Eldritch

Chapter 28

It's five o'clock in the evening. Dusk is sweeping through the gates of the high school, where Sophie, Martin and Lisa are seated in the library, going over their plan to lure the Gamemaster to their trap. At the same time, Marissa is pounding on the door to Annie's house. The old lady shuffles toward the door and creaks it open.

'Hello,' Marissa says. 'Mrs Caulfield, hi. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need to talk to you, about my son, Daniel. He's missing and I thought maybe you'd be able to help us figure out where he is.'

As she says Daniel's name, Annie's face softens. 'I'm so sorry, Mrs Stone. I'd love to help Daniel, he's a great kid, but I'm sorry, there's no saving him now. It's too late.'

Marissa pleads to Annie with her eyes, clasping her hands together below her face. 'Look,' Marissa swallows. 'I found the note that you left him, and I don't really know what's going on, but I know you know something. And I'm not mad. I'm just a mom going out of her mind, because I have no idea where my son is or what's happened to him, and right now, as far as I can tell, you're the only person who can help me. Please. Do you have any idea what this is like? I'm begging you.'

Annie looks to Louis who swallows, and nods to back up Marissa's sentiments. She steps aside and allows them into her home.

'So,' Annie says. 'Given that you've read the note, I'd better explain to you about the game first.'

----

Lisa cocks her head toward Martin. 'So, do you have it?'

'Yeah,' he mumbles. He reaches into his schoolbag and turns to make sure no one is watching. Then, he slowly unzips it and reveals the trigger of a handgun. The trio nod and slowly rise from their table. Side by side, they head for Lisa's jeep.

----

Seated at the kitchen table, Marissa cups her hands over her nose. 'They're going to kill him?'

Annie eyes her sympathetically. 'Not exactly.'

'What do you mean not exactly? You said he's going to come back tonight, and they're going to shoot him.'

Annie bites her lip. 'I'm so sorry, Mrs Stone. I meant that they're going to kill the creature inside him by shooting him. But it won't be your son. Your son is gone, he doesn't exist anymore.'

Marissa shakes her head and her wails fill the room. 'No,' she cries. 'No, no, no, no, no. No. He can't be. He just can't--'

Her sobs are muffled by Louis pulling her close to him, and she buries her face in his chest, her cries getting louder. He takes over for her. 'There has to be something we can do. You told us you played this game too, how did you escape it?'

Annie bows her head, her eyes filled with a sadness. She wants to give them the answers they need, but she doesn't have them. 'I'm so sorry,' she cries. 'I don't know. I was seven years old when I played it. And all I remember is that my father stopped it. He died a few weeks later.'

Louis nods. He leans closer to Annie. 'I can help you remember,' he tells her. 'But only if you're willing to help us.'

Annie looks Louis in the eye, swallows and nods fervently.

----

Lisa hops out of her jeep and fights the tears in her eyes. She takes a seat on a large tree stump and Sophie and her twin join her. 'Now, we wait,' she says.

Around the three of them, the eerie darkness of the night begins to cast itself between the shadows of the mass of tree branches.

----

Annie's eyes are tightly closed and Marissa watches in amazement as Louis draws subconscious memories out of her with his tranquil, lulling voice.

'Now, tell me what happened after that. Your father said he was going to find your friends, the ones who had played. Did he find them?'