That is pretty much how it started, and I’m happy to say continues to this day. I have written down some of Charon’s stories as I recall them being told. Here I offer you a few for your pleasure and hopeful reading enjoyment. As for my friend’s real identity, I leave that for you to decide. But please, enjoy a few diamonds from a distance.
Look for the book. Charon, Coffee and a Story
By R. Scott Lunsford
Available in 2018
At Amazon.com and your local book stores.
Scottlunsfordauthor.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Lunsford is a retired Sergeant with the City of Asheville NC’s Police Department. Working with young people as a Juvenile and Special Victims Detective then Supervisor in the Youth services and Sexual assault unit. Also as a Uniformed Supervisor in the Department’s School Resource Officers Unit. Lunsford has worked directly with the young people in Asheville as well as adults and educators.
Lunsford has been recognized in the Congressional Record for his work with the Navy’s Youth Sea Cadet Program in Asheville. Awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the Governor of NC and given a Commission as a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky for his work in the community. He finished his time with the City of Asheville as a Patrol supervisor in Asheville’s West District.
Lunsford a NC State Certified Police Instructor, teaches juvenile law in the Police Academy, and Juvenile subcultures and issues, through the local Community College.
He has worked as a Field Training Officer in the Patrol Division and Investigative Division of the Police Department, has served as a member of the Asheville Police Department’s Hostage Negotiation Team and a Critical Incident Response team member. Sergeant Lunsford has testified in other jurisdictions and States on the information he has obtained and observed in his work.
Lunsford and his wife, retired Officer Robin Lunsford, have contributed photos and images that have been included and published in Henry Lee’s Crime Scene Handbook, a Forensics Text Book, by Dr. Henry Lee and Dr. Marilyn Miller.
Lunsford has published articles and photographs in the Brotherhood of Martial Artist Magazine, The Urban News and the News Record, News Papers. Other writings include, Juvenile Subcultures and Issues, There’s Plenty of Good Air and Sunshine a compiled narrative on living in the Asheville NC Community during the Great Depression. Originally documented by Lynn Stevens a WPA writer. Cop and Coin, Cop and Call and The Girls from G.I.F.T.
Unable to stay retired long, Lunsford is working as a School Resource Officer for the Madison Co. Sheriff Office. Working in Madison Co. Elementary Schools to give back to the schools and community he grew up in. In many cases working with people he grew up with to help the kids growing up there now.
Living near Asheville NC. He resides on a hilltop with his wonderful wife Robin, one slightly insane cat, Bambi the Dachshund and his biggest fan and critic Liberty the Boston Terrier.
Scottlunsfordauthor.com
Amazon.com Author Page
www.amazon.com/R.-Scott-Lunsford/e/B071RL3C7B/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Non-Fiction Works compiled by R. Scott Lunsford
There’s plenty of good air and sunshine: 1938 WPA Life Histories
Authored by Anne Winn Stevens, Introduction and notes by Rick Scott Lunsford
ISBN-13: 978-1530789030
ISBN-10: 1530789036
Stories and images of families and life growing up in the Asheville Community of Western North Carolina before and during the Great Depression. Stories as told to Miss Winn Stevens of the WPA Writers Group and documented in the Library of Congress and other informational sources. Hard copies available at Amazon.com and free to download with an Amazon Kindle unlimited account.
The original collection of histories in the Library of Congress, consists of approximately 2,900 documents, compiled and transcribed by more than 300 writers from 24 states, working on the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers’ Project, a New Deal jobs program that was part of the U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1936 to 1940. 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents vary from narratives to dialogues to reports to case histories. They chronicle life stories of Americans who lived at the turn of the century.
A Bonus for Parents
Looking for something for the young person in your life?
The New Book Series by Scott Lunsford
A Young Adult Mystery
Available in January 2018.
The Girls from G.I.F.T.
The Devil Dog Investigation
ISBN-13: 978-1974269624
ISBN-10: 1974269620
Two middle school girls from a small Western North Carolina Community investigate unusual activities and incidents with the assistance of a retired University Professor. While investigating stories of ghosts and devil dogs, the two girls find themselves in over their heads confronting a very real and tangible evil that has entered their community.
Bonus
The Girls from G.I.F.T.
The Devil Dog Investigation
Prologue
As a former teacher of children, young people and adults, I have met many interesting students over the years. While searching for a pet sitter after my move to Western North Carolina I chanced upon two remarkable young ladies. Kaylee and Emma. I hesitate to list their last names because they are underage and there are some very evil people in the world as you soon shall read about who having the girls full name could possibly do them harm.
Kaylee and her friend Emma were recommended to me by a friend who had used their services before. After meeting the two young ladies I found them to be much more than dog walkers and errand girls. They presented me with one of their business cards that explains a lot but left many questions open.
G.I.F.T.
GIRLS INVESTIGATING FANTASTIC THINGS: BABYSITTING, DOG WALKING, CAR WASHING, HOUSE-SITTING, AND PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS.
