The Pit in the Woods: A Mercy Falls Mythos

by Nathaniel Reed

  “Let’s get him,” Max said. “We’ll beat the tar out of him.”

  “I don’t know,” Jake said, “He’s just a little pipsqueak.”

  “Precisely,” Max grinned.

  Johnny was there with them, in the original crew; before the

  ranks swelled, before they became legendary for badness. It was Max,

  Carl, Jack Farris, Phil and Jake Mussen, John Winter, and Eddie “the

  Iceman” Horowitz; before the girls joined, before the craziness and the rebellion within the group itself; when Jeremiah’s Woods was still unfenced and accessible. But even Maxwell Rifkin knew that all good things must fall apart.

  The Dragons sole purpose, it seemed, aside from riding their bikes, had become terrorizing those they saw as weaker, which was almost everyone who was not a Dragon. But the true punishment was reserved for nerds and loners, those who were smarter than them, and perceived themselves to be superior. Of course, it never crossed their minds that the truly intelligent ones were too busy studying and trying to achieve something productive with their lives, that they spent little time, if any, thinking about how they were better than a bunch of guys who rode Harleys.

  It didn’t matter. Fate was not on Ramsey Tysor’s side. He would never get to see the fruits of his labors. There were no sounds of motorcycles to warn him. The Dragons were on foot, waiting behind some bushes. The only warning was Max’s cry.

  “Hey nerd!” They chased him down, at one point Max’s fingers grazing the boy’s sweater. He’d been so close, but he’d called out too early, and the kid was off like a shot. They couldn’t have predicted how fast he’d be, but he was skinny, and really light, so they weren’t too surprised.

  “Come on you little shit!” Farris screamed. “Stop running! We’re going to catch you anyway!” Jack Farris was a bit on the heavier side, and losing his breath. Carl was stout. Max and the brothers were somewhere in between. Johnny and Eddie were the lightest, and they were in the lead.

  “Get him!” Max shouted at them.

  “Yeah!” Eddie hooted. “I’m up for some nerd tossing!”

  Johnny high-fived him. “You the man Eddie!”

  Phil and Jake were quiet, as usual, following along, nearly parallel to each other in the center of the runners.

  “Leave me alone!” Ramsey yelled back. “I didn’t do

  anything!” The boy was terrified, and what kid wouldn’t be at his age,

  being chased by high schoolers intent on physically hurting you.

  “You’re alive, ain’t ya?!” Eddie shouted back.

  Famous last words.

  4

  “Next thing I know he’s cutting into the woods,” Johnny said. “Maybe he thought he’d lose us in there, maybe it was a shortcut to his house, I’ll never know. But it was a bad move.”

  5

  The Dragons followed him in, chased him through Jeremiah’s Woods. There were times they actually thought they’d lost him, and then they’d see Ramsey again through the trees. Johnny and Eddie were several yards ahead of the others, although Johnny was in front of Eddie now. He saw it first, the bend around the trees, where it blindsided you the way it did Myron. It was the first time any of them, perhaps anyone, had seen the pit.

  “Grab him!” Eddie barked.

  John was only a couple of feet from the boy. Ramsey Tysor wasn’t looking ahead. He was looking back, over his shoulder, watching them gain on him, his face a mask of fear. Johnny managed to snag the kid’s sweater for a second, but he shook free. He watched Ramsey’s face change from utter fear to surprised shock, watched him almost fall, just before he turned his head away. He was teetering on the lip of the pit, trying to regain his balance. The boy looked down, his arms spread out as if preparing to fly. As hard as he tried to push himself back on steady ground, his momentum had completely thrown his body weight forward. Johnny tried to grab his sweater again, but it slipped away from him. He felt the boy slide down, watched as the earth broke away under his feet, and Ramsey fell in.

  “No!” Johnny screamed, echoing the boy on his way down. He

  slid to an abrupt stop, Eddie slamming into him from behind, nearly

  throwing both of them over as well.

  “Holy shit!” Eddie said. “Holy shit!”

