Feeding the Myth

Feeding the Myth

by Michael Shimek

The road was a mass of vibrant vegetation. The cracked and worn-out pavement weaved up and down through the forest. Patches here and there revealed rolling, green mountains stretching along the horizon, a blue sky melding from above. The day was nice and warm, with only a little humidity hanging in the air. With the windows down, the moving car offered a nice breeze.

"I don't think it's much farther," Carl said. "My phone says it should be around a few more curves."

"I'm surprised you get reception out here; my phone is completely lost." Ollie had checked his cellphone moments ago and there was no signal. "You sure we're in the right place?"

"Yeah," Sasha shot from the back. "I don't want to get lost in the backwoods of hillbilly country. It's scary out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh, please," Ollie said. "I haven't seen a single person representing that stupid stereotype. I bet we have more rednecks and hicks back up north than they do around here." Hailing from Minnesota, they knew all too well about hillbilly rednecks. "There is nothing to be scared of," he added.

Sasha didn't like being wrong. "Well, we haven't seen everyone, now, have we? I bet the people that run this slide are fat, wearing overalls, and missing plenty of teeth."

In a way, Ollie and Sasha were both right. They didn't need to worry about the people, but the Appalachians offered many mysteries to terrify and cause concern.

The road opened into a small clearing, and Ollie pulled his aging Mazda into the eight-spot parking lot. A small shed stood at the end of two cement chute tracks that raced through the woods; the name of the attraction was painted on one of the building's sides: The Whirling Whimpus. A cut down area running up one side of the mountain brought passengers of the ride to the top on a chairlift. There wasn't anything else. He parked next to the only other vehicle, a brand new Ford pickup. Piling out of the car, the three stretched and yawned after traveling in the car for hours without stopping. Their goal for the day was Charlotte, North Carolina, where Carl had some relatives they were going to stay with for a few days in the middle of their three-week road trip. Signs for a nearby alpine slide perked their attention. It presented some entertainment in the otherwise mundane drive; the mountains were beautiful, but holed up in a stuffy car lost its vigor after a while.

"This looks fun," Carl said. "I hope it's cheap."

"Only five bucks for three rides." The voice startled the three, and they all jumped in place. A man had exited the shed without them noticing. He stood thin, tall, and proud, and he was dressed in a suit and tie, a large grin on his clean-shaven face. "Didn't mean to scare you, just saw that I had some visitors. Interested in a couple rides down the Whirling Whimpus?"

"Yeah, it looks like fun." Ollie was already fishing some money from his pockets. Heck, for five dollars the ride might take up their whole afternoon.

"Hold on," Sasha said. "Is it safe?"

"Of course it's safe," said the man. He showed them how to operate the wheeled cart and laid down a few, easy rules. "So, you guys want to have a go?"

"Yes," they all said in unison.

After attaching three orange carts, he started up the chairlift and smiled as they ascended. "Watch out for the Whirling Whimpus—they get hungry around this time of day."

"What's that?" Ollie asked, but their chair was already too far for them to hear the man's answer.

"Sounds like a nerdy rodent," Sasha said.

They burst into laughter and waited as the ride rose between the trees. Parts of the track were visible through the dense forest, but it was hard to see the true path. A slight humming vibrated from within the woods, drowning out their conversation about how many times they were going to go down the slide.

"Sounds like a bunch of bees," Carl said. "I bet there's a nest nearby.

"Ugh," Sasha piped up. "I am not going down this slide if I'm going to run into a nest of bees."

Ollie was tired of Carl's love interest always complaining—he only put up with her for his best friend's sake. "Sasha, it's probably just a swarm of insects flying by. Why don't you relax and have a little fun."

She gave him the stink eye and shut up. With an awkward silence among the group, the only sound in the wooded mountains was the droning that slowly faded as they climbed higher and higher. When they approached the top, their chair stopped perfectly square on the platform.

"I wonder how he knew to stop it on the spot," Carl said.

Ollie pointed to a camera mounted on a pole at the beginning of the track. "He's probably watching through that." He waved, grabbed his cart, and then placed it on the right track.

"Want to race?" Carl asked, setting his cart on the left track.

"Sure," Ollie said. "First one down has to pay for the other's dinner?"

"It's on. Go on three. One-two-three!"

Carl was off before Ollie could sit down. He plopped down with a thud, pushed the lever between his legs, and scooted forward to try and gain some speed as his cart slid along the smooth, cement surface. Sasha cried and complained in her usual manner, but she was too far behind to hear.

