I follow his footsteps through the towering trees along a narrow path that I can’t even see but trust is there below me. The flashlight Staunch carries doesn’t even stay on the path, but rather bounces around the trees. The woods around here always feel dense, but tonight they feel suffocating.
“Come on,” he says in a low voice. “Keep up with me.”
We’ve been walking for ten or fifteen minutes. I keep thinking that he’s taking me out to kill me and be done with me for good.
But he could have done that easily some time ago.
I wonder if something’s going to jump out at me. Some figure in a dark robe, some figure holding a knife or a gun. Or maybe an animal will attack.
The night air is cooler and I feel it against my sweaty neck. I’ve got Gus’s pants gripped by one hand to hold them up. It’s seriously so dark.
They’re all going to be there—everyone from the party, but now they’ll be wearing sacrifice garb.
“Here—right up there,” Staunch tells me.
This path leads upward from the Staunch mansion. For a moment I expect another little log cabin like the one behind my house, but I see something in the clearing that says this is different.
I can only make out an outline in the darkness, but it looks like a massive stone … castle?
But no, it’s not a castle. And whatever it is, it’s not all there.
It’s half caved in, whatever this is.
The structure in front of me makes that run-down shack that I discovered, the one containing Marsh’s belongings, look to be in great shape. There’s not really even a structure to look at. It’s more just some stone arches that were once part of a larger house long ago.
“This is the original house that Solitaire built after settling down here,” Staunch says as he stops and shines his light over the walls.
It looks like something out of ancient Greece or Rome, something from the Gladiator movie.
“This house was supposed to be fireproof, though only the rock turned out to be so.”
We walk through one of the arches, with Staunch now shining the light on the ground.
“Be careful—follow me closely,” he says.
I do as I’m told and follow him to the center of the area around the stone arches. I can see a little better with the help of the moonlight above. The half-crumbled stone walls look like crouching beasts around us.
Staunch shines a light on my face, blinding me. I close my eyes.
“Stay here. He’ll show up in a minute,” Staunch says.
I open my mouth to protest.
You’re right—you are going to be sacrificed, but this time your great-granddaddy is going to do it.
“Wait—what do you mean he’ll show up in a minute? My great-grandfather?”
“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Staunch says. “Here, take this.”
He hands me the flashlight.
“But I—what if I—I’m not sure how—”
“Shut up and stay here,” he says.
I watch him walk away, back underneath those tall arches and into the woods.
I’m left in the dark. In the middle of these hollowed-out ruins of some house that burned down.
Now it’s where they burn stupid, silly seventeen-year-old boys who want answers to questions they should never have asked.
I feel the cool breeze and fold up my arms and wait. Clouds block the moon for a brief moment. The sounds of night circle around me. Somewhere nearby, an owl hoots.
It’s a terrifying sound, to be honest.
Then I hear something directly in front of me.
As if it’s been there since we walked in.
Something cold touches my arm. Something cold and soft and dead feeling.
Then the voice comes and I know.
I know exactly what it’s going to sound like.
“Chrissssssss.”
I jerk back and then lose my footing and nearly fall backward. I stand up and look around but can only see darkness.
Of course that’s the voice of my wonderful long-lost great-grandfather.
“I’m right here,” the old voice says to me.
Make that ancient voice.
I shiver and squint my eyes and I can make him out. A figure standing there hunched over.
“The time has come, my son.”
I need to start breathing again so I can feel my body and so that body can start to make a sprint toward anywhere but here.
“You have a mission now,” the grainy, creepy voice says to me.
I want to ask what, but I can’t speak.
I want to turn on the flashlight, but I can’t move my fingers.
I want to do anything, but I really can’t.
I’m too scared.
“There is nothing to be afraid of in the dark. They will come to fear you like they fear me. You will go out and you will do big things. And these people and this town will be like this house we’re standing in.”
I exhale with a tremble and lean in to look at his face. I want to see this man or creature or whatever it is.
But he’s gone.
It’s gone.
I wave my hand out and then I turn on the flashlight, but I don’t see anybody. No trace or sign.
Nothing.
Nothing but bubbling, raging fear deep inside of me.