Ghost Walk

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It was almost midnight when the last of the Ghost Walk’s volunteers drove away. Ken, Terry, and Tom McNally stood in the center of the field, watching the taillights fade as the departing workers pulled out onto the road. The wide-open area now seemed very empty. The sudden silence was unsettling. In the darkness, it was easier to understand why the forest spooked some people.

“There’s still no sign of Cecil,” Tom said. “Unless he was here and I didn’t see him?”

Terry and Ken looked at each other and then shook their heads.

“I didn’t see him,” Terry said. “How about you?”

“Me either,” Ken agreed. “Although, with the spotlights and everything, it was kind of hard for me to pick people out of the crowd. You’re sure he didn’t tell you where he was going, Tom?”

“Nope. And his truck is still here. Don’t know how else he would have gotten home. Guess he could have caught a ride with someone else. But it seems like he would have at least told me first.”

All three of them glanced toward the parking area. Sure enough, Cecil’s old pickup truck was still sitting in the same spot, alongside Tom’s Dodge Charger, Terry’s Jeep, Ken’s truck, and Russ and Tina’s SUV. The thin moonlight reflected off the vehicles.

“Russ and Tina’s Chevy is still here, too,” Ken observed. “Anybody seen them?”

Terry frowned. “Now that you mention it, no. What the hell is going on? First Sam and Rhonda. Now this.”

Ken shook his head. He had a sinking feeling in his gut. The ground started to spin, so he closed his eyes. He had never been wearier.

“Maybe they’re still in the woods,” Tom suggested. “We should look. I keep imagining Cecil lying out there after having a heart attack or something. Last time I saw him, he was going off into the woods to piss.”

“Yeah,” Ken agreed, looking up again. “Terry, go grab some flashlights. We’re not leaving here until we find them. Tom, while he’s doing that, call their houses. See if they’re home, just in case they got a ride with someone else. And call Tina’s cell phone, too.”

“If she’s in the woods, it won’t work.”

“Call it anyway. It’s worth a try.”

“Whatever you say, Ken.”

“Hold on a minute,” Terry said. “Look, Ken. You’ve been up for how many hours?”

“I don’t know.”

“I do. You look like death warmed over, man. We’ve got a big day tomorrow and an even longer night, and you’re gonna have to be on top of your game. An operation this size—there’s going to be a million little things that need your attention tomorrow night. You need some rest, before shit starts catching up with you.”

“Like what?”

“Like that cop, for instance. Did you remember to call him back?”

“I did. Got his voice mail and left him a message.”

“And when did you finally remember?”

Ken paused. “After the walk-through tonight.”

“That’s my point. You’re tired, Ken, and you’re starting to slip. Now, I know you’re worried about Cecil. We all are. And we’re concerned about Russ and Tina, too, although I’m willing to bet they’re okay. It’s this place. These woods, and all the bullshit history that goes with them. It just has us a little spooked. Chances are they’re fine. But just in case, Tom and I will go look for them. You go home and get some sleep. You need it worse than we do.”

“Screw that,” Ken said. “I’m not going anywhere until we know what—”

“Go home and get some fucking sleep,” Terry ordered, raising his voice. Then he softened it again. “If we find anything—if something bad really has happened—I’ll call you right away. I promise. But as worn out as you are, you’ll be helping everybody a lot more if you just get some rest. We need you sharp, man. This is your show. Tom and me can handle this.”

“Damn straight,” Tom agreed. “In truth, I’m betting old Cecil is just lying up against some tree, drunk as a skunk or passed out. He’s always carrying that flask around with him. Drinking that frigging cheap-ass gin. Hell, could be Russ and Tina are out there with him.”

Ken rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

“Go home,” Terry urged him. “Please? You’re exhausted. We’ve got this.”

Ken hesitated. “You promise you’ll call me if something’s wrong?”

“I promise.” Terry nodded. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“Yeah. In the eleventh grade, when you told me you hadn’t slept with Alicia Hartlaub on prom night.”

Terry groaned. “You’re never gonna let me forget that one, are you?”

“Hell, no. She was my prom date, man.”

“And she was good.”

“Fucker.”

“Get going.” Terry punched Ken’s shoulder. “I’ll call you if something’s happened.”

“Okay. Good night. And you guys be careful.”

“We will,” Terry promised.

“See you tomorrow,” Tom said, waving.

