Behind the Pillar

Chapter One

U N K N O W N  E V I D E N C E

Missy stared at me with an arched eyebrow and calculating eyes. She tapped her long fingernails on the desk covered with many shirts and shoes.

"So, your telling me people are coming over to your house in the middle of the night to ... talk?" She still looked at me expectantly. The doubtfulness was rich in her voice and her posture voiced that opinion as well. I could tell that she was interested, even when she pretended she wasn't.

Missy and I have been friends since forever. We met when we were just kids and I would go over to visit her every time my family stopped at Grand Pappy's.

She is practically my best friend and I know I can be able to trust her, even when the circumstance isn't understandable.

"They don't 'come over', I hear them talking to each other outside my house. It freaks me out." Missy turned around still listening as she talked to a customer. After the lady left, she faced me crossing her arms.

"Are you sure you didn't leave the TV on or something?"

"I don't have Television or Internet yet." I let out a huff, letting a little bit of the exasperation leave my body. I know she won't be able to believe me fully, but at least she should try to understand a little bit.

Missy stood, thinking about the situation a little more fully. Her dark eyebrows knitted together and her cherry lips pursed in concentration.

"Well shit Nevaeh, do you need to go to the police?"

"I've thought about it." I set my hands on the counter, supporting myself mentally. My head hurt and my body was officially drained and sleep deprived. I could feel Missy's hand slightly rubbing my back working out a sliver of the tension.

"Say, after our shift we'll go to the station. Ask if they know anything about Pappy's house since its been vacant."

I looked up seeing her concerned expression, a grateful smile lifting up my lips. "Thank you." I stood up and she gave me quick hug. It was comforting and I relished in the embrace.

"Whatever is making you this stressed out we need to stop it."

~>~

It was so silent you could hear the water fountain outside of the office. The small tap of a pencil, and the light scuffle of my jacket scraping the chair.

The officer sat across from me composed and unfocused, acting as if my story I just poured out to him was nothing serious. He ran his fingers over his beard, stirring up the mess even more. Missy was sitting next to me expectant.

"Alright. I'll take a couple of guys out there to search the premises. Maybe for foot prints or any evidence we may find, but I'm not promising an outcome. It could just be a couple of teenagers doing stuff they aren't supposed to be doing out there." The man stood up from his chair, grabbing car keys.

"Thank you so much officer." I stood up as well, following him out the door with Missy right behind me. The cool air was rash and cold against my cheeks as we left the building, Missy and I getting into my car. She seemed quiet thinking about something deeply. I motioned a hand in front of her face, reluctantly making her interrupt her train of thought.

"Are you sure you really hear people outside of you're house?"My stomach dropped and I slumped back into the drivers seat. She was still doubting me.

"Would I be losing so much sleep if I didn't?" Missy gave me crooked smile, as if saying sorry for her lack of support. Her reluctance was clear and it was easy to understand why. I put my key into the ignition starting the motor to life.

The drive was silent, but inside I was suffering from undergoing turmoil. I was worried about what they would find, or if I really was crazy and they wouldn't find anything at all. Maybe Pappy's house has become a hangout over the past years, or it's just people walking by on the street. But I swear, I know, I hear anonymous voices talking behind the house.

By the pillars.

Maybe that's were they are, hiding behind the deep shadow of the huge granite object. Where ever the voices were coming from, I need them to stop. It was unpleasant and it kept me up every single night, like a strong wind whistling through the window. I couldn't shut the voices out and every night it seems that their hushed voices would wake me up, as if an alarm was set off.

Missy and I got out of my small car, already in front of Grand Pappy's large home. I walked across the lawn to the large metallic gate that leads to the back yard, jingling the large latch attached to it.

" I always forget just how big this place is. It should be a historical landmark." Missy stood behind me, a green scarf wrapped securely around her neck as her eyes trailed the corners and crevices of the house.

"Don't you ever get a little creeped out, living alone in this huge house, you being so young?"

I shook my head, finally getting the rusted old latch to fly open and the gate squeal as it slowly opens. "Too many good memories. It's hard to think of this place as something creepy when it was a place of joy and happiness. Besides, you're only one year older than me." She gave me a doubtful look, but dropped the subject quickly.

We walked onto the property, the stale yellow grass crinkling under our feet. The fifteen acres are mostly covered with tall trees and brush with the small percentage of open meadows that were filled with wild flowers during the spring. A large garden was set in the middle of the property, that clearly needed new renovations. Dead vines swirled up against the thirsty apple trees, and the rose bushes have gotten so unkept that they look almost like a gigantic weeds with scary thorns for teeth. I looked around the yard, catching my gaze on the pillars.

They stood, high and wide not bowing or showing any signs of falling over. The slight white paint was peeling on the sides and leaves were covering the wide perimeter at the bottom.

I could feel the police officers trailing through the large gate, onto our property. About three officers stood next to me and one was ironically drinking coffee, as if he had someplace better to be.

"Alright. we'll search the property and see if we can find anything." I shook the mans hand, trying to not look annoyed at their lack of seriousness.

"Thank you." The men split up, using gadgets to find unknown fingerprints or foot prints. After about thirty minutes I could tell the men were already bored and disinterested.

"No luck ma'am. Nothing seems out of the ordinary." My shoulders slumped, and I could feel the guilt of making this situation blow in proportion weigh me down. I cast a glance over at the large pillars. The towers were ominous and stubborn. Relentless.

"Ok, but just to make sure, can you check those pillars?"

The officers gave me a questioning stare, but I blocked it out, watching as they walked over to the huge cylinders. Even one of them being 6 feet, he shrunk in comparison to the large stone.

A couple minutes passed and it felt as if there would be no luck. All my worrying and sleepless nights would be for nothing. A cold sweat began on my brow. But then I heard it. A clipped shout from behind the third pillar, silencing the commotion.

"I found something!"