Fred offered an exaggerated eye-roll.
“That’d be great,” Julie said. “It’d be nice to get to know him while I’m sober.”
I laughed. “Do you remember leaning against him and telling him how pretty his eyes are?”
She cupped her mouth. “No way! Did I really do that?”
I nodded as she looked away in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know how much you like him. I promise I’ll never do that again.”
I laughed. “It’s okay. You were pretty smashed, and we both knew it.”
She grabbed Fred’s arm. “I was soooo wasted.”
He smirked.
We walked for a little ways and enjoyed the beautiful, serene landscape. Having come from New York City, I knew I’d never take all that natural beauty for granted. Streams of sunshine poured down through the towering trees all around us. Insects hummed, and birds chirped.
Max barked, then pulled so hard that I tripped over a log and let go of the leash.
“Max!” I wailed.
Fred offered his hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, jumping to my feet and peering ahead, “but where did Max go?”
He pointed. “That way. I hear him barking.”
I shuddered, recalling the last time Max had gotten away. “I don’t know why he does that,” I complained. “He just takes off.”
“He’s a dog,” Julie said. “He’s just acting like one.”
“Well, I’m sick of it. I need to train him better.”
We stopped at wire fence with a “No Trespassing” sign on it. I yelled for Max to come back, but he refused again, just like the last time. Having no other choice, I slipped my leg over the fence and jumped over it.
“Wait. What are you doing? That’s private property,” Fred scolded, pointing at the sign.
“He’s right,” Julie said.
I shot her a look. “Since when do you care?”
“Since now,” she said, pointing at a long line of skulls dangling from a rope stretched from one tree to the next.
I gasped. “Are those…human?” I asked, completely frazzled.
She walked over to more closely inspect them. “No. Animal.”
I let out a sigh of relief. My gaze shot to a long, horizontal rock, about ten by three feet, carved with weird symbols and ancient writing. I traced the engraved letters with my fingers. “What do you think this means?” I asked.
“I have no idea what the symbols are, but the letters are in Latin,” Julie said, squinting for a better look at them in the bright sunlight.
“Latin?”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s some kind of memorial or something.”
“Think it’s a headstone?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but this whole place is givin’ me the creeps. I’m not going past that rock, dog or no dog.”
I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture. “There. Now we can Google it when we get back.”
Julie shuddered. “I wanna get out of here.”
“Wait here,” I said. “I have to get Max.”
“I’ll come with you,” Fred said, trying to sound brave and chivalrous.
She grabbed my arm, then Fred’s. “Are you two crazy? You guys can’t leave me here in Freddy Krueger’s back yard all by myself!”
I sighed loudly. “Then you’ll have to come with us. I’m not leaving my dog behind.”
“But it’s some kind of creepy cemetery, and—”
“Go or stay. It’s your choice.”
“You expect me to wait here by the skull collection and the hieroglyphic mummy headstone for some chainsaw-wielding maniac to come after me?” she said.
“You’ve watched too many horror flicks,” Fred said, laughing.
“Well, maybe that’s why I’m still alive. Consider it research.”
I sighed. “We’ll be right back. I can’t leave Max.”
“Let’s just wait here for a minute. Surely he’ll come back.”
The place was strange, even more frightening than the mountain lion, and I didn’t like the thought of my dog running around over there. My gaze shot to the animal skulls knocking together in the wind. My stomach was in knots. “Look, Julie, we have no idea who owns this land. They might shoot him on sight. Clearly, they’ve got no problem killing animals.”
“Fine. Let’s go get your dog,” she said, climbing over the fence. “But if I get killed, just know I’ll be back to haunt you.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said with a smile.
We walked through the thick woods, calling for Max. I stopped when I heard a twig snap, as if someone was following us. I took a deep breath to settle my overactive imagination, then pushed through some ferns that opened up like a doorway into an Easter-grass green meadow. There, we saw Max, barking at a fire ring made completely out of stones. I cocked a brow, confused. “Max?”
“He must be barking at a little animal,” Julie said, “like a mouse or something. It’s probably hiding behind one of those rocks.”
I gazed at all the rocks in the large ring, guessing someone had once camped there. But then, as I looked closer, I noticed a pile of boulders in the center, with a black tin box sitting on top of them. I swallowed an egg-sized lump in my throat. “Oh my gosh. Do you think this is some kind of…altar?”
Fred glanced around. “Whoa! Do you think they sacrifice animals out here?”
“Or humans,” I whispered.
Julie clutched her chest. “What if it’s some kind of satanic cult?” She picked up the black box and tried to open it, but it was too tightly sealed. “Won’t budge. I wonder what’s inside. Whatever it is, they’re trying to keep it a secret.”
“Dude, you touched it!” Fred said.
“One, I’m not a dude. Two, I’m sure it’s just an empty box,” Julie retorted.
“You don’t know that.”
“It’s light as a feather.”
“Maybe we should just leave it alone,” I said. “If I remember right, Julie, you didn’t even want to come over here.”
“I know,” Julie said with a gleam in her eye, “but aren’t you curious?”
