Odds n Ends

Odds n Ends

  By Bobby A. Troutt

  Copyright 2013 Bobby A. Troutt

  Table of Contents

  Cry at Hidden Point

  Room 6

  Case #02A085-4

  Too Tall

  Which Choice to Choose

  Daddy, Can I Have the Moon?

  Kornfield Baseball

  *****

  Odds n Ends

  Cry at Hidden Point

  A fine misty smoke hovered across the Ozark Mountains one morning from the fallen rain of the night before. As a gentle breeze stirred, the faint cries of the crows could be heard deep in the mountains and through its hills and hollows of Sullivan County, Missouri. The hills and hollows of the mountains laid at rest with its brilliant colors all radiant throughout the hills. As the morning light dawned through the mountains, a restful peace humbly appeared with the sunlight as the soft cooing of the rain crows whispered in the wind.

  Hidden Point was a small fire watch community that was located not too far back in the woods. It was a fire tower station used in the mountains for forest fires. The wooden structure stood tall and bold within the neighboring trees; it reached upward through the trees. At the top of the fire tower was a small room, similar to a glassed in box, with the view of the mountains all around. From there smoke and fires could be spotted across the area; you could see for miles. It stood proud for everyone in Hidden Point.

  Dark Creek ran down by the station and through Hidden Point. Due to several black sulfur springs that fed into the creek, the water was nearly black. At times, the well could be seen bubbling up and feeding into the creek, causing a crust of sulfur to form on top of the water. The highly enriched sulfur water was said to be good for your health. It smelled so bad though, like rotten eggs; no one could stand the smell. It was bad enough having to smell the fumes coming from the creek running through town. After a while, the people of Hidden Point got use to it and they were no longer bothered by it.

  There was a tall fire tower located on the outskirts of town. For years, forest rangers used to climb high up into the towers and spent countless hours watching over the hills for fires. Not only did the rangers use the towers, it was also a weekend meeting place for young lovers. Every Friday and Saturday night if you were looking for someone, they could usually be found at the fire tower.

  There is an old tale that has been told for years about the tower and Hidden Point. Stories are told that back in the early 1900s a carnival came to town with a traveling sideshow, a freaky woman that was half woman and half mountain lion. While the carnival was in town, somehow the freaky cat woman escaped and disappeared into the woods. It’s told that she lived in the mountains not far from the fire tower. For years, there were ghostly sightings of her around the tower. The chill of her cry haunted Hidden Point for years. They say she walked upright but sometimes she moved around on all fours. She was covered with a dark cloak and had long hair that covered the rest of her body. There are people who claimed they saw her about the tower several times late at night. They said she appeared to be albino and ran through the woods like an animal. Her haunting cry that pierced the black night sounded like a baby crying. Late at night, sometimes by the light of the moon as she rested upon the breast of the mountain, her lonesome cry could be heard for miles. And when it rained, her cry was so keen it almost pierced a man’s soul. There are a few people who have not seen nor heard her; they think it’s only a wild mountain lion. But, needless to say, there have been some unsolved accounts of things that no one can explain. And there have been several reoccurrences of incidents involving dead cattle and the disappearance of chickens and other things.

  There was another story told that happened in 1910. At a St. Louis Miss Teen Beauty Pageant a young girl named Alice Ann disappeared; she was thirteen years old. It was said and believed that a man by the name of Ralph Fuller was parked in the alley behind the theater where the pageant was being held that night. Her sister, Beverly, who was ten at the time saw a strange man in the alley behind the theater leaving in a hurry the day Alice Ann disappeared. The search for Alice Ann spread across the state. There was a $5,000 reward for any information regarding her disappearance and her whereabouts. It seemed like she had disappeared off the face of the earth. Two years later there were no new leads so it became a cold case. However, they did find Ralph Fuller, the man whom they believed to be in the alley that night. He was the only person of interest they ever had. But, he had an airtight alibi.

  The police believed on the day Alice Ann disappeared, she stepped outside the theater to get some fresh air. They believed when Fuller saw her he was able to coax her over to his truck, grab her and pull her into the truck. They did find a broken charm bracelet near where the truck had been parked. Beverly identified the bracelet and confirmed that it belonged to Alice Ann.

