Tales From The Edge Of Reality Read online

  Chambers: Ms Hoskins, you stated your date of birth. Please tell me how old you are and today's date.

  Hoskins: I'm 16, Detective Chambers. It's either October 31, 1951, or more likely November 1, 1951.

  Chambers: Ms. Hoskins, it's November 1, 1955. You've been missing for four years. That's why you were brought in by Patrolman Watkins and why I'm here questioning you. Is that really all you remember from the night of October 31, 1951?

  Hoskins: You have to be kidding me, Detective. Did Charlie put you up to this, or was it Carl? His daddy's name would have the pull to get you guys involved. Ha ha, funny guys, really funny.

  Chambers: I'm being serious here, Ms. Hoskins, this is a very serious situation. Four years ago on October 31, 1951, you went missing. I hate to tell you this, Ms. Hoskins, but we found your friends hanging in the trees in front of the LaFollette House early morning November 1, 1951. There was no sign of you from the evening of October 31st until tonight. You were presumed dead. Your family moved away and now live in Chattanooga. Your mother is on her way here right now.

  *Chambers notes that Hoskins' eyes were glazing over at this point.

  Chambers: This is a whole lot to process, Ms. Hoskins. Do you need a doctor? Are you physically okay?

  Hoskins: A doctor? I feel, I don't know how I feel Detective. I need to lie down.

  *Chambers notes here that very dark circles were under Hoskins' eyes at this point.

  Chambers: Ms. Hoskins, I will call the doctor and you may lie down on the sofa in the lobby.

  Chambers: This is the end of the first interview in the Hoskins missing persons/triple suicide case. Notes to follow.

  *Chambers notes the following.

  In the early morning hours of November 1, 1955, Patrolman Clyde Watkins spotted a young girl in the road on the Viaduct Bridge in downtown LaFollette. Noting that she was out alone at 1 a.m., he decided to stop and see what was going on with her. Upon stopping, he noticed she matched the description of a missing teenager from a most infamous case in LaFollette. He arrived with her at the station at around 1:10 a.m. and called me, Detective Dan Chambers, who had been assigned the case four years prior.

  Upon arriving at the LPD at 1:35 a.m., I noted the young girl did exactly match the description of Ms. Peggy Jean Hoskins, missing since 1951. The results of her questioning are transcribed above. I called Dr. Sergeant at 2:07 a.m., and he agreed to come and check Ms. Hoskins. I noted Ms. Hoskins apparently asleep on the couch at 2:09 a.m. I went into my office to type up the document you are now reading. At 2:32 a.m. November 1, 1955, Dr. Sergeant arrived at LaFollette Police headquarters. He proceeded into my office and asked me to direct him to the girl in question and I took him to the sofa, which we found to be empty of Ms. Hoskins. At almost this moment the radio in the station crackled, and Patrolman Watkins said he'd just seen Hoskins, looking extremely pallid and “dark in the eyes” going up the front walk of the LaFollette House. Dr. Sergeant and I ran from the office to my car and we drove to the LaFollette House where Patrolman Watkins was stationed outside. This took approximately three minutes.

  We mounted the steps onto the porch and found all doors locked. At 2:52 a.m. a call was made to the owner of the LaFollette house, Mrs. Russell, to come and unlock the doors. She arrived at 3:07 a.m. and refused to enter the home. She informed us that she did not go in after dark. Patrolman Watkins and I searched the entire home while Dr. Sergeant and Mrs. Russell waited outside. Ms. Peggy Jean Hoskins was nowhere to be found in the home or on the grounds of the estate.

  *Chambers notes here that in 1957, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1970, people reported seeing someone matching the description of Peggy Jean Hoskins. She was spotted between the LaFollette House and the Viaduct Bridge between 10:45 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Halloween night into early the next morning.

  Chambers retired in 1971, still assigned to the missing persons case of Peggy Jean Hoskins. However, if you spoke to him in just the right tone as he approached his final night on Earth, he'd tell you he knew where Peggy was, she was in the LaFollette house and every year on Halloween night she left, trying to walk home to West Walden. Sometimes people saw her and sometimes they didn't, but no one else had since spoken to her like he did that night in 1955, and perhaps no one ever would again.