  The rest of them came to a stop behind them, realizing something had gone wrong.

  “He just fell in Eddie!” John exclaimed. “The kid fell in!”

  “What the…?” Max said.

  “Oh man,” Farris said, “Where the fuck did that come from?”

  “Johnny saw him fall in,” Eddie said.

  Phil and Jake looked at each other with an expression of surprise and dismay.

  For a second you could actually see the last thread of humanity cross Max’s countenance; a trace of remorse; then just as quickly watch it leave, his face hardening.

  “Good riddance,” Max said. He looked at each of them, pointing at them one by one as he said this: “None of us, ever, EVER speaks of this! You understand me?”

  They nodded assent; a few mumbled groans of, “Yeah Max.”

  6

  “And I never have, until now,” Johnny said, “Of course, because of Max. It was always about Max. This fucking kid just died because of us, and all he cared about was keeping it secret. But we did just that. None of us ever talked about it, at least as far as I know. I decided there and then that I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. I didn’t really say it, or make some big declaration. I just stopped showing up to meetings, started disappearing more and more, eventually just avoiding them altogether.”

  “Jesus,” Myron said.

  “We had no idea,” Staci said.

  “Of course not,” Johnny said, “How could you? We kept our mouths shut.”

  “But there were rumors,” Tony said, “And they were all surrounding you. So someone must have said something.”

  “Yeah,” Johnny said, “Maybe Max himself, or one of his

  cronies, pissed off at me for ditching them. I was a scapegoat, in case anyone ever started asking questions. But it really was my fault in the end.”

  “Johnny man,” Jeremy said, “You couldn’t have known.”

  “No,” Johnny said. “You’re right. None of us could have known, but if it hadn’t been for us, he wouldn’t have been running through the woods in the first place.”

  “Johnny,” Staci said sympathetically.

  “All I keep thinking since that day is why couldn’t I have been a little faster, held on to that sweater tighter, yanked him back? Maybe I should have gone in with him.”

  “Do not say that,” Myron consoled. “It was not your fault.” He knew that was a lie to some degree, but the amount of pain he felt coming from Johnny was unbearable, and he was only experiencing it secondhand. He sat next to Johnny on the rock.

  “Myron?” Staci said.

  “Of course it’s my fault!” Johnny screamed, “We chased him all the way to his fucking death!”

  Myron held him. “I am so sorry Johnny.”

  Why are you so sad? Myron had asked him. Now he knew. Johnny pulled away.

  “What happened to the body?” Tony said. “Did they ever find it?”

  “No, of course not,” Johnny said. “Things bottomless, like I said, at least as far as we can see. There was a search party in the woods two days later. They didn’t find the boy, but they found the pit. No one ever did figure out what caused it. Meteor crash, maybe a sinkhole that eroded over the years, there’s a few theories, but they were sure that the kid fell in there. There was a heavy rainstorm the day before, so if there were any footprints or anything linking us, all the evidence was erased. We got away with it. They put warning signs all over the place, and the next day they started fencing the woods off. The town didn’t want any more accidents like that. Of course, you know how well that went. So anytime some kid goes missing in this town, they just assume they jumped the fence and fell in that thing.” He looked over at the giant ho
le with contempt.

  “You said they tried to cover it,” Jeremy said, “and someone kept tearing through?”

  “Yeah, eventually they just gave up on it, the town’s dirty little secret that’s not so secret.”

  “I don’t understand why they don’t put barbwire on the fences, or electricity or something,” Tony said.

  “Imagine all the lawsuits every time some kid tried to jump over and got himself electrocuted or cut to ribbons; probably not worth the town’s money. And they probably figure kids will always find a way around it. Some are just born for mischief, especially rotten ones like the Dragons,” Johnny said.

  “Maybe we should get out of here,” Staci suggested.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Tony agreed. “But wait a minute, if other kids fell in, what about Betty?”

  “Betty Leesburg,” Myron nodded.

