by David Kempf
Chapter 3
Field of Horrors
By Christopher Wisdom
Field of Horrors wasn’t the scariest haunted attraction in Pennsylvania. It was, however, the most frightening horror hayride in the whole county of Raven. People would look forward to seeing what was new this year. Sometimes the animatronics were new and the hayride frequently featured new actors. Even Raven County had enough horror hayrides and haunted houses to make Halloween a very special holiday. Farmers had found out decades before that selling tickets to hayrides could prove to be more profitable than farming.
Craig Houseman and Doug Sullivan were the best of friends. They went to high school together. Doug and Craig now went to the local community college. It was inevitable that they would work together as well. They worked at the local factory during the week. Their weekend job was what really excited them. Since Craig was an aspiring movie director and Doug wanted to be an actor, this was good work. Among the many problems of having big dreams while attending a small school was not having much money. Both young men were almost twenty years old and still living at home. Still living at home and working seven nights a week while in school. Some of their classmates had gone to do other things. There were even a few who went to really great schools including Harvard, Yale, and the prestigious Penn. Craig and Doug still enjoyed the fact that they were the first in both of their families to see a classroom beyond high school.
“The library is almost closed now. Come on, Doug,” said Craig.
“I know, Craig. I just need a few more minutes to get the information I need for my biology report.”
It was obvious to all of their professors that being a college student was much more important to Doug than it was to Craig. Doug had heard from his family that committing to a college education was the most important decision one could make. It was advice given from a lifetime of working people. Doug was proud of the hard work his family had done. They were factory workers and manual laborers.
Doug’s family, the Sullivans, gave a lot to their community through hard work and hard times. Doug wasn’t ashamed of them by any stretch of the word. He was, however, determined to make the most of this opportunity and earn his associate’s degree. A two-year degree would lead him to acceptance at a good four-year school. The two years he would spend at the community college would save him a lot of money. Then he would not have to pay off as many student loans after graduation.
His father had always told him to make the most of life’s opportunities. That’s why Doug was a business major. Although he desperately wanted to major in theatre, he didn’t want his family to think he was foolish. It was hard enough to convince his family to approve of his having a minor in drama and another in acting. The essence of his hopes and dreams was his talent. He always thought that was much more important than a formal education. His family had convinced him over the years to pursue more realistic goals. Most people in the world of show business failed and were poor. Doug was convinced that maybe it was okay to have foolish dreams. It was okay if performing was something you did on the side. A full time dreamer was typically a full time fool.
Craig and Doug both grew up on horror movies. That’s why they loved working as actors so much. It wasn’t very highbrow acting. Shakespeare probably would not consider grown men dressing up like monsters in a corn field legitimate theatre. Craig took his film classes very seriously. He tried to take them seriously. His professor was a drunken, divorced loser. Professor Al Candy was the worst teacher he had ever had in his life. The sad thing about it was that he taught Craig’s favorite subject. It was tragic that the worst teacher was also the head of the film department. The most important thing in his life was guided by a complete and total idiot. Candy wasn’t even a loveable fool. He was incompetent and arrogant at the same time. Craig put it out of his mind every Friday and Saturday night. It was time for him to pretend to be something out of this world. Craig and Doug both looked forward to a Halloween masquerade every weekend. They couldn’t resist getting paid to dress like ghouls.
Every year since they were seventeen, they dressed as something different. Last year they were zombies; the year before they were warlocks. The boys couldn’t wait to find out what part they would be playing this Halloween season. Fred Jones, the lucky farmer who owned this property, was also in charge of local talent.
“We’ve got something different for you guys this year,” said Jones.
The boys were curious and Craig asked him what it was.
“Well, how would you guys like to be vampires this year?’
“I think vampires are kind of lame,” said Craig.
“I don’t share Craig’s opinion,” said Doug.
“Sorry. That’s all we got left this year. We have too many zombies and a young couple is going to be our new warlocks. Well, excuse me; I mean witch and warlock. The girl’s real fine.”
Vampires didn’t appeal to Craig. They were the most overused characters in the history of dark fiction. He wasn’t going to put up a big fight with Jones because he was still getting paid. If someone ever wanted to make him film a vampire movie, they had better pay him a lot of money. The genre of horror needed new characters to keep people interested. Vampires were his pet peeve but he was willing to do it for the money.
Doug didn’t care what he played this year. A paying job was a paying job. They could still have fun. Doug was a good sport about the haunted hayride and didn’t take it nearly as seriously as Craig did.
“I guess we have vampires now. Can I call you Count Doug and Count Craig?”
“Not if you want me to answer you,” said Craig.
“Sure. You can call me Count Dougula as long we get paid.”
