"...wE mUst bE thE chAnGe wE wiSh tO sEE iN thE wOrld..." K.G.

7/31/2010

i wrote this story and wanted to share it with you... any feedback will be welcomed..

      Photobucket

     It sure did look like a storm was brewing on that late fall afternoon as she began her hike. but that didn't stop her as storms would often form in that area and pass right over. after awhile, the wind picked up, and there were angry dark clouds forming and rolling in, producing strobe lightening. she was far from home by this time, lost in her thoughts as her walk took her further than she intended.

     In fact, she was so caught up in her daydreaming that she found herself in an unfamiliar place near some woods. how did she get there, she wondered. ironically, she had never seen these woods before although she'd lived in this town her whole life. they appeared to be darker and more threatening with the approaching storm.

     The wind began howling and coming up stronger, blowing her hair against her face like tiny whips slashing about. she unexpectedly felt a chill run through her soul making her shiver for several minutes. fear gripped her whole body and she felt paralyzed. the thunder rolled in and the largest lightening strike she'd ever seen hit a tree right in front of her, cracking a large branch which fell half way down. as it fell it revealed an opening path into the woods she did not notice before. she was definitely frightened, as she knew it was dangerous to be outdoors and under trees with the lightening.

     She desperately looked for some lower ground to get to from the quickly approaching storm, without success. she didn't have much of a choice and decided to go into the woods... hoping to find a cabin or some kind of shelter. as the thunder continued, rabbits and deer were running amuck in the same direction and flocks of birds flew frantically to find safety.. she knew animals can sense approaching danger and trusted the storm would break at any moment.

     She began to run as well, feeling panic set in as she tried to find a safe place to take cover. she became confused and lost, cussing out loud for the forest to hear, when she spotted something unusual in the distance up ahead. something she had ever seen before and it made her gasp for breath..

     Just up the path, there was a strange blue mist that floated about, lingering in mid air... a closer look revealed the mist was partially hiding an entrance to some sort of cave. her curiosity grew stronger than the feeling in her gut warning her something wasn't right and she should continue looking elsewhere for shelter.. but she stood there like a deer in headlights as if frozen in the moment, mysteriously drawn to the mist.

     Flashbacks to why she went for a hike in the first place filled her thoughts. she had to get out of that house to clear her head and get a break from the stress of the unexplained noises and ghostly night visitors she would often see after she got in bed. ever since she had moved into that house as a little girl, things didn't feel right to her but she could never pinpoint the reason. now, standing at the entrance to this cave with the blue mist enveloping her- beckoning for her to enter.. she felt the same paralyzing fear as when the house was dark and the noises began..     

     In the blink of an eye, lightening struck just behind her along with a very loud crash of thunder that left her ears ringing. it scared her so much that she bolted right into the cave without thought.. she was not prepared at all for what she would see as she entered the unknown. she unexpectedly felt a calmness growing inside her that brought her to a peaceful state of mind, or maybe it was just relief to no longer be at the mercy of the storm. 

     She glanced back at the entrance noticing the torrential rains whipping about with such strength that it appeared to be raining horizontally. during the flashes of lightening she thought she saw a tornado.. and felt grateful to be inside, but needed to go further into the cave for safety and to avoid getting wet. as she carefully proceeded further from the entrance, she expected to be surrounded with darkness.

     Yet to her own bewilderment, she could still visualize her surroundings. the cave consisted of crystallized walls reflecting clear, blue waters that ran beneath them, giving an appearance of glowing blue lights from within them. once her eyes adjusted, she saw the crooked path leading deeper into the cave, and heard soft music playing in the distance, reverberating between the walls. places such as this can echo many sounds often playing tricks on one's mind... how could she be sure it wasn't just a figment of her imagination?

     the music continued with a mesmerizing melody she had never heard before. she cautiously walked down the path towards where she thought the music was coming from... and called out "is anyone there?" several times but no one replied. that peaceful feeling she felt earlier was beginning to fade and she could feel her racing heartbeat at every pulse point of her body. she was sure someone or something was in there with her and it crossed her mind that it might try to harm her.

     She heard strange noises echoing throughout the cave, similar to those she'd heard in her house late at night. this scared her even more as she contemplated running back the way she came to escape whatever was ahead... but instead found herself hesitating as something within edged her on.

    She continued for what seemed like hours down the crooked, uneven path, surrounded by the blue glistening lights and echoing melody. however, she never seemed to arrive to a place she thought the music was originating from. it just continued beckoning her deeper into the cave as she became intoxicated with curiosity.

     After awhile she realized she felt tired, hungry, and very thirsty. noticing a flattened rock in a little cove under some moss hanging from the ceiling, she made her way to a comfy looking, inviting spot to rest, and proceeded to empty her backpack.

