Midnight woods excursion

The story is a sequel to an earlier story of mine. The prequel can be found at

https://reedsy.com/short-story/qh6skk/

Midnight woods excursion

I opened my locker and took out a folder. It was a Friday afternoon. The last class had just gotten over and it was time to go home.

‘ Hey John, are you coming for the match?’ Cody asked as he walked by.

He was dressed in the school jersey, a maroon red with red paint on his cheeks. The school headband, a matching maroon red on his head. He was holding a banner, shaking it enthusiastically at me.

‘ No Cody,’ I sighed.

‘ I’m gonna go home and sleep. It’s been a long day.’ I looked at him exhausted.

‘ Oh! of course of course I forgot that you aren’t playing anymore. I’m so used to you being on the team. At least you used to be there when you weren’t substituted,’ he said.

‘ That was when I wasn’t well and when I was injured though,’ I pointed out.

‘ Yeah, I get why you aren’t feeling up to it,’ he said apologetically.

‘ See you on Monday then?’

‘ For sure,’ I replied.

I put my folder in my backpack. As I was about to shut my locker door, I looked at the pictures that I had hung on the back of the locker. There was a picture of Austin and me. It was the day we had won the final, which was the last day before the sophomore year exams. It was only seven months ago. How different things are now? We were holding the trophy and smiling into the camera. Confetti were being thrown around us. Below that was a picture of my mom, Hayden and me. It was the first day of school junior year. We were standing in front of the school entrance. ‘All smiles ahead hoping for a wonderful year,’ that was the caption I had thought of when I first looked at it.

Now only two months later junior year didn’t feel wonderful. I closed my locker door and locked it. As I walked across the main hallway I saw nobody. Everyone was at the match except for me and a bunch of people who were absent today. As I walked home, I recalled what had occurred at school.

‘ Hey John, will you stay back for a second?’

‘ Yeah sure,’ I replied.

‘ So today’s the match and you won’t be playing.’

‘ Yes coach that’s right I need time off,’ I nodded.

‘ You won’t even be a substitute? Look I know about the attack, I just thought you had recovered by now.’ He said.

‘ I have, it’s been two weeks but I haven’t emotionally recovered from it.’ I replied sadly.

‘ I know, I was wondering how much time you need to recover?’ he asked.

‘ I don’t know how much time I need,’ I admitted.

‘ You are one of our best players and I have Green playing instead of you. We need you back though soon. I understand you need time and I would do the same if I were in your place but..

‘ I’ll see coach I’ll let you know, but I can’t just magically get better just because the team needs me even by trying.’

‘ I sound selfish but it’s not just for the team it’s for you as well. I want you to feel better. May I suggest therapy?’

‘ Therapy won’t help me for this,’ I replied.

‘ At least try,’ he said hopefully.

‘ No coach you wouldn’t understand,’ I said firmly.

‘ I see… You won’t even attend the match from the stands?’

‘ That’s right I need time for myself,’ I said.

After we said our goodbyes, I left the dressing room. I had come to wish Austin good luck and to tell him I wouldn’t be attending. He had frowned, but he didn’t try to convince me otherwise.

The truth is the attack itself had not traumatized me. It was all the memories the ghost showed me. The poor boy watching him kill himself to save the princess was agonizing to see. I would see it in my nightmares and would wake up in the same cold sweat. I would cry about it after waking up and during the day as well. I just couldn’t concentrate on the things I loved like football and my grades had slipped…

‘ An F in biology and a D in math’ The counselor placed my test sheets in front of me.

‘ I know It’s not what I meant to score. I tried to study I couldn’t,’ I immediately said.

‘ Your teachers are concerned about you. You are a very bright student and seeing you not score up to your usual standard has caused them to worry.’

‘ Well it was only two tests,’ I pointed out.

‘ It could turn into more than just two at the rate which you’re going.’

‘ I did alright in the other tests.’

‘ Yes, well a student like you can do better than alright.’

She showed me my Spanish and Physics tests. There were a B and C on it respectively.

‘If this is what you consider alright then-‘

‘ Look I’ve been going through something and I’ll try to do better but it just won’t come easily ok?’

‘ Consider this a warning young man. This is your junior year and if you keep going on like this, then the universities won’t accept your admissions do you understand?’

‘ I’m well aware now, unless you plan to help me in doing that then I’ll stay. I have to leave I got to have lunch.’

