The Thing at Wanderer's Creek

Julias mindlessly prodded the bubbling strips of bacon as they were being seared straight past what most would consider overdone. But the burnt bacon was routine for the first order of the day, which made its way onto the plate of the number seven combo, delivered to the always on time Sheriff’s Deputy Briscoe. Both the curse of being a moderately small town, and of the deputy’s graveyard shift meant that he was always the first in a seat at the bar across from the grill.

The deputy gave Julias a courteous nod as he thanked him for the breakfast plate, and turned in his seat to begin chatting up Cheryl, the owner of the diner. Julias didn’t mind the shift in attention away from him. He was never very comfortable with any social interaction, but he worked hard and Cheryl paid generously, so he did his best to make small talk. The diner was supposed to give Julias the chance to save for community college, but the longer he put off applying, the less he wanted to go.

“You been out past Wanderer’s Creek lately?” The deputy asked, catching Julias’ attention from the corner of his eye. He had hardly realized his inclusion in the conversation until he was met with the expectant stares from both Cheryl and the deputy.

“Oh, uh…not really.” Julias meekly replied, with half his attention still focused on clearing the grill top of char and grease.

“Strangest thing happened tonight…” Deputy Briscoe said, turning back to Cheryl, who was easily the more engaging party, “We got four calls tonight about run away dogs.”

“Maybe it’s a full moon!” Cheryl said with a hint of levity in her voice.

The deputy motioned with his fork when he spoke, slinging bits of scrambled eggs on the counter as he did. “All four owners chased their barking dogs right out to the edge of Wanderer’s Creek. They said it was like they were after something.” 

Julias must have furrowed his brow just enough for Deputy Briscoe to see that he had his attention. “But that ain’t even the strangest part.” He continued. It was still early enough that the sun hadn’t come up. The bright fluorescents inside the diner turned the large glass windows into mirrors against the still dark morning outside. It gave Julias an uncomfortable feeling, looking back at his own reflection, not able to see who or what was on the other side.

“When I finally made it out there…” the deputy paused and gently rubbed his fingers together as he stared blankly towards the windows, carefully calculating his next words. “…I wasn’t alone.”

“Oh come now Daniel!” Cheryl chuckled as she laid her wrinkled hand on the deputy’s shoulder. “You’ve been telling ghost stories since before you were tall enough to see my counter!”

Julias examined Deputy Briscoe’s face, waiting to see him throw his serious expression for a wide-mouthed grin in acknowledgment of his attempt at a scary joke. But the deputy didn’t start laughing. Instead, he placed his own hand over Cheryl’s as he looked her in the eyes.

“There was something out there tonight.” He said.

Quite suddenly, the front door burst open, smacking the mounted bell and causing Cheryl to gasp in surprise. A messy haired teenage boy in jeans and his un-scuffed high school letterman’s jacket walked in with a girl in tow.  Julias thought he recognized the boy from high school a few years back, although he was clearly older now.  Probably a senior, he thought.  The two giggling teens found their own way to a corner booth just out of sight from the bar where Julias and the deputy were. Cheryl had already made her way over to them with a glass of water in each hand and two menus tucked under her right arm.  The teens looked more as if this was the end of a very long night rather than the start of an early day.

Julias’ attention turned back to the deputy who had a troubled look on his face. 

“What was it?” Julias asked.

“Huh?” the deputy said as he looked up at Julias. “What was what?”

“The thing…at the creek?” 

Deputy Briscoe slowly began shaking his head. “Honestly? I’m not sure I believe what I saw.” 

“One large stack, Jules” Cheryl said as she past by Julias on her way to the back office. Julias grabbed a pitcher of batter and poured out three large spots on the grill. His attention was focused more on the deputy’s strange story than the teenager’s pancake order.

“What was it?” Julias asked again, “What did you see?”

The teenagers were not so quietly laughing in their booth. Arguably being more handsy than was probably appropriate in public. Julias ignored them, and continued working the grill, continually glancing back at the deputy’s troubled look as he went on to tell Julias more about what he had seen earlier that evening.

The deputy told Julias about the heavy fog that hugged the weedy ground just past the trail head. Julias knew that area well from a few unsanctioned summer bonfires he used to attend. The road out there was dangerous enough without the fog causing low visibility. Julias could still hear his father telling him not to go near the creek at night, but he knew it had nothing to do with the road conditions. His father would tell him about the many people who had gone missing out there over the years. An urban legend that Julias had only recently began to question, realizing it was likely just a story that parents used to keep their kids in line. Yet, as the deputy kept talking, Julias could feel the fear he felt about that place as a child slowly returning as the stories were being brought back to life in his mind.

“I was just about to head back to my vehicle when something in the beam of my flashlight caught my eye.” The deputy recounted.

“It was big. Really big.” He said as his eyes darted back and forth, clearly reliving the moment.

“And it moved so fast!” 

Julias flipped the pancake stack onto a plate and quickly stepped around corner to deliver it. The two teenagers were so deeply enthralled in each other that they only broke their embrace as Julias loudly dropped the plate in front of them. The boy chuckled, “Thanks man” without even looking away from his date.

“So where did it go?” Julias asked as he made it back behind the counter.

“I couldn’t tell ya.” The deputy said. “I know it was just nerves, but I could have sworn I saw the thing…running.”

“Running, where?”

Deputy Briscoe bit his top lip before he answered, “Through the trees. Along side my car as I drove away.”

Even with his back to the searing grill top, Julias felt a cold sweat at the top of his neck as he listened to the deputy’s story. Julias’ next question was on the tip of his tongue as he rubbed it nervously against the front of his teeth, not sure if he was ready to hear the answer.

“Where did you drive to next?” Julias asked, not breaking his expectant stare at the deputy.

Silently, the deputy turned his head, looking back at the large windowpanes at the front of the store. Julias met his eyes in the reflection, and knew that neither of the two of them were looking at each other. 

They were looking at the eyes watching them from the other side.