The Dead Game (4 page)

Chapter 3

E
arly next morning, Linda woke to a loud chorus of birds harmonizing outside her bedroom window. Her cats were snuggled contentedly at her side. In the light of day, the events of last evening seemed unreal and just a figment of her overactive imagination. She couldn’t believe that Todd and Shana had said all those creepy things yesterday. Even the lingering shadows and the strong gust of wind seemed to be only the result of bad weather and her weird thoughts.

It was a beautiful, windswept morning in early September. The day began like all the others: she woke early to give herself time to stroll slowly along the beach outside her apartment. The small town on the coast of Florida woke early with the dawn. Fishermen took out their boats at daybreak in order to bring in their catch before dinner time. People jogged along the beach; some ran with their dogs.

She felt the cool breeze curl its fingers around her neck and delicately lift the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail—feeling like a soft caress. She took the path that ran beside the beach, passing other residents and some tourists, who were strolling by the beach. She waved a friendly hello to them. Bob, who lived in the town’s residential area, merrily waved hello to her. He never missed his morning jog. The Green family ran by, all waving wildly; the parents and two daughters were training for the upcoming marathon.

The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves caused her to glance up at the trees bordering the beach. Through the tall trees, she spotted the bright sun shining majestically in the dark azure velvety sky. She remembered last night and the eerie sounds of the wind.

The atmosphere in town at night was much different from the one during the day. During the day only tourists, the younger residents, and seasonal residents could be seen walking around town and shopping. Once in a while the fishermen’s families visited town for supplies. Only after nightfall did the older residents visit town to shop or to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. The mysterious parties on the hill took place only after the sun set. What a strange town, thought Linda, when the busiest part of the day occurred at night.

This morning she recognized, from a distance, the man who’d bought the deserted house on the hill below End House. It was a huge modern structure with blacked-out windows. She raised her hand to greet him and his golden retriever jogging close beside him on the beach. He abruptly turned away and continued jogging. He was a tall muscular man with a full head of black hair and piercing black eyes. He had an elegant-looking face with a fine patrician nose. Too bad, contemplated Linda as she continued walking, he wasn’t too friendly. His dog turned his head to stare longingly at her, looking more human than his owner.

Determined not to let this unpleasant encounter ruin her day, she chose to concentrate her thoughts instead on her delightful walk to work. She turned onto Main Street to follow the circular path that she took every morning.

Her daily walk began at the grassy park, which was busy with children playing, people taking walks or jogging. She strolled past Edward and Tom’s hardware store, Shirley’s agency, and Louise’s dress shop. She crossed over a small side street to continue her walk by Hank’s Auto Body Shop and the huge brown brick Town Hall. On the block behind the Town Hall, she was able to glimpse the top of the church’s tall bell tower. The church was a popular meeting place for the younger residents on Sunday mornings.

At the Town Hall, she crossed over Main Street to turn back in the direction of the beach. She passed the sheriff’s office, where the sheriff and his young deputy kept a close eye on everyone and everything in town, and then Minnie & Frank’s Grocery.

She crossed back over the side street to reach her own block. Glancing into Mike and David’s store windows, she noticed that their antique shop was still very dark inside—the green tinting on its windows made it appear even darker.

At her shop she unlocked the door. Each morning as she turned on the lights for the day, she experienced a warm feeling of belonging rush through her. She was happy that she had moved to Oasis, even though she had to force herself to overlook all the weird occurrences in town and to think of them as part of the town’s own special uniqueness.

On Sundays many tourists and residents frequented Linda’s shop to sample her homemade coffee and pastries while lingering to socialize. She loved it when her store was full of people and she could hear the sound of their happy laughter, which helped to wipe away the shadows that haunted her in the evenings. This Sunday she had missed the morning services at church because of the constant stream of tourists who kept wandering into her store.

Later that day Shana came in, bringing sandwiches with her. “I figured that the only reason you would miss church and all the gossip was if you were too busy,” exclaimed Shana, “and I was right. Look at you, knee deep in books.” She sat on the floor beside Linda, setting up their lunch on a blanket.

Linda was busy unpacking boxes of books, which she then carefully sorted through on the floor. “This has been my only quiet time today without tourists,” she explained. Her long, usually silky dark hair was messy around her small heart-shaped face from her long day of bending over boxes of books and serving demanding tourists.

“Come sit down so that we can eat and talk,” offered Shana. “I’ll tell you what everyone had said this morning.” Shana knew that she couldn’t resist a good gossip session. Linda sat down and waited to hear what had transpired at church.

“I discovered that only the younger shop-owners of Oasis have been invited to the party, and not the old-timers,” continued Shana as she munched on her sandwich. “Mike and David had found out that Judy, Gregg, and Ryan have also been invited. Maybe only the people who reside in the apartment complex have been invited…but I don’t know what the possible reason could be.”

