The Ride - Chapter 6 (this one's for you Mike)

[OMR]

Long ago, when Glen was seven, he had spent a summer at his uncle’s Paine’s ranch in Utah. His cousin, Mike, was 4 years older than him and although older, he was small for his age and he and Glen really got along well together. Mike knew all these cool secret trails in the local hills. They were able to track animals, build forts and spy on other ranchers in the area with his uncle’s powerful binoculars. They had found an old mattress that they dragged for over a mile back into the hills to their fort. They’d spent several nights there, scaring each other silly with stories of the creatures from the grave coming back to suck the very life out of unsuspecting campers in the hills … yeah, those had been fun times, until Glen woke up late one night during a campout and Mike was gone. The embers of the fire were starting to go out and the temperature had dropped. It was now bone chillingly cold and Glen could see his breath in the moon’s cold sterile light.

Glen rolled himself up in a ball and shivered waiting for Mike’s return. He must have quietly gotten up and gone to take a leak. But the longer Glen waited, the more scared he had become. Of course it didn’t help that Mike had out done himself earlier that evening around the campfire with a story of a half mad hermit that lived in the hills and feasted on the bodies of little boy’s who camped out… alone…. in the woods.

Screwing up all his courage, Glen called out Mike’s name… three times… a little louder each time, until he heard the growing terror in his voice. That was all he heard. No birds in the bushes, no crickets that had been deafening when he had gone to sleep. No sounds anywhere. The lights of the ranches in the valley had all gone out as well.

Struggling out of his sleeping bag, Glen pulled his shoes, hat and coat on and searched for his trusty, official Boy Scout flashlight… the plastic one with the clip and neat compass built into the body. Somehow it felt reassuring in his hands. He flicked it on and swept the rocky outcrop that had become their fort. Nothing moved. Even the wind that had been gently blowing in the surrounding trees had died and Glen breath almost hung in the still air.

Mike was nowhere to be found. His shoes were gone, but his coat, hat and gloves were still laying in the rumpled pile where Mike had cast them. Glen again called out Mike’s name. But nothing came back except the stillness of the night. The moon was so bright that Glen could clearly make out the trail that lead back to the ranch house which was cold and dark in the distance. Glen wished he was back in his bed at the ranch, buried safely under several layers of covers. But he wasn’t. He was out in the cold silent, dark hills… all alone. Climbing up onto a rock, Glen shined his light into the dark large mass of trees, hoping to see Mike on his way back. But again… nothing moved… not even the dead leaves.

Glen didn’t know whether to stay at the fort or go look for Mike. Fear won out… he would look for Mike …but he would not go very far. In fact, Glen couldn’t decide which way to go; but, finally decided that Mike would have probably gone into the nearby trees to take a leak. He couldn’t think of any other reason that Mike would have left the camp… he was off just taking a leak. Yeah, that’s where he was, alright.

Glen again shined his light at the trees and saw… no sensed some movement there. He froze and stood stock still, hardly daring to breath. He knew in his mind that there was no such thing as a mad hermit running around these hills feasting on the bodies of young boys … but you just never knew. Best to be ready! Yeah, what was he going to do, hit him with his plastic flashlight? Glen looked around for some type of weapon… just in case it was the mad hermit! He stooped to pick up a large rock and held it tightly in his shaking hand.

Again there was that flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Glen slowly turned his head toward the slight movement. But when he looked, there was nothing there. Trembling, he slowly moved toward the gap in the trees where he thought he had seen the movement. “Mike Pain in the Ass!” he called out again, this time with more strength in his voice. “If you don’t stop scaring me, I’m going to come over and beat you with my flashlight!” Again there was nothing but silence answering him back. The only thing he could hear was his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest.

He soon found himself almost at the trees, still as dark as ever. The flashlight’s beam seemed to disappear into the darkness… and it was then that his trusty, official Boy Scout flashlight decided that it had had enough and gave up the ghost. The beam suddenly dimmed to a very low light, flickered and then went completely out. Glen almost cried out as though someone had touched him.

It was then that he saw the dim light coming from beyond the trees. He edged closer and peered through the branches. The trail seemed to glow. It must be a trick of the moon, he thought. That’s it, a trick of the moon… Glen moved though the trees out onto the trail, stopped and looked back the way he had come just to make sure he could get back … just in case…. just in case.

The trail did seem to get brighter as he moved along it. It just seemed unreal and the lack of sound didn’t help matters. He came to a fork in the trail and didn’t know which way to go until he noticed that one trail seemed brighter and he turned and followed it. He was almost starting to feel better when the hair stood up on the back of his neck and he had the strangest feeling that someone … or something, was watching him… not only watching him, but matching his movement step for step. He spun around trying to see if Mike was play with him. After all, he was older and enjoyed scaring the hell out of Glen. Those campfire stories proved that. But there was nothing there… or was there? Again, there was that slight movement that caught his attention.

Glen had started sweating now. With temps in the teens, he felt the warm beads of water running down under his arms. He wanted to cry out but his throat had all but closed up and all he could do was whimper. He could feel the warm dark fluid starting to run down his leg. A sound broke the silence behind him. He whirled around and stumbled as his foot caught a piece of wood buried in the sandy trail. Sprawling forward, he landed on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He tasted blood and dirt in his mouth. One shoe had come off. Why in the hell had he left the safety of the fort?

Rolling over, he stared down the trail trying to make out what was coming silently towards him. It was like a piece of darkness had moved and it was coming for him. He could not move he was so frozen in fear. It was then that Glen screamed out as something cold and warm touched the flesh on his leg right above his sock. He continued to scream as the nighttime sky spun out of control… until in his mind he found a place to retreat to… and finding that place, he did what any reasonable right seeking person would do: he dove straight into it.

[PacMan]

This is getting good!!

[bighit8]

Well that was a long story with a bad ending. My eyes burn now. Kidding

[xhuskr]

to be continued in 2008, right? thnx for the fun reading!

[Pain Freak]

Thanks Greg, now I'm going to be up all night trying to figure out what's coming up next and what the hell is touching his leg!

Even though I've read it here first, I'm still buying the book. This is good!

[sdyeti]

OMR...thank you again.

I got goosebumps reading that...seriously!! Wow...great stuff

[genusmtbkr5]

Nice Gregg, thanks buddy. Can't wait for the chapter.

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Good stuff Gregg but what happened to the guy on the bike turning onto that hidden singletrack in Chapter 5? That's what I want to know.

Ahhh a multi-threaded novel perhaps.

KeepsWhatHappens

[bighit8]

Oh I see this an ongoing thing, wasn't aware. To be continued.........

[OMR]

Originally Posted by KeepsWhatHappens

Good stuff Gregg but what happened to the guy on the bike turning onto that hidden singletrack in Chapter 5? That's what I want to know.

Ahhh a multi-threaded novel perhaps.

KeepsWhatHappens

Same guy, John... only years earlier... all will be revealed.... patience, grasshopper.... patience....

[Pain Freak]

Patience hell, I'm gonna kill something!

[foofighter]

man o man...this guy has had these weird experiences since he was a young guy...coincidence? I think not!