Ellaville
I grew up in the small Florida Town of Ellaville, By the time I was 5, it was 1944. Ma was a receptionist on night shifts and Pa was shipped off to the war four and a half years ago. We missed him a bunch, but being young I only ever really remember my mom drinking a lot of wine, being very tired, and having Grandma come over from time to time to watch my sister and I. Ellaville was slowly fading at the time. The post office was closed as well as the local fish market. The only thing keeping the town alive was a meat processing plant, the local citrus groves, and the sawmill that exported lumber.Grandma didn’t mind coming over as she loved watching us and we liked having her over. Usually, she would tell us about Ma growing up or stories from grandpa when he grew up in Ellaville. Unfortunately, and eventually, she got sick and had to stop coming by as often being in and out of the hospital a few times. She always praised Ma for everything she did, even without Pa being here, as we would only see him in a few pictures and letters he sent to us. At one point we didn’t get anything for almost a year before we found out that Pa was a POW at a point but escaped the Japanese and shortly after. Grandma was over a lot then and Ma drank a lot, but Ma never gave up hope as she had all of us for support and soon the war was ending. After Pa came back from overseas, he was different from what I could remember which wasn’t much being how young I was. Ma told me he would be different as war does things to people, bad things and makes them do bad stuff. I took Ma’s words with a sense of hope for my dad, I hadn’t seen him in a while, and we only ever heard about the war over the radio. Hearing about Japan and their surrender gave us hope, and finally hearing about initial 5,000 sailors getting to come home and hoping Pa was one of them. Maybe it was my young impressionable hope with no thought of unhappiness in sight. My mother gleamed about how happy her children were to hear about dad overseas, but there was always a look Ma had when the news came in on the radio that never left us.Maybe it was the reality she knew that was always a possibility, a reality I was too young for but maybe my older sister figured out as she was the older and smarter child that would be the one to comfort Ma when she drank too much wine. Laura was always good at comforting people. No matter if I was sad about missing Pa or if one my toys broke, she was always there to dust off my knee or redirect me. That changed when Pa came home.After being gone for almost five years, we heard the heavy stomps of boots come up porch, Ma stood up as we ate supper and waltzed up to the front door and gasped as it opened just as she went for the handle. There stood Pa in his fatigues and set his suitcase down as Ma began hugging him and crying as Laura ran to him. I followed soon, looking up at my father who scooped me and my sister up and kissed Ma as we all welcomed him home. A few days later, we celebrated Pa coming home with a few neighbors and Grandma. Grandma would tell Pa how proud his parents would be to see him now, and our neighbors all brought him gifts as he sipped beers and Ma mingled with the other moms. During the party, I eventually sat next to grandma andI could hear her whispering. “What are you whispering Grandma?” I asked politely. She shook her head slightly and turned her head to me and smiled. “Oh, nothing Jamie. Go enjoy yourself.” To which I shrugged and ran to go find Laura. After playing with Laura and the neighbors kids Ryan and Shelly, I looked over at grandma again. This time she was glaring at Pa, not just staring, but glaring at him. Grandma shook subtly again before slowly turning her gaze over to me, making direct eye contact through the small crowd of people and just smiled at me. After a moment where she didn’t move, she subtly shook again with a surprised face only form me to realize Laura had been waving as i heard her yell, “Hi grandma!” to which she was met with wave. The party continued and I didn’t look at grandma that much for the rest of the night. Eventually it was both Ma and Pa tucking us into bed, reading us stories and opening the window to let the breeze roll in. Laura protested warning of bears that could get in to which Pa said, “Don’t worry about no bear sweetie. If one climbed up the house, I would wrestle back out that window and I’ll nail it shut.” he said kissing her forehead. She relaxed and sleepily lied down, “Thanks dad!” before rolling over towards the wall. There was a lot of wind coming in the window, a few papers stirred up to which Ma grabbed them