Ken walked off to his pickup truck. They watched him go. His head hung low and his shoulders were slumped. He weaved back and forth slightly, as if he were drunk.

“Jesus,” Tom whispered. “You were right. He really is beat.”

Terry nodded. “His ass is dragging, all right.”

Ken’s headlights came on and the engine thrummed. They heard the distant strains of Jerry Reed belting out “Eastbound and Down,” the theme from Smokey and the Bandit. Ken sang along with him. Then Ken tooted his horn and pulled away. They gave him a final wave and then walked toward the storage trailers. As they crossed the field, Tom tried calling Cecil while Terry called Russ and Tina’s house.

“Anything?” Terry asked.

“No. If he’s there, he ain’t answering. How about you?”

“I got their answering machine. I didn’t leave a message, though. Don’t want to worry their kids just yet. Let’s check the trail first.”

“Glad I ate something earlier,” Tom said. “This might take a while.”

“Listen, did you take off work tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Well, shit, Tom! Why don’t you go on home, too? I can handle this by myself.”

“No, you can’t. And besides, I don’t have to be at my desk until nine. I got time.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. This might be a wild-goose chase, but I appreciate the help. Ghost Walk or not, those woods are kind of creepy after dark.”

“Terry, do you really think they’re okay?”

“Do you really think Cecil is laying out there drunk?”

“No. I wish I did, but I don’t. This just isn’t like him at all. I think something’s happened.”

“So do I. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s those kids going missing, or maybe I’m just tired, too. Or maybe it’s these fucking woods. But I’m starting to get a bad feeling.”

“Me, too,” Tom said. “You think maybe we should call the cops?”

“Not yet,” Terry said. “I mean, maybe we should. But I want to hold off. This time tomorrow night, we’ll be open. The last thing we need right now is law enforcement and search parties traipsing through the woods.”

“That’s pretty harsh.”

Terry shrugged. “I don’t like it either. Hell, Russ and Tina are friends of mine, and old Cecil seems like a good guy. But I’ve got other responsibilities to think about, too. Ken’s been my best friend since high school. A lot of folks drift apart after they graduate, but that never happened with us. He’s like a brother to me. This Ghost Walk means the world to him. It’s the first time I’ve seen him excited about anything since Deena died. If the cops suspect foul play, they could shut us down before we even open. That would kill him. Not to mention the negative publicity.”

“You don’t reckon the police think we had anything to do with this?”

“No,” Terry admitted. “Probably not. But you never know. And if those fucking reporters start sniffing around and asking lots of questions, Ken’s not going to be able to deal with it. Not right now, on top of everything else. He’s got other shit to worry about.”

“Not necessarily. He handled that girl from the newspaper pretty well.”

“Yeah, but she was just writing a fluff piece. Look, I don’t like it any more than you do. And you’re right. My gut tells me we should call the authorities right now. We probably should let someone know. It’s the right thing to do. But humor me just a little bit longer. Let’s have one last look ourselves. If we don’t find them, then we’ll call somebody. At least this way, Ken will get some sleep before we wake him up.”

“I guess you’re right.”

They retrieved two high-powered flashlights from the storage trailer. Terry grabbed a first-aid kit, as well.

“Think we’ll need that?” Tom asked.

“It’s just a precaution.”

As an afterthought, Terry stuffed two road flares into his jacket pocket.

“Another precaution?” Tom’s expression was grim.

“Yeah,” Terry said. “If they are hurt—and I hope to fucking hell that we’re wrong about that—and one of us has to come back up here to call 911, then the other one can light up these flares so the paramedics can find us easily. Especially if we’re off the trail.”

“That’s good thinking.”

“Let’s just hope we don’t need them.”

Terry and Tom began the long hike across the field, heading toward the forest. They zipped up their jackets against the late-night chill and slipped on their leather work gloves to keep their hands warm. The high weeds were wet with dew and their pants quickly became soaked below the knees. Neither spoke much. They were too tired, too cold. Too apprehensive. They tried once again to reassure each other that they were probably overreacting, but secretly, both men were becoming more and more convinced with each passing moment that something was seriously wrong. Their fear grew as they neared the forest, as if the darkness magnified it. Unlike the moonlit field, the woods were draped in shadow. They turned on their flashlights. The beams only penetrated a few yards beyond the trees. Somewhere in the branches overhead, a bird cried out. Both men jumped.

“First bird I’ve heard out here in a while,” Terry whispered.