  “Did she fall in?” Tony said. “Was she a victim, and if so, how did she get here?”

  “Yeah, and who was she with,” Jeremy said. “People tend to notice a five year old climbing a fence and walking into the woods by herself.”

  Johnny knew what they said made some sense. “Maybe it wasn’t the pit then. Maybe it was those things we saw at the Rock Spot New Year’s Eve.”

  “Oh God,” Staci said.

  “You think her ghost is still here to warn us to stay away?” Myron asked.

  “Maybe,” Johnny said, “If it is her ghost, if that’s what she is. Maybe she’s not dead, but still alive, and lost in this place.”

  7

  What Johnny said had merit, but wouldn’t Betty Leesburg’s

  parents have found her by now? Wouldn’t they have sent a search

  party for her as well? Or had Mercy Falls simply given up on all missing children?

  That couldn’t be the case, because Jeremy had a milk carton that proved different. They were all troubled by Betty, and maybe it was that curiosity that caused them to go further into the woods that day instead of leave.

  They came to a stream. Someone had laid several logs across it so people could cross over. She appeared on the other side, as they were on the verge of doing just that.

  Myron pointed. “Look, it’s her!”

  And it was. She was there in her white shirt and red skirt (not the dress on the milk carton, but it was obvious she loved red) and her blonde pigtails.

  “Betty!” Staci called.

  The little girl looked at them worriedly. “I told you not to come here. It’s not safe,” she said, matter-of-factly.

  “Why Betty?” Tony said. “Why is it not safe?”

  She shook her head.

  “Are you all right?” Staci asked.

  She shook her head again, frowning.

  Staci held out her hand. “Come on over. We can help you out of here.”

  “I can’t,” Betty said.

  “Why can’t you?” Tony said.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m afraid.”

  “That’s all right,” Staci said. “We can come over to you. Would that be all right?”

  “I’m not supposed to be out here. The sun is starting to hurt my eyes like they said it would.”

  “Who?” Johnny asked, confused.

  “They’d be very angry if they knew I was out here,” Betty said.

  “No one’s going to hurt you,” Staci said. “Don’t you want to see your parents again?”

  She smiled briefly. “Yes, but I’m afraid.”

  “Afraid of what sweetie?”

  “I’m afraid I might hurt them.”

  “W-w-why would you hurt them?” Tony said nervously.

  Because I’m going bad, Jeremy heard her say in his mind. He even got the image of a rotting apple. She only shook her head feverishly.

  “You can’t help me,” Betty said sadly, “No one can help me,” and ran.

  “Betty, wait!!” Staci shouted after her.

  “Catch her!” Johnny said, for a moment flashing back to the chasing of Ramsey Tysor. Except they weren’t here to hurt her, but to help her. They crossed as quickly as they could, which wasn’t very. The logs were slippery and kept rolling under them. Of course, it was only water, and some potentially irritating pebbles below; not a great chasm. They weren’t in any great danger. By the time they reached the other side she was gone.

  “She’s quick,” Johnny said.

  “Let’s keep looking. She can’t have gone far,” Jeremy said.

  They went into the nearest grove of trees, and sure enough they saw a flash of red up ahead. She didn’t even appear to be hurrying now. It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid, Myron knew; she was resigned. She didn’t care whether they caught up with her or not. What could have happened to this girl for her to give up on life so completely?

  “Betty, can we talk?” Staci said. She was in the lead, and despite her parka, she hadn’t lost her athletic prowess this time. She’d negotiated the stream logs expertly, unlike the rest of them, concern for the girl being a large factor.

  The five year old had stopped. She sat on a large rock; much like the one Johnny had sat on earlier, burying her face in her hands. Staci caught up to her, the others following closely behind.

  “I’m not going to see my mom and dad again, am I?” the little girl said. She looked up at Staci, her eyes starting to tear up.

  “Oh, of course you are sweetie,” Staci said. “We’ll take you out of here. I bet they’ll be glad to see you.”

  “They’ll find me you know,” Betty said.

  “Who?”

