It’s kind of hard to explain what happened next, but I shall do my best. First of all, the night sky was completely lit up with light, but not the normal kind of light you would see while out camping. No, the light was red with occasional flashes of bright yellows and oranges. It was actually beautiful, bright and verdant…wow I just used a big word.
I was so busy looking at the sky that I hadn’t realized all the noise coming from the woods. My eyes followed the sounds I was hearing. Chattering and lot’s and lot’s of clicking.
Streams of people were filing out of the woods…I mean there must have been hundreds of them all coming out of the woods in droves. Some of the people were alone while others had entire families with them. It looked like a scene from one of those movies that had people boarding a boat and heading towards America. Refugees, yes that’s the word I’m looking for.
As they walked out of the woods, for the most part silently, there was a man standing by the base of a tall tree, one of the tallest most menacing trees I have ever seen. How did I miss that before? It looked like its branches were huge claws, ready to grab anyone that dared pass it. I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine knowing that come tomorrow morning, that would be us, trying to pass that tree as we made our escape back to civilization.
The good thing is that the tree didn’t grab for anyone, I guess it just looked menacing but deep down inside it was just a tree. As the people passed this tree and the man, he said a number, a name and then clicked with some kind of device. That’s the clicking sound I heard, it was like one of those counters you might use when doing an inventory at a store. I remember my mother and father used to use them when keeping track of items in the senior citizens home.
Once he clicked they would move past the tree into the other end of the woods and out of sight. This kept happening over and over again as people continued to stream from one end of the woods into the other.
It wasn’t a scary sight at all, it was actually very calming, there was something peaceful about what was happening. So much so, that I left the tent and ventured outside. It appeared as if no one really noticed or cared.
“Where are you going?” I heard faintly from behind me. Maybe it was Kevin or perhaps AJ or maybe Brian…I wasn’t paying attention. I could only focus on the brilliant lit up night sky and the calming sound of the clicking and people walking by.
Maybe they were from another planet? Maybe that’s what the secret is? Maybe these people were abducted by the alien clicking people and were being taken away to get anal probed.
Some of these people looked normal as normal can be, but some stood out. There were people dressed as pilgrims, some dressed in fancy clothes as if they just left Cinderella’s ball. “Maybe it’s Halloween on Mars?”
“Did he just say maybe it’s Halloween on Mars?” Once again I heard someone say from behind me.
I felt a hand on my shoulder so I turned around expecting to find an equally perplexed Kevin or AJ so I could say ‘see? I told you so’ but instead it was Sarah.
“Get back inside that tent Nick…now!”
“Sarah…where were you? I have been so worried about you guys.”
“Nick, get back inside before they see you!”
“Isn’t it beautiful out here?” I asked her as my attention once again turned to the sky and the people streaming out of the woods. It looked like they were holding candles as they walked. Maybe this was some kind of religious ceremony.
She grabbed me and turned me towards her, “Nick! Listen to me please…you have to get back into the tent now!”
“Why?”
“Because…you just do.” Sarah looked a little different then from what I remembered. Her soft features were gradually replaced by wrinkles. The wrinkles of a very old woman. It was as if she was aging right in front of me.
“Sarah, what is happening to you?”
“Nick, please…get in the tent. You’ll be safe there.”
“Where is Mary Beth?” I asked looking all around for the little girl I had met in the woods what felt like forever ago. Really, how odd was it I felt like I knew these people my entire life?
“She’s with my husband Nick…” I didn’t trust Matt at all with the little girl.
“But you shouldn’t leave her alone with him…Sarah he’s not a nice man I can feel it.”
Sarah looked over her shoulder briefly to make sure no one was paying attention to us, “You’re right but it’s too late for that Nick. Now, I really need to leave before they find you.”
“How can it be too late?”
“Mommy!” Mary Beth said as she came running towards us. She was wearing a winter jacket and carrying that stuffed bear she had before. She looked a little different as well, not as young as she looked earlier.
“Mommy is coming baby…I’ll be right there.”
“Hi Nick…are you coming with us?” She asked me as she put her arms up for me to grab her.
“I don’t think so…”
“No, he isn’t baby…now go over and wait by daddy and I’ll be right there.” She said looking over at Matt who was just standing there and staring ahead.
It looked like they were getting closer to the front of the line; I knew our time was growing shorter now. The little girl nodded at her mom and then kissed me softly on the cheek. She felt cold to the touch but yet there was something so relaxing about it. I gave her a hug and felt as if I would never see her again. I noticed a huge scar covering her neckline as if it was some weird, Goth necklace.
“We have to go Nick, please get into that tent and don’t come out until morning. You have to get out of here, you aren’t meant to be here.”
“I don’t understand…”
“It’s not your time yet.”
