Post by Tim on Dec 7, 2017 0:27:30 GMT -5
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While the Canadian province of Ontario exists, the town of Milner’s Corner and the Hawkins River exist only in the mind of the author. Although the events of this story are purely fictional, the murder victim and the details of her murder are based on a real life incident that happened in an Ontario town in 1985. Thankfully, the killer was subsequently arrested. In early 1986 he was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison.
WARNING: This story contains scenes of graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
THE PLACE: MILNER’S CORNER, ONTARIO, CANADA
THE DATE: DECEMBER 18, 2012
THE DATE: DECEMBER 18, 2012
Wow, Beth sure wasn’t kidding when she said this was a small town. Sarah Hopper thought as she walked over the bridge that ran over the Hawkins River. It was the Christmas break, and the twenty-one year old brunette was in the small town of Milner’s Corner, Ontario, to visit the home of her new friend, Beth McBride. The two young woman had become friends while attending Ottawa University, both were the same age and shared similar interests, and Beth suggested that Sarah come visit and meet her family during the Christmas break. Sarah was looking over the river, when her cell phone rang. Quickly, she answered it: “Hello?”
“Hi Sarah.” Beth’s voice replied: “Did you get in on time?”
“Yeah, I did.” Sarah said: “Where are you, Beth?”
“Well that is what I’m calling about.” Beth replied: “My brother and his family just arrived and my Mom insisted we have a family brunch together. That means I won’t be able to meet you for an hour or so.”
“I see.” Sarah said: “I guess family obligations do come first.”
“Listen, Sarah, there is a Burger King on Main Street. Can you find your way there?”
“Yeah, no problem.” Sarah answered.
“Well why don’t I meet you there.” Beth suggested: “I’ll call when I’m leaving home.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Sarah replied: “I’m sure I can find something to occupy my time while I wait.”
“Good, see you later, Sarah.”
“Right.” Sarah said and ended the call. Now to find a way to kill an hour. Sarah thought to herself.
Some time later, Sarah entered a small park, that ran beside the Hawkins River. The park seemed remote and out of the way. A long deserted railway embankment ran along the far edge of the park, and, according to Beth, no train had run on those tracks for at least half-a-century. Hmmmm, I guess not too many people come here. Sarah thought. She wandered along, looking at the river, and didn’t see the young girl until she practically bumped into her. Where the heck did she come from? Sarah thought to herself. “Hello.” Sarah said to the girl.
“Hello.” the girl replied back. She had dark, curly hair, and appeared to be in her mid-teens.
“My name is Sarah.” Sarah said, sticking out her hand.
“I’m Heather.” the girl replied, taking Sarah’s hand.
“Sorry about that, Heather.” Sarah said: “However, I didn’t see you until just now. Where did you come from?”
“Nowhere. I was here all along.” Heather replied.
“Really, I guess my head must have been in the clouds.” Sarah said: “Because I sure didn’t see you there a second ago.”
“Some people see me, while others don’t.” Heather said enigmatically.
What? Sarah thought. “So, Heather, do you live here in Milner’s Corner?”
“I used to.” Heather replied: “I love this town and everyone in it. I hated having to leave my family and friends, but I didn’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, it sucks when you’re uprooted from everything you know.” Sarah said, nodding her head in agreement. When she was little, her father had been in the Canadian Army, so Sarah spend much of her childhood moving around, as her father went from one assignment to another.
“Still, I visit.” Heather said slowly.
“Well, when you get older, Heather, you can always move back here permanently.” Sarah pointed out.
“If only that were so.” Heather replied, a sad look coming over her face.
Huh? What does THAT mean? the puzzled Sarah thought. However, before she could pursue the matter further, her cell phone rang again. “Sorry, Heather, I have to take this.” Sarah said and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi Sarah, it’s me.” Beth said: “I’m leaving for the Burger King now.”
“Okay, Beth, I’ll be there soon.” Sarah said and hung up. She noticed that Heather seemed fascinated by the cell phone. “What is it, Heather?” Sarah asked.
“That device you have in your hand.” Heather said: “It’s amazing how much technology has changed since 1984.”
1984? Sarah thought: What does that have to do with anything? This is strange, very strange!
“Is something wrong, Sarah?” Heather asked.
“Uh, no. Everything is okay.” Sarah said: “Listen, Heather, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go meet a friend now.”
“I understand.” Heather replied: “Perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Sarah said. After saying good bye to Heather, Sarah began walking out of the park. However, before she got five feet, she began to think: So what if this Heather girl is a little strange, she seems nice. I think I’ll invite her to join me and Beth for lunch. With that, Sarah turned and began to speak: “Say, Heather, why don’t you...” she trailed off when she saw that Heather was nowhere to be seen. “What the heck? Where did she go?” Sarah said as she looked all around the park, but there was no sign of Heather. How the heck did she get out of my sight so fast? Shrugging her shoulders, Sarah headed off to meet Beth for lunch, but was unable to get the strange encounter with Heather out of her thoughts.
