Shadow Heights

by E. N. Goeking

  I pulled my sunglasses off my face and placed them on my head. The soaring trees before me cast a shadow over top. I looked around to make sure that no human eyes were visible to my actions and pulled the bowl out of my pocket to sneak a few hits.

  I walked into the trees and the blissful sounds of nature surrounded me. I could hear the wind blowing through the leaves and various birds singing their afternoon songs.

  As peaceful as my environment was, I suspected there was something hiding here, something dark and brooding that I wasn’t ready to discover. I knew there was significance to this secluded place as soon as I ventured in. Had I been here before? I walked around for a few minutes, trying to walk in a straight line while taking a hit every time I felt the urge. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go hiking in an unfamiliar place while getting stoned, I thought after starting to feel paranoid and a little bit lost.

  There was an empty patch of land located in the center of Laenzar Woods that hardly anyone knew about but somehow I managed to find that day. I had stumbled upon it by accident.

  I looked around the barren land and found this spot very much out of place because it was perfectly symmetrical in shape like a crop circle. The grass was mostly dry but dead might be a better word to describe it. I found it puzzling because something like that didn't occur naturally, only man could destroy such beauty.

  I sat down in the center and looked up at the heavens. The sun was shining down in rays from above, breaking from the clouds, and I held my hand over my eyes to block out its reflection. I bent my knees in front of me and rested my arms on top of them. I looked around at the trees and they were all in different shades of green with a few turning yellow. It was as if they were watching me and when they moved, they spoke to each other. All things in nature had their own language. Why couldn’t trees?

  Something moved through the large pines in front of me but I only caught a glimpse of it. After my eyes stopped shifting, a little girl appeared, skipping her way through the watchers of the forest. She seemed to be floating across the path even with her legs in motion. Goose bumps rose from my arms and I was wondering what a girl of her age was doing out in the woods alone. I tried to call out to her but she never acknowledged me, keeping to a dance within her. While she twirled in front of me, I could see that her body was not completely solid but translucent like the man in my bathroom. My heart thumped harder with this insight.

  I continued to watch her as she moved. Her walk was almost like a skip, a very childlike gait but very graceful. She was wearing a dirty white dress, outdated for our time with long yellow locks of hair that flew behind her like a wave of golden dust. Unlike the man from my house, she seemed innocent and didn’t give me reason to fear her.

  As I started to feel comfortable with her presence, another child's laugh emerged to the right of me and a boy, who could only have been six years old, materialized a few feet away peaking his head out from behind a tree. Like a reflex, I sprung to my feet in fear that they were surrounding me. They continued to ignore me and started playing with each other, their movements very similar. They ran throughout the woods, disappearing in the trees so I could no longer see them but I could still hear their laughter from afar.

  While I had a chance to get away, I took it and headed back the way I came. The whole experience had me screaming for some normalcy. I could hear them behind me so I quickened my pace but this was only scaring me further. After minutes of this passed, I decided that I resisted the urge to look behind me long enough. I stopped walking and shifted around—facing a fear for the first time in my life. They both stood a few feet away and their vacant eyes seemed to be looking deep inside my psyche like they were trying to communicate with me.

  As I looked over their faces, I knew who they were—the children from my first dream. The boy standing before me was the one they had placed on the fire. I watched him burn alive. An eerie chill passed through me as I remembered the sadistic ritual that was performed that night and the psychotic child who relished in their moment of torture. They reached their arms out to me and I backed away. I panicked and I could feel the blood pressure drop as my face went pale. They can't really be here. They no longer exist. I stepped on a twig and the crack of it breaking echoed through the woods. I stifled a scream and took off.

  I ran away with fear pulsing through my veins and I never looked back. I was hoping I went the right way back because I wasn’t paying attention in my jog. All I cared about was my safety but everything looked the same while something was chasing after me. Before panicking and getting lost, I tried to hone in on my senses. There was a lake nearby; I just needed to follow the scent of fish but unfortunately, all I could smell was pine cones and dandelions. I was about to change directions when I heard someone shouting my name a few feet away.

  I gasped when a swarm of black popped out from the leaves but then I felt the calming presence of him as he jogged over to my side.

  “I thought that was you,” Jaden breathed. “Why were you running?”

  “I was just doing some light jogging.” He narrowed his brow.

  “If that was light jogging, I’d love to see how fast you can sprint.” I played off his words with laughter. “Give me a break, Mina. No one runs like that unless they’re being chased by a bear. Now what happened?” I spun around when I remembered the children but now they were nowhere to be seen. They had disappeared as soon as he called my name.

  “I thought something was following me.” He grew concerned and gestured for me to continue. “I couldn't possibly explain what just happened.”

  “Give it a try,” he insisted.

  “Well, first can I ask you something?” He nodded in agreement. “Were children ever murdered in these woods?” I could tell by his reaction that I had hit on something right but was hoping that I hadn’t figured out so much.

  “It was a long time ago. This town has had its share of pain. I want you to know that there are those in my family who have done terrible things but I'm not like them.”

  “So, it's true?”