“Not my time for what? And what happened to Mary Beth’s neck? Did Matt do that to her?”
Sarah looked down at the ground as tears started to form in her eyes, “Yes Nick…Matt did that to her just like he did this to me…” She said opening her own jacket to show a blood stained shirt.
“Oh my God… we need to get you to a hospital!” I moved to touch her wound to see if I could stop the bleeding but she quickly closed her jacket before I had the chance.
“Sarah let’s go!” Matt screamed across the field. I turned to look at him ready to charge at him for hurting his wife and child but froze in place when I saw the huge hole in his head where his right ear should have been.
The clicking suddenly stopped after he yelled and Sarah’s eyes grew wide with freight. “Nick get in the tent now!”
I turned when I heard footsteps coming towards us and sure enough it was the man who was checking everyone in. He was staring at the two of us intently and had a flashlight in his hand. Sarah looked as if she was ready to cry as she hugged me and then pushed me back into the tent with such force that once again I went sailing and landed on my back.
“Nick what in the hell?” I looked up at AJ who looked scared and confused.
“No, Sarah come back!” I stood up and ran for the mouth of the tent again but all of the sudden the lights and sound of clicking became almost unbearable. There was so much light, it was hurting my eyes and the sound felt like it was going through me. The ground around us started to shake and the sound turned into a huge bellowing scream.
“Oh God it’s another quake everyone get down.” Kevin yelled as I felt his body jump on top of mine.
The shaking in the tent was fierce and I really thought at one point the thing was going to fly away leaving us exposed to the clicking man. After what felt like a long time, but I’m sure it only equaled about a few seconds, the shaking stopped and there was silence.
I felt Kevin slowly get off me as he whispered, “Is everyone okay?”
He pat my back and helped pull me up to a sitting position, “Nicky…are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Good,” he looked over at everyone else, “What about you guys?”
They all looked shocked and frazzled but far from harmed which made me sigh with relief. I stood up on very shaky feet and walked back over to the opening of the tent. This time when I peered outside there was nothing but a dark night sky and a full moon. Everything was calm and quiet. “Now do you guys believe me?” I asked turning around to my band mates.
“Believe what? That it’s Halloween on Mars?” AJ asked through a smile.
“No…about the lights and the sounds. I saw Sarah and Mary Beth out there…oh my God.” I ran out of the tent and started looking around for them. “Sarah was hurt really bad and bleeding, if she doesn’t get help she’s going to die!”
“Nick, what are you talking about?” Brian asked softly, placing an arm on my shoulder as he followed me outside.
“Sarah…I saw her. Didn’t you guys see?”
“Sarah was out here?” Kevin asked now looking around the tent to see if there was any damage.
“Yes and Mary Beth. They were in the line…”
“What line?”
“The line that was out here…didn’t you see it?” I looked from one friend to the other.
Kevin walked closer to me now and gently placed his hand on my head, “Come on Nick, you need some sleep. We’ve had a long night.”
“But Kev…you had to have seen the lights, and then the quake.”
“Yes little man, we all felt that quake.”
I pointed over in the direction the crowd of people had been heading, now empty and barren, “They were all going through those trees over there. Didn’t you hear the clicking?”
They all looked at me as if I was crazy, except for Brian who looked more worried than anything else. I could tell he believed me and I bet AJ did too, although he acted as if I was insane.
“Come on…let’s go back inside.” Kevin said very softly. He was speaking to me as if I was five years old, barely above a whisper and highly accented on every word. Just in case I didn’t understand what he was saying.
I didn’t try to fight him, I was very exhausted suddenly and having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Casper’s words echoed through my mind, reminding me I needed all the rest I could get for the journey we had ahead of us tomorrow. Besides, they weren’t going to believe me anyway so why bother trying to convince them? I’d just elaborate tomorrow in the daylight. Everything always seemed to make more sense in the daytime.
“Are you okay Nicky” Howie asked me as he grabbed my arm, “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“I’m okay Howie, just tired.”
“Then let’s get you to bed little man.” Kevin said as he looked behind his shoulder one last time at the darkness. The way he looked out there made me think maybe he did see something more than just the moon and a few stars.
I sat on my sleeping bag and felt uneasy when I felt all pairs of eyes on me. I didn’t want to look up but I had to, “What?” I asked defensively.
“Nothing…” Brian answered for everyone else but they were still sitting there staring at me.
“I’m not crazy…I know what I saw.” I pulled my legs into the sleeping bag and laid down.
“No one said you were crazy Nicky, we know you aren’t feeling well.”
“That has nothing to do with it Howie. It’s this place. That’s why we all need to leave tomorrow.”
Kevin and Howie looked over at each other but I was done with them for the night. I felt weird enough with everything I was going through; I didn’t really need them to make me feel worse.
