Ghost of Sleepy River

This round robin is written by eight writers, all AC Content Producers. The author are shown below their respective parts. Be sure to browse each writer's AC profile to read more of their work. The authors are:

John Gugie
Shana Dines
Summer Banks
Jon Knight
Tina L
Sullivision
Robin Neorr
Aaron Williams

Now on with the show!

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part One
Written by John Gugie

Twenty-one year old Tom Watkins is a senior at Georgia Tech. His last class before Fall break has just ended and he has plans to go up into the mountains on a hiking trip with some friends. Along the way, he promised his parents that he would stop by his grandmother's house for a brief visit to check in on her to see how she's coping since recently becoming a widow, which left her alone in their old house.

Tom has not been to his grandmother's house since his parents drove the family out there for a visit when he was only five years old. The house lies on an old backwoods road in the likewise old town of Sleepy River. He has never driven there by himself but feels that he can find his way with a map.

A new student, named Robert Jones, had transferred to the college that semester and became Tom's roommate. Tom found that Robert was easy to talk to and both quickly became good friends. They both planned to drive Robert's car for the trip.

While talking to his mother on the phone about his visit to his grandmother, Tom said, "Yes, mom, I can find the way. It's easy."

"But dear, you won't have enough time to see your grandmother and make it to the mountains in time," Tom's mother replied.

"Fine, I'll just drive past her house, toss out the care package on her lawn, honk twice, and wave. I'll make it then," Tom said with a grin.

In a stern tone, his mother said, "Thomas Marshall Watkins, don't you dare!"

Just then Robert, who had been listening in, spoke up. "Tom, I have family nearby that area. I know a few good shortcuts that will save us a few hours."

In a Jack Nicholson voice, Tom said, "See mom, Rob knows a few shortcuts that will give me a few hours to visit grandma."

"Oh, that's great news, Tom!" his mother said exuberantly.

"Now that that's settled, I have to get ready to leave. You don't want me to miss grandma!" yelled Tom.

"Okay, bye Tom and love you, sweetie!" his mother said.

"Bye. Love you too." Tom quickly hung up before his mother could start talking again. "Mothers, you can't live with 'em and ya can't kill 'em because they cook too good," Tom exclaimed.

Robert quickly responded, "Man, I know what you mean. My mom's key lime pie is awesome. It sure beats college food!"

"Ain't that right!" cheered Tom.

"Well, let's get going, Tom. We don't want to keep grandma waiting!" Robert said with a laugh.

The two headed out and climbed into Rob's car, which is filled with their supplies.

Two hours later, due to Robert's shortcuts, they were hours ahead of schedule. Tom persuaded Robert to join him for a quick drink at a tiny, old pub they saw just around the corner.

"Jolly Roger Pub. It sounds corny but a beer is a beer," Tom chided Robert.

"Oh yea, but let's make it quick because we want to get to your grandmother's house before nightfall." Robert responded nervously.

"Okay, okay, Mother Jones!" snickered Tom.

They walked into the pub, which was sparsely filled with half a dozen elderly male patrons sitting in groups all over the small room.

Sitting at an old, wooden counter with a middle-aged bartender, they ordered two cold beers.

The bartender eyed the guys suspiciously as he spoke with a heavy southern drawal, "Not from around these parts, are yer fellows?"

Robert quickly responded, "Just passing through on fall break."

"That's good because this here is an old town filled with people set in their ways," the bartender continued while eying Robert conspicuously.

"Okay, we understand. But, nope, just stopping by for a quick beer," Tom said, trying not to laugh at the bartender's seriousness.

"You young'uns just be careful yer here, "

"Why is that?" Tom asked with beer froth on his upper lip.

Just then an old man coughed and muttered, "Because of the ghost."

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Two
Written by Shana Dines

"Oh come on, you don't think we believe in ghosts, do you?" Tom anxiously sneered.

"Hah, you trying to scare us away or something?" Robert added with a little bit of bravado.

"No, I am serious. You know many of the locals have seen 'er. She ain't a right pretty sight, if ya know what I mean. Guess it was 'cause of the drowning in Sleepy River and all. Some thinks that she was murdered by her father. I don't rightly know. Just be careful when you are crossing the bridge. Don't you be a dawdlin." The old barkeep was chewin on a wet cigar, his eyes had a far away look in them.

"I personally can vouch for 'er ghost. I saw er once up on a time. You see this head of hair I got here? It used to be black! Turned white on the spot. I couldn't get across that bridge fast enough," he continued.

