Unearthed is more like it.
In an effort to declutter and organize I came across one of my earliest works of fiction. 1982 to be exact. I would like to share this with you.
After reading this fine piece of literature a number of things are clear:
1. I was dedicated to perfecting my penmanship. (Which makes me feel bad as I never write in cursive now and haven’t since…oh I don’t know…1983?)
2. My spelling should have been better for my age. Worse, I’m still spelling some of those words wrong today.
3. My penchant for tangents is something I was born with. There is no stopping it.
4. As is my blatant disregard for grammar.
5. Along with my proclivity for run-on sentences.
6. I have no concept of important dates such as Halloween.
7. Fall ’82 represented my mystery/horror phase. I was probably reading Nancy Drew by the bushel around this time
8. I am not, nor was I ever, a mystery/horror writer.
Unfortunately I do not have a scanner so you won’t be able to fully appreciate the precision in which I knocked out an uppercase “T” but I have taken the liberty of transcribing the story, misspellings and bad grammar intact. A visual of page one is included for your amusement.
Perhaps this will inspire you to clean out your closets and bookshelves to see what you may unearth. Feel free to share it with me.
Without further ado, I present to you:
The Ghost’s House
A long time ago some people say that a mean old man lived in an old old shack. He died on the night of Halloween. Some people say that he killed kids when they came around. They would usually go fishing or hunting. The old man would grab a gun and shoot them.
One night when two kids came by to go fishing they saw the old shack they were very cold so they desided to knock on the door. The old man had died and their was nobody home. The two kids knocked on the door but noone awnserer. The door was opened so they went in. the house was dark and it was dirty. It was like nobody had ever live there. They finaly found a light switch and they turned it on. They saw a very ugly picture. I looked real. They saw a fireplace and about two or three matches. One boy said I will go out and find some wood. The other boy said I will go with you. But the boy said no you stay here uncase something happened to me.
The boy waited for five hours. The boy had not shown up. The boy said maybe I should look for him. He got his coat and just as he started for the door he heard a voice it said its to late I already killed him he’s gone. What happened to Herby said Herny. Herny could not belive what he heard so he went out anyway. He went out in the woods calling out Herby’s name. Herby did not anwser so he kept looking. Herny was looking for about an hour he was tired and cold so he desided to go back but he din’t know his way. All of a sunden a big cloud came over his head. He heard a bid thump. Herny looked in a tree and saw a ghost. The ghost fell down and said having truble finding your way back. Herny said yes my friend is lost. Oh said the ghost. Maybe I can help you. My name is Melvin. They started to walk but Melvin flew. They could not find Herby so they went home. Herny told Melvin what he heard. Melvin said that he did’nt belive it.
When Melvin flew home Herny went to sleep. The mean ghost said I hate your friend Melvin. Herny said shut up. In the morning Melvin came over. The mean ghost was watching. He jumped out and tried to beat up Melvin. Melvin started to fight and then he stabed the mean ghost with his finger. They took the mean ghost to the ghost factory they found out that the ghost was the mean old man that died. Herny said good bye and thank you. And they also found out that Herby got home safely. Some police found him and got him home safely. But one thing don’t ever go fishing on October 29.