I wish I understood what was going on. I know I tend to be considered a little ‘dumb’ by more than one person. Sometimes it takes me longer to process information, more so than AJ or Brian for instance. Maybe if it was them and not me, by now we would already know what was going on. My stupidity is going to end up getting everyone killed. I let out a sigh and suddenly found myself so sad that I started to cry which was just what I didn’t need to be doing while everyone was still freaking staring at me!
“Are you okay Nick?” NO, Brian… I’m crying. Duh!
“Is he crying?”
Brian shushed his cousin and placed a hand on my back, “Everything is going to be okay Frack. I’m not sure what happened but if you want to talk about it, I’m here, okay?”
Just hearing Brian say that made me feel a little better. “I’m scared…” I admitted to him as a tear fell from my eyes and landed on my pillow.
He laid down right beside me, looked me in the eyes and said, “Me too buddy, but we’re all here and we won’t let anything happen to you.”
I wanted to believe him but I was also starting to realize whatever was in the woods was much bigger than any of us were ready to deal with. I needed to talk to Casper again and no matter what; I needed him to tell me the truth.
I awoke from a dreamless sleep; Brian’s arm was protectively around me as he softly snored. I moved slightly so as not to wake him and pulled myself up and out of my sleeping bag. Happily it was very sunny and bright outside. I looked at my big brothers and noticed that they had kind of slept in a circle around me, I couldn’t help but smile despite the desperation and fear I felt growing inside when it occurred to me that today would be the day we’d be going through the woods.
“They really care about you a lot.” I looked over at the opening of the tent and saw Casper standing there motioning for me to follow him outside.
Once outside the tent I took in a huge breath of fresh air, the air was especially crisp this morning. It felt good to be outside, “Before we go any further, is this a dream, because lately I’ve been having trouble telling the difference between the two.”
“Not a dream this time Nick…you shouldn’t let them sleep too long. The earlier you get started the better chance of being out of the woods before nightfall. You have to be out of the woods before night falls!”
“I saw Sarah and Mary Beth last night.” I said as he sat down on a log grabbing a stick in his hand and making circles in the dirt.
“I know…I told you not to leave your tent last night.”
“Casper, what’s going on? Where was everyone going and will Sarah be okay? She looked like she was hurt badly.”
He ignored my question as he continued to draw in the dirt, “Okay Nick…this is a map, see this right here?” I nodded and then he continued, “That’s where you are now. The best thing for you to do is go through this area right here,” He said pointing to a stretch of trees where the multitudes of people were coming from last night, “and then walk around the fallen trees until you get to the main road. It will take you just about all day, but if you don’t stop and continue on you’ll be out of here and safe by nightfall.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? Is Sarah going to be okay?”
He looked up at me and stared intently, why must everyone do that to me? I hate being stared at. “Nick…God I hate this part…”
“Hate what part? What is going on Casper?”
He stared at me a little more than took a deep breath, which is a funny thought coming from someone who supposedly has no breath to begin with. “Sarah is dead…so is Mary Beth and Matt. All three of them are dead.”
“What?” I was panicked and sad. I knew she needed help and I didn’t get it for her. “It’s my fault they all died.”
“No it’s not Nick…they have been dead for a very long time now.”
“What?”
“Look…like I told you before, there are things going on that you wouldn’t understand.”
“So then explain it to me!” I was standing now, in a full blown panic. Oh my God…I think I’m going to hyperventilate.
“They’ve just been kind of stuck here Nick…that’s what happens here. People get stuck sometimes.”
“I don’t understand…Where did they go?”
“Home Nick…they finally went home.”
“Was your father keeping them here? Was he that guy who was checking everyone in?”
Casper shook his head, “No, he doesn’t do that stuff.”
“Where did they go, I mean where is home for them? They are aliens aren’t they?”
Casper let out a small laugh. “Not aliens Nick.”
“They were dead this entire time?” Casper nodded at me.
“AM I…are we?” I couldn’t say it. The thought was too much to wrap my head around.
“No Nick and I’d like to keep it that way. That’s why you have to leave now.”
I felt some more tears rolling down my cheeks. “It’s going to be okay Nick…” He reached over and placed his hand on my shoulder and even though I couldn’t feel it there, I was grateful for the touch.
“Who are you really and why does your father want to hurt us.”
“I’m who I said I am Nick…and my father doesn’t want to hurt you.”
“But you said…”
“I know…it’s just what he does.”
“I don’t understand…”
“He goes by many names Nick, the one you’re most familiar with is The Grim Reaper…” I suddenly had tunnel vision, all I was able to see was just Casper, nothing else as he said his last statement, which went through every pore and vein in my body, chilling my blood cold as it did, “Basically, he’s death and he is coming for you.”
Okay I updated...happy? lol. Thanks for reading
