Valley of the Scarecrow (9 page)

“What?” the dark-haired mechanic said, looking up from what he’d been reading, puzzled for a second. “Oh no…not me. That was Travis, my brother. I’m Tim. We’re identical twins. People mix us up all the time.”

“Oh okay,” Kelly said, smiling, relieved they weren’t losing their minds. “We’re just hanging out until they get back, all right?”

“Sure. Can I get you something? Coffeepot’s on.”

“Got anything cold?” Lizzy asked, turning to look at the vending machine. Unfortunately it looked old and no longer used.

“Not in there,” Tim said. “That thing’s been broken since I was a kid. I got some cans of Pepsi and Dr Pepper in the fridge if that’s okay?”

“Pepsi would be super.”

“Same for me,” Kelly said.

Tim nodded and went to fetch the soda. He returned with a cold Pepsi in each hand, giving each girl a can. “Sorry, no glasses.”

“That’s okay. Thanks.”

Kelly gave Tim a few dollars for the drinks and he took one and handed the other back. He dropped the single bill in the cash register and said, “Travis won’t keep you waiting long. He’s a good mechanic. What brings you guys out this way, anyway?”

“Camping,” Kelly said, popping the tab on her Pepsi and taking a drink.

“Where? Rock Creek?”

“Actually no. We’re headed a bit north of the park.”

“Really?” Tim said, intrigued. “There’s nothing north of the state park. Some wild country up there. You might be better sticking to Rock Creek.”

“Don’t worry…we’ll be fine.”

“Better than fine,” Lizzy chimed in. “Especially if we find Miller’s Grove.”

“Miller’s Grove?” Tim asked. He’d heard the name somewhere but couldn’t place it. “Where’s that?”

Kelly gave Liz a look that said, “Be careful what you say,” but Liz ignored her.

“Your guess is as good as ours. I’d hoped maybe you’d heard of it. How about Joshua Miller? He was—”

“We don’t need to bore him with any of that nonsense,
Liz. Maybe we should wait outside for the guys and let Tim get back to work.”

Tim’s juices were flowing now. The name Joshua Miller was definitely familiar, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember why. Something his father had told him, perhaps? Then it came to him:
The reverend!
Joshua was his name; not Jacob like Travis had thought. Tim’s lips curled up into a smile. It was incredible that these girls were talking about the very thing he and his brother had been discussing only fifteen minutes earlier but in a way it made sense. There weren’t all that many local legends and it made perfect sense that other people from the area had grown up hearing the same ghost stories he and his brother had. This was fantastic news. It proved to him that people were definitely interested in these urban legends and justified his theory that money could be made on them.

“Hold on a minute,” Tim said, instantly putting on his showman face. “You girls are looking for Joshua Miller?
The
Joshua Miller? The Reverend of Rock Creek? That’s not a very good idea.”

Both girls looked at each other before answering.

“Why not?” Lizzy asked.

Good question,
Tim thought, desperately trying to think of the real story his father had told but only being able to remember it had something to do with the Depression era and that the villagers joined together to kill Reverend Miller. Thinking fast on his feet he spun a yarn on the spot, living for just this kind of moment, always ready to tell a good horror story whenever he got the chance. “Joshua Miller, as I’m guessing you girls already know, was a preacher around these parts way back in the 1930s.”

“In Miller’s Grove, yes,” Lizzy proudly said. “Kelly’s grandfather used to live there. He said they used to call this whole area Oak Valley.”

“Exactly!” Tim said, not having a clue what the girl with the multicolored hair was talking about, but playing along. At least now he knew why they had mentioned looking for a place called Miller’s Grove. “That’s the guy. Anyway, like most places in the Depression, there was no work and everyone in Miller’s Grove was starving. There are different stories about why it happened but the bottom line is that the entire town blamed Reverend Miller for their bad luck. There were whispers that he was a devil worshipper and that he even carried around and preached from a Satanic Bible. Eventually the entire town…men, women, and even the children got together and dragged Joshua to the center of the village and stoned him to death using rocks and chunks of wood from the forest.”

“But that’s not what—” Lizzy started to say.

“Quiet, Lizzy,” Kelly interrupted her. “I wanna hear what he has to say.”