“Sarah, are you okay?” Beth asked once the two of them had finished their lunch at Burger King: “You seem distracted.” The young redhead had noticed that Sarah seemed to be lost in thought.
“Well something weird happened to me, Beth, before I came to meet you here.” Sarah said and went on to describe her encounter with Heather. After Sarah had finished her story, she noticed that Beth had a strange look in her eyes. “Beth, what is it?” Sarah asked.
“Come with me. I think I can tell you what is going on here.” Beth said. She got up out of the booth and Sarah followed her.
Beth led Sarah to the Milner’s Corner Public Library, which was located just down the street. “What were looking for should be here.” Beth said: “The library has all the articles from our town newspaper in their computer database.”
“Beth, what’s going on?” Sarah asked: “What is this all about?”
“I’ll show you.” Beth replied and sat down at one of the computer terminals. Soon she began punching up information. “Ah, here we are. Take a look at this, Sarah.” Beth said as she got up from the terminal.
“Okay.” Sarah said and sat down. Beth had pulled up a newspaper article from December of 1984. Twenty-eight years ago. Sarah thought and began to read the article in question:
SLAYING OF POPULAR TEEN OUTRAGES TOWN
The small town of Milner’s Corner was shocked at the brutal rape and murder of 16-year-old Heather MacDonald, a popular Grade 11 student. Heather’s lifeless body was found in a small park by the Hawkins River. An autopsy later determined that Heather had been raped and then brutally stabbed to death.
“Huh, I don’t understand.” Sarah said to Beth.
“Look at the picture of the murder victim.” Beth replied, pointing to the picture of a teenage girl that was included in the article.
“Okay, I....” Sarah began, but then her voice died in her throat when she saw the picture. The murdered girl, Heather MacDonald, and the mysterious young girl, Heather, that Sarah had met in the park were the same person, even down to the dark, curly hair.
“The park you said you met Heather in, that’s where the murder took place, twenty-eight years ago.” Beth said.
“So what you’re saying is that... I met.. I met a ghost?” Sarah asked.
“Yep.” Beth replied: “You’re not the first one, Sarah. Many times over these past decades, people have reported meeting Heather in that park.”
“But how, and why?” Sarah asked slowly.
“Who knows.” Beth replied: “Heather did love this town, so perhaps she just doesn’t want to leave.”
“That’s what she said to me.” Sarah said: “She hated to leave her family and friends.” Sarah paused for thought: “Did they ever find out who killed her?”
“No.” Beth said, shaking her head: “They never found the killer. Maybe that’s another reason Heather remains here, she is waiting for justice. Hopefully, some day, that justice will happen. Who can say? Let’s head out.”
“Hang on, Beth, I want to read more about Heather.” Sarah said and turned back to the computer: “Hmmmm, it seems Heather was a student councillor, an athlete, and she even taught Sunday School at her Church.”
“Yeah, from what I understand, Heather was a very popular girl.” Beth replied: “She didn’t seem to have any enemies. That is why the police think it was a random act. Heather was just in the wrong place and the wrong time”
“I guess so.” Sarah said, nodding her head. The two women soon left the library and were walking down the street: “Beth, do you know anything about Heather’s family?”
“A little.” Beth answered: “She had an older brother named Thomas. I think he’s in the Navy now, and stationed in Halifax. Her parents still live here in Milner’s Corner. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just curious.”
“You and many others. Apparently anyone who claimed to have met Heather in the park has asked about her.” Beth said.
“It’s just a shame there never found her killer.” Sarah said with anger: “Anyone who would rape and kill a nice girl like Heather does not deserve to be walking around free.”
“I agree. However, there really wasn’t much to go on. The police did all they could, but so many people had come and gone from the scene after Heather’s body was found. The tracks of the killer were wiped out. As for physical evidence, there really wasn’t much to help the police, don’t forget that this was before DNA testing came into common use. Finally, there were no witnesses to the crime itself.”
“Yeah, I guess....” Sarah began, and then realized something: “Hang on, Beth, there is a witness: Heather herself!”
“Huh?” Beth asked.
“Why don’t we go to the park and see if we can contact Heather. She could tell us what happened.”
“Sarah, I don’t know if this will work.” Beth pointed out.
“Well it’s worth a try. Let’s go!” Sarah said and quickly headed back towards the small park, with Beth following close behind.
The small park was quiet and empty when Sarah and Beth arrived and began to slowly look around. “So what do we do now, Sarah?” Beth asked.
“I really don’t know.” Sarah replied: “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Do you really think that Heather could help solve the case?”