  Monster under my bed

  Daddy says I don’t have anything to be afraid of. There isn’t really a monster in my room. Daddy never heard the heavy breathing, never felt the scaly hand reach for your leg when you try to go to the bathroom. That is the reason I sometimes have accidents. I do wake up when I have to pee, but I’m too afraid to go to the bathroom. Daddy put me to sleep and even said a prayer with me tonight. Why is the monster still here? I feel I’m a good girl. I help around the house and mind my parents. I’m a good sister. I will be eight next month, and I can remember the monster forever. For the longest time daddy would lie down with me until I fell asleep. I’m a big girl now, so I have to put myself to sleep. I miss my daddy at night. Why won’t he believe me?

  I have a nightlight, but the monster hides in the shadows under my bed. I have a flashlight, too that helps when I really, really have to go to the bathroom. The monster doesn’t like the light. The worst part is when the monster talks to me. It says the awfulest things. It tells me how it’s going to hurt my parents and my sister. It whispers in its gravelly voice how it will break my daddy’s legs. How it will bash my mommy’s skull and how it will rip off my sister’s arms. Then after that it will come and get me and hurt me bad, really bad. The words are even worse than the scaly hand and the creepy looks.

  I look around my room. Unicorns are everywhere with my light blue painted walls. I have a white canopy on my bed with my unicorn comforter. I have no less than twenty stuffed animals on my bed. Sometimes when the monster can get ahold of one, he rips stuffing out of it. Mom can usually sew them up. Occasionally I get scratches when I’m not fast enough. Daddy thinks I’m hitting the corners of my furniture. I’m not. I hear thunder. Rain starts outside. It starts raining harder, and I can hear the drops hitting my windowsill. I can smell the floral scents from my mom’s plug in. I taste the toothpaste in my mouth. I stare forward, looking for any sign of movement. The nightlight casts a blue light.

  Lightning flashes across the sky and illuminates the room. I see the monster in the shadowed corner cringe with the flash. It’s over by my bookshelf. Thunder keeps crackling. Another flash of lightning, and the monster has moved to the foot of my bed. I can make out his large head below my footboard, just out of the nightlight’s glow. I start feeling nervous in my tummy. I grab my flashlight off my nightstand. I ask Jesus to protect me. I’m scared. So scared. I hear a musical chime sound, duh duhhh, duh duhhh, duh DUH duh duh duhhh, duh duhhh, duh duhhh, duh duhhh duhhh, duh duhhh, duh duhhh, duh DUH duh duh duh. My Jack in the box. I don’t like that toy. All of a sudden, the Jack in the box lands on my bed and pops out, scaring me. The face of the Jack in the box seems to be looking up at me. The thunder cracks outside extra loud, almost scaring me out of bed. I hear skittering under my bed. All of a sudden, the nightlight goes off. All the lights in the neighborhood have gone out. I’m in the dark with the monster.

  I hear a thud, thud, coming from under my bed. I don’t want to scream and wake up my daddy, but I may have to. I turn on the flashlight, and barely an inch away from me I quickly glimpse a lizard-like eye the size of a lemon. It is red and black. A scaly arm quickly comes up in front of its eye. I see its huge hands with long claws. My throat almost closes in fear. My heart is trying to run away from my body. My insides are feeling all wiggly and strange. I start crying. It’s not loud. I can’t find my voice. Tears stream down my face. I swish the flashlight back and forth so the creature can’t sneak up on me on the other side. My favorite stuffed animal falls off the bed. I’m afraid to get it. I shine the flashlight over and don’t see anything except my unicorn Fluffy. I start slowly reaching down. My hand is trembling. I inch down toward Fluffy. My hand is almost there.

  Suddenly a clawed hand snatches Fluffy, barely grazing my hand. I hear a ripping sound. Fluffy’s head comes flying out from under my bed. I still can’t find my voice. My flashlight starts flickering. The batteries. The batteries must be going out. I pull open the drawer by my bed and lift two batteries out. My hand is shaking so bad they fall to the ground and roll away. I can’t see where they are. My flashlight flickers again. I’m scared. I can’t find my voice. I need to get more batteries. They are downstairs in the kitchen. I shine the light on the floor and jump into the circle of light. I see motion retreat under my bed. I back towards the door of my room. The flashlight goes out. I hit it and hit it again. Finally, it comes back on as a hand is inches away from me, and the monster goes skittering away.