and placed them in the drawer next to my bed, she looked up at me and smiled, “Goodnight honey.” before they both left us in the dark room to sleep and eventually, I drifted off.My eyes just kind of darted open, I could barely see the ceiling fan but its usual ticking as it spun filled the stillness. The rafters were illuminated by the subtle moonlight that pierced through the windows on either side of the room. I figured it was the wind, slowly I lowered my gaze over to my sister, still sleeping. I then looked down towards the bedroom door. It was closed, but the smell of wet mud and dirt filled the room, as my eyes panned over from the door to the tall dark figure standing between me and the foot of my sisters’ bed, I noticed the white of its eyes, bulged and glaring over at my sister.A chill stabbed through me as I slowly hid behind my comforter. It didn’t even bother looking at me. It didn’t make as sound. It stunk like a barn and was getting leaves and dirt all over the floor. I couldn’t help but be afraid. After a moment of covering my face with the comforter, I began to lower it. looking towards the same direction, when it wasn’t there.My eyes snapped over to my sister when they were blocked by the figure towering above her bed, its pale skinny hand resting on her comforter that was draped over her shoulder. I couldn’t think of anything else but to scream, hoping my parents would kick in the door and stop whatever was touching Laura. I screamed at the top of my lungs, and I couldn’t tell if it was a few seconds or a few minutes, but the thing just turned and glared at me as I screamed. The tears sliding across my cheeks, its eyes piercing my childhood mind and ripping apart what bravery I had to fearing anything. It just glared at me, before I knew it the bedroom door slammed open. The wooden floors shook as I knew Pa had kicked it. My eyes snapped over to the doorway as the barrel of a shotgun came in firsts before my father did. Ma rushed in after him, quickly coming to my aid. Pa looked around the room and poked his head out of the window. Ma picked me up and turned on the lamp in the room, just as Laura sat up and noticed the wet spot on her comforter. She started crying along with me as Pa shut the window next our beds and looked over to the other window, seeing the trail of mud and leaves that stretched the length of our room. “Must have been a opossum or coon that got in.” My dad said putting the shotgun down next the bed and sitting next to me. His arm draped around me and pulled me in tight telling me I would be okay. I mumbled from his arm, “I-it wasn’t a opossum… I saw it dad.” My sobbing didn’t help my dad understand that and I really didn’t know what I saw. I just tried to relax, and Ma came back in with Laura soon after with two cups of hot cocoa and we just sat around for a while Ma swept up the mud and leaves. “What did you see Jamie?” Laura asked now happily sitting with a warm cup of cocoa.I murmured what I saw, “It was a big dark hairy person. with eyes THIS big!” I spoke as Ma smiled, and Laura sipped her cocoa. None of them knew what I saw, and none of them knew how scared I was. But eventually I was too tired, Pa laid us both down and Ma kissed us goodnight again. Just as Pa went to leave, he closed both windows and turned the locks on them before grabbing the shotgun by my bed and walking back out the door. Laura whispered to me, “Hey. Pa said it was an opossum. you’re going to be fine, just go to bed Jamie.” she said which obviously didn’t do anything to comfort me. My eyes stayed locked onto the far window and before I had time to notice I’m pretty sure through the narrows slit of the curtains were those same eyes glaring back at me. The next thing I remember is waking up to the sunlight poking through the curtains as I stretched myself awake.I turned my head over to Laura to find she wasn’t in bed. I looked around the room and saw nothing through the window. Figuring it safe to get up, I made my bed and swapped out my pajamas for a pair shorts and shirt. Afterwards I decided to head downstairs but couldn’t shake the feeling of those eyes following me across my room, staring as I cautiously opened the bedroom door, and hoping to catch whatever was in our room last I darted my head towards the window. I felt the silence as I couldn’t see anything and proceeded out of the bedroom and went over to the washroom. I brushed my teeth followed by an expert barber of a combing of my hair.Figuring Laura would be downstairs with Ma or Pa I sleepily stumbled down the wooden stairs. Ma was in the kitchen cooking and smiled at me as I walked into