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(SPOILER ALERT! Lone Star Grove, once a serene plot of land nestled on the outskirts of Houston, holds a rich history shrouded in mystery. Before the construction of the high school, it served as the site of an ancient Spanish hacienda, echoing tales of bygone eras. However, rumors persist that beneath the grounds lie a labyrinth of tunnels, their origins dating back to the early 19th century. Some speculate that these stout passageways were constructed as part of the Underground Railroad, offering refuge to those Negroes seeking freedom from slavery. Others suggest a military connection, theorizing that the tunnels served as clandestine passages during World Wars I & II. Despite the speculation, the true purpose of these subterranean structures remains elusive, leaving Lone Star Grove enveloped in an aura of enigma and intrigue.)236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUaGXOl02j
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A smudge of sun dappled the cloud cover as Carlos entered the high school the following morning. Wilma and Buck were already inside, and, to Carlos's surprise they had with them a young sandy-haired girl in a pink slack outfit.
"Good morning," Carlos said with a smile as he approached the trio, standing in the main ballroom.
"How's it going?" Buck asked as he put his left hand on the girl's shoulder. "This here's our daughter, Delta Dawn."
"Hi, I'm Carlos. Nice to meetcha."
Delta was an eleven-year-old perfect child, who seemed more mature than most kids her age. Both Buck and Wilma agreed that she was different from other children. She was extremely polite to everyone she met. She possessed a special quality about her that people could not quite put their fingers on. Her features were wonderfully sculpted like her mother's. Her face was peachy soft, and her cheekbones accentuated her country brown eyes.
As Buck turned and walked up the steps and onto the stage, Carlos asked Delta how she liked the place.
"She doesn't!" Wilma answered for her. "She says it's spooky."
"It is, Mom!"
"I swear!" Buck laughed as he shook his head. "Like mother like daughter. How many times do I gotta tell all of ya....there's no such thing as ghosts! It seems eerie in here because it's so big....that's all."
Buck stood center stage and looked out across the gym-turned-ballroom. He placed his right hand in his blue jeans pocket and undid the top button of his red sport shirt."
"It's a little stuffy in here," he commented with a smile as he looked around the room, imagining the place packed with customers.
"It sure is," Carlos replied as Wilma and Delta walked away moving towards the recently-installed bar.
"We're going to put a popcorn machine right here," Wilma told Delta as she raised her hand where a large, white beam extended from the black countertop to the ceiling. "And...."
Delta wrinkled her nose as if detecting a menacing odor permeating the air. "Mom, do you smell that?"
"What?!" Wilma asked with a horrible suddenness as she flashed her eyes down at her daughter.
"It's like... like something rotten," the child continued with a timid voice. "I don't like it here....I want to go home."
The girl's words sent a confusing rush of anticipation and dread through Wilma. The fear was like the quick, hot touch of the devil shooting through her body. She backed up with a hasty half-step, then prowled the area with her eyes.
"Let's go! You don't have to stay here." Wilma demanded as she reached over with her right hand and took Delta by the left arm. I wish I didn't, she thought to herself as she walked her daughter back to the stage where Carlos was sitting on the edge of the platform talking to Buck.
"Buck!" Wilma said with venom in her voice. "Delta's afraid in here, and I want one of us to take her home....NOW!"
"I don't believe this crap!" Buck growled. He gave a sharp look at his wife, then glanced down at Delta, who was looking up at him with something very fragile in her eyes.
Buck looks into Delta's eyes, sensing her genuine fear. "Delta, sweetheart, if this place is giving you the heebie-jeebies, we can leave right now." His tone was now more consoling than frustrated. "But I promise you this: there ain't nothin' bad in here."
Buck stepped down from the stage and took Delta by the hand. He looked deep into his daughter's eyes with a warm smile and assured her everything was okay.
"I've got to go look at carpet samples," he said as he looked at Wilma. "I'll take her home first. I'll be gone, oh, at least two hours. That OK by you?"
"Sure. Carlos and I will keep busy cleaning until you get back."
"See ya later, Carlos," is all Buck said.
Carlos nodded as Buck turned and walked out of the room with Delta beside him.
Wilma didn't say anything for about a minute, but once she was sure Buck and Delta had left the building she turned to Carlos with angry, yet timid, eyes.
"Delta smelled something...over by the bar! I didn't smell anything....but I bet you did!"
Carlos, looking ashamed, admitted to Wilma, "Yeah, I did smell something. It smelled like human shit coming from the bar."
"Why would my daughter be smelling shit coming from where the bar was installed?" Wilma demanded angrily.
"Hey, just hold on a sec, Mrs. Cassidy," Carlos interjected, sensing Wilma's growing angst. "This smell, it's something new. And until Sunflower decides to grace me with her presence again, I can't tell you any more than what I've already said."
"Listen, Carlos," Wilma admonished, her voice firm. "If you want me to keep coming to this old high school, sometimes with my daughter, you'd better come up with a way to solve this mystery. Otherwise, Buck can run the place and entertain his fans without me. We've been fighting like cats and dogs over this haunting, and I've got news for you: there are mysteries about Lone Star High that Buck isn't even willing to admit exist."
