Boy Asks Neighbor For Help Fixing Deck And Breaks Open 10-Year-Old Missing Girl Case.

Good Intentions

David had good intentions of fixing the deck that his dad had let rot away. They weren’t interested in helping him, but he knew that he would persevere and get it done.

The innocent summer project for the boy turned into a horror movie when they unearthed something that should have been left where it was.

Cracking It Open

Since David’s dad wouldn’t help him, he got the help of his neighbor, who seemed more than willing to give him advice.

But after removing plank by plank on the deck, he’d see a peculiar sight. The young boy would find a box underneath the wood. It was waterlogged and half submerged in the mud, but the boy’s curiosity got the better of him.

Treasure?

The boy imagined himself being a pirate and finding lost treasure when he saw the box. He decided that he would make it his mission to retrieve it and find out what was inside.

But the boy had no idea that what was waiting inside the box wasn’t pirate treasure but a tragedy that would change his life forever.

Dad’s Secret

When he saw the chest, he recalled his father telling him not to touch the deck. Was he hiding something inside of the box?

The young boy just thought that it could have been his father’s secret stash, but it would be a terrible secret just waiting to be uncovered.

Hair

When David finally heaved the box from the ground and opened it, he didn’t find anything that he was looking for. His ecstatic smile dropped as it dawned on him.

Looking inside the box, he didn’t see treasure. Tears started streaming down his face as he said one single word, “Mom?” As he pulled out a tuft of hair.

David Simmons

David Simmons was a regular twelve-year-old boy that loved playing in his backyard and pretending he was a different person every day. One day, it was an astronaut; the next, it would be a fireman.

But one week, he decided that he would be a handyman. This was when his father had to step in and tell him to stop.

David’s Father

David’s father, Troy Simmons, was a recluse who stayed in his office for ten hours a day. He never found time to play with his son and only provided the bare minimum as a parent.

He still cooked his meals and took him to school, but otherwise, he shut himself in his office. But there was a good reason for that.

Tragedy

Five years prior, tragedy had struck when David was only Seven. At the time, his father was a fun-loving parent who devoted most of his life to the two most important things.

He loved spending time with David and his wife, Kendra. But things would only end in tragedy and have long-term effects on Troy.

Disappearance

One day, Kendra just disappeared. She was sleeping in her bed, and by morning, she was gone. Troy told police that the sheets were still warm.

The bizarre disappearance meant that there were no suspects except for Troy, who was offended at the idea. But without any evidence, the case went cold.

Never Found

Kendra was never found, even five years later, and Troy had become a wreck without his wife. He barely looked after himself, let alone looking after his son.

The community understood for the most part. What happened to him was unthinkable, and it was hard to go on after something like that. But then David started to get curious.

One Rule

David remembered one rule that his father had made after his mother’s disappearance. He didn’t want him playing on the deck anymore.

It was an odd request, but David didn’t want to question a grieving husband. But one day, David noticed something alarming about the deck.

Neglect

After five years of neglect, the house wasn’t exactly in the best shape. Worst of all was the unmaintained deck. Years of rainfall had washed away the varnish and seeped into the planks.

This meant the deck was now rotted beyond repair. New planks would have to be installed to fix the deck, but why wasn’t David allowed near it?

Unknown Reasons

Even though Troy hadn’t given David any reasons, he assumed it was because the deck was their favorite spot to hang out on when his mother was still around.

David respected his father’s wishes until, one day. He decided that he would do him a favor. But he had no idea what secret he was going to stumble upon.

Being A Handyman

David loved pretending to be a different person when he played in the backyard. Most recently, he had been pretending to be a handyman.

It quickly became an interest of his, and he finally mustered up the courage to ask his father the fateful question. “Dad, can I try and fix the deck?” But his father didn’t like that.

The Answer Is No

His father lost his temper at the mention of the deck. He told David he shouldn’t go near it. That was always the rule.

But David just wanted to help his dad. He decided that it was for the best that he did it behind his back. But he still needed help from an adult.

The Neighbor

David went straight to his neighbor over the fence. Mr. Thompson had always been kind to David ever since his mother had disappeared.

