Magog

Darkness enveloped Kayla’s body like a heavy cloak. The old wooden stairs groaned and complained with each step she took. Her foot slipped on the damp cedar and Kayla stumbled. Her hand flew to catch herself on the cellar wall. She listened carefully for footsteps above. All clear. An icy chill formed tiny goosebumps on her arms and the musty air hung thick in her nostrils. Kayla wanted to turn and run, but she pushed on.

“Ouch!” Colliding head first into the low hung ceiling, she bit her lip hard to stop a string of obscenities from tumbling out. She rubbed her throbbing head, finding a bump growing already, and Kayla grimaced at the shot of pain.

Something scurried out from under the staircase and into the darkness.

I am not afraid.

Reaching for the light switch, her hand swept through sticky cobwebs that clung to her fingers.

I am not afraid.

At the bottom of the stairs now, Kayla felt a tingle of excitement run up her spine. Tonight is the night.

She crouched low, slithering her way to the outer cellar door and peeking through the dirty glass window near the top. A glint of moonlight bounced off the steel handlebars of cousin Manny’s motorbike between the branches where it hid.

Inching the door open, she crawled out onto the concrete steps and lay hidden, watching for any sign of movement. Kayla felt the rough concrete scrape at her arms. Scanning the bushes carefully, she noticed the cool breeze had picked up, making the small branches flutter and wave gracefully. Her nostrils caught the scent of barbecue wafting in from the neighbour’s backyard. Kayla hated barbecue. Setting her gaze, she pulled the sleeves of her thin sweater over her arms, tucking them tightly under her thumbs.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow move in the far corner of the yard. She held her breath and focused on that spot, silently willing her eyes to adjust so she could see in the darkness. When she thought she could stand it no longer, Kayla finally saw a slender figure emerge from behind the wall of bushes, hurrying towards the driveway.

She sunk lower as the figure came into full view.

Her heart froze in anticipation. Finally, this is it! At first, she could barely make out the shape of the shadowy silhouette emerging from the bush. The porch light cast a dim view over the backyard. As the figure moved closer, Kayla recognized her instantly. Her mother. For the first time she could see her face, outside of the old photographs Dad kept on the wall after she had disappeared.

Slipping into the old Volvo that sat humbly in the driveway, her mother seemed completely unaware Kayla was watching her.

Biting her lip in anticipation, she waited. No one will believe you. Wisdom reminded her. You’ll need some proof.

Kayla reached back into the house for the small digital camera she had placed neatly on the shelf by the door and stashed it in the small knapsack that lay at her feet.

After a moment, the engine roared to life. The old car started up relatively easily, sitting for a few seconds chugging before making a guttural purring noise as it idled on the new asphalt.

Here we go. Kayla slipped the knapsack over her shoulders, darted across the lawn to the large eucalyptus bush and grabbed one of the motorbike handles, pulling it free. Swinging one leg over the machine, she steadied herself and cautiously peeked through the branches. Pausing a moment to avoid attention, she started it up, keeping a safe distance behind the Volvo, which now snaked its way through the maze of subdivisions in their neighbourhood.

After an eternity, with the chilly air racing down her back, they finally came to an unfamiliar part of town. It was deserted. An eerie sensation crept under Kayla’s skin. Why are we in this God-forsaken place?

Driving through the patchy fog which had formed, Kayla gaped at the broken scene that faded in and out of view. The streets were covered with garbage, rats, and human feces. It seemed like a ghost town except for the odd beggar on the street corner looking dejected at his empty tray. Large buildings loomed in the darkness and threatened to crumble onto those who would dare to walk beneath them.

Suddenly Kayla plunged into a wall of fog, blinding her. No longer able to see the taillights of her mother’s car, Kayla’s heart raced. She fought through the cloud, glimpses of a few feet at a time.

Searching the horizon in all directions, Kayla panicked. The roads were empty. Her mother vanished like a puff of smoke, no taillights, no Volvo, gone. Kayla slumped. It was no use. She had been so close that time, but she lost her chance again.

“Where am I? How in the world do I get home?”

“No one ever goes home from here, little girl,” the night hissed back.

Kayla spun around, looking for where the voice may have come from, but found only darkness, utter emptiness. The little hairs on the back of her neck stood. She pushed the feelings aside, abandoning her bike momentarily on the sidewalk to search for someone she could ask for directions. She walked cautiously down the broken sidewalk, peering intently at every shadow as though each were a dangerous thug about to attack. Rounding the corner, it relieved Kayla to find streetlights flooding the area. A little more at ease, Kayla’s pace quickened to a stroll.

A curious sound rose from one of the side alleys. An incessant and desperate moaning. It grew louder as she approached an old abandoned building on her right. Oddly, the sound of children laughing and playing intermingled the now clear moaning of a woman, obviously in agonizing pain. The smell of death was all around her; it seeped into her nostrils. It was suffocating. She looked for the children she had clearly heard… and saw none. The only sign of any life was a dim light in one window. The moaning seeped through the crack in the frame. Chills ran down her spine, the voices of the children were very familiar to her, too familiar, and the laughing… was her own.

Kayla wheeled around. Even more desperate now to leave this place, she headed back to her bike. Beside the bike, an elderly man now sat hunched over on the curb, covered in oozing sores and reeking of alcohol. The man reached out to grab Kayla but just missed her leg as she swung it over the seat and turned on the ignition. The unbearable stench of this whole place made Kayla want to vomit and she couldn’t stand it any longer; pushing the thoughts from her mind and pressing on the handlebar accelerator hard, she held her breath until her lungs ached for oxygen.

Kayla rode for about half a mile until all at once the thick blanket of fog engulfed her completely, wrapping her in its white, disorienting mass.

Suddenly, a loud blaring noise pierced through the cloud and bright lights raced by. Kayla fell back on her bike and came crashing to the ground. Kayla looked up and caught a new pair of tail lights belonging to a large pickup truck swerving all over the road. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a hazy realization.

Get up. You’re in the middle of an intersection.

Wisdom was right, she had to get up and get out of there. She dragged her aching limbs until they were at right angles to support her weight and pushed with every ounce of strength she could muster. She collapsed several times, crashing hard into the pavement.

Move, NOW! Wisdom screamed.

It was then that she heard the shrill sound of screeching tires and air brakes. Kayla spun around in time to see the front grill of a moving van hurtling towards her. The driver tried to steer the massive vehicle to the side, but its wheels kicked out from underneath and launched the entire truck three feet into the air. Kayla frantically scrambled to get away. Her arms flung forward as though she would take off in flight, but she remained rooted in place. Panic swelled in her chest as she crumpled under her own frail weight. She grabbed at the pavement, desperately trying to pull her body to the side.

Bright lights and the sound of a loud horn hurtled closer. A scream that sounded totally unlike her own came out of her throat and filled her brain with paralyzing fear.

She felt a sharp tightening wrap around her midsection. A forceful jerk folded her in half and sent pain radiating violently from her middle out to either end of her body.

Her limbs flung like a rag doll as she rolled and tumbled, hitting the curb with a thud.

Kayla’s head spun. Every bone in her body ached. Am I dead?

Large army boots stepped into view. Then everything went dark.