“That was a whip-poor-will,” Tom said.

“Oh, yeah? That a good thing?”

“My granddaddy used to say that if you heard a whip-poor-will, it was waiting to carry away someone’s soul.”

“Now there’s a cheerful fucking thought.”

“Well, he was drunk most of the time. Used to piss in a coffee can. Nasty old fucker, but I loved him just the same.”

“I think,” Terry said, “I liked it better when we weren’t talking.”

Snickering, they stepped into the forest. Their laughter dried up beneath the trees.

“It’s dark in here,” Tom said. “I can barely see the lime.”

“Yeah.”

“Want to try calling them one more time?”

“No,” Terry said. “Let’s get this over with.”

Walking side by side, they started down the trail.

Maria drove the speed limit, repeatedly checking the rearview mirror for police. She fully expected to see red and blue lights flashing behind them at any second. After all, she was driving with an escaped mental patient in her car. She knew she was probably being silly. Nobody had seen them. But her nervousness remained.

Levi was in the passenger seat and Adam sprawled out in the back. He’d been nervous at first, still unsure about his new companions. But he’d warmed up considerably by the time they reached Interstate 83. Maria had turned the radio on and Adam reacted with joy. He’d told them that he wasn’t allowed to have a radio inside the psychiatric hospital. The only music he’d had access to was whatever the facility’s staff played over the loudspeaker—light jazz or easy listening music, depending on who was on duty. Maria tuned in his favorite station.

He stared out the window as they headed south, bobbing his head to the music and watching with interest as the landscape zoomed by.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see any of this again,” he murmured. “But it’s still here. All of it.”

“Did you think it would all just go away?” Maria asked. “That it would cease to exist just because you couldn’t see it anymore?”

“Maybe. Inside that place, I didn’t know what to think. They fucked with my head pretty bad. Put me on a bunch of different medicines and into daily psychotherapy sessions. They said I needed to face what I’d done. Come to terms with it.”

Maria glanced over at Levi. He hadn’t commented. Instead, he sat with his eyes closed and his hands folded in his lap. His hat was pulled low. She assumed he was meditating.

“They said I had to face my inner demons.” Adam’s voice cracked. “Face what happened. Why Tara really died.”

“Well,” Maria said, trying to sound upbeat, “I guess that’s a healthy form of therapy, right?”

“Healthy? You don’t understand.”

“I’m trying to.”

“Let me give you an example. There was a woman inside named Karen Moore. I knew her from before. We went to the same high school. She graduated a year ahead of me and was friends with this girl I used to date named Becky Schrum. In 1984, Karen was abducted and raped by a cemetery caretaker. He killed her boyfriend, Pat. Slaughtered him right in front of her. You’re young, but maybe you heard about it?”

“No,” Maria said. “I moved here from New Jersey just a few years ago.”

“Well, Karen and another woman were held in an underground warren. They were both raped repeatedly by this guy. Karen ended up pregnant from it. Nine months later, she went nuts. Had a total breakdown. Karen was convinced that her baby was half human and half monster. A ghoul. That’s what she kept insisting—that she was pregnant with a ghoul.”

Maria didn’t respond.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Adam said. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Just like me and Tara? The crazy writer guy insisted that his wife was pregnant with a satyr? Well, maybe. But think about this. They made Karen confront her inner demons, and you know what happened? Karen had her whole life ahead of her. And instead of living it, she’s spent the last twenty-five years in a fucking insane asylum. Her baby went to live in an orphanage. No happy endings for either of them. That’s what happens when you confront your monsters. The monsters win. And I’m not going to do that. I know what really happened. I know I’m not crazy.”

“Calm down, Adam,” Maria said. “I didn’t say you were.”

“What do you care, anyway? I’m just material for your fucking book.”

They drove on in silence. Levi remained quiet and motionless. His breathing was shallow. Maria wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

“Levi?”

He didn’t answer.

“Wonderful.” She turned up the radio and focused on the highway.

Once they reached the Shrewsbury exit, Levi became alert again, and apologized for his silence. On his suggestion, they stopped at the twenty-four-hour Wal-Mart. Adam told Maria his pants and shoe sizes. Then, while Levi and Adam waited in the car, Maria went inside and purchased him some new clothes—jeans, T-shirt, pullover sweatshirt with a hood, socks and underwear, and a pair of shoes. She also selected a ball cap and a pair of sunglasses. Word of Adam’s escape would break soon enough. They might as well try to disguise him. At the register, while she stood waiting behind an overweight woman who was trying to pay for her Hostess cupcakes and carton of cigarettes with food stamps—and arguing with the cashier when told she couldn’t—Maria got an iced cappuccino out of the cooler, then added two bottles of water for Levi and Adam.

