The Thing in the Pit Read online

“That’s a big barn, it will take a while.”

  "Yep, Daddy says it will take several weeks."

  “Where’s your sister?”

  “I don’t have a sister.”

  "Yes, you do. I have seen her with you in town."

  “Oh, you mean Sarah? She is not my sister. She stays with us.”

  “How long has she been staying with you?” Before Dana could answer, Tommy asked, “Who is this Dana?”

  “He said his name is Danny.”

  “You need to pick everything up. Dad wants to get home.”

  "Okay, this is my brother, Tommy," Said Dana.

  Danny never said a word. He stared at Tommy. Tommy ignored him and helped Dana get his stuff. Tommy pulled the fish bag up. “Wow! Dana that’s a big bass! We’ve got to show this to Mr. Potter and dad.

  "It measures twenty-three- inches," Dana said grinning.

  “Come on, we need to get going. Dad is waiting.”

  “Okay, you think dad will make us throw it back?”

  “I’ll bet you’ll get to keep this one.” Tommy and Dana headed towards the barn where Harris and Fred were talking. “Daddy, look what I caught!”

  “Oh boy! Look at that!” Said Fred.

  “You got a big one son, that’s a beautiful fish! We will take a picture and then bring him back.”

  “Oh, no, Harris, let him keep that one. There’s plenty more. He can put that one on a wall.” Said Fred.

  “Well, if it’s okay.”

  “Sure it’s okay Harris. You and the boys can keep what you catch. I don’t fish.”

  “Who is that tall boy headed off towards the woods?” Asked Harris

  “He told Dana his name is Danny. I never talked to him, I don’t like him.” Said Tommy.

  “Easy boy, what have I told you about that?”

  "Well, I don't like him, dad, that's all."

  “Danny is a straggler I see him around town once in a while. Danny is homeless, he lives in one of those old cabins on the outskirts of town.” Said Fred.

  “Well, boys we better get home. Talk to you later Fred.” Harris and the boys headed home. They noticed Danny walking on the side of the road towards town. “Tommy, I don’t want to hear about you and that boy having any trouble understand?”

  "Yes, I understand."

  They drove on towards home. Tommy thought about the tone his dad was taking with him. Harris had not been as hateful with him for the last few weeks. He hoped it was just him trying to keep him from wanting to fight Danny. Tommy had problems with fighting. Last year their school suspended him for fighting. Tommy knew his dad would explode if it ever happened again. He never wanted to upset his dad. Harris might go on a drinking binge and he did not want that. They pulled in and parked by the house, and unloaded. Dana grabbed his fish and ran for the door to tell momma. Betty Ann heard him at the door. She came over and unlocked it. “Look mom! Look how big!”

  “Oh, Dana, it’s beautiful! That’s the biggest one you have shown me. Good job, honey. Good job.”

  “I will take that around back and clean it up. Then put it in the freezer, and we can have it mounted.” Said Harris.

  "Oh, Harris, he will love that so much. The boys have been having such a great time. I am glad we moved here."

  “Yes, honey, and the work for Fred has been great. I still have a few weeks left.”

  “Momma Betty, I had a bad dream.” Sarah said.

  “Baby, it’s okay, it’s all over now.” Said Betty.

  “Sarah, what have you been dreaming about?” Asked Harris.

  “I don’t want to talk about it Daddy, it scares me.” Harris and Betty looked at each other. They suspect Sarah is dreaming about going back to Sharon, her mother. This has happened before.

  "We love you, baby." Betty said as she hugged and kissed Sarah.

  “I love you too momma Betty.” Sarah wrapped her arms around Betty. Betty sat down on the couch and Sarah sat beside her. Harris took a seat in his recliner. He nodded at Betty to talk with Sarah. “Sarah, honey, your mom called the other day. She wants you to call her.”

  “No, nope, I don’t want to do that.”

  “Honey, you need to call her.” Said Betty.

  "No! no! I don't want to hear her shit!" Sarah yelled and put her hands over her ears. Harris grinned.

  “Don’t use that word Sarah, and I don’t like your attitude.”

  "I won't talk to her. You can't make me! She left me, momma. She left me alone."