"Haha, don't like strangers around here, do you?" Robert snickered with a little quiver in his voice.

"Aw come on Rob, he is just yankin our chains. Let's hit the road before the fog settles in. It is getting dark and even though the moon is full, it will be hard to see," Tom tossed over his shoulder bravely.

Robert swaggered off the bar stool and said, "Thanks for the urban legend, old timer!"

"Just you mark my words, I am not foolin with you. They say if you see er, you will never be the same. You will never have another restful night. Some even say she will bring you bad luck. Luke here lost his wife after seeing the old witch," he confirmed.

"Ain't that right Luke?" he added.

"Well I can't rightly say it was all the old witch's fault. I was running around on Stella then. She found out and was really pissed off. But then maybe you are right," Luke paused.

"I know I will never forget her a floating over the water like that. When she blocked my truck I neared pissed myself. I had to run right through her. That keening wail made my blood run cold. I never drive over that bridge at night no more!"

"Is there another way around to the backwoods?" Robert cautiously asked, not wanting to sound like he was afraid.

" 'Fraid not son, there is only one way and that is over the Sleepy River Bridge. You want to stay somewheres else for the night?" Luke asked.

"No we have to get to my Grandma's soon. She is expecting us," Tom nervously pawed the floor.

"Lets get the hell outta here! It is already getting dark!" Tom's voice raised anxiously.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Three
Written by Summer Banks

As Tom and Robert burst out the doors of the Jolly Roger Pub, Robert chuckled loudly.

"What are you laughing at?" Tom asked desperately.

"I was just thinking, the Jolly Roger doesn't seem so corny now, does it?" Robert replied between gulps of giggle rattled air.

"You can stand here and laugh all day, but I am heading for the bridge before that sun disappears," Tom forced through his teeth.

Robert turned to reply and saw the sun setting a blood red hue on the horizon. No, things were not so funny any more, he thought.

Tom and Robert hopped into the car and sped toward the bridge, hoping this sunset would be the longest ever.

As the bridge came into sight, an audibly expelled breathe filled the car. They were going to make it. Until...

Tom was sure he was imagining that fateful sound. The instant thub...lub of a flattened tire quickly forced reality down Tom's throat. The car came to a sudden halt.

Cussing and yelling at imaginary people, Tom turned the ignition to off and got out of the car. He was lucky to have a full sized spare in the trunk and quickly headed to the back of the car to retrieve it.

"Robert, get out and help me with this flat. The sun has almost set and I do not want to find out if those local yocals were telling a tale or not," Tom yelled from the trunk.

Nothing. No response from Robert.

Tom finished removing all of the bags packed in the trunk and finally reached the spare. Heading around to the front of the car, Tom threw the jack under the side with the flat and tried to get Robert's attention again.

"Robert, what are you doing in there? I need some help with this tire!" the small amount of civility diminished from Tom's voice.

Still, no answer. Tom was livid at this point and just as he lifted his head to yell one last time, Tom noticed the sun had just disappeared beneath the horizon. No longer willing to wait for a response, Tom sprinted to the passenger side of the car and rapped on the window.

Still looking at the sunset, Tom slowly turned to Robert and was sure he could see what looked like a grin on his face. Robert spoke to Tom in the same Jack Nicholson voice Tom had used with his mother just this morning.

"Did you notice no one in the bar said anything about two people crossing the bridge at night?"

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Four
Written by Jon Knight

Tom has a confused look on his face. "Forget about that stuff and help me with the tire."

Robert steps out of the car, still grinning.

"What's wrong with you?" Tom asks.

"Nothing's wrong, nothing at all," Robert answers.

Tom walks over to the trunk and takes out the jack and a tire iron. He kneels down and begins to jack up the car.

"Robert, hand me the spare?" Tom asks, as he grabs the tire iron. "Robert, did you hear me?"

Tom turns around and Robert is gone. "What the hell is going on?" Tom wonders.

Tom begins to worry and quickly loosens up the lug nuts on the bad tire. Tom removes the bad tire and puts on the spare.

"This is no longer funny," Tom aggressively remarks.

Tom tightens up the lug nuts and lowers the car. He places the jack and bad tire in the trunk.

"Robert, wherever you are, let's get ou.."

Tom turns around to see Robert still grinning and now holding a shotgun. "Where did you get that shotgun?" Tom asks.

"She gave it to me, a gift," Robert answers.

"Who's she?" Tom asks.

"She wants you dead," Robert says.

Tom slowly backs up and Robert turns his head towards the water.

