So this is the entirety of the story, sort of a second draft, sort of the first offical draft. Still don't have a title, suggestions are welcome.
It was a brisk October morning in the small New
England town. The leaves had fallen leaving behind the exposed skeletons of
branches stark against the dim morning sky. Most of the students at the high
school hid inside, shielded behind the bleak insulated walls, with their
promise of warmth. But one student remained out in the dead and frost covered
world. Reading a leather bound volume, loosely bound parchment pages
disjointedly stuffed within. This silent world was shattered as several teens
hopped out of a car and headed towards this student.
"Holy shit Ana, what kind of book is that? Pretty
sure they don't have those at the library." Kerri exclaimed, sitting down
beside Ana on the picnic table.
"I found it cleaning out my family’s attic last
week with this locket." Ana explained, displaying the unnaturally
human-like locket. It glinted in the morning sun, eyes filled with black
diamonds, and swirls of inlaid gold emphasizing the cheekbones.
Kerri snatched the locket from Ana who was still
absorbed in her book to take much notice. Looking it over she exclaimed,
"Man, the thing won't open!"
The talk of the locket caught the attention of James
and Marcus turning from their conversation on scouts at the next football game.
"Give it here," James grabbing it from his
sister. "Whoa, weird. Check out this back! It looks like I'm wearing a
mask." Handing it over to Marcus, and back to Kerri each having a turn
examining their face in the surreal pale mask. Kerri returning the locket to
Ana.
Marcus turned his focus on the book, pulling it from
Ana's grasp. "This looks ancient! I bet you could get a fortune off of
selling this and the locket."
“Why would I want to? These came from my great-grandpa
Wilbur Whateley. Besides, there's lots of interesting stuff about the town, and
I guess he practiced magic." Ana replied getting cut off.
All three turned to look at Ana, "Magic?”
Marcus laughed, "What, like pulling a rabbit from
a hat?"
"No, I was just reading how he would practice
rites and ceremonies at the old cemetery, some nonsense stuff like turning lead
to gold, or raising the dead. I had just started reading his account on the happenings around the area." She responded shivering, uncertain if a breeze came
through, or some deep fear.
Marcus dodged, absentmindedly flipping through the
archaic script. A slow smile crept upon his face, exposing his teeth, straight
like military gravestones. "Eh? Maybe we ought to go give your grandpa a
visit?"
"Come on Marcus, they closed down that cemetery
forever ago. It's locked up and the stories people talk about that place aren't
exactly inviting." James offered.
"What, you're not afraid of a few ghost stories
are you? Haha my brother the wuss." Kerri ribbed James, he scowled back.
"I'd really rather just have my book back."
Ana put forward.
"Come on you guys, we're going out to the graveyard
after school. There won’t be any scary ghosts, and you'll get your precious
book back. Just some good old-fashioned fun.” Marcus stated. They all
acquiesced, consoling themselves that the stories were old wives tales, told by the fearful.
No one ever came out to this cemetery, even when it was
open to the public. Strange stories, and
bad accidents plagued the wooded cemetery. It was just outside of town across
the old covered bridge, this part of town abandoned sometime after a flood. The
empty dirt road lead out past the ghosts of forgotten houses and barns,
swallowed in a time these visitors hardly knew. The gates of the cemetery, so
covered now in vines it was hard to make out from the crumbling stone fence
leering over the teens, casting shadows as the gloomy sun set. Clearing away
layers of vines yielded an ancient and rusted lock, long ago opened by its age.
The gate itself was much harder to push open, all four of them only yielding a
foot to press through, creaking and groaning on its hinges. Large trees
scattered ruined headstones, while stagnant ponds submerged others. It was more
a foreboding forest than a memorial.
"Psh, no way in hell," Kerri spat back,
flicking ash from her cigarette.
"Ha! Then I'll tell mom it was you who scratched up
the car," he returned.