  “Sarah, your mother loves you. She is having problems, but she still loves you. Sarah, if you won’t call her, would you write to her?” Sarah jumped up off the couch.

  “I don’t want to talk about her momma Betty.” Sarah ran into her bedroom.

  “Betty, just let it be for now.” Harris said.

  “For now, okay, but she will talk to Sharon. She is her mother.”

  “Have you talked to Sharon?”

  “Yes, she wants to talk to her daughter.”

  "How does she sound? She still in rehab?"

  “Harrison, she sounds fine, but how many time has she sounded fine? What I don’t know is, will she ever be ready for Sarah?”

  "Honey, we have to take it day by day. Little Sarah will be with us as long as we can keep her. I want to adopt her honey." Harris put his arm around Betty pulled her close. "I love you, Betty," Harris said as he kissed her.

  “I love you too Harrison.”

  Tommy and Dana were outside at the garden when Danny walked over to them. Danny was tall and thin he had bright red hair and gray eyes. "That fish was not that big," he said.

  “Who asked you? Tommy asked. Tommy turned to face Danny. What are you doing here?” asked Tommy.

  “I’m just saying that fish was not that big. I know where we can catch fish over two feet long, catfish and bass.”

  “Catfish and bass!” blurted Dana.

  “Yes, and perch, and bluegill.”

  “I have never seen a bluegill over two feet long. I think you’re a bull-shitter.” Tommy said as he stepped toward Danny and got in his face. Danny was a little taller, Tommy was bigger, a much heavier build. The sun was setting.

  “Okay, I have to go home. Tomorrow we can go to the pond where I fish.”

  “We have a pond to fish in. You stay away from here.” Tommy snapped. Danny pushed Tommy hard. Tommy fell on his back. He got back up and punched Danny in the stomach. It felt funny like he missed him. Danny grabbed his shoulders and threw him several feet. Tommy fell to the ground again. He got back up and Danny stared at him. They looked at each other for a few seconds. Danny headed for the woods.

  “Why do you want to fight him?” Dana asked.

  “I don’t like him. It’s not that I want to fight him. Just stay away from him.”

  “Why? He didn’t do anything. You don’t like him because you can’t push him around.”

  “Okay fish with him. I will be with dad, anyway.”

  “I won’t go unless Daddy says I can.”

  “Well, if it’s beyond Potter’s fields and that fence, he won’t let you go.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, he told us we could not go there, ever.”

  The two boys headed inside, took showers and then went to bed. Harris and Tommy got an early start the next day. They were getting ready to tackle the crates and junk inside the barn. They had removed old car parts and farm tools.

  Stacks of crates covered about a quarter of the barn's space. Harris and Tommy tried to lift a crate. They could not budge it. Fred tried to help, but all three had trouble lifting even one crate. "Tommy, I don't want you hurting yourself trying to lift these crates, and you watch out if one falls on you it will hurt you. Fred, what if we try to move these with the farm tractor? We’ve got a chain hoist. Let's pick them up with it."

  “Sounds good Harris. We can’t lift them. Have you opened any of them?”

  "No, I think we should move them before we open them, so we won’t have such a mess once w
e move the crates."

  “Okay, yeah, I see what you mean.”

  “Tommy, I want you to go home and get my heavy-duty gloves. These are tearing apart. Take your time. It may take a while to get that tractor going.”

  “Okay, dad I will be right back.” Fred and Harris headed towards the tractor. Tommy headed back to their house. Betty Ann, Sarah, and Dana were all on the couch watching television when Tommy knocked on the door. Betty went to the door. “Honey, is something wrong?”

  “No, mom, dad sent me after his heavy gloves.”

  “Oh, okay. They are in the bedroom; bottom drawer of the dresser.” Betty noticed Tommy had a bruise on his upper arm and shoulder. “Honey, what happened to your shoulder?”

  “I fell yesterday mom. It’s okay.”

  "You must have fallen hard Tommy. Come over here. I want to see."

  “Oh, mom, dad's waiting.”

  "He can wait. Come over here." Betty pulled Tommy's shirt up, and she noticed not only bruises, but what looked like scratches. It looked like a claw mark. "Tommy, what have you been into? You have marks on both shoulders and bruises. Dana, go to the bathroom and bring the alcohol and band-aids. Did you fall? What happened Tommy?"

