“I don’t know.” The hospital door swung open, and Mr. Shelley sauntered in.
“I think that’s enough for today.” He said quietly. “Thank you for stopping by.” His voice cracked as he spoke, and I knew that he was sincere.
“Of course.” I nodded and tenderly laid a hand on Adrienne’s shoulder before rising to my feet and moving towards the door. “Thank you for letting us stay.”
“Melissa…” I whirled around when she called for me.
“Yeah?”
“I saw her—when I was there. I saw Heather.”
Chapter Seven
The Path in the Snow
“So what did you tell your mom?” Connor stole a glance behind him as he trudged through the snow several feet ahead of me. He was bundled up in his black coat and leather boots, carrying two duffel bags and lugging a backpack over his shoulders.
There was no use offering to relieve him of something. He could break his ankle and keep going for a good half hour.
“Uh…that I was staying the night at Chloe’s house. You?” I asked him.
“I told her I was going camping with a friend.” I slowed in my steps for a moment.
“What?” He stopped at the water’s edge and set the two bags down, leaning to the side to let the backpack slide off and onto the ground.
“She saw me take the tent out of the garage, so I had to tell her something.” He shrugged his shoulders as he reached for my hand to help me into the boat. I felt my feet leave the forest floor, and my eyes widened in surprise at how strong he was. “You good?”
“Yeah.” I nodded my head as I straightened my clothes, and the boat rocked slightly underneath me.
“Good.” He breathed. “Now, I just have to get the equipment in; and then, we can go.” He grunted as he lifted one of the bags up from the ground and laid it beside me.
“Hey, Connor?” I called after him, wrapping my arms around my legs once I had sat down.
“Yeah?” He looked up just as he bent down to retrieve his backpack. I swallowed as I stared at him for a moment.
Bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, the sight of him reminded me of how long we had been friends. I didn’t say anything—just stared.
“Something wrong?”
“Do you think we’ll find anything?” He scratched his head at my question.
“Maybe—we have to try.” I looked down at my shoes and then back to where he had been standing only to see that he wasn’t there. “All right.” I turned to find him setting the last bag by my side. “I think we’re all set.” He let out a sigh as he pushed the boat farther into the water, hurriedly swinging his legs over the side and climbing into the seat across from me when it started to drift. He pulled the cord to get the motor going, and we began to move across the water and towards the island. My hands trembled as I looked out at the rippling surface, realizing that it was the first time I’d been in it since Heather had disappeared.
Ever since that morning, the thought of water terrified me. Something that seemed so harmless—so still—destroyed a life in an instant.
“Melissa…” It wasn’t until he said my name that I noticed that he was holding them to stop them from shaking. “She’s not in there.” He reassured me, and I nodded.
He was right. She was somewhere else—in a place that didn’t make any sense.
“She said it was warm…” I muttered to myself; but when Connor set his gaze on me, I knew that he had heard it.
“What?”
“Adrienne said it was warm outside…like summer.” I repeated. “How could that be true in a place like this?” He shrugged his shoulders, as confused as I was.
“I don’t know.” He began. “I don’t understand a lot of it. The island, the bridge, the letters—I can’t see the connection.”
“I guess we just have to look harder…” My voice trailed away as the boat’s motor suddenly stopped, falling silent yards away from the island’s shore.
“Huh…that’s weird.” He remarked and reached for the pair of oars lying at our feet. “I guess we’ll have to row the rest of the way.” He handed one to me and kept the other, and I reminded myself to breathe before dipping it into the water. I brought my arms to my chest, and the boat pushed forward. I kept going, determined to find what awaited us in the trees, even when my shivering arms screamed for rest.
I couldn’t stop—not until I knew.
My heart leapt into my throat when I forced the paddle into the water once more and it dug into a bank of mud. I set the oar on the floor of the boat as I watched Connor drop the other and jump out, immediately realizing that I should do the same. A chill ran through my spine when my feet touched the ground, and something told me that I should be afraid.
