Mystery on Treetop Lane

    Penny and I loved to take off shopping, especially during the holidays. The Halloween season was fast approaching, and there was a lot to work out. Every year we host an old school Halloween event, with all the traditional favorites. Apple bobbing, tasty apple cider, a Halloween costume contest, Mrs. Witard’s sugary cookies formed into ghosts and goblins, Mrs. Grunlee’s pumpkin pie and Halloween themed games, are all a part of the festivities.

    We went from one end of Blairsville to the other collecting items for the special evening. Not finding everything we needed, we had to drive to the neighboring town of Tiden. We chose the perfect decorative pieces for my backyard.

    Penny pulled in her driveway, and we were so tired that I understood why she didn't ask me to come inside. We said goodbye and I walked across the street to m house.

    We had eaten while we were out, but I was hungry, so I ate my extra freed from Asian Moon’s. The food was delicious, but it made me even sleepier, so I took a nap.

    Waking up refreshed, I decided to look through our Halloween finds. Apples-check, ingredients for apples-check, decorative pieces-check, Oh no! I thought. We had no prizes for the costume contest! How could we forget that? Well, Penny or I would have to get it on our own. But before I volunteered to go myself, I wanted to ask Penny if she needed to go back into town.

    I walked across the street and knocked on Penny’s door. After a bit, a strange man opened the door. He had the most evil look on his face and his eyes seemed to stare straight to my soul. I was taken aback. When I gained my composure, I asked if Penny was home. The man looked at me like I was crazy, saying in a deep voice,

“She lives here no more.” I yelled,

“Yes she does! She's my best friend and I was with her just today!" He said again in his deep voice,

“She has been dead ten years, but come in, look around, see for yourself”.

“I certainly will!”

I walked in slowly, but deliberately, looking around at all the unfamiliar furniture, strange paintings, and decorative pieces. In the living room, were children that I didn’t recognize watching TV and playing video games? A man and woman that I didn't know were in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH PENNY!”? I screamed. The woman in the kitchen came over to me and asked me to down on the unfamiliar couch. She held my hand and asked if she could help me. I didn't know what to say. I just sat there. She said, "Maybe we should take you to a hospital. You don't see to know what's going on."

    I ran out of the house as quickly as possible. When I got back to my house, I called Penny’s number on my phone, but instead of Penny’s sweet voice, I received a disconnect notice. This can’t be true."  I thought to myself, crying. I called my husband at work, and he tried to reassure me, but I don’t think he believed me.

    "Maybe it's time to call the police to repot them - But for what? Being imposters? Killing Penny. For making me feel crazy? Well I had no other choice. My hands were shaking as I dialed the number

“Blairsville Police Department, can I help you?” a lady with a pleasant voice answered.

I didn’t know what to say, but I sputtered out-

“Please come to 214 Treetop Lane. People are at my friend Penny’s house. They are saying she has been dead for 10 years, but I was just with her today".

“Calm down Ma'am, We will send a police officer right away."

    I was determined to talk with the police when they arrived and I was in luck because the police car had just pulled up. I went over to the car and introduced myself. He introduced himself as sergeant Bullard and advised me to go back to my house in case of immediate danger. So I waited at my house, being cautious, looking out the window and hoping this mystery gets solved. I could see him chatting with the man that answered the door, and then he walked inside. I’m guessing he was looking for any kind of evidence that would prove that Penny actually lives there. He came out of Penny’s house and walked across the street to my house. After greeting him, he said there is much to investigate, and I should not engage in conversation with them. He said he is going to do a background check on all the people in the house and check with the bank to see the last time Penny had used her bankcard. Thinking to myself, “It’s to see if she was still alive". It will take a little time,” he said. Then he would get back to me. As I closed my door, I realized that I must have been in shock. This was all too much. I was not going to let this happen. I would begin my own investigation in the morning.

    I didn’t get much sleep, worrying about Penny. How was she? Was she safe? What about the people in the house? Who are they? What did they do with Penny? Why are they in her house? If there was one thing I knew, Penny wasn’t dead, not now, or ten years ago. I began thinking about how I was going to investigate, and whom I needed to speak with about Penny’s disappearance. The next morning I got up determined to find the answer. I got my binoculars and set up in my bedroom, so I could see Penny’s house directly in front of me. I didn’t care if they saw me or not. This is about Penny. - Not the strangers in her house.

