Chosen (The Urban Legends Series Book 1)

by R. S. Broadhead

  I nodded.

  His footsteps padded against the carpet as he left the room.

  I staggered to the bathroom and leaned against the sink. I was undressed in minutes and standing under warm water. It ran over my body, stinging slightly on the cuts. Grabbing the tiny bottle of shampoo, I lathered it in my hair until white foam dripped down my face on the sides. After I was clean, I quickly dried off and peeked out the door. “Jensen?” I heard something move.

  “Yeah,” he answered. “I’ve got your stuff.” Clothes appeared through the crack, and I grabbed them, slamming the door closed after. After I dressed, I came out.

  He was cleaned up, free of the nasty black stains. “You ready?” he asked, finally pulling his gaze up in my direction.

  The shower had done wonders to work the stiffness out. My midsection still ached, but I felt loads better. “Yes.”

  He held onto my arm as we went back to the lobby again. He opened the door to the kitchen area, the sound of a fryer popping exciting me. Everything smelled so good. Once at the front, we went to a booth near the bar. He gave me a menu then disappeared while I looked everything over. My mouth watered at the options. Things that I didn’t eat anymore were on there. Things people up north thought were weird. Grits! Sweet tea that didn’t taste like watered-down brown liquid! So much greasy bad-for-me items.

  “Find anything good on there?”

  I peeked over the menu as Jensen sat across from me. “It’s too hard to pick.” I dropped my gaze, landing on the hamburger section. I slammed the menu down. “Oh my. I know what I want. Cheeseburger, please.”

  “Cheeseburger, everything on it? Drink?” He stood, waiting on my response.

  “A cheeseburger ain’t good unless it’s got everything.” Ain’t. It had been so long since I’d used that word without alcohol inducing it. Or at least used it and not got a funny look afterward. “And a Coke to drink.” I tapped my foot, anticipating the food.

  Jensen returned with my soda, which I downed a greedy portion of. It burned my throat, but in a good way that was bad for me. I leaned back into the worn leather of the seat.

  “So, do you live around here? I can hear the accent, but it’s a little faded.”

  I twirled the straw, shifting the ice around in the plastic cup. “I’m originally from here, but it’s been several years since I’ve been back. I live and work in New York now.”

  “New York? Wow. That’s a long ways away.”

  The familiar ache seized my heart. The mess in the kitchen and name on my grandfather’s calendar came to mind. Something told me Ben Ryser had something to do with his death. Still, if I’d just been here, maybe I could have prevented it.

  “Does the name Ben Ryser ring a bell? He’s a lawyer.”

  Jensen laughed. “No lawyers live around here. No need for them. We’re a pretty close-knit community. Why do you ask?”

  “His name was on my grandfather’s calendar the morning he died. I just wanted to ask this Ben-person about it. Like if he wasn’t feeling well that morning or something…” I lied. There wasn’t a need to tell him the entire truth.

  “I know it doesn’t seem like much, but maybe you could stay around town for a few days. Find out about your grandfather’s life here.”

  I sat back. I hadn’t thought about that before. He had a completely hidden life in Hell that I knew nothing about. Every person had a history. I knew this from digging through it. I had to admit it made me curious. Why didn’t he tell me anything about this place?

  “Piper?” His hand reached across the table, stopping me from absently twirling the straw.

  I looked up and gave him a smile. “Maybe I will. I guess I’m under doctor’s orders and waiting on my car anyway,” I said.

  A bell rung from the serving window between the bar and the kitchen. Jensen glanced over to it, giving me a smile.

  “Get ready for the best burger you’ve ever had.” He stood, and within seconds, returned with a juicy, piled-high burger.

  Juices ran down my hands as I attempted to fit it all into my mouth. My taste buds practically danced with glee.

  “Oh my … this is fucking awesome.”

  His eyes grew wide as he hid a laugh behind his hand.

  “Jensen! Do you think you could help in the kitchen for a little bit? These orders are really piling in today,” a guy called from the serving window.

  Jensen looked to me and back to the kitchen without saying a word.

