The Crooked Man.

Chapter One~ David Hoover

"Phew! Finally things look tidy in here!" Paul sat down on the dusty chair wiping his sweat off his wet forehead. "That should be that. Is there anything else we could help you with David?" Marion said with her hands behind her back looking anxious to do something to help.

David brushed his hair back and smirked. "Nah, I'm fine. Thank you guys for helping me move..." David  looking around the apartment like he was a child in a toy store. "But thanks for showing me the place, Paul! I'll have to pay you back sometime." Paul blushed a bit and threw his fist in the air.

"Oh nice! The three of us could all go out drinking!" Paul raised his wallet in the air jumping up and down obnoxiously until Marion slapped his hand down.

Marion grinned and sighed. "I look forward to it. Well, We better be going."

David smiled to them both. "Got it. Be careful you two." Marion and Paul left David in his new apartment. David sighed and looked around his new home more. He was impressed. He noticed something on the wooden table he had just bought earlier and leaned in closer to see what it was.

"Hm. Sheesh. Paul forgot his licence... Maybe I could still catch up to him." David opened his kitchen door and down the hallway. His hand flicked on the door knob. he stopped and hear a notice.

 "Jesus this place is filthy!" A familiar voice was heard outside David's door. "He wanted to move for a change of pace! And that will not help him. You hear?" It sounded like Marion's voice. "Pssh, What could I do? David isn't the richest guy you know...Poor guy can't even afford a lot of furniture.."

Damn Paul...

"Well, I'm sorry I just wanna help him out..." Marion said probably feeling bad. "Gah. Let's just go...We'll visit another time." The voices grew farther away. 

David sighs and removes his hand from the golden knob. "Forget it. I better just go to bed." David walked into his bedroom with his black stripped boxers and a simple black t-shirt, He fell onto the bed and fell asleep instantly. 

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A silent weep is heard down the corridor into David's bedroom. "Gah...Is someone crying? I can't sleep through this..."  David threw on tan pants and a leather jacket and zipped out the door heading down the hallway. "First day I move in and I already have a complaint to the neighbors..." 

The cries continued and David stopped to the last door of the hallway. Room 206. David banged on the door. A women's voice was heard on the other side of the door. "Yes? What do you want at this time of the night? Better be pretty damn important..." 

She seems grumpy, Well who could blame her?

"Oh uhm, Well I can hear you crying from here to my room...Could you please stop?" David felt awkward. He felt like he was alone like nobody heard the cries as well. 

"What do you mean? I was asleep until YOU woke me up! Are you trying to start something with me young man?" The women now sounded furious. She was probably an older women. 

"Ehh...Sorry for waking you. Bye now!" David walked down the hall back to his room thinking how stupid he was. "The rooms are pretty far apart. More importantly, It was a man's cries..."

David swung open the door and heard water running. "Huh? What's that sound?" David rushed to the bathroom and the faucet had busted. David twisted the knob and sighed. "What in the world.." David hand seen a message on the mirror saying. 'Under The Bad.' David felt his hands shake. There was only one thing to do. 

As David walked into his bedroom with the flashlight. He lifted up the bedsheets that were covering the bottom of the bed. There was a scarp of paper that was ripped out of a notebook. David read to himself. "Ever since she went away, I've spent every night clutching my sweaty pillow and writhing. I can't say goodbye. What other choice do I have?" David went silent for a moment.

"What the...What is this? Did the formal tenant leave this?" David rolled his eyes and threw the paper on the coffee table. "Whatever, I might as well get some sleep.." David rolled back in bed and slept like a rock.

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Early that morning. David was at the hospital walking down the hallway to the room he had always been going to for the past months. David made it to the room and smiled at the older women lying in the bed weakly. 

David walked closer to the bed and took the women's hand. "Mom...It's been a while, Are you doing okay?" No response for a moment. Then the women slowly looked over at David grinning. "Oh my, Well if it isn't little Timmy! My haven't you grown." She seemed excited to see, David. "Good you look healthy. Sorry I can't see you much. I've been busy with work and all...But I moved into a nice apartment building! It's near your favorite cake shop too! So when you get better...We can live there together.." David felt his heart start to race.

"My that's wonderful, Get along with Linda won't you? The fights that you have worries me Timmy..." She seemed confused. 

"Mom! I'm not Timmy! I'm your son David! Don't you remember?..." David clutched his mothers hand feeling heart broken. "Oh yes, They opened a new bakery the other day...My is smells wonderful!" The room was silent for the first time. "Mom..." The women looked at David startled. "Oh, Who might you be? Why are you here?" David was speechless. "Who are you!? Say something will you!" He managed to stutter the word. "M-Mo..."

Before David could finish. His mother leap out of bed and started to yell at David moving closer to attack him. "Get out!! I'll have you throw out!! SOMEONE HELP! THERE IS A STRANGE MAN IN MY ROOM! GET RID OF HIM!!" Her yells were so loud it was heard from down the hall. The nurse came in and ran to the patient. "Mrs. Hoover!" Two other doctors came in and helped David's mom back into bed. "I'm sorry David...You'll have to leave for today. We'll handle your mother from here."

"U-Understood...Please take care of her.." David was still heartbroken. He was use to it ever since her mother had been like this after the car accident. She had suffered from amnesia. 

As David was walking out. His mother called out for him. "Davey?! Is that my Davey boy? Why are you leaving me!" David turned around and wanted to run back into his mothers arms like he was a child again. "M-mom!" His mother called out once more. 

"Please don't leave me alone...I don't want to be alone here...Please Davey..." 

One of the doctors blocked David's way. "David leave now!" They managed to throw David out of the room. He heard his mother screaming to get to her son until one of the doctors yelled. "Bring the sedatives!!" 

David didn't want to hear anymore and ran out of the hospital and drove back to the apartments. 

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David was sitting on his bed trying to forget about his mother. He was still heartbroken but took his mind off it by looking around the study room he had. "Hm.." David noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the shelve. Ne noticed it had the same writing that was on the other sheet of paper under the bed.

"There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile. He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile. He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, And they all lived together in a little crooked house..."