This time, however, he had no idea what David’s curiosity would lead to. If he did, he would probably have never helped him in the first place.

Advice

David was set on doing everything himself, but he needed the know-how to be able to make the repairs. He asked Mr. Thompson, who gladly explained the process.

He helped show David how to repair the deck and what materials he would need. He knew that Troy wouldn’t help his son, so he was glad to be of service. But he shouldn’t have meddled in what he didn’t know.

Starting The Project

Without any further delays, David put on his plastic hard hat from the toys he got for Christmas and got to work. He had to first start ripping out the planks.

He was glad his father’s office was on the other side of the house. That meant that he could work on the deck without him hearing anything. But he should have been concerned about something else.

Removing The Planks

The wood was so rotten that David had no trouble removing the planks by hand. With a bit of force, he managed to rip them out.

But after ripping one of the planks off, he looked straight down. That’s when he saw something amongst the wet mud.

A Metal Edge

David peered down between the planks and saw a metal edge peeking out of the mud underneath the deck. It must have been underneath there for a long time.

That’s when his curious nature got the better of him and took over. He went from a handyman to a pirate looking for treasure. He wondered what kind of valuables were hidden underneath. But he’d be devastated by the truth.

Getting To It

David just had to get to his treasure now. He ripped out more planks in a fury to get to the sunken object beneath him.

After a few minutes of straining, he finally managed to make enough room to crawl inside. But he should never have let his curiosity put him in this situation when he learned what kind of man his father was.

A Box

David had descended underneath the deck in the hopes of finding out what object was lying there for him to find. He crawled through the mud until he was a few inches away from the relic.

He studied the outline of the object and realized that it was a metal box half submerged in the mud. He needed to get it out and find out what was inside.

Creepy Place

It was a dark and creepy place that set the tone for what could have been inside the box. But David wasn’t focusing on that. His childish curiosity never considered it could hold sinister secrets.

David now just had to haul the box back into the light where he would open it. He didn’t like the feeling he got underneath the deck.

Pulling It Out

David struggled to pull it out from underneath the deck, but his motivation meant anything was possible. Finally, he laid it on the grass in the backyard and prepared to open it up.

Now on the surface in the light, the box looked a lot more sinister than David initially thought. The excitement drained from his body as he felt a chill run up his spine. What was in the box?

What’s in the Box?

A nervous David sat on the grass with his hands in his lap. He traced the outline of the box and found the latch for it.

There was no more delaying it; he knew he had to see what was inside for better or for worse. He grabbed the latch and tried opening it, but it was rusted shut. He had to know what was inside.

Opening It

David was undeterred. He picked up a hammer he had “borrowed” from his father’s shed and got to work hammering the latch open. Finally, he would know the truth.

He hammered with as much force as he could until the latch shot off with a loud bang. He dropped the hammer and grabbed the lid of the box, but he should never have found it.

Opening The Box

David slowly opened the lid of the box. The hinges creaked like a soul crying out in pain. He peered down into the box and immediately felt his stomach flip.

This couldn’t have been right. What was supposed to be treasure ended up being a dark secret that was better kept in the dark? What’s in the box?

A Tuft Of Hair

“Mom?” David said as his voice cracked. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he reached a hand into the box and pulled out something that would scar him for years to come.

He was holding a single tuft of hair and rolling it between his fingertips. There was no mistaking it. The hair was his mother’s. He looked deeper into the box but didn’t know what he was about to uncover.

Other Possessions

There were other things inside the box other than hair. There were CDs, jewelry, and other nicknacks. But they all had one thing in common; they were his mother’s items.

That’s when he felt a shadow fall over him. He turned around and saw his father with a furious look on his face. What was he about to do?

The Truth

Troy collapsed over his son and hugged him. He started weeping, something David had never seen before. That’s when he spilled the truth behind everything. “Your mother thought it would be fun to make a time capsule and hide it under the deck.”

“I haven’t been able to face it, but you had the courage to. I love you, son.” He said with his son in his arms. Now that the time capsule had been faced, Troy could finally find closure and clean up his act and look after his son properly. But neither of them knew that the police would arrive on their property two days later.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.