Case 874136: Pferd

Case #: 874136

Case Type: Missing Person

Date Reported: 10/21/2015

Reported by: Rebecca Hoover

Address: 4593 Ash Ln, Richmond, VA 23223

Phone Number: (804) 226-9814

Relationship to Missing Person: teacher

Reason for Report: Ms. Hoover was worried for the well being of her student after receiving a series of cryptic and suspicious assignments. These assignments gave Ms. Hoover a reason to believe someone was inflicting harm (psychological and possibly physical) unto the student. Ms. Hoover offered a complete transcript of said assignments (these are located in the evidence section of this case file). Apparently the student talked about seeing some kind of horse and being scared and detained by some sort of male figure (Hoover speculates this could be the student’s father). After the student did not respond to Ms. Hoover’s emails about helping the student for over 36 hours, Ms. Hoover decided to involve the police.

Missing Person: Brigit Schmidt

Primary Language: German, with some English

Address: 9508 Horseshoe Ln, Richmond, VA 23223 (found to be abandoned when officers went to investigate)

Phone: N/A (Hoover only corresponds with student over email, no phone was given in Schmidt’s official school record.)

Age: 20

DOB: 1/17/1995

Race: Caucasian

Gender: Female

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Clothing worn when last seen: Unknown

Notes: (10/22) Met with Schmidt’s grandmother who is her only known relative in the area. She last saw Schmidt on September 28. She said Schmidt was not acting like herself; she was unusually jumpy and kept looking out the window like she was waiting for someone to appear. She left in a hurry, saying she felt ill but didn’t seem sickly to the grandmother. (10/25) Officers searched the address she put on her official school record only to find a small house that looked like it hadn’t been inhabited in months. There was dust on the floor with non-human footprints, they looked like that of horse hooves, but no horses are in the area and one would hardly fit in that house so that’s almost impossible. (10/28) Visited the Internet café were Schmidt reportedly does her homework for Ms. Hoover’s class. The owner who always sees Schmidt doing her schoolwork says that she hadn’t seen Schmidt since the 19th of October (also the last day Schmidt wrote to Ms. Hoover). Owner says Schmidt had seemed very paranoid the last few times she saw her. She saw her staring at the window at something with a horrified expression for minutes without blinking. She says the last time Schmidt was there she typed something very quickly and then ran out of the café, heading south (this leads to some privately owned land with nothing but an old barn). (10/31) After obtaining a search warrant, officers went to investigate the barn where Schmidt was reportedly heading. Upon arrival, officers smelled rotting flesh. The officers entered the barn and found a very disturbing scene. All over the walls were drawings of what looked like horses; only these horses had no mane or tail. All of these drawings were in white chalk except for the eyes, which were painted red (possibly with blood). Also written on the walls were the words “help me” in English and German. In the middle of the barn the officers found the body of a young female, covered in blood. (11/2) This body was confirmed to be Brigit Schmidt. Medical Examiner could find no cause of death; the blood found on the body did not belong to Schmidt, but a horse. Since there is no presence of trauma to the body or signs of a struggle in the barn, there is no reason to believe Brigit Schmidt was murdered, only that this was some kind of freak accident.

Evidence: Complete transcript of Brigit Schmidt’s Assignments, blood sample found on body of the deceased, pictures from scenes of the barn where the body was found

 

Pferd: A Short Story

Pferd: A Short Story”*

Editors Notes

*Seeing as you forgot to name the bundle of tattered paper I found abandoned on my desk last Tuesday, I have chosen to grant it a most captivating working title. You’re welcome.

 

Dear Author,

I don’t normally accept editing requests from people who don’t bother to at least email me to ask before shoving their works-in-progress in my face, but your “story” (we can talk about format in future meetings) has a…rawness that I can appreciate. It’s a little rough around the edges, but I think it has some real promise. Thus, I write to you now with my critiques.