     She'd brought a light blanket, some food, and water for the little picnic she planned on having along her walk. as she ate, she thought about how stressful her life had become at home.. she was at a point where she couldn't handle it any longer.. the noises at night.. the hair raising feeling that someone was in her room.. it had become too much. she swore she often saw a shadowy figure standing by her bed. she'd flip the light on and no one would be there. but nobody believed her tales.

     Over the years he had many frightening thoughts and dreams that some one was trying to kill her, awaking just before the moment she was to die in the dream.. it had become part of her bedtime ritual but there in the cave, her fears seemed very distant as if they were from another era.

     In fact, she felt so comfortable and free from those fears at that moment, she didn't want to leave the sanctity of the cave. she even planned out specific details of what she would need to live there. it was comforting to imagine being on her own.

     She feasted until she was full and moments later felt very sleepy. she thought to herself yes, this was a good place to rest.. and snuggled up in her blanket. the flickering blue lights of the water were very soothing as the distant music serenaded her to sleep...

     The whole township was looking for the missing girl, as it had been over a week since she'd left for a hike. her parents were beside themselves with worry and grief, as this was their only child. they had centered their world around her often times making her feel a bit suffocated.. but she never complained.

     There were reports of sightings of the girl around town and in remote places, but they all turned out to be false. there were no traces of her anywhere. the media covered the story for many months, keeping the search and a picture of the girl fresh for the public eye.

     Years passed and the parents never  recovered from their loss. many people in town speculated the couple had gone crazy, talking to themselves, and calling out for their daughter every evening around dinner time, to no avail. eventually, they stopped going into town for supplies and such, and to church on Sundays. there came a point when they were no longer seen in public at all.

     Several faithful parishioners checked in on them to attempt to coax them back to church. they brought food and various gift items for them which remained unwrapped. they truly were concerned, offering to do housework, lawn care, and other neglected chores.. but the parents always had an excuse to reject their offers. sadly, over time people just stopped visiting them completely.

     Eventually nature took its course as the little house remained untouched by it's owners.. shrubbery, weeds, and grass all but barricaded it from view. the people gossiped around town saying the house was haunted, as strange noises could be heard by neighbors and passers-by at night. some even said they occasionally saw an unexplained strange blue mist surrounding the house late at night. 

     One morning, the parents were found dead in their bed and it was only due to the mailman trying to deliver a parcel that they were discovered. within weeks of the news, some of the townspeople formed a group to tear down the house as it had become an eyesore to all. maybe it was just their way of eliminating everything that reminded them of the tragedy, as the girl and her parents were loved by all.

     The townspeople worked hard and tore off the roof, knocked down the walls, and dug up the basement. as they were bulldozing the earth, a workman noticed something strange in the dirt, hopped down off his machine and looked closer at his find. shocked, he yelled for the others to come quickly, as he had found some bones that were wrapped in a light blanket, alongside an empty backpack and some trash.

     After much chaos, shock, and horror, the bones were taken to the town medical examiner's office for an autopsy in attempts to identify whom they belonged to. of course everyone speculated they belonged to the missing girl and stories spread like wildfires about how she died and that her parents must of killed and buried her.

     When the bones turned out not to be the missing girl's according to dental records, the gossip just flourished. the whole town was perplexed and eventually her story turned into an urban legend in those parts. on Halloween, local teens would have séances on the now empty lot where the house used to stand, and reports of strange happenings were told and compared.

     Some said they saw a ghostly figure coming towards them, others heard strange noises... and sometimes, during their escapades on the lot, a strange blue mist would appear out of nowhere and linger for awhile before vanishing completely. no one could ever find the source of the mist.

     She finally woke up, stretching from what seemed to be an eternity of a sleep. she felt more rested than she ever felt before and chuckled to herself because she had slept on a rock instead of her own soft bed. it took her a few moments to focus and realize how the threat of the storm had led her to take refuge in the cave.

     She wondered what time it was then jumped to her feet quickly. she needed to get home so her parents wouldn't worry, hoping the storm had passed by then.. the music she remembered hearing before her nap- had ceased, and the only sound she heard was her own heartbeat..

C

 

 

5 comments:

ChiTown Girl said...

I see you're putting your free time to good use.... :)

Busy Bee Suz said...

What what what?????
Did you make this up???

AMAZING stuff!!!!
Amazing I tell ya!

jo.irish.rose said...

wow.....you did soooo good....are you going to send it in to get published? its very stephen kingish...i like it! but don't bury in your underwear drawer with all your other fun stuff either...k? you have to do something with it! send it to a magazine first and then see if they want to make it in to a short story. you got a lot of potential locked up there, it just keeps on falling on wet floors....lol! poor lil toone! keep sending stories and keep us laughing too! don't forget the funny ones either!

Technodoll said...

sweetie, it's too late now to read it but i'll be back tomorrow morning with a cuppa coffee in hand, can't wait to read it!! you're one of my favorite writers ever :)

Technodoll said...

WOW! that was awesome, C - it read like a breeze, it just flowed beautifully - although now I'm in suspense, who did those bones belong to?? wha'happen? :-o