“Maybe curiosity is what killed all those cats hanging on that clothesline back there,” Fred said.
“Yeah, we really shouldn’t be messing with it, Julie. I don’t wanna be cursed or something.”
“Do you really think it’s witchcraft?” Fred asked.
“Maybe it’s just teenagers experimenting,” I said, grabbing the box. “Let’s just put it back where we found it.” But as I held it, curiosity struck me, and I turned the box over in my hands several times, looking at it carefully. When the lid opened, seemingly on its own, I jumped.
“You did it!” she shouted. “What’s in there?”
The box was empty, but I read the words scrolled in dust: “You are the chosen one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Julie asked. “Chosen for what?”
“How would I know?”
“Maybe you’re the chosen one because you opened up the box,” she said.
“That’s silly.”
“Maybe you’ll get superpowers or something cool like that.”
I playfully slugged her, then set the box down exactly where I found it. Letting out a trembling breath, I secretly recalled that old story of Pandora’s box, and I hoped I hadn’t unleashed some kind of evil on the world, my friends, or myself.
Fred bit his lip and pointed down at the rocks. “Look! The altar is surrounded by circular patches of burnt grass.”
“What burned it?” I asked.
“It looks like they were left by a ring of torches or candles.”
“So it was some kind of occult ritual!” Julie said. “Man, I don’t wanna be a Blair Witch sequel!”
“Enough with the horror movies,” I said, then glanced around and up into the trees, overcome by the eerie feeling that we were being watched. When the breeze stirred, I could have sworn I
heard someone whisper my name, and I froze with fear.
“Taylor, what’s wrong?” Julie asked.
“I thought somebody called for me.”
“I didn’t hear anything but the wind,” Fred said, looking around.
I swallowed another lump. “Yeah. I’m sure it was just my imagination.”
All of the sudden, the wind picked up immensely, swirling our hair around our heads and rustling the trees violently, causing them to sway and creak.
Julie’s eyes widened. “What’s happening?”
Next, music began to play, an ancient melody in flutes and bells.
“That’s weird,” Fred said.
“Where’s the music coming from?” Julie asked.
I glanced around, darting my eyes in a slow circle, but I couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. It was freaky, and a chill ran up my spine. I wanted to bolt, but my feet were suddenly glued to the ground, as if some invisible entity was holding me in place.
“Taylor,” a soft woman’s voice said lightly in my ear. “You’ve been marked. Know that you are in danger from my enemies. But do not fear, for you will have our protection until the full moon, the first day of the new year. Know that it is your destiny to free us from our curse.”
“Taylor!” Julie said, her face pale.
Fred softly gripped my shoulders, and I stared into his green eyes. “What’s wrong?” he said.
“Breathe,” Julie said, “and then tell me what’s happening.”
Beads of sweat rolled down my face as I gasped for air. I couldn’t talk. All I knew was that I needed to get away as fast as possible.
Suddenly, I could move my legs. I bolted toward Max and grabbed his leash. My heart was beating a million times a minute. “Let’s go!” I said between gasps, grabbing Julie’s arm and pulling her along. I gripped Max’s leash tightly with my other hand. We tore through the woods, past the weird rock and animal skulls, then jumped in her truck and breathlessly locked the doors.
“Go, go, go!” I shouted, glancing out the windows.
“What’s going on, Taylor?” she asked.
“Just start driving! I’ll tell you on the way!” I yelled.
“Yeah, let’s just get outta here,” Fred said. “That was freaky how the wind kicked up like that. And what was with that music?”
Julie put the truck in drive, and we sped away. No one said a word until she reached town and pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant.
“Taylor, what happened back there?” Fred asked.
“I-I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”
“Try.”
“You’ll never believe me.”
“Sure I would. I’m very open-minded.”
“And so am I,” Julie chimed in.
I glanced up. “Whoever owns that land is obviously practicing some kind of weird ceremonies out there. Maybe they summon spirits or something, because someone was talking to me in that wind.”
“Was it a really creepy voice?” Julie asked.
“No. It was a woman. She just sounded…ancient.”
“What did she say?” Fred asked.
“She said I’m in danger but that she’ll protect me.”
“Sounds like a guardian angel to me,” Julie said. “What’s so spooky about that?”
“She said she’ll only protect me until the new year.”
“What? So…after the ball drops, you’re on your own?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s temporary protection,” I said.
“What kind of danger are you supposed to be in?” Fred asked.
I pondered for a moment, thinking long and hard and trying to remember every word the wind-whisperer had said. “I have no idea.”
“Why would she want to help you?” Julie asked.
“I have no idea about that either.”
“Why didn’t you ask her?”
“I don’t know, Julie. Maybe because I was a little freaked out!” I said, growing a bit frustrated with the interrogation.
She opened her phone. “We should tell Jesse.”
I grabbed her hand. “Please don’t! As a matter of fact, let’s forget about lunch. I just wanna go home.”
“Sure, Taylor.”
I glanced at Fred. “Not a word to Jesse, Fred,” I said.