  “Mom, I told you I fell.” Dana came over with the alcohol and band-aids.

  “Mom, he didn’t fall, Danny threw him down.”

  “What?”

  “Shut up Dana!”

  “Danny? Danny who?”

  "He came over here to see if we wanted to fish with him at his pond. He says it has huge fish."

  “When was this?”

  "Yesterday, just before dark. He was out in the garden."

  “Well, from now on, I want to know if he is around here. I also want you to show him to me the next time we are in town. You are not to go fishing with him period. You understand Dana?”

  “Mom, Tommy started it.”

  “Hush. Not another word, mister.” Dana started watching television. It was 9 a.m., time for “The Andy Griffith Show” on TV Land. They loved that show. “Did you start it, Tommy?”

  "I don't like him, mom. There is something about him. I don't want him around here."

  "Okay, honey, but you don't have to fight him. Harris and I will take care of that. If you don't want him around here, we will tell him to stay away. I put alcohol on this and I think you will be fine." Betty cupped Tommy's face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "Sit down at the table. I have something for you."

  “Mom, I need to get back.”

  “That barn will wait. It’s been weeks. Look what I have!”

  “Apple cobbler! My favorite! Yum!”

  “I made it after you and Harris left this morning. You take your time baby; you’ve been working so hard.” Tommy finished his cobbler and headed straight back to Potter’s barn.

  "Thanks, Tommy, today will not be much of a day. We have to get parts for that tractor. You can come with us or head back to the house.

  “I will go with you.”

  "Okay, let's get Fred and go get the parts."

  They headed to town and the parts store to get their parts. Then spent the rest of the day tinkering with the tractor. Tommy headed home early in the afternoon. Fred was back at his house on the phone. Harris, looking around, noticed it looked like one crate was on wood. The barn only had a floor at the other end, they thought. He grabbed a rake and raked around the crate and sure enough, this end had a floor. That might mean more good lumber for him. Fred stepped in.

  “Harris, where is Tommy?”

  “I sent him home to let him rest for the afternoon.”

  “Tommy is a hard worker Harris. A fine boy.”

  “Yes, he is Fred. It looks like there is flooring under those crates.”

  “Could be, Harris. Like I have said, I have touched nothing in here until now. Harris, that call, that was Bob Robbins. He runs the store over in town. I know Bob well. He is a good man. Bob asked me about Tommy. Bob has seen us together before. Bob said early this morning, Tommy came in the store and left with a bottle of orange crush. Tommy did not pay for it. Bob said it was at 8:55 A. M. I ask if he was sure, and he said yes.”

  “Tommy never stole anything in his life, Fred. My boy is no thief.” Harris stepped over towards Fred to look him in the eye. “Maybe I should go see this Robbins and have a talk with him.”

  “Harris, no one is calling Tommy a thief. If he took a bottle of pop, it’s no big deal.”

  “Yes, it is. I will go see what’s going on.”

  “Now don’t go off half-cocked Harrison. Talk to Tommy. Maybe Bob is wrong.”

  “I am heading home and will be back in the morning.”

  “Okay, see you in the morning.” Harris drove home and hopped out of his truck. He beat hard on the door. Betty came to the door. “What’s wrong honey?”

  “Where’s Tommy?”

  “He is in his bedroom. Why?” Harris barged into Tommy’s bedroom and grabbed him by the collar. “Get your ass out of bed! You want an orange pop?”

  “What? What did I do?”

  “Harris, what are you doing? Betty shouted, let go of him!”

  “He is a thief! Robbins over here called Fred said Tommy stole orange pop this morning!”

  “I didn’t dad. I was never at the store today.” Dana and Sarah were both watching now.

  “Yes, you were! Robbins told Fred it was 8:55 a.m. when you left with that pop.”

  "Wait, a minute Harris. When he came to get your gloves, I gave him some cobbler. He was here then." Said Betty.

  "He was with us Daddy. Me and Sarah were watching television at 9 a.m. Tommy was in the kitchen with mom." Harris let go of Tommy and stepped back.

  “Are you sure he was here?”