“It’s possible.” Sarah replied: “I remember seeing a case on one of those crime shows, Unsolved Mysteries or America’s Most Wanted, I can’t remember which one for sure. Anyway, the case was about the ghost of a murder victim who returned and helped lead police to her own killer.”
“I thought the legal system didn’t recognize the existence of ghosts.” Beth said.
“Well, it never really got that far.” Sarah said: “Once the police confronted the killer, he confessed to the crime. So he was arrested right there and then.”
“So you hope that something like that will happen here?”
“Yep.” Sarah replied and then called out: “Heather! Are you here? We want to help you! Heather, can you hear me!?”
“I don’t know if...” Beth began and then broke off when she saw that she and Sarah were no longer alone. In a split second, Heather had appeared in front of them. Well, I’ll be damned! Beth thought to herself.
“Well, Heather, you said we might meet again.” Sarah said as she turned to face the teenaged spirit: “Here we are.”
“Please don’t try to help me.” Heather said sadly: “No one can.”
“Why do you say that, Heather?” Beth asked.
“Although time no longer has any meaning for me, I am aware of the passage of the years. Twenty-eight years is a long time.” Heather replied.
Whoa! Sarah thought. The revelation brought all conversation to a halt for a moment as Sarah and Beth took in what Heather had told them. For Heather, time has virtually stood still for more than two decades. Sarah continued to think: Everyone Heather went to high school with are now approaching middle age. Some of them may even have children that are the same age as Heather was when she died. In fact, when Heather was alive, Beth and I weren’t even born yet. After a few moments of silence, Sarah said: “None the less, Beth and I will try to help you, Heather. At least we can get justice for you.”
“How?” asked Heather.
“Okay, first of all, we need you to tell us what happened on the night you were... The night that...” Sarah broke off, looking for the right words.
“Your last night as a mortal.” Beth supplied.
“Very well.” Heather replied and proceeded to tell her story...
***FLASHBACK: DECEMBER 6, 1984***
“So if there is no further business on the agenda, I declare this meeting closed.” Doug Gharman, the President of the Milner’s Corner High School student council said. All around the table, everyone agreed.
Finally. Heather MacDonald thought. Although she enjoyed her duties as a student councillor, sometimes it did get tiring, like now, when the meetings ran late. It’s after five. I better get going. With that thought, Heather soon headed for her locker, got her jacket on, and was soon out in the school parking lot. She hadn’t gotten far when a car pulled up beside her. The window opened and Emily Packard, a fellow student councillor and a friend of Heather’s, popped her head out. “Hi Emily.” Heather said.
“Hi Heather.” Emily replied. She was not alone in the car, three other student councillors were with her. They were busy listening to the car radio, from which the voice of Bruce Springsteen blasted out his song, Born In The U.S.A.
“So, what are you up to?” Heather asked.
“We’re heading for Burger King, for a post meeting meal. Would you like to join us, Heather?”
“Oh, I’d love to, Emily.” Heather replied: “However, I still have some Sunday School lessons to revise. I’ve been putting that off all week now.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll see you later then.” Emily said, smiling.
“Yeah, take care.” Heather replied and watched as the car drove away. Sometimes I think I should cut back on my extracurricular activities, maybe I’d have more time to relax. Heather thought as she started to walk home: Maybe I’ll take Mike up on his dinner offer. Mike Baker was a student who had several classes with Heather and was a friend. However, it was clear that he was interested in becoming more than just friends with Heather. The two of them had already casually dated once, going to the movies to see The Terminator some weeks back. More recently, Mike had asked Heather out to dinner, and Heather had replied with a maybe, so the door was clearly open. Yes, I think I will take Mike up on his offer. I’ll call him when I get home. These thoughts kept Heather occupied as she made her way home through Milner’s Corner. It was a relatively quiet evening and Heather was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her. It was only when she reached the small park that ran alongside the Hawkins River, not far from her home, that she turned around to see who was following her. “Who’s there?” Heather asked as she saw a figure approaching her.
“Relax, it’s just me. It’s Derek Norton.” The tall, blonde, boy stepped out of the darkness. Derek was the captain of the school football team and a known braggart.
“Jeez, Derek, you scared the crap out of me!” Heather snapped: “What are you doing lurking in the shadows?”
“Take it easy, Heather. I just want to know if you’ve changed your mind about going out with me.”
“Sorry, Derek, but my answer is still no.” Heather replied, hoping Derek would take the hint and go away: “I’m just not interested.” She added in her mind: Besides, I already have plans with someone else.
“Why not!?” Derek bleated: “Most girls would kill to go out with me.”
“Well, I’m not most girls. Now if you’ll excuse me, Derek, I have to go.” With that, Heather turned and began to walk away, but Derek quickly grabbed her arm.
“What’s the matter?” Derek snarled: “I’m not good enough for you? Don’t forget, my Dad is Mayor of this town!”
