Circle

by Derek Stanley

We were laughing, having a good time, singing songs around the campfire. Rocking back and forth to the music, singing out of key, and cuddling up with who ever we wanted, we didn’t have a care in the world. Everyone I cared about was there, and... Well... it went all wrong. We in the middle of singing “American Pie” when a fog creeped in surrounding us. We began to shiver and neared the fire as our breath clogged the air with moisture. However, the fire no longer gave any heat. Huddling together, and wrapping ourselves in blankets, we tried staying warm but nothing worked. People started shaking wildly as the fog became thicker. I squinted, but could barely see anything out of the campsite. Then a screech worse than a thousand nails on a chalkboard entered our ears. It defeated us, as we started screaming in pain and falling to the ground. The dirt around us began separating into a curved line like a finger being pushed by a child in sand, as the screeching continued. Our ears started to bleed. The fog in the air turned black as night and we began to choke. We were gasping for breath, surrounded by a black screen as the circle was completed and the noise stopped. I looked around and half of the people were gone.

“Hey everyone get to the fire.” But only the people in sight came close to the fire the rest stayed hidden in the darkness. A voice no one recognized echoed out of the darkness

“Smart boy.”

The adult, John, stepped up. He was tall and well built. Growing up he had been like an older brother to me, taking me to amusement parks and teaching me little tricks. He had always defended me when I was in trouble. Now was no different.

“Who’s there? Show your self!” No response. John walked out of the circle and into the darkness. Silence consumed the air with nothing but the sound of the crackling fire. A metallic tang entered my mouth as my eyes started to close. Then, out from the darkness was a shriek, a terrible scream of pain and anguish.

“HELP ME!!!”

The sound of skin being torn from muscle entered our ears like peeling the skin off a carrot and muscle torn off of the bone followed like the ripping of duck tape off of human skin. Someone in the group yelled,

“Duck!”

At that moment, clean bare bones flew through the air towards us. We knew they were John’s. Some of us cried; Cried for our lives and for our friends. I cried for I had lost part of my family. Suddenly, my best friend Adam yelled,

“Guys, look, a clearing!”  

“What are you talking about? We are surrounded.” I was too late calling out. He started to run straight into the darkness. But unlike last time there was no silence after he left us. Another low grunt sounded,

“Hello”

The sound of a heart beat rang around us as if on surround sound. A slow bu-bump bu-bump bu-bump it sped up and we knew it was Adams. bu-bump bu-bump bu-bump bu-bump faster and faster. bu-bump bu-bump -------- Silence. Then his heart flew through the air and landed in the fire. Thump.  Adam’s lifeless body was revealed to us on the edge of the circle with a hole straight where his heart should lie. He didn’t deserve this; he was a good kid. He was always there when my heart was broken and was always willing to talk. We had been side by side since kindergarten. I couldn’t take it.

“What do you want?!”

Silence came in return. After minutes of anxiety Adam’s lifeless body began to speak.

“You, Greg. All I want is you and then I will leave this place, for good. Or who would you like to die next?”

The scary part was their was no tone in his voice, just straight words. His threat didn’t sound quite right yet the more I thought, it was all the more. Without thinking I started to walk. I put my foot outside of the circle but something pulled me back.

“No Greg, you can’t. We all want you here. We can sit it out. Don’t be a hero. It’s a trap.” I turned and saw Grace, my ex-girlfriend, tears streaming down her face, her make-up spreading all over her face. I stared to turn to head back, but then something grabbed my ankle and started to pull. Grace and the others grabbed my arms and tried to pull me back.  It felt like I was tied to two horses walking in opposite directions, ripping the bones from the ligaments that attached them. Then of coarse Adam had to start talking.

“Let him go. He’s mine.” It wasn’t just Adam’s voice though. Their was another. And that moment it tugged harder, just for a moment it let go, and I was launched forward into everyone, knocking them down. It didn’t seem right; something was wrong. Why would that thing in the darkness just let go like that? Then I realized the circle it was getting smaller. Narrowing in on us. Losing space we all went to the center. Looking around I noticed our numbers had dwindled from 15 to 5. Grace, Luke, Alissa, Hank, and I were the only survivors left. The circle stopped with a little room to walk around. We all sat down in relief.