"Yeah, I overheard you and Buck arguing while I was finishing up for the day in the pool area," Carlos admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "That's another thing working against me: I can't find anyone to talk to. Indeed, HISD won't come clean about why the school was closed. That's why I can't help you without Sunflower," he repeated, glancing around to confirm that everything was okay. "You up for chores?"
"Yeah, I can work, Carlos. I just want things to settle down. I wish Buck would realize something's not normal here. No one could ever convince him this place is haunted. He talked to Ozzie Thornton, the Superintendent of Schools, and Winston Hargraves, the Director of Facilities, and they assured him the place wasn't haunted, so he said he didn't want to hear any more about it. He also talked to Gwen Fairweather about it. She was the one who showed him through here before he brought me to see it. She's never seen anything unusual either. Buck insists this is all in my head..." Wilma paused for a moment, holding back tears. She felt like crying, and screaming, but, most of all, she wanted to beat the hell out of whatever was tormenting her.
"Let's go to work in that kitchen," she said finally. "I want to get it fixed up so the chefs can start using it."
"Sure," Carlos agreed. "That's as good a place as any."
They moved through the ballroom, crossed a series of hallways, and made their way to the kitchen, entering it through a swinging double door.
"God, what a friggin' mess!" Wilma complained out loud. "It'll take three or four hours to clean it up, and that doesn't include painting it."
"Yeah, it's pretty bad," Carlos laughed, "but we'll get the job done!"
It was indeed a grim sight to behold. Thick layers of grime coated every surface, the once-white tiles were now a sickly shade of gray with accumulated dirt and grease. Cockroaches scuttled across the countertops, feasting on forgotten scraps of food left behind. The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, a nauseating blend of rotting food and mildew. Piles of unwashed dishes sat in stagnant water, a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Flies buzzed lazily around the room, drawn to the putrid odors emanating from the overflowing trash bins. It was a scene of neglect and decay, a stark reminder of the school's abandoned state and the monumental task ahead for Wilma and Carlos as they strived to transform this dismal space into something usable once again.
As they surveyed the work ahead of them, a sudden, terrifying moan rose from directly underneath their feet. The beckoning wail echoed through an old walk-in freezer in the back corner of the kitchen. Then myriad of sounds came spiraling up around the terrified man and woman electrifying the nerves in their heads. Voices, murmurs, and loud whispers filtered through the concrete floor and raised upward, surrounding them as they both stood in awe. It was as if the voices were prodding and daring Carlos and Wilma to come looking for them.
Then, what sounded like horrifying, off-tune Heavy Metal rock music reverberated through the air, its discordant notes adding to the eerie atmosphere of the scene. It seemed to pulse and thrum with otherworldly energy, meshing unnervingly with the strange voices and cackling that emanated from the walk-in freezer. Together, they created a cacophony that felt like a symphony from hell, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.
"Shut up!" Wilma's voice rang out, cutting through the cacophony with a tone of anger and outrage.
For some strange reason, as quickly as it'd begun, everything stopped, and there was nothing but a dome of silence, and eerier calm hanging in the kitchen.
"What do those weird ghosts and demons want with us, and Buck for that matter?" Wilma demanded, her tone impatient and filled with frustration. Her eyes revealed fear like someone who had just come face to face with the Grim Reaper.
"We can't let them scare us off," Carlos explained to Wilma, his voice determined despite the fear lingering beneath. "These ghosts don't like our human presence in their territory. They're trying to frighten the three of us away. But whether Sunflower shows up or not, I'm going to confront whatever's haunting this place, and we're going to win."
As Carlos tried to convince Wilma that everything was okay for now, sounds like sonic booms rang out from under the floor. It was as if someone was setting off explosives charges that packed an unnatural wallop.
"That's it!" Carlos declared, determination firm in his voice, his brown eyes expressing more machismo than fear. "I'm going to check it out. There's something down there, and I need to find out what!"
Before Wilma could utter a single word the booming instantly ceased and everything became quiet....calm, at least for now.
Wilma's brow furrowed with skepticism. "Carlos, there's no way there could be anything underneath the school. It's absurd."
Carlos shook his head, his expression serious. "I'm telling you, Wilma, there's a network of tunnels supposedly running beneath Lone Star. Back when I was a student here, we'd hear stories about 'em. Drug labs, gang hideouts—you name it. Whatever's causing these disturbances might be down there. Do you want to go with me?"
Wilma hesitated, torn between disbelief and concern. "Me? No way!" she gasped. "I mean----that sounds dangerous, Carlos. You could get hurt!"
Carlos shrugged off her worries, his resolve unwavering. "I have to do this, Wilma. I'll be fine." He hoped he was right. "Now, I need you to stay right here until I get back. If anything happens....anything at all, you get the hell out of the building and wait for me outside by the front entrance."
"No problem." She nodded her head in agreement but was scared stiff at the thought of being left all alone.
Carlos turned on the balls of his dirty white sneakers and walked over by the sink where a two foot piece of lead pipe lay on the floor. He picked it up, gripping it like a club.
