Paid In Full.

The first ones tried over two months ago, but they’d had that sinking feeling as soon as they’d turned onto Crows Crossing Road that things were somehow going to go horribly wrong. On their way to do the property assessment for Larkin’s Prime bank at the Melrose property, they hadn’t even made it to the three quarter mile long drive way when a swarm of birds flew in front of them causing the driver to swerve and rolling their vehicle over several times before it came to a stop in a ditch. The driver was killed instantly, the assessor died in the ambulance in route to county hospital. What was it about this place that seemed cursed?.

It all started when Ellie Melrose got deathly sick and Martin Melrose was forced to take a second mortgage out on the property to pay for her hospital bills. Unable to work he quickly fell behind on the payments and Larkin’s Prime bank foreclosed on him, swooping in like a blood thirsty pack of jackals. he fought for all he was worth refusing to leave the property where his beloved Ellie passed away, until realizing that he was going to lose the house, one night Martin hung himself in the living room from the top of the chandelier. As soon as he could, Larkin had sent in a team of assessors to estimate the total value of the property at the first opportunity, each time only to be met with mishap and disaster.

This time however, he would send his very best, Bert Harden, Bert was a cold blooded prick, he didn’t believe in all of that cockamamie sentimental nonsense, to Bert business was business, and no power on earth would keep him from doing whatever he deemed necessary to get the job done. In fact so confident he was- Bert Harden had decided to brave the Melrose property and the most haunted stretch of highway in the country all alone. He adjusted his glasses and stopped to study the road sign through the small droplets of rain softly bouncing against the windshield. The sign read: “Crows Crossing Road 1 Mile.” He put the car into gear and drove one mile east to the turn off, he’d barely slowed as he made the turn towards the Melrose house.

Another three miles and he turned into the entrance of the long driveway. He stopped and stared at the fading white two story Victorian style house in the distance when something odd caught his eye. He stepped out of the car to get a better look, at a glance it looked like someone was standing on the front porch. Then he heard a wet rustling sound and when he looked up on the two posts on either side of the driveway, there sat two crows staring at him menacingly. He threw his hands up at them.
“Bah! Go on now damn you birds! I don’t believe in any of that haunted hooeey phooey!” He yelled.
The crows took flight and began to circle as he got back in the car and buckled his seat belt.

He barely gotten the car into gear before he’d felt the accelerator pedal slam to the floor causing the vehicle to lurch out of control, halfway down the driveway he was already doing thirty five, he tried stomping on the brakes to no avail, it was picking up speed when the steering wheel jerked and he felt the sudden impact of the car hitting the oak tree next to the house. The seat belt held him in check, and the airbag deployed otherwise he would have went through the windshield. He tried for several minutes to get the door open but finally decided that it was stuck, and it wasn’t until after he’d given up when it slowly swung free and opened seemingly all by itself. Still groggy Bert Harden staggered from the car, bound and determined to do the assessment he reached into the seat and grabbed his brief case.

Almost defiantly- he stormed up to the front porch where he was once again greeted by the two crows, he gave them a disgusted look but passed them by without a word before he opened the front door of the Victorian and as soon as he crossed over the threshold he could feel the sense of dread washing over him, all at once he felt pain, anguish, sadness and loss, he staggered forward all the while staring up at the very chandelier where Martin Melrose had hung himself. He could feel the whisper roll over the back of his neck and it chilled him to the bone.
“Over 85 years Bert, 85 years this place has been in this family, what would you expect me to do?”
He could feel his grip loosen on the briefcase as it bounced off the floor busting it open, behind him the front door of the house slowly swung closed.





The short fat balding man leaned back in his chair lighting the cigar. He studied the young couple mulling over the papers from across his desk. He flashed them a broad reassuring smile, as their obvious discomfort and confusion seemed to be growing more by the minute. He carefully studied them.
“It’s a great deal. This property won’t last long I can assure you, why we just took over control a little over a month ago, you kids can get in on the ground floor! It won‘t be on the market long.”
The young man seemed uncertain.
“I don’t know Mr. Larkin, we’re going to have to think about this, it’s a big step.”

He smiled again. then leaned over the desk towards them.
“Of course, but bear in mind now, it is a bank owned property and it will be sold as is, and what little repairs need to be done are not included in the price.”
A tall thin man entered the room abruptly, stopping beside of James Larkin. He leaned forward and whispered to him.
“Its Bert harden sir, we haven’t heard from him since Wednesday. He was supposed to report today but we haven’t been able to reach him.”

He rose from his chair and excused himself from the room. He walked briskly down the narrow corridor. The tall thin man nervously keeping pace at his side.
“What was his last assignment?” Larkin asked.
“The Melrose Property out on Crows Crossing Road sir.”
“Get my damn car ready I’m going out there to have a look around for myself.”
He returned to the young couple to conclude their business in a slightly more agitated state than he’d left in.
He straightened his tie and sat across from them, they were still trying to make sense of the paperwork.
“Look here folks, why don’t you take this all home with you and go over it there, and you know- sleep on it, we can get together in a couple of days, if you need more time.”

He watched them almost impatiently as they rose to leave, before retrieving his top coat from the coat rack. He stormed from the room and headed for the elevator.
“Damn people don’t know WHAT the hell they want, they have to be talked into everything. Hmmmph! Larry! Where’s my damn car??”
The long black sedan slowly rolled to a stop at the edge of the curb in front of him. By now, James Larkin was so aggravated by the situation he was about ready to walk to Crows Crossing Road. The valet stepped from the vehicle and gave him an inquisitive look.
“Will you be needing a driver today sir?”
He gave the Valet a blank stare.
“Do I look helpless to you son?”

He drove for almost an hour before he reached the turn at Crows Crossing. Becoming more and more agitated by the minute James Larkin found himself driving faster and faster, so fast in fact he almost passed the driveway of the Melrose property, the gate was wide open it was down pouring rain and he could barely see the road as he began down the driveway.
“I’m going to have your hide for this Harden!” He grumbled.
It wasn’t until he saw Bert Hardens car smashed nose first into the oak tree beside of the house that he began to realize that there was a problem. He slowly stepped from the car and hurried to the porch never once escaping the feeling that he was being watched. The two crows landed on the porch railing, and he stopped and gave them a curious look.

He Stood and watched in awe as the door knob slowly turned and the front door swung open all by itself. He slowly stepped inside as though he couldn’t stop himself. And there swinging from the chandelier at the end of a rope was Bert Hardin. At his feet across the bank papers written in his own blood were the words: “Paid in full.” he felt a chill come over him but never noticed the door slowly closing behind him. And as the crows looked on, the rain would continued to fall, as the thunder rolled and the screams fell silent, and once again the ledger is balanced. And everything always returns to normal, eventually, here on Crows Crossing Road.

~Scratch.. A.B.T. Copyright © 2010~