Ollie soared through the trees. The cement dipped down and curved wickedly around the thick trunks. His momentum increased with each passing second, whipping him dangerously close to the rounded edges. The buzzing sound from before vibrated somewhere within the brush, but with his speed the noise quickly receded. He pulled up on the break lever when he almost flipped over one of the curves, slowing the cart to a more guarded pace—winning, of course, was still on his mind. With the end nearing and in sight, he pushed the cart's lever to the floor and raced to the finish line.

"I'm going to win!" a voice shouted from the left.

Ollie saw Carl soar and scream ahead of him, passing the red finish line painted across the paths and coming dangerously close to running full speed into the car tires and construction cone at the very end of the tracks. His friend stopped just in time, and just as Ollie's cart rolled over the red line.

"That was awesome!" Ollie said.

"It sure was," Carl said. "You owe me dinner tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll buy you whatever you want from the value menu from the next fast food restaurant we stop at."

A bit out of breath from the excitement, they picked up their carts and waited for Sasha to come down the mountain. When five minutes ticked by, they got a little worried.

"Where is she?" Ollie asked.

"I bet she chickened out. She's probably still waiting at the top. I bet we can see her if the operator will let us view his camera."

They approached the shed when the man walked out. "Boys!" he said. "How was it? Fun, right?"

"It was," Ollie said, "but we think our friend might have come down with some nerves. Is that camera up top working?"

"Always. It's how I know when to stop the lift. Care to see if she's still up there?"

"Please," Carl said.

He opened the door and let them into the small building. There was a couch, a small TV, a desk, and some magazines. The TV showed a black and white video of the topside of the ride, but there was no Sasha.

"Looks like she's not up there, guys. There's a chance her sled got stuck…or perhaps she fell victim to the Whirling Whimpus." He added the last outlook with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"What exactly is that?" Ollie asked.

"Well, why don't you two go for another ride, and maybe you'll find out."

The friends gave each other a suspicious look but agreed.

Once out of the shed, Ollie said, "He's only trying to scare us, and Sasha most likely got stuck on the track somewhere."

"Yeah, and she's probably screaming her head off while getting eaten by bugs."

They boarded the lift with their carts and let the chair bring them up the mountain once again. They listened for Sasha, but they could only hear the sounds of nature. Halfway up, the buzzing noise returned, and slightly louder this time.

"What is that?" Carl asked.

"I have no idea," Ollie said, chills running down his spine as he thought about the man's warning.

When they arrived at the top, both of them placed their carts on the left path. She had positioned her cart behind Carl's cart on their first run down, so they assumed that would be the track she eventually went down.

"Go slow," Carl said. "I'll be right behind you. She might have fallen off the track, so keep a lookout for her."

Ollie nodded and set off. The cart wheeled down the cement. His eyes darted around the trees, but there was still no sign of Sasha. His back straightened and every hair stood on end when the humming filled the air. The noise got dangerously close; Ollie thought he was about to run through a wasp nest, but the cart traveled around a curve and the sound subsided. He rolled a bit farther when the humming picked back up.

And then there was a scream.

Nearing the end, his best friend shrieked gruesomely before the scream was abruptly cut off. Except for the sound of Ollie's cart wheeling down the track, the forest was silent. He crossed the finish line, picked up his cart, and nervously waited for Carl to do the same.

His friend never appeared. Instead, an empty cart gradually came to a squeaking stop at the orange construction cone. After a few seconds, a syrupy substance slipped down the track. It wasn't blood; it looked more like a glaze—unsettling nonetheless.

Ollie raced to the shed and pounded on the door.

The door opened and the man stepped out with a smile. "Whoa! Hey, now. What's all the commotion about?"

"My friends, what did you do to my friends?"

The ride operator raised an eyebrow. "Why, I have no idea what you mean. Did you not find your lady friend?"

"No! And now Carl is missing. His cart showed up empty."

"Oh, dear. It seems the Whirling Whimpus is out today. I told you three to keep a watchful eye."

"Is that some sort of nickname for a bear or something? Did you let us up there knowing full well that a bear is lurking around in these woods?"

"Young man, I assure you there are no bear in these part of the mountains. The Whirling Whimpus reigns over these parts, and other critters are wise to stay away."

Ollie's heart raced with fear and anger. He wanted to hop in his car, drive back to Minnesota, and forget the whole thing ever happened. He also wanted to slug the man who toyed with them and make him help search for his friends.

"You have one more ride. I'm sure it's just a prank your pals are playing on you, a joke for some laughs. Take your last ride; you have nothing to worry about."