  “Go.” I grabbed a handful of fries and drowned them in some ketchup. I didn’t need a babysitter. Sure, his company was nice, since I didn’t know anyone here other than him, the creepy doctor, and Harold, who I had yet to see, but still. He didn’t need to feel like he couldn’t leave my side.

  “You sure?” he asked, already starting to stand.

  I nodded, my mouth full of food.

  “Just stay here. If you need to lie down, come grab me, and I’ll help you.” He disappeared into a side door a moment later, leaving me alone to finish my meal.

  I sat back once I’d polished off the last bit of food on my plate. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had eaten so much. I rubbed my food-baby bulge, which was sitting uncomfortably against the ache from my wounds. Jensen had been gone at least thirty minutes. The crowd in the tiny restaurant didn’t seem to be dwindling, only growing. I pushed myself out of the booth, taking a moment to stretch, hoping to catch eyes with him through the window. There was no way I was going to go back into the kitchen. It just wasn’t happening. My eyes scrolled over the crowd, suddenly eager for some fresh air. There were too many people in such a tiny place.

  I pushed my way toward the door, stopping outside to lean against the brick wall. A family gave me a weird look as they rounded the corner. Surprise, then relief? They threw open the door and walked inside, leaving me alone for the moment. It was silent. Literally, no sounds. No birds. No bugs zipping around. Nothing. Movement from the corner of my eye snapped my attention to the back of the motel. Twin girls stood at the end of the sidewalk, near the wood line.

  I wanted to call to them, but fear stopped me. What was it with creepy kids all of a sudden? This was really making me change my views on wanting to have my own one day. The one on the right motioned for me to come in their direction. My feet stayed planted firmly where they were.

  “Help us,” the other called.

  “Just hold on. I’ll get someone from inside.”

  Before I could move, they ran behind the building.

  “Wait!” I ran as best as I could, using the wall for support along the way. Breathing was difficult. It hurt. I couldn’t get enough air it seemed. “Come back. I’ll help you.”

  What if they were running from someone? Scared? And I was the only person that could stop it. I could never live with myself, no matter how much they freaked me out. I rounded the corner, stepping off the sidewalk onto a thick pile of leaves, which gave way under my weight. I stumbled forward, landing on my knee. Branches snapped. Flowing red hair bounced between two trees, going into the woods.

  “Wait! I’m going to help you.” I pushed up, ignoring the moist brown stain on my pants. I darted into the trees, dodging limbs, trying my best to catch them.

  They were in front of me about ten yards. My head yanked back as my hair caught on something. I pulled it, wrestling free, losing several strands in the process. I turned back to see I was alone. The leaves crunched under my feet as I twirled, searching the forest for anyone other than myself. This couldn’t be happening. They had just been there. I’d seen them with my own two eyes. Right in front of me! I refused to believe this was a reckless mistake. I held my breath, listening for any movement. Maybe they were hiding.

  Ha-ha-ha-ha…

  I jerked to my left, peeking around the tree near me. My heart slammed, practically drowning out the noise I wished I wasn’t hearing. Giggling. The two girls stood on the other side of the tree, a few feet away. Both looked at the ground, their hair falling over their faces
and across their lacy white dresses. Dresses that showed no signs of struggle or filth from playing in the woods.

  An icy chill washed over me, straight to my bones. They had led me here. Oh God, I felt sick. I reached out to touch the tree to balance my dizzy equilibrium. It was impossible to tear my eyes off them. They hadn’t moved. It didn’t even look like they were breathing.

  Leaves moved behind me as something touched me on the shoulder. I jerked and turned, only to find nothing behind me. I looked back toward the girls to find them directly in front of me. Their heads snapped up toward the sky, their mouths stretching unnaturally wide as a low, hoarse scream erupted from them. Leaves sprung from the ground as a gust of wind circled us, causing them to spin in the air. I backed up, forcing my trembling feet to move. I swiped the air, fighting the leaves and dirt away from my face.

  Before I could run, the leaves dropped. The air stilled. Silence. The girls’ heads dropped back into their original position, looking at me with solid black eyes.