"You wouldn't dare. Mom would kill us both."
She scrambled.
"Yeah, but you'd be the one stuck paying for
it." His grin widened.
"Ooooooh! Snap!" jeered Marcus.
Kerri smarted, "Fine, but what do I get for doing
it?"
"My love and admiration?"
"Ah, hell no. You're buying me lunch for a
week."
He relented. She stomped out the bud, tossed her bag to
Ana and ran the twenty yards towards the grave. Nearly tripping as the
collapsed, yet malicious, headstones peeking out just as she was stepping out
where they laid in wait. Slightly out of breath, she turned around triumphant,
fist clenched in the air. The others picking up on her bravado made their way
towards her.
"I knew you had it in ya sis!" James said with
a slight punch to her arm.
The grave had shifted some time ago as the roots of
august oak tree exposed the top of the coffin. The wood was rough, and warped, Kerri
peeling one board off exposed the skeleton in its Victorian attire.
“I didn't actually think you were going to open the
coffin after you got here.” James commented.
“You could see it peeking through the boards anyways, I
figured I’d just let him out.” She said spying a metal band and placing it upon
her finger.
She smirked, "Now it's your turn! Out to that monument!"
He almost stood back, "Hey now, I challenged you,
you gotta challenge someone else."
"Fine. Ana,
wanna take the honors?" she asked, grabbing back her bag.
"Erm, well...." Ana began, but Marcus stood
forward, "I'll do it. What do I get?"
"The math assignment I'm doing for you anyways seems
like a great payment."
Slightly miffed, Marcus agreed, running out between the
trees and raised sarcophagi. On his way,
the ground broke, threatening to consume him as he clawed his way out. James
sprinted quickly heaving Marcus out of the cavernous maw of sand and dirt. They
made it to the obelisk in short time, as Kerri and Ana found a path leading
around the graves. Upon reaching the stone, they found the two had ventured yet
farther in. “Hey, come check this out!” They yelled out.
Perched along the side wall, hidden from the main
entrance by wild hedges and crumbling statues, was a squat mausoleum, a look from ancient Greece, broken orange tiles littering the entrance. One could just
make out the word WHATELEY faded with a tinge of gold paint. They all gathered around the closed entrance. "Heh, looks like we found your grandpa
after all.” James laughed.
"I can't see anything either. Guess it's your turn,
break us in!" Marcus challenged.
"Shouldn't we be getting back to the entrance? It’s
getting dark." Ana said tersely.
"We can go...after I open the gate! What are the
terms for my amazing lockpicking skills? Borrow your car for a month?"
James parleyed.
"Fuck no dude, I just got my ride. A week, tops,"
Marcus spit.
"Whatever! You've had it for months now. How about ‘til
fall break? That's a week and a half."
"Fine, ‘til fall break, and not a goddamned scratch
dude."
"Sounds good." James eased, "Kerri, two
hairpins please."
The lock looked strangely alien in the decaying
landscape. Stainless steel, hardly rusted. Nothing more than a standard
padlock. A few seconds later, and a
click and pop of the loop. "See? That's the way we do it. Money for
nothin', and the chicks for free," he said handing back the hairpins to
Kerri. She just rolled her eyes. Marcus guffawed, and Ana glanced at her phone.
James dropped the chain and padlock as he pulled aside
the curtained gate, opening into a small square room. It kept up the Greek with
marbled walls, stone columns topped with bleak blank-faced figures in every
corner, and tattered red velvet curtains hung clinging to threads on hooks. The
inlaid coffin covers each inscribed with a family member deceased,
"Noah" "Lavinia" "John" "Wilbur".
Spiders crawling along webs covering various crevices. The teens stepping
inside the room noticed intricate circles upon the stone floor. Four drawn
rings sat crosswise from the central circle. Indescribable text circumnavigated
the edge, four wax candles planted north, south, east, west. Behind on the rear wall held a sign in
spidery script. "Those that see in
the mirror dimly, cannot be met face to face. Knowing only in part will not
know in full.”