“I’ve always told you that this town was peculiar. Please come along with Todd and me on Friday night. Louise had asked Todd if he could also pick her up. I won’t feel comfortable with you going alone,” insisted Linda. She sat on the floor staring at Shana, feeling too nervous and edgy about the upcoming party to eat anything.

“That’s perfectly fine with me. Everyone else is going in groups. Mike and David are getting a ride with Tom and Edward, while Ryan, Judy, and Gregg are meeting us at the house after they get off from work at the hotel,” clarified Shana. “I’d rather go with you anyway.”

“Then it’s all settled,” exclaimed Linda as she continued to sort through her books.

“Why aren’t you eating?” asked Shana. “I ate all of mine already.”

“I’ll eat once I’m done with this mess.”

After they finished chatting, Shana left to go home. Linda worked straight through the afternoon, placing all the books on the shelves. Feeling exhausted she went home, had dinner with her cats as company, and retired early with them for the night in her bed.

Louise was terrified to leave the safety of her own apartment. She didn’t know if she was going crazy or if she was actually being pursued by dark figures. They appeared only at night, as soon as the sun set and darkness fell across the town. Just last evening the shadows had stalked her all through town right up to her front door. Once inside, she’d locked her door and her windows. She was determined to keep out whatever or whoever was waiting for her outside.

She’d hidden in her apartment until the next morning. Only then did she dare to peek out from her windows to check out the deserted beach in front and the huge dark mountain in back. After making sure that the strange beings weren’t waiting for her on the deserted walkway, she’d darted down the path to town without daring to glance behind her.

The rest of the day she’d spent working busily in her dress shop, refusing to venture outside where she might encounter her elusive stalkers. She had even closed her store early for the day so she wouldn’t have to walk home alone in the dark. The identity of the menacing beings remained a mystery to her. She had no idea who or what they were: she couldn’t even tell if they were human. She just accepted the fact that she had to stay clear of them or else risk ending up as one of the names on the long list of unsolved murders and disappearances in Oasis.

Louise had tried very hard to make new friends in town, but it hadn’t worked out that way. Linda and Shana had never included her in their activities. Shirley and Minnie had never been too friendly to her beyond a quick hello or goodbye. She had the sinking feeling that no one in town liked her; even Todd acted evasive whenever she spoke to him.

She was curious if anyone else in town was being stalked; she couldn’t believe that she was the only one. Then she thought about all the young girls who’d gone missing from town over the years. Maybe they’d had similar stalking experiences before they’d vanished for good. These disappearances had never been discussed nor fully investigated. She had to be extra careful in the evenings, or else she could end up like these girls—who, she was certain, would never be found alive.

Chapter 4

T
he grey sky perfectly mirrored the uneasy feeling Linda woke with the next morning as conflicted thoughts raced through her mind. She wanted to know why only certain people were invited to the party and why the owner of the house chose to remain a mystery. Was there a sinister purpose to the gathering? Or was it just a way to welcome the newer residents to town? On the other hand, Gregg, Ryan, Judy, and Todd—who had lived in town all their lives and didn’t need to be welcomed—had also received invitations.

After finishing with the lunch crowd, she decided to visit the other store owners to see if they could provide her with any useful information about the party. She left Patty—the college student whom she’d recently hired—in charge of the store. She was nervous about leaving her alone, but she knew that she had to start trusting people at some point. She couldn’t spend every minute of every day watching over her store. And what harm could Patty possibly do to her store, anyway?

Her first visit was to Shirley, the self-appointed town gossip. As soon as Shirley spotted her walking in, she quickly hung up the phone. 
Who had she been talking to?
Linda asked herself. 
And why hadn’t she wanted her conversation to be overheard?

Approaching Shirley’s desk, she hurriedly apologized, “You didn’t have to hang up just because of me. I only came over to gossip since business is slow today.”

“I was finishing up anyway. What can I help you with? Come sit with me on the couch.” She led Linda to the pretty flowered couch under the green-tinted front window, while she settled into the large matching armchair.

“Have you been invited to the party at End House on Friday night?” questioned Linda as she attempted to get comfortable in the mound of pillows scattered around her.

“No, of course not—only the young people of Oasis have been invited,” explained Shirley—as if this were obvious to everyone. She was looking down as she spoke…busily straightening her blouse and smoothing the pleats in her skirt. Shirley was always adjusting some piece of clothing, realized Linda. Even Shirley was giving vague answers to her straightforward questions.

“Why?” she prompted Shirley.

“Hank and I don’t fit in with the younger crowd….We’re too old and our spouses have already passed on,” clarified Shirley. As she spoke her shoulders began to droop, causing Linda to wonder if she did that on purpose just to appear older and frailer.

“Both of you look so young,” she remarked.

“No. We’re in our seventies,” answered Shirley in a sad tone of voice.