Ollie settled down, rational thinking coming back. The man was probably right. Carl could be known for being the prankster every now and then. He'd probably ride down and find the two making out along the path. See if I buy Carl dinner after that, he thought.

With cart in tow, Ollie set up the mountain one last time. The buzzing swarm invaded the forest, echoing throughout the valleys. As he approached the top, he couldn't help but think that maybe it was a bad idea to go up alone and weaponless. What if there was a bear? There could even be a cougar or something; he had no idea what lurked in the Appalachian Mountains. After unloading and setting down the cart, he found a fallen stick about an arm's length and placed it on his lap; it offered weak protection, but at least it added some defense if needed.

Of course, the stick would not help. Nothing stood a chance against the mighty creature stalking the slide. As Ollie, his cart, and his pathetic excuse for a weapon approached the petrifying buzzing, one last scream erupted from the woods that day.

#

The owner of The Whirling Whimpus grinned as he watched the empty orange cart roll down the slide. He would have to hose it off; it was splattered in a sticky, brown substance—the Whirling Whimpus' leftovers from its meal. Pulling out a cellphone from his suit pocket, he punched in a number and put the device to his ear.

"Yeah, I got another one for you, Bobby. It's a Mazda, but it's a beater, so I'll give it to you for three thousand, and whatever is inside."

The voice on the other end agreed and hung up. The man put the phone back in his pocket and stepped out into the warm air. He smiled as the droning sound faded away within the tree-filled mountains. The legend and myth owned these parts, and a full creature was a happy creature.

END

On the Corner of 5th and Sheridan

On the Corner of 5^th and Sheridan

by Michael Shimek

         Madeline Jenkins had just moved into her new apartment three days ago. After living in the busy and hectic city (which she still loved) for many years, it was time for a change—it had nothing to do with the recent break up with her ex-boyfriend. She was still getting to know the neighborhood, which was a quiet, relaxing, and ordinary area, but it felt perfect.

         Or so she thought.

         It was a Thursday night, and Maddie had just gotten off work at her waitressing job. The job was a filler for the next month, something to help keep her steady and comfortable until her real job as a dental hygienist started at the nearby Klein Family Dental. She had some money saved up and really didn’t have to work, but she liked to keep busy and only sought out something that wouldn’t keep her too long into the night. After her second day at Peppy’s Bar and Grill, she was ready to flop on her couch at her new home and unwind with a pint of strawberry ice cream and her reality drama shows.

         The sun was low in the pink and red sky; the orange ball already began its descent below the horizon. Buildings, cars, people, and trees were awash in a blonde hue. Cool, autumn air and the pleasant smell of fallen and dry leaves seeped in through a small crack in Maddie’s Ford Focus.

         There were two more miles before her apartment complex came into view. She followed a main road, then after a mile turned off onto some side roads. She was two blocks away, in a remote part of the neighborhood, when she saw the woman on the corner of 5^th and Sheridan.

         The woman was young. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, she wore a faded blue dress that belonged in the early 1900s, and her skin was a pale white. A hand rested against an unlit streetlight and her head was bowed; she looked alone and morose. As Maddie’s car approached, the stranger looked up with forlorn in her eyes.

         Maddie pulled over and rolled down her window. “Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with? You look a little lost or troubled.”

         The woman’s lips moved, but only a whisper escaped.

         “I’m sorry,” Maddie said, “I didn’t quite get that.”

         The woman’s eyes widened and darted back and forth. Her mouth opened in a scream, but again there was only the slightest of a whisper. A hand went up as if blocking an attack, and then the woman faded away.

         Maddie stifled a scream. She stared in disbelief. Like a fog pushed away by a gusty breeze, the stranger had vanished in front of her eyes. As quickly as she could, she peeled her car out of there. She rushed to her apartment and deadbolt locked the door the moment she was inside. For the rest of the evening, she huddled on the couch with Fluffs, her cat.

         Needless to say, Maddie did not sleep a wink that night.

#

         During a sleepy next day, Maddie got a phone call from her best friend back in the city. Her thoughts were scattered, and the encounter with the apparition accidentally slipped out.

         “That’s ridiculous, Mads. Ghosts don’t exist.”

         “I thought so too, but now I don’t know.”

         Maddie knew she shouldn’t have told anyone about the little encounter, and she definitely should not have told Jana, Ms. Criticizer of Everything.

         “Well, okay, besides the ghost, how is your new place? Are you loving it?”

         “So far, yeah. It’s a nice area, and everything I need or want is close.”

         “And no more of that jackass, Bryant.”

         “So true. I hope to never see that pathetic excuse for a man again in my life.”

         “I hear you. So, when are you going to have me down to see your awesome new pad and show me the scary ghost?”