Surrendering to her growing paranoia, she paid cash for her purchases, just in case somebody had spotted her car leaving the area around the White Rose Mental Health Facility and remembered the tag number. This way, the police would have no record of her movements. No way to track them. Of course, there were the store security cameras to think about, but it was too late now anyway. She wondered if Levi could do something about them, and decided he probably could. Maria was starting to think she’d barely scratched the surface of what he was capable of. She considered mentioning it to him, but decided against it. He’d seemed moody and unresponsive since freeing Adam.

She walked out of the store, nodding thanks to the elderly greeter standing next to the shopping carts, who thanked her for shopping and asked her to come back again. As she crossed the parking lot with her bags, she stuffed the sales receipt in her purse. With any luck, she could claim the purchase on her taxes—if she sold the book.

The book, she thought. Yeah, like that’s ever going to happen now. I’m aiding and abetting a murderer—and the ex-Amish magician who helped him escape by creating some kind of flaming hole in time and fucking space. Maybe I can write the book from prison. What the hell was I thinking?

Then she remembered the voice on her digital recorder. She felt the blood drain from her face.

Maria halted, afraid that she was going to pass out. When the dizziness had passed, she hurried to the car. She climbed behind the wheel and handed the bags to Adam without speaking. Then she gave them each a bottle of water and started the car.

“Thank you,” Levi said. “You must have read my mind. I was indeed thirsty.”

“Yeah,” Adam agreed. “Thanks.”

“There you go,” she said. “You’ve got a new suit of clothes. Sunglasses and a hat, too. You’re a new man.”

“Cool shades.” Adam pulled the items out of the bags. “I really appreciate it. I’ll pay you back when I can.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Maria said. “You can pay me back by helping us out.”

“Should I change now, or wait till later?”

“Wait,” Maria said. “Let’s get this over with first.”

“We’re not far,” Adam replied. “Just a few more minutes.”

“I know the way,” Levi said.

“You were really at my house?” Adam asked him as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Levi nodded. “Yes. Right after your arrest and once since then. I was looking for the book.”

“The…people that live there now. What are they like?”

“They seemed like a very nice family. Husband and wife. Two kids. A dog. Good folk. I didn’t speak to them for very long, I’m afraid. Just asked them a few short questions.”

“That should have been us,” Adam whispered. “Me and Tara and Big Steve. That should have been us. The only thing missing were the…kids. We miscarried several times. That’s why, when Tara got pregnant after Hylinus, I just…”

He stopped talking, unable to finish. Moaning, he buried his face in his hands and wept.

“Adam,” Levi said softly, “I know that you are hurting right now. And I know this won’t be easy, seeing your old home. But I need you to keep your wits about you until we’ve retrieved the book. Then we’ll talk about this, okay?”

“You don’t understand,” Adam cried. “The ultrasound…the picture…the baby had horns! She said it was mine, but it had fucking horns, man! That’s why she tried to hide it from me. What was I supposed to do?”

Maria’s grip tightened around the steering wheel. She stared straight ahead, slowing as they approached a red light.

“I know,” Levi soothed the distraught man. “I know. But we need to focus.”

“It should have been mine,” Adam wailed. “I was supposed to be the father—not him! Not the satyr.”

“Which way?” Maria asked, stopping at the light.

“Left, and then straight through the next light,” Levi told her, turning back to Adam. “Mr. Senft, I need you to be with me. Put this behind you for just a little longer. Can you do that for me?”

Sobbing, his face still hidden, Adam nodded.

“Good.” Levi turned around again and stared straight ahead.

When the light turned green, Maria made the left. The streets were deserted. Levi opened his bottle of water and drained it without pausing for air.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

“I’m fine.” He screwed the cap back on the empty bottle. “Tonight’s occurrence took a lot out of me, and I’m tired. That’s all. But I’ll be okay. I just need to prepare myself.”

Maria sipped her iced cappuccino. “For what?”

“For what’s to come. For what I have to do next. I like it even less than flying.”

“You don’t like to fly?”

