The Creeps Are Back, Eden's Ember Bookshop, and More

When a traveler takes one of the winding back roads between Martinsville, VA, and Eden, NC, he may come upon a lonely and curious little community called Sandy Level. There, for many years, at least one forbidding-looking but otherwise jovial figure occupied a singular space along the roadside, leering and waving at the passersby. I called him the Sandy Level Creep (or Creeps, when there was more than one; you may read about them here), but a few years ago, all the Creeps mysteriously vanished. Happily, as I discovered recently, a new corps of Creeps has settled in the old ones' place. That's them in the photo above, in case there's any question.

 

I had an appointment in Eden this morning, so I opted to take the back roads rather than the main highway. Since I'd noticed the Creeps' return some time ago, I decided to stop and take a photo today. Notice how overjoyed they appear,

 

My trip to Eden was to deliver a few books to Eden's Ember Bookshop, which is set to open on Saturday, April 4. There will be a grand opening event from 12 noon to 4 p.m., with several local authors—including me!—on hand to sell and sign their books. The store will be carrying Blue Devil Island, Fugue Devil Resurgence, and The House at Black Tooth Pond, but I'll have a larger selection at my table, including The Lebo Coven, The Nightmare Frontier, Gods of Moab, and several of my Ameri-Scares series titles.

Eden's Ember Bookshop is located at 729 South Van Buren Rd., Eden, NC 27288 (see map below), in the basement of the Kings Mill Coffee building. (Note that parking and the entrance are at the back of the building.)

 

I'll throw in a personal plug for Kings Mill Coffee, as I had lunch there today—a gigantic BLT and a jumbo mug of coffee. The sandwich includes bacon, lettuce, and tomato, of course, but also prosciutto, arugula, avocado, and garlic aioli, all on toasted sourdough bread. It comes with fries. Yeah, I recommend this highly.

 

After lunch, I headed to several relatively new geocaches north of Reidsville. I even got first-to-find honors on one of them, which was fun.

 

I'd love to see you at Eden's Ember's grand opening. If you're within traveling distance, please stop in, so I won't have to hurl a bunch of insults at you. I will, you know.

Sayonara, Sandy Level Creep

Why, yes, I am suffering the great sadness, for the Sandy Level Creep is no more. For the past five years or so, he — and, more recently, a handful of companions — stood alongside the Old Axton Road in southeastern Henry County, VA, happily greeting passing motorists. For some long while, I had seen a "For Sale" sign outside the house where he lived; it always brought on a twinge of sadness and apprehension. The Creep was a bleepin' Sandy Level fixture! But back at Thanksgiving, when I didn't notice that gaggle of scary folk hanging out by the road, I feared the worst had happened. Sure enough, my past few trips through Sandy Level appear to confirm that my good friend, the Sandy Level Creep, is indeed gone.

I first noticed him back in 2015, standing all by his lonesome, one arm raised in cheerful greeting. Occasionally, he would boast a new wardrobe. Eventually, he even made himself a friend: a cute little devil-horned fellow for whom the Creep appeared to display considerable affection. After a time, a huge, bearded, ghoulish-looking chap joined the pair. A frizzy, chapeau-crowned ape man followed shortly afterward (which was actually our devil-horned friend wearing a mask; he wasn't fooling anyone, you know). Soon, the lot of them began showing off various hats, regularly changing poses and clothes. For me, traveling the Old Axton Road through Sandy Level between Martinsville and Greensboro became something of a treat.

I can't say I ever learned anything about the ghoulish gaggle. I halfway suspect the Creep himself might have been a Halloween prop who decided to stay on past the holiday. His later companions appeared at seemingly random times. So, I've no idea whether anyone, other than their owners, might know anything about their surely colorful life stories.

In the midst of some of the most trying times of my life as I've constantly gone to and from Martinsville to care for Mom, the Creep and cadre have added a lovely sparkle. I shall quite miss his huge toothy grin, his happily outstretched arm, his wide array of hats, and his colorful companions.

Sayonara, Creep.

Hanging with the Creep

Several times a month, I pass the Sandy Level Creep (see October 24, 2015; March 11, 2016; and July 21, 2016) on my ways to and from Martinsville, and he while doesn't get out and about much, he does manage to attract entertaining company. When I went by today, a couple of new friends had dropped in to visit him.

I'm not sure of the Creep's origin — I think he was originally a Halloween guest who stayed past the holiday — but it's always nice to see him and his friends hanging out along Sandy Level Road, between Martinsville, VA, and Eden, NC. Good for a little Halloween spirit, 365 days a year.

Creepy Company

It's always good to see people making new friends, and the Sandy Level Creep seems to attract some mighty fine company. A while back, after minding the Axton Road all by his lonesome for several years, a very attractive and very horny little devil showed up to assist. When I passed by him this morning, he'd been joined by yet another happy chap, and just in time for Halloween!

I noticed a FOR SALE sign on the property — I do so hope this does not mean the end of the Sandy Level Creep. He and his buddies have given me many smiles in recent years, and I'd hate to see him move to new digs. Stick around, Sandy Level Creep (and friends)!