view. “Good morning, Jamie, Laura is out front. I’ll be done in a minute, go get washed up for breakfast.” She said happily. I smiled and proceeded towards the front door and I could see Laura sitting with Pa on the porch swing. I went out and felt the morning warm air push the cool night air away. Pa noticed me walk out and quickly turned to me. “Mornin’ Pa. Mornin’ Laura.” I said as Pa smiled at me. He squeezed my shoulder and smiled. “Good morning Jamie. Yard is still a little muddy, it rained last night. We’ll all come out and play later on. Why don’t you go help Ma with breakfast, I’m sure she would love the help.” After he dismissed me with another shoulder squeeze as I turned and walked inside. Surprised by my visit, Ma asked. “Honey why don’t you find your sister for breakfast?” she said. I shrugged and climbed up to the dining table and looked up at my mom’s curly brown hair swinging back and forth as she stirred the eggs in the pan, “She’s sitting with Pa outside.” As Ma continued cooking, she turned slightly and poured the eggs onto my plate and looked at me, “Oh your fathers back already?” she said raising an eyebrow. Even then, without any context, my stomach dropped. Back? Where would Pa have to go so early in the morning. Eventually I asked Ma, “What do you mean he’s home already?” I asked as I cut my pancake and looked up at mom who was putting sausage links on Laura’s plate. Ma put the pan on the counter and sat down with looking towards the front door, “Laura, breakfast is done!” she called. Laura came slowly around the corner of the doorway with not even a smile on her face. She just silently walked in, staring straight ahead.She closed the front door and stepped slowly into the dining room and sat down to eat with Ma and me. Ma looked at me and smiled, her red lipstick bright and she began eating, “Your father is going to the Meat Factory down the road for a job.” She said calmly. My eyes looked over to Laura who was eating and not doing anything else, taking slow mechanical bites of her eggs before even slowly chewing. Her chin would raise up slightly as she looks at me, her eyes gleamed as if they were strained before she swallowed her food. I didn’t know what to ask, was she okay? Was she choking? I kind of forgot about moments earlier as my sister looked like she was either about to cry or worse.Ma noticed Laura was quiet and pretty pale, so she placed a hand on Laura’s asking, “Laura honey, are you feeling okay?” as Laura slowly turned her head towards Ma. A silence fell around the table, it felt like the room was spinning with tension between them. The only thing I could see on Laura was a slight twitch in her eye as a subtle tear formed from her lower eye lid. She was upset, but her face didn’t show it.She just stared at Ma, who gave her hand a slight squeeze and repeated, “Laura… honey, are you feel-” Her voice was cut off by the swift thud of Laura slamming her fork down on Ma’s hand, pinning it to the table. The fork embedded and sticking straight out of the back of Ma’s hand wiggled as Laura let go. Ma yelled in pain, screaming at Laura, “LAURA! WHAT IN GOD’S NAME DID YOU DO!?” as she dropped her fork unto the floor and gripped the one sticking out of her hand, pulling to relieve the pressure. Laura didn’t say a word, she didn’t even react as if anything happened. She just stared at Ma.As I got out of my seat, the chair falling and a loud wooden crack echoed against the tile floor, I rushed over to mom to support her as she managed to grit her teeth through the pain. She sighed, “Oh god. Jamie, Go get momma’s purse. don’t pull anything out, bring me the whole thing.” she was sweating and distraught. I didn’t understand what was going on, Ma had a dinner fork sticking out of her hand that Laura stabbed into her, and she wanted her purse? It didn’t make sense to me, but I listened to my mom, bringing her black leather purse and setting it close enough for her free hand to open and go through.She dug through her purse for a moment as I watched her. Laura sat staring at Ma from her seat. I looked at Ma’s purse as she lowered to look through it. Inside was a revolver, a pocketbook, a few different pens, and some make up stuff. After pulling out a knife, she looked at me again and asked “Honey. can you grab me the paper towels by the stove?” to which I nodded. I walked over to the stove, just a couple steps from Ma and when I turned around, Laura wasn’t in her seat. I looked around quickly and asked, “Where’s Laura?” scared at what she might do to me. We both looked towards the front door when we hear Ma’s purse hit the floor behind her. Unable to