*****
The Fall of Autumn
Witcher’s Lake
Late one afternoon, in 1978, Ricky and Crystal Hartley left Pleasant Hills, West Virginia in Monroe County for a weekend getaway to relax. It had been raining all day but it didn’t damper their spirits. They were just happy to be getting away for a weekend of relaxation at the Cave Hollow Retreat at Witcher’s Lake. It had been almost two years since they had been up there and they were excited to be going back. They had been married for about five years and the trip was going to be like a second honeymoon for them. They had been looking forward to it ever since they started planning to go. Ricky was a car salesman and Crystal was a nurse. Ricky and Crystal had only driven a few miles before it started to get dark. The rain had let up and a thick fog had settled in; the visibility had gotten bad and Ricky could only see a few feet in front of him. He slowed the car down and was going about 20 miles an hour when he suddenly came to a stop. A huge detour sign was blocking the road. The fog had finally started to thin out and the visibility was getting better. Ricky had no other choice but to take the detour. He slowly headed down the narrow and winding road. It was the old highway that was used before the new road to Witcher’s Lake was put in. Taking the detour would take them about four miles out of the way through hills and hollows but it would eventually lead them to Witcher’s Lake and that was all that mattered. Ricky cautiously maneuvered his way along the winding road. The fog was letting up and the visibility had greatly improved so Ricky was able to pick up speed. Crystal warned him and told him to slow down but he was trying to make up for lost time. He told her not to worry because he had it all under control. It had stopped raining and only a few patches of fog still lingered. Ricky was happy things had cleared up. He had relaxed a little until he came out of a curve and a big, buck deer was standing in the road. He tried to step on the brake but instead, he hit the accelerator. He tried his best to steer the car away from the deer. The front bumper on the driver’s side hit the deer; the deer hit the windshield and shattered it to pieces. Ricky lost control and hit a guardrail. The car flipped over the guardrail and started flipping down the steep hollow. When the car finally came to a rest in the hollow, it was upside down in the creek. Ricky and Crystal were hanging upside down by their seatbelts; they were unconscious. There was steam coming from the busted radiator and a little bit of smoke was coming from the car. There was also a strong smell of gasoline and oil. About fifteen minutes had passed when Ricky woke up. He was in a lot of pain but his main concern was Crystal. He struggled to free himself from the seatbelt and then he went around to the other side of the car to free Crystal. The smoke from the car had become thick and a small fire had started and it was spreading fast. He knew he didn’t have much time to get her out before the car would be fully engulfed in flames. He was working hard to free Crystal when she suddenly came to. When she saw the flames, she panicked and began to scream. The car had started to pop and crackle and the flames had become really intense. Finally, he got her free. They were only a few feet away when the car exploded and knocked them to the ground. They weren’t hurt bad but they were exhausted. Ricky and Crystal were only able to make it a little way up the steep hollow before they collapsed. They knew they had to rest before they would be able to make their way back up to the road. Cold and wet, they held each other tightly and drifted off to sleep. At least forty-five minutes had passed before Ricky woke up. The flaming car had burnt out and the only thing left was a shell. All their belongings were gone. He woke Crystal up and told her they needed to make their way out of the hollow and hopefully someone would come along and help them. Luckily, they weren’t hurt too bad; they had a few minor cuts and bruises but otherwise they were all right. In the darkness, they slowly made their way up the steep bank of the hollow. It took them about an hour to reach the road. It was dark and there were no cars in sight. The clouds had finally moved out and allowed the full moon to provide a little light for them to see. Suddenly, they were startled by some heavy breathing. It was the deer laying on the side of the road struggling with its last breaths. They sat down upon the damaged guardrail to rest. All they could hear, in the stillness of the night, was the haunting cries and sounds coming from out of the darkness. After a few minutes, they decided it would be best for them to start walking down the road and hope someone would come by and help them. It was about three in the morning and they had been walking for about a mile when they heard what they thought was a car coming down the road. When they turned around to look, they saw some headlights coming their way. Immediately, they began to yell and wave their arms to get the driver’s attention. As it got closer, they realized it was a van. The driver spotted them and clicked his lights on bright so he could see better. The van passed them but slowed down just a few yards in front of them. Ricky and Crystal ran toward the van as it pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. It had started back raining; the thunder roared in the distance and the lightning lit up the sky.
“I’m sure glad you guys stopped,” Ricky said when the driver rolled down the window. “We had an accident back down the road and we need a ride to the nearest telephone so we can call for help.”