The Sandy Level Creep and Other Creeple People

Tonight's book launch party for Young Blood at Mtn' Jax in Martinsville is all done and was done well. A nice turnout resulted in numerous books being devalued with the old man's signature, not to mention those of the Smith Brothers. Got to catch up with several local folks I'd not seen in quite a while, drink some decent beer, and consume what was most certainly the best friggin' burger I've had in many moons. Mtn' Jax turned out to be a hospitable venue for the event, and live music later in the evening added some serious energy to the proceedings.

To kick things off on an apt note, as I was coming into town via the back roads through Sandy Level, I found that the Sandy Level Creep (see "Bold Moon and the Sandy Level Creep" and "The Creep's New Threads") was not only decked out in a new outfit, he had made a friend. What a cheerful duo, these two. As you can see in the photo, they're guaranteed to make passersby feel all kinds of warm and welcome.

About the time things were winding down at Mtn' Jax, I received notification that a new geocache had just been published, aptly titled "Stone Graveyard" (GC6NVNE), and — how happy is this — it was over in Jaycee Park, not far from uptown Martinsville. I managed to get to the park just before dark, hike a short distance on the trail, and make a relatively quick first-to-find. A fitting opening and a fitting ending for a successful book launch. Thanks to those of you who came round, and we missed those of you what didn't make it.

The Creep may not, though. He may not miss you. You might wish he would. He and his new friend....

The 3Ms — Myron, Mark, and Mat

The Creep's New Threads

Yeah, the Sandy Level Creep is watching you. Apparently, the Creep has changed into his best spring attire, as you can see in the accompanying photo. He's shed his tattered gray raincoat and donned a red long-sleeved button-down shirt, off-white slacks, a sassy hat, and a pair of ultra-stylish shades. He still wears his customary broad smile and offers a cheerful wave to folks driving past on the old Axton Road in Henry County, VA, just north of the NC state line.

As friendly as the Creep appears to be, he's very much the strong, silent type, and I've yet to see him engaged in conversation with anyone. Presumably, the Creep's family lives in one of the mobile homes on the property, and I can't deny a certain temptation to stop and see if they're the chatty sort. I'd love to hear the story behind this fellow.

At least, I think I would.

Too busy to blog much lately. Life is running me ragged. At least there's a whole slew of new caches to go after in my snippets of spare time, courtesy Mr. Rich "Night-Ranger" Colter — 380 of them, give or take a few. Happily, there are a fair number I can grab on my increasingly regular comings and goings from Martinsville. They do add a sparkle to the day.

Peace out, creeps.

Bold Moon and the Sandy Level Creep

Last night, I headed up to Martinsville to take my mom out for a slightly belated birthday dinner — it was her 80th last week. I traveled, as I often do, by way of the back roads of Henry County, VA, through a little rural community called Sandy Level, which I consider the southern redneck version of H. P. Lovecraft's Dunwich. There's not much to Sandy Level; just a few houses, a business or two, and a rather spooky old church — the Gospel Light Church, for which a relatively new building has been constructed, but the original still stands nearby. Not far from the church, an old fellow I call the Sandy Level Creep stands by the road side with an arm raised in greeting. This is not a Halloween prop (although he may have started that way); he's out there 365 days a year, and he always has a smile and a wave for passersby. Yep, that's him in the photo there. Today, he was accompanied by a tall, bony, shambling figure that sent me a long, hard stare as I drove by; almost certainly one of the local walking dead, of which I'm told there are many. I made it through without mishap, but this is not a place I'd much care to have my automobile break down.

Red oak and red maple trees growing as one
at the Bold Moon Preserve

From there, it was off to the Bold Moon Nature Preserve, where a new geocache had been published. I had been there last year (see "Bold Moon at Twilight," November 11, 2014), and I'd found it a slightly creepy and very endearing location out in northeast Guilford County. When I arrived at the trail head this morning, the place was deserted, mine the only car in the little parking area. It's an easy hike out to where the cache was placed, but just before arriving at ground zero, I had to cross Reedy Fork Creek, which in this area is fairly wide and fast-moving. I did so without mishap, but the briers on the other side did a number on my clothes and exposed skin. I was first to find the cache, which made me happy, but I had just signed the log when I heard the sound of someone — or something — approaching. My god, it was more of the undead! A pair of zombies, sometimes known as the McTwins, were having a time of it getting across the river, so I very cleverly goaded them into crossing at the riskiest point. And then — success! — a wee bit of a splash, and one of the carnivorous monsters uttered a few words of dismay, for there were now wet feet. However, because I can be sporting even when it comes to the walking dead, I offered to share in the first-to-find honors on the new cache.

On the way out, the parking area was no longer empty. More like full and then some, as there was apparently a grand opening ceremony about to commence, which struck me as a little odd since the trail opened over a year ago. No matter, it was kind of nice to be coming off the trail as those folks were preparing to get on it, especially since I had a couple of dangerous-looking zombies in tow. There's always a little spectacle involved with that.

A good morning it was. Tonight... our regular monthly supper club gathering, this time at my place, appropriately Halloween-themed, with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in the lineup. Yay!

The old Gospel Light Church building in Sandy Level

Clearly the lair of an unearthly horror, not far from the cache. Possibly the McTwins' summer hideaway?