The Mystery of Maple Creek

Chapter 7. The False Statement

Chapter 7

The False Statement

(Perspective: Hellen Mayweather)

My body still felt hot and numb. But I insisted to get home soon. The doctor in charge couldn’t make me stay a little longer. I just didn’t feel comfortable with the unfamiliar atmosphere in the patient room.

Afterward, my dad drove me home that afternoon. I wanted to lay down in my own bedroom.

“Hellen, if you need anything—just call me, alright?” my dad said. His face still looked really worried for me.

I immediately nodded and smiled at him. As soon as he closed the door, I covered my body in a thick sheet. I let my mind rest for a moment.

A few minutes later, I was about to close my eyes, but then my dad came again. I glanced wonderingly at him. And I asked, “What, Dad?”

“Ugh, sorry to bother you, but—” he rubbed his head a couple of times. Then he muttered, “Just like I told you before, Sheriff Clarke wants to meet you. He is waiting in the living room, darling.”

I squinted agitatedly. And then I said, “Oh, I thought he would wait for another day. We just got home.”

“I know that you want to get rest, but Sheriff Clarke just wants to ask you a few questions,” my dad told me.

But I hesitated to go out. I was still tired and wanted to sleep here.

“Darling, it’s just going to be a few minutes. It won’t take long,” my dad persuaded me.

I finally got up from the bed. I forced myself to walk toward the living room with him.

There, I saw a man with a thick brown beard. His age was about my dad. He quickly raised from the sofa to greet me.

As I received his firm handshake, he introduced himself in a friendly manner, “Hello, Hellen, we haven’t officially met. I’m Eden Clarke, the local sheriff in Maple Creek. How are you?”

“Hello, Officer, I’m still tired, but it’s okay,” I said, forcing myself to smile at him.

“Please, have a seat,” my dad told us. His hand pointed out at the light-brown sofa.

Sheriff Clarke let out a heavy sigh. Then he took a small note and a pen from his pocket.

“Alright, Hellen, I just want to confirm what happened to you on that night,” he said as he prepared to write down anything I would tell him.

I slightly glanced at my dad. I tried to remember it again; what actually happened to me on that frightening night.

I stared down. I looked at my fingers that kept moving restlessly.

“I… I saw…” I didn’t know which story to start. The event was terrible. A glimpse of scenes kept on repeating inside my head. I remembered bloodstains were everywhere. I remembered someone was swaying a sharp blade into my skin.

My breathing felt heavy as I tried to reminisce about the nightmare.

Before I could say anything, Sheriff Clarke said, “Did you see a deer came toward you?”

I immediately narrowed my eyebrows. “A deer?”

Sheriff Clarke kept on assuming, “Or maybe other wild animals in the woods? Can you describe the scene for me?”

“No,” I opposed and shook my head.

“Everyone in town thinks that a deer attacked you that night,” my dad added. I glanced bewilderingly at him.

“Yeah, I was there with the locals. We were planning to start the fireworks in the hills. But then we heard a scream,” Sheriff Clarke said firmly. “Right near the abandoned white house.”

I blinked my eyes nervously at him.

“I thought you knew. It is forbidden to hangout anywhere near that house. We set the strict rule for the folks,” Sheriff Clarke reminded me.

“Sorry, I should have told my daughter about the rule. I totally forgot all about it. I was too busy starting my old business here and there,” my dad said. There was huge remorse in his voice. “We’re just arrived a few days ago. Hellen is still new to this town.”

Sheriff Clarke nodded, trying to understand the situation.

“Yes, Mister Mayweather, I’m glad you came back here,” he said with a big smile.

Sheriff Clarke stared at me again. “Okay, Hellen, can you describe a deer you saw?”

My lips trembled as I spoke, “He was not a deer.”

Both the sheriff and my dad looked at me bewilderingly. Did everyone really assumed it was an animal who almost killed me?

“He is human. And he killed Marion in that house,” I gave my firm statement.

My dad blinked. He still looked perplexing. “What? How—I mean, was that true?”

“I was attacked by a human. I assure you,” I said, staring back and forth between them.

Surely, they were both shocked at my statement. And thus, I wondered what Joanna told everyone in town. She was the only person who had seen him, besides me, and Marion.

