She read the names that entwined themselves together. Studying them, engraved under each identity were the years of birth and death. One in particular that held her interest— “Maddie Ann - 1880-1885.” Well I’ll be damned. That was her grave, Claire voiced. She knew I’d come here. Confused, she pushed the carved door open to discover a small alcove used as a library or study. Wall-to-wall newspaper clippings papered the walls. Always curious, Claire had to know what fascinated this person to amass such a collection.
Reading a column of the paper, a disturbing article shocked her. Oh, my God, she whispered. She threw it down and picked up another, all containing the same news. All missing or dead kids. Panic set in. Claire chewed at her lower lip. She shook like a leaf. She knew the trouble that followed her, and it would never leave her alone.
A loud bang sounded from the living room, startling her. She raced toward the heavy carved door, peeked out, but saw nothing. She breathed easier. She grew accustom to weird sounds in this strange land. One hand on the doorknob, groping the wall with the other, she found an outline of a passageway tucked behind the newspaper clippings. Ripping and tossing the paper aside, she discovered a hidden door. She pulled it open. Massive spider webs blanketed the entryway.
Gazing around, she spotted an old wooden broom in the corner of the room appearing centuries old. Claire grabbed it. She entangled the webs into the straw, making a clear passageway for her to walk through.
A spiral staircase stood before her and she began to climb. As she approached the entryway of a room at the top of this nightmarish house, a soft pink light diffused the passageway. Fear made her knees knock, but she stuck her head in the doorway. The pale furniture was that of a child—twin bed, tiny dresser, little mirror. Dolls lined shelves that covered one bubble-gum colored wall. White lacy curtains set off the lavish arched windows. No decay in this room, Claire thought. It's beautiful, and so pink.
Whimsical rugs lay around the floor—circles of pink fluff bearing imprints of lambs with white puffy clouds dancing around the center. A carousel with a pleasant, soothing tinkling sound sat spinning on an elegant miniature vanity. An open jewelry box caught Claire’s eyes. She picked up a necklace draped over the side. A locket hung from the chain. Opening it, she gazed at a photo. A blonde-haired girl posed on one side and a dark-haired woman on the other.
It was an old, sepia-toned picture, and she had to imagine the color of their eyes. Banana curls hung in bows on both sides of the child’s head, and a sweet smile painted her face. Babies' breath circled the older woman’s hair, complementing high cheekbones, deep-set, intelligent eyes, and full lips that twitched into a smile as she watched. The thing came to life! She dropped the locket like a worm that wiggled. Who could they be, she wondered. They look so real... A frightening thought squirmed its way into her mind. “The dead child…,” she mumbled. “Maddie Ann. This is her room.”
The room appeared tidy, with no cobwebs to knock down or dust anywhere. A spike of fear drilled its way through her as something told her she wasn’t alone in this odd house. Claire, deeply puzzled, wanted some answers. Her life depended on it.
Chapter Five
Jennifer, Lisa, and Tina slogged across the field staring at the same scenery, hour after hour since the beginning of their journey. Civilization as they knew it didn’t exist here. Trees stood far in the distance. They wore a scrubby, wiry look. Clusters of dying yellow weeds struck knee-high to catch in their clothing. With no place to sit, the girls continued trudging over the cracked earth, fighting against their tired legs. Smoldering hot sunlight pounded down on them. Lisa wiped sweat from her forehead and cross-armed her shirt over her head. “I can’t go any further. My throat’s dry and I feel like I’m about to pass out,” she sobbed.
Her whining caught Jennifer’s attention. “What the hell are you thinking? Put your shirt back on. You want someone to see you?” Jennifer asked, disbelieving her eyes.
Lisa contorted her hot, sweaty red face. “Who’s going to see me out here? In case you haven’t noted, THERE’S NO ONE AROUND. If you don’t want to look at me, turn your head.”