look behind her, Ma spoke softly “Laura.” The horror on my face, my eyes widened as Laura was standing behind Ma, holding her hand to the back of my mom’s head. I turned slightly and saw she was holding the revolver to back of mom’s head. This time I spoke, scared and cautiously, “L-Laura. What are you-” My question was cut off by the loud sound of the gun, my ears immediately rang as all the sounds around me were muffled by the reality of what just happened. I quickly saw mom fall forward, blood covered the table and the plates of freshly cooked sausage, eggs, and the stack of pancakes in the center of the table. Mom rolled onto her side slightly as she fell from her chair.I dropped down in attempt to catch her, her hand still stuck into the table propping her up slightly. I cried out, “MA! MAMMA!” as I started crying profusely. I looked over to where Laura had been standing but she was gone. I continued shaking Ma trying to get a response, her blood staining my bright blue shirt. Then I heard the front door slam open. Startled I stayed in place, trying to lift Ma up, When Mr. Featherly bursted in.His face was shocked by the scene. He stepped into the kitchen, his portly stature taking up a majority of the space as he carefully scooted towards me, His deep voice vibrating my deafened ears “Jamie! My god. Come here boy. It’s okay, Come here. COME HERE.” He eventually picked me up and carried me to the front door. His wife, Susan was standing there as she held her arms out to me, “Oh my lord. Jamie, what happened?” She asked as she looked through the doorway towards the kitchen. I caught a glimpse of my mother slumped over, the fork sticking out of her hand as she lied on the table. “It-It was Laura… She hurt M-Ma” I cried as Susan buried my face into her shoulder and carried me over to her yard. The police cars rolled up shortly after followed by an ambulance. I told them what had happened, and the paramedics carried my mother out on a gurney with her head and hand wrapped in bandages. The cops brought me a change of clothes from inside the house.The police searched around our house and the neighbors’ yards for Laura to no avail. They told Mr. Featherly that someone had broken in through the upstairs window stating there was boot prints on the roof just outside Me and Laura’s room and broken the window off of its frame. They searched for about an hour but she was gone, and no one else had seen her. I sat with Susan and Mr.Featherly until about noon when eventually my father pulled up in his truck, he called my name as I yelled out “Pa!” as I started crying again.Susan let me run to my dad as we shared a hug and the police chief came up to talk to him, Pa began talking first as the police chief offered him a cigarette “Where is she? m-my wife?” He asked. The police chief sighed and spoke, “She was taken to Admiral Hospital up the road sir.” And my father held back breaking down. He followed with “…And what about my daughter? Where’s Laura?” he asked. The officer looked down at me and rolled his mouth before putting his hand on my dads shoulder, “We haven’t been able to find her yet. We have every officer in the area looking high and low for her.” to which PA started crying as he held me tightly. After a while of writing reports and multiple detectives asking the same questions, Pa thanked Mr. Featherly and Susan for showing up when they did. He shook Mr. Featherly’s hand and spoke, “Thank you both. For everything. Angelica is alive, but I need to go see her.” He said. Mr.Featherly put a hand on his shoulder and his deep voice relaxed us both, “Rick, Go see her. We can watch Jamie until you get back. He can sleep in Ryan’s room, it’s safe and we will lock up tight and keep an eye out for Laura.” As he spoke I squeezed my dad’s arm tight, “P-Pa I want to go see Ma too.” I begged. Pa squinted slightly and kneeled down to comfort me, “I know buddy, but she isn’t awake yet. she needs to rest, and I gotta talk to the doctors. Tomorrow we will go see her together. But I need you to be brave for me alright, and if you see or hear Laura tell Mr. or Mrs. Featherly and they will let me know okay? I love you buddy.” His voice was soft and worried. I hugged him and nodded, “I love you too Pa.” and Mr.Featherly guided me inside as my dad left to go. Mr.Featherly was a big man, bigger and taller than my dad and even most of the police officers I saw, but he was a gentle giant. Mrs.Featherly, always liked to go by Susan, was a nice lady. Her son Ryan was my friend but was away at his Grandparents tonight to which Susan said he would be back tomorrow morning and we could play together.It