the time he was within a few yards of the structure, he was actually singing out loud, almost at the top of his lungs. “Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!”
Abruptly, the moaning stopped…as did Kevin. His hand went instinctually to the machete on his hip and he tensed for whatever might reveal itself as the source of that sound. He was ready for a lot of things…except for what actually appeared.
“Go away!” the girl said with surprising menace for somebody who Kevin guessed to be no older than eleven or twelve.
“Raisa!” another voice scolded. “You weren’t supposed to let him see you. He could be one of the bad people!”
To his left and right more small faces appeared; many from out of the graves. Although they were pretty dirty, it looked like they were all girls. Not only that, but the oldest one was probably thirteen. Kevin couldn’t tell. And it wasn’t just because of the dirt. He found that, the older he got, the younger everybody else looked.
Kevin was about to say something. It was probably going to be sarcastic, until he saw bow s come up and arrows fitted into place. The moment changed from one of amused annoyance to that of actual concern for his wellbeing. He quickly raised his hands above his head and dropped to his knees.
“I am not here to hurt anybody!” he exclaimed. He noticed just a slight cracking in his voice, but was too scared to be bot hered.
“We’ve heard that one before,” a voice called from som ewhere behind him.
“Seriously, if you want, I will go back and climb the fence and leave. I promise to never come back.”
“Heard that one, too,” another voice from a different direction taunted.
An arrow plunged into the ground just a few inches from his right knee. A few of the closer faces were grinning like demons. Kevin could almost swear that these kids were enjoying this.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked. He tried to let his gaze sweep over as many faces as possible in hopes that he might find just one that looked like it would listen.
“We wanted you to not come into our safe place,” a voice jeered. “But you did not take the warning.”
“What…those fake ghost sounds? Those were your war ning? Why not just say I wasn’t welcome and ask me to leave?”
“This is our safe place. We don’t have to ask you to do anything.” This voice was almost directly behind him.
Kevin turned and discovered what he was pretty sure had to be a boy under all that dirt and wild hair. He looked this boy in the eyes and was a bit unsettled. He saw nothing but darkness in those coal black eyes that glared down on hi m with no more compassion that one might show an insect.
“Too many of you grown- ups have come…and you always hurt the children.” The boy’s façade cracked just enough for Kevin to catch a glimmer of pain, but it was quickly thrown back up.
“I am not here to hurt anybody,” Kevin said. “I will get up and leave…promise never to return if you let me go.”
“Kevin!” a voice screamed.
All heads turned at once. Aleah, who had been climbing the fence, froze for just a moment. She seemed to be confused by what she was seeing. She shook her head as if to snap herself back into action and dropped to the ground. A few of the chi ldren nearby hissed at her and drew back their arrows in a menacing gesture. Aleah seemed to only consider them briefly before giving a dismissive wave of her hand and striding to where Kevin still knelt.
“Wait for us!” Heather called.
Kevin saw Catie and Heather both swinging their legs over the fence as they scrambled to catch up to Aleah. He saw the expressions change on the children in his field of vision. It was as if he had suddenly been forgotten.
“Is this man with you?” the boy still standing over Kevin demanded. When he said the word ‘man’ it came out almost like a swear word.
Kevin had to wonder what these children had experienced that had changed them so drastically. However, even
Abruptly, the moaning stopped…as did Kevin. His hand went instinctually to the machete on his hip and he tensed for whatever might reveal itself as the source of that sound. He was ready for a lot of things…except for what actually appeared.
“Go away!” the girl said with surprising menace for somebody who Kevin guessed to be no older than eleven or twelve.
“Raisa!” another voice scolded. “You weren’t supposed to let him see you. He could be one of the bad people!”
To his left and right more small faces appeared; many from out of the graves. Although they were pretty dirty, it looked like they were all girls. Not only that, but the oldest one was probably thirteen. Kevin couldn’t tell. And it wasn’t just because of the dirt. He found that, the older he got, the younger everybody else looked.
Kevin was about to say something. It was probably going to be sarcastic, until he saw bow s come up and arrows fitted into place. The moment changed from one of amused annoyance to that of actual concern for his wellbeing. He quickly raised his hands above his head and dropped to his knees.
“I am not here to hurt anybody!” he exclaimed. He noticed just a slight cracking in his voice, but was too scared to be bot hered.
“We’ve heard that one before,” a voice called from som ewhere behind him.
“Seriously, if you want, I will go back and climb the fence and leave. I promise to never come back.”
“Heard that one, too,” another voice from a different direction taunted.
An arrow plunged into the ground just a few inches from his right knee. A few of the closer faces were grinning like demons. Kevin could almost swear that these kids were enjoying this.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked. He tried to let his gaze sweep over as many faces as possible in hopes that he might find just one that looked like it would listen.
“We wanted you to not come into our safe place,” a voice jeered. “But you did not take the warning.”
“What…those fake ghost sounds? Those were your war ning? Why not just say I wasn’t welcome and ask me to leave?”
“This is our safe place. We don’t have to ask you to do anything.” This voice was almost directly behind him.
Kevin turned and discovered what he was pretty sure had to be a boy under all that dirt and wild hair. He looked this boy in the eyes and was a bit unsettled. He saw nothing but darkness in those coal black eyes that glared down on hi m with no more compassion that one might show an insect.
“Too many of you grown- ups have come…and you always hurt the children.” The boy’s façade cracked just enough for Kevin to catch a glimmer of pain, but it was quickly thrown back up.
“I am not here to hurt anybody,” Kevin said. “I will get up and leave…promise never to return if you let me go.”
“Kevin!” a voice screamed.
All heads turned at once. Aleah, who had been climbing the fence, froze for just a moment. She seemed to be confused by what she was seeing. She shook her head as if to snap herself back into action and dropped to the ground. A few of the chi ldren nearby hissed at her and drew back their arrows in a menacing gesture. Aleah seemed to only consider them briefly before giving a dismissive wave of her hand and striding to where Kevin still knelt.
“Wait for us!” Heather called.
Kevin saw Catie and Heather both swinging their legs over the fence as they scrambled to catch up to Aleah. He saw the expressions change on the children in his field of vision. It was as if he had suddenly been forgotten.
“Is this man with you?” the boy still standing over Kevin demanded. When he said the word ‘man’ it came out almost like a swear word.
Kevin had to wonder what these children had experienced that had changed them so drastically. However, even
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