Kari’s arms dropped to her sides. She stood there with her mouth open. You’re kidding, right? I mean, this is another gag you and Claire cooked up.”
Lisa joined the others and then Liz and Tina.
“Wait…how do you know this, Jennifer?” Lisa’s face turned chalk white.
“I don’t have time to explain. Just trust me, all right?” Jen said, grabbing Claire’s arm.
“Make time. And why should we believe you, Jennifer? You got us into this mess. It was your stupid idea to come here,” Tina whined.
Jennifer glanced over at Tina. Her brows furrowed. “Claire wanted to come here more than I did. Take it up with her,” she snapped.
Claire shook her head. The darkness suffocated her. Cold sweat beaded around her hairline. She turned and pulled Jennifer near. “We’re going to die, aren’t we,” she whispered. “That little girl is waiting for us, isn’t she?”
Jennifer nodded and urged her to keep moving. “If we hurry, we can make it back through those gates.”
The headstones seemed to broaden and surround the girls like an army preparing for battle. The pathway disappeared as they moved toward what they thought appeared like the entrance to the cemetery.
Claire stopped. “We’re going the wrong way. I remember seeing a wide patch of grass near the gate and there’s nothing here but weeds and pebbles,” she said turning to look in every direction. “Something’s not right.”
The other girls stopped short and huddled together. Jennifer pointed her flashlight at a bare spot of land. “Claire’s right. I can’t find the grave marked with a marble angel and had a bench in front of it,” Jennifer replied. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Maddie Ann’s doing this. She’s toying with our minds.” Jennifer's body trembled as she joined the whimpering girls.
Kari gripped Jennifer's arms. “We have to calm down. We could have taken a wrong turn and be in the wrong place. Solid objects just don’t disappear, Jennifer. Don't fall apart on us now. Our lives depend on you to get us out of here.”
Clare slumped against Lisa. “Stop this. It’s no use. The farther we go the more confused we get.” Without warning, the ground quaked and separated. Claire screamed and looked down between her feet. A pool of fiery red liquid inched toward the surface and spilled out. She jumped out of its path before it touched her tennis shoes and pulled Lisa with her.
“Run,” Kari shouted.
“This way,” Jennifer yelled shining the light through the rows of graves. “I think I see the gates.”
A huge smile spread across Claire’s face the minute the wrought iron gates came into view. A few more steps and we’re home free, she thought.
As the group drew near, they slowed down to catch their breath.
“I knew I was right,” Jennifer said breathlessly. “We just had to look harder.”
“Yeah, right. I heard you freaking out back there,” Kari replied. “You about peed your pants.”
“Shut up! You were just as scared,” Lisa said wiping the sweat off her face.
Relief washed over Claire. “Let's get out of here,” she said and reached for the gate.
An electrical charge danced across the iron bars of the fence and rushed toward the girls. Claire gasped and pushed against the gate with all her strength. Blue sparks shot through the air. Her body stiffened. Kari flew into action and drove her shoulder into Claire, breaking the current. Jennifer ran to the two girls and helped Kari drag Claire’s limp body to safety.
Claire stared at them with vacant eyes, breathing slowly. Jennifer tapped her on each cheek. “Claire, are you okay?”
Claire shook her head and tried to sit up. “What happened?”
Kari looked back at the gates. “I don’t know.”
A roar filled the air. The ground shook, and menacing tombstones pushed up between them and the gate. A bolt of lightening flashed overhead and in its fierce light, a presence hovered above the tombstones. Flames fanned out on both sides of the figure. Blood dripped from its mouth and its hiss permeated the air. Suddenly, the creature vanished and a child with blonde curly hair stood in its place.
She wore a long tattered dress and her enormous black eyes looked almost sad. For a fleeting moment, Claire felt sorry for this child, but it passed when she saw the evil glint in her eyes. “My name is Maddie Ann. Did Mitch send you to play with me in my playground? I know he has, because I’ve been so lonely. No one comes to play with me anymore.”
The child threw back her head in defiance. Her screeching laughter echoed in Claire’s ears. The girls recoiled and ran deeper into the cemetery looking for a place to hide. The tombstones seemed to stretch on forever until suddenly they found themselves in a dying field of wheat. A waning moon revealed a tree at the edge of the field that beckoned them.
“My, Gawd, has anyone ever seen this field before?” Claire asked.
Who cares?” Kari snapped. “I'm glad those tombstones are gone along with that thing.”
“Shit, I hope it’s gone,” Lisa whispered.
Jennifer looked at the yawning branches of the tree. “I think we should rest here for the night. By morning, we should be able to find our way out of here.”
Kari clenched her fist. “That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard, Cravens. If we stay here, we might not make it ‘til morning.”
“Have you got a better plan?”
Kari looked away and didn’t reply.
“It’s the cemetery or the field. Where would you rather be?” Jennifer asked.
