The dogs were settled for the night, and Rose finally sat down in the living room with a glass of red wine. She took the phone and dialed Brody’s cell number. She’d had no success in reaching him, not even his voicemail, so she called the number for the cabin and again no answer. It was late, after eleven by the clock on the mantel. She hurried to call Debra. “Hi, hope you weren’t off to bed already.”
“No, in fact I was just about to call you,” Debra replied. “Have you heard from the guys yet?”
“Not yet. I can’t get an answer on Brody’s cell, or the cabin phone. Those men of ours must be in that old cemetery having a bang-up party.” She twisted the phone cord between restless fingers. “I’m going to put my foot down when Brody gets home and insist he stop these foolish adventures. Enough is enough! He’s forty-five and doesn’t need to act like a teenager anymore.”
“Rose, you’re not fooling me. You’re as worried as I am.”
“All right, all right. I am concerned because usually he calls me, especially after this many hours. I haven’t heard from him since this afternoon.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m more than just concerned, I’m downright scared. I have a terrible feeling they’re in trouble.”
“Look, we can’t start imagining something’s gone wrong, or we’ll go nuts waiting to hear. The three of them are grown men and should be able to take care of themselves.” She was trying to reassure herself as well as Debra, and not doing a great job of either. “Go to bed, Deb, and don’t worry. If Brody calls I’ll let you know right away.”
“Okay. I can’t say as I’ll sleep, but I will lie down and watch a little TV. Call me the minute you hear something. The phone will wake me up if I do doze off.”
“I will. Good night, Deb.”
One more time, Rose punched in the number for Brody’s cell, then the cabin's phone … no answer. She picked up her glass of wine and sipped at it with deepening apprehension. She’d never gone to bed without saying good night to her husband. She decided to stay up for a while longer in hopes she would hear from him.
* * * *
The night lingered on as Daniel rested on his rollaway bed. His rifle lay beside him; it probably wouldn’t do any good against a ghost, but he felt better having it within arm’s reach. He listened for any strange sounds and prayed the pain in his foot would ease up. Between that, and the thought of his friends out there somewhere, possibly in serious trouble, sleep was out of the question. The agony of it all had him twisting and turning until he sat up and shook his head.
Nature’s call drove him to his feet to limp his way to the bathroom, carrying the candle, which had burnt down close to the bottom and would soon go out. The mirror over the bathroom sink reflected his image. In the dull flickering light, his hair seemed lighter than its normal wheat blond color … it looked almost white. He examined his reflection, amazed. The candlelight must be messing with his eyes. He used the bathroom quickly and headed to the kitchen to search for another candle. The wind whistled through the trees with a sound like he’d never heard, but he kept his cool and searched the drawers until he found the last one.
Daniel managed to doze off and on through the night. When he woke to a trickle of light streaming in through the window opposite his bed, he sighed with relief. He maneuvered his legs carefully over the edge of the bed and stood. From the window, he could see the sun at the edge of the mountain, casting a halo of pink light above it. How good it was to see the dawn.
He took Nathan’s cell phone to the table and sat down, propping his injured foot up on the chair next to him. “I hope this works,” he muttered as he punched in Brody’s cell number. This time it rang through, and he got a message saying the signal was out of range. “Out of range? The guys are less than a mile away … aren’t they?”
Next, he called Rose. She picked up on the first ring, screeching, “Nathan Smith! Where have you idiots been, and why on Earth are you calling me instead of your wife? And where is Brody? We’ve been worried sick! Why, I have half a mind to…”
“No, Rose, this is Daniel!” he shouted, hoping she’d hear his interruption.
“Oh, Daniel. Well, I’m still glad one of you called. Like I said, Debra and I have been worried sick about you guys.”
He gritted his teeth. “So I take it you haven’t heard from Brody. Is that right?”
“No. Isn’t he with you?”
“No, and neither is Nathan. We were at the cemetery last night and something happened. Listen, I have to call for help, but I’ll call you right back.”
“Wait! What’s going on? Why didn’t you call for help right away?”
“I wanted to get in touch with you first in case you’d heard from Brody. I’ll explain later, but right now I have to get help to find the others. I’ll call you back.” Daniel hung up and immediately dialed 911.
An operator answered in an exasperated tone. “911. What is your emergency?”
“Yeah, I’m in a cabin up in the mountain area, and my friends are lost in the old cemetery near here. We went there last night on a whim to investigate the ghost who comes out on Halloween and…” His voice trailed off.
“Are you okay, sir?”
