that I would feel awkward, I’m more concerned about David.”
“You don’t have to worry about David. He’ll understand eventually. He knows that I liked you long before he ever did.”
“What!” said Casey shocked.
“Sorry, nothing.” said Steven bluntly.
Steven still had his hand on Casey’s lap as they pulled into her driveway. Steven got out and reopened the truck door for her and walked her half way to her door.
“Good night Casey” said Steven as he walked back to his truck, hopped in, and drove off.

Casey went to her bedroom and opened her curtains.
As soon as she turned to face her bedroom door, she felt that sensation of someone watching her. Slowly she faced the window again and peered out to see if she could see anyone. The night air was getting cold, she gazed out to the east of her home. She was reminded of the story Josh had told that evening about Wilson drive. She could see the head of the street from her house on the hill about two miles back. Abruptly she looked down to see a man paused a block away. He seemed to be staring back at her, but he commenced on strolling further down the road after a short second.
The next morning Casey woke up the same as usual as every other early summer day. After work she planned on going to Kristen’s house, so she got ready and whirled into her own small gray Honda civic.
She started the engine and backed up slowly. From the rear view mirror she could see a figure approaching her car. Casey pushed on the brake. She noticed the person or figure backed off and walked vigorously the opposite dirrection. ‘Weird’ thought Casey as she drove on down the road to work.
Casey parked in the employee’s parking lot behind the small convenient general store, where she worked every summer since she was fourteen. It had been three years since then, and Casey never bothered to find a job in the city, a couple miles away, so her friends would be able to see her every afternoon if they ever went to the general store for a pack of batteries or cold medicine.
“Hey Mr. Henry, great day isn’t it?” Casey called out to her boss, who happened to be standing next to the back door.
“It is a great day. I hope you don’t mind though, I have my shelf stocker coming in late, so I’m going to have you stock instead of the register until………. Noon. Is that okay?” said Mr. Henry.
“Sure, I’ll get right on it.” ended Casey as she walked through the door and into the back office of the store.

The day seemed to be dragging on, as Casey stocked the shelves of small appliances like spoons and spatulas from cardboard boxes.
“It’s Casey, right?” said a quiet voice which startled Casey and she dropped a box that was full of plastic can openers, that she had been re-stocking.

Casey bent down on her knees to pick up the can openers that were scattered all over the floor. She looked up to see Evan, the boy from last night, bending down beside her to help her.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” Casey said perplexedly.
“Yeah and it is Casey, Evan right?” she added.
Evan looked as if he were trying not to laugh, at the little incident. He kept a straight smile, apologized, and helped her pick up the can openers and throw them into the bent cardboard box.
“Yep” Evan answered.
At that moment they both started to chuckle. Casey took a glance at Evan. He was tall with dark brown hair that matched his eyes. He was muscular and in fact attractive. But his eyes seemed to sink in with emotion when you stared directly at them.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” asked Casey.
Evan’s face turned from humorous to pleased. He gave her a crooked smile and shook his head.
“Well I better get back to work.” and she hurriedly curved around and commenced down the aisle.
Somehow she felt that he was still conspicuously staring at her. By the bell on the door she could tell that he had left.
Casey got off work around three. She sat in her car, and look in her rear view mirror to check her makeup. She loved how her light red-brown hair seemed to form a curl around her face. Also that she never needed much makeup because of her clear skin and dark eyelashes.
Casey stepped out of the car and walked to Kristen’s doorstep. Instantaneously Kristen open that door and they pranced to Kristen’s upstairs room.
“So are you over David yet?” Kristen asked, this happened to be the topic of conversation for the past few weeks whenever they hung out.
“Kris, honestly it’s been a month, I don’t mind just being friends. We’re better off that way.”
“Is that what you say or what David says” ,
“We both do! Why does it matter anymore?”
“I don’t know, you hang around David and Steven more after you broke up, than before. Please don’t tell me it’s because of Steven.”

“No, it’s not” Casey’s sensed Kristen was going to ramble on.
“ Well be careful, that’s what people have been saying. Haven’t you seen the way Steven looks at you? Some kids around here think he’s the reason why you and David aren’t together….”

