Mysteries and Suspense Short Stories Collection by Tamikio L. Reardon (that summer book TXT) 📖

Staring at him agitated now, he did have a point. Donovan has never invited me to his house in the three months we have been dated he has only come my house or we see each other at school. I sat back still terrified of his actions and the place we were going. Everyone in town knew about the old man Thomas Acker story. Some say the man has been dead for years, but how can that be? He is very well alive and takes care of this cemetery up in the hills. He never comes to town he always stays in that cemetery and that house on the dead end street of Mansingfield. Finally we made it up in the hills driving up the long dark dirt road path to get to the cemetery. I have always known Donovan was creepy, but now I know for sure. Who would in their right mind would want to hang out at a cemetery with a dead friend on a Friday night when they had a girlfriend? We drove up to the small gates of the cemetery. Thomas Acker came to the gates and opened the door to let us drive the car in through the pathway. Looking out of my rearview mirror I could see Thomas Acker closing and locking the cemetery gates behind him. Sinking down into the car seat, I was scared to death of graves. We got to the spot where the six graves were Donovan turned off the car engine putting my car keys inside his jean pockets and getting out the car. I sat staring in disbelief now refusing to get out of the car. He was acting really weird now. He stood in front of the car and angry mentioned for me to get out now. As I did, I could see old man Thomas Acker coming up the

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dirt road after locking the cemetery gates. It’s clear now that I’m not getting out of here tonight what am I gonna do? I guess I had to cooperate and wean my way out this mess. I got out of the car with a force smile, walked up to Donovan and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go honey.” He smiled back now dropping the anger grabbed my hand tightly and we started up to the cemetery. Thomas Acker stayed a few feet walking back behind us watching us as we went up the dirt road. What did he think we were going to do steal a body or something? Donovan never looked at Acker once since we got here. It was like they had some kind of inner personal connection. We finally made it up to the six graves in the very small cemetery. No wait……there was seventh grave now…..freshly dig as a matter of fact. Donovan turned to look at me dropping my hand. “It seem Acker has been busy up here I hope he don’t mind me visiting my friend for while then he can finish his work. He usually let me come up here every Friday and sit with his grave I won’t stay too long…..” turning to walk over to one of the graves he stood in front of it almost looking transparent. Thomas Acker was now nowhere to be found. Donovan stood in front of the friend’s grave murmuring something from under his breath or what that chanting I hear? Stepping back slowly I know that something is very wrong here. I slowly begin to walk over to Donovan chanting over the friend’s grave as I got there to get a better look and read the information on the headstone…….I grasped in shock holding my hand to my mouth. The grave description read “Donovan P Westbrook, death March 11, 1994, in loving memory”. But how can this be? It was 1996! Is he dead? Donovan finally stopped chanting and turned to look at me now he had a sad painful look on his face, there three slits on both sides of his wrist a total of 6 cut wounds. Oddly there was total of six graves here with seventh one just added…..Donovan started to face me. Now he became invisible and I could not see him. Falling to the ground in front of the grave, I now knew why at time I could not see Donovan, I was not crazy there is something really wrong with this guy.

 

“Welcome” I turned to see Thomas Acker standing over me with his hand out stretched to help me get up. I backed away from him on the ground crawling away from him. “Get away from me!” Donovan still stood at his grave now I could see him fully with blood dripping from his cut wounds on his wrist. He committed suicide. Thomas Acker still proceed to come towards me finally I managed to get up off the ground backing in the direction furthers from the seven graves. Acker stood in the middle next of the seven graves while Donovan still stood in front of his grave now with glowing white eye balls and a wide black whole which was his mouth and blood still dripping from the cut wounds on his wrist. His voice was screaming to death from beyond. Thomas Acker continues to walk towards me and then stopped a few feet from me.” Let me tell you a story…”

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Donovan had settled down and now was looking at me through white hollow eye sockets. Donovan Westbrook was not real, he was not even alive.