“Didn’t you ask Joanna about that? She saw him too,” I muttered.

Sheriff Clarke looked confused as he told me, “No, she said it was a deer. But my team is still trying to get contact with the forensic. It’s been three days since then, but we haven’t been informed of the result.”

My dad and I concurrently narrowed our eyebrows.

Sheriff Clarke slightly lifted his note and pen. Then he asked, “So, can you tell me, what this man looks like?”

“He—” I tried to remember the picture in my head. It was dark, but I could tell what he was wearing. “This tall man, he wore strange clothes. I guess, it looks like an old army uniform. Probably like the one that a commander would wear in the civil war—”

My dad snapped bewilderingly, “Hellen, are you sure?”

I nodded and continued describing, “Yes, and he wore a leather gas mask. It looked antique. Like the type of gas that was made in the 18s century.”

Right at the time I told him about the mask, his hand paused from writing. He slowly looked up at me. His stare looked cautious, as if I just told him something incredibly terrible.

“What? Have you seen him before?” I asked curiously.

When the sheriff exchanged a glance at my dad. Both of them suddenly looked limp. Surely, something was off.

I assured him. I thought they both would think that I was hallucinating. But I was not. I knew I saw him. Or whatever creature he was.

I immediately said, “Listen, I’m not lying to you, alright? I saw him out from the coffin.”

Sheriff Clarke and my dad looked at me terrifyingly.

“I’m not sure if he was human or not. But I clearly saw him woke up from inside an old coffin in that abandoned house. He was a dead man. He was like a zombie—”

Now I realized how I sounded like a lunatic.

I let out a heavy sigh and muttered, “I mean, I don’t know. It was dark. But he was the one who killed Marion.”

“Are you saying that a corpse raised from the dead?” Sherriff Clarke asked me. “And were you saying that Marion is dead?”

I squinted cautiously at him. “Yes, I witnessed the scene.”

“Hellen—” he looked at me firmly. “Marion Stanley is a missing person now. We haven’t found her body yet. Although your friend, Joanna told us that she was killed by a deer in the woods.”

I couldn’t believe what I heard. How could Joanna give such a false statement? That was not what happened to all of us.

“No, she was lying!” I shouted out of rage. “We were playing hide and seek in the woods. Then I got lost in the hills! And Marion found me, then we entered the white house! And—”

Sheriff Clarke immediately closed his note and said, “Alright, Hellen. I guess, this interview is enough. I will get back to you, if there is anything new.”

As he raised from the sofa, I quickly barked at him, “You’re not listening to me, Sheriff!”

I followed to raise and face him. Then my dad immediately shouted, “Hellen, calm down.”

Sheriff Clarke chuckled, as if there was something funny. It was not, of course. This was a serious matter. Why would not he be taking my statement seriously?

“Hellen, I think you need to rest for a while. Sorry to disturb your time,” Sheriff Clarke said. He friendly nudged his black hat at me.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” my dad said.

At the doorsill, he faced my dad and shouted out, “By the way, it’s been a long time, huh? If there is any fishing party, you should invite me over.”

“Sure, I will,” my dad patted his shoulder cheerfully.

As soon as the front door closed, I stared agitatedly at my dad.

“What was that? Why wouldn’t you two trust me?” I said, crossing my arms to my chest.

My dad sighed for a second, but he tried to be patient.

“Look, Hellen, you are under a lot of stress. You have trauma. Your wound will take time to heal,” my dad reminded me. “I understand that you are worried about this case.”

“Yes, I am very much concerned about why Joanna gave Sheriff Clarke the false statement. That’s not what happened that night, Dad,” I also reminded him.

He nodded to agree. But it was probably only to sympathize with my current weak condition.

“The whole town has been waiting to know what really happened that night. But you know, Sheriff Clarke has that covered up already,” my dad said.

I narrowed my eyes. I was confused. “What do you mean he covered it up?”

“He doesn’t want the locals to be panicked, while his team is currently working on the case,” my dad explained.

I finally let out a long sigh. “Yeah, right.”

“Please, Hellen, just go to rest now,” my dad begged me.

Then I nodded to agree.