Casey heard this and gradually stopped listening to her chatter. She stared out Kristen’s large open bedroom window. The sensation of being watched came over her again.
“Earth to Casey?!” interrupted Kristen from her thoughts.
“Oh sorry, what?”
“ I said that new guy….. I think it’s Evan, he’s cute huh?”
“ I don’t know I saw him at work today and….”
suddenly Casey’s cell phone rang.
Casey looked at her caller I.D, it said restricted number. She looked at Kristen’s blunt face,
“Aren’t you going to answer?”.
Casey pressed the green send button and lifted the mobile device to her ear.
“Hello?” no answer.
“Hello?!” again no answer.
Casey tried a third time, but the reply was a gentle breathing.
“Okay look, I don’t appreciate prank calls, so do you have something to say or not?”
she heard a soft coughing and then a dark low voice say
“Not right now, but soon”.
Casey opened her mouth to say something but before she could the other receiver hung up and the dial tone buzzed.
“Who was it” asked Kristen confused.
“I don’t know, probably just a prank call.” answered Casey.
After having dinner with Kristen’s family, they all turned on the T.V.
“Why don’t we watch the news?” said Kristen’s father, Mr. Hayes.
There was no comment or complaint so Mr. Hayes switched the control to channel 6, 10:00 news. Kristin was in the kitchen helping with dishes and Casey was clearing off the table while listening to the T.V.
The telephone rang and Mrs. Hayes answered it. Her face looked concerned as she handed the phone to her husband.
“It’s for you dear.”
“Hello?” Mr. Hayes said.
Casey could hear a faint voice from and could tell it was something serious. Mr. Hayes face turned white and he immediately left the room. He was gone almost ten minutes, when the reporter on the news broke out on Breaking News, from Millard town. Casey placed a dirty water pitcher by the sink and walked over to the couch and sat down.
The television showed a picture of a girl around the same age as Casey. Casey leaned forward in her seat and instantly recognized the girl, it was Makayla Oldham.
All the color washed out of Casey’s face. The reporter told how they found her body not longer than an hour ago in a ditch south of Wilson Drive. Rapidly Mr. Hayes, rushed in the room and turned down the volume of the television. Casey looked back at Kristin who was frozen still and pale, just staring at her father. Mrs. Hayes was trembling.
“I just got a phone call from your father, Casey, the Oldham’s need some help with this sudden tragedy, so we both are going over to the police station. We will be back late. Kristin I want you to drive with Casey home and spend the night with her and her mother. You’re older brother Jason will be coming home soon so don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
There was a diminutive silence. Then Mrs.Hayes broke down into a sob. Mr. Hayes helped sustain her to a chair, kissed her forehead and left the house.
Kristin walked to her mother and held her hand, her face was motionless and tears welled up in her eyes. Casey collapsed her body onto the couch and let her head hang over the edge. She felt sad and unable to speak or to cry. Somehow she couldn’t believe that this was actually happening in their small town of Millard. Things like this didn’t happen to her friends.
She thought about the Wilson Drive ghost story, and recalled from the news that Makayla was found not too far from there. She sat up and reached for Kristin who was crying beside her mother.
Both of the girls sluggishly walked upstairs to retrieve their stuff for that night.
The ride back to Casey’s house was dead silent, and when they pulled into the driveway, no-one moved.
Then Casey’s phone rang. Casey looked onto the caller I.D once again to find it a restricted number. She wearily answered the phone. But there was silence. Casey finally spoke up annoyed
“Please stop calling me this is a bad time!”
A low dark voice answered back
“Did you watch the news?”
Casey felt a sudden chill go down her spine and her voice choked
“Yes.” she replied.
“Consider yourself warned.” said the dark low voice before it immediately hung up.
“We got to get out of the car” said Casey rushed as soon as she hung up the phone. Kristin looked concerned, and they both quickly marched into the house and up to Casey’s bedroom.
Kristin gave her a panicked glare.
“What’s the matter who was that?” Kristin said.
Casey sat down on her bed and told Kristin about the phone call just barely.
“Casey, this scares me, what does it mean?”
“I don’t know I figured it was just a prank call, but who is that stupid enough to make fun of a tragedy like that! I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you think you should tell somebody?”
“After what happened today I don’t think anyone will have the tension span to care.”
“But what if it’s serious?”
Casey looked down
“Don’t worry about it we should get some sleep.”
Kristen slept in a cot on the floor besides Casey’s bed. They could both tell that neither of them were getting any sleep. At around four o’clock in the morning, after three hours of getting some actual sleep, Casey heard a tapping sound by her window. Casey rolled over on her side and gently opened her eyes. She saw Kristin sound asleep, and then she looked toward the window only to see a shadow creepily moving.
Casey jerked out of bed and slammed the window shut. Kristin got up and looked at Casey confused shocked and with eyes full of curiosity.
“I saw something in the window” Casey explained.
Kristin got up and looked out the window. Tiredly she replied
“I don’t see anything” I think your just dreaming” Kristin yawned
“Go to bed Casey”.
“You’re right I’m just going to go get a drink of water” said Casey.
Casey walked downstairs into her kitchen.
‘Maybe I am dreaming. It’s been a hard night, and I haven’t been sleeping well anyway.’ thought Casey. Casey walked back upstairs and set her glass of water on the night stand next to her cell phone.
The instant she put her head on the pillow her cell phone rang. Confused on who would be calling her in the middle of the night, she checked to see who it was. Her stomach dropped as soon as she saw restricted number. She answered
“Hello?”.
The low dark voice came again, and almost recited a small lyric:
“Behind your window I’ve crept
I’ve been staring while you slept”