After all these years, I was here; and now, I wish I never came.
“What now?” I asked him breathlessly. He took a step forward and joined me in staring up at the trees that towered over us.
“Now, we look harder.”
“Hey, Connor?” I called to him from within the walls of the tent, and I witnessed his silhouette steal across the side and toward the northern entrance. The partition splitting the tent in half unzipped, and he poked his head through the opening.
“Yeah?”
“I think you have my—” I stopped when he held my pillow in front of his face, and I grinned. It was still inside a pillowcase I had received when I was a little girl.
“Jack Skellington? Really?” He tossed it to me, and it brushed past the top of my head and landed in the corner.
“What?” I shrugged my shoulders and ran my fingers through my hair to fix it. “It’s my favorite movie.” He turned, shaking his head as he mumbled.
“Of course it is.” I placed the pillow at the open end of my sleeping bag and murmured something of my own.
“Just ‘cause you were a scaredy-cat didn’t mean I had to be.” But he heard me.
“Hey.” He responded as he walked around the perimeter of the tent to fetch his backpack. “I am a man of science. Everything about that movie was weird and unnatural.” I moved the flap out of the way to peer into his side of the tent and smiled.
“Well, as someone with an actual imagination, I loved it.” I remarked; and although I had already turned around, I knew that he was rolling his eyes. “When did you want to start looking around?” I asked him after returning to my things.
Somehow, I’d managed to forget a flashlight and unconsciously brought a fishing knife instead.
“Connor?” I looked up from my bag when he didn’t answer. “Con—” I never finished. Suddenly, he was by my side; and he gestured for me to be quiet.
“There’s someone else here.” He whispered. I held my breath, fearful that whoever it could have been would hear me; but as I listened in the silence, I realized that was all that it was. I reached into my bag to wrap my fingers around the knife’s handle and quietly rose to my feet. “Seriously? You brought a knife?” Connor exclaimed, and I shrugged in response. Slowly, I stepped out of the tent and into the pale light of the winter sky; and I stared out into the trees that surrounded us. No movement, no sound—all proof that we were very much alone.
“Connor,” I glanced over my shoulder and called to him from outside, “there’s no one out here.” I turned my head to gaze out at the clearing once more and found myself staring into a pair of dark brown eyes.
“Oh geez!” I breathed, placing my hand on my forehead.
“Melissa, what are you doing here?” It was Matthew’s voice that echoed in my ears, but I was too preoccupied with trying to catch my breath to answer.
“Trying to have a heart attack—thanks for your help.” I looked up at him in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Heather’s grandmother told me what happened to her sister.” He started to explain. “I didn’t think it was a coincidence.” He lowered his eyes to the blade gripped in my hand. “Wait. Were you gonna stab me?”
“Sorry. You can never be
too careful.” I sighed as I sheathed it in my back pocket and out of sight.
“By stabbing me?” He repeated, incredulous.
“Connor, it’s okay. It’s Matt.” I called to him; and soon, he was standing beside me.
“Hey, man.” He greeted him with a hint of astonishment. “What brings you here?” He asked, but I was the one who answered his question.
“He’s looking for Heather, too.”
“Good. We could use all the help we can get.” He continued speaking even after he had disappeared inside the tent’s walls. “Sunset is at 5:20 pm tonight, so I thought we’d start tomorrow and have the whole day. Since the island’s perimeter is…” His words seemed to fade as he stepped farther and farther away. “Hey.” This time, it was as clear as a bell; and I whirled to see him stick his head out and into the open. “Are you guys coming?” I shook my head; but still, I followed him.
I lay awake in the darkness, listening to the gusts of wind batter the sides of the tent as the night dragged on; and I shut my eyes tighter, waiting for sleep to overtake me.
It was something about the blackness—the uncertainty—that kept me from dreaming. I was afraid that it would seep into my mind and invade my nightmares, sending me back to drown in the water that awaited me just beyond the trees.
