Jennifer stared down into the dark water. A few small limbs and autumn leaves floated on its clear, calm surface. She rinsed her bloody hands in the water and splashed its coolness on her face and her sore shoulder where Tina had bitten her. Although it appeared her troubles were over, Jennifer had that sick feeling lying dormant in the pit of her stomach. She tried not to mull over it, but wallowing in guilt had became a habit.
Soon The Rock loomed in view. She didn’t know how she’d climb with her busted knee and stiffening shoulder, but something or someone spurred her on. She had no choice but to dig her shoes into the toeholds of The Rock. Giving it her all, she gripped the jagged surface resembling rough-hewn stairs up one side. Pain surged through her leg. She reached down and grabbed her wound. “It hurts, it hurts,” she cried out. She gritted her teeth, determined to sit on The Rock one last time. As she found the strength to continue climbing, a deep laugh swirled around her. The man in black returned to taunt her. “That’s it,” she yelled. It was either face him now or later. She chose now.
Jennifer pulled herself up the last of the rudimentary stairs and stood atop The Rock, gazing out into the gloom. She tried adjusting her eyes, but bright wiggly lights streamed down in front of her.
“Where are you?” she shouted. “Come out and face me like a man.”
A sudden gust of wind whipped her long dark hair around her neck and flung it off her shoulders. Jennifer knew someone or something stood behind her.
“Jennifer,” she heard him whisper in her ear. “You belong to me and someday, we’ll be together forever.”
She froze, breathless. Her eyes shifted from side to side as her body shook. “What do you want from me? Why can’t you leave me alone,” she huffed through gritted teeth.
“Just you,” he said. “I’ve waited for eternity to have you in my arms, dancing together in our fairytale world.”
Jennifer inched backward, putting solid granite at her back. Frightened out of her wits and angry beyond belief, she shouted, “I wouldn’t dance with you if you were the last person left on the face of the earth. Leave me alone and go to hell.”
She scurried down off The Rock, hobbling toward the dirt path. She sensed him behind her, but couldn't run fast enough. Coming near the lake, the man slammed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. She whirled, and looked straight into the black face of evil.
“Listen to me, Jennifer. You can ignore what I told you or you can accept it for what it is. Trust me, our time is coming, and I’ll be waiting in the dark shadows for you,” he said. “By the way, tell your daddy that family stick together.” The man bowed elaborately, and vanished into the gloom.
Jennifer placed her dusty hands over her face and sank to her knees beside the black waters of the lake. She shook her head, squalling in denial. How could this evil happen? Not to her, she was a good person. The more she thought about it, the more panic-stricken she became as tears streamed down her dirt-crusted face.
“Claire…why? Why you?” she cried. “You let her kill you, Claire. You did nothing to stop her. I need you to help me, and you're not here.”
In a crying fit, Jennifer continued scolding Claire. Furious that her best friend deserted her, Jennifer dug her fingernails into her arms, yanking hard, grimacing in pain. After pinching herself like a spoiled brat, she then started on her beautiful hair, reaching around the nape and ripping long silky strands out of her scalp.
“Ahhhhhhhhh...,” she screeched. Jennifer grabbed her face, raking her cheeks with her nails. She gouged it until the skin seeped blood. “I hate my life. I hate this world and everybody in it.”
***
Claire shook her head in disbelief. Instead of Maddie Ann doing the deed, Jennifer was doing a fine job of torturing herself. Claire had to stop her before she seriously hurt herself. As Jennifer went for her throat, Claire intervened, pulling her hands back and holding them. Wincing, Jennifer jumped about four feet off the ground.
“It’s me,” Claire whispered. “It's Claire, Jennifer. Calm down.”
Exhausted from her tantrum, Jennifer looked as though a wild animal mauled her. Jennifer grabbed her chest, resembling a heart attack victim. Claire folded Jennifer's trembling hands in her lap and whispered, “Please don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you, my dear friend.”
Offering her hand, Claire pulled Jennifer to her feet.
“You came back!” Jennifer said, incredulous.
Claire nodded and grinned at her, enveloping her in a giant bear hug.
“But…how…?” Jennifer questioned when Claire released her.
“Shhhhh…don’t talk, just listen to me. I want you to try to forget what’s happened. I watched as you tortured yourself and if this is how you handle your emotions, then I suggest you seek help,” she told her taking her by the hand. “Tina may have fought and killed me, but by stabbing me, she did me a favor. She released me to the spirit world where I could go on to demolish Maddie Ann’s realm. Whatever you do, Jennifer, do not try to be a hero by going back to the cemetery. What you saw tonight is a fraction of what you’ll experience next time. This is serious and you might not be as lucky a third time. You cannot fight the demons of this world alone. Go home, Jennifer, and let me handle this. Remember, I have nothing to lose, but you do.”
Jennifer wasn’t at all pleased with Claire right now. Why did she have to make her feel she wasn’t worthy enough to be part of this? After all, she went through as much hell as her friends did. She couldn’t turn her back on them like Claire expected her to. No, she wanted some action and not for the glory, but to feel part of it.
