Write Now Prompt: May 6. 2014 

Roger arrived to Bridgeton early the next morning. Having not had breakfast and feeling a bit hungry he decided to stop at the local diner for something to eat and maybe even a chance to get some local stories. He had found that the biggest areas of hauntings were always small towns. Roger believed that everyone could sense ghosts on some level or another and that is why most small towns stayed small. No one knew why they did not want to stay but they just had a weird feeling about a place.

Roger was one of the people who could not only feel the ghosts but could also see them clearly and on some occasions when the spirit was willing he could hear them and even have conversations with them. He had written a scientific journal about his experiences but some how it got passed over by the scientific community and was seen more as an occult book than that of fact. This really did not sit well with Roger but he had to accept it as it was.

He entered the diner, a greasy spoon called the aptly called the Bridgeton Café. Roger went and and sat at the bar, it was late morning and the diner was fairly quiet, just a few older gents sitting at the bar sipping coffee and making small talk. “Coffee” asked the waitress. Roger nodded his head and started looking around the diner and out the window. As she put down a cup and poured his coffee she said “ havent seen you round these parts before. What brings you to our quiet little town.”

Roger, glad to get the opening responded “I am up to look at some property just out side of town. I hear there is a development going in and I was thinking about buying a home and moving out to a nice country home.” he said as he put some cream in his coffee and picked up the menu.

“Do you mean that Stimple Development project going on out in Hell’s Home” she said.

Roger put his menu down and looked at the waitress for a moment. “Hell’s Home??” he said.

From next to him he heard one of the other gentlemen say “Hell’s Home” in a more matter of fact tone than anything else.  “ I can tell you bout Hell’s Home” he says. It was me and Charlie over here back in 58 out in them woods. We was out there looking for some kids that had gotten them selves lost out there. When we found them the group of them was white as ghosts.”

Charlie cut in” Carl and I had been searching for hours when we found them they had burned all the wood that had in the fire pit, and then started chopping down trees just to keep the fire going.”

Carl went on. “when we come out of the woods into the clearing they all started screaming like they had seen a ghost or something. Now me I don’t believe in such things but these kids they was scared of something. Never could get a straight story from them just a bunch of gibberish.”

The waitress cut in “ those kids started calling them woods Hell’s Home and it has stuck ever since. Now that Mr Stimple he seems like a nice man, moved into town bout a year or so ago, bought the old Jenson home and then went out searching for some property to build on. When we all heard he had bought Hell’s Home, well lets just say we wish him well. There are strange things that go in in them woods.”

Roger ate his breakfast while listening to their story. He thanked them, paid for his meal with a substantial tip and thanked them all for the story. He got up to leave and Carl asked if he was planning on looking at the property. “ I am even more interested in the land now that I have heard your story.” and he walked out of the diner. They all looked at each other and just shrugged unknowingly.

Roger hopped into his truck and made a bee line for Aarons home hoping to get a chance to meet him and get to woods to see what was going on out there.

CeeLee at the Adult Pool and my self are having fun collaborating on this story. You can find the continuation of Rogers visit sitting on a lounge seat at the pool.