Jimmie and Ritchie Little are brothers, Jimmie is twelve and Ritchie is eleven born only a year apart the two young siblings have always been as close as two young brothers could possibly be. Their family moved to Jasper County just seven months ago to the Northridge housing development, they live one mile from the west side of Junction 35, and Although they are still relatively new to the area, they have heard others speak of the local legends, of a lake hidden back in the woods up on the hillside, across the haunted stretch of highway called Crows Crossing Road. The stories have it that the lake itself is haunted as well, by the ghosts of people that disappeared into its murky waters to never again be seen, the two Little brothers, have heard stories of another type regarding Lunar Lake as well, fish stories, big enough to make two curious young boys more than willing to tempt fate. it is early in the morning, and they are almost all of the way through the two mile path that leads to the Lake. Almost to the edge young Ritchie sees the fog rolling around the water, and almost immediately he begins to think about the stories that they were told.. About two other boys almost the same age, that went fishing on one cold foggy morning and were never seen again, they too were there against their parents wishes, they too even back in nineteen forty nine, didn’t believe in the stories. Jimmie reassures him that they are going to catch the biggest fish either of them had ever seen.. Neither of them wonder about the curious way the fog seems to separate to almost magically reveal a dock that goes out over the murky water for at least fifty five feet, they don’t even think twice as the young brothers slowly follow it to the edge of Lunar Lake..



They get almost all of the way to the end of the dock when they hear out in the fog what they think is a big fish splashing about twenty yards out, immediately all fears disappear at the prospect of catching a whopper, and now giggling, the two boys feverishly begin to unpack their gear with hooks bait both make a great first cast and are now sitting at the end of the dock, young Ritchie innocently has both feet dangling inches above the water, seconds later they can both hear something stirring in the water beneath them. Jimmie immediately feels that it is no longer safe. “Ritchie.. Get your feet up here now.” the younger brother looks puzzled but has no time to react when something in the cold icy waters grabs him by the ankle and tries to pull him into the Lake, he screams for his older brother and Jimmy Sees him being drug into the water and reaches out to grab hold of his brother with all of his might he pulls against the unseen enemy for what seems like hours, until finally Ritchie’s shoe comes loose, forcing it to release his ankle, now crying the boys both jump to their feet and on a dead run head to the end of the dock and soon find themselves back in the woods running towards Crows Crossing Road, at the roads edge, something odd catches Ritchie’s eye and he stops running in almost amazement to look at it, “What??” Jimmy asks him.. “What is it Ritchie?” they both look down and there on the edge of the road is Ritchie’s missing shoe, that only moments ago was pulled off of his foot and into Lunar Lake. They both look around to see if anything followed them from the woods, but all that they see is a lone single Crow that sits perched on a road sign. it cocks its head slightly to one side and studies the young boys as they turn and head for home, it raises its wings against the foggy morning sky, and as its body ascends into the cold morning air, it soon disappears from sight.

Scratch. © 2006

It is two Am on the path of Crows, Jason Gatsby travels it alone this night, or morning such as it is, Jason’s job as an advertising executive has pulled him from home. This year he will not be able to spend his tenth year wedding anniversary with his beautiful wife because of job demands. They have been arguing over the phone as he drives, both are upset. He tells her that he is sorry just as the front left tire blows on his sports car, so he hangs up and pulls over to the shoulder of the road. There are no other cars at this hour, and the moon is hiding behind a thick row of clouds that have engulfed the dark early morning sky. He opens the trunk and takes out the spare tire and a small jack, it is then when he sees the first one. She is a beautiful young woman dressed in a glowing white dress, the image is as faint as a whisper but unmistakable. Now completely consumed by his curiosity, he moves closer to her, he doesn’t feel fear, but a sense of terrible sadness overcomes him and he falls to his knees. She is searching the woods along the roadside about twenty yards in for something or someone that he cannot see.



Moments later he sees the second one, this is a young male, and as Jason Gatsby watches him from across the road, the terrible feeling of sadness intensifies, two of them separated by Crows Crossing Road. It is then when an idea comes to Jason, he goes to the car and takes out his flashlight and falls inline directly in front of the female, he softly begins to talk to the male while flashing the light on and off repeatedly.. “She’s over here buddy!” suddenly as if on cue the male stops and turns to face Jason Gatsby, and then begins to walk slowly towards him, and for the first time in years Jason Gatsby can feel his own heart beating inside of his chest, and he knows that he is alive. The male apparition passes by, within three feet of him and pauses slightly to look directly at Jason before continuing on. the female has now seen the male and has begun to walk towards him and when the couple appear to stop and reach out to touch each other, Jason Gatsby has an epiphany. They pause to look at him before disappearing together from view.. Jason rises to his feet and quickly changes his flat tire, and when he starts the car he finds himself stopping once again twenty feet later. He takes the cell phone from his pocket and calls his wife, and when he hears her voice it calms him. And as they talk he turns the car around and heads for home.. “Honey?…. I love You..”



Scratch © 2006.

They have been here almost for as long as the land itself, tirelessly watching over their flock, curiously, as inhabitants of this other worldly place wander across this plane, some not even realizing that they have suffered a grave fate. Here the sun never truly shines on those that seem lost to us forever, it may only cast enough light to give us glimpse’s into the remnants of lives that have long since passed into the next reality, Here where the living mingle with the voices and memories of the dead, the Crows too, will always be here, silent guardians, standing watch. Ensuring that even the darkest spirits, and those that seem most lost, be allowed to fly free.



Scratch Copyright A.B.T. 2006.