Knickerbitch and the Biker Dude

You recall my post about Knickerbitch and the knickerditch in Lethbridge a few days ago. If you recall that, you may recall that I said I knew Louise (aka Knickerbitch) from Shannon's parties. However, there was another time that I met Louise before the Lethbridge fiasco. A time I earlier thought to be after Lethbridge, but in fact it was before. And that time was on a trip to Wayne, Alberta.

Wayne is an old mining town that is essentially a ghost town now. It consists of the remains of several sites of old buildings (some sites cleared out of debris and others still littered with it), a few homes that are still lived in, and the Rosedeer Hotel for passersby to have a place to stay. Here's some information on Wayne, if you are interested:

Wayne Alberta - Ghost Town

Anyway, the first time I visited Wayne was with Shannon and Knickerbitch. It was expected to be a fun-filled overnight trip to a scary ghost town. And for the most part, the place delivered. The drive down to Wayne was pretty enjoyable and everyone got along. After all, who wouldn't get along with me? I'm very personable. 

Upon arrival in Wayne, we immediately ran into the Rosedeer hotel to get a room. We had to wait a while in the lobby for someone to come, but no one did. We entered the lounge and found the proprietor of the hotel. He was polite and checked us in. On the way upstairs to our room, he told us a story about a ghost in the hotel and how the ghost was his friend. He also, however, mentioned that the ghost once pushed him down the stairs. Okay. Gotcha, crazy guy! You may go now. 

As he left us to our room, he told us that there was an old miner's graveyard located at the top of one of the coolies. Exciting!

The room was...creepy. Faux wood paneling enveloped the room and a dingy brown carpet snuggled our feet. There was a double bed and a single bed in the room. I decided to take the single just to ensure no accidental feel-copping occurred in the overnight hours.  Floorboards creaked under our weight as the hotel was quite old. The second floor was the only floor to have rooms for rent. The lower level was the lounge and kitchen, and the third floor was the owner’s personal space. An unnerving door led to the third floor that was padlocked so we could not see what was up there. The hallway had an eerie red glow from the emergency exit light at the end. 

First things first, we visited the lounge. The lounge had a certain creepy charm, with an old band box in the corner and bullet holes still riddling the walls. We did not stay to have drinks as we were far too eager to visit the graveyard. 

We walked up the coolie and explored along the edge, trying to find the graveyard. Eventually we came across it and all I can say is WOW. This place was like something out of a cliché horror film. It wasn't filled with organized rows of grave markers. It was, after all, from the early twentieth century. I believe the newest grave was from 1913. The grass had grown quite long and some trees were creeping out of control through the graveyard. A barbed wire fence surrounded the grounds. Old cracked grave markers hinted at those who were buried beneath for the most part, but there were also several graves marked only with rotting wood crosses. Some graves were sinking in and the old wooden grave liners were now exposed. Some markers were difficult or impossible to read the names. Others damaged or stolen by other tourists. It was quite the place. 

However, this blog entry is not centered on what we saw there that day. The entry is about Knickerbitch and her insanity. Let's move ahead. 

Later in the evening, we all decided to visit the lounge. We got some drinks and talked amongst ourselves. While we were there, a gentleman came in and sat with us. He was greasy. Yes, so greasy. His hair was dark, combed back, and greasy. He had a cliché biker jacket on and his teeth were yellowed and just all over his mouth. That being said, he seemed to be a nice person. A stranger wandering the night, we allowed him to join us for a drink. 

I don't really recall much about the chap, but that's because Knickerbitch and the biker dude ended up dominating the conversation...mainly talking to each other while Shannon and I listened. 

Last call came slowly and when it did, we decided to head up to the room. Biker dude had his own room but couldn't get enough of Louise. Knickerbitch and the biker dude talked about his motorcycle and cars (remember that Knickerbitch was a tomboy) and then he invited Knickerbitch outside to see the bike. 

A few minutes later, Knickerbitch and the biker dude return to the room. Biker dude started telling Knickerbitch that he thought the sunrise would be beautiful when witnessed from the top of one of the coolies (near the graveyard of which I spoke). Yes, it was an obvious line to try and get her alone. It worked. Sort of. 

I didn't know Knickerbitch that well, but she seemed like a nice person. Sure, she seemed naive and perhaps lonely, so biker dude's invite was likely very tempting to her. Biker dude asked Louise if she would like to go for a walk and then watch the sun rise. She said yes and so they prepared to leave. But I wasn't having it. This stranger might be anything from a rapist to a murderer. Knickerbitch needed backup. I boldly stated that I would come along too as I wasn't tired. I'm sure they were both pissed off as they could be with me, but that wasn't going to change anything. 

We walked. Walked, walked, walked, Walked for hours. Up to the end of the road and back. Up to the top of the coolie, all around the edge, through a farmer's field, to the graveyard, up down and around the area. Biker dude and Knickerbitch seemed to be hitting it off. I was quiet for the most part as I wasn't attempting to stop the magic that was happening. I just didn't want him to kill her. 

We left at about 2:30AM and returned at nearly 5:00AM. I was tired and so were they. As I stumbled into my bed, trying not to wake Shannon in the next bed, Knickerbitch announced that she was going to let biker dude take her for a ride on his motorcycle. I told her it was a terrible idea but she wouldn't listen. She never listened. So whatever. Fuck it. If she was going to be irresponsible, then I couldn't stop her. I went to sleep while Knickerbitch was sped off on the back of biker dude's cycle. 

About twenty minutes later, she returned and crept into bed with Shannon.

It was not long after that when I heard the floorboards cracking and creaking. I sat up, expecting to see Shannon or Knickerbitch working their way to the door. However, no one was there. Crack. Creak. No one. I'm not saying it's a ghost. There are a lot of explanations for what it could be, but the sound was coming from the floor IN the room. That's all I'm saying about that.

The next morning, Knickerbitch woke us up at about 9AM. We had plans to explore more of Wayne and then check out some sites in Drumheller. However, Knickerbitch said that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home. 

Translation: "I'm homesick and want to go home." 

There was no debate. She became irritable and bitched about any delay. So we left early. I should have learned about Knickerbitch and her inability to stay away from her family for more than twelve hours, and I paid the price in Lethbridge later that year. 

Knickerbitch refused to talk about biker dude on the drive back home. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm willing to bet it was something naughty. Did biker dude get what he wanted from Louise and then dump her back at the hotel before leaving on his way? Who knows. Whatever did happen, she's lucky that things weren't a lot worse. 

So that's the story of Knickerbitch and the biker dude. It's not a funny story but it is entertaining. The choices people will make in the heat of loneliness or naivety never ceases to amaze me. Let's just hope the rest of you have more self-respect than to settle for a greasy guy named biker dude.