“Heather.” I sat up at the sound of her name. “Heather…” I pushed the sleeping bag away and crawled to the partition, where Matthew’s voice trembled on the other side. “No.” Quietly, I unzipped the plastic wall only to see that he was still asleep; but the place where Connor’s slumbering body should have been was vacant. “No…” I watched as he writhed in his sleep, and I wondered if I did the same. I climbed through the opening and knelt down by his side, suddenly startled when he disintegrated the silence with a scream. “No!” He sat up violently; and in the moonlight that glowed across the ceiling, I could see the sweat that beaded on his forehead. He turned his head frantically, unaware of my presence.
“Matt.” I spoke his name; and he faced me, eyes wide like a frightened child.
“Melissa,” he swallowed as he ran his fingers through his hair, “I was screaming, wasn’t I?” He didn’t seem surprised. I nodded. “Sorry.” He peered at me, immediately apologetic. “I didn’t wake you up—” I wouldn’t let him finish.
“No.” I looked down at my fingers. “Couldn’t sleep. I guess we have the same problem.”
“I’ll never stop loving her.” He confessed; and by the look in his eyes, I knew that he was telling the truth.
“She’s lucky to have you.” I stood and started to return to my side of the tent.
“Don’t do what I did.” I turned at his words. “Don’t wait too long.” I smiled a little, but it was masked with sadness.
“Wait for what?” I closed the partition and slipped on my shoes before unzipping the entrance and walking outside. The frosty air bit at my face and ears as soon as the moon’s silver light touched my skin, and I hugged my arms to keep myself warm. The little snow that covered the ground crunched underneath my feet as I stepped out of the clearing and into the trees that loomed overhead. I shivered as the shadows swallowed me completely, casting me into utter darkness; but the light that fought its way through the tree branches kept me company, and I wasn’t afraid. Something pushed me forward—kept me going; and I wanted to see where it would take me. I stole a glance over my shoulder, suddenly feeling as if something was watching me; but there was nothing.
Wherever Connor was, it wasn’t close; and I couldn’t help but wonder where he had disappeared to.
“Connor?” I called his name anyway. “Connor.” I stopped, convinced that it had been of my own accord; but when I looked up, I knew that it wasn’t.
There before me stood a pine tree—the tallest I’d ever seen—still heavy with leaves as green as grass. A soft breeze blew past me and carried a handful of dead leaves with it, seeming to beckon me forward; and I advanced towards it—if only in curiosity. An inexplicable warmth wrapped around me when I approached it. There was something so strange about it—strange and yet so familiar—like the raindrops that had settled on my hand. My arm stretched forward to touch the bark; but before I could run my fingers across its surface, an earsplitting scream erupted in the blackness of the night.
Connor.
I ran towards the sound, shouting his name.
“Connor! Connor!” The trees blurred around me as I ran; and as I stumbled blindly in the dark, I could have sworn that I saw something racing beside me. It was a shadow—or an apparition—and it moved through the forest like a demon in the night. I gazed at it in horror, unaware that my foot had caught itself underneath a fallen branch hidden in the snow. I let out a cry of surprise as I fell forward, but something kept me from hitting the ground.
“Melissa! Thank God you’re okay!” I looked up to see that it was Connor who was holding me in his arms. “Where’s Matt?” My eyes widened, terrified.
“He’s back at camp…” He grasped my hand when I spoke, and we bolted through the woods to the clearing. I paused at the mouth of the woods when we reached the campground, frozen at the mere sight of what awaited us. The tent stood in tatters, and what was left of it swayed eerily in the wind.
“Matt?” Connor’s voice cracked when he called to him, but there was no answer. “Matt!” He sprinted ahead of me and dashed frantically through the tent, searching for him. When I caught up with him, the look on his face made my heart sink into my stomach. “He’s not here.” I stared down at the ground, disheartened; but what I saw only confirmed my fear.