calmed me enough as the sun set that Pa was going to stay at the hospital with Ma, but I still didn’t know what to think about everything. Why did Laura hurt Ma? Where did she go? then I remembered last night, Who was that in our room last night? So many questions came and went by the time I realized it I had drifted off and woken up just as the sun was coming up. The subtle sunlight came up through the windows in Ryan’s room, and I stayed in bed just as I heard the engine of Pa’s car pull up in front of our house. I looked out the window, His car sat for a moment before it shut off. I could see Pa sitting and holding the steering wheel and he sat for a while. I heard Mr.Featherly walking around, his heavy footsteps loud on the wooden floors as I heard him step outside. Pa got out of the car and met him in the front yard as they spoke, I was about to rush downstairs when I looked over at our house. Not even twenty feet away in the window adjacent to Ryan’s, was Laura.She was staring at me, behind her was a dark figure. Tall and had its pale hand wrapped around her shoulder, I couldn’t make out any details but the bright white eyes and dark pupils glared at me making me shiver slightly as I began to tear up. I heard the door to Ryan’s room open as Susan walked in, “Oh. You’re awake Jamie? Your father is here, I’m sure you could see that.” I ignored her for a moment as I swiftly looked back at the window of my room, and they were gone. Susan came up behind me and rested her hand on my shoulder, “Laura is still in the house. I just saw her in our window.” I said. Susan looked confused but worried all the same and finally pulled me from the window, “Come on Jamie, I’ll let Alan know what you saw.” as we went downstairs. Mr. Featherly and Pa were talking on the porch as Susan told me to wait and spoke quietly to both of them. Pa’s face widened as he darted his gaze at the house and stepped back. Susan came back in and went to their phone, as Mr. Featherly ordered me to stay in the house.Pa ran over to the house and Mr. Featherly followed shortly after, grabbing Pa and telling him, “You need to wait! You don’t need to see inside just yet, You need to be with your boy.” To which Pa became upset and yelled out, “MY DAUGHTER IS IN THERE! I NEED TO SEE HER!” to which Mr. Featherly pulled him from our porch and back over to the house. Susan hung up the phone and she walked up behind me and guided me to the couch, “Just-Just wait here Jamie. Your father is upset, we’ll talk to him really quick.” To which she went out and embraced Pa. After a few moments, I looked around the Featherley’s living room at all of the figures and artwork they had on the walls. Then they came in, and Pa took a deep breath as he looked over at me, “Jamie. Buddy” he said softly. I couldn’t think of anything other than Ma and asked with a low voice, “Is-Is Ma okay?” to which he teared up and sat in front of me and spoke, “She’s not okay buddy. But she’s still here. We will go see her later on today, okay?” he spoke. Just as he finished talking to me, two police cars rolled up and Mr. Featherly walked out to talk to them. Pa stayed with me, and The police entered our house. I couldn’t hear much, but I knew Mr. Featherly was waiting for them outside. Eventually they came back out, spoke with Mr. Featherly and He called out, “RICK!” and Pa darted out of the house. Mr. Featherly looked back at me through the window, I could tell he was upset. Susan walked up to the road smoking a cigarette when a blue car pulled up and out stepped Ryan and his Grandparents. They avoided the police and walked straight into the house, Ryan greeted me along with his grandparents and Susan said to Ryan, “Ryan why don’t you take Jamie up to your room?” to which we both climbed up the stairs and sat on his bed.He didn’t really know what was goin on, and we sat in his room for what felt like forever before we knew it Susan came back up and smiled at us, “How about I make you guys some lunch?” and we followed her down to the kitchen. Their kitchen was slightly bigger than ours but their dining room was on the other side of the wall that separated them. Soon we all sat at the table and She brought in a few plates and a bigger plate with some sandwiches on them “Here you go boys.” to which we both started eating as Susan poured us both glasses of milk. Afterwards, Ryan asked his Ma “Mom can we go out back and play?” to which she looked at me and followed with, “If Jamie wants to, Ryan.” she said as she collected the plates. I shrugged and we both went out the back door into their back patio. The backyard was fenced in, and they had a