Ghost Town

   Stacey beckoned me to come with her into the dark forest at night. A wolf’s howl echoed off the valley walls, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.   

   "Come on!" Stacey exclaimed, gesturing towards the tree line with a big smile on her face. Apparently, I was taking too long to decide because Stacey turned and started walking away from me, into the trees. I didn’t want to stay there alone so I sigh and follow her in.   

   Twisting designs decorate the ground from the shadows and the pale light of the moon helps guide my way. Not that I know where it is guiding me. Eventually I catch up to Stacey who gives me a relieved grin and I return the gesture. Neither of us makes a move to lead so Stacey pulls a flashlight out of her bag and it lights up the ground even more.   

   "Do you have any idea where we are?" I ask   

   "Nah, but don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine." She replies with a shaky voice but standing tall.   

Memories of survival training pop into my head but nothing important comes to mind. As I’m thinking my foot snags on a tree root and suddenly, I feel the coarse dirt on my hands and knees.   

Stacey makes no move to help me and I wonder if she would stay to help me if we ran into a wild animal or if she would leave. Afterall, she had been the star of the cross-country team.   

   I don’t have to wait too long to find out because a pair of eyes reflected back at us from the underbrush. Stacey screamed and ran, just as I hoped she wouldn’t. I tried my best to keep my breathing even and chase after her. The panting and scratch of nails on brush indicated that whatever it was, it wasn’t far behind.   

   My breaths came in short bursts and I stop for just a second to cradle my side. It would be so much nicer to be at home right now, not on this ‘adventure’. I continued running and running until I finally came to the edge of the forest. The trees didn’t look quite right, though, and the houses were all in the wrong places. I must have run through forest. All the houses were dark, since it was so late, and I didn’t have any way to find out where I was. There was a small park with a bench in it where I stayed for the night. I hoped no one would mind.   

   It must have been the unfamiliar place or just the anxiety of my night out, but I woke up just as the sun was rising and before anyone else seemed to be up.   

   The town seemed much more welcoming than it had the night before, so I went up and knocked on the door. An older woman opened the door with eyes wide and a hand over her mouth. I explained what had happened and the woman told me to come inside quickly.   

   There was a warm fire burning in the hearth, fogging up my glasses. Two children and an older girl who looked to be around my age were sitting around the table with awed expressions. The children jumped up and pestered me with odd questions.  

   Eventually the old woman told them to stop pestering me and we went into another room. She asked me to explain again what had happened, so I told her. I was running after an animal had chased me and I wound up here. I stayed on a park bench for the night.   

   "Oh, dear. You aren’t supposed to be here."  

   "We might be able to sneak her out, Granny. No one else has seen her yet." The girl said. I hadn’t even noticed her peek out from behind the door.    

   "Why?" I ask, "I like it here, I’d at least like to look around before I leave."   

   "Sorry," she replied firmly in her strange accent, "I’m afraid that just isn’t possible.”  

   I was a little freaked out, so I decided not to argue. It was still early and apparently everyone stayed in their houses for most of the morning, so we snuck out the back door. The woman showed me a path that I could take near the edge of the woods. It would take longer than my trek there, but it would lead me back safely.  

   “Thank you for your help,” I said. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?” 

   “Please, please do not tell anyone about what you saw today. If anyone finds out about this… Just please keep quiet about it. The town, the people, don’t say anything.”  

   The woman kept checking over her shoulder for something. People were starting to come out of their houses and one man was shouting. I guess I was fortunate that her’s was the door I had knocked on.   

   “Alright, if it will help. I won’t say anything. Thank you again for your help." 

   I didn’t waste any time getting out of there. After about an hour of running I was out of breath and slowed down. It was almost evening by the time I made it back to town.   

   There were lots and lots of people standing out by the forest edge, so I went over to see what was going on. Mr. Fernfeild was the first one to spot me and he shouted and came running. Everyone was so worried about me. I guess Stacey had climbed up a tree while the beast was chasing me, then climbed back down shortly after, and returned to town.   

*** 

   It took a while, but her mother was finally able to get everyone to leave. Megan was relieved that all the nosy townspeople were gone but she was just as nervous about what Mom would say once they were alone. 

   She shut the door behind the last person and latched it shut. Then turned, slowly, and just stared. After a few seconds of trying to keep her gaze confidently, Megan broke down.  