         “I will show you! When you come down, I’ll take you to the streetlight I saw her under.”

         “Oh, it was a her?”

         “Uh huh. I’ll show you. She’s real. I promise.”

         The conversation ended with Maddie reciting her new address and Jana taking forever to find a pen and jot it down.

#

         “That’s creepy, Maddie. I think maybe you should call the police.”

         While still keeping an eye on the road, Maddie glanced at Jana and saw a concerned look on her friend’s face.

         “Yeah, I probably should,” Maddie said, “but I really don’t want to cause anymore trouble.”

         “Mads, he’s the one who is causing trouble. This is the second time he’s called and threatened you. Call the police. It’s what you should, no, need to do.”

         “I guess…oh! Here, we’re coming up to 5^th and Sheridan.”

         “And this is where you saw the ghost?”

         “Yeah, right there on the corner, under the streetlight.”

         “I don’t see anything.”

         “Yeah…I don’t either. Let me circle around. Maybe we’ll catch something the second time around.”

         Maddie brought the car around the block one more time, but there was no sign of the ghost she had seen three nights ago. Disappointed, her high nerves and giddiness dwindled. She took her friend back to her apartment where she showed off her new place. The rest of the night consisted of the two women drinking and having a great time talking about the ghost and badmouthing Maddie’s ex.

#

         The woman was standing on the corner again. Maddie drove her car around the block to make sure she wasn’t just seeing things, and the ghost was still there.

         Maddie was beyond tense. Before when she had talked to the woman, there was no inkling that she had been talking to a spirit of the afterlife. Now knowing full well the truth about the woman, Maddie couldn’t stop shaking. She was curious though, and she had to know more.

         She parked her car at the other end of the street. As to not spook the spook, she slowly and quietly exited her car. She crept towards the woman, who looked dim in the darkening sky of the early evening. When only a few feet separated them, Maddie spoke.

         “Miss? I came upon you the other night. I want to help.”

         The ghost turned around. Like the time before, her pasty face was full of misery. Each eye had a stream of shimmering tears rolling down her cheeks.

         “It’s okay,” Maddie said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s no reason to be sad. You might be dead, but I’m sure there’s so much more for you than fretting over your past life.”

         She had no idea if what she said made any sense; she really didn’t know what she was doing, going off what she had seen on TV and in movies. She probably should have researched it more on the internet, but ghosts scared her—she was actually really surprised and proud of herself for doing something like this.

         The woman reached out and touched Maddie’s arm. Frozen solid from fear, a small electric shock jolted her when the ghost made contact. An image of her ex flashed in her mind before quickly retreating. The woman bowed and then vanished.

         Maddie waited on the corner for a few more minutes. With the sun now gone, she turned back to her car. She was scared, sure, but what had transpired between them—what was that shock all about?—made her interest in the occurrence outweigh her fear. Driving her car the very short ride home, she made a promise to see if she could do more to help the poor woman on the corner of 5^th and Sheridan.

#

         “Jana, he won’t leave me alone. I’m thinking of getting a new number.”

         “Haven’t you called the police yet?”

         “Well…”

         “Mads!”

         “I don’t want to cause any trouble! Bryant may be a jerk, but he would never harm me. I don’t want him in my life anymore, but I also don’t want to hurt him.”

         “This won’t be hurting him, this will be letting him know that if he comes near you, he’s getting fucking arrested.”

         “Maybe. I’ll be fine. He can be a pain, but I’ll get a new number and he’ll get over it.”

         “I don’t know…”

         “On to other and more cheery topics, I talked to the ghost again last night.”

         “Talking about a dead person is more cheery?”

         “She touched me.”

         “Get out. Are you serious, Maddie?”

         “Yeah. It was weird, there was a shock and a flash of an image in my head.”

         “Creepy. What was the image?”

         Maddie paused. She was reluctant to say, but she said the name anyways. “Bryant. I saw Bryant.”

         “See, even the ghost is trying to warn you about him. He’s bad news.”

         “Nah, I don’t think it’s that. She looked sad, though, and I told her not to be scared and that everything was going to be all right. I was trying to help her; you know, to cross on over to the other side.”

         “Did it work?”

         “I’m not sure. I don’t think so. She just disappeared like last time. It was disturbing, watching a solid looking person dissolve into mist and then float away. I’ll try again; she makes me feel so sad when I see her.”

         “Maybe you can start up your own business: Maddie The Ghost Hunter! She’ll Send Your Deceased Loved Ones Where They Belong.”

         “And you can be my assistant! I think we could make a great duo.”

