“Sometimes you have to break out of your shell in order to truly experience the full beauty of life.”
That sentence spoken by my best friend, Derek, changed everything. It was Friday night and we were in my basement watching a comedy, debating whether or not to go to Jessica Wild’s Cemetery Party.
Derek- always the popular, fun loving, confident and outgoing guy was practically begging me to go.
“You’re such a party pooper.” He complained
“Derek, if you want to go, go. I’m not keeping you hostage.”
“But it’s Friday night! I’m not leaving you by yourself, come with me! It’s a cemetery party for crying out loud!”
“No. No one wants me there. Anyway, there will be drinking and too much PDA. It’s not my scene.”
It was then that he said the inspiring and motivating words that changed the course of that night’s events.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” I laughed
“Am I right, though?” he asked grinning, raising an eyebrow
I took my time to answer him as I allowed my gaze to wander to the mirror on the adjacent wall. I scanned my reflection; my dirty blond hair, my green eyes, my too white skin, thin build, my hand-me-down jeans and sweater. I peeled my eyes off my reflection and looked up at his dark complexion, crooked smile, smoldering eyes and short cropped hair, his broad build. I was the polar opposite in looks and demeanor to Derek.
As if reading my mind, as he so often did, he gave me a playful shove, “You’re gorgeous and people don’t hate you! They just don’t know what to make of you because you haven’t even let anyone in. Just for tonight, stop being so self-conscious and introverted and come with me! Have some fun.”
*
The only parties I’d ever been to in my high school career were with my small group of friends, nothing like this. Jessica’s family was rich. Her dad a lawyer and mum a fashion designer. As a result, she got the best of everything. This party was no exception.
The cemetery was decked out in decorative white lights, including plenty of strobe lights. Music blasted from several speakers that had people thrashing about wildly to the music. There were tables lined along the perimeter of the cemetery, supporting food and drinks of all sorts.
“Bri! You made it!”
Jumping slightly at my name, I looked around at Kyle Summers one of my closest friends.
“Well yeah. Derek dragged me here, “ grinning, I pointed at him accusingly over my shoulder.
“I know.” She chirped, “It’s the party of the year, everyone has to be here!”
Before I could reply, the music was cut and Jessica was standing on top of a pick-up trucks tail gate. The crowd shushed and gave her their full attention. That’s what you get when you’re Miss Popular.
“Thank you all for coming out tonight! Are y’all having a blast?” her cry was met with an explosion of applause and cheers.
“I think it’s time to LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” she shouted enthusiastically
“What games?” what was I missing?
“Man Hunt!” The crowd shrieked, excitement filling the air.
“But it won’t be in the cemetery guys! We’re playing in the woods. Castle Street’s haunted woods!”
A shiver ran up my spine. No one was supposed to be in those woods. They were forbidden. Crazy shit happened in those woods… who were they kidding?
It seemed as though I wasn’t the only one freaking out about playing in the woods. Scared whispers rose, buzzing madly like a hive full of bees.
“She can’t be serious?”
“Did she drink too much vodka?”
“What the hell!”
Suddenly, the cemetery was plunged into darkness as every light went out in the vicinity. At that moment, laughter and screams of excitement replaced the whispers as the entire senior class took off to the woods as one.
It felt like a race against time. I was never particularly athletic, let alone a fast runner. My asthma made sure of that. Blood was pounding in my ears like a death march and my heart ready to jump out of my throat. My asthma was kicking in, making it harder for me to breathe. I felt like at any moment I would go into a full blown asthma attack and die. But that didn’t stop me. I wouldn’t let it. I had to get into those woods. I wasn’t about to miss out on the game of the year… even if they were haunted.
I was panting so hard I was sure I’d be the first to be caught. This was not what I had signed up for. With all my being I did not want to believe something more than wild animals lived in the woods, but I knew better. People did not simply tell the tales of Castle Street’s haunted woods for nothing. They weren’t fairy tales or simple warnings designed by parents to keep their kids safe. No. Horrific and murderous events went on in these woods.
After what felt like forever, I’d finally reached the edge of the woods. The moment I stumbled in, it was like somebody had hit ‘mute’. The silence was almost deafening, pressing on my ears; smothering me.
Still blinded by darkness, I kept my arms outstretched in front of me, so I wouldn’t run head on into a tree. My thoughts were racing ahead of me, over analyzing and calculating my every move.
I’d take too long to climb a tree. But could I make it just running flat out, couldn’t I hide?!
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I tripped and summersaulted into a bush. I landed with an ‘umph’. I felt my way around found myself in a huge bush, surrounded with tall grass which had tripped me.
A slight breeze tickled my neck, sending a shiver up my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled.
I stayed there crouched over in a tiny ball in my bush, terrified. I didn’t allow myself to breathe. It was the infamous mutant coming to eat my soul. I was sure of it.
I frantically prayed to God, pleading for my life, wishing to be okay.
Cold fingers shifted my hair from my face and a startling brutal voice whispered in my ear paralyzing me with fear.
“Found you.”
Suddenly the sound came rushing back. As I sat there in my paralyzed state a horrific smell entered my nose. A smell of death and decaying flesh. I refused to move. I’m not sure that I could have had I tried.
Almost gently he took me by the shoulders and turned me around. A gasp escaped my trembling mouth as I fell backward, gazing up at my attacker.
Derek, my best friend, stood there looking down at me, his face twisted in shock.
“Are you alright?”
It took me a minute to reply, I had to catch my breath and slow my racing heart. So it wasn’t the monster of the woods. Nor anything to be scared of really, just Derek. Boy did I feel stupid. But it was then that I realized something; if I had stayed at home, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t be there having so much fun. Fun, when I had realized I wasn’t going to be eaten by a zombie at least. Fun, when I had broken out of my shell enough to come here and have a good time. Derek was right, you cannot fully enjoy life if you are living in your shell.
