The Mystery of Maple Creek

Chapter 8. The Hidden Truth

Chapter 8

The Hidden Truth

(Perspective: Hellen Mayweather)

Early in the morning, I went to Joanna’s house. I had asked anyone in town about her address. I just couldn’t wait anymore. I needed to know why she told a lie.

When I arrived in front of her fence, Joanna was in the yard. When her eyes met mine, she bulged out in astonishment. She probably didn’t expect for my arrival in her house.

As I opened the fence and walked in, I dared her, “Hello, Joanna, wants to explain to me what really happened three days ago?”

“Hellen, I thought you were still in the hospital,” she looked terrified, as if she saw a ghost.

“Yes, lucky me, I’m alive. And now I need to know the truth,” I said, while my hands rested on my hips.

Joanna certainly looked anxious about this. She couldn’t even look at me straight in the eyes.

“I… I told Sheriff Clarke…” her voice was breaking.

“You told him a lie. Now everyone believed that I was attacked by a deer,” I barked at her angrily. “And don’t you forget, you left me to rot until I was stabbed by that crazy ripper.”

“But you’re alive. You should be grateful,” Joanna was gaslighting me. It annoyed me that she could be so manipulative.

“Okay, what about Melissa, Bree, and Bridget?” I asked peevishly. “Where were you all when I was dying alone? Marion also died in that house.”

Joanna glanced around her carefully. Nobody was here, but us.

Subsequently, she approached me to say, “Lower your voice before anyone hear you. This secret is just between us, alright?”

I narrowed bewilderingly. “Why?”

Joanna nudged me firmly. I saw some people were passing on the pavement. She gave me a hint, but I still didn’t get it as I looked at her again.

“I know. He must be the ripper everyone talked about in the past,” Joanna suddenly told me. She lowered her voice carefully. “But you can’t tell people in town about what happened. If they knew that the ripper has awoken, they will hate us.”

I shook my head. I still didn’t understand. “What are you talking about?”

“People would think that we were the ones who woke him. That’s why I made up a story to save us all,” Joanna muttered. “I was also curious actually. Who threw the ashes to his body? Was it you or Marion?”

I paused from breathing. It was a nightmare to be remembered. I knew well who did it. And so, I bravely confessed, “It was me. But it was an accident.”

Joanna nodded, but I couldn’t read her expression. Was it sympathy? Was it fear?

“He is not actually dead. He is just put to sleep,” Joanna told me. I looked at her terrifyingly.

“What? Is he a living corpse? What kind of ghost he is?” I asked perplexingly.

“He cannot die. And he cannot be killed,” Joanna said, her stare looked thrilling. “I don’t know what kind of creature he is, but certainly, there was this old legend about him. A terrible story had happened a hundred years ago. Everyone in town fears him.”

“Yeah, obviously, he tried to stab me with his blade. Sure, I should fear him too,” I said peevishly. “But he is out there somewhere. Sooner or later, people will find out.”

Joanna stared down at her own sandals. She certainly didn’t know how to handle the upcoming event that might happen in town.

“Think about the worst scenario. What if he is wandering in town? What if he is looking for the next victim? He looks like a hungry beast to me. He is dangerous,” I reminded her.

“I know. He is a very dangerous man. But right now, we should not talk about what we know to people. Let them think that it was just a wild animal,” Joanna muttered.

Then I remembered something, “Sheriff Clarke told me that Marion is missing. Do you think he is the one who hides her body somewhere?”

“Oh, God. Poor Marion,” she grieved her. “I don’t know about that. At the time, I was scared if they found out that she died in the house. I wouldn’t be able to lie about the deer. But once I heard that Marion was missing, I just told them the story I made up.”

“Does Melissa, Bree, and Bridgit know about this secret?” I asked curiously.

Joanna shook her head. “No, they don’t have to.”

