So on they went, going to every house on the block. They ran to the Masons’ house, skipped over to grumpy Mr. Billium’s, then dodged a pack of teenagers and sprinted to old Mrs. Cornfield’s. Just before the block ended, they walked up to Mr. Cugini’s house.
“What’s up?” he said when he opened the door. He had a 1980’s work-out instructor outfit on, which the girls found amusing. They grabbed some candy from the bowl he held out to them. Unfortunately, the teenagers from before were back and gaining on them quickly.
“Bye!” Lily and Heather said in unison, turning and fleeing for the sake of their candy. The teenagers followed. The girls raced around the back of Mr. Billium’s house, thinking that they would lose the teenagers. It didn’t work.
Finally, Heather pulled Lily into a grove. The teenagers ran to catch up, but then they grumbled amongst themselves; the girls could even make out some of what they were saying: “You gonna go in there? Nah, I’m not either. Anybody in their right mind wouldn’t go in there. Man, that’s Hades Hollow. Don’t their parents tell ‘em anything?” But one burly teen stepped forward with his arms outstretched. The message was clear. Give me your candy or run. So they ran.
When they finally stopped to catch their breath, they were amazed by what now surrounded them. They were in a dark forest; the sunlight barely made it in, making it seem like day was already gone. Trees huddled close together, while chilling winds rattled their branches. A slight mist cascaded down from the blackened sky. Lily shivered in her short dress. This place was cold. This brought her to the obvious question: Where were they?
“This is Hades Hollow,” Heather said. “My parents told me about it. Ten years ago, a group of five hunters came in here. One came out.”
Lily began to look in every direction, but all she could see was darkness. It was if they had been swallowed by something and they now were in its mouth. Now that she thought that, Lily realized that she wasn’t far off. Heather’s flashlight beam illuminated a forked bridge in front of them. Moss covered its decaying surface, along with murky water from a pond below. Jagged white rocks, vaguely like teeth, stuck up around them. And that bridge…could it be a tongue?
Suddenly they heard a distant growl. Heather now understood why four hunters had died here. She sprinted back the way they had come, Lily close behind. They didn’t dare to scream; they just ran. The growling finally ceased once they reached the edge of the grove. Once there, they ran all the way to Heather’s house.
“I’ve never been so scared,” Lily recounted, munching a jelly bean.
“But it’s over now,” Heather said through a mouthful of Hershey’s drops. “Now comes the time to enjoy candy.” Lily nodded and grinned, staring thankfully at the mountainous heap of sweets laid out before them.
catch their breath, they were amazed by what now surrounded them. They were in a dark forest where the sunlight barely made it in, making it seem like day was already gone. Trees huddled close together, while chilling winds rattled their branches. A slight mist cascaded down from the blackened sky. Lily shivered in her short dress. This place was cold. This brought her to the obvious question: Where were they?
“This is Hades Hollow,” Heather said. “My parents told me about it. Ten years ago, a group of five hunters came in here. One came out.”
Lily began to look in every direction, but all she could see was darkness. It was if they had been swallowed by something and they now were in its mouth. Now that she thought that, Lily realized that she wasn’t far off. Heather’s flashlight beam illuminated a forked bridge in front of them. Moss covered its decaying surface, along with murky water from a pond below. Jagged white rocks, vaguely like teeth, stuck up around them. And that bridge…could it be a tongue?
Suddenly they heard a distant growl. Heather now understood why four hunters had died here. She sprinted back the way they had come, Lily close behind. They didn’t dare to scream; they just ran. The growling finally ceased once they reached the edge of the grove. Once there, they ran all the way to Heather’s house.
“I’ve never been so scared,” Lily recounted, munching a jelly bean.
“But it’s over now,” Heather said through a mouthful of Hershey’s drops. “Now comes the time to enjoy candy.” Lily nodded and grinned, staring thankfully at the mountainous heap of sweets laid out before them.