 

“Many years ago I was teacher at Capers Valley High. It was back in the 1970’s I used to be a history teacher there. For all my fifteen years of teacher I had commonly watched students and I saw a lot of students who were misfits depressants. I watched bullies pick and taunt them, I’ve seen them get suspended from school from the wrong reason and worst I’ve seen them commit suicide. I myself was bullied as a child and at the time I could not do anything about it or defend myself. I felt I could help these students fit into another world that would accept them like it had accepted me. I was a very young teacher I had more feelings for the depressants than I did teaching my history class. One day I started this secret group for students who were bullied, mistreated, suicidal we all could relate and comfort one another. I gathered a group of about five students who were very deep depressants and I held a secret class after school one day. Once they all got familiar with what they were supposed to do those that choose to be in the secret society group had their choice no one was ever forced into the group. All five of the student wanted in and had agreed to make the sacrifice. We then started having meeting at my house on Mansingfield st. the last house on the dead end street at the end of the block. One night was the final sacrifice and they all made it through, no one hesitated or chicken out nobody at that time did. Donovan here was the only one we had trouble with, but this was years later on down the line after he moved here. You see Donovan had tried to enter our world many time before and he had always chicken out once he moved her to Capers Valley it was our big chance to bring in once and for all. He still has some big transforming to do.”

Now stunned and paralyzed, all I could do was stand there and listen to this maniac’s story. Forcing myself to move out of this death freeze I was suddenly in, Donovan was still standing there looking at me with white hollow blank eyes. Thomas Acker walked over to the first of the six graves still telling his story.

 

“One night inside my home was the last sacrifice for the whole group that would change our whole world and life. We had as meeting where all five of the student sat on the floor forming a big huge circle. Within this circle, there was a pentagon shaped diagram drawn with a heavy black marker. Around each angle of this pentagon there were six lit candles at the end of each point. At the time all we need was five Donovan would later claim that sixth candle as you can see he did. Each of the five students took the sacrifice by each cutting their wrist. Since Donovan was the hardest with hesitation of the group we made him the sixth victim the one to

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hold all our wounds that is why you see a total of six slits on his body three on both wrists. All of the students committed suicide that night selling their souls to the devil to possess the greatest power in the earth. You see Julie that was the problem with depressants and bullied students they felt powerless and promising them power for their souls is just what they fell into. Each of the five students died in my house that night in 1985. Now that Donovan here possesses all the groups marks we must start all over again with a new victim due to his body not being able to possess anymore marking for the group.”

 

Still listening to all this I had no choice I was trapped inside this cemetery and nobody had the slight idea where I could be. I was not going to make it out of here alive. Acker now turned towards the first grave.

 

“This first resting place belongs to one of the students this is Tony Riegle.” Gasping, my eyes widen with more fright as I began to recognize one of the boys from “The Reject Society” group from school that Donovan hangs out with! Tony started to rise from the grave wearing the same white hollow eyed look that Donovan seems to still be wearing. These are the dead victims of a suicidal rampage they are dead and under a spell where the devil is using their souls. Tony rose up and floated several feet from his grave staring at me with hatred and anger. Next Acker walked over to the second grave. “This here is Linda Simone.” Another member of the reject society from school. Acker continued to introduce the rest of “The Reject Society”. There was Meghan Owens, Robert (Dinky) Anderson and Randy Dawson. These were all the victims of “The Reject Society” and now I know why they all hung out together at school and why they are all so weird and creepy. They are all dead at least over twenty years. All six of the victims stood in front of their own graves clothing flying in the evil domestic mist around them. There was a strong stench coming for each other bodies it was to horrific to tolerate. Their eyes were nothing but empty white sockets in which the humans can look right through into their devilish souls. Each had one cut wound on the left side of their wrist all accept Donovan he carried three on both side of his wrist. It seems he is the master of the evil power. All seven victims stood before me bewailing in the wind of the small domestic grave yard. Something came to mind? What happened to Thomas Acker? If they all entered into this hellish world what happened to him? Reading my mind, Acker stepped forwards with a crimson smile protruding from rotted yellow teeth. “I committed suicide as well before I formed the group. I was able to build my own power to come back as human and claim victims. I hung myself from my living room Chandelier late one night. I do not possess any cut marks I’m the highest and

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there is one before me…..the devil.” Thomas Acker turned towards Donovan; finally Donovan came out of the spell recovering all accept the blood dripping wounds.