  The St. Louis police department did run a check on Fuller. They found out he was an ex-cop from Tennessee. He had been a suspect in a child kidnapping case there as well. But, they couldn’t prove it. There was a lot of speculation that he was involved; there just wasn’t enough supporting evidence to prove he did it. When the child’s body was found, she was dressed up and wearing makeup. He eventually moved from Tennessee.

  After Fuller left Tennessee, he moved to an old farmhouse not far from Hidden Point. The house was isolated in some nearby woods and the road it was on was a dead end. There were no other houses around for miles. From the road, the house appeared to be abandoned. The old tarnished weather-boarded house was grown up with weeds and surrounded by dead trees. And behind the house was a garage. Unknowingly, to the police, the garage sat over an old storm cellar that he had remodeled. When the police searched the house, they did not find the cellar under the garage. Fuller had it brilliantly hid and that’s where he had Alice Ann. He had her locked in the soundproof cellar. He kept her in the dark most of the time; he only turned on the lights for short periods of time. The cellar was damp and it smelled of mildew and other musty odors from being located underground. He fed her once a day, sometimes dog food, and she had to drink water from a small bucket. He had one of her legs fastened to the wall to prevent her from escaping. She could move around some, but there was no way she could free herself. There was a drain in the floor where roaches came in. Sometimes they crawled on her while she slept. She would wake up screaming and knock them off. He did not sexually abuse her. But, he did abuse her mentally, emotionally and physically. He was obsessed with her; he believed she was his guardian angel and he was called to take care of her. He often read to her the scripture from the Bible that says we entertain angels unaware. When he tried to put makeup on her, she would fight back, scream and try to get away. He would slap her around and tell her angels don’t do bad things. He would tell her over and over that the Lord told him she was a fallen angel and he was trying to help her; his mission in life was to help her. He believed his works would put jewels in his crown and his rewards would be great. He was afraid he would let the Lord down. He figured if he failed, the Lord would punish him

  Little was none about Fuller’s childhood. His cousin told the police that his mother used to dress him up like a girl when he was growing up. She would put dresses and makeup on him when he was little. She always dreamed of having a girl. She hated men; she had several bad run-ins with men in her life. She rejected her son as a boy and a man. His mother constantly preached to him; she always told him he was a bad boy and kept him locked in the closet more often than not. After his mother died he suffered with depression and schizophrenia. He even attempted suicide a couple of times, but failed. As he got older, he seemed to stabilize and believed he had put his past behind him. Unfortunately, it came back
to haunt him and it drove him deeper and deeper into darkness.

  Four years had passed since Alice Ann’s abduction when, one day, she noticed a nail in a crack in the floor. She struggled to reach it. She believed if she could get the nail, she would hopefully be able to pick the lock around her ankle and get free. After several tries, she was able to get the nail. Day after day she tried to pick the lock but she couldn’t trip it. Finally, click went the lock and the metal band and chain released from her ankle. Her relief was short lived because she knew it wouldn’t be long before he came back. As she quickly looked around to plan her escape, she found a screwdriver. Shortly, she heard him coming so she hobbled over behind the stairs and hid. She nervously waited for him to come down the steps. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he noticed she was gone. He stood on the bottom step and frantically called her name over and over. He knew she was still in the cellar because he had to unlock the storm door to get in.

  “Alice,” he cried. “Alice Ann, I know you’re down here. You don’t have to worry, angel, I won’t punish you.”

  About that time, she drove the screwdriver in his leg just above his ankle. It caused him to fall off the step and hit his head; he was knocked out. She thought he was dead. Quickly, she tried to get herself together. But, she had been through so much that she was darn nearly. Her thoughts were racing so fast; she couldn’t think. She was confused, mixed up and most of all she was terrified. As she stood there crying and wondering what to do and where to go, he came to and grabbed her by the leg. She froze and was unable to move.

  “You have been a bad girl,” he said with a weak and trembling voice.

