ALONE IN THE SILENCE
by
Siobhan Falen
Forest blurred past the window, trees and more trees. Exactly the type of locale to make my fiancée dance for joy.
Sammy said, “Look out for the turn, Candice. We’re almost there!”
I rolled my eyes, returning my attention to the woods to scan for our exit. Her enthusiasm could be cute, but also annoying.
We drove to our third campsite this summer. I don’t even like camping. It was for her benefit. Granted; she compromised with me and splurged on more costly campgrounds. This one provided running showers within walking distance, but the downside came with its popularity. When I booked our spot, we snagged the last one available.
Everyone wanted to camp and escape the heat of the valley. Triple digit weather always chased folks up north.
“I see it.” A large sign flagged our turn, welcoming us to the family friendly summer destination.
Her light hazel eyes sparkled, giving her the appearance of an excited young child again. Shaking my head, I smiled. I didn’t understand the thrill of camping, but if it made her happy, I would crawl through hot coals.
“Check it out. I told you we’d beat the rush if we left super early.” She gestured at the lack of campers backed up at the entrance.
“Yeah, I’ll admit it this once. You’re right.” With past visits, we left mid-afternoon, not before the sun rose. As miserable as the pre-dawn drive had been, it paid off.
We drove up to the check-in booth, waiting for the old lady who runs it to open the sliding pane. No occupant waited.
Sammy leaned out the window and rapped her knuckles against the glass.
“Really?” I rolled my eyes again. “It’s a transparent box. You can ‘observe’ there’s no one in there.”
“I know, but I just…” She shrugged her shoulders with a goofy grin on her pretty face.
“We know where our campsite is. Why don’t we just drive down and set up for now? We’ll try again later,” I suggested.
She nodded, creeping the truck down the paved driveway. This part I enjoyed. I found it fascinating what other people considered camping. Oversized trailers, full on theater setups or others like us who clung to good ol’ fashioned tents. Though, I wouldn’t mind the trailers with our own shower.
However, the few camps already staged sat strangely quiet. No kids played next to smoldering campfires, no dogs barked to announce our presence, no voices reached over the purr of our engine.
When we arrived at our site, we hopped out. Not a single bird called to each other. “Sammy, something’s weird. Where is everyone?”
“Maybe they did a group hike to the sinkhole. I don’t know. Quit being such a baby and help me get this tent up, Candice.” She retrieved the tent parts from the back of the truck and waved them at me.
Walking around to find a flat stretch of ground, the hairs rose on my neck. Not even butterflies or gnats buzzed. The woods loomed in silence.
After completing our tent setup, we strolled back to the booth to check if the lady debuted her arrival yet. On the way, my skin crawled with unease. Only the slap of our shoes on the pavement interrupted the silence. Nothing else moved. Even Sammy acted jumpy.
She bee-lined to the booth, cupping her hands over her eyes to see better through the glass. While she investigated, I walked to the fenced edge of the property.
Faint, like a double exposure picture, I could make out a line of vehicles trailing out to the freeway. A truck pulling a camper sat next to me, the front half disappearing where it crossed into the campground.
“Sammy,” I called out.
She hurried over, her eyes widening at the sight. My hands collided with an invisible fence, dropping my heart to my knees. No matter how hard I shoved my palms against the unseen wall, I couldn’t push through.
“What the hell?” She shouted, punching and kicking at the barrier.
Watching her mini tantrum, it was obvious she wouldn’t make a difference. When she calmed down, she turned to me, my fear mirrored in her expression.
“Should we find out how far this thing goes?” she asked.
A knot settled in my stomach, but I nodded. After an exhausting hike around the entire campground, we confirmed my suspicions. The strange cage encased the total area.
Our campsite seemed like a heaven and hell when we reached it again. We flopped down on the picnic bench, confused and concerned. She checked our phones, but they never worked up here. Zero bars as usual.
The horizon burned orange with the setting sun when Sammy asked, “What do you want to do?”
“Get in our tent. I don’t trust the dark.” Not that the fabric would do much to separate us from anything predatory, but hiding in our shelter felt better than being exposed when the stars came out.
**********
Wrapped up in the blankets that still smelled of Sammy, I’m alone. A few hours ago, tucked in our hideaway, we heard chittering start in the distance. Its deafening chatter rose around the tent, making me cover my ears and squeeze my eyes shut.
I begged her not to go out. Sammy didn’t listen. She didn’t scream but didn’t come back either. And the chittering sound went away, for a while.
It’s returning though, louder and hungry. It’s coming for me. Who else would it be hunting? There’s no one left in this place, nothing alive anyway. The volume is increasing and blocking my ears doesn’t drown it out.
I won’t follow Sammy, at least not willingly.
The air shatters with the intensity of the noise, my tent bows and bends inward. The fabric rends, swallowing any hope I still harbor. A shriek rips out of me. I may not go out to it, but it is coming in for me.
And I have nowhere to hide.