Then there was silence, and then the dial tone. Casey noticed that she was breathing heavily. Her arms were shaking as she set her phone down, and stared at it. Terrified to see if it would ring again. She stared out at the window. Her curtain was wide open and she could see the outside street lights, and the moonlight. She appallingly closed her curtains. Laid down in her bed and didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.
She woke up the next morning to her phone ringing again. Casey jolted up and glanced and Kristin, who was still asleep, and then back at her phone. She feared it would be the dark low voice again. Not only was this voice giving her warnings, whoever was on the other line was watching her.
She answered the phone on the last ring. Fortunately to her surprise it was Steven.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah”
“ Well I’ve been wanting to call you all day yesterday, but after what I heard on the news, I could hardly walk. None the less talk to you”
“You know you can always talk to me”
“Yeah, but I think it would be nice if you went out to lunch with me today.”
Casey hesitated. She felt awkward about the other night, she didn’t really want to see him, after the phone calls, and the death of Makayla. She didn’t really want to see anyone.
“I don’t know if I can do anything today Steve.” said Casey.
“Well I’ll just run over to your house later, and check up on you. We’ll see if you can then.” replied Steven.
“Umm.. Fine.” said Casey
“Okay bye”
Casey hung up.
She set down the phone, and realized she really didn’t want Steven to come over. Especially when she felt all paranoid like this. She picked up the phone when it started to ring again. Immediately Casey answered
“Hello?”
“The words I’ve felt unknown
Will be engraved on your stone .”
The dark voice replied slightly raspy this time.
Casey heard the other line hang up. Casey began to be scared. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes and she began to shake. Kristin got up and looked at Casey worriedly.
“Don’t worry Casey it will all pass.” said Kristin calmly.

Steven pulled up in his white truck at 1:35 that afternoon. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt. It seemed to compliment his eyes which were the same color. Casey watched his blonde hair and muscular figure approach the front door. She was fatigued and wished he would turn around and leave if she waited long enough not to open the door. Unfortunately her mother was at home that day and answered the door. From upstairs she could hear her mother gladly greet Steven and offered him a seat and something to drink. Gradually Casey made her way down the stairs. Steven stood up and held the front door open for her, as well as his truck door.
Steven was always gentleman-like to her.
He seemed to only keep the door open for her. Which made Casey, at times uncomfortable and she felt as if he wanted something from her, by the way he would look her straight in the eye with interest.
Steven decided to take Casey to a local diner downtown.
The drive was silent, and Casey appreciated it. She almost felt she had some time to think.
‘What did the phone calls mean? Was she some sort of victim? Murder?’ the thought of being a victim for murder made her shudder. Instantly her friend Makayla came to mind.
When she listened to the news that morning about updates on Makayla, she found that when they found her in a ditch, she had bleed to death by several cut marks on her body. No finger prints were yet found, and supposedly she had been there since at least Monday night.
That was the night they were all up there as a group.

Steven pulled into a parking space up front at the diner. He walked around and opened Casey’s door and they walked inside.
The diner was a spinning image of what it was like in the 50’s and 60’s. They had black and white checkered tile, posters of old Chevrolet sports cars and muscle cars, and a jukebox player. They sat down and at a booth and ordered a lunch special. They hadn’t really talked until Steven asked
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine I guess”
“You don’t look so well, are you sure?”
Casey thought for a moment and became slightly self conscience about how she looked right then. In all she didn’t really care.
“Yes, I just didn’t get a whole lot of sleep” replied Casey.
“I’m sorry, with everything going on I guess it would be hard to sleep.” Steven looked down and paused.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll be right back.” he added as he left the table.
Casey sat by herself, she secretly wished that she had drove herself here so that she may have a chance to escape. All of a sudden her phone rang. The caller I.D said restricted number. Casey wanted to panic, she decided not to answer.

