I kept running. Never turning my head, or looking back, because I knew that what I would see would haunt my dreams for the nights to come. I told myself over and over that if I could just make it to Sampson Street everything would be okay. My mind kept returning back to the scene that I left behind me, the gory and disturbing scene of what is left of my friend, with her thin, blonde hair already losing its shine and her pale skin sinking into an even deeper luminescence. My feet slipped from under me and I heard a painful crack. Terror filled my mind even higher than the adrenaline that is in my system. I had to keep running. It is what I do. When something bad happens, I run. Leave the scene and escape into my own space of darkness that only my friend who is currently losing consciousness helps me out of. I need to find help. I need to keep running. The forest and trees around me are black and engulfing like a dark flame. I keep on tripping either on my own feet or the roots of old trees. Both are delaying the time it takes to get help for Summer. I shouldn’t have left her, but I had to get some help. Just when I was about to give up and think that I was lost I saw the street lights of the city. I started sprinting toward the first house I saw. It was yellow, with the cliché white picket fence and perfect lawn, but at that moment it didn’t matter as long as the people who lived there had a phone. I was so close, but I felt like my time had already run out. Any second Summer could die. I nock on the door and see lights turn on inside the house and watch a black silhouette rush down the stairs. A woman opened the crystal door with a confused look on her face. Her blue eyes were bloodshot from just having woken up and her brown hair had a sleepy look to it.
“What’s wrong?” She asked in urgency, seeing the look on my face.
“My friend, she is in the forest about a mile deep and is bleeding really bad. I couldn’t stop it and when I got there she was already unconscious. She needs help. Can you please call the hospital it is an emergency.” I said. However, I said it so fast that I had to repeat it in order for her to understand me. I heard her run into another room so that she could call the hospital. I was so nervous and scared that I couldn’t stand still. I started pacing on her porch until she stopped me, telling me that help was on the way.
“It’s going to be okay. My name is Ms. Albertson. A mile in the woods? Isn’t that where the cemetery is?” She asked very cautiously making sure that I wouldn’t start crying.
“Yes. I go there every night to be with my mom. She died in a car crash last spring because of a drunk driver.“ I couldn’t believe that I was telling this to a complete stranger, but these feelings of complete loneliness were setting in and I couldn’t stop myself.
“Then what happened?” she asked. I could tell that she wanted more. Maybe during the day time she was a gossiper and would tell this story to all of her friends but right now I needed to focus on Summer and getting her help. I might as well tell her the truth.
“It started, like I said, in the cemetery. I arrived there at 11:30, and walked to my mother’s gravestone. Just as I was leaving I heard a blood curling scream. At first, I thought it was an owl or bird, or well, anything except for my best friend. I ran toward the sound to make sure that whatever it was was okay and not harmed. As I got to the scene, I saw Summer there, laying on her back. Her neck had a single line going across it, which was bleeding profusely. I felt like we were no longer alone and chose that moment to go and get help. That was when I met you.” Every word that I said made me relive it. All the emotions rushed back into me and I started trembling.
Moments later the EMS, firefighters, police officers, and K9’s were on the scene. They started asking the lady questions but she redirected them to me. I told them the same story I just told Ms. Albertson. Immediately they split into groups for a search party.
“Can I go with you? Show you where Summer is?” I asked one of the police officers. I wanted to help and since I knew where she was, I could get to her quicker.
“No miss. I am afraid that if we did that then we would be putting a minor in danger. When we get back you can see her if she is okay. How does that sound?” He replied. His breath smelled like smoke and tobacco and he had a 9 o’clock shadow across his jaw line. His voice had that southern accent that was so annoying it made you want to scream at him so that he would take action.
The officers left into the forest and came back thirty minutes later. I was happy that they moved fast but, as I was looking around for Summer I noticed that the police officer I was talking to earlier had a look on his face that could kill. He marched over to me.
“Do you think this is some sick little prank, young lady?” He questioned. “Did you think that you could make up this story to see if these fine officers would play along to your game?” I had no idea what he was talking about. I was more upset that I didn’t see Summer.
“What do you mean? Where is Summer?” I started crying but he didn’t seem to take notice.
“We got to the spot that you described and there was no body, no one. It was just us and the dead in that cemetery so you better explain yourself now!” His voice rose and rose until he was screaming with his face inches away from mine.
I didn’t understand. His words weren’t making any sense. Finally his words sank in and my heart almost exploded. My mind was spinning with thoughts that I had no answer to. The question that struck me the hardest would be ‘Where is Summer?’ I was sure that when I left her she was unconscious and could not move. I decided that Summer was out there and she needed my help. I also knew that whoever moved Summer from that cemetery was strong and extremely dangerous.
This would change everything.