JOURNAL Ā Ā ENTRIES Ā Ā / Ā Ā 1/?
fall Ā Ā was Ā Ā coming Ā Ā to Ā Ā derry. Ā Ā growing Ā Ā colder. Ā Ā growing Ā Ā darker. Ā Ā kids Ā Ā go Ā Ā inside Ā Ā earlier. Ā Ā the Ā Ā windās Ā Ā no Ā Ā longer Ā Ā soft. Ā Ā sometimes Ā Ā i Ā Ā sit Ā Ā on Ā Ā my Ā Ā porch Ā Ā and Ā Ā watch Ā Ā the Ā Ā neighborhood Ā Ā go Ā Ā by. Ā Ā itās Ā Ā a Ā Ā small Ā Ā street Ā Ā i Ā Ā live Ā Ā at, Ā Ā mostly Ā Ā populated Ā Ā by Ā Ā the Ā Ā elderly. Ā Ā the Ā Ā kind Ā Ā who Ā Ā never Ā Ā seem Ā Ā to Ā Ā stray Ā Ā far Ā Ā from Ā Ā their Ā Ā yard. Ā Ā
iāve Ā Ā talked Ā Ā to Ā Ā a Ā Ā few, Ā Ā namely Ā Ā this Ā Ā couple Ā Ā that Ā Ā lives Ā Ā in Ā Ā a Ā Ā house Ā Ā across Ā Ā from Ā Ā me. Ā Ā a Ā Ā man Ā Ā and Ā Ā a Ā Ā woman, Ā Ā melvin Ā Ā and Ā Ā jackie. Ā Ā sometimes Ā Ā theyāll Ā Ā have Ā Ā me Ā Ā over Ā Ā for Ā Ā dinner. Ā Ā last Ā Ā winter, Ā Ā i Ā Ā watched Ā Ā their Ā Ā cat Ā Ā for Ā Ā them Ā Ā while Ā Ā they Ā Ā were Ā Ā out Ā Ā of Ā Ā town. Ā Ā we Ā Ā had Ā Ā a Ā Ā simple, Ā Ā neighborly Ā Ā friendship, Ā Ā nothing Ā Ā more. Ā Ā until Ā Ā three Ā Ā weeks Ā Ā ago. Ā Ā three Ā Ā weeks Ā Ā ago Ā Ā on Ā Ā melvinās Ā Ā porch, Ā Ā we Ā Ā got Ā Ā to Ā Ā drinking. Ā Ā jackie Ā Ā had Ā Ā gone Ā Ā to Ā Ā bed Ā Ā an Ā Ā hour Ā Ā before. Ā Ā after Ā Ā drinking, Ā Ā we Ā Ā got Ā Ā to Ā Ā talking. Ā Ā i Ā Ā said Ā Ā that Ā Ā i Ā Ā was Ā Ā thinking Ā Ā of Ā Ā writing Ā Ā a Ā Ā book Ā Ā on Ā Ā derry, Ā Ā mixing Ā Ā historical Ā Ā accounts Ā Ā with Ā Ā my Ā Ā own Ā Ā childhood Ā Ā experience.
melvin Ā Ā grew Ā Ā quiet. Ā Ā took Ā Ā a Ā Ā long Ā Ā swig Ā Ā of Ā Ā his Ā Ā beer. Ā Ā even Ā Ā sober, Ā Ā he Ā Ā liked Ā Ā to Ā Ā get Ā Ā personal. Ā Ā drinking Ā Ā only Ā Ā intensified Ā Ā that. Ā Ā i Ā Ā knew Ā Ā that Ā Ā too. Ā Ā and Ā Ā maybe Ā Ā it Ā Ā was Ā Ā wrong Ā Ā of Ā Ā me Ā Ā to Ā Ā try Ā Ā to Ā Ā get Ā Ā a Ā Ā story Ā Ā out Ā Ā of Ā Ā him, Ā Ā but Ā Ā i Ā Ā figured Ā Ā itād Ā Ā do Ā Ā no Ā Ā harm. Ā Ā āyou lived out a little further, right? your father had that farm.ā
āyeah,ā i said. āa bit rural.ā
āi donāt go there no more. havenāt in years. when we were just kids, there was this pond near your old place. me and my sisters liked to play there. did i ever tell you about the gold at the bottom?ā
he hadnāt. āno. no, i donāt think you did.ā
āit was a rumor. said some bandits buried their treasure there. and we wanted some of it. we didnāt have a whole lot growing up, so hearing that was neat. we wanted to try to find it. i asked my friend to come with me. his name was pete. we got two shovels from his garage. we walk there - me, pete, and my sisters, and go looking for gold. figured we could cut the corners, wear it down, and try to drain the water. but it started raining so we go home empty-handed. that night, pete says we should go again. you know, just to see. he wanted that gold real bad. i did too. we made a promise to split it between our families when we found it.