   “I’m so sorry, mom. I know you told me to stay out of there at night and only hang out around town. But she was so convincing. I just wanted to have a good time with Stacey like we used to. Everything’s b- been so different since we got older.” She choked out, tears streaking down her face.  

   “I understand, dear.” She said calmly. “But now you realize that I was right. And why I was right.” 

   She gripped her shoulder and tilted Megan’s face up to look at her. “You know there will always be consequences for disobeying me. Now we must decide on your punishment.” 

   Megan nodded, pulling her chin out of her mother’s hand and backing up. Perhaps telling her about my traumatic experience would be enough, Megan thought, she would realize that I had already suffered for what I had done. There was that promise, though. The kind old woman who had helped had practically begged that she not say anything.  

   If it weren’t for her, Meg would still be out there, trying to find her way back home. Maybe even at the mercy of those angry villagers. 

   “You are grounded,” Mother said. “You will be staying in the house and you are not to speak to anyone. I will be confiscating all of your technology and you are only to leave our property with me to go to the market.” 

   “What! That’s not fair. What about school?” 

   “I will be taking care of that now. Those buffoons at what they have the nerve to call a school never did a very good job of it anyways.” 

   “Homeschooling? How long is this grounding for?” 

   “You need to understand that I do this because I care about you. And as long as you are under my care you will be kept safe.” 

   “As long as I’m under your care? You mean I’m here until I graduate!?” 

   “Good idea, I think that’s a great timeline.” 

   “You can’t do this to me! I’ll- I’ll- Call the authorities- “ 

   “Without your technology?” 

   “I’m sure someone will notice I’ve gone missing.” 

   “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of that.” 

   “Well, I hope you know that I hate you! And I’ll be getting out of here as soon as I can.” 

   “Tut, tut. Is that any way to speak to the person who decides when you graduate?” 

   Megan could not believe this was happening. There was no way she could keep me locked up in here forever. But, unfortunately, the only plan to be found now was to go along with her mother, so she stalked off to her room. 

*** 

   The sun beat down on Megan’s head, the heat made even worse by her long blonde hair keeping it in. Her and her mother were on their weekly trip to the market and the trip was starting to feel much longer than usual.  

   When they finally arrived, Megan said goodbye to her mother and went off on her own. The months of going along with her had paid off and now Megan could enjoy a few hours of freedom each week while shopping.  

   The first place to go was the cupcake stand. Since it was somewhere her mother wouldn’t be caught dead, it was the best place for her to meet Shawn. She was just settling down onto a bench when a flash of red caught her eye. She would recognize that coat anywhere. It was the one hanging up in the front room of that weird old cottage in that weird old town.  

   Although she liked Shawn, Megan needed answers more than a date. She got up and chased after the young woman. Finally, Megan grasped the hood of the girl’s cloak, causing her to turn around.  

   The girl’s eyes went wide, backing away from the Megan.  

   “No. I can’t talk to you. I have things I need to do,” she said firmly. 

   “Come on.” Megan pleaded, “I just have a few questions. I don’t think that’s a lot to ask after how weird you guys were about everything.” 

   The girl sighed and kicked at the ground, thinking about what she should do. 

   “I guess...” 

   Megan squealed, dragging her over to a bench to talk.  

   “I have so many questions! How come I’ve never heard of your town before? And can’t find in on any maps? Why were the people so mad about me being there? Why are you wearing a cloak on the hottest day of the year?” 

   “Woah! Slow down there. I can answer some of your questions but then I must leave. I shouldn’t even be talking to you at all,” she responded. “My name is Red. Yes, I know it’s a weird name for a person. Not many people know about our little village and it is inconsequential so please keep the promise you made to Granny. I need this cloak to get back through a magical portal or else I’ll never see anyone I care about again. And people were cold to you because they don’t really like outsiders. You know how it can be in a small town.” 

   “Wait a second. What was that last thing you said?” 

   “Fear of the unknown?” 

   “Farther.” 

   “Please don’t tell anyone about us?” 

   “Yeah, we’ll come back to that. But I’m talking about the cloak. The magic portal one.” 

  “My grandmother is going to kill me for this but, yes. Now, I can explain everything to you if you just come with me.” 