“Yeah, I hurt my ankle when I tried to get away, but…”
“Please, calm down.” The woman sounded more alert now. “Your friends are in which cemetery?”
“It’s the Peaceful something Acres. It’s about a mile from our cabin.”
“I think I know which one it is. I’ll alert the rangers. Please stay on the line, and I’ll transfer you to their headquarters.”
Daniel sat forward, his elbows on the table, the phone pressed tight to his ear. With the sun rising higher in the sky, the kitchen lit up. He blew out the candle and waited for someone to come back on the line.
“Sir, this is Ranger Jones. I need you to tell me your exact location.”
“I’m in the hunting resort right off Route Eighteen, in cabin number nine,” Daniel replied. “Will you be coming soon? My friends have disappeared over in the cemetery, and I can’t get them on the phone. I think something’s happened to them. There was this light…”
“Take it easy, sir. We’ll have someone there shortly. We’ve had the usual number of Halloween calls, so it may take a little time before we get there. Just relax, and if you hear from your friends, call back and let us know.”
“Please, I’m worried about them. There was a strange event last night in the cemetery and they could be in danger. I tripped when I ran away and I think I have a broken ankle.” He lifted his injured foot to inspect it.
“You have to understand, sir, there’s always something reported on Halloween. When we get there, we usually find nothing. Your friends may have taken off just to scare you. Now rest and keep your foot elevated. We’ll get there as soon as possible.”
Daniel hung up. “Great, they don’t think this is serious,” he mumbled. “I know the guys wouldn’t leave to play some prank on me. They’re in trouble; they must be. What can I say to Rose?” He cleared his throat, then picked the phone back up and dialed.
“Hello, Rose? It’s Daniel.” He fought to keep his voice steady. “I called for help, and they’re sending the rangers as soon as they can. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” she demanded, “Or just leave me hanging?”
“I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for this, and we’ll find out soon. I think they got lost last night, and maybe Brody decided to stay put until morning.” With no better explanation of the events, he was starting to have doubts of his own. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I’ll leave it up to the rangers to sort it out. I can’t help much anyway; I hurt my ankle getting back here, and I’m in a lot of pain. Can’t hardly walk. I’ll call you after help arrives and let you know what’s going on.”
“Hold on, Daniel! I want to know what happened while you were in the cemetery last night.”
“Please, Rose, I can’t talk about it right now. I’ll call you after the ranger gets here and we find out where the guys are.”
“So you’re telling me they’re missing?”
“Well, not maybe missing, but not where they should be. I gotta go.” Daniel hung up before she could question him further.
Less than a minute passed before she called him back. “Daniel Watkins, you listen to me. I want to know what’s going on. You’re not going to leave me wondering what went on in that cemetery. Now talk to me!”
“Rose, I don’t know what happened. There was a bright light, and I got scared and ran.”
“So where are they? Where’s my husband?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I called for help. Now please, I’ll call you when I know more.”
“All right, but you’d better call me back.” There was no mistaking the threat in her voice. “I’ll be waiting.”
* * * *
Rose wasted no time in calling Debra. “I just talked to Daniel. He’s at the cabin, but the other two are missing—he doesn’t know how or where.”
“Oh, no!” Debra gasped.
“I know.” Rose blinked back tears. “He’s waiting for the rangers to come and help locate them.”
“Nathan, that fool! He should’ve known better and talked the guys out of it. What about Daniel? How did he get to the cabin without them?”
“I’m not sure. He said something about seeing a bright light and running away, but the other two didn’t.” Rose stood at the kitchen sink, trying to fill the coffeepot with water. Although she kept an even tone to her voice, she trembled at the thought of what might have become of the men. Could they be injured, too, unable to reach the cabin? Or worse? Did she dare think such things? “The rangers are headed for the cabin and will get the lowdown from Daniel. That’s all I know for now.”
“I’m going to get dressed and come over. Put on some coffee.”
“I already have.” She smiled a little in spite of her fear. How well her friend knew her. “It’ll be ready by the time you get here.”
* * * *
A car pulled up to the front of the cabin, and Daniel hobbled over to drag the chair away from the door and unlock it. A tall, well-built ranger got out of the car and headed for the cabin. Daniel couldn’t suppress a relieved grin. With any luck, this whole nightmare would be over soon. “I’m so glad to see you. Come right in.”
The man walked in and shook his hand. “I’m Ted Cummings, and you’re Daniel Watkins, correct? Are you here alone?”
“Yes. Have a seat.” Daniel limped to the table and motioned to the ranger to sit across from him.
Cummings followed, asking, “Now, what is the situation here?”