“No.”

“I love it,” Maria said. “I always ask for a window seat.”

Levi shuddered.

They passed through another intersection.

“At the next light,” Adam said, “there will be a gas station on the left. Go straight through it and then, about twenty feet later, you’ll see the fire house on the right. Turn down that alley.”

Maria followed the directions. The gas station was closed for the night. As they drove by it, Adam pressed his palm against the window. His expression was full of grief.

“Did you used to go there for cigarettes or something?” Maria asked.

“A friend of mine worked there. Leslie.”

“Did she visit you while you were in the hospital?”

Levi started to speak, but Adam interrupted him.

“The last time I saw Leslie was when she had Merle’s dick in her hand. She cut it off with a rock, trying to protect Hylinus.”

“Oh…”

“She was shot by a police detective named Ramirez,” Levi explained, taking over for Adam. “On the night of the fire, Detective Ramirez and Adam, along with several of their friends, confronted Hylinus during a mating ceremony. Mr. Senft’s wife, his friend, and several other women were…accompanying the satyr.”

“Ramirez,” Maria said. “I spoke with him on the phone earlier today. Seems like a week ago already.”

“He knew the truth,” Adam whispered. “And he let them railroad me anyway. Because he didn’t want to admit that he’d been wrong. He didn’t want to believe, even after being confronted with the proof. He was a coward.”

Maria slowed as they approached the alley. She switched her turn signal on, but before she could make a right into the alley, Adam flung the car door open and leapt out into the street.

“Adam!” Levi shouted.

Maria slammed on the brakes. “Oh shit.”

Before they could react, Adam had fled into the alley, disappearing from sight.

“What should we do?” Maria yelled.

“Go after him—drive!”

She turned into the narrow alley and her headlights speared the fleeing man. Maria floored it, and the car shot forward. But as they closed the distance between them, Adam stopped running. Holding his sides, he walked a few more feet and then stopped at the rear of a two-story house with gray vinyl siding. The house was sandwiched between the alley and Main Street. There was a detached garage and a driveway at the rear of the property, and a large oak tree in the center of the yard. A red Toyota and a blue minivan were parked in the home’s driveway. Adam glanced at them and then collapsed, kneeling in the driveway. He clawed at the stones, his hands curling into fists.

Maria glanced around. To her left was the community Fire Hall’s parking lot. Beyond it lay a grassy vacant lot and a playground with swings and monkey bars. Beyond the playground was a dark line of trees. To her right were a row of houses, including the one Adam knelt in front of.

“Pull into the parking lot,” Levi said. “Turn the car off. And the headlights, too. We can’t attract any attention.”

“Tell that to him.”

“I’ll handle Senft.”

He got out of the car and quietly shut the door behind him. Then he crouched down next to the crying man, put his hand on Adam’s shoulder, and whispered something in his ear. Maria rolled down her window, trying to hear the conversation.

“They changed the siding,” Adam said.

“I know,” Levi sighed, patting Adam’s shoulder. “But we have to be quiet. Okay?”

Shaking her head, Maria crossed the alley and parked the car. She yawned, realizing just how long it had been since she’d slept.

“Jesus…”

She was beginning to wonder if she’d ever have a good night’s sleep again. How could she, with all that she’d seen today?

Terry and Tom made their way along the winding trail, passing by the papier-mâché Bigfoot cave, the pterodactyl’s nest, the haunted out house, the guillotine, and a grove of trees with fake skulls dangling from their branches. The creek flowed silently as they crossed over the little footbridge spanning it. The forest was absolutely silent and their high-powered flashlight beams barely penetrated the darkness. The blackness was so dense that the lime outlines along the path were almost invisible.

“We should have changed the batteries in these things before we left,” Tom said. “I can’t see shit out here.”

“It’s not the flashlights,” Terry replied. “They’ve got fresh batteries.”

“Well, then why is it so fucking dark? This is like walking through tar.”

“I don’t know, Tom. Maybe because it’s nighttime.”

“You don’t have to holler at me, Terry. I was just asking.”

Terry sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just worried, is all. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

They cupped their hands to their mouths and hollered for Cecil, Russ and Tina. The echoes ceased abruptly, swallowed up by the gloom. When their cries went unanswered, they reluctantly continued on their way, reaching the maze house.

“Ain’t no way I’m going in there tonight,” Tom said. “I get lost in it during the daytime.”

