The Winter People

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  “I know. But I pinky-swear that I’ll be fine. So go get your hot mama clothes on before Nancy gets here.”

  Thirty minutes later, she went with Nancy and left me alone in the house.

  My stomach churned. Now at least I could get a hold of Grandma. She’d be easier to get answers from than Mom. I found our address book next to the phone and flipped it open, searching for Gram’s new number. My hands shook as I dialed, whether from fear or anger, I wasn’t sure.

  “Hello?” Grandma’s familiar voice buzzed.

  “It’s me. I need to talk to you.”

  I heard the television in the background turned down, then a door shutting.

  “What is it, dear?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the cemetery at the back of the property?”

  Silence followed. At first, I thought she’d hung up, until she cleared her throat.

  “I didn’t see the point. Besides, you never go into the woods.”

  “All those people, they were our family?”

  “Yes.”

  I squeezed the phone and sat in a chair. “They all died in the winter, Grandma. And they were all eighteen.”

  “Accidents happen, honey,” she said, her tone hushed.

  Accidents? Did she really think I’d believe that?

  “You can’t tell me every one of those girls had an accident. I don’t buy it.” I could almost taste the acid in my response. I counted to ten to keep my temper in check.

  “Stay out of those woods,” she snapped.

  Grandma never snapped. But the seriousness lacing her words made me even more curious about what she hid from me. And what part did Mom play in all this, if any?

  “Why doesn’t anyone think I can understand what’s going on? First, Mom with Dad. Now you.”

  Grandma sighed. “Please, just do as I say. We can talk more about this when I come home in the spring. Until then, don’t speak to any strangers and keep out of the woods. They’re no place for you.”

  I wondered if I’d be alive come spring.

  Alone in the house, my mind went into overdrive. Maybe having Mom leave wasn’t such a good idea. Each shadow reminded me of some horror movie monster. Each thud of my heart, too loud in my ears. I jumped when the chime of the clock struck six.

  Wind whipped against the outside shutters, howling and yipping like something tried to get in. Lights flickered and I shot off the couch. No way in hell could I stay home alone. No matter how loud I turned up the television I still heard the gusts and the eerie creaking of boards as the house settled.

  I grabbed my cell and dialed. Please pick up, I thought.

  “Hey, Kadie,” I said when she answered. “Is that invitation still open for tonight?” My teeth grazed my bottom lip, praying she’d say yes.

  “Um—well…” She hesitated. “About that.”

  My heart sank. “If you’d rather be alone with Simeon, I totally understand.”

  “No. It’s not that. It’s just, remember how I said the guys wanted us to come? Well they didn’t exactly invite us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s just say Simeon mentioned helping out at the club in passing and I figured we could tag along.”

  “Kadie, we can’t invite ourselves. Maybe they had other plans. You know, with other girls.”

  She laughed. “Trust me, if he didn’t want me to chase after him, then he wouldn’t have brought it up. Besides, even if he doesn’t want to hang out with us, there will be tons of people there. It’s not like Simeon owns the place.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yeah. Now go put on that little black dress I got you for your birthday.”

  Her voice calmed me.

  “Um—in case you didn’t notice it’s, like, twenty-nine degrees out.” I tromped into my room, flipping on my bedside lamp.

  “Didn’t your mama ever teach you beauty is pain?”

  I dug through my closet, tossing possible outfits onto my bed. “If you want frostbitten boobs then fine, but I like all my lady parts.”

  “You so exaggerate—just wear what you want.” She laughed. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  After hanging up the phone I decided to wear the black dress she’d suggested, along with some tights and black boots. Once dressed, I went back into the living room to wait.

  “I’m here.” She entered without knocking.

  I pulled on my coat. “I didn’t notice.”

  “So, what happened with Nevin?”

  I frowned, toying with my purse. “Something came up.”

  “And, of course, your other boy wonder has a game tonight. But no worries. I promise to introduce you to every hot guy at the club.” She grinned, linking her arm through mine.

  When we got to Kadie’s old beater she handed me a slip of paper. “What’s this?”