“No way, Claire. You can’t expect me to blindfold myself and live like this never happened. Not only are you asking me to do something that’s unfair, it's also incredibly selfish.”
Claire raised her head and scolded Jennifer by the look in her eyes. “I’ll be watching you, Jennifer, and I mean it. There's a reason you have to live—accept it. You can hate me, but I'm warning you to stay away from Old Creek Cemetery,” she replied, then vanished into the shadows of the night. “Heed my words,” she called as a parting shot.
Jennifer staggered through the darkened streets as she blundered toward her front porch. Exhausted from events of the day, she plopped down on the swing, propping her legs. She knew Claire meant well when she told her to stay away from Maddie Ann’s territory, but she had a plan in mind, and it demanded going back to help Claire battle the demonic spirits whether she agreed or not. The determination soared through her. Claire couldn’t do this alone. The longer she sat pondering over the idea, the more determined she became.
Jennifer had four hours before the sun came up to carry out her goal. Her heavy eyes nearly shut, but this was her only opportunity to return to the cemetery to get revenge. Now, that Claire left her, she could do as she pleased. Stuffing her backpack under the little table sitting against the window—she didn't think she'd need it if her plans worked out—she took off down the street and melted back into the dark.
Chapter Fourteen
From a distance, Claire watched as Jennifer snuggled down on the front porch in her favorite chair. Part of her wanted to trust that Jennifer would stay put, but she knew the vengeance Jennifer held in her heart, stronger than Claire ever imagined. Right now, Jennifer hated the world and maybe even her. Claire shook her head, frustration shrouding her shoulders. She had to stop thinking this way. This was exactly the vile hatred Maddie Ann wanted to take root and grow in her heart. But Claire wasn’t a mean person. She didn't have a dark, cold spirit like the black souls. She was Claire Barton, the sweet, loving person people trusted and adored.
Maybe she tricked herself into believing she was different from Maddie Ann and the black souls. The evil ones might stay at the graveyard, but something told Claire there was more to it than that. Her mind raced with questions that needed answers. Perhaps the malevolence started with Maddie Ann but would soon spread its wings, reaching the city streets. She had no other choice but to defeat t
his cruelty, or watch her entire town go under its black influence. Blocking her horrifying death out of her mind, her spirit flew down the desolate street in search of solace to soothe the aching, foreboding pain deep inside her.
The streets of Old Creek were empty and bleak at this early hour. She gazed from above at her sleeping town. Cars covered with early morning dew lined the cold, damp streets, hugging the curbs for comfort. A few lights burned from inside homes where early risers stirred, and several streetlights glowed and flickered as she passed over. Two or three cop cars patrolled the streets, but that was it. Tonight, the town was total calm. Eerie calm. The only sounds Claire heard were humming noises coming from the power lines as she flew over them. Way off in the distance, along the suburban fringes, she may have heard a siren, but she wasn’t certain.
Claire quit guessing at the source of the serenity blanketing the village and landed out in the middle of Main Street, the office buildings looking like soldiers standing at attention. She gazed up at the star-studded sky, and then closed her eyes and spun around. The night air felt so good on her face, she didn’t want this moment to end. This town was her haven. It made her come alive. How could she be dead? If she pretended long enough, the bad that sweltered in her mind would disappear and the nightmare would subside. She believed this and hung on to that hope. “I want my life back,” she whispered. Tears traced down her cheek as sadness lined her face with shadows.
While she strolled under flickering streetlights plotting her next move, she glanced periodically at the houses nestled back from the narrow streets. She imagined being at home snuggled under warm blankets, smelling the coffee as her mother bustled around the kitchen. Claire grieved over her parents as if they had died, not her. She wanted to spend Thanksgiving eating turkey and playing football out in the backyard with her dad. She wanted to rise Christmas morning with gifts stacked to the ceiling and watch the delighted looks when her grandmother, aunts and cousins ripped through the double layers of paper her mom used to wrap their gifts. What was she thinking? She no longer had privileges as a mortal. She roamed among the deceased. It was hard to accept this change in her status, but she had no other choice.
As she flew over the houses, she sensed psychic vibrations, like heat waves rising from a chimney. She read peoples’ dreams and felt their struggles. She wept when they suffered. Her sentiental emotions heightened bit by bit as she listened in on their lives. The cacophony of sound and feelings assaulting her brain gave her access to secrets that she knew she couldn't share with anyone, not even Jennifer.
The flight down memory lane helped to ease her troubled mind before she headed back to the cemetery to finish her task. Clair needed to inhale her whole life all at once. Soaring freely into the air as if time had no meaning anymore, she studied the landscape, taking mental pictures of her favorite places—her high school, the park with The Rock, the ice cream parlor, the Mall, the Cineplex. She didn't think she'd ever see this place again if her plan worked.
Taking a deep breath, she enjoyed the crisp scent of fall that permeated the air. Red, yellow, and orange leaves danced along the wet pavement as the wind carried them on their journey. She became one of those autumn leaves, rolling along on the breeze, uncertain what future horrors awaited her. A gust of wind dislodged more leaves from the thin branches above her, and they skittered at her feet, begging for attention. A big smile split her face. She'd let the wind blow her where it may.