“This is dangerous, Joanna. Anyone can be the next victim,” I reminded her firmly. “We should just tell Sheriff Clarke—”

“No, please!” she quickly grabbed my arm. She looked terrified. “You shouldn’t. If you don’t believe me, you need to read about the legend yourself.”

As soon as she let go of my arm, I asked her wonderingly, “Where? On the internet?”

Joanna shook her head. “No, you get more accurate information in the local library. Go to mid-town, you will find it there. The place is next to the mayor’s building.”

I still looked at her peevishly. I just resented her for not telling the truth to people. But—would people curse us if we tell them that the ripper had awoken? And if there was really something hidden about the legend, what was the truth about it?

“Please, Hellen. I beg you to not have a second thought about this,” Joanna still insisted. But when she looked at my solemn eyes, she knew I would report the sheriff. And thus, she said, “Okay, if you don’t know how important it is, I will make you understand. Let’s go now.”

She grabbed my arm tightly and dragged me out from the fence. I quickly asked, “Wait, where are we going?”

And she shouted out, “The library! You will see!”

***

We went to the local library in town. The place was desolate. I liked it here. I should have visited this place earlier once I arrived in Maple Creek. And now, I followed Joanna walking toward a front shelf near the window.

There was an antique collection here. A lot of old books and miniature statues.

“Joanna! Come back here, you little brat!” A woman in her forty shouted peevishly at her.

I glanced to see her anxious face. Her black hair and pale face resembled Joanna.

“Urgh, God. That’s my mom. She’s a librarian here,” Joanna informed me. “And she got a bad temper.”

From the corner of the shelf, her mom demanded her, “You should be cleaning the room here! Come on—”

“Okay, just look around this shelf. You will find books about the legend. Pick one and read it,” she said in a rush. “I’ll be here in a second.”

And then she left me alone. My eyes scanned the shelf for a moment. The variety of the book titles bewildered me. I didn’t know which one to choose.

I was about to choose a red book because the color drew my attention. But then from outside, I heard someone tapped the glass window. When I glanced, I saw Melissa and her minions found me.

It didn’t take long for them to approach me here. Melissa smiled widely at me. And she suddenly hugged me tightly. Bree and Bridget followed to hug my back.

“God, I’m glad you’re okay. We are so worried about you!” Melissa shouted out.

“Lower your voice down, Ms. Branham will be mad at you,” Bree reminded her. And I just knew that Joanna’s family name was Branham.

“Ups, alright, sorry,” Melissa giggled. And then she whispered to me, “We wanted to visit you in the hospital yesterday, but the nurse won’t allow us to get in.”

Bridgit patted my shoulder lightly. “We’re sorry about what happened to you, Hellen.”

“We didn’t know such a terrible thing would happen that night. We should catch the deer and sacrifice it to get our revenge,” Bree said daringly.

I slightly flinched when she said that. Only if they knew what happened on that terrible night, they wouldn’t even want to face the real beast.

“What a tragedy. Marion was still so young,” Melissa muttered. “I just hope the cops will quickly find her body, so she can be buried properly.”

I blinked nervously. As I had promised Joanna not to tell anyone about the secret truth, I should seal my lips tightly.

“So, what are you doing in the library? Are you like the type of nerdy girl?” Melissa teased me. Her superiority complex relapsed again.

“Ugh, I thought you’re into fashion and stuff. I mean, you could be our next Miss Maple Creek,” Bree said.

Bridget also added, while playing with the tip of my blonde wavy hair, “Just look at that pretty face and all.”

“No-nothing,” I was trying not to sound suspicious. “I was just sightseeing, you know. I’m new in this town, remember?”

“Oh, right, Hellen is our newcomer,” Melissa smiled widely. But somehow her smile looked fake. I felt like she didn’t really want to be my friend. She probably just wanted to look like a nice girl.

“Hey, Joanna is here!” Bree shouted out. “Let’s go see her.”

