Chapter 7

About an hour later, Chelsea looked out of the kitchen window to discover that Ricky and Lizzy were no longer out by the pool. As she saw this, a cold chill went up her back.

“Terry!” Chelsea yelled. “Come quick!”

Terry stepped into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong, Chelsea?” Terry wondered.

“Ricky and Lizzy are no longer by the pool!” Chelsea answered worriedly.

Terry went to the kitchen window and saw that Chelsea was right.

“Oh my god!” Terry gasped. “I advised them not to wander off too far! Why did they do so?!”

“I don’t know, Terry!” Chelsea said nervously and sacred.

“I’m going out by the pool,” Terry said. “You stay here, Chelsea. I’ll be right back.”

“No Terry, I’m coming with you,” Chelsea replied as they both walked out of the house.

As Terry and Chelsea approached the pool, they both noticed a big red stain on the concrete area by the pool.

“Oh my god, Terry! Is that what I’m afraid it is?!” Chelsea asked nervously.

“It does look like blood, but I don’t know,” Terry answered. “I’m also not going to touch it. We’d better see if we can get the cops here to check this out.”

Both Terry and Chelsea went back into the house. Terry went to the phone on the wall and picked up the hook. He heard no dial tone even after trying to tinker with the tone button on it. He hung up the phone in a scared like way.

“The phone lines are dead, Chelsea!” Terry exclaimed in a panicky and scared way. “We have to go out and see if we can flag down an officer to tell him. Hopefully, it will be Trooper Sheldon, or any officer for that matter.”

Both Terry and Chelsea ran out in hopes of flagging down a police officer. They immediately seen that there was a police patrol car nearby, which they waved to immediately when seen. The patrol car quickly advanced towards them. Unbeknownst to them, it was the escaped mental hospital patient in a police uniform.

“Can I help you?” Vickers asked. “Are you in need of assistance?”

“Thanks goodness you were near,” Terry replied. “All of our friends have disappeared. They haven’t come back here, and we’re worried. With that crazed lunatic on the loose, it only adds to our worries.”

“Really?” Vickers responded. “Are you sure about this? They could be playing a cruel joke on you.”

“No officer,” Chelsea said. “We know these people real well. They wouldn’t pull a stunt like this.”

“We also saw a big red spot by the pool. We think that it might be blood.” Terry added. “Could you please come by the pool and check it out?”

Sure, will do,” Vickers answered as he put on a pair of non-surgical vinyl gloves.

About a minute later, they were by the pool.

“Yes, this is blood alright,” Vickers confirmed. “It’s still fresh as something was killed here not too long ago.”

“What type of blood is it?” Terry wondered.

“I don’t know,” Vickers lied. “It could be animal, but again, I don’t know. It could also be someone’s idea of a cruel prank.”

“What are you trying to say, officer?” Chelsea wondered.

“It could be real, or, it could be fake,” Vickers replied. “It needs to be further checked out before a conclusion can be reached. By the way, I’m officer Raymond. I’m new to the area as an officer.”

Both Terry and Chelsea were getting scared and suspicious. Their instincts were telling them that this officer wasn’t being honest with them. Not only that, they also wondered if he was a real officer, or, an impostor. They also felt chills racing up both their bodies.

“What about our friends?” Terry asked. “Can anything be done to help find them?”

“How long has it been since they were last seen?” Vickers asked in response.

“For the past few days, with the latest being over an hour ago,” Chelsea replied.

“By law, it takes seventy two hours before they can be pronounced as missing,” Vickers explained. “Until then, there’s nothing that can be done. You simply have to continue waiting until they either return, or, don’t return.”

“Please officer,” Terry pleaded calmly. “With that crazed loony on the loose, isn’t there anything that can be done as an exception. This is why we’re worried and concerned about our friends.”

“I understand your concern,” Vickers replied untruthfully. “But again, nothing can be done until after seventy-two hours.”

Terry and Chelsea were still as scared and suspicious as they were when Vickers first came around. They began to seriously doubt that he was who he said that he was.

“My girl and I are going out to talk,” Terry began. “It’s a personal matter I have to discuss with her.”

“Don’t wander away too far from here,” Vickers advised. “You still need to give me some more information about this.”

Both Terry and Chelsea walked out to the front porch.

“I don’t know about you,” Terry said in a low voice tone. “But I’m getting a terrible feeling about this guy claiming to be a cop.”

“So am I, Terry,” Chelsea responded nervously. “Not only that, I’m scared right now. I feel that this is suspicious as he was driving up when we out to see if we could wave an officer down.”

“I agree, Chelsea,” Terry answered. “I also feel the same thing. I’m hoping that we’re both wrong, but I still can’t help feeling the way that I do.”

Unbeknownst to them, Vickers was listening to them as he was starting to walk to the open doorway.

“Excuse me you two,” Vickers began. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Do you feel that anything is wrong here?”

“Look, we’re simply worried and concerned for our friends,” Terry explained. “They haven’t returned. We don’t know what’s going on, or, what’s wrong. Again, this isn’t like them, and also, we’re both worried and concerned as to why.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much if I were either of you,” Vickers said.

“Why?” Chelsea asked puzzled. “Is it wrong for us to be worried, or, concerned about our friends?”

“In itself, there is nothing wrong about this,” Vickers replied. “But again, I wouldn’t worry too much.”