“What were you doing on this road?” the driver asked.
“We were on our way to Witcher’s Lake,” Ricky replied. “Can we get a ride?”
“Sure, hop on in,” the driver said.
There were several other people in the van. But, it didn’t matter to Ricky and Crystal. They were just happy to get a ride.
“I’m Brad and this is Lisa,” Brad stated as he pulled back onto the road.
“I’m Joey and this is Sandra,” Joey said as he reached out to shake Ricky’s hand. “And, that’s Louis in the back.”
“Well, I’m Ricky and this is Crystal. We really appreciate the ride.”
“We’re on our way to Witcher’s Lake, too, for the weekend. There’s a general store right before we get to the lake. We’ll stop and you can use the phone there,” Brad said.
“Where are you from?” asked Joey.
“We’re from Pleasant Hill,” Ricky replied. “Where are y’all from?”
“Coleytown,” replied Brad. “Do you know where that is?”
“Sure,” said Ricky. “I’ve been through there a few times.”
“It’s no more than a spot in the road. If you ain’t careful, you’ll miss it when you pass through,” Louis said with a laugh.
As they drove on, it started raining again and it was storming something fierce. The strong wind pushed the van from one side of the road to the other. It was difficult for Brad to keep it on the road. To make it even worse, he had to dodge the broken tree limbs that had fallen in the road. The lightning continuously streaked across the sky and lit up the darkness. No one was saying a word. The sound of the thunder and cracks of the lightning chilled them all to the bone. Cautiously, Brad drove on and they soon reached the Dry Branch General Store and Bait Shop. The store was closed but there was a small light on in the back of the store. Brad, Ricky and Joey got out to see if they could get the owner to come to the door. They banged on the door as hard as they could without breaking it down. Within a few minutes, they saw a light come on. They peeped in the window and saw an old man coming from the back of the store.
“What do you need?” the old man asked before he opened the door. “What on earth are y’all doing out on a night like this?”
“We’re on our way to Witcher’s Lake. And, our friends had an accident up the road and need to use the phone.”
“Come on in,” said the old man as he unlocked the door.
“Can I use your phone?” Ricky asked.
“Sure,” replied the old man. “It’s right over there.”
As Ricky made his way over to the phone, Brad and Joey asked the old man if they could get some gas while they were there.
“Sure,” replied the old man. “By
the way, my name is Otis Taylor.”
“I’m Brad; this is Joey and that’s Ricky over there using the phone,” Brad replied. “Glad to meet you.”
“Go ahead,” Otis said. “I’ll turn the pump on. Is gas all you need?”
About that time, Lisa, Sandra, Crystal and Louis walked in. They wanted to get some snacks and Lisa, Sandra and Crystal had to use the bathroom. Otis told them where the bathroom was and they hurried off to the back of the store.
“The phone is dead,” Ricky said with disappointment.
“It must be the storm,” replied Otis. “You can come back in the morning and try it again. Well, I guess it’s already morning but you know what I mean. I can’t promise anything because phone service around here this time of the year gets knocked out easily. Sometimes it’s out for two or three days.”
Brad spoke up, “You and Crystal are welcome to go with us to the lake. I’ll bring you back in the morning to use the phone.”
“What do you think?” Ricky turned to Crystal and asked.
“That will be fine,” she replied. “Besides, we don’t have too much of a choice.”
“So it’s settled,” Brad stated. “Let’s pay for the gas and our snacks so we can get out of here while the storm has let up.”
As they paid for their gas and snacks, Joey noticed a picture on the wall behind the counter. It was a picture of a young boy holding a stringer of fish.
“Is that your son?” Joey asked Otis.
Otis hesitated for a few seconds and then answered, “That’s my stepson, Scotty. He used to work up at the lake. That’s a picture of him when he was a counselor there.”
Otis told them how much they owed him. They paid him and then hurried out to the van and got in. They were back on their way to Witcher’s Lake. Otis watched as the taillights of the van disappeared out of his sight and then he went back to bed.
“Ricky, have I met you before?” Louis asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Ricky.
“You remind me of someone I knew years ago,” said Louis.
“No, I don’t know you,” Ricky replied.
“Are you sure?” questioned Louis.
“I’m sure,” stated Ricky. “You must have me mixed up with someone else.”
“Maybe,” said Louis. “But, you do favor somebody I knew years ago.”
“I’m afraid you have me mixed up with someone else,” stated Ricky as he glanced over at Crystal with a puzzled look on his face.
