Redwood High

Chapter 7

At around 4’o clock we all packed ourselves inside Sebastian’s car. While he still only had his permit, he still could drive pretty well. He drove us to the school, which was already going pretty strong. Last year the carnival gathered attention from the locals and everyone was invited. It was a neighborhood thing.

We bought tickets and we immersed among the already pretty large crowd. There was a concession stand, games, and a haunted house in the back.

“Okay we have to go to the haunted house, it’s a must,” said Carol.

“We’ll make our way towards it. Let’s go play some Blood Pong,” said Riley excitedly. I could see why. Todd was playing a round.

“You want to go?” asked Sebastian. I nodded. Why not?

Blond Pong was exactly like Beer Pong, minus the beer. Problem is, I don’t know how to play.

“Let’s see Riley vs. Grace,” announced Carol.

“Oh no, I don’t even know how to play,” I replied.

“Come on,” urged Riley, “it’s easy.”

    “Okay, so what do I even do?”

“You just bounce the ball into the other cup. If it does make it, you have to take a drink from the cup. Its fruit punch that has been spiked,” explained Todd.

Oh, fun. Where is the faculty?

“Okay, Grace you go first.” Said Riley. I picked up a Ping-Pong ball and bounced it on the table. It rolled on the rim of the cup and fell in. Riley picked up a plastic cup and downed the fruit punch.

Riley bounced a ball and it went back and forth for a while. In the end, I the newbie ended up winning.

We played all the games and even stopped for hamburgers. It was… pleasant.

“Grace! Let’s do the corn maze. It’s supposed to be scary so let’s see.” Carol tugged on my arm.

“I don’t do corn mazes.”

“Come on, don’t be a chicken.”

We all finally agreed to go into the corn maze. It was located where the bus stops were. It was Riley, Carol, Sebastian, Todd, and I. Ethan couldn’t make it because of his religion. Bummer.

The senior working in the front was dressed as a skeleton in a top hat.

“Evening children. You dare to enter the corn maze? You enter one by one.”

“Oh hell no,” whispered Riley.

“Choose who goes first,” said the skeleton. Sebastian nudged Todd forward.

“I’ll go, I guess,” Todd said. He entered the maze.

“And then there was four.”

I stepped forward. “I’ll go.”

Skeleton smiled. “Enter, miss.”

I stepped forward and ducked underneath the hay string. The entrance was a long tunnel with strobe lights. I applaud the production value. The floor was covered in hay and twigs. At the end of the tunnel was a rocking chair with someone sitting on it. It was holding a side that said, “Choose your fate”. Left or right? I closed my eyes and chose right.

There was blood smears on the walls and distant screams. I heard footsteps behind me. I snuck a glance but saw nothing. I continued walking. I passed a porcelain doll that had cracks all over the face. I heard the footsteps again.

My anxiety grew and I continued walking forward. More like I sped walked. The footsteps sped up as well. I wasn’t up to being scared. It’s one of the things in the world that I hate with a fiery passion. I ran passed jump scares and whatever else the freaking maze had to offer. I slipped on something and landed on my stomach. Hard. It was sticky. I looked down and saw red. Red. Flashbacks hit me hard. Me slipping on my mother’s blood. I was covered in her blood. As I was right now. I screamed and began wiping the blood off of me.

“GET IT OFF!” I screamed. It was more like goo, so some of it was easy to take off.

“Grace? Are you okay?”

Carol. Carol was here.

“Grace what happened?”

I looked at her in desperation. “Take it off, please take it off,” I sobbed. She grabbed my elbow and led me out the maze. I barely registered that this side of the maze stopped production.

“Is she okay?” I heard someone ask. Carol didn’t answer for which I was grateful. She pushed out the exit and into the cool night.

***

 

Carol, Riley, and I were seated on the bathroom counters in the school. Carol and Riley were scrubbing the excess fake bloodstains on my skin.

“Your arms are okay. I’m not too sure on the stains on your clothes.” Carol threw more paper towels in the black trashcan.

“What happened in there? Carol told me that she found you hysterical.” Riley stopped wiping and stared at me. I didn’t reply right away. This whole time I tried to push what really happened to the back of my mind. To actually forget that it happened. But I couldn’t be lying to myself anymore, not if it could make me even worst than what happened.

“What happened to Todd and Sebastian?” I asked.

“We told them we were on our period,” replied Carol.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Riley did not give up.

I sighed. I had to tell them something to ease their worries. “I lied when I said I moved here for a change. Well, it’s not a total lie. I did want change.  But that wasn’t what prompted me here.”

Carol’s eyes widened. “Oh God, are you in the Witness Protection Program?”

Riley gasped. “Did you see some mafia crime lord commit a crime? I saw that on TV once.”

“No, no. A couple months ago I- I came home after hanging with some friends in a “end of the year gala.” That’s what my friend Karen’s mom called it.”

“Fucking Karen,” Carol whispered under her breath

“I, um, I came home to my parent’s dead.” I expected to break down crying or have another nervous breakdown like I had in the maze. But nothing happened. I said it as I was talking about bread toast or last night’s game.

“Oh my god, are you serious?”

I didn’t know who asked but I just nodded.

“Todd asked me out,” Riley blurted out.

“I’m back together with Ethan,” blurted out Carol.

Bless these two.

***

I couldn’t face Sebastian after my meltdown. I don’t know what’s up with that boy. Something isn’t right in his head. I had Riley and Carol’s parents take me home. I just wanted to sleep. My head also felt buzzy after that game of Blood Pong. How does the faculty even miss something like that anyways?

The sky was dark, and a light breeze carried the laughter of Trick-or-Treaters down the street. As I was walking up the driveway, I noticed new neighbors moving into the house next to ours. The moving van was parked with belongings strung inside.

“Hi, your our new neighbors?”

I saw a young black girl, maybe my age, standing on the other side of the fence. She had light Caramel skin that complimented her dark eyes. Her dark hair was loose in a poofy manner.

“Yes, I guess I am. I’m Grace.”

She smiled. “I’m Karen. Karen Ledvoski. I have to go but it was nice meeting you.” She waved and went to pick up a box from the moving van. Karen Ledvoski.

“Hey, what school are you attending?” I called after her.

“North California Technical Academy! Or just Redwood High,” she called back. I just nodded and went inside the house.

Karen Ledvoski.