"I'll be back," he said to Wilma as he disappeared through the kitchen door, marching like a soldier in his blue jeans and dark blue T-shirt, heading for a confrontation with the unknown.
Everything's okay, Wilma tried to tell herself. I'm going to get busy working. That'll keep my mind off this until Carlos gets back.
She slowly moved over to the sink and twisted the rusty faucet. A brown liquid spurted from the tap for several long seconds before the water finally turned clear. She reached down and grabbed a small, brown plastic bucket, placing it in the sink under the tap. As she stood there, waiting patiently for the container to fill, a black, gooey substance began filling rapidly with the tar-like, plasmatic fluid and the room became engulfed with a sickening ammoniac smell of piss and shit. The water pipes began gurgling, and a loud, banging noise coming from nowhere, yet everywhere, filled the room. Horrified, Wilma started to turn and run, but before she could move a muscle, some veiled force pressed against her, wrapping its invisible arms around the woman's waist.
"Oh, God! Help me! Carlos----CARLOS!"
The invisible entity squeezed tighter against the pregnant woman's abdomen as if it were trying to kill her unborn child. The force swept down on Wilma and violently shook her to the left, then right, tearing at her brain. The room began to spin and everything became a blur as the entity started choking her with yet another set of invisible hands.
Wilma kicked, screamed, and fought wildly, trying to free herself from this blood-chilling demon as it lifted her feet off the floor and started trying to shove her head first into the sink full of goo. The instinct to protect her baby turned into bubbling violence as she fought against the maddening inability to break free. The rage in her became a living thing. Her face became red and blotchy with anger as she fought back with all her might. The light in the room began flickering off, then on, repeatedly, at ascending speed.
"Wilma!" Carlos's voice stretched out from some other part of the building. "Hold on! I'm coming!"
Carlos heard her screams just as he had stepped into the notorious area of the high school once known as "The Pit." He raced towards the kitchen to rescue the woman from whatever force had appeared this time. As his words soared into the room, the invisible entity let loose of its grip on Wilma and sucked back into the walls. She crashed to the floor on her hands and knees. The light stopped flickering, and everything instantly became quiet again, as if nothing had happened. Carlos spilled through the doorway holding the pipe over his head like a sword. He looked in all directions for anyone---or anything, but he and Wilma were alone in the room.
Wilma stood to her feet and dusted off her red maternity suit as she gave a blank stare at Carlos, who was standing guard over her. Before either of them could utter a sound a loud, nerve-wracking, pounding noise filled the room from all sides, and the noises----the horrifying rock music, the demonic cackling, the indistinct voices returned. The pots and pans that hung on the walls began shaking, and one by one, they sailed through the air past Wilma and Carlos, striking the kitchen door and adjoining wall.
"Let's get out of here!" Wilma screamed in hysteria as both she and Carlos raced for the front entrance. They fled from the building pushing their way through the glass doors, as once again everything became....calm. Wilma followed Carlos over to the concrete steps to the front entrance and wearily sat down beside her without speaking. He pulled out a cigarette and cupped his hands igniting it with a lighter. After taking a long drag, he turned toward Wilma, who was now near the verge of insanity.
"Whatever's in there----it's after you," he said, speaking slowly, feeling his way. "You need to stay away from here for a while. I told you I'd find a way to beat this thing, but I can't do it with you here!"
Wilma nodded okay without speaking. She was lost in her thoughts and fears, but just then a horn honked causing her to return to the real world. It was Buck, pulling up to the front of the building in the Datsun sports car.
Before he could climb out of the car, Wilma moved quickly to the auto and climbed in on the passenger side without saying a word. Buck noticed the strange look on her face.
"Something wrong? You okay?"
"I don't feel good...that's all!" She replied without looking at her husband. "I gotta go home."
"Sure! You look like you could use some rest." Buck looked at Carlos, who'd just leaned down into the passenger window next to Wilma.
"I 'spect you to take good care of things here," he said to Carlos. "I'm taking her home. I'll give you a call as soon as I can."
"Fine 'n dandy!" Carlos answered without really hearing what Buck had said. He stepped away from the car as Buck drove away with his wife, who was still staring straight ahead as if she was in some kind of trance.
"Now, what's the problem, lady?" Buck insisted as he sped down the 610 Loop.
"I just don't feel good," she whispered. "How come you're back so soon? I thought you said you'd be gone two hours."
"I had a change of heart. I took Delta home and asked Mom to watch her. I thought I'd stop back at the resort and see if you wanted to go with me to look at the carpet."
Buck's mother, Marigold, was staying with the couple, helping Wilma around the house and watching Delta while Buck and Wilma labored at the future nightclub readying the complex for opening night.
"No. Not today," she answered. "All I want to do is go home."
"Yeah, I get it. This pregnancy's gettin' ya down, ain't it?"
"It's not the baby!' she snapped. "It's that damn building....I'm telling you....It's haunted!"
As the car sped down the roadway, Buck wondered what was happening to his wife. He had never seen her act this way. He gave no reply to her last statement. He was not about to get into an argument with Wilma over a ghost. Besides, if there were such things as spooks and spirits inside that old high school, why hadn't they bothered him? He steered the car toward home.
