Hello and welcome friends old and new to On Sundays, We Read Horror. This month, I present the novella Jane Doe Number Six, where a woman tells her story of a blind date gone terribly wrong. An evening out in the city turns into a battle to survive starvation, nature, and the Lakeside Killer.
Things were getting very bad for Monica and Richard, but everything’s great now!
Right?
All art by Byron Rempel.
I have to be honest, Detective, Richard was worried for his girls, but we weren’t in as big a rush to go as you might think. We searched the house. There was no electricity. The heat and hot water came from propane tanks. There was no Internet. We couldn't find our phones, either. We couldn’t find any maps, or even mail lying around. We weren’t keen on seeing crazy man again, and we still needed to get to a doctor, but honestly, we had no idea where we were.
Richard and I both grew up in the city. Neither of us had ever gone camping or anything in the woods. We’d seen a few things on TV about finding north and living off the land, but it wasn’t anything we could do ourselves.
We still had crazy man’s gun, and we’d picked up a few other things to defend ourselves. We decided to stay low, heal up as best we could, and figure out how we could get rescued.
We thought it would be just that easy.
It wasn’t great, but my leg was a bit better. Richard’s headaches were more manageable, too. We knew we couldn’t stay there forever, but neither of us could think of what to do next. I know that sounds pretty sad, Detective, but that’s how it was.
Jones looked up. He took his glasses off and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It can be strange sometimes,” he muttered. He shook his hand out, flexed his fingers, and picked up his pen. Without another word, he continued taking notes.
We knew we’d have to go soon. There wasn’t a car, so we started gathering things for a hike in the woods. We didn’t know how far we’d have to go. It was late spring, so that was a blessing, but we didn’t want to take the good weather for granted. We were able to find some camping things: a tent, sleeping bags. We found the door to the cellar. It had a padlock, but we managed to break it open. We figured there would be some canned food, perhaps some tools we could use. We weren’t prepared for what was down there.
It was an old house, and we weren’t surprised at how dark the cellar was. I was expecting cobwebs, but it was quite tidy. We were using a camp lantern when we found a light switch. We weren’t expecting to find one. The house wasn’t wired and there wasn’t a generator. Curious, we turned it on. The room was huge. So many shelves. They were covered, Detective. We found our phones with the batteries dead and the Sim cards missing. My purse and Richard’s wallet, too.
We knew crazy man had them. That’s how he knew about us. That wasn’t the bad part. It was all the others. There were piles of phones, stacks of purses and wallets. There were clothes and shoes. Then there was the blood. Jars of it. Some was black and dried, some fresher. All of it labeled. No names, just numbers. All of them were filled, except for two.
We grabbed our things and planned to set out at daybreak.
I didn’t tell you everything about that cellar. I suppose your people have gone over it pretty good already.
The creamer had stopped circling on the surface of the cold coffee and quietly sunk, turning the liquid a greyish brown. Monica shifted in her seat.
Well, the few bones in the boathouse weren’t anything compared to what was down in the cellar. The first few shelves were piled with belongings. Behind it were the rest of them. Past the jars of blood, were chests with more jars. We could see what was in them: faces and hands and fingers, all torn to bits. They were hanging on hooks, too, all in a line. Not just people, animals, too, deer, rabbits, a wolf, even a bear. Their hearts and eyes were torn out. They were put in jars, too. It was like they were looking back at the bits of themselves under the lights. But that wasn’t the worst part.
We couldn’t talk, but we pushed ourselves. We had to know what we were dealing with. Past the jars, past the bodies on the hooks were ledgers and maps. There were more empty hooks and shelves, too. Then there was a curtain. We didn’t want to go there. It was … how can I say it, like walking uninvited into someone else’s church.
The whole place was quiet, but this, this was even more silent, if that can be a thing. Like it took the sound out of the air. We stood there for a few minutes. We were terrified of being found by crazy man. We were terrified of getting trapped down in the cellar. We were more terrified by what was behind the curtain. I was about to turn to go when I felt something on the small of my back. Like a hand. It shoved me inside. Richard was right behind me. It was dark, but the smell… It was like church at Easter.
The smoke was heavy, and it was like I could hear the priest chant in Latin. I couldn’t see Richard, but I didn’t think he could hear or smell any of it. Slowly, the lights came on. They were like little tea lights in a row. It was a church. I started to see an altar and a cross. There were more candles. I could see the blood.
And floating above it all was the Bright Lady.
