Ghostly Park

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Ghostly Park - book excerpt

Miller Has Some News

Summer was coming faster than usual this year. And Miller was excited to share some news with Smith. Every couple of years his parents would allow him to go to summer camp. Most kids hated it, but it was something he enjoyed. He was so excited he already had his stuff packed three days early.

When Smith arrived at the treehouse, Miller was quick to tell her the news. She seemed happy for him. Though with her you could never tell how she really felt about things. However, she wasn’t exactly happy about having to run Monster Files by herself.

“When do you leave?” Smith asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” he answered. “And I’m counting on you to keep everything in order.”

“But you know how I feel about these so-called monsters,” she replied.

“I do.” He smirked. “That’s why you’re the only one I trust.”

“I will do my best,” Smith said. “Have fun and be safe at summer camp.”

The next day started off a little slow for Smith, which meant she didn’t have anyone come in and talk about monsters or anything else for that matter. But there was one change she made in her life. She decided to join the track team, which at least kept her busy.

It wasn’t something she had ever pictured herself doing, but it was fun, nonetheless. That night she decided she was going for a late-evening jog after getting her parents’ approval first. She jogged through her neighborhood and most of the town before making her way toward the park.

The sun was setting, and the smell of fresh grass and flowers filled the air. She enjoyed the jog way more than she’d thought she would. That was until the skies started to darken further. And the deeper she jogged into the park, the more she swore she could feel someone or something watching her.

“I am just being paranoid,” she told herself. That was until she started seeing shadows from behind the trees. She still brushed it off as being paranoid and kept jogging further into the park. Smith stopped and took a long drink from her water bottle.

She hooked the bottle back to the side of her pants and did a few stretches. When she glanced back she saw someone standing off in the distance. “Who’s there?” she shouted. Whoever it was just stood there. “Who’s there?” she shouted again.

Smith walked over to where the shadow stood. As she got closer, the person walked off the path and into the wooded area. She wanted to follow whoever it was but decided it would be a bad decision. Being a part of the Monster Files had taught her that not everything was as it seemed.

After standing there for a few more moments, she went on with her jog. What was creepy was the fact that she could hear someone jogging along beside her. Many minutes later a small rock was thrown at her, hitting Smith on the arm.

She stopped and looked around, yet she didn’t see anyone. That’s when she heard a voice trying to get her attention. “If you want me to talk, then step out into the light so I can see you,” Smith demanded.

A young man stepped out of the darkness and under the street light. The boy had brown hair and was dressed in ripped jeans and a dirty white shirt. Guess that was the style for young boys at that time.

“Are you the one following me?” Smith questioned.

“Yes and no,” he replied.

“What does that mean?” Smith snarled.

“It means that I’m not the only one following you,” the young man responded.

“Who else? I only see you,” she said.

“The ghosts that stay out here,” he replied.

“Ghosts?” Smith laughed. “That’s a good one. What’s your name?”

“Charlie,” he replied with a smile. “And yours?”

“Diane Smith,” she answered. “Nice to meet you, Charlie. But why are you following me?”

“Trying to scare you enough to make you leave this park.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because they want to take you away with them.”

“Who?”

“The ghosts.”

“You’re still hung up on this ghost thing?”

“Just trying to warn you. I don’t want you to end up like the others.”

“What others?” Smith questioned.

“The ones that were taken,” Charlie responded.

There was a noise that caught her attention, and she turned away for a brief moment. When she turned back to face Charlie he was gone. Smith looked around, but it was like he had vanished into thin air. She shrugged and went back to jogging. She figured that it must have been some kind of joke being played on her.

Smith still couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed, though, which made her decide it was time to leave the park and head for home. As she approached the exit a couple of her teammates jumped out in front of Smith hoping to scare her.