Dead childrens playgroun.., p.10
Dead Children's Playground, page 10
The dark worker’s eyes widened in fear, her confidence faltering as Jericho’s words took hold, as the power of the prayer pushed back against the malevolence that surrounded us.
With a snarl of frustration, and a string of swear words, she turned on her heel and ran, her footsteps echoing in the night as she fled the playground.
I heard the slam of a car door, the roar of an engine, and then she was gone, leaving us alone in the oppressive darkness.
“Hurry, Jericho!” I shouted, my voice filled with urgency. “She’ll be back, and she won’t be alone. We need to finish this, now! Cassidy, keep going!”
The wind howled around us, the swings creaking and groaning as they swayed in the storm’s fury.
I could feel Thornton’s anger, his desperate attempts to hold on to the spirits, to keep them trapped in his twisted world. The ground shook beneath our feet, the very earth protesting our presence, but we pressed on, our resolve unshaken.
Cassidy’s voice grew louder, her words ringing out like a beacon in the darkness. “Spirits of the lost, break free! Come forward and find peace, children! We are here to help you, to end your suffering!”
The ground beneath us trembled, and for a moment, I thought it might open and swallow us whole. The darkness pressed in from all sides, the air thick with Thornton’s rage, with the weight of the evil that had taken root in this place.
But then, slowly, the tide began to turn.
The darkness that had surrounded us began to recede, the oppressive energy lifting as the spirits of the children began to come forward, their forms faint but unmistakable. I could see them, their faces pale and sad, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.
“We’re here to help you,” I said, adding my voice to Cassidy’s and Jericho’s. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. Thornton—the Tall Man can’t hurt you. Not anymore.”
The spirits hesitated, their small forms flickering in and out of sight, as though they were struggling to break free from the chains that bound them. I could feel Thornton’s presence, his anger growing with each passing second, but we held our ground, our resolve unshaken.
“Come forward,” Cassidy urged, her voice filled with compassion. “It’s time to be free.”
“We need to move,” I said, my voice urgent. “We need to finish this. Before it’s too late.”
The playground, once eerily still, now came alive with a fury that shook the very ground beneath us. Thornton’s spirit had been pushed to the edge, and he wasn’t about to let go without a fight.
As Cassidy continued calling on the spirits of the children to come forward, the air around us grew colder, the temperature plummeting to an unnatural chill that made my breath come out in visible puffs.
Then, without warning, a blast of icy wind slammed into Cassidy, nearly knocking her off her feet. She stumbled, her voice faltering for a moment, but she quickly regained her balance, her resolve unbroken.
The swings that had once swayed gently now moved violently, the rusty chains clanging like an ominous warning. The slide shuddered as if something massive was trying to rip it from the ground.
A low, guttural growl echoed through the playground, deep and menacing, the sound vibrating through my bones.
It grew louder, more intense, and I realized with a sinking heart that Thornton was far from done. He was gathering his strength, his rage building to a terrifying crescendo. The darkness around us thickened, pressing in, suffocating. Then he appeared.
Thornton’s spirit, towering and twisted, materialized before us, his form impossibly tall, his presence oppressive and malevolent. His eyes, black as the void, locked onto Cassidy, and I could see the raw hatred burning within them.
I opened my mouth to scream, to warn her, but no sound came out.
My throat constricted, my muscles locked in place—I was paralyzed, held in place by Thornton’s will. I couldn’t move either and my wife, well, she was now in the monster’s crosshairs.
Cassidy stood frozen, her eyes wide with terror as the Tall Man loomed over her, his long, skeletal fingers reaching out. She stepped back blindly as he moved with a terrifying grace, each step deliberate, as if savoring the fear that radiated from my poor wife.
I could see the panic in her eyes, the realization that she couldn’t escape, that none of us could. That I couldn’t reach her.
I tried to yell for help, but nobody could move. My team was powerless to help Cassidy or me. This monster commanded a silent presence.
I could feel the tears flow as Thornton’s hand wrapped around Cassidy’s throat, lifting her off the ground with ease. She gasped, her hands clawing at the evil force that choked her, but there was no escape. His grip tightened, and I could see the life draining from her, her eyes wide with terror.
Somehow, Jericho’s voice rose above the chaos, his prayers growing louder, more fervent, as he tried to break Thornton’s hold. But Thornton was strong, fueled by a rage that had festered for over a century and likely fueled by the human agents, like the dark witch, that had summoned him for their own nefarious reasons.
He had no intention of letting Cassidy go.
With his other hand, the Tall Man reached for Cassidy’s belly, his fingers unnaturally long, like talons ready to rip her apart. But then, he paused, his head tilting to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. A twisted smile spread across his face, his black eyes narrowing with malevolent delight.
“Ah,” he purred, his voice a deep, unnatural rumble. “I smell it. I smell the baby. Let me have it. Give it to me. Gib es mir!” I didn’t speak German but I knew he didn’t have any good intentions for us.
Cassidy’s screams were muffled by Thornton’s grip. She kicked and thrashed, but it was no use. He held her easily, like a doll, his strength inhuman.
