Horror Stories

Carnivore

Ghost stories? Well, there aren't any of those around here, but we do have a story that's sort of along those lines. No ghosts or anything, but it could be considered a scary story. Around here it spawned a kind of urban legend. People take it seriously here too.

So years back, I'm talking about '98 or '99 maybe, a guy by the name of Jack Kruller moved here from New York city. Or was it Boston? Ah, point is Jack came from a city- Boston! It was Boston. Anyway, Jack wasn't exactly new to this little town. He grew up on a farm that's a good ways up the road. He helped do chores and do little jobs as a kid. Good worker right up until he left. He really did know a lot about farming and wasn't just some big-shot business type who thought he could retire out west on a farm.

Jack had a good life in Boston, but he came back on less than happy terms. His dad had passed and left Jack the farm. It was all very rough on Jack on account of it wasn't just his father died of a heart attack. His dad was healthy for his age and everyone expected him to live another twenty or so years. It was hard on Jack because his dad went missing before he was found dead.

It was about two years that he was gone before his body was found. All bones, torn clothes, half buried by time and erosion. I say it was tough for Jack, but it was tough for all of us. Being such a small place and all; everyone knows everyone here. I actually knew John Kruller personally. Me and him grew up together, went to the same school and all.

Jack arranged the funeral, but he also started taking care of the farm from day one. Like I said, he was a good worker. The kid knew how to put work ahead of mourning. He kept only a few of the hired hands that his dad had. Jack could do most the work himself being a strong man of thirty-something. His dad had so many hired hands because he was getting up in age; I think he was fifty-five when he passed. Fifty-six? Well his dad was too old to work is what I'm getting at and so he had more hired hands than Jack needed on that farm. It's still there, too. The farm I mean. The crops are all dried up and dead now, of course, but it's there. A big grey house, plenty big for a family of six, and out back is a few acres of brown, dead barley crops. It was the main supply for the brewery here in town back in the day.

Back to Jack. The Kruller boy didn't have a wife or any kids. It was just him, alone, in that big farm house. As you'd expect, we saw a lot of Jack here in town. He'd make a trip down here twice a week: once on Sunday to hang out at the bar and have a few drinks and again on Thursday to drop off the barley and buy some groceries for the week. He'd buy the typical stuff, fresh vegetables and fruits and a couple of steaks. This is back when I still worked at the butcher shop here in town, so I saw him every week.

One fine Sunday at the bar in early spring, Jack was talking to me and some of the other guys about a pest problem he was having. He said he liked to sleep with the windows open at night since it was getting warmer out. He'd leave the window open to let the warm night air in then be woken up around one or two in the morning by a bird flapping around and screeching in his room on the second floor. I suggested he buy a dog to keep the bird out and give him some much needed company after working hours when all the hands went home.

The barking and scaring would make the birds know they aren't welcome and Jack certainly had plenty of room for a dog. He took my advice and got a young Rottweiler from the pound. Nice looking dog with a black and brown coat. Jack said it kept the birds out of his place. He would keep the dog in his room at night, right next to his bed, and it would growl at anything in the window.

Like I said, this is when I worked at a butcher shop. I retired a few years ago, but someone else took over for me so it's still the best place to get meats around here. Jack came down on Thursdays and would buy some sausages or cold cuts or other various meats. And, every week, he'd get a steak. Can't blame the guy, steaks are my favorite food too.