Unnerved by this unexpected answer, Linda quickly stood up and bid Shirley goodbye.

Her next stop was the antique shop. David was busy helping a customer, but Mike came right over, eager to help her, squeezing past the antique furniture that filled up every inch of available space. It was a huge store, but they still managed to fill it with so much furniture and artwork that it made it difficult to maneuver easily through the aisles.

“Hi!” chirped Linda, trying to sound cheerful. “Sorry to have missed both of you at church on Sunday. I’d been loaded down with tourists. Are you and David coming to the party on Friday night?”

“Of course we are! I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Finally, something exciting is about to happen in this boring town,” Mike enthused.

“How do you know that this will be a good happening, and not one harmful to someone’s health?”

“Don’t worry; everything will be just fine; even David is looking forward to it. A bunch of us are going; we’ll watch out for each other.”

She knew that David was definitely not looking forward to the party, so why did Mike claim that he was? Out loud she curiously asked, “Did you know that Shirley and Hank are in their seventies? And they aren’t invited to the party.”

“Who really cares how old they are? You worry too much about silly things. We’ll go to the party and have fun. No one will end up falling off the cliff into the ocean,” joked Mike.

Annoyed with his weird sense of humor, she said goodbye and left the store. Mike could be a jerk sometimes—and he wasn’t too funny, either.

As Linda crossed the street she reflected on how pretty the town was with its quaint multi-colored buildings; its picturesque park with flower-trimmed gazebo; and the pretty church with its tall bell tower and sparkling white color. She wondered again at the disparity in town from day to night. The town appeared beautiful during the day, but sinister and full of shadows after the sun set for the evening.

She entered Minnie & Frank’s Grocery Store, which shared a bright red-and-white awning with the sheriff’s office next door. The grocery had two large corner windows with dark-green shading. She had never understood why each store had some kind of green tinting on its windows. Some stores had deeper tints than others: the grocery store, Hank’s auto shop, and Shirley’s store were more heavily tinted than the other stores along Main Street.

Frank was working the register, while his wife, Minnie, was trying to soothe their crying baby. The playpen was set up in the center of the store—right in the middle of the long aisles of food where customers browsed while having loud conversations. Watching the baby scream and wail at the top of her lungs, Linda couldn’t understand why the playpen hadn’t been placed farther back in the store, where it was much quieter.

Linda hesitantly walked up to Frank. “Did you receive an invitation to the party at End House?”

Glancing back at Minnie, he replied, “No—we heard about it, but we aren’t invited.”

Minnie added, “We have a baby anyway and it’s hard to go out at night.”

“Of course,” Linda replied. “How silly of me! I should have realized that you wouldn’t be able to go.”

Minnie moved closer and whispered, “Be careful….Don’t trust everything that you see.”

Linda couldn’t answer because Frank was monitoring them very closely, casting warning looks at Minnie. She almost ran out of the store. They were strange, and she never did like the sound of their baby’s high-pitched cry.

Unnerved because she hadn’t seen Shana all day, she dismissed Patty, locked up for the day, and walked around the corner to Shana’s mystical store. She opened the front door, causing the pretty bells to tinkle merrily, and called out for Shana, but there was no answer. She looked around the cheerful store with its large collection of perfumes and bottles. There was always incense burning and soft music playing. Shana’s store calmed her whenever she was stressed out. 
Like today
, she thought.

She passed through the colorful rows of beads hanging from the doorway to the back room, and entered a room so dark that she had to squint in order to make out Shana’s still form sitting slumped over a table with cards strewn all across its shiny surface.

“Shana! What’s wrong?” exclaimed Linda, running over to see if she was okay.

Lifting her head bit by bit, Shana whispered, “I saw death and destruction. I had dealt out my Tarot cards over and over again, and each time I drew the same card: the image of a half man and half animal creature. I’ve never dealt that card before. It symbolizes a demon in the form of a vampire or werewolf…or…or something even worse. All my past premonitions have always come true. How could this premonition possibly be true?”

“Maybe this has to do with the owner of End House. He could be an evil person and the card could somehow be referring to him. Are you too afraid to come with us on Friday?” queried Linda while trying to make some sense of Shana’s strange readings.

“I have to attend this party; I have no choice. This is the town where I live, and I have to find out what everyone is trying to hide.”

“Everyone has choices. And who is hiding something?”

“Don’t you think that it’s strange that the older residents don’t come out at all during the day?” asked Shana.

“And the older residents like Shirley and Hank haven’t been invited to the party,” agreed Linda. “Did you know that Shirley and Hank are in their seventies?” Becoming impassioned about the topic, she quickly added, “They look much younger but act much older.”

“We’ll attend this sorry attempt for a party and find out what is really going on. But we have to make sure that we stick close together,” Shana responded.

They walked home together, listening to the noises of the night, watching for any shadows that didn’t quite belong in their quiet little town.