   “Honestly, anything would be better than my life right now so yes. Where are we going?” 

   Megan let Red guide her through the maze of vendors to a little alley behind the blacksmith’s.  

   “Get in the basket.” 

   “Excuse me?” 

   “You heard me. If you want your questions answered get in the basket.” 

   Red uncovered the basket she was carrying and held out a hand to Megan. 

   “This is crazy but okay.”  

   She lifted one foot into the little wicker basket and hopped in. Nothing happened. She was just standing in an alley on a basket with a crazy girl. Red smirked at Megan’s sarcastic look and bent down. She gripped both sides of the basket and lifted.  

   Megan fell, but not out of the basket like she expected. She fell into the basket. Meg landed with a soft thud. When she looked up there was a small light, the opening of the basket she guessed. Everything started to roll around as Red picked up the basket. Apples and carrots went bouncing past her. She even found a chicken roaming around.  

*** 

   It felt like ages later when a hand reached down, down into the abyss of the basket. Megan gripped the hand and was pulled out. It was pitch black outside the window, the only light coming from a flickering candle on the nightstand.  

   “This is your house, isn’t it? The one that I visited.” 

   “Yes, this is the house. I live here with Granny and Hansel and Gretel, two children who we took in.” 

  Megan laughed but was quieted by Red’s hands clamping around her mouth. 

   “Hansel and Gretel. Like the fairy tale?” She whispered. 

   “Yes, like the fairy tale. We’re all ‘like the fairy tale’ here. That’s actually why I brought you here. I think that you can help me bring an end to a terrible injustice.” 

   “Wow, you make it sound so serious. What do you need?” 

   “First I’m going to tell you a little story. You’ll need it for context.” 

   Then Red launched into a long story about how fairy tales were true, and they all lived here happily ever after, but it had all been done at a terrible cost.  

   “There’s a prophesy, too. I think it’s about you-” 

   “Okay, is this some kind of joke? Do you think I’m that gullible? This is probably some stupid thing that my mother set up to teach me a lesson.” 

   “What? No, of course no-” 

   "What have you done?” Both girls whirled around to find Granny standing in the doorway with wide eyes. 

   “Please, let me explain. Just calm down and I’ll explain.” 

   Red assured her that she’d be back and took the older woman out of the room. But Megan had been left out of everything lately. She would not be kept in the dark on this too. 

  She took off her shoes and crept down the hallway as silently as she could. She found Granny and Red at the kitchen table, discussing what was to be done with her.  

   “She’s the one, Granny! She can break it.” 

   “That’s exactly what we don’t want. We are all happy here, we have peace and freedom.” 

   “Ha, freedom. What’s that? We are still confined to this small village and one stinky market. I want to go out and explore. While I was out last month, I watched Megan for a little bit. Her mother fits the description and the painting of the Queen. It’s even more proof. We can ask her some questions and I can prove it to you.” 

   “Fine. I will listen to you. But I need you to know how reckless this was of you. We have no way to get her back until you go into town again.” 

   “I know, we’ll think of something. And you can come out now Megan.” 

   “She’s not my real mother. The woman you’re talking about adopted me. Red, I want to help. Whatever your plan is, I’ll do what you need if you let me stay. I can’t go back there.” 

   “See, Granny? I’ll show you a picture I took of her and you’ll believe.”  

   After a few minutes of awkward silence and the feeling that she was intruding on something, Megan excused herself to go to bed. 

   “Good idea, I’ll come with you.” 

   The two girls go back into Red’s room and while Megan is exhausted, Red seems to have other plans. She starts stuffing a bag with supplies and opens up the window.  

   “Come on,” she says, “I want to show you something.” 

   Seeing as Red is her only ally, Megan jumps out the window and follows her into the dead of night. 

   They stop at the edge of the woods behind the small park where Megan had spent the night all those months ago. After a few minutes more people began to arrive until they had a group of about eight people.  

   Once everyone had arrived Red stood up and cleared her throat. 

   “For quite a while it has been our duty to rescue and protect our innocent princess. She has been trapped for almost 80 years now and we don’t have much time left. Now, we are all familiar with the prophecy.” The murmur of affirmations filled the air around the group and Red smiled. “She now lives among us and will lead us to victory! Everyone, meet Megan”