Horror 101

I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of clanging metal and the smell of frying bacon.
I leapt out of bed and hurried downstairs, my stomach rumbling. I skidded into the kitchen just as my mum was piling the crispy bacon onto a plate and laying it on the table. I hopped into a seat and piled bacon onto the plate in front of me. I smiled to myself, grateful that I
was able to eat the oily fried pig strips.

After I had wolfed down three helping of the delicious breakfast, I headed up stairs to shower and change. I headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, cranking the hot water. It was the middle of July so it was freezing. I hurriedly undressed and stepped into the hot water. As I stood in the steamy interior of the shower I thought about what I was going to do today.

Maybe I could go to the park; I loved the way it looked in winter, the trees bare and dappled with filtered sunlight. I smiled as washed my hair, knowing that Ashley might be there. I sighed at that thought, mixed emotions flooding me. I had smiled at the thought because I really liked her, but I sighed because I knew I’d never have a chance. I hopped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I headed to my room and changed into jeans and a sweater. I jogged down the stairs, kissing my mum goodbye and went out the front door. I breathed deeply as the crisp air hit my face. I shoved my hands into my pockets and headed down the pathway toward Sycamore Park.

I reached it in a matter of five minutes and I was glad. I loved living so close to the Sycamore Park. The place was beautiful.

I looked around at the now leafless trees swaying gently in chilly breeze. Their shadows danced lightly on the ground. The sky was relatively clear, and the sun was shining strong this morning. But as I looked across the frost covered lawns, I saw a sight that was made everything else a blur.

There was Ashley laying flat on her stomach, her camera in hand, clicking away at the kids who were running and playing. I noticed she had dyed her hair again but now it was a rich chocolate brown, much more suited to her looks. I stared at her longingly, debating in my head whether or not to approach her. I was just about to head in the opposite direction when she got to her feet. There she stood, looking so different from what she did at school. Instead of being scantily clad in her usual slutty cheerleading outfit, she was wearing tight fitting skinny jeans and a Parkway Drive hoody. Her now brunette hair was tied back in a loose pony tail and she wore black and white Vans on her feet. I took my glasses off, cleaned them and shoved them back on my face, not sure that it was really her. But as she stopped fiddling with her camera lens and looked up for her next creative idea, she spotted me. She squinted a bit then waved me over. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused, but made my way over to her.

“Hey Dwayne!” she called cheerily, walking over to meet me.

“Hi Ashley.” I said doubtfully, wholly expecting Nick and Josh to jump me or something, but
no one did.

“Do you wanna sit with me?” she asked, waving her hand in the general area of the large sycamore tree in the centre of the park.

“Uh sure.” I agreed, shrugging, but in my head I was doing cartwheels a back flips.

We headed over to the tree, side by side, not saying anything. Finally she spoke as we plopped on the soft grass and leant against the trunk of the sycamore.

“I know you must be kinda flipping out in your own head that I’m talking to you.” She said, peeking shyly at me through her long hair.

I looked at her as if to say: ‘no shit Sherlock!’

She coughed and carried on.

“Well I know that the group, myself included, are always really nasty to people, including you. So I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m tired of always feeling like I have to follow Brittany, but if I don’t I know I won’t be accepted. But as you can see I’m going to be me from now on.”

I looked at her, open mouthed.

“Where did that come from?” I asked.

“I’ve felt this way for a while but I never really had the guts to do anything about it. And I’ve always liked you Dwayne. Out of everyone, I always felt the worst when I was mean to you.”

“Thanks Ashley, that means-“

But before I could finish the rest of my sentence, freezing water splashed down my forehead and onto my clothes. I looked up into the branches of the tree, only to see Nick and Josh holding a massive bucket each.

I looked back at Ashley, my face a mask of disappointment. She didn’t see it though. She was looking away from me, her hair making a brown curtain between us. I took off my glasses and wiped the water out of my eyes and slowly stood up. She followed suit.

“Bye Ashley.” I muttered, looking at her.

She didn’t reply, but as Nick and Josh jumped out of the tree and pulled her away, I saw a single tear trace its poignant track down her cheek.

***

I walked off, squelching with every step. I was absolutely freezing by this point. I sighed as I walked up the big hill in Sycamore Park. I didn’t really feel like going home even though I was almost sure I was about to become a snow man. But as I reached the top of the hill, colour flushed in my cheeks and my breath came out in small foggy gasps. I stood there for a while, doubled over with my hands on my knees, before I straightened up. I looked out onto the scene below me.

Spread out in front of me was Ahern Wood, its canopy bristling. My town, Ahern, is seemingly built around Sycamore Park. The hill I was standing on (the Stand Point as the locals referred to it) was the absolute centre of Sycamore Park. Everything seemed to revolve around it. Right now I was looking out over the west side of the Stand Point. As it sloped down the grass became long and unruly and as the land flattened out, a rusty wrought iron fence poked through the scraggly weeds. Over the other side of the fence lay Charleston Graveyard. It was named after the first man who was buried there, Francis Charleston.

Tombstones stood out of the ground like crooked teeth. Their surfaces were covered in moss and some were cracked and chipped. In the far right corner stood a lonely willow tree, its grey fronds mournfully brushing along the ground. Wind swooped through the tombstones, causing the weeds to rustle and a low groan so waft up from the dire place.
I shivered and turned to the east side. It was almost like having two completely different worlds right next to each other. Like a parallel universe...

As the Stand Point sloped down into Sycamore Park, the grass became greener and softer. As the land evened out, flowers began sprouting and the lake was visible. Children ran around the giant Sycamore tree and some swung from tire swings. Lovers sat underneath other surrounding trees or on park benches. Old couples sat around the lake and fed the ducks or gazed into the crystalline water. People jogged along the track that wound its way around the park.

Beyond this, the neighbourhood sat, the houses aligned in perfect synchrony. I could see the school, crisp and clean. Then there was the mall, buzzing with life and excitement.
I frowned, not particularly liking how different the two sides were. It was just too weird. I turned back towards Charleston Graveyard. It was doused in thick shadows, even though just to the side of it Sycamore Park was alive with sunshine.

I was just about to head for home when suddenly a flash of movement caught my eye. I looked back toward Charleston Graveyard. Nothing there, except the wild weeds and wailing wind.

Shakily I headed down the hill towards the graveyard. I waded through the dry, rustling weeds and reached the rusty iron fence. I couldn’t see a gate so I clumsily scaled the metre high fence. I dropped onto the other side, landing face first on the prickly dry grass. I hurriedly scrambled to my feet and looked around. I could see nothing except for rows of tombstones and the swaying braches of the melancholy willow tree.

“Dwayne...” an eerie voice moaned, drifting to me on the cold breeze which was wrapping its icy fingers around me.

I went to call out some kind of response but it caught in my throat as I thought about the countless horror movie victims I had watched die, just by making themselves known. Instead I turned and hopped over the fence, this time landing on my feet and bolted back up the hill.