Joe walked back to the women who were chattering among themselves. He thought to himself, "Like a bunch of barnyard hens, nothing better to do with their time." The women became quiet as they saw Joe approaching them then started throwing questions at him. 'Where were the other men? What had they found? Did they find any of the girls? Did anyone live in the old house?' Joe motioned for them to be quiet and let him talk. "The others are inside the house right now but there appears to be no life outside the house. Hank asked me to come back and watch over you women. I agreed because someone had to do it. Can't leave you all here alone." Joe's wife Brenda smiled and placed her arm around his waist saying, "That was so sweet of you Joe and we do appreciate it, don't we girls?" The other women nodded in agreement then went on with their endless chatter to each other, all except Bonnie Logan, who knew the dislike her husband Hank had for Joe. Meanwhile, back at the house, the men stood in disbelief as they looked around the kitchen area of the house. Before them, in the middle of the room, was a huge wood table now covered in a black sooty dust. The high back chairs with braided seats and backs, just as grimey as the table, stood neatly around it. But in front of each chair were eighteen table settings complete with plates, drinking glasses and silverware. But what they noticed was that the settings were all sparkling clean, unlike the table in which they sat upon. Hank looked to his left and saw a long counter top which went from one corner to the end of the wall. It too was covered in dirt. There was no sink and looking around the room he noticed there was only a small wood burning stove. He scanned the walls for a light switch and saw none, coming to the conclusion that there was no indoor plumbing or gas and electric to the house. The cutains were tattered, torn and dingy, smelling of mildew. The wooden floor creaked as the men moved over it. There was a chill inside the house indicating no heat to the home had been used in awhile. He told the others to follow him and suggested that they all stay together, as groups were safer than one alone. They walked to the end of the counter top and into a library. They noticed the bookshelves towering from the ceiling to the floor on three walls, the books inside them covered with mildew. The stench of mold was stronger here then in the kitchen. One wall was nothing but windows covered with long decaying drapes drawn open. Below that line of windows was a sitting bench covered in dust. In one window was a candle in a holder but it was unlit. The floor appeared to be very weak as it gave slightly under the weight of the men. Hank walked over to one of the book shelves reaching up for one of the books, knocking cobwebs off around it. He wiped the dust off the book to see the name of the book and through the musty green that now encased it he read aloud,'They Won't Stay Dead.' Hank reached up, placing the book back where he got it from and pulled another down, wiping the dust from it also then reading the title aloud, "They Won't Stay Dead." He told the others to look at the books and tell him the titles. Much to his horror all the books checked were the same title. "Why would someone have a library filled with the same book?" One of the men started taking sheets off the furniture in the room. It was old antique tables with heavy oak chairs, all protected from the years of dust that covered the bench below the line of windows and the table in the kitchen. Why would someone take the time to cover this and not everything else? Then a thought that made him uneasy came to mind...'Unless they left in a hurry.' It was getting late and dark would soon be approaching. He wanted to look more through the house before nightfall so the women wouldn't be left alone out there with Joe. He motioned for the men to follow. To the right of the room was a doorway leading to another room. When they walked inside the sight they saw was so startling that it drained the color from the faces of the men, leaving them pale and cold. There was no furniture at all in this room but in one corner of the room was a pile of girl's clothing, covered in dust and what appeared to be dried blood. The clothing was tattered rags but as Hank looked through it he found one piece that seemed familar. It was the night shirt of his daughter Cassie. He clutched it to him and weeped openly as Ollie placed his arm around the shoulders of Hank Logan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A note for Randy, Dave, Mike and to all the others who have tried to help me in posting my image with the words...I have tried all your ways but it's not working for me...I must be doing it wrong....but I promise I'll post the image after the story is done.