  “The bad men.”

  Johnny nodded. “We’ll protect you. Can you come with us? Will you trust us?”

  Betty nodded. “I trust her,” she said, pointing at Staci.

  “Okay then, it’s settled,” Tony said. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  8

  The return of Betty Leesburg was monumental, making it to the papers and television. So was the story of a brave group of teenagers- four boys and a girl who rescued her. This particular group of teenagers embellished their story by stating that they saw her outside the fence, and then daringly jumped over into Jeremiah’s Woods to catch her. What wasn’t in the papers was what happened that night in Betty Leesburg’s room as the group watched over her. The parents who had hugged and thanked them profusely, and gathered their precious little girl in their arms, once more asked them to watch over her as they picked up food for this unexpected arrival.

  They imagined their girl must be starving, and possibly the heroes as well. The group didn’t mind. It got dark earlier now, around five or five thirty and the sun began to set outside Betty’s window. The heroes gathered around her as they sat with her on her bed. Of course Betty favored Staci as the person she believed she could trust. Her captors had been men from what they gathered. They expected it would be the creatures they saw outside the Rock Spot but she made no mention of them.

  “They’re going to come for me you know,” Betty said.

  “Nobody’s coming for you,” Staci assured her.

  “They’re going to find me,” Betty said.

  Staci was scared of what asking the question implied, “What makes you so sure?”

  “I can feel them,” Betty said, tapping a finger at her temple, “In here.”

  “This little girl’s giving me the creeps,” Johnny whispered.

  “Johnny,” Staci warned.

  He held up his hands in surrender.

  “So what are we going to do about her?” Jeremy asked.

  “What do you mean?” Tony said. “She’s with her parents again.”

  “I mean, is she really okay? How did she survive without food?” Jeremy marveled.

  “Hello!” Betty said, “I’m right here!” Coming from the five year old girl it sounded hilarious, and they burst out laughing.

  Myron, who could sense her anxiety, laughed the least. Not only that, it almost felt like there was something else she were unaware of, something dark, trying to take control of her
body.

  He asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. “What happened to you?” Myron said.

  “I was playing in my room, and there was a man outside my window,” Betty began.

  “We’re on the second floor,” Jeremy said.

  “He was floating,” Betty said.

  Staci shivered.

  “He looked like a nice man,” she continued. “I thought he be a supa-hero, ’cause he could fly.”

  Tony smiled.

  “He was tapping on my window.”

  “What then?” Tony said.

  “He says ‘Can you let me in?’ and Mama said I shouldn’t talk to strangers so I said ‘No’ but he seemed so nice, and his eyes were sparkly.”

  “Sparkly?” Johnny grinned, doubtful.

  Staci hit him.

  “Oww!”

  “What do you mean sweetie?” Staci asked her.

  “I don’t know,” Betty shook her head. “It’s like dose

  hipponists guys?”

  “Hypnotists?” Myron said, “Do you mean hypnotists? He hypnotized you?”

  “Yeah,” Betty nodded, “Like dat! So I open the window and he snatch me, and I try to scream, but he cover my mouth. They were others like him outside, man dat can fly, an’ they take me away. I was really scared. They flied over the houses into the foress. We went down into big hole.”

  “The pit!” Jeremy said.

  “I knew that shit was the cause!” Johnny exclaimed.

  Betty looked at him reproachfully. “Mama don’t like curses.”

  “Yeah, sorry darling.”

  “What did they do to you Betty?” Staci asked fearfully.

  She shook her head. “I don’t remember. I tried to fight them. Then I slept. When I woke up I felt better. Stronger.”

  “How do you mean?” Myron said, although he was already beginning to suspect. But what he was thinking was ludicrous. But only about as ludicrous as what he’d seen outside the club.

  “Powaful,” she said. “And they treated me good down there. I was scared of them, but they calmed me.”

  “Hypnotized you?” Myron said.

  Betty nodded. “When I was scared they calm me down. When I was hungry they made me drink, red liquid.”