  I open my door, back out slowly, and close the door. I start going down the hall backwards and hear my door creak open. I reach the top of the stairs and start backing down the stairs. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps. On the fifth step I see motion at the top of the steps. I lose my balance and tumble backwards down the other eight stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. The flashlight flies out of my hand. It is over in the corner of the foyer flickering. I look up and the monster is climbing down the ceiling above the staircase. It looks down at me with its big yellow teeth and smiles. A big ugly creepy smile. It lets go and starts falling toward me. I close my eyes and roll toward the flashlight. I hear a light thud. I’m almost to the flashlight when a scaly hand grabs my ankle. It’s so strong. It slowly starts pulling me toward it. It knows I can’t break free. It’s super strong, and I’m so little. I feel so little and helpless. Tears start to roll down my cheeks. I don’t want to die. It grabs me by the arm and holds me up with its mean old twisted smile. It says, “I’m going to enjoy t
his.” It opens its mouth so wide a whole watermelon would fit inside it. I see it doesn’t just have one row of sharp yellow teeth, it has three at the top and bottom. Just as it lifts me over its mouth, a huge lightning bolt flashes though the window making everything look like daylight.

  The monster lets go and runs to the shadows. I scramble over and pick up the flashlight. It is still acting like it wants to go out. I hold it close and run down the hallway to the kitchen. The monster is in the dining room, but I hear it moving. I run to the drawer with the batteries as fast as I can. I open the drawer and it is messy. I have to keep the flashlight pointed toward the dining room. The flashlight is flickering more. I find one battery, and then a second. How am I going to get the batteries into the flashlight? I find some matches. I have little hands - maybe if I put the flashlight between my legs, I can open it with one hand and hold a match with the other? I sit down, light a match and unscrew the flashlight. I hear skittering. My hand starts shaking. I dump out the two old batteries. I have to light another match. The other one was getting short. I put the first battery in, and then the second. I can see movement just outside the match’s light. I screw the top of the flashlight back on and turn on the light. Nothing. Noooo, they’re dead. My hand is shaking worse now. The match is close to burning down. I go to light another, but a puff of air blows it out. Silence. I jump up with the matches and quickly light another. I glimpse a scaly face shielding its eyes. It quickly retreats.

  I reach down and grab the flashlight. I open the next drawer and find an unopened pack of batteries in the drawer. I sit down, unscrew the flashlight, and dump out the dead batteries. I light another match. There are nine matches left in the pack. I try to open the batteries. They are in that tough plastic. “Oh, COME on!” I try my teeth. No good. I light another match as the monster is pacing. I use the one that is getting little to light the next one, so I won’t lose light. I hold it in my right hand and reach up to the drawer to feel for scissors. I don’t find them, but I find what daddy calls his utility knife. He told me never to touch it because it’s so sharp. I think emergencies don’t count. I open it with my knife and light another match. I’m down to eight matches left in the pack. I start sawing the blade over the plastic. It cuts in, but I accidentally go over too far, and it cuts my leg. Ouch it hurts. The monster gets jittery and starts breathing heavily, sniffing the air. He looks at me like I do at a big cone of ice cream except with a lot more teeth. I manage to get the batteries out and then light another match. Seven. I slide one battery in, then I slide another battery in. I light another match. Six left. I feel around for the top but can’t find it. I light another match. Five. My leg hurts. I grab a paper towel from the counter to push on the cut. I light another match. Four. I find the top of the flashlight and start twisting it on. In my hurry it falls off and rolls. I have to light another match. Three. I scoot over to the top of the flashlight, holding the match high. I have to light another match. Two. My heart feels like it doesn’t want to be in my chest anymore. The monster looks super hungry now.