Kaylee’s older cousin Jessica and Jessica’s friend Michelle are the original founders of this G.I.F.T. organization. The two have been investigating the mysterious and strange since they were Kaylee and Emma’s age. The Babysitting, pet care, and errands were used to raise funds for their real interest, paranormal investigation or as some call it Ghost Hunting. Jessica and Michelle are now in College and continue their investigations along with the many side jobs and the class work college requires.
Kaylee looked up to her cousin Jessica, who had told her stories of ghosts and strange happenings that the older girls had read about or investigated. Kaylee shared these stories with her best friend Emma. The younger girls became fascinated with the stories. With the permission of her older cousin and friend Michelle, Kaylee and Emma started their own G.I.F.T. organization.
The older girls Jessica and Michelle, college students in Asheville NC now, were the same age as Kaylee and Emma when they founded the original G.I.F.T. Kaylee and Emma are currently in middle school in the small mountain county where I live.
Once meeting the younger G.I.F.T. girls I found myself offering aid and support for Kaylee and Emma in the form of advice, a powerful computer, software and photography equipment. The two also pet setting and dog walking for me when I am out of town. My support does come with a price. All investigations must be documented correctly and accurately. A presentation made at the closing of each investigation to present their findings.
Kaylee’s older brother Aiden one of our local high school students and basketball athletes. Is the unofficial third member in the G.I.F.T. organization. When possible, he provides transportation for the girls on their jobs and investigations. He also keeps a watchful eye out on the young ladies for their parents and protection when they do late investigations. The older girls Jessica and Michelle do the same time to time and provide advice and workable solutions to problems the girls run into.
Now that my introduction is over, please enjoy the reading of the Girls from G.I.F.T.’s latest investigation, the Demon Dog of Madison County.
Tara Bentley Ph D Retired Professor Miskatonic University
CHAPTER 1
THE DEVIL DOG
17-year-old Eric Carson drove the last half-mile with the lights off on the beat-up Orange Toyota truck. The skinny kid with the crew cut, Ryan Anderson sat on the passenger side of the bench seat and looked out the rear window of the rusty orange truck at the box in the truck bed. The box full of old rusty doorknobs, white enamel painted hinges and handles the two had removed from empty houses and barns throughout the county. Lying flat in the truck bed were two old white framed glass windows with colored glass. Ryan was doing a mental calculation on the value of the items in the truck bed. “I still can’t believe people pay for this junk” he said.
“Not junk, antiques. Mr. Rodger said people pay good money for cleaned up old hardware to redo old houses or put in new ones.”
“Yeah, about that, couldn’t we make more money selling the stuff ourselves, I mean we’re the ones taking the risk breaking in to places and stealing it,” Ryan added.
Shaking his head as he squinted to see down the night sky illuminated road ahead of him, Eric replied “no this is better, we don’t know how to find buyers. Mr. Rodger does. And It’s not stealing, we find old stuff people don’t want anymore” Rodger was an Asheville junk and antique dealer, Eric had been selling stuff he “found” to for over a year “It’s less hassle anyway.” Eric leaned forward over the steering wheel driving slowly using the light from the half-moon above to see.
Muttering to himself Ryan said under his breath, “found stuff, yea that’s why we’re driving on an old road with our lights off.” Looking out the front window Ryan realized he didn’t know where they were and said so.
“We’re almost there, should be some good stuff there too.”
Reaching into his faded denim jacket pocket Ryan pulled out a red color bulb headlamp he normally used for hunting nightcrawlers for fishing. He asked, “and where is that?”
Finding the looked-for driveway, Eric stopped at the chain across the drive stretched between two fence posts. He pointed out the front window. “The Larkin farm”.
Ryan, 15-years-old and younger than Eric, was quick to answer. “No way, that place is haunted everyone knows that.”
Stopping the truck Eric opened the door, turning on his own red colored headlamp. He went and unhooked the chain. He had checked last week during the daytime and found there was no lock on the chain. It was hooked on an old rusty bent nail on the fence posts on each side of the drive.
While Eric dropped the chain on the ground, Ryan continued to list reasons to leave. “You know old man Larkin killed his family there years ago. Buried all of them in the tobacco field they say, and just kept farming on the property. Some of his relatives moved in the old house after he killed himself and they couldn’t even live in the place. Ghosts and stuff run them off. The family tried to rent the place, but no one would stay there either. My Aunt Evelyn told me that she saw Larkin’s ghost in the old tobacco and cornfields. Larkin’s son that he killed is haunting the old house and I know several people have seen it. Even deer and turkey stay away from this place and won’t come around here even if you put a bunch of corn and food out for them. Animals know the place is haunted.”
Returning to the truck Eric ran a hand through his red hair, sighed and drove over the chain. “Look, that’s nonsense there are no such things as ghosts. That old house has got to have some nice stuff in it. We probably can’t get anything tonight, but we can sure see what all’s there.”
“Man, no way! That place is bad news, you ever wonder why no one goes there or lives there?” In his fear Ryan was starting to panic.
Eric continued up the drive, the further he went the darker it got. The leaves that had not yet fallen from the trees blocking what small light the sky gave. He parked the truck and they both looked out the front windshield at the old two-story supposed haunted house. The windows of the old building looking darker than the forest surrounding the house.