“Thanks,” Tim continued. “When Joshua was dead, the villagers buried his body out in the woods but they also buried his Satanic Bible somewhere else, not marking either of the secret graves. They thought they’d solved all their problems but they were wrong. For the next fifty years, there were sightings of him in these woods, tales of an old preacher in a dirty, bloodstained cloak wandering through the fields and woods searching for his lost Bible, but also for the men and women who murdered him. Some say he’s still out there, and if it’s true your grandfather once lived in Miller’s Grove, the last thing you guys want to do is go camping in Oak Valley. The
Reverend of Rock Creek might be out there waiting for you…”

Tim finished in a quiet, ominous voice he’d practiced many times in his bedroom mirror and was pleased with the way the lies had flowed off his tongue. It was a cool story and just might be believable enough to have legs, especially to a group of people who knew someone who’d supposedly been there. Just to be sure, he added, “Not sure what your grandpa might have told you happened, but what I just said is the truth. Stands to reason he might have given you a different version, seeing as what they did to the poor reverend. I hate to say it, but your grandfather might have been part of it.”

“That’s bullshit,” Kelly said, angry at this big dope who was all but accusing her grandfather of murder. “My grandfather knows what happened and obviously you don’t so let’s just leave it at that, okay? Come on, Lizzy. I’m waiting outside.” She stormed out of the garage, not trusting herself to stick around inside without getting into a pointless argument with the mechanic.

“Wow!” Tim said to Lizzy. “I didn’t mean to offend her. I was just telling her the truth, you know?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just that she’s pretty close with her grandpa and thinks the world of him. Your story’s way off from the one he told her.”

“What did he say happened? I’m really interested in this sort of stuff. You know how there are always ten different versions of urban legends? I’d love to hear your version of this one ’cause I’m pretty sure mine is true.”

“Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you but what the heck. Malcolm, that’s Kelly’s grandfather, he said the people of Miller’s Grove were upset because the crops were
too
good, that they turned on Reverend Miller because they
thought he’d sold the town’s soul to the devil in exchange for money and prosperity. They didn’t murder him though. Well, least not like you said. In Malcolm’s version, the elders of the village jumped him inside his church but being Christians couldn’t kill Joshua so they crucified him on the big altar cross and then boarded up all the windows and doors. Basically they left his fate to God, I guess. Not sure if that’s a better story than yours or not, but that’s it. To be honest, my guess is both are a bunch of lies, you know?”

“Yeah, over time, facts have a way of getting lost in the shuffle. Still, my dad…he was the one who told me my version, wouldn’t have lied to me so I still think I believe him. If I was you girls, I’d be picking a new campground. Maybe I’m wrong, but Joshua Miller might still be out there searching for his Bible…but also for you!”

Liz smiled and thanked Tim for the soda. “I’d better go wait outside with Kelly.”

Tim smiled when she was gone.
That went pretty well!
he thought, his mind already starting to churn with wonderful ideas.

Outside, Kelly was still steaming mad when Lizzy walked out to meet her. “You believe that guy?” she asked. “He’s got some kind of nerve.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Kel. He didn’t mean to offend you. That’s just the story his dad told him. No big deal. I’ll bet lots of people around here have heard about Joshua Miller. I mean think about it, if they really did abandon the town, the families from Miller’s Grove would have probably split up and settled all over this part of the state. You don’t think any of them passed on the story? Hell, there might be a dozen versions of what
really happened out there. Maybe more, right? Who’s to say which story is true?”

“My grandfather’s story is true; I know it is.”

“No. You
think
it is, and you
hope
it is, but you don’t know it.”

“Yes I do. My grandfather would never lie to me.”

“That’s what Tim just said to me about his dad in there. In the end, what does it matter? He has his story, and we’re gonna go check out yours, right?”

“Right!” Kelly said, smiling again. “You didn’t tell him my grandfather’s version though, did you?”

Lizzy paused for a moment, but decided it was easier to lie. Besides, she hadn’t mentioned anything to Tim about the supposed treasure. Far as she was concerned, that was the only important thing. “Nope. Just thanked him for the Pepsis. You worry too much. Relax and let’s have some fun.”

“I know. It’s just the less people who know about it the better.”

“Gotcha!”

Several minutes later Rich and Dan pulled back into the garage parking lot and right behind them was Pat’s Malibu, with Travis the mechanic riding shotgun beside him and Kim sitting in the back. Obviously they’d managed to fix the problem.

“What happened?” Kelly asked as they pulled to a stop by the gas pumps.

“Just out of gas,” Pat sheepishly answered. “My dad’s gas gauge is shot. I didn’t notice. Stupid, but it could have been a lot worse, right?”

