Bad Places Read online

  “Well, this town doesn’t anymore.”

  Another firefighter walked past them, carrying a cardboard box.

  “Anything interesting?”

  “Not really.”

  The on-site commander was standing near the back of his vehicle, watching his men work the site. The firefighter walked toward him, carrying the cardboard box, handing it over to the commander.

  “We found this down in the basement. Looks like it’s the only thing to make it through the fire.”

  The commander looked down into the box. “Video tapes? This stuff is old school.” He took one out and read the label.

  “What?”

  “The date on this one is last night.”

  “That’s weird.”

  “I know what I’ll be doing all night tonight.” The commander put the box into an open window of his car.

  “You going to watch them?”

  “We need to investigate everything to try to figure out why this house burned.”

  “This is going to be too hard to figure out, we found the gas can right next to the house.”

  “There are procedures to follow.”

  “Better you than me.”

  “That’s what I get paid the big bucks for.”

  “Don’t tell me you actually have a VCR!”

  “It’s amazing the stuff you don’t get rid of, huh? Wife gets on me all the time about it, but you just never now when you’ll need something.” The commander motioned toward the house. “We about done here?”

  “We’ve gone through the whole thing. At least no one was inside.”

  “Yes, at least there’s that.”

  The commander put one of the video cassettes into a VCR and moved to sit down in a chair placed directly in front of the TV. The room was decorated with various awards, certificates, and framed photographs. It was obviously the commander’s retreat, his man cave. A single, small lamp was lit in a far corner. The door opened and the commander’s wife stuck her head inside the room.

  “I’m going to bed now.”

  “Good night, dear.”

  “Don’t stay up too late.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Does that have to do with the Temple house fire?”

  “It hasn’t been the Temple house for years.”

  “I, myself, am glad it burned down.”

  “Cheryl!”

  “I know, I know, but you do know about that place, don’t you?”

  “Just silly stories kids tell each other in October.”

  “More like from their parents, instead of the kids.”

  “Now that it’s gone, another place is going to have to be the town’s haunted house.”

  “I think we’ve had one around here too long.” The commander’s wife smiled. “See you in the morning.”

  “Sleep good.”

  The commander picked up a remote control and turned on the TV.

  Static.

  The commander’s wife watched idly for a second and then withdrew her head and closed the door.

  The static continued for another three seconds and the commander was ready to turn off the TV, when the screen cleared, showing a familiar room. “What the hell? That’s... here.”

  On the screen, a dark shape moved through the room, paused, and raced toward the lens of the camera.

  The commander was startled and jumped back in his chair, almost tilting the chair backward. He smiled and then chuckled to himself. “It must be some kind of trick tape,” he told himself. “Wonder who came up with that one.”

  Behind the commander, a dark shape rose.

  THE END.

  The Possession Next Door

  by

  Steven Douglas Brown

  ©2018 Steven Douglas Brown

  A lone figure was sitting on a simple folding chair.

  The room was dark, except for a single light illuminating the young man, his head down, face hidden in shadow.

  “It’s now known as the Sterling Demon House. Last year, something... happened there. Something better left unknown, better left... alone.”

  Billy, 17 years old, stepped out through the front door of his home. He wasn’t high school athlete handsome, but wasn’t bowl-haircut geeky, either. He was a typical high school kid.

  Speaking of high school athlete handsome, an expensive, tricked-out car roared up the street and came to a tire-screeching stop in front of the house next door, a handsome teen stepping out of the still-running car and waving someone over impatiently. Billy watched as a very pretty girl, Jennifer, ran from the house next door to the car. After the pair climbed into the car, they drove off. Billy sighed and the walked off in the direction the car went.

  Billy met up with his friends outside the main high school building. Teddy and Gary fell into the goofy friends category and then fact that Billy was the leader of this group pretty much established their position on the school social ladder.

  “Are we still on for tonight?” Teddy asked Billy.

  “I guess...”

  Gary rolled his eyes. “As if you have anything better planned.”

  “I could have...”

  “But do you?”

  “No.”

  “I thought so. We’ll be over by eight o’clock.”

  Billy turned sharply as Jennifer approached. “Hi, Billy,” she said, with a smile and a quick wave. Billy opened his mouth to respond, but the words froze in his throat.

  Gary rolled his eyes as Jennifer walked off. “Billy says hi back, Jenny!” he called out after the girl.

  Billy nodded.

  Jennifer continued on toward the building entrance, not acknowledging if she had even heard Gary, who smacked Billy on the back of the head.

  “What!?”

  “You’ve lived next door to her for how long?”

  “Seventeen years.”

  “And you still act that way?”

  “It doesn’t help that she gets better looking every day,” Teddy said.

  “You, too?” Gary looked at Teddy, who was staring in the direction Jennifer had left.

  “She makes my man parts tingle,” Teddy said.

  “She’s just a girl, like any other in this school.”

  “Says the guy spending Friday night watching DVDs with two other guys.”

  “If I wanted, I’d have a date for tomorrow before the end of school today!”

  “Ten bucks?”

  Gary looked unsure for a moment and then nodded. “You’re on!”