People around the other tables stared curiously, wondering why this young lady set her phone on the table to just let it ring. The ringing paused for a short moment, then started again.
A waitress came up and asked if she could answer it, so it wouldn’t bug any of her customers. Casey had no choice but to answer it.
Casey didn’t even have to say hello, she heard the dark voice give another poetic line:
“Don’t speak be at a peace
A knife will see you cease”

Then the dial tone.

Casey’s sight began to go blurry, and nauseated. She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Steven. He took a seat and by that time their food had already come.
“Are you okay? What’s the matter?” Steven questioned.
Casey looked at Steven staring intently at her, for a moment she could almost see a small smirk on his face. Without losing eye contact Steven called for the waitress, and asked for take-out boxes and the check. Steven repeated
“Casey, are you okay?” his face showed a little more concerned.
Casey nodded her head and stood up. They both walked out to the car.
“Let’s take a drive.” Steven said coolly

During the drive, thoughts couldn’t keep straight through Casey’s mind. Unsure feelings of confusion, and unnerved emotions ran through her spine as she closed her eyes. Casey anticipated that she was dreaming. She wanted exceedingly bad that all the phone calls and the bad news were all just a bad nightmare. She wished she could just pinch herself and then she would awaken in her bed. She attempted to pinch her arm, but when she opened her eyes she was still in Steven’s truck and only managed to make a small blushed mark on her arm.
She turned her head to look at Steven only to find he was staring back at her. She couldn’t tell how long he’d been staring at her imagining to herself by the way he turned his eyes back toward the road.
“A bunch of us were thinking about going back to the pond tonight.” Steven seemed to ask in a question tone, not expecting Casey to answer.
“Can I pick you up around 8’ o-clock?”
Casey hesitated, she couldn’t think of a good answer. She didn’t want to be in a place so isolated from publicly such as the pond, but she didn’t want to be at home alone, where she was being watched and called on her cell every noticeable action she took.
“I guess that should be fine.” answered Casey serenely as she inched her fingers headed for the door handle.
She noticed that they were turning around the corner to the street where she lived on. She could see her gray car’s windshield bring a glare out onto the street from the sun.
As soon as they pulled half way into the drive way Casey unbuckled and lunged out of the car. But slowly closing the car door she thanked Steven and lightly darted to her front door. Steven’s truck stayed in place until Casey was safely inside her house.

Every minute seemed to drag on with paranoia as Casey lay flat on her bed. She had all the doors and windows locked and, the curtains drawn tightly closed. She was more annoyed that she was vulnerable to these scary calls, and wished she could ignore them rather than fear them.
Eight o’clock rolled around slower than what Casey would’ve like but she still dreaded the awkwardness between her and Steven.
Steven pulled up in the driveway at 8:05 sharply, Casey stumbled out to meet him.
The whole drive out toward the pond Casey couldn’t help but notice that her breathing was really fast. She felt cold, and unable to concentrate to anything that Steven was telling her. Trying to inhale gradually she convinced herself that she was delirious and eventually she felt more calm. Until they passed the street sign Wilson Drive. Casey felt the panic increasingly come back when they parked right at the dead end in front of the trail.
“Why are we going this way to the p-pond?” stuttered Casey when Steven pulled into a complete stop.
“I don’t know, why are you scared?” Steven seemed to mock her back in reply.
Casey stared back at Steven as he inched closer to her. She decided not to reply that she was scared and that she wished she would have stayed home or with Kristen. That she felt like flat out running to the nearest bus station just to get away until she felt safe. Instead she didn’t say or do anything.
When Casey came back to reality Steven was inches away and holding on to her hand as he guided her through the trail. It was getting dark out and the sun seemed to be setting fast on the squished dirt path. The path was surrounded by bushes and a thicket of trees. Once the trail curved it was hardly possible to turned and look back where you just walked. It stretched almost a mile, in the day time you could see a stunning sight of nature, and wildflowers through this flat forest like hike. But at night it was difficult to see anything at all, unless by moonlight.

Disappointment came over Casey as she realized there hardly was any moonlight. What little waning crescent there was, was covered by foggy gray clouds.
The only thing she could hear was the light footsteps of her and Steven, and their breathing. Occasionally Steven would sigh and tug or squeeze her hand. In a sense it was almost comforting, as she desperately listened for any other footsteps from behind or hidden.