Jennifer sighed. She tried to comfort her instead of scolding her. “I know it’s rough, and I wish I knew what to do to get us out of here, but to expose our bodies is wrong. I guess it makes me feel uncomfortable to see you without a shirt on.”
Tina fisted her shirt off, too, and tossed it on the ground. “Jennifer, why didn’t you stop Claire from coming here? You could have talked her out of it,” Tina sobbed.
Jennifer bent down, grabbed Tina’s shirt, and shoved it in her chest. “Put your clothes back on and act like you have some sense. Do you want to boil yourselves and get a horrible sunburn? And as for Claire, she has a mind of her own. She wanted to come to the cemetery and nothing I said could change her mind. I tried, believe me.”
Lisa and Tina both put their shirts back on, not saying another word. Jennifer had no idea what their future held nor did she know if they’d see Claire, Kari and Liz again. She struggled trying to keep them all alive. But that was another issue she didn’t want to think about.
Jennifer watched as Lisa stewed silently for several moments. “I have something I’d like to say to the both of you,” she finally said. “You first, Jennifer, since you helped create this problem.” She stood under the baking sun, arms folded, determined. “I don’t know what you and Claire thought when you chose this place of all places to play a prank, but you should have done some research before deciding. To tell you the truth, I know we’re not getting out of here alive. You killed us. Remember that, as surely as if you’d murdered us, and I hope you and Claire suffer every minute of the last hours of your miserable life.”
Slicing a silencing glance over at Tina, Lisa continued. “And you, Tina—
Jennifer nudged Tina aside. “No…stop right there. If I remember correctly, you went through those gates, willingly. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
Lisa turned up her nose and ignored Jennifer. “You might as well ready yourself for an empty stomach, baking or freezing your butt off, AND trying to deal with your thirst. Because we’re never getting another bite to eat, nothing to drink, and there sure the hell is no shelter or an air-conditioner to cool you off. Don’t cry about it or yell about it; it won’t do you any good. Face it, we are going to die,” Lisa shouted. She glared into Tina's frightened eyes.
Jennifer clamped her hands against her warm face and turned away from them before she started screeching. She stood mouth gaping, eyes widened as if she’d seen a ghost. She’d never heard meek Lisa speak in such a harsh way. The harder she thought about it, the more her blood boiled. Instead of letting it rest, she whirled.
“You're right, Lisa. Everything I did was wrong. How do you suppose that changes our current status?” Their eyes met and Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. “Would it make you feel better if I volunteer to die first and would that satisfy the harsh sentence you've prescribed? Tell me what you want me to do because either way, it won’t make you happy,” she said.
Tina stood back covering her ears. Tears rained down her cheeks as she watched her friends fight.
“Kill yourself, Jennifer, I dare you. If you live and I don’t, I will get you, I swear, whether it’s from the grave or after you die when you show up in hell.” Lisa shoved her backward, and Jennifer slammed to the ground. She hit her tailbone on a sharp rock.
“OW! You broke my butt,” Jennifer wailed.
“Stay there, Jennifer! That’s where you belong. Dogs lie on the ground; they don’t walk on two legs.”
As tears formed in her eyes, Tina ran over to Jennifer's side. “I forgive you,” she whispered as she hugged her tight. “Lisa’s going crazy, Jennifer. We have to get her out of here.”
Jennifer bowed her head in shame. She missed Claire. Oh, why hadn't they all gone together into the woods? They might be home by now. She prayed the other three girls found their way out, had gotten help, and at any minute now, someone would r
escue them.
“Save those crocodile tears. Nothing around us is going to compare to what we’re going to endure when we start to die,” Lisa yelled, glaring down at Jennifer sprawled on the ground. “Get up so we can move on. It’s going to be dark soon.”
Tina jumped up, defensive. “You leave her alone. What right do you have yelling at her like that? You think you’re perfect, well…you’re not. Back off before you get your butt kicked.”