  "Yes, all of us are sure," Betty said. Tommy sat back down on his bed. Harris and Betty stepped back in the kitchen.

  “Why would he lie?”

  “I don’t know, but Tommy was here. He had a few minutes out of that damn barn. Who is Danny?”

  “Danny? I don’t know?”

  “Well, Tommy has bruises and scratches, Dana says Danny threw him down, out at the garden last night. As far as I am concerned, Danny can keep his ass away from here.”

  “I know nothing about this.”

  "Yes, and you knew nothing about what Tommy was doing this morning. That didn’t stop you from roughing him up and calling him a thief. Keep your mouth and your hands to yourself."

  “Oh yeah! Bust my nuts, but it’s never enough.” Harris stormed out, got in his truck and sped off.

  Jared Forsyth

  Harrison drove back over to Fred's place. He sat there for a while in his truck, then he got out and went into the barn. Harris wanted to take a drink, but he fought it off. He looked around at the crates and cargo in the barn. Harris thought, he would just work off this energy, then go back to the house after he rested. Harris could not budge any of the crates. It crossed his mind to fire up the tractor. He heard it start up. It was Fred. Fred pulled up to the end of the barn. "Okay, Harris, are you ready to get this stuff out of here?”

  "Yes, Fred. Yes, I am." Fred got off the tractor and let Harris take over. They had a hoist on the back of the tractor. Fred got a couple chains, wrapped them around a crate then hooked it up to the tractor. They repeated this crate after crate. The men worked for two hours and moved seventy-five crates. Their work revealed the floor of the barn. It also revealed a door in that floor. Harris parked the tractor and walked over to the door. "Fred, you ever had this door open?"

  “Nope Harrison, I had no idea it was there.” Harris walked over and picked up his wrecking bar and headed to the door. He hooked the old rusty chain that held the door latch shut. He gave a tug and it popped right off. Harris bent over and grabbed the door on the floor of the barn. It pulled right open but was heavy. Fred rushed over and helped Harris with the door. There was a ladder coming up from the floor of the opening. "Fred, you got a light?"

  “Let me run to the house and get lights.
I will be right back. I can’t see in there.”

  "Here you go Harris, I’ve got two bright lights, their batteries are good." Harris took the light and headed down the ladder. He flashed the light around in front of him. He could tell this room was huge. Fred followed him down the ladder. The two lights lit up most of the room. Harris looked up there were light fixtures, so, he looked for the switches. Fred found one first, and turned on the lights.

  “Fred, look at all this stuff down here.”

  "Yes, I see. I did not know." They walked around checking out everything. They noticed a raised platform. It was 24'x24'. "What do you suppose is under this?"

  “Fred, we will find out in the next few days. I am just glad I didn’t get in the barn with the dozer. It could have fallen through this rooms roof." Harris looked over at a desk over by the wall. He went over and looked around on top of it. Dusty pencils and pens all around. He opened the drawer. Harris opened the top drawer and that is when he saw a few pages. It was a letter. “Fred, get over here and read this.” Fred stepped over to the desk and the two men read the letter. Jared Forsyth:

  JARED FORSYTH

  If you are reading this letter. I have failed to destroy a most unspeakable, monstrous beast. I saw many shocking and terrifying events while in the employ of Bryce Adderley. There is not the time for a full accounting. I must warn you about this. Whoever is reading this, must be aware to survive, I’ve ordered all the crates and heavy orders unloaded on top of the entrance to the barn's basement. Tonight, even if I fail, the crates block this end of the pit. I know it’s blocked in the Adderley’s end as well.

  I came here to the wilderness of Kentucky searching for lost treasure. The legend of the Swift mine and buried treasure lured so many here. When that was a failure, Bryce Adderley, a close friend, talked me into settling here with him and Amelia. They bought 3200 acres at an excellent price, we had no proof of silver, no surveys, just a dream. When we arrived at the old farm shack neighbors warned us of strange events. They spoke of the dark woods and a curse. Horses refused to enter the hollow. German Shepherd and Rottweiler dogs, fearsome beasts themselves, whined and shivered. They refused to budge they would not go near the swampy bottom. We burned the shack and old sheds. We hired 10 men from Sunset to build Bryce and Amelia’s home.