Life can be a bitch sometimes, it puts you down in order to lift you up and it lifts you up just to pull you down even harder next time. I got fired from my job on a Sunday, out of nowhere I got a call from my boss saying that they were gonna lay off a few employees and I was included in the lot, saying how sorry he was but what’s done it’s done so there’s no helping it, how magnanimous.
The next week while still job hunting I got a call from an old classmate of mine whom I haven’t spoke since we graduating, asking if I knew anyone who’d be interested in a job. My first thought was “Lucky me!” of course, I asked him for more details on it. A friend of the family had a contract with the city weeding out the canals.
For those of you who’ve never been to Florida, there are canals all across the state which work as a drainage system. There’s plenty of weeds growing at the canal trench which is basically impossible to cut with a lawn cutter do to the angle so you’d have to cut them with a crane.
Needless to say I accepted the job, although I found it a bit odd that anyone would hire some guy with no experience operating heavy machinery just like that, but there was good money to be made so that pretty much dismissed any red flags I might’ve noticed otherwise.
I showed up the next day, that’s when I meet Roger, my new boss. He showed me the ropes on how to operate the crane, the cabin with the controls was a bit cramped for two people but it didn’t took long for him to show me how to get the crane working. While he was showing me he explained that they were a few days behind since the last guy didn’t even quit, he just stopped showing up, not even to collect his payment. This should’ve been a massive red flag but once again, deaf ears. Roger showed me how to work out the crane and then he left me to it once he felt that I got the basics.
Before getting started, I looked around the inside of the crane and noticed how messy it was, almost as if the last guy had been living inside. There were cigarette butts and ashes all over the floor, cans of different energy drinks and fast food wrappers. “What a mess” - I said to myself. I looked around and found a window cleaner, a somewhat clean rag and an empty plastic bag. I started throwing all of the trash inside of that one bag and wiping down the stains every now an then while doing so. It took me about ten minutes before I was done with everything but one spot, behind the driver’s seat. I reached back and there were still even more cans, empty snack packages and… a notebook? that was odd, maybe Roger used it to keep track of the maintenance or hours? it was none of my business, even so I looked inside:
“To whoever finds this notebook, if you’re reading this it’s not too late, turn off the crane, leave and don’t look back. I can’t stress enough how serious this is. However, let me say this. This job is important and someone must fulfill the role, if not, bad things will happen. So if you decide to stay after all, there are a few things I must warn you. Most of the canals you will be working on are pretty normal and you’ll hardly notice anything out of the ordinary, but there’s a few dangerous ones, there is a book with a map of the canals in the upper compartment, I imagine Roger already showed you that much, there’s fifteen canals in total, all numbered. the ones you must watch out for are number 4, 9, 11 and 14. But keep your guard up at all of them, although it’s rare you may also run into trouble on the other canals, but it won’t happen often.”
I chuckled, thinking it was probably Roger pranking the new guy, even so, I remembered that before leaving, Roger wrote down his name and address on a slip of paper. I checked the handwriting in the slip and compared it with the one in the notebook, it was not the same. If Roger didn’t wrote this, then it must’ve been the guy I’m replacing, the one who didn’t even showed up for his wages. I let my curiosity get the best of me and keep on reading what’s left on the notebook
“I have listed some of the most important things you must remember, it is extremely important that you follow them at all times or you’ll be putting yourself and others in danger”
-Rule #1: Don’t carry ANYTHING made out of wood. If you have any wood with you at this moment open one of the windows and toss it right now. That also includes sandburrs, if you have to get out of the crane for whatever reason always check your shoes to make sure you don’t have any stuck in you.
-Rule #2: DO NOT touch the canal water at any moment, if you dropped something by accident just take the loss, don’t try to take it out, I’d suggest you avoid fishing all together in this sites but if you do it anyways you’re gonna have to be extra careful not to touch a single drop of water.
-Rule #3: If you see a dead body in the canal, just ignore it, you’ll have to pretend it’s not even there, next time you pass that same spot it will no longer be there, however, if it’s still there don’t react to it, just drive ahead for a few seconds, call the EPA to report a snakehead fish. Those “corpses” don’t reveal themselves to strangers of the canal so if it is real the EPA agent will be able to see it and report it to the police.
-Rule #4: Make sure to wipe the crane’s windows everyday, that window cleaner spray you see back there is hard to come by so try not to waste it, make sure you don’t miss a single spot when you clean the windows though.
-Rule #5: NEVER STAY PASSED SUNSET!! Make sure you’re gone before it gets dark, if by whatever reason you’re still inside the cabin once the sunlight is gone, you’ll have to spend the night inside, do not leave the cabin for anything!! keep the windows closed and make sure to wipe them every hour until sunrise.
-Rule #6: Be wary of the kids, they will try to pull tricks on you to get out of the truck or get you in some way, if they do, that will be the end of you. If you see them close the windows and keep in mind, they aren’t the same kin as you and me.
