Chapter71 Little Davey

Anna's outside of the Howell's bedroom doors. She slowly reaches out to grab the doorknob, when… "Uh, uh, uh. Don't go in there, Anna." Anna turns around and sees the four-year-old little boy standing behind her. "Tommy?" The boy shakes his head. "No." Anna starts quivering as a feeling of dread overcomes her body; and, she fearfully asks, "Charles?" Again the boy shakes his head. "No." "Then…who are you?" "Davey." "Davey? Where did you come from?" "Upstairs." "Upstairs?" "Yes." "How long have you been here, Davey?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" "No." "Where are your mommy and daddy?" "Dead." Anna notices Davey doesn't seem to be upset; which she thinks is unusual for a small child not to be in this situation. "Davey, are you okay?" "Yes." "But…your mommy and daddy are dead? Aren't you sad? Don't you miss them?" He smiles and giggles as he shakes his head, "No." Perplexed by his response, "Why not?" "Because, they were mean." "How were they mean, Davey?" The small boy points straight up at the ceiling. "They kept me locked up there. In the attic." "They kept you locked in the attic? Why?" "I don't know." "Do you have any brothers or sisters, Davey?" "I had a sister." "You had a sister?" "She's dead, too." "Do you miss her?" "I don't know." "Was she mean to you?" "No." "Did your parents lock her up in the attic, too?" "No, they liked my sister; they just didn't like me." "Sorry, Davey." "That's okay; they're gone now." "What was your sister's name?" "Mary." Anna begins to tremble. "What's your last name, Davey?" "Howell." "How do you bury bodies under a lake?" Corporal Nyce's totally dumbfounded. Deputy Hopkins rationalizes, "The same way you pick up a moving car and toss it upside down in a ditch. Remember, this case has supernatural forces involved with it. This is the work of one twisted spirit." "Ahem…Tormented, Uncle Mike; not twisted…and, it could be more than one; too." The deputy takes his niece by her arm and starts walking away from the staging area. "Kiddo, what are you doing; you shouldn't be out here?" "Why not?" "Look…it's not going to be a sight you'll want to see, Kiddo; trust me." "Tell me something, Uncle Mike; is it a sight you want to see?" "Hell no! And, neither does anyone else here; but, it's our job. You don't have to be here to see this." "Maybe I don't necessarily have to see this; but, I do need to feel this. I may be able to pick up on something that would be able to help us get Anna back…to resolve this thing." "Alright, you win; you could stay. But, promise me one thing." "What?" "When we start taking the bodies out; if it becomes too much for you, just take off…okay?" "Okay." They hear a motorcade of State Police and county vehicles approaching; and, Deputy Hopkins calls out, "Here they come." He turns back to his niece and asks, "Alright; you ready for this?" Cindy glances down to the ground, then back up to her uncle. "No; not really. Are you?" The deputy smiles. "No. Not really." She smiles back. "Okay then, let's get this started." They walk down to the staging area by the lake shore. Late into the night, bodies…fairly well intact due to being preserved within the lake floor's sediment…were taken out of the lake; by boat after boat. Cindy attempted to get a sensing off of every deceased individual; having no luck whatsoever. But, then it happened. "Hey; we got a skeleton over here in this batch, Sarge….What do you make of that?" One of the divers calls out to Sergeant Pierce. "Beats me; maybe this one isn't part of our missing group. We won't know for sure until an autopsy's done I guess." Cindy overhears their conversation and immediately walks over to them. "Excuse me; did I hear you say you found a skeleton out there?" "Right here." The diver points to where they laid it out. It's small in structure; obviously the skeletal remains of a child. Cindy kneels down beside it, placing her hand on the cracked skull, and closes her eyes. She trembles and begins hyperventilating. It's not long before Cindy starts convulsing and gagging on her tongue. Cindy immediately turns blue as her body collapses to the ground and jerks about violently. Sergeant Pierce notices this, and runs to her. "Deputy Hopkins; you're niece!" The deputy, sheriff and corporal run over to assist Cindy. They hold her still and tilt her head back to open her air passageway. Her color starts to return. Cindy continues trembling…although the convulsing has ceased…and, her eyes are wide open; as if something had terrified her. Her breathing's still rapid; but, in the process of slowing down. They sit her up. Cindy's holding her hand over her chest as she tries to slow her breathing down. She starts shaking her head and cries, "Oh God! Oh God! No! This can't be! Oh God..." "Kiddo, its Uncle Mike; what's wrong?" It's as if she doesn't realize they're there. "No! Oh God! No! It can't be! It just can't! No!" "Hey …Kiddo…what is it?" Cindy finally acknowledges her uncle. "Oh my God, Uncle Mike; that skeleton! Oh my God!" "What?" "It's…it's…" "It's what, Kiddo?" "Oh God! Uncle Mike. That skeleton…it's…it's Mary! That's Mary Howell's skeleton."