‘ I’ll be keeping an eye on you,’ she said.

God was she annoying! It had only been a week since the attack when the tests had started, so of course I did not have much time to prepare. I just wish the teachers had talked to me themselves instead of telling the school counselor to do so. I had always been an A student. Just the one time I slipped, I was given a stern send off. My trauma was being dismissed.

I unlocked my front door and then went upstairs to my room. I took out the folder which had my test marks in it. As I looked through the marks I felt the same sensation.

I dropped to my knees as the same painful feeling surged through me.

‘HELP ME

HELP ME

HELP ME’

The same words came rushing echoing filling me with a swooping sensation.

It sounded like a horrid, desperate cry for help. The spirit was calling to me, urging me to help. It was in danger.

My bedroom door opened at that moment.

‘ Bro are you ok? I heard you screaming,’ Hayden asked.

‘ What’s the matter with you? Do I take you to the doctor?’ he asked seeing me lying on the floor.

‘ Of course not you idiot I was attempting to do a headstand and I fell off the bed that’s all.’

‘ No you didn’t,’ he said.

‘ I did’.

‘ I want to know what actually caused you to fall, your face is all red and you’re panting.’

‘ You wouldn’t believe me anyways,’ I scoffed.

‘ Fine suit yourself,’ he turned around and stormed out of the room.

It’s what he deserved for not believing me the first time. I got up and went to my desk and took out my journal and noted down what I had heard. So far there were very few memories and then this. It wasn’t a memory this time. The ghost was in danger. How do I help a spirit that is out of reach? It’s not like he was giving me a sign.

I looked at the scar on my chest. It had faded to just being a scar now from a burn mark. I touched it. There had to be some way. I just didn’t know what though. I would wait till night time.

At 5:30 pm I heard a knock on the door.

‘ Come in,’ I called.

‘ Austin is here,’ Mom said.

‘Oh tell him to come in.’

‘ How are you? Hayden told me you were hurt,’ she said.

‘ I’m fine mom.’

‘ Really because Hayden said you didn’t look fine.’

‘ I really am,’ I insisted.

When I was in the hospital they didn’t have my back. They were trying to now, when I didn’t tell them to. It just didn’t make sense to me.

‘ Hey dude’

‘ Austin man-

‘ We won the game dude!’

‘That’s great.’

‘ Sure, listen man I’ll tell you how it went down.’

‘ Not now.’

I proceeded to tell him about it. When I finished, I looked at him. His eyes were locked in.

‘ When I first found out about this, I thought we would have to find out how to prevent the ghost’s communication. As it was hurting you we have to find out a way to communicate with it, my god this is crazy!!’

‘ I know it is but it’s the only way,’ I said.

‘ Is it though?’ he replied skeptically,

‘ What’s that supposed to mean?’ I asked confused.

‘ It’s a ghost it’s meant to haunt people,’ he said.

‘ Well the ghost Vincent is basically haunted by his own memories’

‘ I know but they usually hurt people, you got hurt.’

‘I know but he only did it to communicate with me,’ I replied.

‘ Yes but why not just let it be? We don’t even know him. What if it will be luring us into a trap it’s a ghost after all.’

‘ What’s gotten into you? I thought you were on my side here,’ I frowned at him

‘ I am, I just don’t know man how we can trust him?’

‘ You sound just like Hayden,’ I said affronted

‘ It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just don’t trust Vincent

‘ Your trust in me is not enough. Why do you have doubts ? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?

‘ I do I’m sorry John,’ he sighed.

‘ No coach wants me to come back on the team soon. I have refused to go to therapy because I just won’t be understood or believed!!’

Tears fell from my eyes. A second later Austin’s arms were around me comforting me.

‘ I feel like I don’t have anyone,’ I sobbed.

‘ You do you have me and I promise that I won’t leave your side,’ he assured me.

After I stopped crying he released me and gave me a quizzical look.

‘ What?’ I asked

He asked to touch my scar as a means to communicate. He pressed it hard.

Vincent was in chains somewhere. He was screaming that he was being held prisoner somewhere. It looked like the basement that he was in, when he was alive. I closed my eyes and thought hard, Vincent where are you? We will come to save you. Just give a sign and we will come.

I told Austin I told him he had to be saved. Austin agreed for my sake. We set out taking our bikes with us.