-Rule #7: If you see people taking water from the canal, reach from under your seat, you should find a purse with salt crystals, just toss one of those into the canal water and the sectists will leave. Don’t bother going after them if they happen to take some water before you throw the crystal, it’s not worth the risk, if they do come at you looking for a fight, there’s an airsoft pistol under your seat, it should be enough to keep them at a distance.
Rule #8: Use the window cleaner to heal “marks” if you get any, if they’re superficial then it should help you.
“If you break any of this rules, feel free to reach me at this number (__)_________ I will try to help you if possible, but don’t give Roger this number, if you’ve read this far it means you decided to stay under your own risk. keep your wits about you. Not everything is in the rules and you will run into things that will make you panic. As long as you’re smart about it, you’ll find a way to get through before it’s to late. Best of lucks, Jorge.“
The next few pages were sketches, I couldn’t tell you exactly what they were because I’m not sure myself. Some were things related to the rules like a guy drowning in the canal or two hooded figures gathering water with a bucket and rope. Others were sketches of people, very detailed human faces, the last few pages there were pictures of humans with animal features, was Jorge a furry? there were way too many questions at this point.
I reach for the map and look at the area I’d be working today. Canal #4, it was a fairly open space with no houses or buildings near, just a canal by an empty lot. Without thinking too much into it I dumped the book into the plastic bag with the rest of the trash and started work for the day. It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky, I could see fishes and turtles swimming across the canal. The smell of freshly cut grass invades the cabin as I move the crane along the weeds.
It hadn’t been thirty minutes into the job when a terrible chest pain hit me out of the blue. It was a piercing pain that ached my body and shortly after it slightly started going numb until I couldn’t even feel the touch of my hand over my chest. I felt something hard under my shirt, then I remembered the wooden cross necklace I carried with me at all times. I took off the necklace and noticed how ashy it had turned. The cross had some sort of green sparkles, it looked as if it had been burnt then covered with glitter. I started panicking and that when it hit me “Rule #1 DONT CARRY ANYTHING MADE OUT OF WOOD!”
I repeated loudly after the thought came to mind. It took me a few seconds to toss it out the window. I had carried that cross since my childhood, it wasn’t flashy or anything, just two wooden sticks put together, I can’t even remember where I got it but it had been with me for a long time and now it laid charred on a side of the canal. The numbing pain sensation was still there, I took off my shirt at once and noticed how a cross shaped purple mark slightly bigger than the wooden cross tainted my skin where the necklace used to be, I couldn’t even feel the touch of my finger over it, I felt the mark getting bigger and now a small purple dot had appeared on the finger which I placed over the scar, the pain hits me at once.
While panicking I reached for the plastic bag and pulled out the notebook, hoping there would be some way to stop this. “Rule #8” I yelled. Reaching for the window cleaner, opening the bottle and pouring some over my chest, the mark over my skin faded slowly but the liquid remained transparent, I put a droplet on my finger tip and once again the mark is gone. The purple mark was gone but I could notice a cross shape slightly paler than the rest of my skin where the mark used to be, the sort of pale that’s like removing a watch after a day in the sun. I looked out the window again, staring at the blackened cross, noticing how it hadn’t been just a nightmare or something.
“Should I call Roger?” I asked myself throughout the next hour. What would he be able to do anyways? he’d take me for crazy unless he knows what’s going on with these canals. I decide to re-read the rules once more, realizing only then that I didn’t wiped the windows thoroughly when I started cleaning the crane. As fast as I could I start spraying and wiping until I was sure I didn’t missed a spot. Was this some sort of holy water? I open the bottle and sniffed inside, it smelled like vinegar and rubbing alcohol “There’s gotta be something else mixed in” I thought to myself.
I still had a few more hours left for the day. Should I just quit like Jorge did? any sane person would. I was ready to turn back when I noticed two children playing catch right next to the crane, had they been there this whole time? I didn’t even noticed them until now. It hadn’t been long since the incident with the necklace and I lighted a cigarette shortly after to distract myself from what just happened.
I closed the cabin windows to spare the kids from inhaling the smoke. It caught me off guard that as soon as I closed the second window the baseball they’ve been playing with hits it spot on. Had I been a second slower it would’ve hit me right in the face. The strange thing about it was that the ball had left a black stain with a faint green sparkle glow, the same color as the cross when I removed it. I looked by the window and the two boys are staring at me dead in the eye, those bastards are smirking amply with their eyes wide open. That’s when it hit me “Rule #6.” The kids ran away with a mocking expression on their faces.
I looked through the notes again, remembering there was a phone number somewhere. As soon as I found it I sent Jorge a text explaining who I was and that I found his notebook without sharing any details of what had happened so far. Almost immediately I get a call from him.
“New guy, what canal are you working today” He asked.
“I think it’s #4 based on the map” I answer hesitantly, Jorge didn’t said anything and just stayed silent for at least a minute.
“Meet me by the burger joint across the street from the north entrance of the lot, I’ll see you at 6, make sure you finish your shift and don’t let Roger know about the notes or anything related” He hung up right after saying that.