There's Something Down There

By G. B. Mattern

A Pond.

A Legend.

A Dark Spirit...

There's Something Down There

• Language: English
• Publisher: Invoke Books
• Release date: Jul 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463399729

G. B. Mattern

New from G.B. Mattern

Book preview

THERE’S SOMETHING DOWN THERE

G. B. Mattern

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between real life events and people, and the events within this product are purely coincidental.

Invoke Books

Print and Digital Editions

Copyright 2019

Discover new and exciting works published by Invoke Books at

InvokeBooks.com

Print and Digital Edition, License Notes

This print/ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This print/ebook may not be re-sold, bartered, barrowed or loaned to others. Thank you for respecting the work of this and all Invoke Books authors.

Pat and Sally, huddling in a group of east-siders who were transfixed, listening to Bub Wilber. They all had awestruck looks on their faces; wide-eyed, mouths open, as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. I walked over to the group to find out what it was all about. Bub was talking a mile-a-minute and he, too, had a look of incredulousness on his face―like even he couldn’t believe what he was telling them.

Hi guys. I interrupted. Their astounded faces had definitely piqued my curiosity. What’s going on?

Did you hear about Floyd Wilcox? asked Sally.

No, I said. What happened?

Bub jumped back into the conversation, Floyd’s in the hospital. He almost drowned in Brick Pond over the weekend. He is in St. Joseph’s Hospital, suffering delirium. He keeps kicking the bed sheets as if he were trying to get away from something. When his mother tried to comfort him he pushed her, hard, and yelled, Get away from me! Get away! He was hysterical. His mother and father are beside themselves with worry. The doctors at the hospital tell them Floyd will snap out of it, but it will take time. Bub was nearly breathless.

Wow, I mumbled. Poor Floyd.

Floyd Wilcox was our star football player. He was fair, had a round, full face, was solidly built, about five foot eleven, and, according to our senior yearbook, The Torch, a hard-driving back―one of the big three on the gridiron. He had mischievous blue eyes that twinkled when he grinned, a few adorable freckles on his cheeks, and he kept his thick brown hair crew cut. He was somewhat of an exhibitionist, though, and never missed an opportunity to grab the spotlight, singing, or joking when he was in a crowd. But he was a strong athlete, and a strong swimmer. Was he being a showoff at the pond and something went terribly wrong, I wondered?

The bell rang, startling us, and we all dashed to our home rooms. One more week of Regents; the New York State Final Examinations all high school seniors must take, and pass, in order to graduate—then the awful wait for our marks and finally, graduation!

I was trying to keep my mind on the curriculum, but I couldn’t help thinking about Floyd—and, something else. I started thinking about an old wives’ tale about the Brick Pond. Something about the pond being cursed?