“Maybe so,” Louis laughed. “I never have been good with names and faces.”
Brad drove on to the lake which was only about two miles from the store. They arrived at the lake just as the sun was beginning to rise. The early morning sunlight glistened across the top of the water. The cabins were scattered about the lake; it gave the wooded area around the lake a cozy feeling.
“We’re here,” yelled Joey as the van doors flew open and everyone got out.
“Smell that crisp, clean air,” said Brad. “There’s nothing like it.”
Once they all checked in and got their cabins, they unloaded the van and settled in for the weekend. Ricky and Crystal helped them carry their things to their cabins since they didn’t have any bags to unload.
“Ricky, after I get a little rest, I’ll take you back to the store to see if the phone is working,” Brad stated.
“That will be fine,” he replied. “I’d like a little rest myself. Besides, I can call later on today. And, I want to enjoy the lake. It is really beautiful this time of the year.”
Louis asked, “Is this your first time being at the lake?”
“Yeah,” replied Ricky. “I’ve never been here before. I’d heard it was really beautiful and it is. It seems so peaceful.”
“Crystal, let me know if you and Ricky need to borrow some of mine and Brad’s things,” Lisa said.
“Yeah, the same goes for me and Joey,” stated Sandra.
Crystal replied, “Thank you. I’ll get Ricky to get us some things at the store when he goes to use the phone. We really appreciate the offer though.”
As the morning rose upon the lake, the deep blue sky accented the crystal blue water of the lake and adorned the woods about it. The smell of the crisp, warm mountain air settled in about the lake as the birds chirped and the butterflies darted about the flowers. After they had gotten a little rest, the girls laid out down by the lake and enjoyed the warm sun. Joey and Louis were casting their lines out into the water to do a little fishing while Brad and Ricky headed back to the store to see if the phone was working. When they got to the store, Otis was helping some other people who were also headed to the lake.
“Good morning, Otis,” Ricky said as he entered the store. “Is the phone still dead?”
“You can try it,” Otis said. “I’ve been swamped with customers this morning and I haven’t had a chance to check it.”
Ricky made his way to the phone and Brad got in line to buy some night crawlers and crickets so he could do some fishing. The phone was still dead so Ricky got some things for Crystal and himself. As he and Brad waited in line, Brad told him he would give them a ride home on Sunday. Ricky told him he appreciated it and was happy he and Crystal would still be able to enjoy their weekend getaway. Brad went back to get something else so Ricky put his stuff upon the counter.
“Will this be all?” Otis asked.
“Yeah,” replied Ricky.
“These old glasses don’t help me much anymore,” Otis said as he rang up Ricky’s things. “I need a new pair. That will be $41.07,” Otis stated as he bagged Ricky’s things. “Is the phone still dead?”
“Yeah,” Ricky replied.
“I’ll keep checking it. When it’s back in service, I’ll come to the lake and let you know.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Ricky said.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” he replied. “I like to go up there from time to time to get away from the store so I really don’t mind,” he said as Brad placed his things upon the counter.
“Is this all you need, Brad?” he asked. “That is your name, right.”
“Yes, sir,” Brad replied.
“Are you a fisherman, too?” asked Otis.
“Sort of,” replied Brad. “I don’t have much luck but I enjoy trying.”
“Me, too,” said Otis. “My son and I used to do a lot of fishing at the lake when he was living. But, that has been quite a while ago. Oh well, you enjoy yourself. There are some big ones up there in the lake. Maybe you’ll be lucky,” he said as he giggled under his breath.
“Thanks. I hope so, too,” Brad replied.
When Brad and Ricky got to the door, they both turned around and told Otis goodbye. They headed back to the lake to enjoy the weekend with the others. The rest of that day, they fished and did a little swimming. That night, after they had eaten some of the fish they caught, they sat around the campfire, roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories. When it was Louis’ turn to tell a ghost story, he told them his story was based on actual events that took place at Witcher’s Lake.
“It was in the summer of 1963,” he began. “I was a student counselor here at the lake fifteen years ago. Late one night, a few of the counselors were sitting around a campfire like we are now. Most of the counselors had already gone to their cabins. Scotty Taylor was working here at the camp as a counselor, too, along with his brother James.”
“Were they related to Otis at the store?” asked Brad.
Louis replied, “Yes, they were. Scotty was Louis’ stepson and James was his son. Otis was also a caretaker here at the time.”