Ryan’s voice was shaky. “This is a bad idea man. I’ve heard bad stuff about this place.”
“Grow up, it’s just an empty house. Let’s go see what’s there and what tools we need to bring back.” Ryan appearing to be frozen in place jumped when Eric yelled, “come on”.
Reluctantly Ryan switched on the red headlamp on his fore head and followed the older boy towards the house, swiveling his head back and forth watching the surroundings, straining to hear something other than the dead silence of the surrounding woods. Ryan had convinced himself that even the fall breeze had stopped in an ominous sign of surrounding evil after they left the truck. In fact, the fall breeze pushed many of the large dead dried oak leaves that had dropped from the trees on one side of the drive to the other side. Leaves crunching under the sneakered feet of the young burglars approaching the dark house.
Eric had stopped in the yard to look at an old horse drawn plow. The wooden handles had rotted away, and it was partially hidden by the tall brown grass and weeds growing around it. The thick iron was rusted but still solid and Eric decided saleable. Ryan continued looking around. His headlamp making strange shadows on the dark trees surrounding them as he swiveled his head like a nervous owl.
A low soft whistle came from the wood line to Ryan’s right. He spun around towards the sound and hissed. “Eric, did you hear that?”
Still occupied with the old plow Eric answered, “hear what?”
“That whistle?” Ryan’s voice obviously more stressed than before.
Before Eric could answer, an unnatural moaning sound could be heard from the wood line, this time behind the boys. Now, Eric heard it too. Both boys turning towards the sound.
Ryan’s voice now a high-pitched tremble looked towards the wood line at the edge of the drive whispering “look”!
Slowly a white glow was moving through the woods towards them. The glow wove through the underbrush stopping just inside the tree line. The boys could now see that the glow was in the form of a four-legged standing animal. It looked like a large white glowing dog shaped thing with a huge head. As if in slow motion the huge animal turned its head towards the boys, now facing the young men. Glowing blue eyes seemed to be fixed on them and a low growl was now coming from the beast. The white glow surrounding the animal dimmed considerably then brightened, this time in a reddish hue.
Ryan now visibly shaking said “oh no” in response to the color change.
Eric yelled out “run” his voice not revealing the terror he was feeling. Sprinting towards his truck. The long grass of the unkept yard swatting at his ankles with a whipping sound. Realizing he was running alone he looked back and yelled “come on!”
Ryan came to life. following the older boy, the beast’s blue eyes disappeared briefly as it looked behind it. Acting like it was waiting for orders, before setting out after the boys. Eric’s longer legs allowed him to reach the orange truck first. Jumping into the driver seat he started the truck and yelled over his shoulder at Ryan, beating on the thin metal side of the truck at the same time.
Eric yelled out, “run, run, jump in the back!” The big beast still loping after Ryan.
Ryan leapt into the truck bed yelling, “Go! Go! Go!” Eric slamming the small old truck in gear now that his friend was in the back. He spun the small truck around the yard kicking up small stones in the trucks wake. One or two stones striking the old iron plow causing it to ring in a flat tone as the rocks bounced off the metal. The small truck headed downhill and out the drive. Slinging the small light vehicle down the narrow drive, Eric accelerated as fast as he safely could bounce down the unkept drive.
Ryan still in the bed of the fleeing truck held on as he was bounced about the back of the truck bed. One of the old windows in the bed broke and the box of hinges and door knobs spilled its contents that bounced around repeatable banging Ryan in the legs. Ignoring what was happening in the truck around him, he turned to watch as the beast continued to chase them. Then suddenly vanishing, the red g
low and blue eyes simply winking out. As the truck went out of sight of the house a low soft whistle sounded behind them.
Not slowing at the intersection of the driveway and paved road, Eric screamed the trucks tires on the roadway making the vehicle go as fast as he could and still stay in control. Making several turns and road changes Eric finally stopped at a stop sign at the end of the road where it met the two - lane state road. After stopping, Eric leaned his head back on the trucks bench seat yelling for Ryan. The younger boy leaping from the back of the truck bed, climbing into the truck cab as quickly as he could. With Ryan now inside, Eric pulled onto the two-lane road saying, “what was that?”
“I don’t know, told you it was a bad idea.”
“Okay, okay but what was that thing?”
Still breathing heavy Ryan replied, “I don’t know, a devil dog?”
Eric shook his head “I never seen anything like that before. And I really don’t want to again.”
She slipped through the wall as if it wasn’t there. The unfamiliar voices had attracted her. Standing at a window looking out the front she saw two boys in the overgrown yard. She did not see yet the evil ones or Diablo.
Hearing a low soft whistle, she instantly looked to the wood line seeing the pale glow of Diablo, the blue eyes briefly looking at the house before moving on. She stepped back from the window as if Diablo had seen her. Yet she continued to watch. She watched as Diablo’s color turned from a white to red and he started in the direction of the two boys. The boys seeing Diablo immediately ran to a truck parked in the yard. She continued to watch until the boys were gone, and she could hear the evil ones laughing and calling Diablo back. The voices were getting closer. Deciding it would be best to go, she quietly slipped through the wall again so as not to be seen by the evil ones.
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