Melissa squinted bewilderingly as she muttered, “I didn’t know she will be so tidy up to help her mom here.” And then she glanced at me for a second.

I quickly avoided eye contact with her. I just didn’t want her to read my anxiety.

Once they all left me, I could be focused again. I quickly picked up the red book. Then carefully, I opened the dusty pages.

The information in the book was pretty much familiar. I had heard about the serial killer in town. And how his existence was believed as a ghost. This was not something new. I had known the story from the clique girls.

I didn’t know what to seek in this book. I was too lazy to read these small fonts on the pages. My eyes felt fuzzy all of a sudden.

At the time, I was trying to message my eyebrows. But then I just realized, I was not alone. There was a black girl across the bookshelf. She stood in the west wing of the room.

Sometimes, the girl hid her face behind the book she held. But the way she liked to steal a glance at me, kind of suspicious.

I was suddenly curious. Who she was? What did she want from me? Was my mind just being too paranoid since the incident?

“That’s Carla Bennet. She’s the preacher’s daughter,” Melissa spoke behind me. I was quickly startled. She sneaked at me and answered my thought accurately.

I immediately closed the book I held. Then I looked back at Melissa, who smiled widely at me.

“Oh, she lives around here?” I whispered to her.

Melissa giggled. Maybe she found my question was rather interesting. But I wasn’t joking when I asked her.

“She lives in the Holy House. It’s near the cemetery,” Melissa informed me. “But I must warn you, Hellen—”

I narrowed my eyebrows bewilderingly. “What?”

There was a tone of disgust in her voice. Melissa immediately crossed her arms for a second. Then she stared firmly at the girl across the room.

“I would be careful if I were you. The Bennet family is kind of—” there was a second of hesitation when she wanted to tell me, but then she just talked it out anyway, “terrifying, in my opinion.”

I pinched my eyes. I didn’t want to believe that for a second. But the girl’s gaze indeed looked haunting somehow.

“But you can never compare the word terrifying with this town’s old legend,” I teased her. “I bet the evil ripper was the real tragedy.”

Melissa glanced in astonishment at me. Slightly, she looked frightened when I mentioned the ripper.

“Melissa? Are you alright?” I asked worriedly.

She blinked and shook her head immediately. Did the topic scare her off? She took a deep breath afterward.

“Just—don’t play by play, Hellen,” she warned me. And then she talked in a rush, “This is a small town. There was a scary story, a terrible history. Although they were all in the past, just take care of yourself around here.”

“You keep on warning me, Melissa,” I wondered why. “Do you actually believe what the elders told you about the evil ripper?”

She flinched. And quickly answered me, “I told you; I don’t believe it.”

I smiled. I just wanted to cool down this tense atmosphere.

But my curiosity was still on the edge of my thought. As I quickly returned the book to its place, I asked her, “What is terrifying about the Bennet?”

Melissa stole a glance at the girl from afar. I knew the girl was well aware that we were obviously talking about her.

The girl looked uneasy. Afterward, she just left the library and kept treating us like total strangers. Then Melissa turned to see me again.

“It’s just—her father was the one who sealed the ripper’s immortal spirit. I don’t know where. Some people said his ashes buried in the abandoned house. And others said, his ashes were thrown into the river,” Melissa told me solemnly. “Ever since then, people think the Bennet hide his body for a purpose. People just fear them.”

“Like for what?” I asked, urging her to tell me. “Why would the Bennet hide the body?”

But I was wondering myself; if the living corpse I saw in the abandoned house was his body, then they truly hid him. And certainly, they didn’t burn him into ashes.

Melissa licked her lips before she spoke again, “The story connected to the old legend, Bennet’s ancestors were Salem witches. Their offspring now may still have the past karma with the ripper, or otherwise. I’m not so sure.”

“That’s interesting. The ancestor of witches—and now they are preachers,” I murmured.

Melissa shrugged her shoulders and pouted her lips. “That’s life.”