  “Directions to the club. I think I remembered all the turns and stuff.”

  “You think? Did you try to pull it up on your phone?”

  “It’s not listed anywhere online, which is odd, because this place is freaking awesome.”

  The more we talked about this, the more I believed it was a bad idea. “Maybe we should just stay in tonight. I don’t want to chance getting lost or pissing off Simeon and Gareth.” More than that, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see Gareth at all, although I wasn’t sure why.

  “Relax. Everything will be fine. Besides, have you ever known a guy to turn me down?”

  I was envious of Kadie’s don’t-give-a-damn attitude when it came to guys. If only I could be like that.

  Our car bumped down the back roads, snowflakes peppering the windshield. What was the deal with out of the way clubs? Hello. Didn’t they want people to find them?

  The road narrowed, curving like the coils of a snake. Soon we came to a covered bridge and my thoughts drifted to several children’s stories I read about monsters under structures just like this. Time to turn the mind off.

  “Shit, could the road get any smaller?” Kadie maneuvered us onto the bridge.

  The tires cu-clunked over the wooden planks. The motion jarred the vehicle and I grasped the armrest, praying we wouldn’t topple into the creek below.

  My grip on the armrest didn’t loosen even after we were back on solid ground. We came to an eerie line of trees that bent inward like the opening of a tunnel. Each branch-like skeletal finger tracing the car windows. We lost sight of the road as we rounded the bend. The shadows thickened, plunging us into darkness.

  “Where the hell is this place?” I inched away from my door.

  “Right there.” She nodded toward the large building that seemed to come out of nowhere.

  The structure was made of black bricks. Purple neon signs flickered eerily against the CLUB BLADE sign.

  “Are you sure this place is safe?” Good god, the guy standing by the door looked like a cross between a wrestler and Tyrannosaurus rex.

  Kadie eased into a parking spot then flipped her mirror open to apply more lip-gloss. “Yes, it’s safe. Quit worrying.”

  Large shadowed mounds surrounded the building. I didn’t realize what they were until I stepped from the security of the car. I wondered why the hell there was a rock formation around the club.

  Music throbbed in the air, conjuring pictures of hellish fiends, yet enticing me closer. I no longer felt like myself. My blood tingled. My feet urged me forward while my mind screamed to stay away. This place felt otherworldly. Like we didn’t belong.

  “Who are you here for?” The guy at the door stopped us.

  “Simeon and Gareth,” Kadie said.

  “Names?”

  “Kadie Byler and Salome Montgomery.”

  A slow smile spread across his lips as he glanced at us. I had the sudden urge to vomit.

  “Go on in.”

  If it wasn’t for Kadie jerking on my arm, I don’t think I would’ve made it past the front door. Rock music pulsated and strobe lights flashed like a cop car, making me dizzy. She
led me toward a booth where the strobes weren’t so bad; in fact, the dim candlelight made it almost bearable.

  “What the hell are you two doing here?” Gareth tapped Kadie’s arm, seeming to appear out of thin air. His eyes darkened, and I almost stopped breathing. “I thought Simeon told you he was busy tonight?”

  Kadie shrugged. “It’s a free country. Besides, I figured he could visit with me after you guys finished setting stuff up backstage.”

  As if hearing his name, Simeon stalked through the crowd. “Kadie, what’s going on?”

  “Apparently, she’s here to see you.” Gareth frowned. “Thought we decided we’d be too busy to entertain people tonight.”

  “Come on.” Kadie practically pouted. “We won’t bug you. In fact, we’ll just be dancing.”

  Simeon sighed, but his eyes traveled over her skimpy outfit and his finger traced her chin. “What do you say, Gareth, can they stay?”

  Gareth’s gaze flickered to me then darted around the crowd as if searching for someone. “Fine, but you two need to be out of here before midnight, got it?”

  My throat went dry. I just wanted to grab Kadie and go.

  Kadie glanced at me with a “see, I told you so” kind of look. “Okay,” she said, then ran her hand across Simeon’s chest, “I guess, I’ll see you in a few.”

