DESCRIPTION
Carl finds himself lost in "Empire Park" late one night, chased by a glinty-eyed monster, and assaulted by vicious trees. Watch for the hilarious ending... [588 words]
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Aaron Lozier is a 16-year-old, grade 11 student located in Chetwynd BC, Canada. Currently, Aaron works at a local radio station where he produces and hosts his own weekly radio show. While preferring to write technically, Aaron enjoys nearly all types of writing and has been published by the “Chetwynd Echo”, as well as in the June 2005 edition of “The Squid”. Juggling his time between radio and school, he also enjoys hockey, music, and ATVs. His career aspirations include becoming a journalist or broadcaster, and Aaron hopes to attend BCIT in Vancouver, BC upon his graduation. [February 2005]
Still chuckling over the punch line from the late night movie, Carl and Sean said goodbye to their girlfriends, threw on their jackets, and left the cinema for the walk home. As they strolled down the dimly lit sidewalk, they cracked jokes, laughed at each other’s imitations of a character, and made fun of the film’s scapegoat. Reaching an intersection in the sidewalk, Carl waved goodbye to Sean as they parted ways.
Turning towards home, Carl shivered, pulled his thin jacket closer toward him, and scrunched his hands deep into his pockets, attempting to shield himself from the biting wind. The cloudy sky revealed a sliver of moon, adding to the dim illumination of the streetlights. In the distance, a crack of thunder broke the silence as scattered drops of water hit Carl’s face.
Yawning, he checked his watch; 1:13, long past his bedtime. His parents would be furious if they found he had snuck out to see the movie. He quickened his pace, hoping he could make it home before his deception was uncovered. Peering at a nearby street sign, he identified the address, 13 more blocks until his neighborhood. Carl sighed, “Another thirty-five minutes to go… unless-”, he paused, allowing the thought to settle in his mind. “Unless he took the shortcut through Empire Park.” Carl shivered, his teeth rattling as the cold seeped into his skin.
He slowed, coming to a stop in front of a weathered log sign with the carved inscription of “Empire Park”. Warily, Carl stared past the sign, attempting to catch a glimpse of anything that might be waiting for him down the dirt path. He paused, gritted his teeth, and planted a foot on the path. Gradually, he quickened his pace, heading deeper into the darkness. All was silent, save for the intermittent hoot of a faraway owl. Cautiously, Carl slowed to a walk. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Carl he told himself. “What do you expect you meet anyways, a monster?” Carl tried to laugh to himself, but the sound that left his lips sounded more like a feeble gurgle. Who are you fooling anyways, he asked himself, Everyone knows there are ghosts in Empire Park at night. His thoughts interrupted, he stopped a sudden fork in the trail. Nervously, he peered down each trail, racking his brain, trying to remember the right path to take. Regaining his sense of direction, Carl spun a left, hastening his pace.
Suddenly, he stopped, fear gripping him as two glinty eyes stared at him from the nearby undergrowth. He choked, terror waving over him like a cloak.
Carl ran. Scratching, raking, clawing, the branches reached out to him, their long fingers tightening around his face. The raindrops drowned his face, his feet pulsating against the beaten path. Carl could see a flicker of light in the distance, the end was near. Rounding the final bend and reaching the concrete sidewalk, his pace not slowing, aiming only for his house, just four doors down.
Panting and gasping for breath, he reached his destination, and slowly staggered up his driveway. Fumbling for the key to his front door, Carl looked back, trying to catch a glimpse of the dreaded park. His eyes glancing across the neighbor’s yard, he instantly stopped as the same piercing eyes shot beams at him through the darkness. His heart pounded, instantly dropping his keys.
“Meow!” Larry, the neighbor’s cat, scampered up the fence, almost taunting Carl as if you say, “ You run pretty fast, for a human.”
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