Now I know what you’re thinking I probably live in a bad side of town with crime, but I actually moved away from that. You see I was in an abusive relationship for several years, sometimes I tell myself he beat all the good out of me, and with my current situation probably my sense as well.
I bought my house in the nice country side tucked away from the city and the busybodies, I’m only 24 but I got money from the car crash my ex almost killed me in when he had a little too much to drink.
When I moved in nobody was welcoming, you got the feel this was definitely “ old money” type of area and I just wasn’t that, I grew up warming my house with the oven when I was 5 years old waiting for my mom to come home if I was lucky enough to have power.
An older lady approached me on move in day with a pumpkin pie after all it was October, she squinted her crows feet and wrinkles looking up and me with a slight smile asking me some very invasive questions but I answered and shrugged it off as she reminded me of my grandmother.
I invited her in when she quickly said her name is Marideth and I introduced myself offering to cut her a piece of pie which was inviting the pumpkin spice filling my nostrils reminding me of a childhood I was depraved of,
Marideth asked me if I was married and I shook my head no and with that a very concerned look fell over her face saying a young lady like me shouldn’t be out here all alone, she quickly perked up and said although the sheriff lives next door on a big plot of land kept by his family before them and they had been sheriffs in this town since it became, pig farmers she said with a low voice, dirty animals I always thought she said raising her brows.
Marideth scurried off quickly after with a worrisome expression that still brings me anxiety, I’ve said all too much she said in a quivering voice and shut the door.
I unfinished packing boxes and looking around when I felt something weird under the floorboards like it was displaced I stepped on and off a few times when I decided it’s my house I can pull it up if I want so I did exactly that, under neath the floorboard was a shoebox looked like it had been brought out several times there were no cowebs or any indications, although the excitement came over me thinking it was a time capsule and how cool it would be to find one.
I was not ready for what was inside, first it was photographs of missing women with their stories attached and an old beat up diary, I’m not going to lie to you I have gotten pretty far in my life not asking questions or dig into situations, even the thought crossed my mind this could be evidence and I could’ve contaminated it, I decided to call the non emergency line and it just said to go to the sheriffs address if I had any problems,
I definitely found this weird but hey I’ve never lived in a small town and you know what they say everyone knows everyone and it’s basically a family.
It was 4pm now so I decided this was early enough in the day to drop by, I grabbed a garbage bag and carefully wrapped up the box and started walking out the door.
The sheriffs main house was only a 5 minute walk from my drive way to his so I walked and again I think it was cause I was processing what was happening, could I really be carrying a murder case in my hands right now… just the thought alone made me nauseas.
I started walking down his gravel driveway and noticed the pig farm, I love pigs and all animals for that matter, I know what you’re thinking don’t act on your invasive thoughts especially if you’re carrying a murder case on you, I’m not proud of what I did but I walked over to the barn and pig pens.
I started to hear screaming and I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me, possibly the pigs? I mean pigs make noises like that right?
I peered into the barn and that’s when I saw a woman no older than 20 held on the meat hooks with her stomach slashed open, I almost dropped everything and ran, and no not to her away from the situation and actually even packing up and moving I mean did I move next to some crazy murdering psycho?!
I was terrified whoever did this would come out and know I know plus he’s the sheriff and any other city cops are over 6 hours away and with this families reputation how would I be believed?!
I decided to back away knowing she did not see me and looked once more and she was limp with most of her bowels laying on the concrete, could I have saved her? I reassured myself the nearest hospital was 2 hours away all we had was a walk in clinic with staff that were more likely to sell you Avon and Tupperware over helping you medically.
I still couldn’t leave her like that right? I mean her family has to miss her and they deserve closure, I got in my front door and decided to look into the diary I mean could the neighbour have been involved? Did they work together? Was this planted? So many thoughts raced in my mind, I opened the diary and noticed the missing photos dates lined up with diary entries even gave an introduction.
May 1 2011: my name is Lena, I am 16 years old but always hung out with the older kids not by much only a few years, Anna became my bestfriend she’s almost 18, her parents said she’s been misbehaving and running around with boys… anne is running away when she’s 18 since the sheriff always brought her back. I don’t want anne to leave me I don’t want to be here either.
May 9th 2011: Anne didn’t show up to our prayer group today maybe she’s just feeling unwell
May 17th: Anne’s parents keep ripping down my missing photos of anne it’s been almost over a week now and I know Anne didn’t run away like they said cause she’s been keeping all her money from work in the bottom of my sock drawer.
June 20th: 3 days before Anne’s 18th birthday.. I haven’t written in a while I’ve been busy. I got the city cops hours away to do a missing persons, they even came all this way to talk to the parents, the sherif told them no worries they had it covered and have been actively looking for Anne but I know that’s a lie..
I felt sick reading this but almost a little better this was a 16 year old girls diary and all these girls must be her friends, I decided to do a quick google of the missing people in this town to see what happened to Anne but all that came up was the towns famous pork pies and blogs about how cute and cozy the b&b/ are..
I think there’s someone knocking at my door I’ll be right back