  I ran. I ran with everything in me. Tree limbs sliced through my skin. I was sure my stitches were busted. The wound burned too bad for it not to be tearing open. It seemed to be hot. Moist. I didn’t dare look back. That’s how people always ended up dead. Of course, I’d broke the first cardinal rule to never follow creepy ass twins into the woods. Stupid! I was so stupid! I had to be getting close to the motel by now. As soon as I got back, someone would be getting me the hell out of here. Jensen…the doctor…someone. I didn’t care who. There was no way I was staying in Hell a second longer than I needed to. I burst through a thick tangle of dead vines and stopped short.

  I wasn’t at the motel.

  I stood at the entrance to a cemetery. How had I ended up here? Slowly, I trudged between the headstones. They were old, the stones stained black with age. A breeze skirted by, sending a mass of dead leaves dancing through the damp air.

  Jingle, jingle, jingle.

  I snapped around, causing pain to shoot up my stomach. It had sounded like a bell. Where had it come from? I silenced my heavy breathing, holding it in my lungs until they burned, waiting. I curled my hands into a fist, stiffening them to stop the visible tremors.

  Jingle, jingle, jingle.

  Something reflected against a thin line of the sun’s ray. It was barely peeking through a thick gray sky. Giving the empty cemetery one more glance, I walked through the dry, desiccated leaves. No matter how quiet I tried to be, the leaves crunched beneath my feet, sending up an old, moldy smell. I stopped at a grave.

  The headstone was more long than wide. It wasn’t like any other I had seen. A face was carved into the top, looking to the left, while another was just beneath it, staring toward the right. Time had chipped away most of the dominant features, but I could tell they were twin girls. A bell lay on the top of the stone. Dirty ribbon was looped through the hole and dangled down the back of the grave marker. I pushed the leaves around, finding toys. Dolls, books, more bells. I sat back on my heels, staring at the disturbing sight.

  The graves to either side were the same way. All the same size, the years of death lining up so every child here had died before the age of thirteen. I rolled to my feet and walked through the other rows, stopping at each one to read the dates.

  Something wasn’t right. Every child had died on the same date, October 25th of the same year.

  A rippling echo of wings pounded above me. In the distance, a black mass moved through the sky, diving in and out of the wispy clouds. Behind me, branches snapped as several crows landed in the trees. Their heads twisted, shrieking as they looked in my direction. Fear washed over me at the thought of them clawing at my skin, ripping through my hair.

  Without wanting to cause too much attention, I trained my eyes on them and backed away. There was no way I would provoke them into chasing me. I turned, seeing a mausoleum. It was the only place to go, unless I went back into the woods. That was something I was trying to avoid. Almost there. Only a little bit farther.

  My foot caught something hiding deep in the leaves, and I crashed to the ground with a grunt. I didn’t have to see them. Their screams and the snap of branches told me they were coming. I scrambled up and ran as hard as I could. I slammed into the wooden door, sending it open along with my body flying across the stone floor. I scampered, grabbed it, and shoved it closed.

  Bodies hit like a constant thud of a heartbeat. With my weight, I pushed against it, desperately fighting to keep it closed. I screamed out, tears pouring down my face. I pressed so hard my back ached. I covered my ears with my hands to keep from hearing them. They were so close. Only the door kept them from me.

  I didn’t know how long I’d sat there. It seemed like forever. Shaking, I moved my hands to find the only sound was my breathing. Cautiously, I sat up, pulling the door open just enough to see outside. Nothing. Relieved, I closed it and looked around. It was the first time I had really paid attention to where I was. A grave. Only the inside wasn’t what I expected. There was no coffin or slab holding a decaying corpse. There were only statues. I shifted to the side, using the door for support, and stood. I grimaced, holding my stomach. With the adrenaline rush leaving my veins, the pain was impossible to relieve. I was rapidly becoming nauseous the longer I stood unmoving. Gradually, I pushed away from the door, leaving my support behind.