  “Yeah, I’ll try to take a break when we’re done setting stuff up.” Simeon bent down and gave her a quick kiss then pulled back and sauntered into the crowd.

  Gareth gave me a wary smile. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

  My hand smoothed down my hair and I fidgeted with the edge of my sweater. “Yeah, no problem.”

  He disappeared into the crowd as well, leaving Kadie and me alone.

  I looked around the room, staring at the packed dance floor. Most of the people were beautiful, surreal. They dripped danger from every pore. A tall girl with long sleek black hair made her way over to a guy at the bar. She merely pointed at him and he followed her onto the floor.

  His eyes glazed when she leaned over to whisper in his ear. Goose bumps crawled across my skin like tiny spiders. Tearing my gaze from them, I focused on the rest of the crowd. Some wore bizarre masks like we were at a masquerade ball while others hid behind filmy curtains.

  We sat in the booth for about twenty minutes, sipping pop while eyeing the crowd and the strange décor. The more time we spent in this place the more uneasy I got.

  “C’mon, let’s go dance,” Kadie yelled over the music. “Simeon can find us when he’s done.”

  We threaded through the thrashing bodies, finding a place in the middle of the chaos. We had our hands up in the air, swinging our hips back and forth to the beat. I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in the music. Spinning around, I felt someone crash into me. I looked up to see the blond-haired woman from the Wooden Nymph glaring at me.

  “You’re out of your element here,” she sneered, red nails scraping the side of my face. “And Colton isn’t here to protect you.”

  My hand flew to my cheek and I stumbled back. “Who says I need his protection?”

  “Me.” She flipped open a blade; the metal flashed beneath the strobes.

  What the hell was going on? We needed to get out of there now. I took another step back. My body quaked. I knew we shouldn’t have come here. Bad things always happened in the woods. I grabbed hold of Kadie’s hand.

  “Let’s just go,” I said.

  “I don’t think so,” the blond moved closer.

  Kadie glanced at the knife, her eyes narrowed as she stepped between us.

  What the hell was she doing? This wasn’t some kid from school.

  “Kadie,” I said, fear coiling in my belly.

  She shook my hand off then stared down the blonde. “Why don’t you back the fuck off?”

  Oh shit! Not good. We were going to die. Why wouldn’t Kadie just back down?

  “What’s wrong? Can’t fight your own battles?” the blond said.

  “Is there a problem, Caralina?” Gareth clamped a hand on her shoulder.

  Where in the heck had he come from?

  Her eyes widened. “N—no. I was just going.”

  “I thought as much.” Gareth’s voice was colder than a tray of ice cubes. He watched her walk away then turned to me. “You should be more careful about the company you keep.”

  Kadie gave me a forced smile. “What’d you do to piss her off?”

  Good question. “I have no idea.”

  “Hey listen, why don’t you go back to the booth, while I get us more drinks,” Kadie called as she moved into the crowd, leaving me alone with Gareth. God, she acted like this whole thing was no big deal.

  Gareth leaned in closer. “Colton is bad news.”

  “Excuse me?” I hugged my arms to my chest.

  He bent his head until his mouth was by my ear and I shivered when his breath tickled my neck. “I’d stay away from him if I were you. I’d hate to see you get hurt. You’re a nice girl, Salome.”

  “And, h—how would you know that? You’ve only met me once.”

  “Word gets around.”

  My tongue suddenly felt swollen, making it hard to swallow. My eyes trailed up his gothic tattoo until they focused on his face.

  “Thanks for the warning but I—I can take care of myself. Besides, Colton’s a nice guy.”

  “And sometimes people aren’t what they seem.” He stared down at me. “Maybe you and Kadie should leave now. This isn’t the type of place you want to be.”

  “What are you? My mother?” I asked, standing straighter. All I wanted to do was get the hell out of here, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.

  He ran a hand through his hair while he stared at me. “Look, I’m not trying to be a dick. It’s just, you don’t really belong here.”

  “Well, we’re here now, so we might as well stay.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You might also want to tell your friend not to show up places she’s not invited.” With that, he left me standing alone in the middle of the dance floor. People moved out of his way like they were afraid of him.