A few minutes past with the same intensity until she saw the clearing to the pond. Still anxious she quickened her step to get there. Finally they made through the thicket and could now see the log benches where they normally met. But nobody was there. Casey spun a glance at Steven. He wore smirk on his face and looked back at her.
“Well I guess nobody is here yet, as you can tell. Let’s go wait.” he told her as they walked to the logs and sat down.
Casey felt her phone vibrate. She flipped open her phone and it told her “new text message” she nervously clicked open.

“They’ll find you after dawn
You’ll sing the angel’s song

Instantly panic came to her again, she felt herself get light headed.
“Casey, are you okay?” asked Steven, still wearing the smirk as he came and sat down too close to her.
“I’ll be fine.” whispered Casey, but before she could say anymore Steven nestled his chin between her shoulder and neck. His light breathing made her nervous but she was unable to move away before his arm was wrapped around her waist. She felt Steven’s lips gingerly crawl up her neck and onto her jaw and cheek. She gave him a hard shove in the chest.
Steven jumped back surprisingly startled. Casey was too dumbstruck to say anything. Steven stared back at Casey for a moment and then whipped around behind him. Casey heard a slight scratching sound in the trees, as if someone were hiding there.
She glanced around the spot where she thought they heard someone and then noticed Steven getting up and walking back towards the thicket.
“Where are you going?” she asked shyly.
“I think someone’s in there, I’m going to go see.” he replied aggressively.
Casey stayed frozen where she was. She felt completely awkward. Sitting there alone now, and Steven as close as he was. For five whole minutes Casey wondered what made Steven do that. She didn’t believe that she sent him any message, or body language, meaning she would want a relationship like that with him.
The incident with Steven made her almost completely forget about the phone calls and the messages. It was completely dark now and Steven had seemed to be gone for too long. It felt like hours though she knew it couldn’t be longer than 10 minutes.
Casey leaned back on her hands and gazed out upon the pond. What moonlight there was barely lit the water ripples. She thought about how it used to seem almost romantic and peaceful. Now it just looked threatening and a death trap if she got too close.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a slight vibrate in her pocket. She pulled out her cell phone to see what message it was now. “She wondered ‘ What if this is all a hoax, or a crazy dream. Maybe Steven is setting me up for something, some trick maybe. That would explain why he was acting so strange and intimate with me. But then, what about Makayla?’
She opened the text.
“ At the End of Wilson Drive
You’ll no longer be alive”
Casey rapidly closed the phone and shoved it back in her pocket. She stood up and glanced around her. She knew she had to get out of where she was. She had to get back to Steven’s truck, and get out of here. Casey figured she’d go find her parents and go to the police, and then they would send her far away to a safe place. Anywhere, where this person watching her couldn’t find her.
She scampered to the thicket covered trail. Something inside of her was telling her not to go in. But she knew she had to, it was the fastest way to Steven’s car, and closest way to any house in sight.
Even if it did come out on Wilson drive, they could chase her down the other entrance too easily, with it‘s long road. She paused at the end of the trail. She stopped breathing to listen hard for any sign of someone near her.

Casey heard a small noise behind her, and whipped around to look. In the distance she saw someone coming to her. She didn’t want to wait and look she took off sprinting. She could hear him yelling something, she was determined to stop for nothing.
Then thought occurred to her, Where was Steven?
Suddenly she felt surrounded. The path narrowed to a straight line for about 50 yards. In the dark she could see a tall man standing at the end. She could tell that it was hardly half way down the trail to Steven’s truck and that she couldn’t run back. He seemed to be nearly hiding behind a small tree that curved the corner, just waiting for her. She stopped, the running footsteps behind her stopped she heard a thud, and then the footsteps became a slow creep.
Casey’s heart was beating out of her throat, she was trapped, surrounded. She used her parallel vision to her sides.
She started to back toward the bush on her right, when the man standing in front of her moved forward. He paused standing facing her and the slowly walked forward. Casey was too shocked and terrified to look backward and see who was behind her. She hurriedly glanced to the side where she thought she could jump through but when she turned around she was face to face with Steven.
A short sigh of relief came over and seemed to lower her heart down to it’s normal place, but not for long. Steven’s eyes looked intense and were glaring down into hers, he was wasn’t smiling. He seemed inches away and getting closer.
Casey backed up a couple steps then screamed. She backed into someone that she was unaware that was so close behind her.