Floating on the water is the ghost the townsfolk talked about. Her flesh is rotting away and infested with maggots. "Kill him, kill him now" she whispers.

"Her voice is so beautiful," Robert says.

Tom notices Robert is distracted and picks up the tire iron from the ground. He raises his arm, ready to strike his friend before he hurts anyone.

Robert snaps out of it and points the shotgun at Tom's chest. "Naughty, naughty, my turn first," Robert says, laughing a little.

Without thinking Tom smacks the shotgun out of Robert's hands and then smashes the tire iron across Robert's head. "Ooooo, that felt gooooood," Robert says.

Tom hits Robert over and over and over again with the tire iron. Robert spits out some blood and even some teeth. He begins to laugh.

"Are you done yet? 'Cause if you don't mind, I'm going to have kill you now," Robert says.

Tom turns around and gets into the car.

"Leaving so soon Tommy boy? We haven't had fun yet!" Robert yells.

Tom starts the car and backs it up.

Robert picks up the shotgun.

Tom puts his foot on the gas and charges at Robert at full speed.

Robert fires the shotgun and hits the windshield on the passenger side.

"Damn! I missed!" Robert yells.

Tom smashes into Robert at full speed and sends his body flying through the air. His neck cracks on the pavement.

Robert gets up and Tom is far gone. He cracks his neck back into place. His eyes are now blood red and black veins are running through his face.

He notices a bloody wound on his arm. "That will leave a mark," Robert says with a smile.

Robert picks up the shotgun and begins to walk. He starts to whistle a playful tune.

Tom drives up to his grandmother's driveway and applies the brakes forcibly. He steps out of the car and runs up the Grandmother's door. The door swings open and the next thing Tom sees is a double barrel shotgun being pointed at his torso.

"What the hell is it with people and shotguns around here?" Tom asks angrily.

The person steps outside. It's Tom's grandmother.

"Tommy is that you? Been awhile," his grandma says.

"Grandma!?" a confused Tom says.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Five
Written by Tina L

"Come on in son," Tom's grandmother said, taking him by the arm. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you okay?"

"I just had... I just saw... well..." Tom stammered, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It was the first chance he'd had to wrap his mind around the fact that his friend had just died.

"Grandma, have you heard of the ghost of Sleepy River?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, my yes!" she laughed. "There are people who believe in that nonsense. I think it's a bunch of hooey, if you ask me. Well, I guess you did ask me in a way, didn't you? Heh heh."

"Let me fix you something to eat, you must be starving," she said as she started rummaging through the pantry.

He stood there, not knowing what to think. He was pretty hungry. He thought to himself that he would figure out just what to do after he got something into his stomach. Tom looked around the house. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. The furniture was covered with sheets and there were cobwebs everywhere. He was wondering where his grandmother spent her time and why the house looked the way it did. It smelled funny too.

"Here's a tuna salad sandwich on white bread, just like you used to like when you were little," his grandma announced, interrupting his thoughts.

"Thanks grandma," he said. He shrugged. He did not remember liking tuna salad all that much, but the sandwich tasted good enough.

After a few bites, there was a knock on the door. He glanced up at his grandmother, who was staring off into space. She must not have heard it. He stood up and walked across the room to answer the door. As he opened the door, he was shocked to see Robert standing there with a tire iron.

"Back OFF man!" Tom shouted, backing into the house.

"Dude, what is your problem?" Robert demanded. "Why did you drive off and leave me standing there?" He was angry.

Tom was confused. Robert didn't have a scratch on him. He was not the way he'd left him, nor did he have a gun. He took a step out onto the porch.

"I don't understand," Tom said weakly. He felt uneasy and sat down on a stool by the door.

"Man, are you alright?" Robert asked, concerned.

"What happened back there?" Tom replied.

"Well, we were getting ready to drive over that bridge. The one over the Sleepy River. The tire went flat. We got out to change it and you said you saw something down by the river. You went to check it out, I changed the tire. As I went to get back into the car you sped off. I've been walking for an hour until I saw this house and thought I would see if I could get help," Robert said.

"That is NOT what I remember," Tom answered. "I'm sorry I left you there, man." Tom was relieved that it apparently had all been a dream or something.

"Don't sweat it," Robert said. He was still pretty mad, but sensed that Tom was troubled so let it go.

"Say, what is this old place," Robert asked.

"This is my grandma's house," Tom answered.

"Tom, your grandmother lives an hour's drive from here. This isn't her house," Robert told him. "Are you sure you're okay?" Robert was becoming more concerned.