“Me, too,” Terry admitted. “Let’s go around.”

They stepped off the trail and skirted the edge of the sprawling, ramshackle building. Twigs snapped and leaves rustled under their feet. Tree branches scraped slowly across the tin roof of the maze house, making them both cringe.

“Man, that’s a horrible sound,” Terry said. “Like nails on a chalkboard.”

Tom tugged on Terry’s arm.

“What’s up?” Terry asked.

“Just had a thought. What if they’re inside the maze? Maybe Cecil had some kind of spell, got disoriented and is stuck in there?”

“Shit. I hadn’t considered that.” Terry raised his head and called out. “Cecil? Russ? Tina? It’s Terry and Tom! You guys in there?”

Again, the darkness seemed to muffle his echoes. Then they heard a new sound.

“Noooooooo…”

“Jesus Christ!” Tom dropped his flashlight. It rolled away across the forest floor.

“That sounded like Tina,” Terry said. “But where is she? Tina! Tina, are you there? Sound off, hon!”

“Here…we’re over here…”

Tom retrieved his flashlight and made sure the lens wasn’t cracked. “Sounds like it’s far away.”

“It’s coming from that direction.” Terry shined his light into the woods. “Come on.”

Dispensing with caution, they charged deeper into the forest. Branches tugged at their clothing and whipped their faces. In the darkness, the foliage twisted into sinister, menacing shapes. Tree limbs became outstretched, grasping arms. Late-season ferns became claws thrusting up from the dirt. Roots became serpents. Terry’s flashlight beam glanced across a blurred, moving shape. White teeth flashed amidst the black.

“The fuck was that?”

“Just an animal,” Tom panted. “A coyote or a fox, probably.”

“I didn’t see any eyes,” Terry said. “The light should have reflected off its eyes.”

Pausing, he shined the beam around the area, but the creature was gone. The woods grew colder.

“Could be rabid,” Tom said.

Terry frowned. “Rabies makes their eyes nonreflective? What kind of bullshit is that, Tom?”

“It could. You don’t know. You weren’t a veterinarian last time I checked.”

“Terryyyyyy…Tommmmm…”

“We’re coming!” Terry shouted.

They started running again, following Tina’s frantic cries. The strange sound-dampening effect cleared. Her wails became clearer as they got closer. Several times, they heard branches snapping behind them, but neither man turned around. Instead, they just ran faster.

“It’s just a fox,” Tom repeated. “Probably as scared of us as we were of it.”

“If it is,” Terry gasped, “then it’s the first one we’ve had around here. That and the whip-poor-will.”

Pressing on, they smelled a faint hint of burned wood. Soon, the terrain sloped downward and the vegetation cleared. The towering, looming trees turned into splintered, broken stumps. In the darkness, they looked like broken stone pillars. The ground beneath their feet grew softer, like they were jogging on baby powder. Terry coughed, tasting ashes in the back of his throat. The darkness deepened, becoming almost palatable.

“Terry?”

“What?”

“You know where we are, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

Tina’s voice rose out of the darkness, very close by. She sounded weak and tired. “Terry? Tom?”

“We’re here,” Terry yelled. “Where are you?”

“I’m here. Just a little farther. Please hurry.”

“Are you okay? Are Russ and Cecil with you?”

“Yes, we’re all here.”

“Hurry up,” Cecil called. He also sounded like he was in bad shape.

They shined their flashlights ahead of them, sweeping the darkness, but saw nothing. The beams did nothing to dispel the gloom. It was as if the night had become a solid wall, and the beams of light were bouncing off it.

“Terry,” Tom whispered, stepping closer, “I don’t like this. My butt is puckering.”

“I don’t like it either. Something’s not right here. I can’t see shit.”

“Then what the hell are we doing? Let’s get out of here.”

“Where are you?” Tina called.

“Coming,” Terry shouted. “Just give us a minute. It’s hard to see.”

“Yes.” This time it was Russ who spoke. “There is no light.”

“What do we do?” Tom asked.

“Fuck this.”

Terry turned off his useless flashlight and pulled out one of the road flares. He snapped and twisted the end, activating it. The flare burst to phosphorescent life, hissing and spitting sparks. Its tip glowed red. Still, the darkness held. He tossed the flare ahead of them. As it spiraled through the air, they caught glimpses of human figures. There were six of them. As the flare began its downward descent, something long and black whipped through the darkness and seized it. The obsidian tentacle coiled around the hissing flare and the red glow disappeared, snuffed out.