“Grace, of all the people to grab me I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“Is now really the time Greg?”

“Well considering we could die at any moment, yes.”

“Just because you broke my heart does not mean I stopped caring. You were and are the only light to me. In fact you seem to be glowing, keeping the darkness away.

The others looked towards me and then around. The fire was gone taken by the darkness. The only light was emanating... from me.  What was I? Some sort of freak? I looked at myself from all the angles I could. I was positive, the light was coming from me. I stared at the four of them. They seemed to get smaller bit by bit as my vision started to fade. Black covers my mind, I can’t see at all. I start to feel pain, subtle pain. It’s an itch of life leaving my muscle and blood from my veins being clotted with black and green molecules like fungi. My life faded from me. I was left in darkness.

Light shined on my eyes as I wearily woke. My neck was wet and warm with blood. The stream followed down the chin and split down my neck. Grace’s tears dropped on too my leg as her sobs echoed into my ear. The smell of rot and decay shifts in my nose. I move my head and look around. To both sides, dead bodies lie with gashes in the chest and side missing limbs were spread around the campsite. Maggots feasting on the blood wet muscle inside. Bones poking out of the deflated coarse dry skin. I shifted into a sitting position. It was morning and the sky had cleared. No more darkness, no more dreams and only reality and death.

“Grace... Grace!”

“Oh thank god you are alright. Everyone else is dead. Everyone except us. I thought I was the only one.”

“No I’m here. Hey, I’m here. It will be ok.”

His shoulders became soaked in tears as he patted Grace on the back. After a while there was no more tears and the two of them stayed hugging surrounded by the death of their friends.

“What happened after I passed out?”

“Adam... He...”

“Take your time.”

“He stood up and walked through the darkness and came after us. Frightened Luke, Alissa and Hank away. They... They ran into the darkness and were torn apart. I saw it too. It... It had... It was... It was terrifying. At least you’re still alive. Can you be mine just for now.”

Then it clicked. She was the one who said I was hers when the beast had grabbed me. I looked into her eyes. They were so alone, yet a hint of darkness. The sun started to fade into darkness once again. A deep snarl sounded from the behind me. The grass around him started to wither and the vibrant green turned gray and dull.

“What? What are you doing?”

“You will be mine Greg. I promised I would never give up hope.”

The terrible screech returned, flipping my insides twisting the organs together. My pores started to widen and bleed. The warm blood leaving my cold body covering it. I looked around in agony to see my dead friends turn to look at me. Scarred faces. Blood cover hollowed eyes, decay had become them. They were screaming, like skulls with their mouths wide open letting death and pain escape.

The circle is drawn and I am surrounded by darkness and my friends that lie within it. Slowly the circle shrinks closer and closer. All the voices of the dead enter my ears.

“Join us. Join us.”

“Join me Greg. I love you.”

“How could you do this Grace? You killed everyone just to be with me! Of all people me! Stop it before you kill me!”

Then the light cleared through the darkness. And I saw its... its eyes gleaming. Darkness of red, with yellow pupils. They were filled with blood and hate. Then SLASH! And I was dead. Ripped right in half. It tore through me, muscles turning to shreds and pieces. Fresh warm, meat that looked like you could eat for dinner on a plate. The cutting felt like knifes being jabbed into the stomach and being pulled up. It hit my spine and took the bone and snapped it in half. My face shocked and sorry lay there lifeless as it devoured me. I watched Grace as satisfaction came to her face. Eventually she left and the beast with her and my body was left with other. I was left open. Organs and muscles ripped apart covered in the blood that once flowed through my body. My friends have all died at my side, while Grace still walks the Earth. It was forever known as Grace’s Graveyard.

So, any questions?

Derek Stanley is a writer who is inspired by everything he sees and experiences. He transforms life from a raw form into something he can feel and understand. He has a dark mind, yet words of all kinds find their way to the page. He is something... Different.