little fountain next to Susan’s garden. A shed, and a wheel burrow sat in the corner. We stayed out there for a while, and eventually we started patrolling the garden looking out from the fence towards the woods. Ryan called me and we both looked through the small holes on the fence. He pointed towards the tree line across the creek, “Jamie. Who is that?” to which I looked through the hole and saw it. Tall, dark, covered in leaves and looked dirty, but I could see its ghostly pale skin covered in scars and scratches. It was looking up at our house, primarily at me and Laura’s bedroom. I held my breathe, I didn’t want whatever it was to notice us. Ryan whispered, “Who is that?” and the head slowly twitched, its gaze levelling forward before eerily and slowly panning over to the fence. I whispered back, “I think I-it’s looking at us…” I said as I teared up. Ryan stayed looking through the hole in the fence as I slowly approached him, he was whispering to someone. I couldn’t make out what he was saying directly, but I did hear him mumble the name “Laura” and I felt the color leave my face.I pulled Ryan back as he looked scared, started crying and ran back into his house. I heard him call out to his mom as the door closed behind him and looked through the hole he was looking through. Paralyzed but what met my gaze as I looked through the hole. It was Laura, staring back at me on this side of the creek. Not but ten feet from the fence she was standing there wearing the sane bloody dress as yesterday, smiling at me with a wicked grin. I froze, I didn’t even breathe as I looked over to the tree line to see if the dark figure was still looking only to see it was gone. As I looked back over to Laura, she was now inches from the fence still smiling at me making me jump. Then I heard her voice, soft but menacing as she barely spoke with any emotion above a whisper, “Hi Jamie.”. I couldn’t think, and just after she spoke, I heard Susan scream from inside the house and looked back to see the back door wide open. I looked back through the fence and Laura was gone. I sprinted into the house, stopped short by the sight of Ryan, standing in front of his grandparents slumped on the couch. Susan was in shock, looking at Ryan. I cautiously stepped around the room, peering around him I could see his grandparents were sitting upright with their throats cut wide open, blood coating their clothes and pooling below them on the floor. In Ryan’s hand was a steak knife, dripping dark and sticky fresh blood next to him. I slowly walked around and stared at him, until I saw his face.Pale, staring straight out of the window above his dead grandparents and smiling. That wicked smile. The sound of the police coming in with guns in hand, grabbing me and Susan as she started weeping. Pa grabbed me and held me as Mr.Featherly held his wife. The police brought Ryan out, holding his arms tightly as the Featherly’s wept. Ryan didn’t even look around or at his parents, but eventually they brought him to a squad car and locked him inside the backseat and an officer jumped into the driver seat.Mr. Featherly went inside as the police tried to coerce him from doing so. Pa walked me towards his car parked in front of the squad car. And watched Susan on the yard sobbing. More police arrived and they secured Susan when another gunshot rang out startling everyone. No-one knew where to look except for Susan, who screamed bloody murder at the squad car behind us. All of the officers rushed over. In the front seat sat the police officer that was there with his head slumped over and blood coating the interior of the car and leaking from his nose and mouth. His eyes wide open. That was it, When the other officers went to check on the car, Ryan was gone, and so was the officers pistol from his holster. I happened to look up from Pa’s car at the window of Ryan’s room. There he was, his face dark red from his grandparents blood, with whatever I saw in the tree line and in my room the other night right behind him. It’s pale hand on Ryan’s shoulder. Pa got into the car and looked back at me calling my name. I looked over at My old house, looking up to the window to my room, and no one was there. I looked forward and froze. Pa’s face was upset and worried about me as he kept calling my name. I looked out of the windshield, pointing for my father to see what I was seeing. Finally he did and there they were, standing in front of the car. It was Laura, Ryan, Ma, Grandma, Ryan’s grandparents, and about a dozen people that I couldn’t make out. standing amongst them was the pale skinned demon covered in blackened moss and refuse from