“Holy shit…” Terry started to back away.

“No light at all,” Russ called.

“What do we do?” Tom whimpered.

Terry spoke quickly and quietly, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

“Go back to the exit. Call the cops, the paramedics, the goddamned National Guard. I don’t care who. Just get them down here, now.”

“But what about what you said before? The Ghost Walk—”

“Fuck the Ghost Walk,” Terry said. “Just do it. We just saw a black who-knows-what out there. And hurry up. But don’t wait for me. I’ll be right behind you.”

“What?”

“I’m gonna find out what’s going on. Now go!”

Tom turned to leave and something stepped out of the darkness behind him. It padded forward, growling, until it was only inches away. Tom shined his flashlight on the creature. It was a coyote—sickly and suffering from what appeared to be an extreme case of mange. Most of its fur was missing, and its hide was covered with raw, red sores. Its eyes were two black holes, but its teeth were white—and looked very sharp.

“T-Terry…”

Moving slowly, Terry turned around. His eyes widened when he saw the animal, but he didn’t panic. He inched his hand toward his pocket, intending to grab the second flare. Noticing the movement, the coyote growled louder. Terry stopped, lowering his hand to his side. Then they heard something slithering toward them from the rear.

Both men turned in time to see the darkness move. Dozens of black tendrils hurtled toward them. Behind the darkness, their friends stepped forward. They saw Russ and Tina and Cecil, as well as Sam and Rhonda, and another man that neither of them knew. All of them seemed to be suffering from the same illness that plagued the coyote. Beyond them was a stone circle. The darkness seemed to be clustered there, seeping from the circle like water through a sieve. It bulged, as if there were an invisible bubble still holding its bulk at bay.

Terry closed his eyes. “Oh, Ken. I’m sorry, man. I’m so fucking sorry.”

The darkness hovered inches from their faces, twisting and writhing. It looked solid and yet incorporeal at the same time, defying natural law. The tentacles waved at them, waiting, stoking their fears higher. Tom began stuttering through the Lord’s Prayer. Terry screamed.

Terry?

This voice was different. It took Terry a moment to recognize it.

He’d lied to Ken earlier. Yes, he’d slept with Ken’s prom date, Alicia Hartlaub, on the night of their junior prom. What he hadn’t told Ken—what he’d kept secret all these years—was that she hadn’t been awake when it happened. After the prom, they’d all gone back to Artie Lewis’s house. Artie’s parents had been gone for the weekend, and the teens held a four-keg party in their absence. Bobby Marsh and Chris Sipe had brought along a bottle of Boones Farm Strawberry wine, and Terry traded them an ounce of weed for it. The party was in full swing. Everybody was hanging out and laughing, having a good time while Foreigner and Foghat and David Cassidy blared from the stereo. Ken wanted to go out into the backyard and get stoned with some other kids, but Alicia had declined. Ken asked Terry to keep an eye on her while he was gone. At first, that was exactly what he had done. But as Alicia drank more wine and chased it down with beer, she’d begun to get sleepy. Terry had escorted her upstairs to an empty bedroom, and stayed with her to make sure she was okay. But he was horny and drunk, and when she passed out, he’d taken advantage of it. It wasn’t rape—or at least, it hadn’t seemed so at the time. But later, when he’d sobered up, Terry felt guilty for betraying his friend. He lied about it for weeks, before finally confessing what he’d done to Ken.

He’d never given Alicia the same respect.

The guilt had haunted him for years.

The darkness changed, forming a human shape. Alicia stood in front of him, looking exactly as she had all those years ago. She was close enough to kiss. He smelled the wine on her breath and saw the tears in her eyes.

Those eyes were black.

Now it’s my turn, Terry.

“I’m sorry…” he sobbed. “I was drunk, Alicia. I didn’t mean to.”

“Terry!” Tom screamed. “Help me. It’s my uncle. He’s back, just like when we went camping!”

Terry couldn’t tear his gaze away from Alicia. She leaned closer, her lips pursed.

Kiss me, Terry. Kiss me like you did that night…

“Get away!”

“Terry!” Tom shrieked. “Stop him! He’s going to put his thing in me again! Oh, God, help me.”

As their fears peaked, their ghosts laughed. Then the darkness lunged forward and consumed them, leaving behind only withered husks.