‘ Where do you think he’ll be?’ he asked me.

‘ The woods’.

We rode down the long winding road that faced the woods. The sun had set the moonlight shone its rays reflected on the road. We got to the side of the road where I had fallen and passed that, rode over the grass into the woods. We got to area where I was attacked.

‘What now? No sign of him,’ Austin asked.

‘We keep looking,’ I said.

We rode past the tree where I got hit and turned right. We rode on for miles passing tree after tree. Finally we took a sharp turn to the left and saw a well with a shed standing behind it.

‘Let’s check the shed first,’ I said.

There was dust in the shed. It hadn’t been used in years apparently. It was like a cabin in the woods type of thing. Ironic how we were trying to rescue a horror instead.

‘ I found a trapdoor,’ Austin said holding the door upwards

We climbed down a ladder and found ourselves in an empty hallway. We were underground now.

‘ I got two torchlights,’ Austin said.

A moment later we were walking through the hallway a torchlight in both of our hands. All was quiet besides the sound of our footsteps until we heard a scream. We ran instantly and found ourselves in a room with a well in it. This was the same well we had seen outside. Right before the well in the same spot I had seen him when he was alive was Vincent in chains.

‘ Vincent,’ I said moving toward him

‘ Well well well, look who decided to show up’ applause sounded in the background.

We both turned our flashlights to the corner. Emerging from the corner directly within the flashlights reach was Ethan, Cody’s younger brother.

‘ Ethan what the hell are you doing?’ I asked.

‘ Just having fun is all,’ he replied casually.

‘ Trapping and chaining a poor ghost underground is definitely not fun man,’ I replied.

‘ What’s it to you?’

‘ He showed me everything,’ I said.

‘ He showed me that too. Last year’s Halloween I was a poor, lonely boy wandering alone in the woods when he found me. We empathized with each other really trauma bonded,’ He said

‘ Then why are you doing this?’ I asked.

‘ I’ve been having a really tough time in school getting bullied because of my hair, clothes since we don’t have that much money paying rent in a two-bedroom apartment and because I have asthma so I keep using my inhaler,’ he said

‘ So you plan to use as revenge,’ I said.

‘ That’s right but he is opposed to it so I’ve chained him here,’ he said.

‘ That’s wrong but we can get you help talk to the teachers.’

‘ The teachers don’t give a damn. They’ve made fun of me in class and they don’t say anything they just interrupt to keep lecturing is all.’

‘What about the school counselor?’ I said.

‘ She just thinks it’s small remarks tells me to brush it off’ he said.

‘ We will help you but trapping him here isn’t good,’ I said.

‘ You’ll only do it to save him,’ He said.

‘ No we care about you Ethan,’ I said.

‘ Cody doesn’t face this since he’s popular,’ he said bitterly.

‘ I know-‘

‘ PLEASE LEAVE!’

He took a rod red hot and moved it toward the chains. I ran at him and leaped on him the rod getting tossed out of his hands.

‘ Stop this’ I said.

‘ No,’ he replied.

He reached for the rod but I shoved him and tossed it out of the way. Austin went toward it. He began to punch me his inferiority complex getting to him. I pushed him off but he aimed again missing since I ducked. I told him to stop saying I don’t want to hurt him. He punched me in response so I did the same to defend myself.

‘ Stop hurting him or I’ll burn you up myself!’

It was Hayden. ‘ Austin found me when he was running for help,’ He said.

‘ How did you find this place?’ I asked.

‘ I figured you would come here when I saw you two riding out,’ he said

‘ Me being in a different class has gotten to you,’ Hayden said.

‘ Yes it has ’ Ethan said.

‘ I’ll transfer then teach them a lesson’ he said

‘ Too late’ Ethan replied

He tried to push me off but I held him down.

‘ You watch over him I’ll help Vincent.’

Austin and I got a crowbar from his backpack and cut Vincent loose. He rose up then flew down and scarred Ethan with his claws. Blood flowed from Ethan’s mouth and neck.

‘ NO’ I cried

Hayden put Ethan’s head in his lap.

‘ We have to call an ambulance’ He said

‘ It’s okay ’ Ethan managed painfully

‘ NO NO NO’

While Hayden cried and Austin called the ambulance anyway I looked up at the well through which the ghost had vanished. We had tried to rescue him and now we had blood on our hands.