gonewacky
Veteran Member
(Demon Hunters) The Demon in Town
In April of 1921 in Deer Ridge 12 year old Danny and 11 year old Billy were peeking in the church window.
Billy insisted, “I don’t see him.”
Danny replied, “He’s in the box in front of the pulpit.”
Billy whispered, “I thought he’d be in a coffin.”
Danny replied, “Silly fool. That’s what the box is, a coffin.”
The organ music stopped and the Pastor announced, “Thank you, sister. Brothers and sisters, we are congregated here today to pay homage to our dear brother, Louis Anderson. We all know that Louis Anderson was a good boy.
He didn’t always show up to Sunday school on Sunday, but we never saw him at the bootlegger’s on Saturday night, either.”
Someone in the congregation bellowed, “Amen.”
The Pastor went on, “We’re all going to miss this fine youth. The good lord must have had a powerful reason to want to take him so young in life. 19 years is short time to be with us.
The congregation of about 20 people watched intensely as the Pastor continued, “But we all know that the lord moves in mysterious ways and today...”
Then the lid of the coffin started opening, and they could see a hand pushing up the lid. Someone yelled, “He’s alive!”
Louis sat up questioning, “Who in tarnation put me in that coffin?”
Panic took over and everyone started screaming and running from the church.
The Pastor insisted, “Brethren, let’s not give way to panic. A small mistake seems to have been made.”
Everyone had fled from the church and was outside. A Wagon and team was nested in-between two Model T Ford’s with a Buggy off to the side. They looked on in fear as Louis came from the church. He questioned, “Now, what’s going on around here?”
His father replied, “Son, we was about to bury you.”
Louis exclaimed, “Bury me?”
His mother held tight to his father’s arm saying, “We were real certain that you’d died day before yesterday.”
Louis insisted, “Died? Well, that’s silly.”
Louis’s father revealed, “Doc Bolton pronounced you dead.”
The Doctor spoke up, “That’s right, son. Your heart stopped beating two days ago. I was at the bedside.”
Louis insisted, “Well, I... That couldn’t be. I’m-I’m breathing now.”
The Doctor went on, “He sure wasn’t beating day before yesterday. You was sick, son. Real sick. Worst case of flu I’ve ever come across in my whole medical career. I’m surprised he lasted past last Wednesday.”
Louis disclosed, “Well, I hate to cast a shadow on your medical career Doc, but I’m not gonna crawl back in that coffin just to save face with you.”
The doctor insisted, “Yes sir. There was no question about it. There was no pulse.”
Louis declared, “Well, I’m sure glad you didn’t embalm me.”
Louis’s father asked, “How do you feel now son?”
Louis replied, “Well, I feel good. I feel a little weak, but rested and hungry. I could eat the hide off a hog. I’m real hungry.”
His mother insisted, “I reckon you should be. I know you ain’t eaten for three days.”
Louis exclaimed as he walked to his parents, “Ma! Pa! Surprise! I sure hope you got a good supper on the calendar.”
They backed away from him in fear as Louis questioned, What’s the matter? You act like I’m some sort of ghost or something. Well, I’ll be double-dogged.
My own folks are scared of me. Maryann? I bet you ain’t scared of me. I’m the man you’re going to marry.”
Maryann backed away from him in fear as well.
Louis admitted, “Well, I guess you are at that.”
Then he set his sights on his ten year old sister Nancy saying, “Nancy? Now, you ain’t a-scared of me, are ya?”
Nancy ran to him exclaiming, “Louis, you fooled them, didn’t you Louis?
Dropping to one knee Louis gave Nancy a hug as he bubbled, “Yeah honey, I fooled them.”
Louis father said, “Son.”
Followed by his mother exclaiming, “Son! Praise be. We ain’t lost you after all son.”
The Doctor exclaimed, “I know what it is. I know what the miracle that happened here in our county. The Medical term for it it’s Cotard delusion animation. Very rare. Matter of fact, there’s been only 30 cases in the past 1,500 years.”
One man insisted, “Ain’t you just trying to cover up for your own miscalculations doc? I ain’t never heard of a sickness like that.”
The Doctor replied, “Ain’t likely you would only 30 cases in 1,500 years, and all them were in Europe. Best thing for you to do is quit trying to slander my name and take him home, give him some soup. He’ll need some rest.
Louis insisted, “Yeah, I... I’m a mite weak.”
Louis’s father replied, “Bless you. We’ll get you right on home just as soon as I crank up the car.”
His mother took ahold of his arm and gave it a tug, “I’ll fry you a nice rabbit. I’m sorry I acted so funny Louis. It was just that... It was so sudden. Sure nice to have you back.
Louis uttered, “Oh, thank you kindly Ma, but I ain’t never been away.”
Two weeks later at breakfast Louis announced, “That was a heaping good breakfast, ma. Well, I guess I’ll get over to that east 40 and mend that fence.”
Louis’s mother insisted, “Oh, I wish you wouldn’t. It’s only been two weeks since you was at the brink of the grave. You ought not be toiling from sunup to sundown.”
Louis assured, “I feel great ma. I never felt better in my life. I’ll see you down there pa.”