    It had been two hours with no improvement of ay kind, until I see the mail carrier coming down the street. I hurry to get outside fast enough to speak with him. I introduced myself. He said his name was Clint Pedy, and he was replacing the regular mail carrier for the day. I explained the situation to him and asked him if he could tell me the name of the people that get their mail at 214 Treetop Lane. Of course he said, “It was confidential." I asked him if he could tell me if there was anything he could do, almost begging. He said,

“What I can do is tell you it's Penny's name at the address or not." I agreed. He looked in his mailbag and finds the mail for the address. After looking at it for a while, he then tells me,

Ma’am, this mail is not addressed to Penny Parsons.” I said,

“Let me see."

“Now ma’am, you know I can't do that."

“Let me guess, she’s been deceased for ten years, right?"

    “Great! Now she thinks I'm crazy too! No, This whole town is crazy." I went back inside, fetched my keys and my purse got in my car and drove to Penny’s job. She was a receptionist at Whole Life Insurance Company in downtown Blairsville.

    When I arrived, a young slender woman with long hair and small features was sitting at the reception desk. I had become used to this by now. In her sweet voice, she asked,

“Can I help you?” Here I go again.

“Where's Penny?" She gets a confused look on her face. “Penny?" She said,

“I don’t know what you mean."

“PENNY PARSONS WORKS HERE EVERY DAY! WHO ARE YOU AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?”

“My name is Stephanie, and I have worked here for five years." I said,

“And let me guess, she died five years before that, right?” By this time, she appeared to be fearful and shaken. I calmed down and asked to talk to the agent, Lindsay Turker. She replied in a still, quiet voice,

“She's out today. I said,

“Of course she is”, and walked out angrily.

    I’m hoping this stop will be different. Penny and I want to school with Susie, who owns Cutter Up Hair Salon. She is our stylist and also our friend. Maybe she can shed some light on this mystery. So when I get there, Susie says,

“Hey girl, how are you?”

“When was the last time you cut Penny’s hair?” An elderly woman in the corner who was shampooing someone, suddenly said,”

“Penny, Penny. I remember her. She was a nice lady." By now I don’t care. I said,

“Really?” I turned to Susie and said,

“You of all people, Susie. I never thought you would do me this way. Susie seemed like she did not know what to say. Then she said,

It was so sad when Susie died.” I said excitedly,

Oh really Susie? Just how did she die?” Susie said,

It was never talked about. To this day, no one knows. I attended the funeral. It was so sad. Pastor Tom Brooks from First Church of Blairsville spoke. It was very touching. The choir sang Amazing Grace and that nice lady that always sings in church, sang I Can Only Imagine.”

“STOP!" I screamed, and ran out in a frantic mess.

I don’t know how I got home. I must have driven like a mad, crazy person. Oh, I thought, I am a mad crazy person.

When I arrived home, Officer Bullard was in my driveway. I was in no mood to talk to anyone at this point. He got out of is car and started walking towards me. I stayed in my car. He approached my window and said,

“I have ran all of the background checks and have found some interesting information about the strange man at Penny's house. I need you to walk with me across the street so you can identify him". “Finally we are getting somewhere,” I thought.

    We walked across He Street and knocked on Penny’s door. The strange man with the deep voice answered the door. Sergeant Bullard asked me if this was the same man that I saw yesterday. I replied, “It is.” Officer Bullard said he had some information that might be helpful. He pulled out a rolled yellow paper and slowly opened it up for me to view. He gave it to me and said, “I thought you would like to see this." The paper read:

WANTED

Strange Man With A Deep Voice

For:

Believing In,

Participating In,

Taking Great Pride In

…….............

HALLOWEEN PRANKS

YOU

Have Been Pranked

    With that, Penny and all the others came out from other rooms where they were hiding. I hugged Penny tightly. Just knowing Penny was all right was enough. We spent the evening listening to how the prank came together. I was so glad it was over…that is until next Halloween, when Penny gets her payback. (Evil laugh).