The burning wood of the campfire snapped, popped and crackled. The light from the flames lit up their faces as they listened to Louis’ story. The chill of the night caused the couples to cuddle up together in their blankets as Louis went on with the story.
“Well, that night, Scotty and Betsy, who were counselors here, too, was seen lea
ving the campfire together. They disappeared in the woods down by the lake. Nobody thought anything about it at the time because they were a young couple in love who wanted to be alone. Early the next morning, Betsy’s body was found in the woods not far from the lake. She had been raped and strangled to death. If that wasn’t enough, Scotty was found dead in his cabin; he hung himself. The police questioned everyone and the investigation went on for months until they determined it was a murder suicide. But, there was no suicide note. Even though the police had their suspicions about the whole situation, they couldn’t prove it was anything other than a murder suicide. What raised their suspicions was they found out James and Scotty had gotten in a fight over Betsy earlier that day. James had threatened Scotty. He told Scotty if he couldn’t have her no one would. James and Scotty was always arguing and fighting about something. They never really could get along. When the police went to question James, he was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared and has never been seen or heard from since. The police put out and APB on him as a person of interest in a double homicide. But, they never got any leads. The police figured he had changed his identity along with his appearance to avoid being caught. James was a prime suspect in the case. The case was never solved. It shocked everyone at the campground and it hurt the business. I quit after that summer.”
“Poor old Otis,” said Lisa. “It must have been hard on him to lose two sons that way.”
“Yeah,” spoke up Louis. “He gave up his caretaker’s job and has worked at the store ever since. I don’t think he ever got over losing both of his sons. Yesterday was the first time I had seen him in fifteen years. Even though he has aged a lot, I recognized him as soon as I walked in. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to bring up the past and open old wounds.”
“I wonder what happened to James?” asked Sandra.
“Nobody knows,” replied Louis. “He just vanished into thin air.”
“Maybe it was a murder suicide,” stated Joey.
“Maybe James didn’t do it. He probably got scared because he thought he would get blamed so he left,” said Brad. “I’m sure he didn’t want to take a chance at trying to prove his innocence.”
“Maybe,” replied Louis. “I guess we’ll never know.”
“Well, I guess we are going to go ahead and turn in for the night,” spoke up Ricky. “We’ll see y’all in the morning,” he said as he and Crystal got up and left.
Not long after Ricky and Crystal left and headed to their cabin, Brad and Lisa left and so did Joey and Sandra.
“Are you going to turn in for the night, Louis?” asked Joey.
“Not right now,” he replied. “I believe I’ll roast a few more marshmallows and stay up a little while longer. I’ll put out the fire before I turn in for the night.”
“We’ll see you in the morning,” said Joey.
“Goodnight, guys,” Louis replied. “See you in the morning.”
As the couples disappeared into the night, the light of the campfire highlighted Louis’ face. He roasted a few more marshmallows as he sat and looked out across the lake under the starry moonlit night. Early the next morning, before anyone had gotten up, Ricky woke up and decided to take a walk. He had no idea Louis was looking out his cabin window and saw him when he left. Louis followed Ricky as he made his way down through the woods to the exact place where Betsy had been raped and killed. Ricky was deep in thought when Louis walked up and startled him.
“Louis, you scared me,” Ricky said.
“What are you doing here?” Louis asked.
“I couldn’t sleep so I took a walk to enjoy the fresh morning air,” Ricky replied. “What are you doing here?” Are you following me?”
“My, my, isn’t this strange,” replied Louis. “We’re surrounded by this huge wooded area and you take a walk to the very place where Betsy was killed, James.”
“Is this where Betsy was raped and killed?” Ricky asked with a slight laugh.
“I know who you are. I watched you last night as I was telling the story. After you left the campfire I began to put two and two together. Wait until the police find out about this.”
“Oh, I don’t think you want to get the police involved,” Ricky threatened.
“Why not?” questioned Louis.
“Well, I also put two and two together. You are the one who raped and killed Betsy. She told me that you were stalking her and she was afraid of you. And, you killed my brother.”
“You can’t prove a thing,” replied Louis. “Betsy and I would have gotten together if it hadn’t been for you and Scotty.”
Neither one of them realized someone was listening to their conversation. Ricky was caught off guard when Louis pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.
“You don’t want to do that,” Ricky begged.
