Dream Trap || ONC 2021

Chapter Eight: Realization

Matt and Jack strapped on their jackets, then covering their faces they nodded to the girls and opened the gates. It was still icy cold weather. It never seemed to slow down now. Not even a degree change. It just kept getting worse and worse. When they had arrived, it was snowing like Christmas but now it snowed like Santa Claus was unhappy about his elves were bad. Or maybe because too many children were doing bad things nowadays.

As decided by Jack last night, their main plan was to walk from where they came in and find a ride so that they could get away. Chances were slim because if it was showering icicles, then only the snow-mover machine would be putting the snow aside. But they stuck to their chances. Jack and Matt nodded to each other and began to heave-ho their way back. Each step led to a deep snow imprint. Both of them didn't have any snow shoes because they were going to the beach for crying out loud. But they wrapped around their clothes and tried their best not the get frozen feet.

They passed their cars which weren't recognizable at all. They looked like three lumps of snow. Matt noticed the houses, all of them broken down by the heavy snow. He wondered if they marked off this area and it was just a place, they left shunned aside. He made a mental note to check this place's name on the map. Walking slowly they reached the point where all the houses ended. But there was still snow ahead and it was practically invisible ahead. Matt turned to Jack and both of them started walking again. Then Jack's foot hit something deep in snow. He dropped down and pulled began pulling it out, there was a long metal rod. Matt helped jack and soon they procured from the snow, a signpost. It was dirty and washed up. Looked like something from 1980's, Jack cleared the snow and both of them read the signpost, A b autif l plac with a beau i ul na e, welc to R s ind!

Matt could make out the sentence, A beautiful place with a beautiful named, welcome to Rosalind. Matt raised an eyebrow, he didn't know if Maine district had a town named Rosalind or not. Maybe it did, more support to check the map. Jack whispered something through scarves which couldn't be heard to Matt. The dropped the signpost and moved ahead.

They walked for 10 minutes but they didn't seem to hit the main road. Still thinking that maybe because they were in knee deep snow, they were slowed down but when the time crossed 20, Jack began to worry. He stopped for some time. Matt noticed this and went back, they now communicated through sign.

'Everything okay?' asked Matt, in sign language. Jack told them to wait. They did, then started walking again but this time they were blown away by the sight. They walked right in front of the statue, which was in the middle, but they had walked past it. Matt signaled Jack,

'What is this?' he asked, Jack shook his frantically. Then Jack told him to look at their left side. It was their cabin in which the girls were sitting. Doubt started to creep in their minds. How? Both of them asked each other.

Then they went in the cabin, closing the door. Matt began to remove his clothes and jacket. Jack too did so and began to warm himself near the fire.

'What happened?' asked Jenny,

Matt and Jack looked at each other. How do they explain this? But Matt took the initiative. Getting closer to the fire, he tried the settle himself down. Jack began to remove his shoes.

'Well we started to walk, it was slow and excruciating. We came across a signpost which said that the town's name is Rosalind.'

Check that out! His mind alerted,

'Then we walked even more when we both saw that statue again' pointing at the huge figure. Jenny's eyebrows frowned, Lisa looked at Matt intensely.

'What do you mean?' asked Lisa,

Matt looked away, he didn't want to admit this because this was not real this was not what he believed in, this was all supernatural. Lisa didn't pursue with Matt but turned towards Jack. He looked afraid, his lips quivering due to the cold. He looked at the window, breathing heavy.

'I think we are trapped.' he said,

Jenny, Lisa, and Matt looked at him aghast. Jack got up and went and sat by the fire. He was thinking about it but said nothing. Matt's hand shivered, unbelievable, he thought. Lisa couldn't decide if it this was true. Matt clenched his fists.

'He is right. We walked in a circle. That's why we came across that statue. We are trapped.' he said, there was hint of terror in his speech. Jenny began to look at direction. Is this happening? Is this true? Lisa watched Matt as he got up and picked the map, he traced their route. Lisa went towards him, she didn't want to believe it, maybe they were saying this because they were afraid. She saw him trace the road with his fingers and then he stopped it. He stared at the map.

'What's the matter?' she asked slowly,

He traced the map again and stopped again at the same point as before. Lisa looked worriedly at him, afraid that he might have lost it today. But he showed her the map.

'Now look, we started at Denver then moved over to Atlantic City, then we should be going more up towards Bangor Maine, but these are the towns we passed,' he showed many small towns, dots marked on the map. 'And these are the towns we didn't,' he traced more dots, 'Lisa, there is no Rosalind on the map. There is no town named Rosalind.' he said. Lisa noticed his eyes beginning to lose it, she grabbed him.

'It's okay Matt, it's okay. Maybe they removed it because they intended to destroy this town.' she said, hoping that he would calm down, but he stayed in the same melancholy stage. The third day had begun with a spring of surprise.

Word count:- 1049