we get there and start digging some. it was a little scary at night, but not too bad. we were resting and had our feet in the water when pete started complaining, saying the night bugs were getting to him. they started getting to me too so i stood up to go and pete tried but .. but he couldnāt. said there was something holding onto his foot. i thought he was fooling with me and told him to quit it. he said it wasnāt a joke. something had him. so i grabbed him and started pulling and pulling and suddenly he started screaming! i never heard anyone scream like that. he was saying something to me .. said it hurts. he screamed it. we were both crying at this point. he was splashing, going crazy. i was so scared we were gonna fall in. i donāt know what i wouldāve done if i fell in. finally, i pulled him out.
we fell back on the grass. pete was still screaming and crying, trying to sit up. pointing down. i looked .. oh god .. his foot was gone, mike. it was like a fish tore it off. he was bleeding all down there. i mustāve pissed myself because i remember feeling all wet. i got him up, tried carrying him back but it was too hard. i wasnāt strong enough. i told him to wait. said i was gonna go run to get help. but he didnāt want me to. didnāt want to be left alone out there. but i was so scared, i .. i told him iād be right back and i ran even as he cried for me to come back. i remember that. i remember he was crying for me. but i ran. and i kept running until i saw lights and got to a house, got help like i said i would.
but when the officer got there, he said he couldnāt find him. said he found the pond but couldnāt find him. the whole town ended up looking for him. we couldnāt. we never did. said it couldāve been an animal attack. i donāt know. there were still some bears around then. the cops drained the pond and found nothing. no pete. no gold. they filled it in with dirt. his parents moved away soon after that. i never really got over that, mike. they all said it wasnāt my fault but i never really got over that.ā
i Ā Ā searched Ā Ā my Ā Ā brain. Ā Ā peter Ā Ā wood. Ā Ā disappeared Ā Ā 14th Ā Ā of Ā Ā august, Ā Ā 1913. Ā Ā presumed Ā Ā dead. Ā Ā his Ā Ā body Ā Ā was Ā Ā never Ā Ā recovered.
melvin Ā Ā didnāt Ā Ā say Ā Ā anything Ā Ā after Ā Ā telling Ā Ā me Ā Ā that. Ā Ā only Ā Ā rubbed Ā Ā at Ā Ā his Ā Ā face Ā Ā and Ā Ā let Ā Ā out Ā Ā a Ā Ā long Ā Ā sigh. Ā Ā then Ā Ā he Ā Ā got Ā Ā up, Ā Ā said Ā Ā he Ā Ā had Ā Ā to Ā Ā use Ā Ā the Ā Ā restroom Ā Ā and Ā Ā went Ā Ā inside. Ā Ā didnāt Ā Ā come Ā Ā back Ā Ā out Ā Ā to Ā Ā the Ā Ā porch, Ā Ā so Ā Ā i Ā Ā took Ā Ā that Ā Ā as Ā Ā my Ā Ā cue Ā Ā to Ā Ā leave.
itās Ā Ā been Ā Ā three Ā Ā weeks Ā Ā now Ā Ā and Ā Ā i Ā Ā canāt Ā Ā let Ā Ā go Ā Ā of Ā Ā that Ā Ā story. Ā Ā i Ā Ā had Ā Ā a Ā Ā nightmare Ā Ā a Ā Ā few Ā Ā days Ā Ā ago. Ā Ā it Ā Ā was Ā Ā summer. Ā Ā i Ā Ā was Ā Ā at Ā Ā the Ā Ā canal. Ā Ā i Ā Ā saw Ā Ā a Ā Ā boy Ā Ā sitting Ā Ā on Ā Ā the Ā Ā ledge, Ā Ā his Ā Ā legs Ā Ā in Ā Ā the Ā Ā water. Ā Ā when Ā Ā he Ā Ā lifted Ā Ā them, Ā Ā i Ā Ā could Ā Ā see Ā Ā the Ā Ā missing Ā Ā tissue Ā Ā and Ā Ā bits Ā Ā of Ā Ā bone. Ā Ā the Ā Ā water Ā Ā turned Ā Ā pink Ā Ā around Ā Ā him. Ā Ā he Ā Ā looked Ā Ā up Ā Ā at Ā Ā me, Ā Ā smiled, Ā Ā and Ā Ā winked.
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