Daniel shook his head. “We went to the cemetery last night as a joke, kind of. A Halloween story we’d heard about. You may know the tale about the ghost of Herbert Grezley? I know we shouldn’t have gone, but we didn’t expect to find anything—it was unbelievable. And now my friends are lost, and I’m hurt.” He rambled on about the light and the flying shadow.
The ranger listened carefully. “I think it’s best to get you out of here, and then we’ll check the cemetery for your buddies. Do you have anything you want to take with you?”
“Yes, I’ll get my things from my room, and I’d like a minute in the bathroom.”
“Go right ahead. I’ll call for a crew to go to the cemetery. I need names and descriptions of your friends. Go take care of business first, and then you can give me the information.” The ranger sat at the table and opened a notepad to begin his report.
Daniel limped to the bathroom, his bad foot lagging behind. Once inside, he looked in the mirror and choked at what he saw. In the daylight, it was undeniable. His hair really had turned snow white. “Oh!”
He hurried to get done and round up his stuff from his room. By the time he returned to the kitchen, he shook all over. “I want you to know, as of yesterday, I did not have white hair. My hair was dark blond. Not like this.” He ran his fingers through his thick locks. “This is crazy! I can’t believe we ended up with so much trouble over a simple trip to a graveyard.”
“Sit down, Daniel, and let’s talk,” Cummings said. “I need your help if we’re going to find your friends. Then we need to get you to a hospital. I think there’s more than just an injured ankle to be concerned about.”
Daniel sat across from Cummings, scowling at his tone. “Look, I know what I saw and heard. I don’t appreciate you implying I might be crazy or something. My friends disappeared out there. There’s something evil in that graveyard; no one’s going to convince me otherwise. I didn’t make it up!”
“Settle down. We’re going to investigate. Now let’s get this over with so we can get you help for your injury.”
Daniel sighed and gave the ranger all the facts, and the names of his companions with full descriptions. The ride to the nearest hospital left him with only a short time to call Rose for an update. “They have a crew at the cemetery to locate Brody and Nathan. I’m on my way the hospital to get my ankle checked out; I’ll call you as soon as I know more. Please, try not to worry.”
“Don’t you forget to call me,” Rose insisted. “Or at least have somebody call.”
“I will, I promise.”
Belatedly, she added, “Feel better, Daniel.”
The car pulled up to the emergency room door. Daniel waited while the ranger went for an orderly and a wheelchair. His foot was so swollen he’d been unable to put his shoes on; he only wore thick socks. Throbbing pain shot from his ankle down to his toes and back up to his knee.
Daniel sighed with relief as a nurse wheeled him to an examining room and helped him up onto the bed. The doctor took one look at his foot and shook his head. “You sure did a number on it,” he said as he gently removed the sock. “This will need to be X-rayed before we can determine the extent of the damage. In the meantime, I’ve ordered some pain medication for you. The nurse will be right in with it. I’ll set up the imaging, and we’ll get you in there real soon. Lay back and keep your foot elevated.”
Daniel grabbed his sleeve as he turned to go. “Doc, I don’t normally have white hair. It changed overnight. I’d like to know why?”
The doctor frowned. “I’ve heard of that happening, but I don’t have any explanation for it.” His orders given, he left the room.
Cummings came in and sat at Daniel’s bedside. “We have a crew out at the cemetery right now. As soon as I hear from them, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you.”
A nurse came in with a long needle in hand. “Okay Daniel, I want you to roll over. Unless you’d rather have this in your arm?”
The ranger got up and walked out as Daniel rolled over.
* * * *
A group of five men combed the area around the mausoleum and further throughout the cemetery. Captain Mandel called out orders. “We’re looking for two men, one in his mid-forties, the other a bit older. They were last seen here yesterday sometime in the evening hours, and not heard from since. I want you keep an eye out for footprints or any other signs. When we’re through here, we’ll cover the surrounding area until we’ve searched everywhere. My guess is they’ve left the area hours ago and are somewhere else by now, but we will do our jobs and conduct this search in a professional manner.”
Captain Mandel called the caretaker to come and open the mausoleum so they could check inside. By five in the afternoon, the rangers had covered the entire area and come up with nothing. Mandel excused his men, got into his car, and drove back to check the cabin, in case the missing men had returned there. Nothing. Now he’d need to fill out a report, and he wasn’t very happy about it. There had been too many calls over the Halloween holiday, and he wasn’t willing to believe this was anything more than another prank.
