This story is by Calvin Dewell and was part of our 2018 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
I huddled in the trunk of the van. Backpacks, suitcases, my makeup bag, and sleeping bags. I buried myself under them. Utter silence. The silence was nerve racking. Where’s the police? Sirens? Ambulance? Unlike the screaming ten minutes ago, now only silence. I felt confused, shocked, and scared.
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I heard a jarring sound just outside the door. It took my breath away.
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I heard the jiggling of the door handle, over and over again.
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Then silence. I prayed under the bags. “Please, oh God, please, please, God–”
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Bam! Sweat dripped down my forehead.
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Bam.
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Bam.
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Crack.
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Shattering sounds of glass. Then I heard the mini-van doors unlock. Sweat dripped down my brow making me blink. The door to the passenger front seat was opened. Then sounds of something crawling over the seats.
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Click-Clack. Click-Clack.
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I bit my fingernails.
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Click-Clack. Click-Clack.
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The clicking was getting closer.
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I was hysterically breathing in and out. I struggled vainly to make no sound. My moaning was now closer to a scream. But, the car keys! Trying to get my hand to the car keys in my pocket. The clicking stopped. It must have heard me. My hand scrambled into my pocket. If I could just click the car alarm button.
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Suddenly an ashy black skull appeared over the backseat. I couldn’t press the button. My eyes couldn’t move or focus. I couldn’t blink or scream. My body couldn’t move a muscle. I screamed in blind terror, but only in my head. I was utterly terrified and couldn’t twitch a muscle as I stared into its eyes. It put me into some sort of trance. Each eye was like a fiery mirror. I could see in its eyes the reflection of the whole trunk. My brain told me to scream, but I couldn’t breathe. My sore eyes couldn’t blink. The skull stood motionless as my lungs burned. I was horrified, and I couldn’t think. Then the skull disappeared. I gurgled a small scream as my whole body recoiled with a spasm. The car alarm went off as I had pressed the button. Then everything went black.
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I opened my eyes. Heat rolled over me; I felt cramped. I panicked like I was buried alive. Felt trapped. I struggled and thought I was going to die. Suddenly, everything came to me like a sledgehammer. I cried. My family, captured! It’s all my fault, why didn’t I help them? I was so scared. I was thinking only of myself and ran away. I’m such a coward! Daniel! Josh! Please forgive me! Dad, I’m sorry I let you down. I can’t be like a hero in some stupid story. I need help. Where, where? Wait, Solomon! Yes, yes. Dad told me that if I ever needed help I should go and find him.
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With these thoughts, I calmed myself. I felt better. I climbed out from the bags. I combed my reddish hair and put it in a ponytail. Suddenly, my throat felt very dry, and unbearably hot like an oven. The water cooler! Eagerly, I stood up. I saw nothing through the minivan’s windows. Then I hurled myself over the backseat. I carefully stayed as low as possible. There between the front seats was the cooler. I opened it and found a Coke. I drank it greedily. Refreshed, but still feeling hot.
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I got to the front seat. I took the remote out of my pocket, but no car keys. I panicked. The key ring was torn from the remote. I looked behind me. I must have lost them, but where? Then I remembered. I crawled over to the front seat. Through the window I saw them. I hesitated. Then I checked the rear view mirrors. I scanned around me. To the left of the van was a black sedan. I opened the door as silently as possible. Then, half closed it. I stooped to one knee and dropped to the asphalt. I crawled over and reached for the keys. I stuffed them in my pocket, and looked in front and behind me. Then, I looked from side to side. I was struck with horror. A dead man was under the car, a very dead looking man. His eyes were wide open and very pale. It looked like he was staring at me, like he wanted to tell me something. It was a police officer. I wondered what happened last night. I shuddered. And in his right hand was a gun. Was it loaded? I looked around for the third time.
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Click-Clack.
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Without a moment’s hesitation, I crawled under the car. I stared into the policeman’s lifeless eyes.
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Click-Clack. Click-Clack.
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I froze. Footsteps came from either direction. Now I really began to panic as I was trying loose the gun from the dead man’s hand. The clicking stopped. Desperation made my whole body tremble. I struggled to open his fingers, but they were stiff and cold. He was still staring at me. I blinked. Did his eyes move? Terror came over my soul. I blinked again. I thought they moved. I heard the sound of the van door opening. I couldn’t move my head under the car. I stayed there, helplessly. The dead man stared into my eyes. No. I closed my eyes. Just my imagination. Now the van door closed. I jerked the gun out of his hand. The footsteps went away. I stayed under the car for a long time. Then I crawled out and grabbed the handle of the van door.
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Then I saw it in the rear-mirror!
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I choked back a scream. A black skeleton was standing, facing the rear window. My heart thumped like crazy. In the mirror I could see that the skeleton was standing upright, only it’s head was tilted to one side. Its eyes were closed, and the rib cage was moving up and down. Breathing? Wait, sleeping?
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I slowly opened the van door without a sound. Then one of its eyes opened. I saw my body reflected in its eye. I froze in terror. I turned my head to face it. I paused. Now both of its eyes were closed. I simply stared. I turned back to the rear window. Now, both of its mirror-like eyes were wide open. Turning around, I raised the gun. I pulled the trigger, but it misfired. I paused. It pointed with its finger at the window of the van. I looked, and I screamed as a skeleton’s hand burst out of the window. It grabbed my shirt. The black skeleton charged. I ran, tearing my sleeve as I ran. Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t want to look back anyway. Can’t be hypnotized again. Then I stopped running. All over the parking lot, skeletons came out from under the cars and behind them. They surrounded me in an instant. They formed a tight circle. All their bony hands were linked together. Their silvery eyes were all staring at me.
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Click-Clack.
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I turned around facing the black skeleton. It raised its knife. Then its silvery eyes turned red. All the eyes turned red. I was in a trance again. I couldn’t breathe, move, or blink.
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Then it started towards me.
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Suddenly I realized, I will die. I will die. I will die. I’m no hero.
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It grabbed my shoulder. I saw my reflection from many angles. I saw a terrified girl in dirty clothes.
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It pressed the knife on my neck. I felt stinging pain. Everything was going dark.
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Why? Why, should it end like this? Dad, Daniel, Josh! I can’t leave you now. No! No! No! If I could just move, just do anything. With what little energy I had left, I tried to conjure up all of my willpower. My whole body tensed up. Then, I felt a tug in my gut. It’s like when you are about to throw-up. Suddenly, my whole body heaved, and this huge fireball flew out from my body! There was a sound like a sonic boom. Then, all I heard was the crackling sound of fire. The smell of burning rubber was strong. Coughing from the smoke around me, I slowly opened my eyes.
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Vehicles and skeletons were all burning everywhere around me. Everything was red and yellow. The sheer heat made my vision hazy. The knife was molten red and losing shape.
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I realized something. I realized that I had the power all along, and Solomon can tell me how I should use it. Now I know what I need to do to save my family.
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