“I loved her,” Louis cried out. “I wanted her. Yeah, I saw Scotty and her leave the campfire that night and I followed them into the woods. As they were talking, I hid and watched them. She and Scotty got into an argument and she took off through the woods toward her cabin; Betsy was mad and upset. Scotty started after her but, for some reason or another, he stopped and went the other direction to his cabin so I followed her. She must have thought Scotty was following her because she stopped and called out his name. But, he didn’t answer. She got scared and took off running. I took a shortcut and caught up with her. I grabbed her and tried to tell her that I loved her. But, she fought me and told me to let go of her. When she called me a creep, I slapped her and she fell to the ground. I tried to calm her down and tell her I was sorry but she was kicking and screaming at me. I kept telling her I loved her but it only caused her to scream for help even louder. That’s when I lost control; I raped and strangled her. I kept saying over and over in my mind that if I couldn’t have her no one else would. The next thing I knew, she was dead. I didn’t mean to do it. I loved her so much but she didn’t want me. We could have been happy together if you and Scotty would have left her alone. I left Betsy’s lifeless body in the woods and went straight to Scotty’s cabin. When I got there, I knocked on the door. He thought it was Betsy because he called out her name when he answered the door. When he opened the door, I charged in and overpowered him. I hated him so much. In fact, I hated both of you. When I left, he was hanging dead from the rafters of the cabin. It was you and Scotty who screwed it all up for me and Betsy. She would have been with me today if it hadn’t been for you two.”
“James,” Otis said as he stepped out.
“Otis, what are you doing here?” Louis asked.
“I came to tell who I thought was Ricky the phone was working. As I was on my way to his cabin, I saw him going into the woods so I followed him,” he explained. “It was you who killed Scotty.”
“Shut your mouth, old man,” Louis demanded as he cocked the hammer on the gun and pointed it back and forth from Ricky to Otis. “You don’t know what it’s been like living with this mess for fifteen years. Day in and day out I’ve had to live with this. I loved her.”
“I know how it is to live without a son,” Otis replied.
“For the last time, old man, shut up! I’m going to have to kill you both and I’m going to start with you if you don’t shut up.”
When Louis turned the gun on Otis, Ricky jumped him. The gun went off and hit Otis and it woke the others out of their sleep. Ricky wrestled Louis to the ground and was able to get the gun away from him. Ricky stood over Louis with the gun pointed at his face. When the others got there, they found Otis lying on the ground bleeding from a gunshot wound. Louis was on the ground and Ricky was standing over him with the gun.
“Brad and Joey,” Louis cried out, “meet James. He shot Otis and was going to shoot me because I found out who he really is.”
“What’s going on here, Ricky?”
“It’s not what you think. Louis is lying. I tried to stop him from shooting Otis. He’s th
e one who killed Scotty and Betsy.”
Louis cried out, “He’s lying. Don’t believe him.”
Otis was able to raise up and tell them that Ricky was telling the truth. Brad and Joey sent Lisa and Sandra to go call for the police and an ambulance. Ricky told them the phone was working at the store. Brad and Joey took the gun from Ricky and held Louis down. Crystal, with tears in her eyes, ran over to Ricky and asked him if he was okay. He assured her he was. She and Ricky went over to comfort Otis until help arrived.
“I always knew you didn’t do it, James. I love you, son,” Otis said just before he blacked out.
“Dad, dad,” cried out Ricky. “Don’t leave me, dad.”
When the girls got to the store, they called the police and told them they also needed an ambulance. There was a patrol car in the vicinity when they made the call. By the time the girls got back to the lake, the police was already there and the ambulance arrived not long afterwards. Otis was taken to the hospital and Ricky explained what happened to the police. One of the officers remembered the case; he was a young rookie when it happened. The police took Louis in to custody and Ricky (James) and the others went to the hospital to check on Otis.
After several hours, Louis finally broke down and confessed to the rape and murder of Betsy and the murder of Scotty. He was a very troubled man. Louis was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder, aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated attempted murder; he was facing the death penalty. Considering his mental state, the district attorney offered him a plea bargain. Louis accepted and was given life without parole.
Otis finally pulled through. He and James had a lot of years to catch up on. After Otis was released from the hospital, he sold the store and went to Pleasant Hill to live with his son and Crystal. He only stayed with them for a year before his health got so bad they had to put him in a nursing home. Three years later, he passed. Brad, Lisa, Joey and Sandra kept in touch with Ricky and Crystal. As the years passed, they, too, drifted apart. Witcher’s Lake still has visitors each year. But, now the ghost story of the 1963 murders has an ending that is still told to this day.