* * * *
The call came in to Ranger Cummings, who’d waited at the hospital with Daniel. He’d been released with a diagnosis of a badly sprained ankle. The doctor had no remedy for his white hair. “You’ll have to ask a psychologist about that,” the doctor had told him. “There’s nothing we can do about it here.”
Cummings approached Daniel as he made his way out of the exam room on crutches, his foot wrapped in an Ace bandage. “We don’t have a clue what could have happened to your friends. They’re nowhere in or around the area of the cemetery, and don’t appear to have returned to the cabin. If you don’t hear from them in the next forty-eight hours, file a missing person report. Is there someone who can come for you, or would you like me to take you home or back to your cabin?”
“I have my things with me, so I may as well go home. I can get the rest later. If you don’t mind, I’d like a ride.” His shoulders slumped. “I just hope when I talk to Brody’s wife again, she’s heard from him and the guys are okay. I can’t imagine them pulling some kind of joke. It’s not like them. I know we get a little crazy sometimes, but not like this.”
The ranger drove Daniel to his apartment and made sure he got in and settled. “If there’s anything else you need, call your local police for advice. I hope you hear from your friends soon, but like I said, file a report with the police if you don’t hear from them after a few days.”
Daniel had put off calling Rose, but now he had no more excuses. It was time to give her the bad news.
When the phone rang, Rose jumped and almost fell off her kitchen chair. Debra sat with her at the table. Rose picked up with a shaking hand and held the phone tightly to her ear. “Hello?”
“Rose? …It’s Daniel. I would have called sooner, but I had to go to the hospital and I just got home.”
“Daniel, what’s going on? Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. The rangers searched for them, but they were nowhere to be found. They told me if the guys don’t show up in the next two days to file a missing person report with the police.”
“Oh, for crying out loud! What could have happened to them? Weren’t you with them the whole time in the cemetery?”
“I was, up until the door of the mausoleum opened and this bright light came streaming out. I was scared. I ran. I thought they ran, too, but once I got away from there, I realized they weren’t with me. I kept going. I’m telling you, Rose, there was no way I was going to stay there. I just couldn’t. I’m so sorry.”
His agitation stirred her to guilt. She reminded herself that Daniel was just as afraid as she and Deb. More so, since he’d been there. “Okay, let’s not get carried away. There must be an explanation to all of this. Are you all right?”
“I have a bad sprain, and it’ll take a while for it to heal. I want to take my pain medicine and lay down. I’ll call you later.”
“Sure.” Rose hung up. “Looks like our husbands are lost.”
Debra whimpered. “What?”
“We just have to wait and see. Daniel said the ranger told him to wait a few days, and if they don’t show up we’ll have to go to the police for help.”
“I knew something wasn’t right when you didn’t get a call from Brody last night.” Debra sniffled. “I can’t imagine what they’re up to. They’ve never done anything like this before.”
Two days later, the women went to the police with full descriptions of their husbands in hopes the police would find them. Rose’s eyes filled with tears as she spoke to the officer. Debra stood by, crying softly into a tissue. “You have to understand, officer, our husbands don’t do things like this. Brody always calls me. They truly are missing, and we are worried sick about them. You have to find them.” Rose dabbed her eyes with a tissue she took from her purse. “Please.”
The sergeant at the desk assured them they would do their best to locate the men, but Rose’s doubts ate at her. Debra said nothing, her despair plain on her face.
* * * *
January 4th, 2012
Rose took down the small tree she’d put up for Christmas. Her son, his wife, and their two children had come over for the holidays. She hadn't heard any news about Brody and wasn’t in a holiday mood, but she’d done what she thought best to cushion the sadness surrounding her home and family. Not only did she worry about Brody and Nathan, but also Daniel, who was now in counseling and had turned down an offer to join a local law firm until he felt more mentally stable.
The dogs lay at her feet as she put the ornaments away in their boxes. Suddenly, both animals jumped up as though they’d heard someone at the door. Rose stood up from the floor where she’d been sitting and hurried to check. She opened it and quickly stumbled back, her hand covering her mouth in shock.
“Brody?” she gasped through her fingers. Her hand trembled as she took it away from her face and pressed it to her breast. She could feel the fast pounding of her heart.
“Trick or treat, smell my feet…” Brody mumbled.
“Brody, where have you been? You look terrible! Get in here out of the cold.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Snow dripped from his overgrown beard; his eyebrows were white with it. “Sit down and let me look at you.”
Brody’s eyes shifted back and forth as though he were searching for something, but he did as she told him and sat down on the sofa. Rose removed his hat and brushed his long hair away from his face. He began to mumble again. “Halloween is here and Herbert is out.”
