"The Field" by Hannah

Chapter 2

Penny lead us- or, should I say, dragged us- for a short way, to a little paved area behind a gas station. We sat at the base of an old rusting intercom, cross legged on the asphalt. Penny glanced at her watch now and then. We sat there for three minutes until I threw my arms up in surrender. "What is this about-"

Before I could finish, the intercom screeched. An eerie, plastic voice rang out into the autumn air. It simply announced the same words over and over again. "Three Three Seven. Three Three Seven. Three Three Seven. Three Three Seven..." After about 30 seconds of repeating this action, it stopped. In a crisp, pre-recorded voice, the intercom said "May you find your way out, one way or another." With that, the announcement was over.

Jackie and I exchanged looks and then turned to Penny, who sat calmly chewing on a blade of grass. A smug little smile curled onto her lips. "Cole Ginger was the 337th person to disappear into The Field. He's never coming back. That's what the "Wanderer's List" is, it's all the people who have vanished in there. But it is something that is unspoken of! If someone disappears in The Field, their name is never supposed to be mentioned again, not even by their family members. It's just the way it is." After hearing those words, my mind was spinning with thought. I was in such a daze, the world was so fast. Penny removed the blade of grass from her mouth and proceeded to split it into different pieces. "If you are out after dark, there isn't a doubt in the world that you aren't coming home. Things happen after dark in Brookwood, especially if you live in a mile's radius of The Field. Noone knows who or what does this, or why they do it, or where these people disappear to, but it's pretty evident that The Field is a dangerous place, and I want you to listen to me," Penny studied Jackie and I, as we nodded understandingly. "I want you to never repeat anyone's name after they become a member of the "Wanderer's List", it's highly disrespectful. And I never want to catch you out after dark. Is that clear?" Penny's usually playful blue eyes seemed gray in the grim atmosphere. Jackie and I nodded our heads "yes". The wind had begun to pick up, scattering leaves across the pavement. Penny kissed the blade of grass and whispered: "This is for you, Number 337." she then released the piece of grass into the breeze, never to be seen again, just like Cole.

We all stood there in silence, absorbing the sense of loss and plainness of the world, just letting what we had just heard seep in. My thoughts were shattered by the sound of a siren going off on the intercom. Penny stood up straighter. "Guys that's the Dark Warning. When you hear that it means that you have 5 minutes to collect yourselves and get

the hell inside before nightfall. Let's run home." So that's just what we did. We ran as fast as we could, as if we were being chased by night creeping up on us, and didn't stop running until we were at our front doors. From our porch, Jackie and I waved goodbye to Penny, then locked ourselves inside, never so happy to be home in our lives.