  “I won’t deny it any longer. It’s pointless for me to even try.” He took my hand and ran his fingers over my palm. “So tell me again why you were running for your life?”

  “There were these children,” I began.

  “How many were there?”

  “Two, a boy and girl. They appeared from out of thin air and I wasn’t frightened of them at first.” I slipped my hand out of his and stepped away. “I wasn’t scared until I realized they were the same children from my dream.” Jaden’s eyes shifted around the abandoned forest for a sign of life, a glimpse of my hysteria.

  “Where are they now?”

  “I don’t know and I really don’t care. I’m just happy they’re gone.”

  “Well just do me a favor, would you? Don’t go wandering around in these woods by yourself. I don’t even like walking through here alone at night.” He pulled out a cigarette. “I wouldn’t worry, though. When you’re scared, your mind plays tricks on you like that.”

  “But Jaden, they were real. I could feel them. I saw them reach out to me.”

  “You need to let things go. Leave past history where it lies.”

  “I love how your suggestions always involve avoidance.” I stomped away from him, angered that he wasn’t supportive of my theories.

  He strutted with wide steps to keep up and guided me in the right direction. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to accuse me of something you practice yourself.” My feet stopped traveling and I crossed my arms against my chest in opposition. “You’re quite the escapist when it comes to fear or danger.”

  “Okay, I’m no better than you—I admit that, but your refusal to help me understand what is happening is selfish. You have all the answers but you refuse to share.”

  “I’m involved with things that you have no concept or belief in. It would take a miracle for you to see the world from my eyes and actually understand it.” As if his words had come to life, a gust of
wind blew down from above, stirring a pile of leaves at our feet. We both looked up and dark clouds were rolling in overtop of us, even though it had been sunny a few seconds before. Jaden’s voice stammered and he pulled me behind him.

  “What is it?” I asked and he shushed me while he looked on. After waiting for an all-clear, Jaden pulled on my arm and trudged through the forest with me a close distance behind. A bulky branch fell from a towering tree ahead of us and luckily Jaden spotted it before I did. He quickly shoved me to safety and I yelped in surprise as I fell to my knees. He knelt on the ground, his focus on something that I couldn’t see, and suddenly a fleeting shadow passed ahead of us with tremendous speed and a trail of dust springing up behind.

  “Come on.” We ran as fast my legs could move with the threat of an invisible stranger on our trail. Jaden was intent on protecting me from harm but his new awareness of my ability to see imperceptible things motivated him to escape with extraordinary speed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Within seconds, Jaden led us to safety near the outskirts of Laenzar Woods, knowing the pattern of trees like the back of his hand. I could see the sky dazzling the lake with multitudes of color and the sounds of children laughing. It was a rough adjustment considering what he had just been running from. While I keeled over in exhaustion and tried to refill my oxygen reserves, Jaden was barely out of breath and not even a sheen of sweat was covering his skin.

  “What was that?” I panted between breaths. “Is no place safe in this town?”

  “You actually saw that?” I nodded quickly; of course I had seen it. “I wish I knew how you were able to see things as I do. No one ever has. Even as a child I saw things that weren’t supposed to be and my friends would pretend I was crazy.”

  “Why did it come after us?” His eyes lingered toward the trees in hopes of warding off another unexpected visit.

  “He was testing me. I think it’s a warning that you’re getting too close. I shouldn’t be telling you about what I know and who my family is. Our secrets. No more snooping around, okay? It isn’t safe for you to be so meddlesome in our affairs but it’s probably too late. They already know how deep your involvement goes. Nothing slips past him.”

  “Him?”

  “Nobody. Let’s go.” He tugged at my hand and we strolled over to his car hand-in-hand with the sense that others were watching us, behaving as if we had just committed some great crime against humanity and I hated the unsolicited suspicion.

  When I got home, I realized the traumatic events from that afternoon were having more of an effect on me than I realized. I couldn’t fall asleep for the life of me, rounding out at about two hours of sleep before I had to get up for school. When I got to campus that day, I took my time walking to class and kept my shades on to hide the dark circles under my eyes. There was a group of smokers hanging around outside the front door so I stood away from them and finished my cigarette before going in, enjoying the high developing in my brain.

  “Hey,” I heard someone say from behind, my body jumping with his voice. I turned slightly and saw Chad a few steps away. He was wearing a red polo shirt and jeans. His hair was perfectly gelled like normal, a little silver hoop pierced in his left ear. I saw that he was smoking too so I took my time.

  “You ready for this?” he asked.

  I shook my hand. “Sort of.”

  “You look really nice today.” I looked down at myself and couldn’t see why I warranted such a compliment.

  “Thanks,” I said anyway. I finished my cigarette first and smoldered it into the ashtray. “Come on.” He took a long final drag from his cigarette and headed inside with me. Class was starting in less than five minutes. I hurried down the hallway but really I was trying to keep up with Chad’s long stride. When we got to the classroom he sat in one of the center rows, the only place with two seats left next to each other. I followed him and sat in the chair nearest to the aisle. I opened my bag and got out my note cards and a pen. The teacher walked in, dressed very much like last time but this time in a black suit with a red blouse underneath.