“Midas!” The rest of us were powerless, frozen in place by the malevolent force that radiated from Thornton.
Tears flowed down my face as I watched my wife struggle against the evil being. I finally found my voice.
“No! Leave her alone! Come at me, you bastard!”
Just when it seemed that all hope was lost, Joshua managed to break free from the paralyzing grip that held us. With a burst of strength, he pushed me, breaking the hold that Thornton had over me.
The moment I could move, I was running, adrenaline surging through me as I raced toward Cassidy and the tall spindly creature that threatened.
Thornton’s grip on her loosened slightly, and with a primal growl of frustration, he dropped her to the ground. But he wasn’t done. Resting on his haunches, his limbs twisted and elongated, he sat on all fours but I had no doubt he would move with a speed and agility that was nothing short of terrifying.
Still, we had to make a break for it.
“Run, honey! Everyone!” I shouted, grabbing Cassidy’s hand and pulling her to her feet. We bolted out of the playground, the sound of Thornton’s growls echoing in our ears, his twisted form chasing us with relentless determination.
“Stay in the circle!” Jericho’s voice called after us, but there was no turning us back. All I could think about was protecting my wife.
The circle might have protected us, but Thornton was stronger than we had anticipated, and the fear driving us was too overwhelming to ignore.
The ground beneath our feet trembled as we ran, the earth itself seeming to rebel against us.
Spectral hands reached out from the shadows, grasping at our legs, trying to pull us back into the darkness. The air was thick with the stench of decay, the oppressive weight of Thornton’s malevolence pressing down on us from all sides.
Cassidy’s breath came in ragged gasps as we sprinted through the night, her hand gripping mine like a lifeline. Thornton’s laughter, deep and mocking, followed us, growing louder, closer, as if he was toying with us, enjoying the chase.
We were nearing the edge of the playground when the ground beneath us gave a violent lurch. I stumbled, nearly losing my footing, but Cassidy’s grip on my hand kept me upright. The swings were now whipping back and forth with a force that could snap bones, the slide shuddering as if ready to collapse.
“Keep going!” I shouted, my voice hoarse with fear and exhaustion. “We have to get you out of here!”
The air around us crackled with energy, the darkness pressing in from all sides, and I could feel Thornton’s presence growing stronger, more malevolent.
The ritual had weakened him, but it hadn’t been enough. He was still here, still hunting us, still determined to claim Cassidy and our unborn child.
Another child? Why didn’t she tell me?
With a final, desperate burst of energy, we broke free of the playground, the oppressive weightlifting slightly as we crossed the boundary. But I knew we weren’t safe. Thornton was still out there, still lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment to strike.
Jericho’s voice echoed in the distance, his prayers growing louder, more frantic, as he and the others tried to hold the circle, to keep Thornton contained. But I knew it was only a matter of time before he broke through.
“We can’t stop, baby,” I panted, pulling Cassidy along as we raced toward the relative safety of the streetlights. “We have to keep moving!”
“Okay!” She whispered savagely as we traveled through a minefield of gravestones.
Thornton’s growls echoed behind us, growing fainter as we put distance between us and the playground. But I knew this wasn’t over. He wasn’t done with us—not by a long shot.
As we reached the edge of the park, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement, I dared to look back. The playground was shrouded in darkness, the swings still moving, the slide still trembling. And in the center of it all, I saw him—Thornton, standing tall and menacing, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
He wasn’t just a ghost. He was something much worse.
Something that wouldn’t rest until he had claimed what he believed was his.
“Get to the van!” I shouted; my voice filled with a fear I hadn’t felt in years. “We must regroup. This isn’t over.”
We reached the van and scrambled inside, slamming the doors behind us, the silence that followed almost deafening. My heart was pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps as I tried to process what had just happened.
Thornton was stronger than we had anticipated, more dangerous.
And I knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning.
Chapter Eleven–Sierra
The playground was a battlefield, the air thick with tension and fear, but I wasn’t about to run. I couldn’t.
The Tall Man’s presence loomed, heavy and suffocating, pressing down on us like a dark cloud that threatened to swallow everything. But even as the others hesitated, their instincts screaming at them to flee, something deep within me held firm.
Not that I blamed Midas. Who knew Cassidy was pregnant? That explains why I’ve been feeling so dang sick. But I wasn’t going to let Thornton win. Not after everything we had been through.
The darkness around us was alive, shifting and pulsing with an energy that I could feel in my bones. It wasn’t just the night—it was Thornton, his rage, his hatred, his twisted need to control, to dominate.
The air crackled with his malevolence, and I knew he was close, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike. I sensed his attention shift. He’d given up his attack on Cassidy and Midas. Thornton was coming back to keep his treasures enslaved.
But I also knew something else.
The children—their spirits—were here too. I could feel them, sense their presence like a soft whisper at the edge of my mind. They’d been drawn to Cassidy’s sweet spirit and Jericho’s angelic language had pushed back the darkness long enough for the children to see the light.
Their little souls were trapped, bound to this place by Thornton’s twisted will, but they weren’t gone. Not yet. And if they were still here, there was hope. I suspected there were bodies under the old toy store, but this would do.