“Scared?” whispered Steven as he took a step closer, Casey stood frozen, she could feel the breath from the person behind her.
Slightly that person behind her lifted his arms and put them around her, in one hand was a knife.
Casey felt the tears well up in her eyes, she knew she was going to die. She was surrounded front to back and they had her captured around the waist.
There was something familiar about the way her captor behind her. The way he held her from running away. Then she recognized when he whispered in her ear.
“Behind your window I’ve crept
I’ve been staring while you slept
The words I’ve felt unknown
Will be engraved on your stone
Don’t speak be at peace
A knife will see you cease…… "Right then the knife was slowly rested against her stomach
“They’ll find you after dawn
You’ll sing the angel’s song
At the dead end of Wilson drive
You’ll no longer be alive”
It was David Gatley holding the knife and her. She recognized his voice as he whispered in her ear.
Steven started to chuckle at her horrified struck face, and took another step closer
“I’d like to see you push me away this time.” he said quietly.
Soon she was squeezed in between them both.
“I’m sorry Casey, you leave us no choice.” David said.
“We’ll make it slow and as painless as possible. Lucky for you Makayla didn’t have it that way.” commented Steven.
“You see it’s not really fair. So our last get- together didn’t go as planned, we only wanted to scare Makayla off, but as you noticed it didn’t roll that way.”
Casey stuttered to speak but only cries and tears came out.
“Please! Why are you doing this! NO! No please don’t!” she begged.
Sweat rushed down her entire body, her eyes started burning with sweat and tears. She could only see Steven as a blur inches away from her face staring at her. She didn’t want to die.
She felt the knife closing in on her upper stomach, she could tell it was ripping the seams in her jacket and shirt. When the knife almost reached her skin she saw a flash of Steven thrashing around and saw someone else sprinting towards them screaming.
Before she could tell who it was, Steven and a tall dark haired man were fighting. He landed a fist in the side of Stevens jaw and Steven kneed him in the gut.
She watched as the person steadily beat Steven up from the torso down until, Steven was bleeding and sprawled on the dirt path.

David started pulling back the knife and leading both of them back. He seemed to be trying to get away with her, but the man was quicker and blocked David’s path.

Casey felt David shove her down into the ground close to Steven who seemed to lay unconscious.

Casey felt blood trickling down her the back of her ear, and she struggled to get up. She looked over at the two fighting each other. She decided to make a run for it.
She crouched up but right before she took off, she was grabbed by the ankle and taken down again.
She saw the dark haired man kneeling on the floor huddling over his leg, and David was gasping for air and pulling her closer towards him.
Casey’s body shook violently as she struggled against him. David was holding the knife and trying to lunge on her.
Casey kicked and kept tried to scream, but only little yelps could be heard.

David’s body was launched on her legs, so she only succeeded on kneeing him once in the face and doing what she could with her arms. She was beginning to feel hopelessness until she caught a glimpse of the man who took down Steven slowly getting up.
She desperately scratched up his face and tried to fight him off her. By this point, he was completely on top of her. His knees dug into her hip bone and his feet holding her legs back.

Casey let out a 'help' and slammed the back of her fist into his face. David roared and gawked his hand over his mouth for a few seconds. Casey looked up in terror.
She recognized the dark haired man that had tried to defend her.
She watch Evan struggle upwards and pulled his fist back aiming for David.

She reached out her hand to grab something, anything that she could use to throw at David.
But she felt an abrupt sharp pain across the side of her face.

She felt an excruciating nerve go across her cheek bone. Her head seemed to feel heavy and her sight became blurry. She tried to look forward and stay up. It was barely noticeable that David was no longer on top of her.
She tried to jerk herself up but the pain in her face turned cold along with her whole body.
She turned to see Steven’s outline still lying on the ground, and then she could see nothing more. Dizziness came over her and all was darker and black.

Casey strained to open her eyelids. When she finally did she found herself being roughly carried. She looked up into the man that was carrying her. Evan noticed her looking at him and gently said
“You’re safe Casey, it’s okay you’re safe.”
Casey still couldn’t relax, but neither could she feel anything about her body except for another cold sensation coming over her again. She gradually drifted off to unconsciousness.