James turning to Ana, "By a process of elimination,
it looks like it's your turn. Do a spell.”
"You said we'd leave after you broke in." Ana
protested.
"Nope, we've all taken bets, it's your turn." All
three surrounding Ana by the back wall.
Ana frowned. This simply wasn't going her way. She sighed, "I get my book back, and we
never come back here again. Agreed?"
They all nodded in agreement, and Marcus handed her the
book. She quickly glanced through the tome, shaking nervously, as the others
sat in the opposing circles. Finding one on light, she looked down on the
description.
“You know these need ingredients right?” She spoke
sarcastically.
“Oh, thank you for reminding me!” Marcus replied. Pulling
out the six pack of pale ale he had snitched from home, he removed a few other items. “What do you
need?
With Kerri’s lighter, she lit the candles: East, North,
West, South. The candles burned violet, erupting a cascading back drop of murky
shadows enclosed about the frightened teens. Next she poured the shattered
glass encasing the inner circle, “From dust we are, to dust we return.” Ana
chanted. Igniting the incense and placing it central, the glass took upon a
life of its own. Slowly, spindling up towards a point lost in darkness; the
incense smoke crawling up besides.
The locket about her neck gave off a comforting warmth, as
the brumous interior chilled. Her friends appeared frozen, the fog
claustrophobic, devouring her. But a thought occurred, standing it remained low
and she looked around. No long did fear bind her, she turned towards the mirror
opposite her, intricate carvings indescribably monstrous framed the glass. In
it she saw herself, walking closer it appeared she held out an orange flame,
ever closer, she no longer viewed the mirror, but walking back towards her
seat, light in hand. Seating herself, the shroud dispersed, and the candles
went out, while glass clattered to the ground.
“What happened?” James questioned. “One minute you were
lighting the candles, and the next thing I know glass goes shattering everywhere.”
“Yeah, same.” Kerri asserted.
Ana storied her experience, and revealed she could
conjure up a flame from her hand. James and Kerri became intrigued, wishing to
cast it themselves. Marcus said nothing, appearing disinterested, drinking his
beer, as Kerri prepared to make her attempt, placing the locket around her
neck. Upon her return she produced a candle from her pocket, explaining the
mirror was old and cracked, dirty and opaque. James’ venture faired akin to his
sisters, but where hers had been an azure flame, his produced a fiery crimson.
“Now that we’re done with these parlor tricks, I think it’s
time we take it up a notch. How about something fun, like summon an apparition?”
Marcus interrupted the others.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” James countered. “The
process to create light seemed inconsistent. I don’t think conjuring up the
dead…”
“Yeah, you guys fucked up a simple spell, and it barely
worked, I doubt it’ll end in more than a whiff of smoke, doing this one.”
He had a point, nothing bad had happened with the other
spell, it didn’t seem likely this one would even work.
Marcus meticulously placed three bleak jet obsidian stones
within the circle, and twelve incense around it. He cut his left hand, and
dripped seven drops each upon the vitreous pylons, and again on the aged
candles. As they were lit, the candles now blazed red, and sinking into a deep
pitched black, the wick slowly pulsing in rhythm. The caldera glass lifted,
circling parallel to the drawn one below. Marcus read from the writings,
unspeakable sounds; grotesque and unsettling, piercing to the deeps of all of
them.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” James countered.
“The process to create light seemed inconsistent. I don’t think conjuring up
the dead…”
“Yeah, you guys fucked up a simple spell, and it barely
worked, I doubt it’ll end in more than a whiff of smoke, doing this one.”
He had a point, nothing bad had happened with the other
spell, it didn’t seem likely this one would even work.