I’m sure Richard couldn’t see her, but he knew something was going on. The lady pointed to the altar. The smoke got thicker and thicker. I could hardly breathe from the smell of the incense. I could see myself, healthy and free. I could see Richard's girls growing up into happy young women. The crazy man would be gone, and no one else would suffer.
She would give these things, for a price.
The Bright Lady with Hell in her eyes wanted blood for her favors.
She wanted Richard.
I didn’t know what to do. I knew in my heart the lady was real, but how could I tell Richard without him thinking I was crazy? There were plenty of reasons for us to go, though. We looked at the maps on the wall. We finally figured out where we were, then a way out of the backcountry. We figured it would take a few days. We grabbed a map, as many supplies as we could, and started home.
Do you remember what those woods looked like, Detective? They wouldn’t be so bad when you’re driving down the roads on a nice day. We figured crazy man would be looking for us soon enough. We weren’t in any shape to travel at night, so we stayed just off the road during the day. It was easier to see, but the underbrush made for slow going. My leg didn’t make things any easier. Richard was kind, carrying both of our packs and helping to keep me steady when we scrambled over the boulders and logs. We kept a lookout for crazy man. I watched out for the Bright Lady.
We’d head as far off the road as we’d dare when it was near dark. We’d set a small fire, eat some of what we’d brought, and try to sleep. Neither of us could, though. The smallest noise would have us both up in a second. We’d tell ourselves that it was only a bird or something, but it wouldn’t help.
About two days in, it began to pour down rain. We crouched under a tree with our gear and tarp, and we managed to get some rainwater (“Not going through that again, are we,” Richard would tell me.) It rained all day and into the night. It was worse after dark. Everything was too wet for a fire. All we could hear was the noise from the rain and wind, and we always imagined that there was something creeping up on us in the night. I’d try to shut my eyes and ears, and all I could hear was the Bright Lady.
We’d tell ourselves there was nothing out there, but in the flash of a lightning strike, I could see the crazy man, covered in blood.
Coming for us.
Richard had the pistol, but crazy man was on us before he could use it. I had managed to grab a branch and tried to get him away from us.
It was pouring down on us all. None of us could keep our feet in the mud and the dark. I swung. Hard. I managed to hit something, but I ended up falling over a tree root. I hit my head on something. I couldn’t see what was going on, and it was hard for me to get up. There was yelling, and wind. The thunder got louder, and the lightning lit the sky again. For a quick second, I could see crazy man rolling in the mud with Richard. I tried to get up. I grabbed my club, but I got dizzy and fell over.
There was a shot, and a groan. Detective, I was scared a lot since the time we were taken. I can’t lie. That was all nothing compared to how I felt right then. I could hear something thud next to me, but I couldn’t see anything. I wanted Richard … us to be safe. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark with the boogeyman. I saw what he’d done. I knew what he’d do to me.
I tried to move away from what was there next to me.
My leg was on fire. My head was spinning. I had nowhere to go, but I tried to get away. Someone, some ... thing, grabbed my ankle and kept me pinned. I screamed, but I couldn’t even hear myself over the storm. I managed to find my club and made to bring it down on whatever had me. Then there was a brightness that filled the sky. I put my hand up against it, because it was no lighting flash that was gone in a second. I looked around. A shadow stood over me, it moved from the light, trying not to be blinded by it.
Above us all was the Bright Lady, looking massive and terrible. She wasn’t moved by the winds. Her dress fluttered, but it was like it was all happening under its own power. Her eyes, I don’t know how to tell you this. I don’t know how to describe them. I know you think I’m crazy, Detective. I think I am, too, but I saw what I saw. Her eyes, they were beyond black before. Now, it was like I could walk into them. Walk straight into Hell.
“My Lady!” I could hear a scream when the storm let up for a minute. “You are here!” The Bright Lady, she kept coming towards me, though. Closer and closer. As the light got brighter, the storm kept going, but it was getting quieter and quieter. She was right over us, and all I could hear was my heartbeat. Funny thing was that the light was brighter than ever, but it didn’t hurt my eyes. I could see everything. Crazy man was standing stock still. His hair was blowing around, but it was like he was under a charm. I turned from crazy man and the Bright Lady.
Next to me on the ground. It was Richard. Even in the white light, he looked pale. I pulled myself next to him. He gasped a little as I put my head near his. “Richard,” I told him, “It’s going to be ok. I’m…” He shook a bit. There was blood on his shirt.
He let out a moan. “My girls….” and he was gone.
Right then, it was like everything was running loud and at top speed. Crazy man lunged at us, but it was … he hung there in midair. I could smell the church smoke. I heard a voice in my head. It just said one thing.
“Mine.”
To be continued
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