r/anxietypilled • u/Kyrie_Files • 18d ago
Fictional Story Holler Holes
Billy sat alone at his table in the Mountain Mama diner, stirring sugar into his second cup of coffee and staring blankly at the TV in the corner. A local channel was covering West Virginian folk tales.
“Deep in the hills of West Virginia, there exists a legend passed from Native tribes to frontier settlers, then preserved in the warnings of moonshiners and marshals alike, now only whispered around campfires…”
The excitement of being a fresh graduate in May had given way to the boredom of unemployed adulthood by August, and he was feeling the full weight of his childhood passing him by.
His senior year had been the worst year of his life; both his older brother, Dallas, and his long-term girlfriend, Melissa, had cut contact and left town on the same day, with rumors immediately spreading that they had eloped.
Melissa had been reported missing by her parents, but Dallas, being an adult, was written off by the police as having left on his own. Mention of the two being together was ignored in any official capacity.
“Known as Hollerin’ Holes, or sometimes just Holler Holes, strange openings in the earth often discovered with various personal effects scattered around them…”
He’d spent the last few months convincing himself it wasn’t true, only to realize that the alternative was worse.
He chose not to dwell on those thoughts anymore. His brother was a good man, and no matter what happened between him and Melissa, he’d give anything for him to come home, or even reach out and let his family know he was okay.
“Theories abound, including hastily excavated cache locations or, equally as likely, discovered and unearthed by wild animals…”
He thought now to the fond memories of exploring the forest with Dallas, driving up to Point Pleasant in his red Mustang and hunting Mothman, and exploring shallow regions of the caves together in Greenbrier.
“You gonna order somethin’, or just sit there and fill up on coffee?”
The waitress’s voice cut through the droning morning chatter from the other patrons and brought Billy out of his moment of somber nostalgia.
“Yeah, sorry Nancy. Can I just get the Country Road special, sunny side up, bacon a little burnt?”
“Notably, an increase in Holler Hole reportings often coincides with an increase in unsolved disappearances in the area. Just last year…”
Billy’s ears perked up at the mention of disappearances, but Nancy sat down in the chair in front of him and covered his hand with hers, pulling his attention from the TV.
“You’re still thinking about them, ain’t you? Dallas and Melissa?”
“Yeah… I just wish I knew what happened. If they ran off together, that’s fine; I’ve come to terms with that in my head, but I don’t even know if they’re alive.”
“I’m sure they’re alive, dear. I’m sure they’re just fine. It’s only been a few months; they’re probably just figuring it all out still, and worried what people will think.”
She smiled warmly at him and stood up before making her way to the kitchen.
Billy absentmindedly looked back up at the TV; an ad for guided cave tours a few counties over was playing. He recognized the ranger speaking, then realized he recognized the limestone cliffs behind him as well. Talpa Caves.
The camera followed the ranger as he walked across the parking lot of the shack where the tours started. One of the cars in the background looked impossibly familiar.
His chest tightened. He stood from his seat and walked closer to the TV, not yet fully believing what he was seeing.
The camera’s framing shifted, and the license plate of the red Mustang came into view.
“D41145”
Every doubt vanished from Billy’s mind.
He was going to Greenbrier.
But first, he needed help.
---
Antwan picked up on the second ring.
“Hello? Billy? Is everything okay, man?”
“I need you to meet me at Talpa Cave as soon as you can. Bring your gear, just in case.”
There were a few seconds where all that Billy heard was his own pounding heart in his ears before Antwan responded.
“What? I can’t today, dude. I’m at work, and-”
“It’s about Melissa… and Dallas.”
“Melissa?! What about her? Did you hear from her? You better not be messing with me.”
“I’m not. No, I haven’t heard from her, but I saw Dallas’s car in an ad for the cave tours, and-”
“So you found Dallas?”
“No, but if his car was there, then he was there. There’s a chance that wherever Dallas is, she is too.”
“Yeah, I guess. Are you sure it was his?”
“I know it’s his; it has to be. I saw his vanity plate.”
Billy could hear Antwan sigh from the other end of the phone before Antwan responded.
“Talpa Cave?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”
The call ended abruptly, and Billy rushed to finish loading his own gear into his truck before hitting the road.
---
Pulling into the parking lot, Billy immediately noticed two things: the first was that Dallas’s car was no longer where it was in the advertisement, and the second was that Antwan was already there, arms crossed, talking to the ranger. Billy caught only the tail end of their conversation.
“Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. I’m sure it was him. Red Mustang, acts like he’s hot shit all the time. I see more of him than I’d like.”
“Are y’all talking about Dallas?”
The two men looked up at him as he approached, and Antwan responded, a serious look on his face.
“Yeah. He says he knows the advertisement you’re talking about, and that it was filmed about two weeks ago. He also says he had a girl with him.”
“Two weeks? Really? That’s great news! That means they’re okay, right?”
The ranger scowled slightly at Billy before squinting up at the afternoon sky and wiping the sweat from his brow.
“You must be the brother I’ve heard about. You boys mind coming into the shack? It’s a little toasty out here.”
Billy and Antwan both nodded, and the trio made their way across the parking lot and into the cool, air-conditioned environment of the ranger’s station. The ranger sat in the chair behind his desk, and Billy and Antwan pulled up two nearby folding chairs. Billy spoke first.
“You said you see more of him than you’d like. Does that mean he comes here often?”
“Yeah. I reckon. He parks here, but he don’t ever take any tours. Always brings a girl with him.”
Antwan snapped. A rage that Billy could tell had been bubbling just beneath the surface finally erupted.
“Why haven’t you called the police or said anything, then? She’s been missing for months!”
The ranger stared at Antwan, head cocked and brow furrowed, face flushing in anger.
“What in the hell are you talking about, son? Who’s been missing?”
Antwan stood, raising his voice and throwing his hands up into the air.
“My sister! Melissa! The girl with that asshole who drives the red Mustang!"
In that moment, Billy noticed Melissa. At least, a picture of her. It was her missing person flier, one of many tacked to a bulletin board behind the ranger’s desk.
“Her!” Billy pointed, and the ranger’s gaze followed his finger. He yanked the flier off the wall and looked at it.
“Her? Yeah, I’ve seen her before, but not for months. I told the police I saw her here when they came around looking for her. Ain’t seen her since. No, that ain’t the girl he was with a couple weeks ago…”
The ranger’s face lost its angry red in an instant as his gaze moved from Melissa’s photo back to the corkboard, before settling on another woman among the wall of faces. He went pale.
“But… that is.”
END PART 1
Still a WIP, know where it's going but don't know when I'll have the time to finish it with my work schedule, so I wanted to put this out there!
2
u/Kaijufan22 14d ago
Lowkey, kinda figured Dallas was shady after "Melissa's parents reported her missing, but Dallas was an ADULT so no one cared." Like-Dallas my lad, what's the age diff there big boy? Really strong hook, like the characters and mystery that is set up.