“Connor…” I whispered.
“What is it—” He left the shredded walls to stand beside me, and the words never left his lips. A wide crimson path led away from the tent and into the woods; and immediately, I knew that it was blood. Without a word, he darted in the same direction.
“Connor! Connor, wait!” I shouted as I chased him, but he wouldn’t listen. He stopped abruptly in his tracks and turned, trying to push me away.
“Melissa, turn around.” He warned me, but a frightened whimper in the distance drove me forward.
“Help me…please.” Matthew. He was lying against a tree, his blood saturating the snow in scarlet.
“Matt.” I fell to my knees and placed my hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “It’s going to be okay.” I looked up at Connor. “Call the police.” He nodded and hurried back to the tent.
“I—it happened so fast.” He stuttered, his teeth chattering. “I just closed my eyes, and—and then,” he groaned in agony. “I’m gonna die, aren’t I?”
“No.” Tears filled my eyes as I caught a glimpse of the wound that he reached for with trembling hands. A gash tore through his stomach, the flesh indistinguishable and riddled with bruises and skin hanging freely from his body; and blood gushed outward with the heightened rhythm of his heartbeat. “We’re going to get some help…so you can go home.” I desperately pressed my hands against the gaping lacerations in his skin and felt something soft, finally realizing to my horror that I was only thing keeping his insides from spilling out.
“Melissa…” I turned my head to face him when called me, and he shakily took my hand in his. “If you find her, t—tell her I tried.” He begged, but I shook my head stubbornly.
“No. You’re going home. You’re going to be okay.” I insisted, but my voice betrayed me; and I burst into tears. “Connor!” I yelled for him, hysterical.
“He’s looking for you.” I returned my eyes to Matthew’s face.
“What?” I asked, breathless.
“He won’t stop—he won’t stop until he finds you.” Those words—I’d never heard something so terrifying. “You have to…run.” He struggled for air as he spoke, and blood gurgled from his mouth to leave dark red flecks scattered on his cheeks. “He won’t stop…”
“I’m here. I’m here.” Connor panted when he reappeared, carrying my Jack Skellington pillowcase. He bent down to hold it against Matthew’s wound; but the y
oung man screamed in horror, scrambling to get away from him.
“Matt…Matt! It’s okay. It’s just Connor.” I tried to calm him and failed; and he stared at him, shrieking again and again. The sound made me sick, twisted my organs until I was convinced they were traveling in knots up from my abdomen and into my throat.
“Matt, it’s me. Please, let me help you.” Connor pleaded, but whatever it was about him that scared his friend so much didn’t go away; and he backed away from him, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Get away from me! Don’t let it get me! Don’t let it get me!” He let out one last bloodcurdling scream, and then it was quiet. Matthew stared up at the sky with a chilling look of terror, and I watched helplessly as the light departed from his eyes.
Chapter Eight
Chocolate Chip Cookies
A dozen shadows passed slowly over my face, the red and blue lights seeming to flicker in slow motion as I leaned my head against the inside of the ambulance. I held the blanket tightly around me, praying fervently that it was just another nightmare; but I knew that it couldn’t be.
I didn’t drown; but it still felt like I was underwater, just trying to reach the surface.
I looked out at the crowd that had started to gather at the border of yellow caution tape. There were so many—just watching me—countless eyes gazing at a stranger.
That was all I was. After living among them for fifteen years, I was still a stranger.
I watched as the police wheeled the gurney into the little white van, and I couldn’t stop the tears from coming again. I glanced back at the crowd and saw Dorothy, the Harrisons, and Mr. Oakman, but another two faces burst out of the sea of familiarity; and instantly, I felt worse than I already did.
“That’s my daughter! I have to see her!” My mother explained to the officer that stopped my parents before they passed the caution tape. He waived them ahead, and they came darting towards me.
“Melissa, honey!” My father called out to me before they reached the ambulance; and suddenly, I was lost in an unyielding embrace.
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