He nodded. “Mummy’s the word,” he joked. “What happens in the satanic campground stays in the satanic campground.”
“Thank you,” I said.
* * *
Back at home, I felt bad for canceling our lunch plans with Jesse, but I was too freaked out to see anybody. I just ran up to my room and locked the door. With trembling fingers, I uploaded the picture of the rock to my computer. Even when I zoomed in on the symbols, I couldn’t see them all that clearly, but I scribbled the letters and symbols down on my computer and started searching the Internet for clues.
An hour later, I’d still had no luck. Since Julie had mentioned Latin, I decided to try Google Translate. I carefully entered each letter, then pressed the button, eager to see what the message meant. Instantly, it was right there in front of my eyes in plain English: “Do not tread on this sacred ground. If you dare to walk on the land of our ancestors, you will die.”
I swallowed hard as I tried to process the message. Wait…am I gonna die because I stepped foot on some cursed land? I didn’t really believe in that supernatural hoopla, and I always turned the channel when those stupid ghost-hunting shows came on, but now my mind was running circles over all the possibilities.
* * *
Days passed, and nothing strange happened to any of the three of us or Max, so I decided the whole thing was just a hoax and that there was no reason to get so worked up about it.
When the weed whacker started whirring outside, I jumped up. I peered through the window and saw Fred working in the back yard, so I thought it was the perfect time to tell him my findings and see what he thought.
When Fred noticed me, he turned off the machine. He was covered in dust and dirt, with a pile of decapitated towering weeds lying at his feet.
“How about a drink?” I said, offering him a bottle of water.
He brushed off his clothes and smiled. “Thank you, Taylor.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, staring up into his eyes that were as green as the grass he was trimming.
“I’m just about to take a break. Mind if I spend it with you?” he asked.
“I’d love to. I found out some things, and I’d like to talk to you about them.” Fred was cute and a good friend, so I didn’t see any harm in sitting outside with him for a few minutes. My dad controlled his breaks, but I didn’t see him anywhere around, so I led Fred to the porch swing and sat down with him.
“Taylor,” he said, “you really like Jesse, don’t you?”
I wondered why he cared, and then it dawned on me that he might have a crush on me. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I didn’t want to lie to him either. “I’m not sure where we stand, but yes, I like him very much. Honestly, I have the biggest crush on him.”
“I’ve been watching him…a lot,” he said.
That surprised me. “Do you like him too? If you do, I’d totally understand. I mean, he’s so hot that guys and girls might both be attract—”
“No! I don’t like guys, Taylor!”
“Oh.”
“It’s just that…well, his whole family has these creepy, light blue eyes.”
“Creepy? I think they’re beautiful.”
“Far from it. They’re hiding some deep, dark secret. Something’s just not right with those people. You shouldn’t be alone with any of them.”
“I’ve been alone with Jesse a lot,” I said. “He’s the perfect gentlemen, and he absolutely loves animals. How could you think he’s…”
“Some kind of sicko?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
His eyes widened. “I’ve, uh…well, I’ve seen things.”
Curiosity struck me. “Like what kind of things?”
“Either you’re just jealous of Jesse, Fred, or you know more than you’re letting on,” I said. “If this concerns Jesse, I want to know what you’re talking about.”
“I caught him reading a book.”
I gasped. “Oh my gosh! A book, you say? I definitely need to stay away from him.”
“No, not just any book. It had all these weird symbols and was written in some language I couldn’t understand.”
“What are you saying?”
He let out a long breath. “I think Jesse and his family are witches.”
“Witches?”
“Yes. I catch them in lies, and, like I said, I’ve seen things—lots of things.”
“Care to elaborate?”
His gaze narrowed. “If you talk about these things, you’ll end up missing or dead.”
“You can trust me. I won’t tell a soul.”
He sighed. “Well, for one thing, I heard Jesse’s sister tell a man to do something I know for a fact he wouldn’t normally do.”
“Is Jesse’s sister pretty?”
“Kierra? Yeah. She’s smoking hot.”
I chuckled. “There’s your answer. Men are putty in a pretty girl’s hands.”
“I know that, but there’s more to it than that.”
I touched his hand. “Fred, I think I know where this is all coming from.”
“You do?”
“Yes. That weird altar freaked all of us out. You started thinking about witches when you saw those symbols, and now you’re jumping to conclusions about Jesse’s family.”
“I’m not just jumping to conclusions, Taylor, and I don’t think Jesse’s family are the only ones. I think this town is being run by witches.”
My jaw dropped. “Yes, we found a possible site where ceremonies are held, but that doesn’t mean the entire town is evil. It just means—”
“It means we need to do a whole lot of digging.”
My gaze narrowed. “Do you really think the town is hiding something?”
“Yes, and I’m sure Jesse knows what’s going on. Why don’t you do some prying? Maybe you can get him to talk.”
“I know we’ve been together a lot, but I highly doubt he’s gonna spill all his deep, dark secrets to me. Besides, maybe we’re just getting carried away. I mean, Jesse is a bit mysterious, but—”
Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) Page 107