Voices were heard from inside a room. Casey was sure she wasn’t alone, when she woke up. She was laid in a bed by the window to what looked like a hospital. She turned her head to look outside the small Millard hospital, and noticed a few police cars and an ambulance. She turned the other way to see someone else lying in an identical bed next to her and her parents, another couple and a some police officers outside the door.
“How are you feeling Casey?” said the person in the other bed.
Casey turned to see Evan now sitting up in his bed and looking at her curiously.
“I think I’m okay.”
she answered but as soon as she paid to notice, her leg was bandaged along with her head. She had I.V s attached to her and she could feel her head and lower body throbbing.
Evan laughed.
He was nearly covered in bandages and a large cast around his left leg. He looked as if he’d been up for a while, and possibly watching her sleep.

The thought of him watching her made her feel uneasy. More tears welled up in her eyes as she began to remember what had just happened that night. She quickly blinked the tears away when she heard her parents and the other couple, Evan’s parents, walk through the door companied by the policemen.
“Casey!”
Mrs. Maddison came rushing to her daughter and gently petted her face with light kisses. Mr. Maddison approached alongside his wife and held Casey’s hand. Casey was relieved to see them, but annoyed by how they asked questions about how she was feeling. A Nurse came to them with a syringe and injected it into Casey’s I.V and shortly Casey felt relaxed and guess she was just dosed with morphine. The nurse did the same to Evan and then left the room.
One officer came and stood at the end of her bed.
“Casey, I know you’ll need rest, but shortly we need you to give us all the information and a full report about exactly what happened last night. We have some questions that you and you’re hero Evan over there need to answer.” said the officer.
Casey lightly nodded her head and both policeman left the room.

Casey and Evan both spent about a two days in the hospital. While their parents were filling out medical papers and forms, Evan rolled his wheel chair next to Casey’s. Before Evan could say anything Casey asked
“Evan can we talk?”
“Sure.” Evan answered.
“It’s about that night. How did you know I was out there. Why did you come save me? What exactly happened?”
Casey found these questions hard. Evan looked down onto his lap.
“We moved into a house at the end of Wilson drive....The night Makayla…. Was killed I noticed the same truck parked close to my house. I was suspicious so I had Josh and Garrison Burntum look out to see if the same truck went by again.”
Evan paused and looked at Casey for a moment and then continued
“The day after we saw each other at your work, I saw the same truck, but you were in it. That night I took a walk and Josh called me and said he saw the truck outside my house again. I was near the other entrance of the pond so I decided to run and see if there was anyone near there. When I saw you I was going coming over to talk to you, when you took off running. I tried to follow you and called for you to stop, but when I finally got close enough, David came out of nowhere and knocked me out cold. When I finally got up I went further and saw they were hurting you. That’s when I took out Steven. I tried to take down David, but he was a bit tougher. I broke my leg but, I was almost too late to save you after he knocked you out cold. Afterwards Josh came and found me and ran back to get help while I carried you out of there. It wasn’t easy finally police came and I was too worn out to remember anything else.”

Evan didn’t look up for another minute of silence and then caught Casey’s eye.
“I don’t know how to thank you. Or how to repay you.” said Casey bashfully.
“You don’t have to.”
“Well thank you anyway.”
“Anytime. Well try not to get in too much trouble.”
Evan winked and reached over and patted Casey’s hand. Casey blushed and gave a crooked smile. Evan smiled back, mouthed some words that she couldn't cacth and by that time his parents arrived and rolled him away.
Casey sat speechlessly until her parents were ready to take her home.