The little scenes that were displayed in Jones’s cornfield made for the perfect haunted hayride experience. There was a mad scientist with his monster in a lab scene. There was the warlock scene with magic and smoke effects. Perhaps the most chilling scenes involved the gruesome animatronics. The man being hanged on a large, scary tree often made even the adults in the hay wagon nervous. Aliens coming out of the flying saucer used too much electricity. Jones said he would discontinue it this year. One of the most popular scenes was the giant dinosaur eating a school bus. That cost the farmer a considerable amount of cash. He would never remove that scene because it was so good that it lead to repeat customers. Finally, there was the vampire scene at the end of the hayride. It consisted of twelve coffins. The first ten were filled with dummies, but the last two would have Craig and Doug in them. The two friends would have fun jumping out of their coffins at unsuspecting customers.
It was obvious that neither Doug nor Craig was a trained professional actor of any kind. Craig was the better actor of the two and there was never any doubt about that. He jumped out at just the right time to scare the hell out of the customers. It wasn’t because he loved playing a vampire. He didn’t. It was something else. Craig wanted everyone to get their money’s worth. His own family tried to make sure they got something out of any experience no matter what little money they had. That was something that was highly valued by his family. Doug just wanted the money. It was a fun job and not meant to be taken too seriously. After all, they were too old to go trick or treating and on a subconscious level he was aware of that.
It happened so suddenly that it didn’t feel like it was real. It seemed impossible. A man was walking around in the field in front of them. He was a shadowy figure and they could only see his outline; but they knew it was a man they saw. What made seeing him so amazing wasn’t that he was wondering around alone. Many of the farmers walked around unescorted to check on the actors. This man walked around for a few moments and took off into the trees.
“Did you see that, Doug?”
“You know I did!”
The two friends had just witnessed what was either a miracle or the greatest magic trick ever performed. A man who got off to a running start did the impossible. He appeared to be flying.
“Craig,
that man was flying. He took off into the trees.”
“Doug, did he take off into the trees or up into the sky?”
It was something the two friends saw but would not repeat to others. People would talk about them if they ever told anyone that they watched a man defy gravity. Some people would say they had overactive imaginations because of their obsession with horror films. It wouldn’t be unheard of for people to accuse them of taking drugs either. But the fact was that this really did happen right before their eyes.
“What do we do now?” asked Craig.
“We do nothing. We just keep working here and living our lives as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Maybe it wasn’t a miracle. It could just be one of the actors was testing some kind of terrific special effects prop we didn’t know about. It’s still best that we don’t bring it up to anyone. If they want to tell us about this great new prop, they’ll bring it up.”
“You’re right, Doug. They’ll just bring it up at the next staff meeting.”
“I’ll bet we have the only staff meetings where people are dressed like monsters,” Doug laughed.
So they kept playing their parts. Life went on just as if they never saw anything unusual. One night they were walking towards their little vampire set in the fields and it started to rain. But it didn’t just rain; it poured.
“This is a cliché, Doug. We’re going to play vampires and it’s already beginning to turn into a dark and stormy night!”
“Very funny!” said Doug.
It was raining so hard that the tiki torches in front of all the coffins went out.
“It’s getting too cold and wet to work tonight,” said Craig.
“I know. They’re going to have to close this down tonight. No one is going to want to go on a hayride in this mess.”
Craig got into his coffin and shut it for a moment. He just wanted to get dry.
“Damn, it feels good to be in this thing.”
Doug was right behind Craig. He opened the lid to his coffin to reveal the single most horrific thing his eyes had ever seen.
“Craig, come over here and look at this!”
“I don’t think so! It’s too damn cold to get out of this thing!”
“Please, you have to see this….I can’t believe…..”
Since Craig was his true friend he got out of his wooden coffin and walked in the pouring rain. He wanted to find out what the hell was wrong and why he needed to be soaking wet.
“Look, Craig.”
He looked. The lid to the coffin was shut. He heard. The noise coming from inside of the coffin was a man crying out, apparently in agonizing pain.
“Open it, Craig. See what I saw.”
He didn’t want to open it and see what was inside. On top of the terrifying screaming, he could hear his own heart pounding.
“Do it!”
Craig did it. He opened the coffin to see an old man screaming in agony. The only thing he could think to do was ask him why.
“What’s wrong, sir?”
The man screamed again. He screamed so loud that he could be heard above the sound of thunder; in spite of the fact that this was one of the worst storms either Craig or Doug could remember.
“Why are you in pain?” asked Craig.
The man still didn’t speak. Instead, he removed his folded arms to reveal a metal spike that appeared to be driven through his chest into the other side of the coffin.
“Oh, God!” exclaimed Doug.
“It’s going to be okay. I’ll get help and you will be okay. I promise,” Craig insisted.
The old man looked at them. It took only a moment for them both to realize it would not be all right. They were very, very far from all right. Nothing was all right tonight.
Help me.
“Craig, did you hear him talk?”
“I heard him but I didn’t see his lips move!”
Help me.
“Look, sir, we want to help you!” said a flustered Doug.
