We were standing at the rickety swing-set in the old park on Jensen street. It was past the library, the grocery store, the school and even cousin Albert's house. It was a street no one dared to tread, out of mutual respect and fear. The air was cold and empty, as if a void had surrounded the streets, sucking the life out of all who took in its air.
Just beyond the swing set, I saw a rickety gate that separated the abandoned playground from the rotting convenience storefront we had just come from. It was just as they said it would be, and this was the whole reason we came.
Undaunted by the chill permeating the scene, I grabbed my sister's hand and took a step towards the gate, reaching for the rusty handle when suddenly my body jerked to a halt.
My sister was not going anywhere.
"No." Her tiny voice whispered, though her legs were shaking, she kept her feet planted firmly. She was denying my advances to the door. I dropped her hand and angrily retorted. "Fine then, I'll just go by myself Emily."
I turned my body back towards the door and reached my hand out once more in an attempt to pry forth the secrets within. As my fingers connected with the wooden surface a chill crept through my bones, yet I pressed on, marveling at the sensations that ran through my body and ignoring the blue tint taking over my skin.
The door swung open easily from the gentle touch and creaked silent whispers of welcome from its worn hinges. Mesmerized I walked through the gate. A force that was not my own pulled me forward to this unknown dimension.
The backyard of the convenience store was overgrown with grass, vines and assorted bit of abandoned junk. Some of the bits of junk looked almost useful still, if only slightly worn, while others had been eroded cruelly by time till it removed all existence of what they once were. My body guided me effortlessly through this maze, sidestepping rusted cans and doll heads. At the center of this veritable wonderland of forgotten objects I saw the giant monolith I had come to visit. The only traces of light on the whole block illuminated the rusted old truck, its paint which was once glossy had chipped away leaving bare steel to adorn its carcass in the afterlife. Even though the sun shone brightly, no trace of color could be found anywhere on it. Even the grass around it was withered and gray.
"No, Anna! Don't go!" Emily cried as loud as she could, her voice only achieving a hoarse whisper as she grasped for the hem of my jacket. "You heard what they said to us about anyone who even dares to look at it."
Undaunted, I ignored her pleas and walked towards the rusted vehicle, memorizing every spot of rust. The hand that was attached to my body reached out for the door as I watched helplessly, knowing full well that I was no longer in control. The fingers that wrapped around the cold steel handle no longer felt like my own, and lifted it effortlessly till an audible click was made. My breath grew cold as the air around me constricted my chest with fear and anticipation.
This trance enveloped my awareness so completely that I almost shrieked when my sister put her hand on my arm, but I instead gulped it down. I turned my head towards her slowly, each vertebrae in my neck creaking slowly just as the gate had done. Emily's eyes pleaded with me to let go, but my body responded to her request by pulling my arm towards us both, opening the heavy door.
Her body froze and she gasped silently in horror. I watched perplexed for a moment as there was absolute nothing registering behind her eyes. The visage of horror contorted her face into something unrecognizable as her eyes and mouth widened and the color drained from her skin. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when a chill ran down my spine and a faint smell prickled at my nose. The fragrance was almost familiar, reminiscent of sulfur but more earthy and sweet, yet it was almost impossible to put my finger on what it could be.
That was until I realized to my horror that it was my own finger I was smelling, as a key was searing itself into my flesh.
Then a voice came from behind.
"The choice is yours now."
Comments