Terror in the Corn

9 hours ago

It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It's Meet the Character Thursday! Every Thursday we will be profiling a different resident of Raven's Gulch. Today, we profile Bella Vallee!

Born March 15th in New York City, Bella Olivia Vallee was doomed from the start. Her mother Lorelei was a secretary for Columbia Records and had been for nearly two years. Her father, up-and-coming radio pop star Hubert Prior "Rudy" Vallee. The two lovers had met in 1931 when Rudy intended to sign with Columbia, and they hit it off right away. Soon into their affair, Lorelei found out that she was pregnant. Wanting to avoid a scandal that could destroy Rudy's budding career, Lorelei quickly helped Rudy to sign onto Columbia before quitting her job as a secretary to hide her pregnancy. Tragically, she would die in the hospital shortly after giving birth to a baby girl in 1932. Heartbroken by her death, Rudy took the baby and named her Bella after her mother's beauty. While he lied to the public, telling them that the baby had been abandoned on his doorstep, he always told Bella that she had been responsible for the death of her mother.

From the time that Bella was two, she idolized her father, constantly wanting to sing with him, listen to his orchestra and his band, or play with him. Bella was a charming girl, very talkative and excitable, and always proud of her father's career. Rudy, for his part, was generally cold towards her, and openly held his resentment for her.

It was in early October of 1939 when Rudy got a lead role in a film called "The Palm Beach Story", which would later be released fully in 1942. Bella, now seven years old, begged to be taken along, and after some consideration Rudy agreed. They boarded a train headed for Hollywood, but just as they were approaching Denver, the streamliner inexplicably broke down. The conductor told the few passengers that they needed to go into Denver to alert the depot, and they all agreed to come along to find somewhere to rest their heads for the night, but when they got to town they were greeted by very few vacancies.

Rudy and Bella alone came across an old man in an old truck saying that he knew of a hotel Northeast with plenty of vacancies, so Rudy paid him to drive them there. They arrived in Raven's Gulch in the evening and checked into two hotel rooms, one on the ground floor for Bella, and one on the second floor for Rudy. Rudy didn't seem to notice or care about how odd the town was, but Bella certainly did.

Bella was nervous about the strange townsfolk at first, and was downright terrified of the seemingly endless cornfield that surrounded the town, where she could hear painful screams and animalistic howls late into the night. The town became surprisingly welcoming to her, however, and her anxiety eased. She began to wander the old town, meeting anyone she could and charming the townsfolk, just as she always did back in New York.

Rudy, however, seemed angrier than ever. He had little to no patience to play or even speak with his daughter, simply staying in his room, listening to his own records, and writing his music. Bella, missing her father's attention, often tried to coax him out to come see her toys, her pictures, something she'd found, or the monsters she found in her room, but was often met with harsh words and the occasional swat on the cheek.

As October rolled on, Rudy began to get even more restless, as he was supposed to be on the set to film and he hadn't heard one word from the train crew. Eventually he'd had enough and left his room to use the telephone down at the bank. Bella, sensing her opportunity, snuck into her father's room to listen to one of his records like she always used to. However Rudy returned in time to catch her, and he flew into a rage. Chasing Bella screaming out of his room, he caught up to her as she reached the top of the stairs. He grips her arm tight enough to bruise, Bella clawing at him to get away. In a frenzy, Rudy violently throws Bella down the stairs, cracking her skull and breaking her legs as she eventually reaches the landing, one last blow to the head doing its job and killing her. No one saw it happen, and even if they had, it was unlikely the townsfolk would have been upset if they had.

Rudy got the message the very next morning that the train had been fixed, and they would be leaving soon. Rudy left town that same week, giving Bella a hasty burial, and he let the world forget about her. He would die with the secret in Los Angeles in 1986.

Bella does not remember him in fear or anger, she barely remembers him at all. All she knows is that she loves her father and his music, and that eventually Rudy will come back for her. She doesn't mind waiting though, she has plenty of people to talk to until then.

Meet Bella Vallee and all of the residents of Raven's Gulch this fall at Terror in the Corn! Opening Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday this week! ... See MoreSee Less

Terror in the Corn

1 day ago

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