“I think we agree the field is better than the cemetery,” Claire said. “I agree with Jen, let’s spend the night here. We stand a better chance finding a way out in the daylight.”
Claire led the way to the tree and the others followed.
***
Shafts of morning sunlight broke through the clouds. Claire opened her eyes, got up and walked away from the others. She gazed out at the puzzling landscape. The surroundings were nothing more than dying or already dead vegetation. If we make it out of this alive, I’ll never do anything like this again, Claire thought eyeing her sleeping friends. How could I have done something this stupid?
Jennifer awoke and joined her, lacing her fingers in Claire’s. “Did you have as much trouble sleeping as I did?”
“You kidding? In this hellhole? Man, Jennifer, what happened? I mean, none of this makes any sense.”
“Stop it, Claire. You’re going to make yourself crazy. We’ll get through this, I promise.”
“I hope you’re right, but are we just lying to ourselves trying to make the situation seem better? It’s normal for people to create a haven in their minds to comfort them from reality. Maybe that’s what we’re doing.”
Jennifer shook her head. “No, no, we’re not trying to cover up what’s happening to us. We’re just looking at it from a different perspective. Besides, you know me. I always have ideas up my sleeve and they usually work out.”
Claire started to cry.
Jennifer laid her hand on Claire’s shoulder. “Please don’t get upset. It scares me. You’re supposed to be the strong one. If you break down, what are the rest of us supposed to do?”
Claire looked up. “Jennifer, I’m a stupid seventeen year old who should have known better than to put her best friends in danger. Please don’t count on me, because if I fail, I won’t be able to handle it.”
“Listen to yourself. Geez…from the way you’re talking, we’re already dead.”
The other girls stirred, but Kari was the first to join them. “Anyone have a clue where we are?”
Jennifer shook her head. “Nope, that’s what we were just talking about.”
“Look at this place, there’s nothing out here but a dried-up field,” Lisa moaned.
Claire wiped the tears from her face. “Guys, I think we need to split up into two groups and look for help. I know that doesn’t sound too smart, but I can't think of anything else.”
Tina shook her head, and looked at Jennifer. “Ple
ase tell me she doesn't mean that. I think we'll be safer if we stay together.”
Claire continued as if she hadn't heard Tina. “Well, we can’t stay here and we can cover more ground if we separate.”
Kari kicked at the weeds. “Claire's right. I’m afraid we’re as good as dead if we stay here.”
Claire closed her eyes and bowed her head.
Tina hid her trembling hands behind her back. “What if there's no other way out and we wind up back in the cemetery? I’m telling you, Maddie Ann is playing a nasty game and we are the pieces.”
“So…what do you want to do, smarty-pants?” Kari asked. The other girls fell silent.
Lisa grabbed Claire's hair and craned her neck around. “What the hell? You drag our sorry butts in here, and you can’t find a way out? I’m not marching around the damn cemetery and I’m not walking all over this hideous field. So we either stay together and keep walking or we stay here and wait—period.”
Claire shook Lisa off and bowed her head again. She knew the second alternative was certain death. They had to find a way out and splitting up made the most sense.
“You guys, come on. The daylight isn’t gonna last long. Decide something already,” Liz said.
“Okay. Two of you can go with me, and two with Claire.” She pointed at opposite ends of the field. “Everyone agree?” Jennifer asked.
They all reluctantly nodded their heads.
Chapter Four
A deep apprehension overtook one-half of the splintered group as the dark, forked trees of the forest on the west side of the broad, lifeless field, engulfed Claire, Kari and Liz. The air reeked with the smell of death.
“Do you smell that?” Claire asked the other girls, wrinkling her nose. “Something died in here.”
Kari took Claire’s hand. “It's probably a dead animal. Now come on, let's go.”
Liz followed in silence.
The further they moved ahead, the worse the smell became. Gnarly tree roots woven through the black soil caused deep ridges along the path. As they stepped carefully over them, Claire watched large black beetles crawling through the mass of decaying leaves scatter at her feet, and her stomach growling, she wondered how they might taste. A warm hand touched her back.
“I’ve got to rest for a minute,” Liz said, holding her chest. Sweat dampened her sandy blonde hair and her face looked feverish. Claire and Kari leaned against a tree and waited for her to catch her breath.
After two minutes, Kari started to pace. “Come on, you guys, we’ll never get out of here at this rate,” she said and walked ahead of them.
“Hold on a sec. Where’s your cell phone?” Claire asked patting down her pockets for hers.
Kari reached in her front right pocket then reached in her left pocket. “I don’t have it.”
Claire turned to Liz. “Please tell me you remembered to bring yours.”
Liz checked but her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Thank God,” she shouted. She began to dial home but had no signal. “Shoot! Come on you stupid thing…work!”
Claire grabbed it out of her hands and stepped up on a rock trying to find a signal. “It’s no use. It’s lifeless.”
