A Walk in the Park

“Be careful out there on your walk. It’s Halloween – no telling what things are out there today. Personal misbehavior is rampant today.”

“Oh, Dad, you’re starting to act like Mom,” Alex scoffed. “It’s in the middle of the day, and I’m just going over to Justin’s house to play video games. World of Warcraft again. His parents are home if you wanna call to make sure.”

His dad had been nervous since his other son’s accident many years ago. Jonah and Alex, best friends and brothers, were playing outside in the dirt near a construction site when one of the tunnels they built caved in over Jonah. It was just a fluke; kids make holes in dirt, snow, sand; they like to see what’s underneath and make mazes and forts all the time. The memory still haunted his father. “OK. Bring your flashlight in case it gets dark. And call me if when you want to be picked up. I’ll be home all night.”

“OK. I’ll bring my whole backpack,” Alex joked. “Maybe we’ll do homework all day and study for our math test tomorrow.” He chuckled because he’d never waste a weekend day to do schoolwork. And certainly not on Halloween. He picked up his trusty Jansport and headed toward Justin’s house, not even a mile away on the next road over. Van Brunt Park lie between the backs of the houses, a path he traversed many times. Today would be no different. It was a public park and kids were always out there playing.

Even though there were signs saying “Forbidden Path: Ongoing Maintenance” posted along the main walkway, Alex easily slipped under the yellow tape and followed the rocky trail he alway used. Never a stickler for rules, he didn’t want to waste the extra ten minutes it would take him to walk around the other side of the park.

On a typical day, he’d hear woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals, and the birds were usually noisy, and they fought for the crumbs that the older couples would toss. Today, however, the birds were chillingly silent. “I wonder,” Alex thought, “where the birds are today? Probably stealing Halloween candy,” he laughed. “Or maybe there’s a coyote about. Maybe a bobcat.” He was actually beginning to scare himself. “Where are those birds?” He looked up into the tall trees, bare from the time of year. Nothing moved up in the branches.

He came to the last part of his short journey. A series of flat rocks formed a stairway to the ground near the paved street. His father always complained about that; he felt the county should build a proper set of stairs with handrails in that area. Slabs of rock, especially in the rainy weather, were dangerous. Alex balanced his backpack on his shoulders and was about to take a step when he noticed a giant rectangular hole in the ground at the bottom. “Weird place for a water pipe,” he said to himself. “Maybe it’s for wires. Or lights. Maybe even a real set of stairs finally.” He carefully stepped on each stone, each one wobbling and unsteady. “Why does this hole look like it’s been here a while? There’s grass in it. Is that mold?”

He had neared the bottom stone when he heard steps in the dry grass nearby. He looked over and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Jonah was right there in front of him. “Jonah!” Alex exclaimed. “What – How –“

“I’ve been waiting forever for you to come here by yourself. It’s so lonely here,” Jonah remarked, and pushed his brother into the grave. “Don’t worry; you’ll get used to the silence.”