Travis was filling the Malibu’s tank. “Sure could have. And don’t feel too bad; you’re certainly not the first person
to run out of gas. I’ll fill the tank now and you’ll have lots to get you back to Cedar Rapids. You should still get that gauge fixed though, okay?”

“Sure,” Pat said. “I’ll tell my dad about it soon as we get back.”

Rich topped up his tank when Travis was done, and soon they were ready to hit the road again. Everyone thanked Travis for his help and climbed into their cars. With a wave good-bye, they were back on Highway 6, heading north, and running out of time to turn around and go home.

When the couples were gone, Timothy Skyler came walking out of the garage to join his twin brother. Travis was wiping down the gas pump with a rag from his coverall’s pocket and it took him a minute to notice the huge grin on his brother’s face. “What’s up?” he asked. “You get laid by those broads while I was gone?”

“Nope. Something better. We gotta talk, amigo. You won’t believe the story I just heard. We got plans to make. Big plans.”

“For what?”

“The future.”

They turned off Highway 6 onto Route 138, a country road that meandered alongside Rock Creek State Park, heading in the general area of where they were hoping to go. From here on in, the map would be useless, the roads out here becoming less and less tended until they were traveling on nothing more than gravel and dirt logging trails. There didn’t seem to be anything up here. No houses, no stores, and not even the usual telltale signs of civilization like hydro poles or overhead telephone lines. When people thought of Iowa, they pictured clear flat-land with huge farms filled with thousands of acres of corn, and while those places definitely existed, Iowa was also covered in trees and a great many rivers and lakes. Where Kelly and her friends were headed, it wasn’t merely treed, but was thick forest land, wild and untamed, making the tiny town of Oakland Acres they’d just left behind look like a thriving metropolis.

These were all good signs though, positive markers if they hoped the story Malcolm had told them had any hope of being true. The more desolate the better, as far as that went. If they were lucky, no one else had even tried exploring these woods and everything was still exactly as the fleeing villagers of Miller’s Grove had left them. That might be wishing for a little too much, but seeing
how isolated and bleak the former Oak Valley was, it gave them great hope.

The condition of the roads deteriorated quickly and soon they were forced to stop. Although the mud surface was rock hard, there were huge ruts and channels ripped into the ground from previous wet conditions and without a 4×4 truck or a trailer filled with motocross bikes there was no way they were going forward except on foot. They’d been expecting this, of course, but had been hoping to get much deeper into the woods than this before having to hoof it.

“Oh well,” Dan said. “No sense whining about it. Grab our gear and let’s get moving. It’s already”—he checked his watch—“12:10. Christ, this is already taking us way longer than we figured it would.”

“Maybe we should have some lunch first?” Kelly said, not really hungry but knowing they’d all need their strength for the hike. “Seems like a good spot.”

“You might be right, Kel. Let’s grab a sandwich fast though. We only have so many hours of light left and we don’t want to be wandering out in the woods in the dark.”

The girls unpacked some tuna fish sandwiches Lizzy had made the night before and passed them around. Pat had a box of granola bars handy too, so they had those for dessert. Not exactly a meal for kings, but it filled their bellies and would give them some energy for the long walk ahead.

“What do we do with the cars?” Pat said, as they were packing up. “Just leave them in the middle of the road like this?”

“Sure,” Rich said. “Nobody is getting through this road anyway. If we can’t, neither can they. Anyway, I doubt anyone’s been back here in years. Just lock them up and they’ll be fine.”

“Should we leave a note on the cars?” Lizzy asked. “Just in case we end up lost?”

“Why?” Kelly said, smirking. “You worried the Reverend of Rock Creek is gonna get us?”

“No, smarty-pants. I’m just thinking it might be a good idea, that’s all. If we end up lost at least someone might find the cars and have a half-ass idea where to look for us. Can’t hurt, can it?”

“I think it’s a decent idea too,” Kim said. “Better safe than sorry.”

“I hear what you’re saying,” Dan said. “But the whole idea is to not have people knowing where we are. We can take care of ourselves. The last thing we want is a group of macho forest rangers showing up to rescue us.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kim said, and winked at Dan.

“Yeah, Dan,” Lizzy said with a grin. “After a few days in the woods with you boys, being rescued by a group of forest rangers might be kind of fun.”

“Very funny. Okay, we can put it to a vote.”