With no hope of calling out, Claire handed the phone back to Liz and trudged on. The further Claire and the girls walked down the path, the strange place vaguely reminded her of the woods surrounding her grandparents’ farmhouse. The dreary path narrowed little by little and on either side, bushes stood taller than her. At the top of the shrubs, long, narrow leaves flopped over like rabbit ears. A bleached white stripe with red dots ran through the center of the leaves. She hadn’t seen anything like them before.
“Is it just me or do these weeds look like they’re painted?” Claire asked, fingering one to see. The texture felt dry and rubber like.
Kari touched one of them. “They do look abnormal, but then again, who’s to say what's normal in this place?”
Liz, the science buff, examined the plant. “You’re right. I’ve never seen a plant like this, but its leaf doesn’t feel much different from a dogwood tree,” she said and wiped her hands on her pants. “Maybe we should leave it alone, it might be poisonous.”
Claire and Kari looked at the white milky substance on their hands and tried to rub it off on their jeans.
“Great, we’ve got poison on our hands, and we don’t have a clue where we are or where we’re going,” Kari said. “Why didn’t we go with the other girls?”
“Calm down. I didn’t say for sure the leaf had toxins on it, just that it might,” Liz said, looking at Claire.
Claire patted Kari on the shoulder. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Which direction do you propose we take now?” Kari asked.
Claire glanced in every direction, and then fell to the ground in a heap. She covered her face with both hands as sobs tore through her fingers. “I don’t know. Dammit, I don’t know!”
Liz sat beside Claire and threw her arms around her. “I think we should find a place to hunker down for the night. After all, there’s plenty of shelter here.”
Kari knelt beside the two girls. “Seems reasonable to me,” she said and gently pulled Claire to her feet. “Come on, girlfriend. Let’s find a place to spend the night.”
***
Claire, Kari, and Liz continued to walk deeper into the forest, looking for an exit from the nightmarish landscape. Suddenly, the air became much cooler. Fog hovered over the earth, masking their footprints, and a faint sound emanated from a distance. It sounded like running water. They each looked at the other in surprise. Hurrying along the narrow path, they stumbled upon a stream flowing over rocks and falling into a deep emerald pool. Their surroundings changed from decaying woodland to a lush green oasis.
At first, Claire declined going near the waterfall. The whole set up seemed so out of place.
Kari eyed the water and licked her dried, cracked lips. “What do you think, Claire? Do you think it’s safe?”
“Don’t ask me. Ask Liz. She knows more about these things than I do,” Claire answered and took a step closer to the water's edge. She turned to look at Liz. “Well, do you think it’s safe to drink?”
Liz knelt down on a small flat rock beside the stream and scooped some water in her hand. She raised the water to her nose and took a whiff. “It smells normal, like water from a well.” She cupped her hand, taking a drink and then smiled at the others. “It’s ice-cold, and delicious.”
“Thank God we found it,” Kari shouted. Shoving Liz aside, she fell on her stomach and lapped at the water.
Claire followed and bent down to drink. Nothing ever tasted so good, she thought and splashed her face and arms with the cool water.
After quenching their thirst, Claire searched the small area to find a spot to spend the night. Two yards away stood a fir tree with limbs that dipped close to the ground. Deciding that would be their best bet, the girls fashioned a bed beneath its boughs from soft pine needles and crawled beneath it.
Claire lay listening to the sounds of the night and realized she had no control of their destiny anymore. She admitted that nature would play a large part in deciding their fate. She could do nothing except hold herself together, long enough to find a way out of there. She turned on her side and allowed sleep to overtake her exhausted mind.
Liz and Kari lay awake, their stomachs growling. “Kari, do you think we’ll find our way out of here by morning?” Liz asked, snuggling down next to her.
“I don’t think so. You seen that thing or beast or whatever the hell it was chase us. No…I think we’re all doomed.”
Liz clutched Kari’s arm and scooted closer to her. “Don’t say that! You’re scaring me,” she sniveled. “It will be fine in the morning. Claire will find a way out of here.”
“I hope you’re right, but Claire can’t even find her way out of a mud hole, so I doubt she’ll find a way out of here.”
***
Sunlight spilled through the trees into Claire’s eyes. Rising to her
feet, she noticed Liz still lay curled up on her side, asleep and Kari, nowhere around. She took a deep breath and looked over at the pool of water. Nothing suggested Kari had gone in that direction. Ignoring her aching muscles, she walked around the pond and looked in every bush that fed from it. No Kari.
Franticly, she returned to where Liz slept. “Liz get up, Kari’s gone!”
Startled, Liz jerked to a sitting position with fear in her eyes. “Missing? Are you sure?” Her gaze scanned their surroundings. “Claire, where could she be?” She jammed her fingers through her matted hair.
Maddie Ann s Playground Page 5