His father replied, “All right.”
Louis went out the door and his mother revealed, “I’m real concerned. I just don’t like the way he’s behaved the last two weeks.”
His father asked, “What do you mean?”
She replied, “He’s different. He’s not like he was at all.”
The father insisted, “Seems the same to me.”
She explained, “He only ate two eggs again. Why ever since he’s sprouted teeth he’s been having three eggs at breakfast.”
The father replied, “Well, a man’s taste can change.”
She went on, “And he goes around fiddling with things night and day. And the way he goes at that hard work. Why, he was never that friendly with work before.”
The father agreed, “Yes that’s true.”
She added, “I recollect worrying many times that he leaned just a shade towards the side of shiftlessness. Not lazy exactly but... No, just uninterested. Since his sickness, he’s been fighting in that work just like he was a year behind.”
Looking at Nancy staring at them her mother insisted, “All right big ears, you run down to the mailbox and wait for the mailman. I’m expecting a new seed catalog. Sure hope it gets here.”
Danny and Billy were at the mail boxes horsing around with a slingshot. Danny announced, “Make way for the queen!”
There were six mail boxes all in a row, and Nancy checked theirs. Billy informed, “He ain’t been here, yet.”
Nancy asked, “Can I shoot it?
Danny barked, “No! This isn’t a girl toy. Go get a doll or something.”
Billy asked, “How’s your brother?”
Nancy replied, “All right, I reckon. Only ma and pa are a little bit concerned about the way he’s been behaving lately.”
Billy asked, “How’s he been acting?”
Nancy revealed, “I don’t know just... different. He eats different, works different, always fiddling with things.”
Danny looked at Billy and insisted, “It ain’t none of your business Billy. Let’s go.”
Later that afternoon Sophia was over visiting Billy’s mom. Sophia exclaimed, “All the men have been gathering down at the store.”
Caroline replied, “Is that a fact? Well, I was wondering if you’d heard anything.”
Sophia added, “Well, as a matter of fact, I have heard a little something.”
Caroline butted in, “Just a minute. You run out and play.”
Billy asked, “Why? I wanna listen.”
Caroline insisted, “You go on now. Scoot.”
Billy whined, “Aw, shucks.”
Caroline explained, “Little pitchers have big ears.”
Sophia went on, “Well now, I know for a fact that those poor folks are scared to death. Why he’s been acting like a complete stranger ever since the funeral. Yes sir, I mean, I sure wouldn’t want to go sleep in a house with that boy around. Not me. They say he’s started fiddling with things now, like axes.”
Caroline insisted, “I don’t know. He was always such a good boy.”
In April of 1921 in Deer Ridge 12 year old Danny and 11 year old Billy were peeking in the church window.
Billy insisted, “I don’t see him.”
Danny replied, “He’s in the box in front of the pulpit.”
Billy whispered, “I thought he’d be in a coffin.”
Danny replied, “Silly fool. That’s what the box is, a coffin.”
The organ music stopped and the Pastor announced, “Thank you, sister. Brothers and sisters, we are congregated here today to pay homage to our dear brother, Louis Anderson. We all know that Louis Anderson was a good boy.
He didn’t always show up to Sunday school on Sunday, but we never saw him at the bootlegger’s on Saturday night, either.”
Someone in the congregation bellowed, “Amen.”
The Pastor went on, “We’re all going to miss this fine youth. The good lord must have had a powerful reason to want to take him so young in life. 19 years is short time to be with us.
The congregation of about 20 people watched intensely as the Pastor continued, “But we all know that the lord moves in mysterious ways and today...”
Then the lid of the coffin started opening, and they could see a hand pushing up the lid. Someone yelled, “He’s alive!”
Louis sat up questioning, “Who in tarnation put me in that coffin?”
Panic took over and everyone started screaming and running from the church.
The Pastor insisted, “Brethren, let’s not give way to panic. A small mistake seems to have been made.”
Everyone had fled from the church and was outside. A Wagon and team was nested in-between two Model T Ford’s with a Buggy off to the side. They looked on in fear as Louis came from the church. He questioned, “Now, what’s going on around here?”
His father replied, “Son, we was about to bury you.”
Louis exclaimed, “Bury me?”
His mother held tight to his father’s arm saying, “We were real certain that you’d died day before yesterday.”
Louis insisted, “Died? Well, that’s silly.”
Louis’s father revealed, “Doc Bolton pronounced you dead.”
The Doctor spoke up, “That’s right, son. Your heart stopped beating two days ago. I was at the bedside.”
Louis insisted, “Well, I... That couldn’t be. I’m-I’m breathing now.”
The Doctor went on, “He sure wasn’t beating day before yesterday. You was sick, son. Real sick. Worst case of flu I’ve ever come across in my whole medical career. I’m surprised he lasted past last Wednesday.”
Louis disclosed, “Well, I hate to cast a shadow on your medical career Doc, but I’m not gonna crawl back in that coffin just to save face with you.”
The doctor insisted, “Yes sir. There was no question about it. There was no pulse.”
Louis declared, “Well, I’m sure glad you didn’t embalm me.”