         “Ha! Yeah, I’ll be right over and we’ll get this business plan started.”

         “Actually, I could use some more assistance in this.”

         “Mads, I would if I could. I’ve got so much work this week and weekend; I probably won’t be able to come back down until sometime next week.”

         “No, that’s cool. I understand. But I’m still going to try and help the ghost out.”

         “Okay, but be careful, Mads. I don’t want to hear about your body being found torn limb from limb on that corner.”

         “Gee, thanks. I’m glad you have so much confidence in me, Jana.”

         “You know what you should do. You should look online or research at the library and see if there were any murders or killings that have happened near that area.”

         The next day, that’s exactly what Maddie did.

#

         On the rainy and dreary morning, Maddie called in sick to work. Feeling motivated but lazy, she stayed in her pajamas, brewed up a cup of hot chocolate, and spent most of the morning on the internet. She found some good information on how to peacefully deal with ghosts and help send them to the hereafter, but not much on the woman in question; if she wanted to find out more, she would have to venture out. She grabbed a quick lunch from a café across the street from the local library, and then she retreated to the large and old building for the rest of the afternoon. As the hours passed, her luck was running very low. She struck gold when the library was fifteen minutes to closing.

         Elizabeth Caroline Pritchett: born 3/19/1888, died 6/22/1910. She was a daughter, a seamstress, and the wife to an abusive husband—he was a suspect, but never tried. Her body was found battered and bruised on the corner of 5^th and Sheridan on June 22^nd, 1910. Her “unknown” killer was never discovered. After a week, she was laid to rest and became old news.

         She had everything she needed. It was time to help the poor girl.

         It was already dark by the time Maddie left for home. The rain had picked up, and now thunder and lightning were mixed into the equation as well. As she drove by 5^th and Sheridan, the precipitation was thick and it was hard for her to see, but there was no sign of the ghost. She circled the block and drove by one more time, but there was no one under the streetlight. Disappointed, Maddie was just about to exit her car and walk into her apartment complex when her cell phone rang.

         “Hello?”

         “Hello, my name is Martha, and I’m a nurse at St. Jude’s Hospital. Is this Madeline Jenkins?”

         “Um, yes.”

         “Ms. Jenkins, I’m afraid I have some bad news…”

         The nurse continued to tell an increasingly worried Maddie about how Jana was involved in an accident. She was relieved to hear her friend would live through the fractured skull and broken ribs, but apparently someone had caused those injuries on purpose. The suspect was still at large, and the nurse wondered if Maddie knew anyone who might have wanted to cause Jana harm.

         “Bryant,” she whispered. But not because that was her guess, she knew. She knew because he stood out in the rain, a large shadow looming over her side of the car. “Oh, God, he’s here. It’s Bryant Williams—"

         The door opened and she was yanked from the vehicle. Warm rain slapped her face as she flew through the air. She landed painfully and skidded against the rocks and sharp edges of the parking lot. She picked herself up and saw a man about to explode storming towards her.

         “How could I have not been good enough for you? I did everything for you! I told you I would change, but you just had to move on out of the city away from me. I meant it when I said if I can’t have you, no one will.”

         Bryant charged and Maddie ran. In her confused and panicked state, she ran blindly through the torrent of rain. She looked around for anyone to help, but the streets were devoid of life, with everyone staying dry in their homes. Running and screaming, she wasn’t looking and conked her head on a large metal pole. Struggling with the new dizziness, someone grabbed her and whipped her around.

         “I’m sorry, Maddie. It didn’t have to be like this. If you would have only accepted my apologies, you wouldn’t have to die under this streetlight.”

         The first punch was hard against her left temple. The one strike crumpled her to the ground. She wobbled to stand up, but a kick to the chest snapped a bone or two inside and brought her back down.

         “Please, Bryant,” she said, pleading with him. “Don’t do this.”

         “It’s too late, Maddie.”

         Madeline looked up to face the man that would be her killer. She spat at him before watching his right foot raise and descend toward her head. She waited for the pain, but there was none. A pale figure appeared next to Bryant and shoved him to the side. The man slipped on the wet sidewalk and curb before tumbling into the street. The headlights of a passing car bumped up and down in several sickening crunches before the vehicle came to a screeching halt. As the world began to darken, Maddie smiled at the figure who saved her life. The woman who always looked so unhappy and miserable was now smiling and held a look of satisfaction on her face. She bowed her head and dematerialized in a puff of smoke.

         Maddie never saw the ghost on the corner of 5^th and Sheridan again. She looked every time she passed, but the woman was gone for good.

END