“That does not give you the right to push people around.” the now angry Heather replied: “Now let go of my arm!” Heather could now smell alcohol on Derek’s breath. Obviously, he’d had a few drinks after leaving school, despite being under age.
“Not yet, bitch!” Derek snapped and before Heather realized what was happening, he swung his fist around and hit her in the side of the head. Dazed, Heather collapsed into his arms and Derek carried her farther into the park, away from the road. When they had reached the far end of the park, near the old railway embankment, Derek threw Heather onto the ground. “Okay, you stuck up bitch! Let’s see how much you can really take from a true man!” he snarled. With that, Derek began to unzip his pants.
“No.” Heather moaned, seeing what was coming, but still too dazed to do anything about it. She tried to get up, but Derek quickly grabbed her and hit her again. Heather sank back down, the pain almost causing her to pass out. She felt Derek pulling her pants down.
“Okay, time to take your medicine!” Derek said as he began to do the unspeakable, he forced himself on Heather.
Oh God! NO!! Heather screamed in her mind. She wanted to scream and cry out, but Derek kept one gloved hand clamped over her mouth and partly over her nose. Heather could barely breathe, let alone call for help. Waves of pain flowed through her as Derek violated her, clearly enjoying himself. After what seemed like hours, Derek withdrew from her and stood up, pulling his pants up. Heather’s body was racked with pain from Derek’s brutal assault.
“Hope you enjoyed it.” Derek said sarcastically.
“Damn you!” Heather moaned as she got slowly to her feet and pulled her own pants up: “You won’t get away with this, Derek. I’ll tell my family, my friends, anyone who’ll listen, about what you did to me tonight!”
“You’ll tell no one!” Derek snarled. Before Heather realized what was happening, Derek had pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the upper right chest. Heather felt the blade go right through her. The world became all fuzzy as she slid to the ground. She half-saw Derek, the bloody knife in his hands, slowly backing away. Soon he broke into a full run and was gone.
My God, I’ve got to get out of here! Heather thought desperately. Slowly, she managed to get onto her hands and knees and begin to crawl back towards the road. Must keep going! Must keep going! Heather thought, over and over again. She barely felt the pain in her chest, she barely felt her life’s blood ebbing away, the shock had locked her mind into this one pattern. She managed to almost make it back to the road when her strength gave out. She collapsed into the snow and lay there, soaked in her own blood. Soon the chill of winter gave way to a feeling of warmth and peace as hypothermia set in. I think I’ll just close my eyes and sleep. Just for a little while. Heather thought. For a while, the world went away. Suddenly, Heather’s awareness returned and she found herself standing up. Huh? What happened? she thought, before looking down on the ground. It didn’t take Heather long to realize that she was staring down at her own dead body. That’s me! What is going on? The next few hours were surreal. As Heather looked on, she saw a passing car stop and two people get out and approach her body. She tried to speak to them, but then seemed unable to see or hear her. Soon an ambulance was called and soon after, the police arrived. Heather soon realize that life as a mortal was now over and a new existence had begun.
***FLASHBACK ENDS***
“...and that’s how it happened.” Heather concluded.
“My God.” Beth said, slowly shaking her head: “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, Heather. I am so sorry.”
“So am I.” Sarah added: “That is why I’m going to help you, Heather. No matter what!”
“Thank you both.” Heather replied: “I think I’d like to be alone for a while now. I’ll return later.” With those words, Heather slowly faded away, leaving Sarah and Beth behind.
“So do you know anything about that Derek Norton guy that Heather mentioned?” Sarah asked.
“A little.” Beth replied: “He’s on the Town Council now. Some say that he may run for Mayor in the next election.” Beth went on to explain that Derek’s father, Ralph Norton, had been Mayor for years, including the year that Heather was killed. There had been rumours of Ralph taking bribes from shady characters and businesses, but nothing had ever been proven, and Ralph remained Mayor of Milner’s Corner until his death by a heart attack in 1994.
“Hmmmm, I think I’m beginning to see a pattern here.” Sarah said: “I think it’s likely that Ralph helped Derek cover up the crime.”
“What do you mean, Sarah?”
“Well if what you told me is true, Ralph was not above bending a few rules to stay on top. Did he have any other children besides Derek?”
“No.” Beth replied, shaking her head: “From what I understand, Ralph’s wife left him soon after Derek was born. He never remarried.”
“Well, then more than convinced that Ralph did help his son elude justice.” Sarah concluded.
“Well even if he did, we have no proof.” Beth replied: “We can’t just go accusing a public official of murder without proof.”
“I know.” Sarah said, and began to think. Soon an idea came to her: “However, I do have a plan. It’s risky, but it just might work.”
“What is it?” The curious Beth asked.
“Listen.” Sarah said and began to lay out her plan.