  “Good morning everyone,” she said cheerfully but I couldn't share her disposition. I looked casually at Chad and saw that his leg was tapping a mile a minute. I giggled to myself, fighting a smile. He glanced over after hearing my laugh. I couldn’t fight it any longer, I cracked and he started to laugh. A few people looked in our direction and he continued to laugh loudly while mine was silenced by their eyes. I leaned my head down, partly covering my eye line with my hand as I rested my head against it. After he calmed down, the room was silent. He leaned over to whisper in my ear.

  “Good luck.”

  She asked for volunteers and only a hand full of people raised their arms. After they were finished with their introductions, she started calling people at random because nobody else was eager to go up there. I kept repeating in my mind “not me, not me”. I did this every time she announced someone’s name and it seemed to be working.

  “Chadwick Barrett.” I heard a sigh next to me and Chad rose to his feet. Chadwick, that’s more fitting for him. I wonder why he doesn’t go by that. I had no room to talk. My name was just as ancient, different, and I preferred the shortened version.

  As nervous as I knew he was, he didn't act like it during his delivery. He spoke with great confidence, like a president giving a speech to his nation. He stood tall at the front of the room, not breaking a sweat or mangling his words. He didn’t even take any note cards with him for reference. He spoke from his heart and mind. I listened to his speech and was in awe at how his words flowed together like a harmonic orchestration.

  Every few seconds, his eyes scanned the room and met mine. I started recognizing that I had a small attraction to him. I mean, I always thought he was attractive but didn't like who he was. When I first met Chad, I found him mildly repulsive—the complete opposite of a guy that I would want to date. But when he was alone his attitude was very different, more caring perhaps would be a way to describe it. He, of course, could never take Jaden’s place. I felt an attraction to Jaden that wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, spiritual, and sensual. I was attuned to him in ways that weren’t of the normal garden variety.

  When Chad was finished, I clapped along with the rest of the class at his amazing delivery. I felt jealous of his greatness, now I would definitely mess up. I could feel the body heat radiating off him as he passed me into his seat. He must’ve been nervous but he fooled me.

  “Nicely done Chadwick,” I said softly.

  “Thanks. I hope you’re next.” I turned my head and snarled. That was the last thing I wanted right now. There was time for one more speech and after she read the name, I knew it was mine.

  “Wilhelmina Hunter,” she beckoned for me to come. I glanced at Chad, shooting him an evil stare before walking to the front of the room. A wave of heat passed through me and my hands started to shake while I tried to grip the cards. I stood up at the front waiting for the teacher to be ready, all eyes on me. I looked over my notes to forestall making eye contact. She sat down at a desk at the top of the stairs and motioned for me to begin.

  After my speech was over, I couldn’t even remember what I said but I knew I spoke too quickly. I probably could’ve spoken louder but I didn’t mess up my words at least. The hands in the room clapped out of rhythm as I made my way back up the stairs and they were all eager to leave since class time was over. She started dismissing everyone while I put my things into my bag. She gave us a sheet to write our topic on and if she didn’t approve, she would send us an e-mail by that night. I filled it out for the two of us and sat it on her desk as we left.

  I was dying for a cigarette and I made my way outside quickly, weaving between people for a better access. I stepped outside and a cool breeze blew across my face, cooling me entirely. I dug through my bag in search of a cigarette.

  “You did really well which was surprising since you seemed so nervous before.”

  “You gotta do what you g
otta do,” he replied with blasé tonality. He took a drag from his cigarette and stared at a group of girls in short shorts walking by in front of us. Guys always have sex on the brain. I think their dicks control most of their reactions, rather than their mind. After finishing our conversation and solidifying plans for our speech, he left my side and I endured my economics class, watching the clock at every moment and trying not to fall asleep.

  It was a rather low-key evening at the Hunter home that night. I watched a movie with my parents, one of the old classics I had never seen before. It wasn’t that bad once I got over the no color aspect. We shared a bowl of popcorn and had a family night, which hadn't occurred in quite a few years. I felt like a loser hanging out with my parents when I should have been out having fun, acting stupid while it was still considered acceptable. They were both in bed by 9:30 and once they were sound asleep, I went outside and smoked a small bowl to myself.

  I closed my eyes and breathed in the clean air. It was the perfect temperature outside at that moment. A car’s tires squealed across the blacktop some distance away which ruined my peaceful moment. I looked over and saw a speeding black car flying down the highway. I tried to follow it but it disappeared through the trees. It then, of all places, came barreling down my driveway with its headlights on flashing brightly against the background of the trees. My eyes went wide and I hurried down the long set of stairs, skipping over a number of them. I didn’t want whoever it was waking my parents. I knew one thing, it wasn’t Jaden.

  Chapter Twenty One

  The car came to a halting stop before me, almost hitting my legs and breaking me in two but fortunately the driver had enough sense to hit the brakes before hitting me on impact. The windows were tinted to midnight black so I couldn’t see who was situated inside but I had a feeling they were here for me. The passenger side window rolled down and I walked over to see who commanded my attention.