Ghost Town

"Bah! I don't believe in that whole Friday the 13th scary stuff. It's just a bunch a nonsense," he always argued until the day... the day everything fell apart. 

Mike figured he had everything figured out.  He was big and brawny and male.  Nothing scared him.  Things that may have scared the rest of us had him laughing. 

So when we planned out trip to a rustic Western Ghost Town, Mike was all for it.  Sandy, his wife was not so sure.

“You sure you want to go that week...there is a Friday the Thirteenth...”

“Oh, that’s a bunch a nonsense.”  Mike bellowed, as if saying it louder would chase off any scary stuff. 

Sandy shook her head.  “I really don’t want to go.”  She whispered to her friend Gloria. 

“Oh Sandy, you have to come.  If you don’t I’ll be the one they try to terrorize.”

“We should be the ones to get them.”  Darla whispered back.  She was the newest to our group and by the look of mischievousness in her smile Sandy knew she liked her more already. 

“What do you suggest?”  Gloria whispered back as the two of us leaned in to hear what Darla had to say. 



So we were going.  Thursday.  Packed and ready for a six in the morning trek out.  We were to drive into the middle of nowhere.  There would be a campsite about a mile from the ghost town.  No cars or vehicles of any kind were allowed into the town.  We had to walk.  And this was our vacation.  There was horror in that alone. 

We were taking only two cars and had decided the guys would be in one with the girls in the other.  Mike was not too crazy about that idea, but as he was driving, he let it go.

Darla decided she would be the first to drive.  We followed the guys for a good two hours then after lunch we took a bit of a detour.  Darla wanted to pick up some things for our plans for the guys.  She had an Uncle who could provide.  We let the guys get way ahead, they would claim they were better at setting up camp, so with the detour, we would miss out on the boasting and arrive after everything was ready.  If we timed it just right, they would make dinner as well. 



The next morning found them heading into the old western ghost town.  There was an eeriness that hung in the air the closer they got.  No one spoke.  The girls walked quietly together each with a backpack filled with things they would need, but as they neared they were not so sure they would even need the stuff. 

"I feel cold."  Sandy said wrapping her arms around her as they entered at the far end of the town.

Seeing as it was almost thirty degrees Celsius, Mike scoffed at this.  "You are crazy woman.  It ain't cold." 

"But I am."  She whispered looking at Darla and Gloria. 

Darla gave her a knowing smile, but Gloria looked uneasy and reached out to take Sandy's hand. 

"Let's hit the Saloon."  Mike boomed.  In the morning air his voice seemed to reverb off the buildings.

Sandy tightened her grip on Gloria's hand.  "Do you hear that?"  She whispered.

Gloria had stopped pulling Sandy to her.  Darla looked on, giving them a quizzical look.

"I can hear something..."

"Come on little chicks.  We got exploring to do."  Mike boomed again and the guys roared with laughter as they moved ahead. 

"There is something here."  Sandy said uneasily.  "Something is not right."

"You girls are playing it up great."  Darla whispered with a mischievous smile. 

"We're not playing...just listen."

Darla stopped.  The girls stood in a small circle.  A breeze seemed to billow around them and on the breeze were whispers.  Anxious whispers, tears and screams. 

"Could be other people...came earlier than us."  She whispered back.

Each girl trembled.  Then turned to look towards the saloon.

"I am thinking we should be able to here the guys..."

"Mike is never this quiet."

"Do we go see what’s up?"  Gloria asked.  She clearly did not want to go any farther and neither did Sandy, but Darla nodded, lifting her head confidently.

At the saloon they peered in under the swing door.  They could see the guy’s legs, but there was no movement.

"Mike?"  Sandy called her voice raspy.  "Mike?"  She called with a little more force behind it.

Darla reached to touch the door but Gloria's hand struck out and stopped her.

"Something is not right, seriously."  She said.  Both she and Sandy moved back a step.  Moving off the boardwalk seemed to lessen the queasiness Sandy was feeling.

"Not feeling so good." She said.

Darla ducked down again, peering into the gloom.  Beyond the guys she could make out the bar.  She could not see a thing.  “I’m going in.”

Darla touched the wood and swung the door wide.  Lifting her foot she shifted to moved in.  As soon as her foot was about the touch down, the girls watched in horror as the guys crumbled to dust.  They screamed, turned tail and ran as fast as they could, hoping Darla was behind them.

Darla could not move she felt the frozen edge of the room as it pulled her in.  There was no backing out.  The horror of seeing the guys disintegrate filled her and though she tried to pull back she heard the echo of maniacal laughter and fell forward knowing she too would soon be gone. 

         

Word Count = 932