Louis’s father asked, “How do you feel now son?”
Louis replied, “Well, I feel good. I feel a little weak, but rested and hungry. I could eat the hide off a hog. I’m real hungry.”
His mother insisted, “I reckon you should be. I know you ain’t eaten for three days.”
Louis exclaimed as he walked to his parents, “Ma! Pa! Surprise! I sure hope you got a good supper on the calendar.”
They backed away from him in fear as Louis questioned, What’s the matter? You act like I’m some sort of ghost or something. Well, I’ll be double-dogged.
My own folks are scared of me. Maryann? I bet you ain’t scared of me. I’m the man you’re going to marry.”
Maryann backed away from him in fear as well.
Louis admitted, “Well, I guess you are at that.”
Then he set his sights on his ten year old sister Nancy saying, “Nancy? Now, you ain’t a-scared of me, are ya?”
Nancy ran to him exclaiming, “Louis, you fooled them, didn’t you Louis?
Dropping to one knee Louis gave Nancy a hug as he bubbled, “Yeah honey, I fooled them.”
Louis father said, “Son.”
Followed by his mother exclaiming, “Son! Praise be. We ain’t lost you after all son.”
The Doctor exclaimed, “I know what it is. I know what the miracle that happened here in our county. The Medical term for it it’s Cotard delusion animation. Very rare. Matter of fact, there’s been only 30 cases in the past 1,500 years.”
One man insisted, “Ain’t you just trying to cover up for your own miscalculations doc? I ain’t never heard of a sickness like that.”
The Doctor replied, “Ain’t likely you would only 30 cases in 1,500 years, and all them were in Europe. Best thing for you to do is quit trying to slander my name and take him home, give him some soup. He’ll need some rest.
Louis insisted, “Yeah, I... I’m a mite weak.”
Louis’s father replied, “Bless you. We’ll get you right on home just as soon as I crank up the car.”
His mother took ahold of his arm and gave it a tug, “I’ll fry you a nice rabbit. I’m sorry I acted so funny Louis. It was just that... It was so sudden. Sure nice to have you back.
Louis uttered, “Oh, thank you kindly Ma, but I ain’t never been away.”
Two weeks later at breakfast Louis announced, “That was a heaping good breakfast, ma. Well, I guess I’ll get over to that east 40 and mend that fence.”
Louis’s mother insisted, “Oh, I wish you wouldn’t. It’s only been two weeks since you was at the brink of the grave. You ought not be toiling from sunup to sundown.”
Louis assured, “I feel great ma. I never felt better in my life. I’ll see you down there pa.”
His father replied, “All right.”
Louis went out the door and his mother revealed, “I’m real concerned. I just don’t like the way he’s behaved the last two weeks.”
His father asked, “What do you mean?”
She replied, “He’s different. He’s not like he was at all.”
The father insisted, “Seems the same to me.”
She explained, “He only ate two eggs again. Why ever since he’s sprouted teeth he’s been having three eggs at breakfast.”
The father replied, “Well, a man’s taste can change.”
She went on, “And he goes around fiddling with things night and day. And the way he goes at that hard work. Why, he was never that friendly with work before.”
The father agreed, “Yes that’s true.”
She added, “I recollect worrying many times that he leaned just a shade towards the side of shiftlessness. Not lazy exactly but... No, just uninterested. Since his sickness, he’s been fighting in that work just like he was a year behind.”
Looking at Nancy staring at them her mother insisted, “All right big ears, you run down to the mailbox and wait for the mailman. I’m expecting a new seed catalog. Sure hope it gets here.”
Danny and Billy were at the mail boxes horsing around with a slingshot. Danny announced, “Make way for the queen!”
There were six mail boxes all in a row, and Nancy checked theirs. Billy informed, “He ain’t been here, yet.”
Nancy asked, “Can I shoot it?
Danny barked, “No! This isn’t a girl toy. Go get a doll or something.”
Billy asked, “How’s your brother?”
Nancy replied, “All right, I reckon. Only ma and pa are a little bit concerned about the way he’s been behaving lately.”
Billy asked, “How’s he been acting?”
Nancy revealed, “I don’t know just... different. He eats different, works different, always fiddling with things.”
Danny looked at Billy and insisted, “It ain’t none of your business Billy. Let’s go.”
Later that afternoon Sophia was over visiting Billy’s mom. Sophia exclaimed, “All the men have been gathering down at the store.”
Caroline replied, “Is that a fact? Well, I was wondering if you’d heard anything.”
Sophia added, “Well, as a matter of fact, I have heard a little something.”
Caroline butted in, “Just a minute. You run out and play.”
Billy asked, “Why? I wanna listen.”
Caroline insisted, “You go on now. Scoot.”
Billy whined, “Aw, shucks.”
Caroline explained, “Little pitchers have big ears.”
Sophia went on, “Well now, I know for a fact that those poor folks are scared to death. Why he’s been acting like a complete stranger ever since the funeral. Yes sir, I mean, I sure wouldn’t want to go sleep in a house with that boy around. Not me. They say he’s started fiddling with things now, like axes.”
Caroline insisted, “I don’t know. He was always such a good boy.”