  I get the top on. I try the power. It’s not working. The top is a little crooked. I unscrew it and have to light another match. One left. I fumble around. It gets a little stuck and is hard to do with one hand. I have to light another match. This is my last match. I screw the top back on, trying to keep it straight. My hand is shaking. I get it on as the last match is starting to burn down. I hit the power and the flashlight blazes on. The monster retreats from the room as I stand up. I hold the flashlight in my left hand and the paper towel over my leg with my right hand. My leg hurts. I hope I don’t need stitches. Daddy is going to be disappointed in me. I need to get a Band-aid fast. We keep some in the downstairs bathroom for boo boos. I passed it on the way in. I keep myself in a circle of light. I open the bathroom door and close it. I go to the sink and open the cabinet where the mirror is. I lay the flashlight down on the sink pointing at me. Under the door, dark inky tentacles are coming into the bathroom. The monster forms out of this, staying out of the light. I grab the biggest Band-aid and put it over my cut. The monster stares at my cut the whole time, licking his lips. I shine the light on him, and he shrinks down like smoke and goes under the door, hissing at me.

  I open the door, shining the light left and right and then up. He is on the ceiling and skitters away hissing even more loudly. From off in the shadows it looks like the monster has foam coming from his mouth. He is just outside the circle of light. I need help. I have to get my daddy. I back down the hallway of the foyer. The monster, still outside the light, looks even bigger. I back up slowly. I don’t want to trip. I wouldn’t like that. My hands are quivering. I hope I don’t drop the flashlight. It seems like it is taking forever to get down this hall. I’m afraid to look back to see how far it is to the stairs. The monster has black inky tendrils that seem like they are trying to circle around me, but they won’t touch the light. After what seems like forever, I find the stair post. I keep myself in the light and slowly start back up the stairs. This is a little tricky. On about the third step up I stumble, and my foot goes out of the circle of light. The black tendril grabs my foot, squeezing. I quickly shine the light and it lets go. I can see a red glow in the monster’s eyes. It looks sooo mad. I slowly back up one step at a time. Four steps up. The ceiling up above looks much darker than before. I think the monster is going to get me. I stop moving and just sit in the light crying. I can’t make it up the stairs. My leg hurts and the monster is going to get me. I can’t do it anymore. The monster seems bigger than the house now. It is right at the edge of the light. Its mouth is so big it could swallow me whole. My heart sinks. I don’t think I can do it.

  Just then I feel something grab me. I scream. I’m in the light. The monster can now come in the light? Why?! Why?! Why me? I close my eyes. It lifts me up and holds me in its arms. One hand wipes my hair out of my face. I hear a familiar voice, “It’s okay princess. It’s okay.” Daddy! It’s my daddy. My hero. Oh, I was soooo scared. My daddy will protect me. I look and the monster is smaller than he was before, and he is becoming smaller. My daddy sits down and puts me on his leg, hugging me. I must cry for at least ten minutes as my daddy is holding me. He gives me backy rubby’s. I finally calm down. I look up at him and he says, “It’s OK Anna. Nothing is going to hurt you, baby. Tell daddy what happened.” Words just tumble out of my mouth. “I was in my room. The monster was being sneaky and got Fluffy and tore him up. The lights went out. My flashlights batteries were dying. I had to go downstairs, or the monster was going to get me. I fell backwards down the stairs. My head hurts. I got to the kitchen, but the first batteries were no good. I couldn’t get the package open because of the plastic. It was too hard, so I got your knife. I know you told me not to use it, but I couldn’t get the batteries out and I had to use matches to have light. I know I wasn’t supposed to do that either. Then I cut myself opening the batteries. I have a bad boo boo.” Dad looks at it and makes an “ouchy” face and hugs me. He then looks at my head. He doesn’t yell, he just hugs. I cry a little more.

  Daddy says, “Let’s go downstairs. I want to get some lamps and look after my little princess.” I see the monster in the shadows sneering, but smaller. My daddy with his big strong arms picks me up. He could beat up this mean old monster. I feel safest when I’m in my daddy’s arms. My daddy nuzzles my nose with his nose and tells me how special I am. I feel special when my daddy gives me attention. Daddy carefully goes down the rest of the stairs. I have the flashlight in my hands even though I don’t feel I need it as much. Daddy goes through the dining room to get to the kitchen. The monster is still following at a distance. Daddy gets into the kitchen with me and walks toward the counter. Suddenly, the world turns upside down.