Lisa shoved Tina backwards. “Yeah, well show me what you’ve got!” She ground her forefinger into Lisa's chest with every step she took. Jennifer watched Tina's fists clench and unclench. Tina huffed her anger, then whirled away from Lisa, heading straight for Jennifer.
“Let’s get out of here before she gets any crazier.”
Daylight faded, leaving the three girls wandering, lost souls with little direction. Shrubs lessened the further they moved across the field. Dragging their weary bodies through the whirling wind, cold chills ascended Jennifer’s spine. As her mind started to fill with grim thoughts of death, she, Lisa, and Tina flopped down on the hard cracked dirt.
“I think we better stop here for the night. I can’t walk any further,” Jennifer complained, rubbing the lower part of her leg.
“It doesn’t matter where we sleep; we’re going to die anyway,” Lisa complained, scratching her arm. “These freaking mosquitoes must love my blood.”
“Lisa, please….” Jennifer’s gaze fell. A burning sensation rumbled in her stomach. “I know you’re uncomfortable, but can’t you give it a rest?”
Ignoring Jennifer’s comment, Lisa lay on her side, propped her head with her arm, and didn’t mumble another word. Silence eased over the land. Jennifer gazed at the night sky as she relaxed. A cast of rich purple rippled across the clouds as darkness began to settle in. With a sudden chill from air blanketing her young flesh, she huddled with the girls to build warmth.
***
An acrid smell of electrified rain flowed through the air. Heavy wind slapped Jennifer's face while the roar of thunder boomed overhead. She suddenly awoke from the hideous clamor. Jumping to her feet, she brushed herself off and gazed upward at the storm. The shudder of the ground awoke the other girls. With no shelter in sight, they continued their journey.
Heavy rain pelted hard and wicked winds impeded their progress every step of the way. After some treacherous slugging, to Jennifer’s utter relief, a large object loomed in the distance. “Look! Hurry, I think there’s a house.”
Struggling to reach it, Jennifer discovered it was nothing more than a boulder the size of a Buick. All three girls huddled leeward against it until the worst of the rain let up.
The rain slowed to a drizzle, allowing Jennifer to see the topography of the land easier. She and Lisa kept a breakneck pace, causing Tina to lag behind, exhausted. In the distance, green rolling hills with huge trees swayed in the rain. The leaves were even visible from this far away. Excitement ripped through Jennifer to see Eden, and she picked up the pace, racing to freedom.
Suddenly, beneath Jen’s and Lisa's feet, lush green foliage spread out before them. Tiptoeing across wet grass, they forgot everything around them—until a blood-curdling scream caught their attention. They looked at one another as their hearts simultaneously thumped with fear. Tina had disappeared. She was right behind them a moment ago. Jennifer called out to her, but heard the echo of her own voice screaming back at her.
“NO!” Lisa cried. She stumbled about in her hunger-induced stupor and cried out to Tina. She retraced her steps, and spotted a trail of blood off the path they'd traveled that led to a gentle ravine. Jennifer followed her.
At the bottom of this rift, hulked a bottomless black hole circled with big stones. Confused and scared, the girls scrambled down, peering through the darkened earth. The moment their eyes looked into the dark cavern, a spew of blood shot out like a geyser. It gushed in their faces, jarring them backward. Now, covered in blood from head to toe, Jennifer and Lisa scuttled backwards. In an attempt to escape, a violent tug to Jennifer’s foot pulled her forward. And down. While she wrestled to break loose, Lisa shook herself free and scurried up the rocky ravine to the rolling grassy hillside.
Jennifer landed face down in the dirt, covered in slime, and flailed her legs about. She strived to release the strong grip around her ankle. Fear engulfed her. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t bring herself to see what had her bound. Digging her nails deep into the dirt for leverage, the harder she dug, the harder it fought to pull her backwards. “LISA, help me,” she screamed, but no one came to rescue her from the demon’s lethal grip.