the woods. The police took cover behind their cars as they shouted at the crowd of people aiming their guns.Pa started his car, yelling at me “JAMIE GET DOWN!” to which the crowd started walking calmy past Pa and I. I closed my eyes, as the police shouted at them and my hands covered my ears attempting to block the chaos around the car which was no use as I could still hear the sound of guns firing and screaming. Pa put the car and gear and drove like a bat out of hell for a while. Eventually he was just driving silently and looking around the car every time we stopped. We eventually drove out of Florida, only stopping for gas.After hours of driving and falling asleep in the backseat I woke up to Pa saying, “We’re here son.” with a rattled voice. It was my Uncles house in Louisiana. It was big old house where his family lived, and there was plenty of land. I stretched and got out of the car as my dad waited for my uncle to get down the steps. It was morning, the dew was still on the grass and it was humid. I walked up next to my dad as my uncle looked at us both, “Come inside guys. Breakfast is ready.” he said as Pa grabbed my hand and we started a new life in Louisiana, and never once going back to Florida. Now, I’m an 89 year old man. I still live in the same old house in Louisiana that belonged to my uncle. I ended up working with them and expanding my uncle’s shipping business and still drive trucks along the East coast. This is my last year before I fully retire. I never returned to Florida in all these years, but now I have a shipment to go down there in the same little town my childhood was destroyed in. Pa ended drinking himself to death after what happened to Laura and Ma. My uncle passed peacefully, and I married my wife until she passed, leaving me and our two sons and one daughter and several grandkids. I never told my family what happened and why we never vacationed south or took them to Disney World. I hope they don’t hate me but understand why I never went back to Florida. All they know is that my mother died when I was a kid, and my father was depressed afterwards. Hell, I don’t even think they know I have a sister.But just recently I got delivery orders to go down to my old home town. My son, who runs the office, told me that someone with the same last name as us named Laura placed a shipping order. My old heart sank when I saw the address. I didn’t know the street number by heart but the town was the same. Ellaville, Florida. There was no phone number listed, but it was labelled “Hand in person” on the shipping label. My son, Jason, celebrated that it would be my last shipment before retirement but hated to keep the truth from him. I choked back my feelings, told my kids and grandkids I loved them as I usually did before heading out, and started the truck taking off and headed to my hometown. The only other thing I didn’t tell Jason before I left is that one night before the office got the shipment request is that the phone rang. There was the blinking light on the old answering machine. I pressed the playback button and dread filled my body as I knew it was Laura. For thirty seconds, there was nothing, just ambient noise and the familiar ticking of the ceiling fan in our old house. followed by a soft shallow voice of a little girl. It wasn’t loud, and It didn’t sound distressed or anything but my stomach dropped when I heard it. “Hi Jamie..” The voice trailed off into a lower and deeper voice, “…Ma misses you.” to which I broke down and started punching the answering machine, just as the deep demonic sound of My sister and mother and what sounded like a hundred people laughing. Eventually I ripped the answering machine from the wall and threw it until I could collect myself. When Jason came in and asked me what the hell happened, I just told him “Nothing. Just a prank call. I-I’m fine.” and left it at that.Jason comforted me and told me “Hey, look on the bright side dad, you’re retiring in a few days, and Sarah (My granddaughter) is having a baby soon. Guess what they are naming her?” I tried to conceal my current mood but took a deep breath and held myself up on the counter and looked at him. “What?” I said in my hoarse voice to which his smile gleamed at me, expecting his old father to be excited about the name my granddaughter picked for her unborn daughter, his answer almost killed me. “Well dad, your great granddaughter is going to be named Laura.” He said with a wicked smile. Credit: Dreadknot Copyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on Creepypasta.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed under any circumstance.