“Doug, he’s not talking to us with his mouth. He’s somehow putting his words into our minds!”
Help me and perhaps I’ll let you live.
This wasn’t possible, both men thought. No one could read someone else’s mind. How was this possible?
Help me and I’ll let you live.
“What do you mean?” asked Craig.
I mean help me and I’ll let you live. Both of you can still live.
“Both of us can live?” asked Doug.
Yes, he said without moving his lips.
“What do you want us to do?” asked Craig.
Pull me out of this coffin.
“We’re going to call the police, sir,” said Doug.
No police! You must get me out of this coffin.
“What the hell do you mean ‘no police?’” asked Craig. “This man needs immediate medical attention. I’m going to tell Jones to call an ambulance.”
No ambulances and no police. Remove me from this coffin.
“It’s going to take time. We need to do it right,” said Craig.
No. I must be out of this coffin before the sun comes up or I will surely die.
“What?” Doug asked.
He was a vampire. The old man’s frustration revealed his true nature. His teeth turned into fangs and his eyes changed color. The blue eyes he’d had a second before were burning a bright red. His screams became a terrifying, wolf-like howl.
If I die, then I promise that both of you will follow.
“Why do you keep saying that? We don’t want to hurt you. All we want to do is help,” said Craig.
Yes. Both of you want to hurt me; you just don’t know it. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
“Why would we do that?” asked Doug.
You people have always been afraid of my kind. Now I demand you get me out of this coffin. No more games. Pull me out this thing or I will kill both of you. I will drink your blood, Doug. I will drink your blood and make you watch your friend Craig die slowly.
The friends tried very hard to pull the old vampire out of his coffin. They pulled on his arms with all their might. He would not move. The metal spike was in too hard and it was too heavy.
“We’re trying, but you’re really stuck in this thing!” said Doug.
Don’t waste time!
“Do you really intend to kill us if we fail you?” asked Doug.
Yes. You’ve seen my power. I can fly. I can become a bat or a wolf. I could have killed you both when I was flying around you. You owe me.
“Who the hell did this to you?” asked Craig.
Hurry. I need to get out of this. Try again. Don’t waste any more of my time. If you don’t hurry, I will die. Both of you will die with me.
“Do you know who did this to you?” screamed Craig.
Yes, of course I know.
“Who did this?” Craig asked.
Nadah.
“Who is that?”
My patience is exhausted, young man. I demand you get me out of this thing or I will kill you both now.
“No, you won’t,” said Craig. “I am sick of you threatening us when we are trying to help you.”
“I agree,” said Doug.
“We’re going to let you hang in this coffin like a scarecrow,” said Craig. “Get yourself out of it. We’ve had it with your threats. If you really are a vampire that probably means you’re a killer.”
I will kill you both.
“Then do it,” said Doug.
I will humans. I’ll kill you.
“We almost made the greatest mistake of our lives. We almost let this monster go free,” Craig said breathlessly.
“What do we do?” asked Doug.
“We leave this thing to rot. If we would have let him go then he would surely have killed us both.”
“Why did you try to save him then?”
“I guess you could call it human compassion.”
“Let’s leave him here.”
The thing in the coffin was now howli
ng at the top of its lungs. Its monstrous cries for mercy were terrifying.
No, you must save me please!
The two friends left the field behind. The rain was starting to slow down. Even when they could hear the thunder, the creature’s voice stuck in their mind, pleading for its life. They ignored it.
Fred Jones was running towards them. He was very wet and a little angry.
“Damn it, couldn’t you guys guess we weren’t having the hayride tonight?” he asked. “I mean, I had to come all the way out here in the pouring rain just for you guys. Now get inside my pickup so I can take you back to the parking lot.”
“Fred, that’s a great idea,” said Craig.
“I agree,” said Doug.
The two friends left the farm and went for a long drive. They decided to stop at the local park so they could sit and talk for a while. Craig and Doug had a lot to talk about. Doug left his car behind and rode with Craig in his van.
“Craig, do you still keep a bottle of whiskey in your glove compartment?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Do you want a drink?”
“Are you kidding me, Craig?”
“No, Doug.”
“Well, no Craig. I don’t want a drink. I need a drink!”
“Drink up.”
“Craig, what do we do?”
“We come back tomorrow morning to see if that damned thing is still in that coffin.”
“Maybe the sunlight will kill it,” said Doug.
“It will. It should if most of what we know about vampires is true. He flies and he fears the sunlight. He even claims he can turn into a damn bat or wolf! So I would say he should be dead early tomorrow,” said Craig.
“Good.”
“Now we have to be cool, Doug. No one will ever believe we saw a vampire trapped in a coffin at a haunted hayride. They will think we’re crazy or that we’re murderers.”
“We go back tomorrow?” asked Doug.
“Yes,” said Craig.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. We go back and we pretend that nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened.”
“Craig, we almost helped that thing out.”