"But, my grandmother is right inside. I was just eating a tuna salad sandwich." In fact, he could still taste the tuna in his mouth. "Let me introduce you."

As the entered the house, no one was there. It appeared abandoned, and looked as it had a few minutes before but Tom's grandmother was missing. So was his sandwich.

Tom swore under his breath and sat back down. What was going on? He was losing track of what was real and what wasn't.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Six
Written by Sullivision

Just as Tom sat back down, Robert noticed blood was dripping from each of Tom's ears. There was also blood matted in the hair on the back of Tom's head.

Robert exclaimed, "Dude, you're bleeding! What did you do?"

Just as Tom opened his mouth to reply to Robert, he fell off the stool, face first onto the porch.

Robert ran over to pick him up and realized that Tom was unconscious. He slapped him across the face a few times, yelled his name, and still no response.

Robert picked Tom up and carried him into the house. He laid him down on an old couch that was sitting in the living room area.

He looked around for a phone and didn't see one. He remembered he has his cell phone and pulled it out of his front pocket. As he went to dial 9-1-1, he looked at his screen to only see the most disgruntling news yet, "Searching for serviced." They were in such a remote area that his cell phone had no reception.

He felt around on Tom's pants to see if he could find his cell phone and found it in his back pocket. Tom's phone had full bars, so he called 9-1-1 and when the operator answered, it was a female and she had the sweetest voice.

"9-1-1 emergency, how may I help you?"

Robert replied, "My friend fell and hit his head and is unconscious. He's bleeding and I can't get him to wake up."

The operator replied with, "Where are you, sir?"

Robert, being confused and freaked out told her he had no idea where he was, "can't you trace my phone with GPS or something?"

"I'm sorry sir, your GPS is not currently working. We are receiving a scrambled message from it right now. Do you have that service blocked from you phone sir?" said the operator.

"No, I wouldn't even know how to do that!" screamed Robert. "Hello, hello, are you there?" The phone call had ended. "Call lost" was on the phone screen and now Tom's phone has no service.

Rushing around the house with just the little bit of light that is left from the setting sun, Robert ran the faucet to put some cold water on Tom's face. The water came out chunky and red. It probably hadn't been touched in months.

Just then, Robert heard a knock on the front door.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Seven
Written by Robin Neorr

Robert looked around him. There was no grandmother to be seen. He paused. He didn't want to answer the door, but in the back of his mind he thought that it could be help?

Robert walked through the cobwebs to the door. He peaked out and it appeared to be Luke from the bar. The man who lost his wife to after seeing the ghost.

Luke was feverishly knocking, "Hello, Genevieve are you there, Hello?"

"Who was Genevieve?" Robert thought to himself. He went to open the door to let Luke in. He seemed like a kind enough man at the bar. Then as he was walking to the door, he stopped in his tracks.

He felt something cold and wet grab him, It grasped at his shoulder tightly. He wanted to scream, but nothing came out. He slowly turned his head to see an old woman.

"Robert, I am so happy to see you," she said.

The women didn't look like Tom's Grandmother. She looked so familiar, so comforting. She looked like, no it couldn't be. She looked like Robert's Grandmother, who passed away five years ago.

"Grandma?" asked Robert.

"Robert, what took you so long? I have been waiting all day for you and your friend to come by," said the old woman.

"But you're not really here. You can't be grandma - you died?"

"Silly boy, how can I be dead when I am right here? Now would you like a tuna sandwich? I know it is your favorite."

"You're not my Grandmother. My Grandmother had a stroke. She died and I went to her funeral."

"Now Robert, do I look dead to you? So, how about that tuna sandwich?"

Robert was in a trance. He didn't know if it was shock or some spell her sweet voice cast on him. He looked at her and said, "Yes, Grandma."

"Okay Robert, I will be right back. You just sit down next to your friend."

Robert sat down on the couch next to a near lifeless Tom. Tom was still bleeding and the blood covered the white sheet cushion that was on top of the mothball-infested couch. Robert knew this wasn't right.

He could still hear Luke knocking on the door. He still wanted to scream, but he was in a trance and he couldn't do anything but sit there next to his lifeless friend and wait for her to bring him a tuna sandwich.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Eight
Written by Aaron Williams

When she brought out the sandwich, things didn't get much better.

In fact, he figured, with how horrible this night had already been, life could only get worse.

Carrying the sandwich with a small paper towel folded underneath it, she handed it to him and sat across from him.

"I'm so happy to be seeing you again, Robert. It's been far too long. You should have visited more often."