  The trio started walking toward the building.

  “And asking your cousin Grace doesn’t count!”

  “What makes you think I was going to do that?”

  “Because that’s who you took to the homecoming dance.”

  Billy turned to Gary. “You took your cousin to homecoming?”

  Teddy grinned. “I thought I saw his car parked, with the windows steamed up, after the dance!”

  “Shut up!”

  Teddy and Billy shared a laugh at Gary’s expense as they entered school.

  Billy was seated near a window in one of his classrooms. He casually looked out and saw Jennifer outside, near the street, standing with an older-looking gentleman, who was dressed entirely in black. The man was either extremely pale or was wearing white makeup. He was leaning forward slightly and spoke into Jennifer’s ear, as if in confidence. He looked up and saw Billy watching. The man in black smiled, corners of his mouth stretching too wide to be humanly possible. A hand clamped on Billy’s shoulder, startling him.

  “Mark Twain not interesting enough to hold your attention, Mr. Howard?”

  Billy looked up at his teacher. “Just taking a break, Mr. Skerritt.”

  The teacher nodded and walked off. “Let’s just make sure it doesn’t last all class.”

  Billy nodded. He then quickly glanced out the window when the teacher turned away.

  Jennifer and the man in black were nowhere in sight.

  Students streamed from the school quickly i
n anticipation of the weekend ahead. Gary was standing, holding out a ten dollar bill that Teddy took as he passed, Gary falling into step with him.

  “Thank you.”

  “You know, that leaves me broke until payday.”

  “It’s not as if you have a date, or anything.”

  “Funny...”

  “But true.”

  “Am I picking you up or are you going over to Billy’s yourself?”

  “Now that I have gas money...”

  “Enjoy it while you can, Teddy.”

  “Oh, I am!”

  The pair crossed the street to the school parking lot.

  “What are we watching tonight?” Gary asked.

  “I’m still working on that.”

  Gary and Teddy looked over as a loud voice was heard, seeing that the handsome high school athlete was standing with Jennifer.

  “What do you mean you’re breaking up with me?” the handsome teen shouted.

  “Whoa...” Gary muttered in surprise.

  “We’ve been together for over three years!”

  Jennifer simply turned around and walked off.

  The handsome teen watched in stunned silence for a moment and then got into his car and drove out of the parking lot.

  “Who needs TV to see teenage angst?” Gary said, smiling.

  “That was cool,” Teddy uttered.

  “See you later,” Gary said, walking to his car.

  Teddy nodded. “Later.”

  Billy was walking home slowly, head down, ear buds firmly in place, listening to music. He did not hear the car pacing him until the horn honked. The handsome teen, Brady, stopped his car and stepped out of the vehicle. “Can I talk to you?”

  Billy looked around, surprised, and pulled out his ear buds. “Sure.”

  Brady motioned for Billy to get into the car.

  Seated in the passenger seat, Billy had a surprised look on his face. “You want me to spy on Jenny?”

  “Not really spy, just keep an eye on her for me.” Brady glanced over at Billy. “She’s been... different lately.”

  “Because she broke up with you?”

  “No. This has been going on for a couple weeks. You didn’t notice?”

  “Notice what?”

  “It’s not like she shaved her head, or anything. Pay attention to the way she talks now. It’s just not her.”

  “I really haven’t talked with her in a long time.”

  “Give her a call. You’ll see what I mean.”

  “What would be my excuse for calling her?”

  “Ask her out.”

  Billy almost gasped out loud. “Me?”

  “She likes you, Billy. You have an easy in. You’ve known her since you two were born.”

  Billy looked lost in thought for a moment. “Okay.”

  “I’ll give you my cell phone number.”

  “How often should I check in?”

  “Whenever you see something... not right.”

  As Brady’s car drove off, Billy looked at the scrap of paper with Brady’s phone number and contemplated tossing it, but then shoved it into a pocket. When Billy looked up, he was startled to see the Man in Black standing on a corner up the street, looking in Billy’s direction.

  “Well, that’s not right.” He pulled out the phone number. “But I don’t have a cell phone...” Billy began walking backward, still watching the Man in Black standing on the corner up the street, and then turned and walked off quickly. The rest of the way home, Billy kept glancing over a shoulder, as if expecting to see the Man in Black appear, not seeing something low to the ground rush at him.

  A dog jumped onto Billy with its front paws, the eighty-pound dog almost knocking Billy backward.

  “Koko? What are you doing here? Jenny forget to let you back in?” Billy scratched the dog behind an ear and the dog fell into step beside him, until they approached Jennifer’s house, and then the dog stopped. Billy stopped and looked back at the dog. “Come on, Koko.” The dog turned and ran away. Billy looked puzzled. “What’s up with that dog?” Billy looked toward Jennifer’s house, just in time to see an upstairs window curtain fall back in place.

  Gary was leaving his job at a store called GEEK CHIC, talking on his phone. Gary was dressed in high-water pants, button-up shirt, and was wearing horn-rimmed glasses with white tape wrapped around various points of the frames. “Oh, man, me and Teddy saw that whole scene go down in the parking lot after school!”

