Alive After Dying

With only the light of the full moon to guide her, Jade slowly made her way through the underbrush, as she followed the cry in the dark. She felt certain that if she could find the child, she would also find the key that unlocked the mystery of her past. She sensed she was getting closer, as she haphazardly made her way through the dank muck that skirted the swamp; trying hard to ignore the sounds of the night creatures that surround her.

 

Even at night, the heat was unbearable, causing her to continually wipe the sweat from her brow; catching the scent of her own blood, as her arms were covered with cuts and scratches, from the tangle of vines and vegetation that she couldn’t seem to find her way out of.

 

She slowed her pace several times, lost and fearful; of where she would end up and what she would find once she got there. More than once her frustration got the better of her and she toyed with the notion of turning back, but each time she did, the child cried out, beaconing Jade to continue on.

 

She stood for a moment, taking slow deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart and just as she began to walk, not sure if she was going in the right direction, she heard it; the unmistakable laughter of the child coming from behind her. She spun around quickly, making her way toward the sound and in a matter of minutes she emerged from the underbrush, as the moon showed itself once more, illuminating the clearing and casting its light on the prize.

 

She was a mere baby, no more than 2-years-old, wearing a white dress with torn ruffles, her long dark curls bobbing as she ran. She stopped, looked at Jade and smiled then started running and twirling in circles, giggling as she did. Jade stood unmoving, mesmerized by the child who seemed to delight in holding her attention, as something about her was so familiar.

 

The child looked over her shoulder to make sure Jade was still watching, as she ran a few more circles then ducked behind a large rock. Jade strained her eyes in the dark as she moved forward, a chill gripping her spine, as she realized they were in an old forgotten cemetery, the rock the little girl was hiding behind, a tombstone.

 

She was just about to take a step forward, when a shadowy figure caught her eye; moving slowly across the ground in the direction of the child. Fear seized Jade’s racing hear, knowing full well what dangerous creatures lived in the surrounding swamp and only came out at night; to feed.

 

Jade called out but the little girl didn’t answer. She strained to listen, but the only sounds she heard were those of her own breathing and the pounding of her heart amplified and echoing in her ears. Her adrenaline drove her forward, across the sacred ground toward the headstone. She grabbed hold of the cold stone, as if to anchor herself in place, but when she looked behind it the child was not there.

 

“Here…here,” she heard the little voice calling. Jade spun around just as she stepped out from behind a large monument several feet away. She looked at Jade with big haunting eyes that Jade was certain she’d seen somewhere before and then pointed to the ground in front of her.

 

“Look,” she said, as tiny wisps of white mist rose up from the earth, completely covering the ground between them. Jade knelt down and held out her arms. The child smiled and slowly started making her way toward Jade. She stopped suddenly; the look of fear and panic evident on her face, as the white wisps began swirling around her feet and legs.

 

A wave of dizziness washed over Jade, as she stumbled sideways into the headstone. She tried to steady herself, but a sudden shift in her vision knocked her back down. It was as if she were seeing the entire world through an infrared scope; the illusion of time set on slow motion. She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead just above her brows, as if to clear her mind and vision.

 

She focused on the child, but all she saw was the mist; slowly growing in length and density, seeming to take form, right before her eyes.

 

She thought for certain her imagination was playing tricks, and that it was nothing more than the moon casting eerie shadows, but then the little girl screamed and that’s when Jade saw it; the face in the mist, gazing at her defiantly.

 

Jade lunged toward her, but was knocked hard to the ground. She rose up quickly; adrenaline mixed with determination, but could go no further; as if an invisible barrier had been raised between them. Panic struck hard and fast as she realized something unspeakable was about to happen.

 

“Come on honey,” she cried out, trying to hide the fear and panic in her voice. “It’s okay. Run to me…run to me.”

 

The little girl tried to move but she couldn’t. Her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry. “No baby, don’t cry. It’s alright; just come to me and I’ll make it go away.”

 

She looked at Jade with tears staining her face and her little lip quivered. She sniffed and the breath caught in her chest, causing it to tremor. A single sob escaped, as she wiped at her eyes, forced a smile and shook her head; her eyes locked on Jades.

 

Jade’s eyes lit up with hope and she let out a sigh, believing in her heart that everything was going to be alright. Then she heard it; that familiar, deep, menacing laughter, that made her blood run cold. She stood in frozen horror, unable to do anything but watch, as the scene unfolded before her; the mist gathering speed and strength; swirling, forming a giant mass that slowly enveloped the child.

 

“No…No!” the child screamed; flailing helplessly against her attacker, barely visible inside the apparition. Jade released a scream like that of a Native war cry, as she lunged forward, breaking through the barrier. She ran full force toward them; gasping for breath as she penetrated the mass and the frigid air stung her lungs like a million piercing needles. Her arms encircled the tiny form and she pulled back hard; only to come out empty handed; laying flat on her back as the mass rose higher and higher, disappearing into the darkness, with the child at its center.