Thursday, September 10, 2009

Creepiness in the Woods - Redux

Do you remember a few months ago when I posted about the Cat Psycho at my Dad’s house? If you need a refresher, the post is here. Basically, he had left his house, which is in the middle of nowhere and protected by a gate with a code, to run some errands and when he got back his big black cat—still inside the house—was wearing a shiny new red collar. The same collar, in fact, that can be seen in a painting that is also inside his house. Nothing was missing, nothing was trashed. Which is, of course, the creepiest part.

Other odd things started happening. A sandwich that had been left for a moment outside would be relocated. Items would go missing and then return in odd places. They even called the sheriff at one point, but realized they sounded insane when mentioning things like sandwiches being moved around on the patio and cats being collared while they were gone.

For months, it remained a mystery of creepy proportions.

A couple of weeks ago, neighbors up the hill came by to say they were moving. Something about a new job and better care for their daughter, who, they finally confided, was schizophrenic. These neighbors mentioned they couldn’t take many of the potted plants they had outside and invited my Dad to go by and pick them up if he wanted them. Once the neighbors were gone they went over to get the plants. It was then that they noticed that a small section of fence near the back of the property was missing. They went to investigate and found a path through the woods that led—you guessed it—right to the edge of my Dad’s acreage. From the looks of the trail, the girl had been on the path trhough the woods hundreds of times.

It makes sense now: A mentally ill girl trapped with her parents on a mountain looking for something interesting to do. They had been there a couple of years and you have to wonder how many times the girl had watched them from the woods, let herself in to their house, walked around among their things, left with something small and meaningless.

The question is, what would be worse—never solving the mystery or realizing that you’d been watched for years?

23 comments:

Little Ms J said...

I still get goosebumps. This is a movie of the week, sister.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

eeeeeee! I guess I'd rather have the explanation, but that is so creepy!

Barbara Slaton DRE#01855977 said...

I don't know which I would pick, knowing or not...really creepy either way!

Was the cat traumatized? Eeeeeeeewwww.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

i have chills - i bet this will show up in one of your boosk someday :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful fodder for a chilling YA novel! I'm glad the mystery is solved (and the people have moved)! These things only happen to your Dad (and/or sister)!
CAM

Anonymous said...

I think it is better to know--either way it is spooky. And I agree with the others. This needs to be in a book, or at least a short story.

CC

Eric said...

That is spooky, but I agree that this is a great foundation for a creepy book.

StaffPicks said...

Damn womnan!
You leave blogotown for a couple of weeks and come back and drop that story on us?! COLLARED CAT, THE SEQUEL.
What are you going to do after your next blogobreak?
Are you going to tell us the baby in the jar lives, again...?
It's time for your medicine.

PJ Hoover said...

never solving the mystery would be worse.

Sounds like a good book (for you to write!)

Debbie R said...

What a great ending to a very creepy story. It had to end that way!

Casey Something said...

I'd definitely rather know. But I'm still a little creeped out over the whole thing!

Robin Mellom said...

Spoooooooky!!! I think M. Night Shyamalan is going to be asking for the rights. ;-)

peteo said...

I wonder if she is the one who left that bundle of twigs on our front door while we were seeing "Blair Witch" on opening day.

Deb Markanton said...

Definitely strange and goosebump worthy but I'm boggled by the red cat collar. I mean, did she see it in the painting, go buy one and slip it on the cat? Now that makes the creep factor climb off the charts for me.

Suzanne Young said...

Kidding? I always read your blog. Over and over and over, like a good stalker.

And after today's post, I'll be sleeping with the lights on.

Christy Raedeke said...

Aw, thanks for stopping by, everyone! Nothing like a good creepy story to lure me back to blogging...

storyqueen said...

I think I'd rather know. And I think if this happened in my family, I'd take it as a message from beyond to put it in a story somewhere. This like this happen in the lives of writers for a reason.

There's a story there!

Shelley

Jennie Englund said...

Hi Christy,

Excellent follow-up to Creepy Woods story!

And look at all the readers who love you, even after your break!

nanmarino said...

It's creepy and the perfect thing to put into a story.

Hardygirl said...

So did the neighbors sell their house? Who are the NEW neighbors? I think that is worth an investigation--especially if there is already a beaten path to your dad's house.

What's next--escaped serial killers, alien invasion? I think this path could be some sort of portal.

I'd watch my back.

sf

Anonymous said...

Okay, but what if it (or something) happens after they've moved? I mean, we're just assuming this girl is the culprit here...

Wyman Stewart said...

Do you have proof she's not been left behind? Then there's the chilling tale, north of you, in Washington state. An institution for the criminally insane took some inmates to the local fair, in or near Spokane. One inmate, an insane killer, escaped. Wonder, how sane are those who approved taking an insane killer to a fair? He has pills to keep him okay for 14 days, if he decides to take them.

Who are your neighbors? Lock and bolt the doors. Sleep with one eye open. You never know what's coming to get you. Robocops are out writing speeding tickets. The baby in the jar is hiding from it all. Your life would make one very spooky set of movies. Welcome back. Hope your safe and sound. Life is creepy!

Peggy said...

my house is making creaking noises, hank is snoring and that story is freaking me out! i am happy to know the ending, but honestly, if it was my life, my reality, i wouldn't want to know.