SpenceArt

   The color of summer could be seen and smelled through out the Munson Indian valley. This valley was patched with tall deep green grass that would dance with the wind. It was the Northern wind that pushed around the summer heat but also brought the cool of the evenings down from the mountains that surrounded the Munson Indian valley.   Even the sun glared with the feel of summer.

   Rocky calico mountains reaching high into the cloudless blue sky. Stretching downward with its edge this Mountain terrain surrounded and blended into this rich meadow so full of life. On this day like so many others the Bees were flying from flower to flower gathering the needed pollen for life to continue. The fish swimming in the ponds and creeks feeding off any fallen insects. These Creeks and Ponds divided the meadow into sections. Trees were glittered with All kinds of birds singing their songs and call outs for others of their kind and to warn some to stay away from their territory.

  Not far away from the Vampire mansion sitting on one of the many ridges that overlooked the Munson Indian valley was a simple wooden cabin. This cabin was Built in the late 1800's with the structure of wood taken from the surrounding forest and then processed through a small lumber mill out back now covered with vines and tall grass. Deteriorating as mother earth reclaimed itself.

   The cabin had a master Bedroom and a one room kitchen living room with a wood burning stove still in the kitchen and a hanging large iron pot that could swing in and over the constant burning fire in the fireplace. This Fireplace was put together like a puzzle with a mixture of mud and grass that was used as a binder with the rocks shaped and smoothed from centuries of rushing cool reflective water that filled the local creek. The pot was a important kitchen tool used for cooking bulky stews or heating water for a Saturday night hot bath. The iron bath tub was outside so most baths were taken in the cool of the evenings in the summer and the warmth of the day in the winter. A primitive hot tub.Deep enough to cover your shoulders and enough room for two. Even though the house had indoor bathroom facilities the outdoor crapper was still standing out back and even still useable .

   Ms Lora a frail woman.Her thinning hair was now more gray than blonde but she still had lots of curls that flowed down past her shoulders. . Her oval face exposed all the Days and adventures of her 82 years A long life enriched with experiences. Too many to remember all but remembering enough to know the memories were there. Ms Lora was born in this house by a community mid-wife. Birth cries would echo about the master bedroom. On the west wall a large window allowing in the ever changing sunsets. The bed had four large carved posts supporting a white lacey cotton cloth draping and twisting around each post. hand made quilts filled the bed.To sleep in this bed was like sleeping on a cloud in heaven.

   This morning as she rocked in the rocker knitting away boredom of so many days being the same, her quiet morning was interrupted. She could hear a dog barking and the sounds of a child. Both getting closer and louder coming down the pat.

   It was John John and his yellow dog rusty. Why they named a yellow dog rusty was beyond her but better than banana pie or yellow puddin tame. They would run by Ms Lora's house when they were heading for the fishing hole. Didn't matter if John John caught anything It was just boyhood fun with his yellow dog on a bright blue sky Saturday morning.

   As they quickly ran by you could hear John John with his fishing pole in one hand and his tackle box in the other which at one time was his school lunch box yelling out a greeting to Ms Lora with rusty the yellow dog barking and playfully nipping at his running legs. A game they played from the time rusty was just a pup. Ms Lora would always be yelling back as loud as she could at her age for Rusty to be careful of her flowers. This was almost a weekly Saturday ritual for them.

   "GOOD MORNING MS LORA I'LL BE CAREFUL OF YOUR FLOWERS" cried out John John. "BE CAREFUL OF MY FLOWERS" shouted back Ms Lora.

   It was only a moment of a social visit between the ages but afterwards Ms Lora always rocked a little faster in the chair and a smile could almost be seen on her face. Rusty and John John had quickly disappeared down the path going through the thick woods towards the pond just passed the Mansion where the Vampires unlived and unknown to the local towns people.

John John and Rusty , the yellow dog, as they went down the path the two finally came to the Vampire Mansion. Each time they went fishing the Mansion was pretty much a usual sight. It gave them a landmark on how much further before John John would be wading in the creek cool waters barefooted and Rusty, the yellow dog, would be jumping in the water ultimately splashing water all over John John. It had been awhile sine John John returned home with fish but always returned with what would be long the future childhood memories. The Mansion just stood there tall into the sky and It looked pretty much the same, broken dirty windows, weathered worn wooden boards,shutters falling off, paint peeling, over grown weeds and uncut tall grass all around the base of the Mansion and through out the yard. Even the trees were dead and leafless in the yard giving the whole place a spooky look even in the middle of the day. John John couldn't help but throw a few stones at the windows and break a few more panes of glass. The glass shattering made a loud clashing sound extra loud in the quietness of the forest. Made it extra special to break a Mansion pane of glass.

John John looked around for Rusty but couldn't see him and started calling out his name.

"RUSTY.......RUSTY called out John John as loud as he could. Then John John heard Rusty barking. It was the bark John John would hear late at night when Rusty would give out warning barks to strangers walking by John John's house a little too close for Rusty, the yellow dog. The barking was coming from the dark open doorway behind John John and as he quickly did a 180. It occurred to him Rusty had gone inside the Mansion.

Running up the walk way made from laid creek rock Rusty hopped twice on the 9 steps onto the porch of the Mansion. John John was still yelling out Rusty's name with a tone of Rusty being a bad and upsetting John John. As soon as John John was on the Victorian porch walking slowly through the opened front door Rusty, the yellow dog, barks of anger turned into a loud painful yelp and then..... silence. A Erie silence. John John slowly entered the room looking around seeing the fireplace,curiously had smoke drifting from the black ashes, cob webs attached to just about everything. Almost seem like they were used as a decoration in the room.

The broken worn down furniture partly exposed had grayish yellow sheets covering them. Sheets that use to be white but have now turned to a dingy color over the years. Room by room, John John searched for Rusty, the yellow dog. Each room showing a history of elegance gone bad. As John John walked from room to room had come across what looked like dried up like beef jerky in clothing. So dried up it was between being skinny to being a skeleton. The faces still had eyeballs in their sockets without eyelids.John John jumped suddenly with fear as he saw another mummified vampire as he lifted up a sheet.It occurred to him they were bodies of vampires as he eyed the fangs hollowed like that of a rattle snake. As John John was re-entering the front parlor room he saw Rusty curled up under the couch. Slowly he approach crouching down on one knee to get an eye level view.

"What's WRONG BOY, WHAT YOU BEEN BARKING AT,WHY Didn't YOU COME WHEN I CALLED OUT??? asked John John. He continued to ask a series of questions not really expecting an answer. As John John got closer Rusty started growling.

"WHAT IS IT, RUSTY? What's WRONG? asked John John. Rusty wasn't looking at John John but looking past John John, something was behind John John as he slowly turned to see what Rusty was barking at. A look of horror came over John John boyish face.

We see Rusty running out of the Mansion, yelping . A loud scream comes from inside the house. Whatever was in there had gotten John John. Rusty just kept on running down the path, so fast his paws barely touched the worn down path. Heading for home. . He ran so fast he even past up a running rabbit. Even jumped the creek only hitting the water once.

He was running so fast by Lora, still sitting in her rocker and doing her knitting on the porch, By the time she finish her greeting to Rusty, the yellow dog, he had already come and gone.

"HEY THERE RUSTY WHAT BE YOUR HURRY??" Lora asked in a loud tone. "HMMMN, WONDER WHAT GOT HIM GOING? she pondered and stopped her knitting and rocking Lora looked down the path expecting to see John John next and a look of bewilderment came on her face as she went back to rocking and knitting. She said in a low out loud questioning tone,"KIDS,JUST NEVER KNOW,KIDS".