"Um...", he gulped. "This can't be real."

"What are you talking about? Of course this is real. Are you sure you're okay?"

Just then, Tom began to stir on the couch, groaning. His head really did look terrible. His eyes opened, red and fuzzy. He poked his tongue out, feeling around his lips, as if they should also be bloody. Confused, Robert looked up to his grandmother, but the space was gone.

Empty.

"What the - " Tom sat up as Robert spewed out the last sentence, rubbing the back of his hair. Smears of blood came away with it.

"What's happening?" he asked, his voice thick and groggy.

"I have no idea, but I think we really need to get out of here as soon as we can. This place is whacked, or else we are." Standing, Robert paused, realizing he had forgotten about the knocking at the door. Only silence now. The night kept getting weirder and weirder.

"You have blood on your back."

"What?" A short chill ran through Robert. "What?"

He felt with his hand, coming away as smeared as Tom's was.

Both of the men were now standing, staring at each other with startled expressions. Neither moved for what seemed like a minute flat. The only noise was the small ticking of an old clock nearby.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Getting out of here would be a good idea," Tom said, his hands trembling.

They both started walking to the door.

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Ghost of Sleepy River Part Nine
Written by John Gugie

Robert and Tom walked toward the closed door, Robert behind Tom. Robert stares at Tom's back and grins evilly, his eyes glowing red.

Tom reached up for the doorknob but before he was able to turn it completely, he felt a cold, clammy hand grab his shoulder.

"It's no time to fool around, Robert. Not after what we've been through tonight," Tom spoke angrily.

"But, Tommy boy, you haven't finished your tuna sandwich," came Robert's Jack Nicholson voice, as Tom felt the grip on his shoulder tighten.

Tom audibly gulps as he slowly turns his head to meet Robert's face or whatever "thing" stood behind him. The thing behind him comes into view. It's Robert - well, at least it was Robert. What stood behind him had some of Roberts features but three-quarters of his face was rotted away and a huge hole could be seen on one side of his skull, part of his brain protruding from his head. He looked wet too, as if he had just climbed out of a dirty lake or something.

"Ahhh! What the hell are you?!" Tom yelled in fright.

"Hell is right, my friend. That is where we come from and will be taking you. Ha ha!" croaked the Robert-thing through a half-exposed jawbone.

"Oh my God! You aren't Robert, you bastard! Let go of me!" Tom screamed.

"Oh, but I am Robert Jones, well, I was long, long ago. I am a descendant of Esmeralda Jones, the witch that was drowned in Sleepy River by her father," explained the undead creature in a wet, bubbly voice.

"Wh-why was she drowned?" asked Tom nervously.

"She was murdered by her father for being a witch in league with the devil," the thing said calmly.

"What do you all want from me? Why me?" Tom asked.

"We want your soul so that the devil does not torture us! You are our latest sacrifice," said the thing.

"Not me! Not me! Find someone else!" pleaded Tom.

"It's too late! Midnight on All Hallows' Eve is in a few hours and you must be killed at that time!" screeched the thing.

"Wh-what? It's not the 31st yet. It can't be!" Tom protested.

"You have been here for weeks, Tommy boy. Ha ha!"

Tom looked at his watch and see that it's 9:43 PM on October 31st. He decides to bolt for the door. He quickly turns the knob and yanks the door open. What awaits him on the opposite side of the door is the old man named Luke from the bar. Only he looks different now. Now he is just as rotted and decomposed as Robert.

"'ello Robbie, how's yer life treatin' ya?" said the Luke-thing with a mad grin.

Tom doesn't respond but turns around to get away from the thing at the door. He turns to see his Grandmother holding an outstretched hand, still holding the sandwich.

"Finish your tuna sandwich, Robert. It's your favorite," said the decomposed old woman.

Tom screams and turns another direction and sees the bartender from the pub. He's equally as decomposed and holding up a bottle of dirty brown sludge.

"What'll it be, Robert?" asked the bartender creature.

"No!" yells Tom.

"But ya should, considerin' it'll be yer last, ol' Tommy boy! Ha ha!" barked the bartender as his eyeball plopped into a beer mug.

Tom can't get out and screams while running in circles. The door slams shut and Tom can be heard from a great distance.

The Robert-thing can be heard laughing in its Jack Nicholson voice. "Did I mention that we get bonus points for torturing you slowly? Ha ha!" laughs the Robert-thing maniacally.

"Nooooo! The pain! Nooo! Stop!" comes Tom's heart-curdling screams of terror.

The End.

....or is it?