The children were coming, rising and I could feel them.
I closed my eyes for a moment, blocking out the noise, the fear, the rising panic in my chest. I had to focus, had to reach out to them, to make them see that they weren’t alone, that we were here to help.
They had been lost for so long, forgotten, but not anymore.
We were going to free them, no matter what it took.
When I opened my eyes again, the playground had changed. The shadows had deepened, lengthened, stretching out like dark tendrils that seemed to reach for us, but I wasn’t afraid. I could see them now—the children.
They were everywhere, crawling up from the ground, their small hands clawing at the earth as they pulled themselves free. The sight of them took my breath away. Others emerged from the bushes, their wide, haunted eyes glowing with a pale, ghostly light.
My heart ached at the sight of them, so small, so lost, their spirits fragile and flickering like candle flames in the wind. But they were here, and that meant there was still a chance.
A chance to save them, to break the chains that Thornton had wrapped around their souls.
I could feel his presence emerging, the air around us thickening with his anger, his determination to keep what he believed was his. But I wasn’t going to let him. Not this time. Not ever.
I took a deep breath, my hands clenched into fists at my sides as I prepared for what was to come.
This was it. The final battle. And I wasn’t backing down.
“Jericho! Macie! I need your help!” I shouted to the others. Joshua was already next to me. He kept the camera hoisted on his shoulder somehow or another.
The children’s spirits were all around us now, their ghostly forms flickering in and out of existence, like faint echoes of a time long past. Their eyes, so full of fear and confusion, locked onto mine, and I could feel their longing, their desperate need for peace, for release from the nightmare that had trapped them here for so long
I took a step forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I reached out with my mind, with my soul, trying to connect with them, to make them see that they weren’t alone, that they could fight back.
I could feel Thornton’s presence pressing down on us, a heavy, suffocating force that seemed to sap the strength from my limbs, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the children, on their spirits, on the light that still flickered within them.
I got the distinct impression that he was weak, weaker than he’d been in a long time.
“You don’t have to be afraid, children,” I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion as I spoke to them, as I tried to reach through the darkness, through the fear, to the part of them that still remembered what it was like to be free.
Jericho joined me and spoke softly. “You’re not alone. We’re here to help you, to set you free. But we can’t do it without you. We need your help. Please, you must fight back. You have to stand up to him.”
For a moment, there was nothing but silence, the oppressive weight of Thornton’s presence pressing down on us, threatening to crush the life out of me. But then, slowly, I began to feel a shift—a subtle change in the energy around us, as if the children were beginning to understand, to believe.
Their fear was still there, but it was joined by something else—determination, resolve, a glimmer of hope that hadn’t been there before.
“Yes,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. “You can do this. You can fight back. Don’t let him control you anymore. You’re stronger than he is. You’re stronger together.”
“She’s right,” Macie said with a smile on her face. I could see the fear in her eyes, but the children needed to see us confident and ready to help them.
I could feel the energy building, the light within the children’s spirits growing brighter, and stronger, as they began to stand, to rise against the darkness that had held them captive for so long.
Thornton’s presence was still there, threatening us, but it was weakening, the chains that bound the children beginning to crack, to break under the weight of their collective will.
But it wasn’t enough. Not yet. We needed more, needed to push harder, to break through the last of Thornton’s defenses. And that’s when it hit me—we needed to encircle him, to trap him, just as he had trapped the children.
Jericho turned to me and spoke quickly, “We need to turn his own tactics against him, to use the power of the children’s spirits to form a barrier, a circle of light that would hold him, contain him, and ultimately banish him for good.”
“Form a circle,” I called out, my voice rising above the wind, above the darkness that surrounded us. “We need to surround him, to break his hold. We can do this, but we must work together.” I clutched Jericho’s and Joshua’s hands. Macie completed the circle.
The children hesitated for a moment, their eyes wide with fear, but then, one by one, they began to move, their small hands reaching out to one another, forming a circle around the playground. Their spirits were flickering, and fragile, but their determination was growing, their will to fight back against Thornton’s darkness becoming stronger with each passing second.
I could feel the energy building, the light within them growing brighter, and stronger, as they joined forces, their spirits united against the malevolent presence that had held them captive for so long.
And then, in the center of the circle, I saw him—Thornton, the Tall Man, his twisted form looming above us, his eyes burning with rage. He towered over the children, his presence a black void that threatened to swallow them whole.
But they didn’t back down. They stood their ground, their circle unbroken around us, their combined will pushing back against Thornton’s malevolence, against the darkness that had held them captive for so long.
Joshua’s face was set with determination. His presence gave me strength, grounding me in the moment, even as the world seemed to tilt and shift around us. I was grateful for his calming presence. I loved him so much.
The playground had become a battlefield, and I could feel the weight of every lost spirit pressing down on us, urging us forward, but I wasn’t alone. None of us were. Thank God none of the public could witness this paranormal showdown. There hadn’t been a soul on the street the whole time we’d been here. It was almost as if we were hidden in plain sight by the paranormal.