  “You coming over now?” Billy asked.

  “Right after I change out of these stupid clothes. I hate working at GEEK CHIC!” Gary unlocked his car. “I can’t believe Brady asked you to spy on Jenny!”

  “That’s not the half of it! He also wants me to ask her out!”

  “No way! You do it yet?”

  “No. I’m going to wait until you get here.”

  “Good. I don’t want to miss that! I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

  When Gary entered Billy’s bedroom, he saw Billy, Teddy, and Koko the dog. “What’s Koko doing here?”

  “She won’t go home. I found her sleeping on the back porch, so I brought her inside. Koko isn’t an outside dog.”

  Gary pat the large dog and it wagged its tail slowly.

  “You call her yet?”

  “No.” Billy shook his head quickly.

  “Now you have the perfect excuse,” Gary said, patting the dog on its neck, its fur thick, almost mane-like. “Tell Jenny you found her dog, half-starved and cold, brought it home and can bring it over.”

  Teddy smiled and nodded. “Works for me!”

  But Billy looked hesitant.

  Gary handed Billy the cordless phone off a beside table. “One phone call could change your life!”

  Billy dialed Jennifer’s number, having dedicated it to memory. “No answer.” He tossed the phone onto the bed. “Not exactly a life-changing moment.”

  “Oh, well. Let’s watch a movie.”

  They watched THE EVIL DEAD with the lights out. Gary pulled a can of beer out of his jacket and handed it to Teddy, taking out another can for himself; Billy shook his head at the offer. The telephone rang and Billy looked at the caller ID screen. “Oh, shit,” he said. “It’s Brady.”

  “You going to answer?”

  Billy shrugged and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Billy? It’s Brady. You talk to her yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ve tried a couple of times, but there was no answer.”

  “Tell him it’s Friday night, for God’s sake!” Gary hissed.

  “Who was that?” Brady asked.

  “Nobody.”

  Nobody? Gary held up his middle finger.

  “Can I be a nobody, too?” Teddy asked.

  “You having a party over there, or something?” Brady asked on the phone, having heard Teddy’s voice.

  “No. We’re just watching DVDs. I hope I can get a hold of someone next door, because I have Jenny’s dog here with me.”

  “You have Koko?” Brady sounded surprised. “Why?”

  “She was out running around when I got home and then I found her asleep on our back porch after it got dark.”

  “See what I mean by things not being right?” Brady sounded genuinely concerned. “She loves that dog more than anything and wouldn’t let it out of her sight, let alone having it running around outside.”

  “Maybe Gary’s right,” Billy said. “Maybe she just went out tonight.”

  “Why did you use my name?” Gary hissed.

  “Get your guys ready,” Brady said over the phone. “I’m coming over.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re going out looking for her.” Brady ended the call.

  Billy put down the phone and looked to Gary and Teddy.

  “What?” Gary asked.

  “Why do we have to come along?” Gary asked, as they three teenagers stood on the sidewalk in front of Billy’s house. “It’s your neighbor and hi
s ex-girlfriend!”

  “Are you kidding?” Teddy looked excited. “We’re going to hang out with Brady Quinn! If anyone from school sees us, we could be set for the rest of the year!”

  “What are you looking at?” Gary asked Billy.

  Billy was looking at Jennifer’s house, a frown on his face. “There’s no lights on next door.”

  “So?”

  “It’s early. Look, even Mr. Evers is still awake across the street and he’s almost eighty!”

  A pair of headlights could be seen and Brady drove up to the trio, stepping out of the car and looking at them over the car roof. “Ready?”

  “Where are we going?” Gary asked.

  “The usual places.”

  “We don’t know the usual places, Brady,” Billy admitted.

  “Get in.”

  Only Teddy looked excited as they climbed into the car.

  With Gary and Teddy in the back, Billy was in the passenger seat next to Brady driving. Gary’s expression was that of growing boredom. “See, Teddy? There’s nothing mystical about where the jocks and hotties hang out, other than it’s where the jocks and hotties hang out.”

  “I think Tiffany Lewis saw me!” Teddy said excitedly.

  “I don’t doubt it, considering you were hanging half-out the window and waving.”

  “Brady, when did you first notice Jenny acting differently?” Billy asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about that since this afternoon. I’d have to say I first noticed right after she got back from that trip to Europe with her parents.”

  “Jenny went to Europe?” Gary sounded impressed.

  “I took care of Koko while they were gone,” Billy said, looking back at Gary. “They’s probably why she showed up on our back porch earlier.”

  “Jenny stopped smiling after that trip.”

  Billy mulled that bit of information over for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right.”

  “So she isn’t smiling as much. Big deal.”

  Brady glanced at Gary in the rear view mirror. “It’s more than that.”

  “Like what?”

  Brady shook his head, obviously not wanting to share any more information with the trio.

  “Where are we going now?” Teddy asked.

  “One of Jenny’s favorite places. The Daze.”

  “The Daze? They don’t let people like us even drive by that place on a Friday night!”

  Brady stared straight ahead. “Don’t worry about it.”