***
Jennifer managed to catch a ride to the rundown neighborhood on the outskirts of town where she'd earlier paused to get her bearings. A truck driver dropped her off under the same streetlight where she'd stood in the rain, devastated from witnessing Claire's murder. She took a deep breath for courage, then trudged through the field with its knee-high weeds and crossed the curvy blacktop farm road. She didn't hesitate, but plunged straight back through the dark, spooky woods. It didn’t bother her this time. Anger assailed her. She wanted to destroy Maddie Ann and she’d do anything to get it done. I’ll kill her, she thought, violently snapping little branches in two as she walked. Maddie Ann will wish she’d never messed with me.
Jennifer broke into the clearing and saw the familiar dusty little hill leading into the cemetery. She stormed along the path with no remorse. Once the gates came into view, she strode up and started kicking the bars. When her toes began to throb, she grabbed hold of the bars with her hands, shaking them until she heard a rustling in the darkness.
“Come out, Maddie Ann, I know you’re in there. Show your face before I come in after you. You’ll be sorry then.” Her unheeded cries left her with unanswered questions, which only annoyed her further. “Hurry the hell up and get your ass out here, Maddie Annnnn,” she yelled from her throat. “Front and center, you little bitch!”
Clinching her fists, Jennifer struck them against the gates. Again, the same noise scurried somewhere off in the darkness, but didn’t show itself. Jennifer hooked one foot on the scrolled ironwork and started climbing the gates. One way or another, she would get inside.
***
Claire rose from the ground, floating through the vast expanse of star-spangled sky. With a sense of relief, peace settled in her heart. Coming upon Old Creek Cemetery as she soared through the cool air, the usually locked gates stood wide open. Something was wrong. They never opened unless to invite some new prey into the cemetery. Jennifer? No, surely not, after the incident that took place earlier. Taking no chances, she came down behind the ugly scrub that grew next to the fence, tiptoed over and peered in.
“Hello, anyone there,” she whispered, her watchful eyes looking for any movement.
She stepped back, eyeing the imposing entry, and slid her feet in the powdery dirt. Gaslights hung on either side of the gates. This was the first time in years they burned. Most likely Maddie Ann or Tina at work, but how could she be sure? Who knew what forces controlled this place? Her gaze scouring the graveyard, she heard a faint cry of help from inside the grounds. She jumped at the sound. She tried to run through the open gates, and hit an invisible brick wall.
“What the…,” she questioned, crinkling her bashed nose. “Let me in.” Strong, out of tune chanting began to vibrate all around her. Grimacing at the sound, she cringed, plugging her ears. “Who’s there? Show yourself,” she demanded.
Eerie laughter came from deep within the cemetery. She pounded on the force field excluding her from the grounds. Suddenly from behind her, a cracked voice calling her name startled her and she jumped, involuntarily flying into the air. Her arms thrashed to gain her balance.
“Claaaire,” the voice begged again.
Floating gently back to earth, a sharp blade swiped across her left cheek, knocking her sideways. She lifted her hand to her face, expecting blood, but found none. “Show yourself, beast. Come out where I can see you,” she shouted.
A flash of cobalt blinded her. Claire lunged for the ground. She covered her head with her arms to protect herself from the black souls. The laughter grew louder the closer it drew near.
“Claire, you pitiful excuse for a human. You scared of me?”
Determined to seize the dominance in this demonic place, she stood strong to begin the battle. “Who the hell are you? Come out, you coward, and fight me. I’m not afraid of you, do you hear?”
A strong blast of wind struck her sideways, knocking her head over teakettle into the grass at the side of the path.
“Had enough, Claire? Or do you prefer more violence? I like violence.”
From the back of Claire's mind, something in that voice rang familiar. Out of nowhere, a maggot-infested stench sweltered around her, an odor of rotten flesh that resembled sun-baked road kill. She pinched her fingers over her nose to keep from inhaling it. Like a gossamer silk sheet flowing in the wind, the entity floated down without warning and appeared in front of her. It yanked off its hood to reveal the face underneath the ragged cloth.
Kari’s grotesque face grimaced menacingly. Speechless and overwh
elmed by the sight of her, Claire took in the dirt matted in her hair and bloodstains streaking her tattered clothing. “Why, Kari? Why are you doing this to me,” she sniveled. “I didn’t mean for you to die!”
Kari shoved her nose in Claire's face, breathing heavy. The stench made Claire retch. “Save it! No one wants to hear your sob stories. You deserve what you get. Look at my face, Claire. I’m dead. Because of you and Jennifer, we're here for eternity, locked away with the damned, never to see freedom again, and controlled by a wicked tyrant doing her evil work. Do you have any idea what that means? We’re never getting out of here, Claire.”
Claire lifted her head, gazing into Kari's fiery red eyes. With no tears left to shed, Claire answered, “I'm dead; too, Kari, but I didn't choose your path. Because I made a mistake on Halloween, you want to torture me? You had a choice, too, Kari, and no one twisted your arm that night to venture into the cemetery with us. If you didn’t want to go, you should have stayed behind, but you didn’t.”
Maddie Ann s Playground Page 17