  He tried to keep a hold of her leg, but she was able to turn around and kick him in the groin. She reached for a hammer on a nearby shelf, grabbed it and struck him on the head. It caused him to hit the floor once again. She watched as the blood slowly ran from his head and pooled in the floor. She knew it was her opportunity to get away. She took off running up the steps and out the door screaming and hollering in a violent rage. She ran about a half of mile along the creek to the main road. Worn out and exhausted, she sat down by the road and rocked back and forth. A truck driver spotted her and stopped to help her. But, when he tried to help her, she fought him. He immediately went back to his truck and radioed for help. She was terrified, shook from fear and cried out that she had been a bad girl just seconds before she went into shock. Shortly, the police and ambulance arrived. The paramedics stabilized her and rushed her to the hospital. The police stayed behind and searched the area. Their search led them to Fuller’s house where they found him dead in the cellar. During the search of the cellar and the house, they found a collection of newspaper articles about the missing girl, Alice Ann. They also found papers and notes that had been written by his mother. He had kept them all those years. The case was finally coming together but it was too late.

  The police notified Alice Ann’s parents and warned them of her condition. She stayed in the hospital for three days; she was still in shock. They eventually moved her to the Missouri State Sanitarium for treatment. Her parents and sister, Beverly, now fourteen, stood by her side. It was hard for them to see her like that but they stayed strong for her and themselves.

  From his mother’s notes found at the house and the other evidence found in the cellar, the psychiatrist somewhat put together what she had been through. It was too late; her life had already been damaged dramatically. She was never the same and had to be confined to the facility for the rest of her life. She didn’t speak a word nor blink an eye. She sat day after day and looked at the wall. All hope had been given up until one day when one of her fingers twitched. She remained still and quiet because she wanted them to believe she was still in shock. She was still confused and full of fear. She didn’t know where she was. The one thing she did know was that she wanted out. From time to time, she would discreetly cut her eyes over to the side and watch the nurse in her room. The nurse never realized she was being watched. About a week later, as the nurse was making her bed, she eased up out of her chair. The nurse was so busy she didn’t notice. Alice Ann jumped the nurse and wrestled her to the floor. The nurse tried to fight back but Alice Ann was too strong. The nurse tried to scream. However, before she could, Alice Ann placed a gag over her mouth and tied her hands behind her back. She then took the nurse’s clothes and left; she was able to walk right out the front door without being recognized. By the time anyone was aware of it, Alice Ann had disappeared once again; she was twenty three at the time. An all points bulletin was sent out.

  To this day, Alice Ann was never seen again. There have been many tales told about her whereabouts and numerous possible sightings, but hasn’t been any real proof to confirm them.

  Years later, they say she was spotted at the fire tower. Fuller’s house, where she was kept hostage, was not far from there. Some people believed that she lived back up in the mountains, not far from the tower. Others speculated she was probably killed by wild animals.

  But, there is one story that was told that made everyone wonder. And that is that one night a boy and his girlfriend were at the tower courting. Without warning, the boy went into a jealous rage and killed his girlfriend. He had found out she had been sleeping around on him. He figured if he couldn’t have her nobody else would. He killed her by cutting her throat with a knife. It is said, by some other folks that were at the tower, that the half-woman/half-mountain lion creature appeared. It was said to be either Alice Ann or the cat woman. The boy got afraid and took off into the woods. They said the creature slowly went over to the dead girl and stared at her. It appeared to the others that the creature was familiar with her. Was it Beverly? The creature took off back into the woods when a car cranked up and the headlights popped on. Within minutes, everyone was gone from the tower. In no time, the police arrived. The young couple had returned with them and they informed the police of everything they had witnessed. The girl was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. It was not Beverly; it was a Linda Green from the next county. A search was organized at day break. Not too far back in the woods, the boy’s body was found. His name was Cody Harris, a local boy. His body looked like it had been mauled by an animal.

  Still to this day, late at night around the fire tower, the haunting cries of the freaky cat woman can still be heard. Alice Ann, the cat woman or both continue to stalk the woods around the fire tower.

  I almost forgot. There was one more tale about the fire tower. It was speculated that the boy who worked at the carnival years ago was Ralph Fuller’s brother. It was suspected that he was the one who let the cat woman out of her cage. At the time, the boy was questioned about it but the police could not prove it. It was never mentioned that Ralph Fuller had a brother. As far as the police could find out, there was no record of it. Could it have been Ralph himself?

  Years have passed now and all that is left are the tall tales of the fire tower and the silent cries of the night in Hidden Point.