  Maybe I should be, too. And that’s when I realized why I hadn’t wanted to see him again. I knew I’d disappoint him, and somehow I had.

  The club suddenly felt too small, the air heavy, music too enchanting. I had to get out of there. Now. Gareth was right about one thing, we didn’t belong here. Freaked out, I scanned the crowd for Kadie. My legs trembled beneath me as I sucked in a deep breath. I needed fresh air.

  “Come on, hurry up,” I whispered.

  When Kadie came back, she glanced at her watch.

  “You okay?”

  “No, I’m lightheaded and want to get out of here.”

  The strobes pulsated above, each drumbeat calling to me, urging me to get lost in the maze of thrashing bodies.

  “Fine, we can go if you want.” Kadie glanced around the room. People were all over each other, kissing, dancing, sharing food in a way I imagined only happened in porn movies.

  I frowned. “You’re not mad at me are you? I know we haven’t been here that long… And you didn’t really get to hang out with Simeon.”

  “No, I’m not mad. Let’s just go.” She stared at some guy pinning a waitress against the wall. “Simeon and Gareth wanted us to leave before midnight. And well, it’s close enough.”

  A sigh of relief parted my lips. We grabbed our coats and rushed toward the door, the urgency to get out of there overwhelming. My hair stood up on the back of my neck and my mind screamed for me to run.

  When we got to the parking lot, the lights were dim, plunging the building and grounds into darkness. Kadie fumbled to get the doors unlocked. When I heard the audible click, I leaped in, slammed my door shut, and snapped my seat belt in place. I buried my head in my hands. Shit. I’d almost been stabbed tonight. I should’ve just stayed home.

  I turned to Kadie, who threw the car into drive. For an instant as we drove away, I thought I heard screaming. Th
en I glanced at the dashboard clock. Midnight. We hadn’t been in the club that long, had we?

  “That was weird.” She let out a nervous laugh.

  “We’re never coming back here again. I don’t care how hot a guy is.” I curled my fists in my lap to steady my shaking hands. Something was definitely wrong with that place. No wonder Gareth hadn’t wanted us there. “And next time, don’t step in front of someone with a knife. God. You could’ve been killed.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Do you hear yourself right now? That chick had a knife. You’re not invincible.”

  “Well, I wasn’t about to let her attack you. You’re my best friend.”

  She was so nonchalant about it, like we’d taken a walk in a park or something. But when I glanced at her again, I noticed her furrowed brow and her white knuckles.

  Kadie turned onto Bench Road, but her bright lights barely pierced the gloom. Gauzy shapes wove in and out of the trees. I wanted to dismiss it as animals, but knew better. Then I saw it.

  There, standing in the middle of the road, was the figure I’d seen from the bus.

  “Look out!” I shrieked, jerking the steering wheel.

  The tires squealed as we hit a patch of ice. Round and round the car spun, until it hit the ditch and rolled over. Pain shot through my head and arm as I struck the passenger side window. Glass shattered, spraying the side of my face. The horn blared. The airbag jammed against me, shoving me back against the seat, where I hung upside down.

  A scream sounded, jarring me. My scream.

  “Kadie!” I tried to reach my seat belt.

  She cried out, but said nothing. Her sobs quieted to a soft whimper.

  Footsteps crunched nearby and I cupped a hand over my mouth to hush my cries as they neared. In terror, I peered out the glassless window and saw the figure moving toward me. A woman covered in woodland debris, her hair snarled, twigs sticking out every which way. With eyes that glowed like two fiery coals.

  Her mouth twisted into a hungry smile. Then she laughed, sending me into hysterics.

  My hand fell from my mouth and I shrieked. Frantic, I fought to release myself from the seat. “Kadie, you’ve got to move! Shit, answer me.” Why wouldn’t my fucking seat belt come undone? I needed to get out. She was coming for me. I tugged on the belt once more, pushing the button on the buckle multiple times. It wouldn’t release. No. This isn’t happening. The thing in the woods was here. It was going to kill me. And I couldn’t get out.