Consensus was it was worth doing, just in case of emergency. All kidding around aside, something could happen and they might end up lost or in need of assistance so Lizzy wrote out a short note and drew a crude diagram of the basic area they were heading for. She also added in a few of the group’s cell phone numbers, in case there was any reception out there. Doubtful, but again, it wouldn’t hurt to try. She left the note inside one of the used plastic sandwich baggies and stuck it under the windshield wiper of Rich’s car. Anyone who found the cars would surely find the note.

“Okay, gang,” Dan said. “We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go get rich.”

With a cheer, they slung their backpacks onto their shoulders and off they went carrying on the logging road
they’d been on, heading farther into the dense forest. Dan and Kelly took the lead, followed closely by Kim and Pat. At the rear of the train were Rich and Lizzy, who snuck a quick kiss in before following along.

“Who’s the Reverend of Rock Creek? Joshua Miller?” Rich asked.

Lizzy started laughing. “Never mind. Inside joke, that’s all. Come on, let’s catch up. You’re already dragging your ass and we just got started.”

It was considerably cooler inside the woods. Not cold, because it was still a fine sunny fall day, but there was a noticeable chill in the air as they left the relative open air of the dirt road and followed a trail headed due north into the forest. Perhaps it was only her nerves acting up, but Kelly thought maybe the coolness wasn’t entirely a result of the falling temperature as they headed under the canopy of giant oak trees and deeper into the shade. Part of the chill was coming from inside her, her blood running just that few precious degrees cooler knowing they were walking into the heart of her grandfather’s worst fears. He’d said these woods and the fields beyond were tainted by evil, haunted by unnatural forces, and perhaps watched over by the Man in Black. Nonsense, of course, but walking with her small group of friends, virtually cut off from the modern world, Kelly couldn’t help but feel some of those fears herself. There was just something that didn’t feel right here, a tension or thickness in the air they were breathing. Something ancient or primordial even within the forest, and maybe that was why this land had never been developed.

“Is it usually this quiet in a forest?” Pat asked, snapping a few pictures of their adventure as he walked, perhaps feeling some of the same dark vibes Kelly was.

“Really,” Dan said. “Shouldn’t this place be full of birds chirping, and squirrels running around trying to get ready for winter? Pretty weird, huh?”

And it was. Everyone stood still for a moment without anyone even having to suggest it, and sure enough the woods were practically silent. A slight breeze rustled the leaves way above their heads, making the trees dance and caressing them with the earthy fragrant aromas of pine needles, ancient oak hardwood, and moss, but nothing moved on ground level. Nothing alive, at least. It was as if the forest was annoyed by their presence, holding its breath, waiting to see if they were actually foolish enough to keep walking deeper into the belly of the beast.

“‘Creepy’ is a better word,” Kim said, visibly uncomfortable but seeing as she was the new girl, trying to be a trooper and not cause a fuss.

“Oh come on, guys,” Rich said, laughing. “Before you even start freaking each other out, stop it. None of us are big-time woodsmen and we don’t have a clue what an old forest like this should or shouldn’t sound like. No one’s been through here in years…decades maybe if we’re lucky, so don’t you think if anyone is spooked here today it might be the animals? We’re the reason things are so quiet, all right? The birds and damn squirrels you’re listening for probably hightailed their asses out of here the minute we started stomping around. Makes sense to me, at least, so relax a little.”

“Rich is right,” Dan said. “Forget about it. The less noise the better. We’re not here on a nature hike. We’re here to find Miller’s Grove, and the best way to do that is to find the church, right? Let’s stop whining and get moving. We’ve gotta find the open fields and I think we need to keep heading north for that. Everyone all right with that? It’s still not too late to turn back.”

No one wanted to do that, although if push had come to shove, it looked to Kelly like Kim and Pat might have happily said good-bye. No one wanted to be the one to wimp out, especially so quickly, so together they carried on with Dan out front holding the compass and the rest following behind dodging the shadows.

The mood lightened up after an hour of hiking, with everyone (except perhaps Pat, who looked sour and was dragging his heels a little) joking around and pretending they weren’t getting tired and a bit discouraged. No one expected this to be easy, to just walk into the woods and somehow find a treasure chest full of gold, silver, and jewels just waiting for them out in the open, but the reality of what they were up against was starting to fully dawn on them. This was wild country, and there weren’t any man-made trails to follow anymore. Dan picked and weaved the group’s way as best he could, following the natural lay of land and trying to keep them heading north but it wasn’t easy. Another hour went by, and then one more, the group of friends determined to walk as far as they had to in order to get the job done.