Dust flew straight into her eyes. Her vision blurred, and she thought she saw Tina’s face in the gloom. She fought a little harder, kicking and screaming. One moment a death grip had hold of her and the next moment, free. The hand slithered from around her ankle, as if recalled from below. Jennifer scrambled up the ravine on all fours. She sprang to her feet, and ran for her life to safety. A small glade of trees across a wide expanse of emerald grass beckoned. As she ran, a sorrowful voice whispered to her, “I’m going to miss you.”
Right away, Jennifer knew Tina's blood poured out of that hole. She suddenly feared for her life and Lisa’s. She raced toward the hills. Death coursed through her mind. She wondered who would be the next to die.
She labored to breathe as she ran into the dell. Light-headed, Jennifer slowed her pace and stumbled around in a daze. Her long dark hair, now stained from a massive quantity of blood, hung in filthy strands. Dirt smeared her face. She swept her bangs out of her eyes, and squinted to see ahead of her. The green rolling hills came into view. Rain still trickled from the leaves. Thank God, she whispered and staggered the rest of the way.
Lisa appeared distraught crouched against a tree. “You’re alive! Thank the Lord!” She wept loud enough to echo through the grove.
Jennifer stood before her, looking down at her sullen expression. “She’s gone Lisa, they killed Tina.”
Noting that Lisa weakened a lot since they first entered the cemetery, Jennifer knew she couldn’t last much longer. She lifted Lisa’s chin to look into her sad eyes.
Lisa whispered, “I know I’m going to die, but I’m not ready yet.”
Jennifer became teary-eyed. She could not bear to see her friend suffer. But what could she say to make it better? She paced trying to think.
“This is your fault, Jennifer. All on you,” Lisa sobbed.
“Why do you continue to blame me? Claire did this. She’s the one who suggested we come to this place. She just wanted to play a joke and scare you guys! How many times do I need to repeat myself?”
Lisa lifted her contempt-filled gaze. “As many times as it takes to relieve the hurt I feel.”
Jennifer had a hard time accepting Tina’s death. She knew she and Lisa had no other choice but to move on to try to escape this hellish world.
Huge trees sprang from the ground, but the height of a nearby hill suggested a way to see over the land with a clearer view. The rain stopped and a little speck of the sun became visible. Jennifer glanced at her watch--high noon, which gave her time to search. The climb looked exhausting, but if she wanted to make it by dark, she and Lisa had no other choice.
“Follow me Lisa, and hold on to the back of my shirt.”
She grabbed Jennifer’s shirttail and held on tight. As the girls headed toward the base of the hill, they glanced upward to see what was ahead of them.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Lisa asked, shaking.
“Well, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”
After a quick hug, the two of them headed out, taking it one step at a time.
At first, Jennifer had no problem climbing the slope, but the higher she climbed, the ground got wetter under her feet, causing her to slip and lose a few steps. Lisa stumbled back a few steps as well, but right before she fell, Jennifer acted quick enough to take hold of her shirt and pulled her forward. Together, they managed to keep her balance
well enough to get some traction. Along the way, they found large sticks to use to pull themselves up by their weight to make it an easier climb. In a short time, they made it to the top of the hill to find a deep valley waiting on the other side.
Their eyes widened. The sun’s illuminating rays exposed a blanket of rich colors over the land. Multicolored flowers robbed the valley of grass, except for a wide verdant expanse smack-dab in the middle. Overwhelmed by the beauty, Jennifer and Lisa stood in awe. The astonishing valley appeared normal, but was it real or a figment of their imagination? After all, nothing appeared earthlike since they’d entered the cemetery. All the land they walked through felt unnatural, like another realm. The girls barreled down the hillside like little children on a playground.
Lisa let loose. She smiled and laughed as if she had no care in the world. “Isn’t it beautiful, Jennifer? I want to play, I want to roll in the grass, and I want to pick the flowers. I wonder if they're edible?”
Maddie Ann s Playground Page 7