First and foremost: the “villain” of your story. Does it have to be a horse? If you’re aiming for horror, as I’m assuming you are (nice touch with the “blood stains” on the last pages, by the way; we’ll likely end up rearranging them so as not to obscure so much of the text), I’m not sure that would work for a modern audience. You know it’s mostly the kids who read this “spooky” stuff nowadays, and kids today aren’t afraid of horses. Maybe if the horse destroys the Wi-Fi of all those who encounter it, or deletes their Twitter or something. I remember when my niece came to visit and I told her we don’t get internet out in the sticks, her little eyes just about popped right out of her head. That was real fear.

However, if you’re stuck on the horse I’d recommend looking into the works of Jake Epstein to flesh out your mythology a bit. His anthology, Dark Hooves: Equine Monsters throughout History, would be a great place to start. A little dry, but he has some great material. If I remember correctly, there’s even a mention of a horse-like beast with no mane or tail, like the one in your story, although I believe it’s one of the shorter entries.

Next, we are going to have to discuss your protagonist. Are we really meant to believe that she is twenty years old, as specified in your “police record”? The activities she describes in her journals and the way the teacher talks to her implies that she is much younger. Does your character perhaps suffer some mental illness, maybe brought on by some past trauma that causes her to have a younger state of mind? Mental illness is a popular topic, but is rarely handled with the delicacy it warrants. If you decide to go that route, I suggest looking into Traumatic Irony: The Pain After the Pain by Pennie King; it’s a really interesting exploration of trauma theory and common psychological conditions that develop as a result. Vastly underrated. It’s a crime that so few authors get the recognition they deserve. Maybe when’s she’s dead, eh?

Any further notes I would prefer to discuss with you in person, over coffee maybe? I promise I won’t bite. If we’re going to continue a professional relationship I’d like to get to know you a little better; maybe that’s just the country in me.

Incidentally, you didn’t need to leave such a cryptic note in front of my office. My secretary would have been more than happy to take down your address. I realized when I saw it where the map you drew led, but had I not been from around these parts I might not have known. I pass by that clump of apple trees every day on the way to the office, so I shouldn’t have too much trouble figuring out where to send this letter if your house really is right nearby. Heck, if the postman can’t understand my directions, I may just drop by there myself.

 

Your future editor,

Pferd

Brigit Schmidt

English 2

Miss Hoover

 

Writing Journal

Write a paragraph (in English) describing what you did over the weekend. Make sure to use new vocabulary from the current chapter in each journal entry. Even though this is an online class, you are not allowed to use Google Translate. Check the syllabus for a list of acceptable dictionaries.

 

21 September 2015

This Weekend I went to the store with my mutter and father. I buyed three apples und went to the park. I had fun. My brother and my friend Klaus went to the pool. Klaus went to the pool and dived from the diving board. Then my brother died from the diving board. I swimmed four laps. Then I see the (sorry I don’t remember the word) Pferd. He smiled and we go back to the house.

 

28 September 2015

Over the Weekend, I went at Großmothers house. I ate three apples, and we watched television. I ate three apples. I did.

 

5 October 2015

He did not let me to go this Weekend.

 

12 October 2015

He did not let me to go this Weekend. It is to dark to sehe anything else but

 

I see the Pferd.

 

13 October 2015

I know there is no assignment today. But I see the Pferd. I have to tell someone. Maybe you can to help. All I can see out of the window is the Pferd. Please do not type the other word. When I type it he looks right at me and I can not move I am to scared. If I read the word he knows so please don’t type the word please please please.

 

19 October 2015

I should not have done that. He knows that I only type on Mondays, and he would not stop looking to me. You have to understand that I can not tell to you how to get here and what it looks like you just have to understand that I always see the Pferd.

I sdddddddddd

Don’t worry. Things are fine!

Don’t worry. Things are fine!

Don’t worry. Things are fine!

 

Do not leave. Things are fine!

 

Do not leave. Things are coming.