The trees were enormous in this section of woods, and sometimes the path between them was choked solid by bushes and vines and years’ worth of fallen branches. There were a lot of rocks and stones to navigate over or around as well, all of which made walking not only strenuous and slow, but also potentially dangerous. One slip or misplaced step and one of them could easily twist an ankle or worse yet, break something, and what would they do then? The prospect of carrying someone back out to the cars didn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. Rich continually reminded everyone to watch their step, so much so that Lizzy eventually told him to shut the hell up. Rich was so tired he didn’t even have a smart comment
to yell back to her. For a change, he just did what she said.

The long hike was getting to all of them. The jokes had stopped and hardly anyone was even talking anymore. Exhaustion and frustration were stealing away their earlier enthusiasm. Mile after grueling mile, nothing ever looked any different from the last. It was trees and rocks, bushes and vines, over and over, and to make matters worse, the deeper they headed into what had once been called Oak Valley, the thicker and denser the forest was becoming. There were times Dan couldn’t even find a way through the tangled vines and grown-together tree trunks, and they’d be forced to travel east or west to get around the untamed terrain. Eventually, probably more frustrated than he was showing, Dan called for a rest stop. It was almost 4:00
P.M.
now, and although they’d rested several times and were drinking from their water flasks steadily, they’d never actually stopped for an official break. Maybe they’d all feel better if they got off their feet for a while and had something decent to eat? At the very least, the rest would help get them into a better mood.

They had sandwiches again, but this time they ate ham and cheese. They also passed around containers filled with pickles, carrots, and celery sticks. For dessert, they had apple slices and homemade chocolate brownies that Kim had brought along with her, an unexpected treat much to the delight of everyone. It wasn’t fine dining, but it was fast and delicious and just what they needed to get their strength back.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Kim whispered to Dan as the others were busy cleaning up and refilling their backpacks.

“I’d prefer you didn’t, to be honest,” Dan said, glancing
around to see if Kelly was within earshot. Thankfully she was over gabbing with Lizzy at the moment, helping reroll a sleeping bag they’d used to sit on during lunch.

“Oh come on, Danny, there’s no need to be like that. You might want to—”

“No, I won’t. Stop it.”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say,” Kim said, laughing and standing way too close to him, “accidentally” rubbing her firm breasts on his arm.

Dan sighed and took a half step backward. “Yes I do…and it’s not happening. Come on, Kim. You and I had some fun but I’m trying to put things right between Kelly and I. Besides, you’re here with Pat and he’s one of my best friends. You guys will get along great and we can hang out and all have some fun, but cut the shit, okay? Please? You can’t let Kelly know we…ah…nearly dated.”

Kim smiled and gave him a wink. “That what you’re calling it? No problem, lover boy. Just remember the offer is still open, least for a little while. You might want to give that some serious thought. Bet it gets mighty cold out here in the woods at night. Know what I mean?”

By 4:30 everything was packed away and they were once again ready to roll. Pat took a few group pictures to mark the occasion, then put his camera back in his bag. Kelly noticed he wasn’t quite as bubbly and chatty as usual and wondered if perhaps he was slipping into one of his depressed moods again. They didn’t come often, but when they did, Pat would go quiet and shut down emotionally on them. During their break, Kelly couldn’t remember Pat saying a word. He’d just sat and quietly ate his sandwich alone. That wasn’t a good sign, but she hoped he’d just been tired.

“You okay, Pat?” she confidentially asked him as they slipped on their packs.

“Sure. Why?”

“No reason. You’re just a little quiet, that’s all.”

“Oh…well, I’m fine. Maybe a little stressed.” Pat nodded in the direction of Kim, who was currently bent over retying her hiking boots, looking better than any woman had a right to look after hiking for this many hours. “I’m worried about her. She’s a bit out of my league, ya know?”

“No she’s not. She’s lucky to have you.”

Pat smiled. “Thanks, Kel. You’re a liar, but God love ya! Seriously…I’m okay.”

Kelly took him by the arm and they joined the rest of the gang. Everyone was huddled over by Dan, figuring out their next move.

“We gonna keep heading north?” Rich asked.

“I think so,” Dan said. “Another mile or two. Why?”

“Just asking. How many miles do you think we’ve already covered? Ten?”

“No way, not that much. On an open road, sure, but we’ve been moving at a snail’s pace and not always in a straight line. I’ll bet we’ve only walked about five. Maybe six.”