  The statues were odd, to put it nicely. I pictured any statues related to death —meaning those in cemeteries — to be holy, angelic and peaceful. These were anything but that. Six lined the back wall in a staggered formation. Despite the old building and appearance of the rest of the cemetery, these showed no sign of age. They were a brilliant white, as if they were new. Each stood chest-level on platforms made of bones. The faces were hideously creepy. Sharp teeth bared over a tight-lipped snarl, wrinkling the wide-spread snout that was adorned with pointed pieces of metal along the bridge. The eyes were drooped and heavily hooded. The hands were poised as if in position to attack. Each long, boney finger spread wide, with the sharp fingernails preparing to rip into flesh. I came close to one in the middle, feeling uneasy. They were so lifelike I could practically feel the hate radiating off. They reminded me of the ones I’d seen at the hospital, only more detailed without the black slug. My eyes dropped to the bones. Each one was shaped perfectly. I ran a finger along the surface, smooth as ivory.

  One of the bones moved, making a clink, as I jerked my hand away. The floor behind them dropped, lowering into the ground. I shifted between the statues and peered down into the opening. Stairs. I took the first step with caution. They were made of old stones with pieces broken off the corners. I descended lower, the smell of soil surrounding me. I touched the wall, which caused dirt to crumble between my fingers.

  At the bottom, I walked toward a glowing light. There was a large room with a throne in the middle. My breath caught in my throat, and I stumbled back. A person sat on the throne, resting against its high back, arms stretched out on the armrests. I took a few steps toward it. The body was petrified. I tilted my head, looking up at him. He was huge. If I had to guess he would be over seven feet. I shivered. Standing in front of him, I felt as if he watched me.

  Somehow, I tore my eyes away and walked to the right. There were other statues there. Children. Some were upright, others were on their knees, but all of them were facing the man in the throne. Maybe these were statues of his children? I shifted my eyes back to him and jumped. His head had turned! It wasn’t much, but I was certain it had shifted. I rubbed my head. I had to be seeing things.

  I moved to the other side to find more children. “This guy was really busy if all these kids were his,” I breathed. Even such a low comment carried against the walls, making it louder. I ran a hand across a girl’s head, studying each one.

  I glanced back to the man to find his head shifted again in my direction. Determined that my eyes were playing tricks on me, I walked directly in front of the throne. It had to be one of those things that gave the illusion of following someone but didn’
t really. It’s a dead guy, for crying out loud! I waved my hand back and forth, waiting for the head to move. When it sat perfectly still, I moved my body from side to side. Nothing. Without taking my eyes from his face, I stepped forward, resting my hand on the armrest beside his. Within an inch from his face, I could clearly see every detail of the leathery gray skin. The eye sockets were hollow, leaving black gaping holes. A tight laugh escaped my lips. There was nothing here. Just a dead man.

  Just as I pulled back, his hand snatched my arm, pinning it to the armrest. My mouth went dry, and I forced myself to look back at his face. My head spun. Distorted images raged before my eyes. One second I looked at the corpse; the next I saw something different. Skin, smooth and pale. His nose, pointed, as a sinister smile spread across his face. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was scary, but yet beautiful at the same time. There was something predatory about him. He wanted me. I could tell by the way his dark eyes danced. His mouth stretched wide as another distorted image took over. His skin turned blood red, practically glowing like it was slick with wetness. Horns curled out of the top of his mangled skull, rolling over his head. There were marks across his forehead, charred, like they’d been burned in.

  A scream ripped through my lungs, and I snatched my arm from his grasp. I lost my footing on the steps, falling to my side, and rolled the rest of the way down. I swayed from side to side for a moment, curling into a ball from pain. I lifted my head, squinting my eyes together. When I opened them, I found the children alive, staring at me. I pushed back, unable to take my eyes off them. Something trickled over my lip. I reached up, touching it slightly. Black liquid covered my fingertips.

  I shouldn’t have come down here. This was no place for me. This was no place for anyone. My vision distorted again as my head throbbed. Tears pooled in my eyes, blinding me. I blinked them away to see the children had returned to stone.

  Terrified, I looked to the man on the throne. He sat still, ossified. A second later, he was back to the smooth-skinned form I had seen before I fell. Gracefully, he turned to smile at me. His head tilted as a faint laugh bounced off the walls. It was lyrical, angelic, and evil all at the same time.