Wicked Weave

I COULD SEE THE FIGURE IN THE TUNNEL. I could hear the tiny little peeps that it made from where I was standing, trying to shine my cellphone light into the darkness. It shivered and made me gasp! I stepped back, “Hello…? Are you okay?”

A shaky little girl voice replied, “N-no…”

“Can you see my light? Come towards the light.” <Bad choice of words Sally!> I thought as I leaned back into the darkness.

“I’m scared.” The little girl replied.

“I know, honey. But you have to come closer to where I can see you.” I sure as hell wasn’t going into the tunnel. Everyone knew that it was haunted. Why was the girl in there anyway!? “See my light?” I took another step into the darkness. It was suffocating, wrapping cold arms around me. “Come on, sweetie.”

“You have to come get me,” the girl cried.

<Oh for God’s sake!> I thought. I stepped confidently into the darkness, but quickly lost my courage as it felt like light was closed off behind me. The dull glow of the streetlights was in the distance. My cellphone created an orb around me, but even it felt like it was becoming weak. “Can you see my light?” I called into the shadows.

There was silence.

“Little girl?” I asked the eery quiet. The slosh of water caused me to jump, “Fuck!” I gasped.

“I — I’m over here.” The girl whimpered. She’d moved.

“Stop moving!” A chill slithered up my spine. I froze! I could feel each of my arm hairs grow taut. “Come towards me!”

“I’m trying.” The girl’s voice sounded as if she was on the opposite side of the tunnel — and further.

<Damned kid!> I thought. I flashed my light as far as it could go. The darkness just ate the light, consuming it until there was nothing. I couldn’t even hear the girl breathing — or moving. “Girl!” I called. I was starting to lose my patience.

“Mommy always said that I shouldn’t wonder at night.” Now the girl sounded from behind me!

I spun, using the light of my cellphone as a weapon. It was all that I had. “Where are you!” I was angry now. Every primal alarm was going off in my gut. I could see the streetlights feet behind me. “Girl!?”

“I — I’m over here,” her voice quivered. She was scared. People could act irrationally when they were scared.

“Just sit still. I’ll come to you,” I began moving towards the moving shadow that had to be the girl. It was hard to see her, but if I used the very edges of my vision it seemed that she came into view, almost like I wasn’t meant to look at her straight on. Or maybe my age was finally getting my eyes.

“I’m scared,” the girl said.

“I know,” <Me too,> I thought. “Just sit still. I’m almost to you.”

As I drew closer I could see her huddled up against a fallen part of the wall. She was wearing a puffy snow jacket that was bright purple and hot pink. Her knees were pressed up against her chest. She had her arms wrapped around her shins. “Just sit still.” I said.

Then the light on my cellphone flickered. <What the…!> I smacked my phone on my palm. <This can’t be happening. I’ve seen this horror movie. What the fuck am I doing here!?> My phone beamed with light. It fell across the girl’s cherubic face. She looked so sweet. Her eyes were filled with tears. She was visibly shivering. “It’s okay,” I said as I went to bend down towards her — when my phone died. I know I had more than 50% power!

The darkness was a living thing now. It was constricting. A snake slowly wrapping its power around me. And it was hungry! I stutter-stepped towards the wall. I needed something to hold onto. Something to ground myself! I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything! “Girl?” I called into the darkness. I needed to hear her voice. Anything! The wind whispering through stone. The drip of water. I was desperate. “Girl!? Talk to me!”

“Okay mama!” I spun towards the girl’s voice, because she was behind me. My cellphone light beamed on. The girl was standing with her back towards me, but what I was looking at was a big black jaw made from her long black hair! The demon mouth opened showing all the shiny metallic teeth!

I screamed before the mouth clamped around my head. I remember feeling blood squirt through my ears like they had been full of water and it was squeezed out of me. I remember seeing the girl look at me with the side of her face. She wore a devilish smile and flashed teeth just as sharp as the monstrosity that lived in her ponytail.

I remember thinking that I’ve seen this horror movie — just before I lost feeling and sight and hearing and everything went to black.