Marcus meticulously placed three bleak jet obsidian
stones within the circle, and twelve incense around it. He cut his left hand,
and dripped seven drops each upon the vitreous pylons, and again on the aged
candles. As they were lit, the candles now blazed red, and sinking into a deep
pitched black, the wick slowly pulsing in rhythm. The caldera glass lifted,
circling parallel to the drawn one below. Marcus read from the writings,
unspeakable sounds; grotesque and unsettling, piercing to the deeps of all of
them.
At the end of the last word, the world chilled, and he
too stood up. Turning right about he looked towards the looking glass, it
appeared clearly, but he was not looking at himself. A harlequin masked
stranger gazing back upon him. As he neared the interloper, its hand out for a
handshake, himself reciprocating, instead it strangled him, snapping him awake
again he was seated. The obsidian burst outwards piercing the teens.
At the end of the last word, the world chilled, and he too
stood up. Turning right about he looked towards the looking glass, it appeared
clearly, but he was not looking at himself. A harlequin masked stranger gazing
back upon him. As he neared the interloper, its hand out for a handshake,
himself reciprocating, instead it strangled him, snapping him awake again he
was seated. The obsidian burst outwards piercing the teens.
There was only silence. The trees no longer creaked, the
dripping stopped, and the insect buzzing vanished. Ana quickly put the locket
around her neck as they looked back into the twilight of the yard. No longer
were the grounds as the teens remembered them; everything was different. The
layout seemed familiar, yet the stones were new, and similar to the faces on
the statues within the mausoleum, each headstone was new and intricately carved
and with a jutted deathmask upon its face. A slight wind started whispering, other
whispers swirling about. As they crossed the threshold from the mausoleum into
the yard, the masks rose from the stones, oblique and disjointed shadows formed
ghoulish bodies, the shapeless opaque black contrasting the white faces hollow
and unmoving.
“What the hell happened?” Kerri demanded. “I though you
said at worst there’d be a puff of smoke, this isn’t fucking smoke.”
Now it was Marcus doing the shivering. He was surprised
by the magic they had performed, but never thought it would go this far. “Fuck,
shit, I…don’t know.” He managed to voice.
“Marcus, are you alright?” Ana asked concerned. She tried
to reach forward as he stumbled his way into the cemetery, him knocking back
her hand.
“Uh, Marcus?” James inquired with no response. Marcus
started to run, it wasn’t long before the ghouls congregated around him, and
they could see him no more.
“Oh God, this isn’t right.” Kerri wheezed.
“We gotta get out of here.” James stifling himself from
yelling out loud.
“Yeah, but how?” Ana inquired. After such inexplicable
events she thought her sanity would have collapsed like the others, yet even
now she remained calm.
“I think we should run for it.” Kerri enumerated.
“Yeah, they don’t look like they’re moving very fast.”
James agreed.
“I don’t think it matters if they’re moving fast, I think
there’s too many of them.” Ana countered. “Let’s try sneaking around them.”
At first the spectre’s paid them no mind, but Ana stepped
on a twig, the chatter echoed in the silent world. A few of the creatures
nearby made for the group. Ana grabbed the other two, nearly frozen in place,
and pulled them around a hedge. Unfortunately more wandered about, and caught
her by surprise. The gauntly shadows pounced. Ana produced her titian flame,
and the demons rebounded. The drain of energy was immeasurable, they had to
keep moving.
James had a moment of lucidity, lit his candle and tossing
the lighter to Kerri, “Light your candle!” She quickly complied.
They had fallen back to the outskirts of the mausoleum.
Ana propelled the flame if any of the ethereal masks came to close. The teens
could hardly comprehend what ghastly horrors they were up against, let alone a
plan to escape the torment this prison held for them. Several came in, Ana
lighting up the grounds, but one hit towards James, his candle lit up, sending
it reeling, but the light went out, and he collapsed to his knees.
Ana helped him up, and saw an opportunity. If she rushed
the opening she could open a path for the others to follow, describing this
quickly she headed out, to what could be her end.
The end?
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