Epilogue :
Casey had her covers half up to her stomach, as she lied remaining motionless in the dark. She heard someone coming up the stairs. She could tell it was her mother and that she was trying to be quiet. Casey gently closed her eyes, rolled onto her side and pretended to be asleep, while her mother walked in and checked on her.
A couple minutes passed and Casey opened her eyes. She was facing her bedroom window, and her curtain was open to a full night's view. She sat up and stared out the window. 'Who opened my curtains?' she wondered. She slowly floated up, reached out and closed them.
When she turned around to her bed she noticed a couple items of clothing. Picking them up she found that one of them were a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. The jeans were hers, but they were covered in dark spots, the bottom hems were ripped and near the calf of the legs were large holes. She set the jeans down on the floor and lifted the t-shirt. It was a lighter pastel color, and also one of hers. It too had dark red spots and a couple of rips. But this time it had one large slit right through the middle of the stomach area.
She immediatley recgonized what she was holding. The outfit from the other night. Her hands began to shake as she felt flashbacks of the thicket,the adrenaline rushing through her body as she imagined herself trying to get away from David, and Steven lying unconscience on the ground. She pulled herself back to reality only to hear something moving near her window. She whipped around. No one seemed to be there. 'I must be dreaming' She walked to her bedroom door and again she heard another noise. She strolled back to her bed and the window. Something was wrong, she kept telling herself she started to scan and search her bedroom for anything unusual. She looked back at her window. The curtains were pulled back again.
She rushed to close them but then heard another noise coming from her bed behind her.
Gradually she shifted her head and body around.
It was darker with the curtains pulled back yet again, but she could still see the outline of someone sitting on her bed. She remained frozen as the figure slowly stood up and crept toward her.
"You could of told someone." he said facing her.
It was still too dark to percieve who it was.
He spoke again, "But you didn't tell anyone and you still got away."
Casey felt an edgy gulp in her throat, she didn't acknowledge the person talking to her till he was close enough that she could hear him whisper. She yelped and leapt for the door, but David grabbed onto her and shook her. She kept shaking and crying out for help.
Nothing happened until her mind went blank and she woke up to see her parents holding her down on the floor looking worried. Her light was on and her mother kept saying her name.
'It was just a dream she thought' as her parents helped her up back onto her bed. Her mother hugged onto her crying. Casey lowered her head to glance on the ground. Something looked slightly shoved under her bed. But before she could reach down to see what it was, her father beat her to it and picked it up himself.
It was the same clothing in her dream, but this time she recognized the dark spots as dark red blood stains.
Her parents reacted faster than she could, and before she knew it she was gasping for breathe. "Get those out of here!" cried her mother as Mr. Madison rushed out of the room grasping the ripped and stained clothes.
Casey lied back down in her bed. She heard Mrs. Madison mutter some sentences to her, but she was too exhausted to comprehend what she was saying.
A few minutes past and her mother left the room, and against her will Casey drifted back to sleep.

Morning came and she had no further nightmares. She got dressed quietly and snuck into the hallway to eavesdrop on her parents conversation. Mrs. Madison was conversing with her husband while cooking toast and breakfast.
"I thought you got rid of those clothes!" she said.
"I did, I promise, I took them from the hospital on the way home and threw them away." replied Mr. Madison.
"Well then tell me how they got back up to her bedroom!" Mrs. Madison's voice grew aggresively.
"I haven't the slightest idea."
" Well it shouldn't happen again!"
"I know, but would it ever occur to you that Casey might have taken them back?" "No! why would she even consider that."
"Who else could've done it?!"
Her parents lowered their voices to whispers and continued arguing. Casey walked away and checked her hair.
When she walked back into the kitchen her parents had stopped fighting over the previous night and were continuing to cook breakfast.
"Good morning Casey!" called her father.
"How are you sweetheart?" her mother added.
"Morning, I'm fine thanks Dad, Mom." said Casey pleasantly.
She grabbed a piece of toast and started to heavily spread butter over it.
"I think I'm going back to work today. I'll be home for lunch. I'm taking an early shift." Casey said.
"Are you sure? It seemed you had a rough night last night." replied Casey's mother.
"Yeah I'll be fine." she said as she took a couple bites from her toast and grabbed her bag to head out the door.
"Okay then" her mother called out.
"Be safe, I love you." added her father.
Casey shut the door behind her and jumped into her car.


“We’re glad to have you back at work!” called Mr. Henry from the back room.
“Glad to be back boss!” replied Casey.
For the first time in almost two weeks she felt high spirited. She took her spot by the register. It was a slow day and gave her a rather long time to think. The past few days had been hectic. Rumors and visitors were coming to her house by the hour.
Kristin had at least spent almost the two full weeks at her place. And Evan came to visit on his crutches at least once a day. He would update her on the latest rumors. Such as it was supposed that David and Steven had syringe or sharp needle spots on their arms, and were sent to 45 years in prison. Casey personally didn’t think that was long enough. She was still confused about too many things, that she was unwilling to think through.
Her bad memories and thoughts were saved by the light ringing of the bell on top of the door. Evan wobbled in on his crutches, behind him was Josh and Garrison.
“Hey Casey! Looking good today!” called Garrison.
“I’d say.” added Evan. As he hurried down the aisle bringing back a can opener.
“I’ll take this, and a date tonight at 5” said Evan as he laid down a five dollar bill.
“You can keep the change.” he added.
Evan winked, took the can opener and left. Casey charged the money, and turned to see Evan, Josh, and Garrison leaving the building and stepping into Josh's corvette. They honked a couple times as they drove off and Casey waved.
She pulled out her purse from under the counter and turned to the back office for her lunch break.