“Who?”
“The ghost of Herbert Grezley … He’s out there trying to find me. I have to hide or he’ll take me away again.”
“Oh, dear.” Rose helped him take off his jacket and boots, and she spread a shawl over his shoulders. “I’ll get you some hot tea. Now stay right here and don’t move.”
On her way to the kitchen, the phone rang, and she rushed to answer it. “Hello?”
A hysterical Debra shouted in her ear. “Rose, he’s here! Nathan is home. He just walked in the back door a few minutes ago!”
“Hold on, hold on—Brody just got here, too! He looks like he’s had a bad time of it. Looks like he’s been out in the snow all this time—he looks awful. Is Nathan okay?”
“I’m not sure, he’s talking crazy. He keeps on rambling about a ghost and a tunnel.”
“Look, just get him settled and warm. I’m on my way to make Brody some tea. Once he’s calm, I’ll question him. I suggest you do the same with Nathan. I’ll call you later.”
“All right, but I’m scared of what he’ll tell me. I’m not sure I want to hear it.”
Despite her trembling hands, Rose managed to make the tea and get it to the living room without spilling. Her mind ran through every ugly thought of the man who’d gone to the old cemetery the year before, the one who was still in therapy. Would it be the same for Brody?
Questions followed the tea, once Brody warmed the chill from his bones and settled down. After an hour of probing into his twisted mind, she gave up and went out to the kitchen to call Debra.
“Have you had any luck with Nathan? I can’t get anything sensible out of Brody.”
“No. He’s sleeping and didn’t want to talk to me. What did Brody say?”
“He just keeps talking about the ghost. It’s like happened to what’s-his-name the year before.”
“Do you think they went through the same thing?”
“It sure seems that way. I’m not going to call the family until I can talk to our doctor in the morning.” Rose peered over her shoulder to see Brody coming through the doorway. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I want something to eat, please,” Brody announced as he took a seat at the table.
“I’ll warm the chicken in the fridge for you; it’ll only take a few minutes. Are you okay now?”
“I’m okay, but I forgot about Halloween. Did we have a lot of kids show up?”
“Don’t worry about Halloween. Now, after you eat, I want you to get cleaned up and go to bed. Deal?”
“Deal. I am kinda tired.”
* * * *
Rose hesitated over her morning coffee, waiting for Dr. Brown’s office to open. She’d talked to Debra already to find Nathan hadn’t woken from the night before. They both wanted desperately to know what had happened to their husbands, but neither man would elaborate. It was hard to make much out of the rambling they uttered. Both women feared what lay ahead of them. Debra knew firsthand from her neighbor, the one who knew James Peterson’s wife.
The morning slipped by with Rose making breakfast and trying to talk to Brody about his disappearance, but she had no luck. “You have a doctor’s appointment at one today,” she told him after they finished eating. “Rest up, and try not to get upset. Debra is bringing Nathan at the same time. The doctor wants to see you both, since you were together when it all happened.”
Brody nodded but said nothing.
Dr. Brown had no hope to offer them. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Smith, but both men should be admitted to the psychiatric ward for at least seventy-two hours for evaluation. It appears there has been some serious emotional trauma. We can’t take chances; we need to be sure they’re in a safe environment until we can assess their mental states.” Dr. Brown tried to be frank. “I’m afraid they’re both going to need extensive therapy.”
Rose took Debra’s hand. “We need to give the doctor permission to admit them. You do know what is needed here and we must follow through with this. I know this is hard, but I want my Brody to be treated and made well again. I know you want the same for Nathan.”
Debra nodded. “Let’s do what we have to.”
* * * *
October 30th, 2012
“Isn’t this the same cabin those three guys rented last year?” Neil asked his older brother, Jason. “I hear they didn’t get any deer either. It’s getting thin up here with so much hunting all the time.”
“You mean the guys who were missing for months?” Jason smirked. “I talked to a guy I work with who was up here last year about the same time. Never heard what really happened to them.”
Neil scratched his head. “Rumor has it they just showed up one day, so it must not have been anything too serious. I think they’re just a couple of old scaredy cats, myself.”
“Totally. So what do you want to do tomorrow?” Jason shrugged. “We only have one more day before we go home, and I’m not about to waste it out there looking for Bambi. I say we check out that old cemetery and see this ghost for ourselves.”
“Hey, there’s an idea. Let’s go up there tomorrow night and check it out. It’s been a long time since we’ve done something on Halloween. Just because we’re grown up doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun now and then.”
Jason grinned. “Sounds like fun.”