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The following morning, at five, like Mr. Riddle said, "Thomas, lad, wake up." he said as he removed his blankets.   Thomas slowly but surely opened his eyes, when he remembers where he was, he quickly sat up on his bed.  "What a dream," he said as he got off the bed and heading to the bathroom.  "You was dreaming sir?  What was your dream about?" asked Mr. Riddle as he set his breakfast on the end table,   "it's not important.  Thank you so much for the breakfast the boy said as he sat down and started to eat.  "If the lady asks if you ate anything this morning, remember to say no." he said  "Why?  Why are you so afraid of her?" he asked   

"I'm not afraid, she took my family, I don't have anything else to live for, so now I live to serve her if she knows that I'm treating you this way, she gets upset, you must work for your food.  That's all she wants," he explained.  "If she took your family why don't you report her to the police?" Thomas asked while still eating his food.   "There's no police around these areas.  You must ride over fifty miles before you can reach the next village.  What happens here, stays here." said Mr. Riddle  "I really don't know what's going on.  I don't know if my dreams are dreams or are they really happening.  There something wrong, I don't know if it's the house or my grandmom.  But something is wrong in this town." said Thomas as he finished eating.  "Are you done?  Let's get going." Mr. Riddle said as he grabbed the plate and they both headed to the kitchen.

As they walked through the hallway and down the steps Thomas stared at the paintings on the wall.  Then he continues to walk behind Mr. Riddle.  "Sir, I know you were very specific about not ask questions.  Sir, I'm only nine and right now I don't understand what's happening. Please, I won't ask any questions about my grandmom, but who are all those people on the wall.  Some of those painting go back over fifty years. Are they my family members?" he asked as he followed him into the kitchen.    

"All I can tell you, all those people in the painting were once alive.  Now they're no longer with us.  No more questions, I need you to first cut up all that meat on the table." said Mr. Riddle as he handed him a very sharp knife.  Thomas began to cut the meat, it was very tough and difficult to slice.  "What kind of meat is this?" he asked as he worked.  "What did I tell you about the questions," he replied as they place a large pot on the burner.  Thomas was a little tired of the no question rule.    Once he was done cutting up the meat, Mr. Riddle walked him outside to the barn, where he showed him how to milk the cow.  

"If you followed my rules, you'll do fine.  Just remember that milk is for us, not your grandmom. So please don't spill it."  he said as they went back into the kitchen to cook, leaving Thomas to work alone in the barn.  "I'm taking my time. If I finish fast, he'll give me something else to do.  It's seven thirty in the morning, I'm nine and making a cow.  When will I wake up from this dream?" he muttered as he as he milked the cow.

It has been an hour and he had a whole bucket of milk.  Instead of letting Mr. Riddle know he was done, he went for a walk instead.  He noticed a small family burial ground,  from a distance.  It was surrounded by a very old white picket fence.  There were weeds and wildflowers cover most of the stones. 

Thomas walked through the path in between the stones, at one point, he tripped over a small flat stone.  He hurt his knee which makes him start to bleed.  The blood went through his pants. Thomas complained for a while they slowly got off of the ground.  "Shit, how am I going to explain this?" he asked himself    Then as he stood up he noticed a gravestone that said,  Haddy Anderson, born 1880,  and died 1889. 

"Wait, grandmom is named after this little girl.  She died young, this is so scary cause I'm also nine.  Then he saw another gravestone that read, Mrs. Annie Riddle, loving daughter of Luis and Lisa Riddle.  "Hey, I wonder if that's Mr. Riddle's daughter.  That's all I can do is to wonder, I'm not allowed to ask any question.  That's such a stupid rule.  How does a child learn without asking any question? We'll grow up knowing nothing." he continues to talk to himself on the way out of the graveyard.   

Then he headed back, it's been two hours already.  Mr. Riddle will be looking for me soon." he muttered as he headed back to the barn.  He grabbed the bucket of milk and headed into the house.   He passed by the den as he headed to the kitchen.  But the chair was empty.  He headed back to the kitchen.  "Mr. Riddle, here's your milk," he said as he placed it on the table.   "It took you long enough, what happens you forgot where the car's nipples were?" he asked as he took the milk and placed it on another burner.  

 "Sorry that I took long.  The cow was kind of fussy, I guess when she gets to know me it will take me less time to milk her," he explained as he sat down.  "Do me a favor, you see that head of lettuce and those tomatoes, I need you to shop and place all of it in this bowl," said Mr. Riddle as he handed him the knife again.  "Sir, I'm kind of tired, please after I'm done can I take a break?" he asked with a sad look on his face Mr. Riddle looked at him and felt sorry for him.  "Fine, but you must get down the road, there's a playground there.  Make a couple of friends, if you like you may also invite for dinner," he said  

"How about if they don't want to be my friend?" he asked  "Well, then you come back here, and let me know.  Finish the salad, then you can go." he said   "Can I take a nap after the playground?" he asked  "Yes, only if you bring a friend back." said Mr. Riddle as he took out what looked like the whole entire chest and stomach of a man.  It was dressed up very nicely but anybody could see it was a body.  Thomas had to take a second look when he opened and pulled it out to add more seasoning.  

"Mr. Riddle, I was looking for my grandmom.  Do you happen to know where I can find her?" he asked trying to take his mind off of what he just saw. "She sleeping, she won't come out of her room until six  So finish up, go to the park, and take your nap before six.  Now no more talking," he said as he closed the oven.

Thomas thought to herself, "What animal can I think of the looks like the upper body of a man.  None, was that a man's body?  Now I'm beginning to understand the no question rule.  It's becoming clearer by the minute.  I'm really scared, let me hurry up here, I really need to take a walk now." he mutters to himself as he finishes cutting up the vegetables, excused himself and headed to the playground, not really knowing why it was so important for him to make a friend.