Hybrid Hunter

Scary or Strange?

I've lived in, or just outside of, the small town of Grand Falls for pretty much my entire life. I remember the day that my Mom, my brother Carter, and I moved from my grandparent's farm to our very own modest country-style house right off of Main Street. Another thing that I remember, often with great joy and laughter, is watching my Uncle Stew with his thick curly moustache & "slightly" balding hairline, struggle to lift and carry more than one box due to his well-rounded, six pack a day induced, belly. 

I also remember my older and only cousin Scott helping us out. He was most likely roped in by my Mom mainly because he was able to carry twice as many boxes as everyone else. Scott was honestly one of the sweetest people I know but in this small, one track minded and old-school town there were many people who think Scott is "much too different" and believed that he was a scary and odd man and therefore he was not to be trusted. I decided early on the only reason that they had come to these conclusions was because of the sleeves of tattoos that covered both of his arms along with his 6'7 frame and multiple piercings. However, I don't think like most people and never have and never will, which as you guessed it, didn't really help me fit in, in Grand Falls. Scott was pretty much my favorite person in the world because he never failed to show his softer side by giving me a kiss on the top of my head or wrapping me up in a warm bear hug whenever he could. He would also make sure to take time out of his day, running the local animal shelter, to listen to what happened at school that day as well as all of the heartaches, trials and tribulations that every teenage girl, now young "adult", goes through. 

Then there was of course the person I loved more than anything in the world, my Grandpa Harry. Grandpa Harry was a large, boisterous and loving man that you would never know was in his mid-seventies. The only thing that gave away his age was the receding hairline, slowed down and deliberate movements and the many deep wrinkles that weathered his face. My favourite memory of him was on the day we moved to our new house. I can remember his loud, boisterous laughter that rang throughout the house resulting from the moment that Carter tried to run up the stairs too fast, instead falling down flat on his butt. As hard as I try though I don't ever remember my Dad being there that day or any other really. Honestly, I don't really remember him at all and Mom says that this is probably because he left when I was only three never to be seen again. When I was younger I loved living in Grand Falls, it was full of old buildings to search and surrounded by forests to explore but as I got older I realized that while there are still many things and people I love in this town there are a lot of changes that could happen. 

Also with a town of only about a few hundred people, weird things tend not to go unnoticed like the creepy, almost barren hill, surrounded by an intimidating ten foot fence with thick chains securely binding the gates closed. Going along with the creepy fence is the older sort of creepy and old diner in town, which I was lucky enough to get a job at, I mean it is the only one in town. The job definitely has its perks and if I had to choose the best one it would have to be being able to listen into almost all of the conversations between the old timers during their daily coffee time. 

No matter what they start talking about their conversations always seem to end up back on the same topic, the creepy hill and what lies behind its gate. Most of them have their own crazy theories and speculations on what is behind the gate. Some of them believe and to this day swear that it was used as an old government testing facility for bio-hazardous materials, while others go with the classic story of it being an abandoned insane asylum. Probably the craziest theory I have heard that it was once used for and is still being used by the government or another entity as a "voluntary" human testing facility with the testing ranging from different types of bioweapons to new diseases. At this point I have heard so many different theories and speculations that I don't know what to believe anymore so I choose to believe in nothing. Except for the simple fact that the hill and the fence accompanying it are both scary and strange. Maybe one day someone will figure out what is going on but until then I will continue to live in my world of blissful ignorance and crazy speculations.