TOUCHDOWN CLUB
“Let’s do something crazy!” Ella shouted.
Laughing Rora asked “Like what?”
“ I don’t know. Become apart of the touchdown club.” Ella said with a mischievous grin.
“What’s that?” Rora and Tina both asked. Being exchange students from a different country they didn’t know what Ella was talking about.
“It’s a silly club that the high school has where during your senior year you run down the football field butt-naked.” Sindy said as she came into the living room and plopped herself down on the couch with a slice of pizza.
“I’m in!” Brooklyn exclaimed. After just breaking up with her boyfriend she needed a crazy night to do something stupid with her friends. Two weeks before the Halloween dance he just said it was over without a warning. So tonight being the night of the dance, the day before Halloween, she was in the mood for something to take her mind off things.
“Yea! Who else?” Ella asked jumping up and down.
“Let’s do it.” Rora said.
“I don’t know. I don’t really feel like it.” Sindy said with a little disgust in her voice. Tina nodded her head in agreement “And it’s cold.” Tina said wrapping herself in a blanket.
“But it will be so much fun! And that way you have a cool story to go back and tell your friends and family and future children. You will tell them about the crazy night you and your friends ran naked down the high school football field in America.” Brooklyn said.
“Na.” Tina said. “I’m good”
“Ok then it will just be me, Rora, and Brooklyn. You sissy girls stay here suck your thumbs and cuddle with your blankys.” Ella said.
“It’s not that we’re scared, it’s just that we don’t want to go run around naked.” Sindy said.
“Whatevz. We outta here.” Brooklyn said.
As they put on their jackets and stepped out onto the porch into the cool October night air, Brooklyn felt her eyes sting and nose burn when the cold wind touched them. She watched as the dead orange and red leaves danced in the midnight wind of this small town. A shiver when throughout her body thinking about running down a football field with no clothes on. What was she thinking? The Brooklyn a couple weeks ago with a boyfriend would never have done this but tonight she felt like a totally different person ready to live life as a free woman. She was tired of moping around eating gallons of ice cream.
“Ready?” Ella asked closing the door behind her.
“Set.” Brooklyn answered.
“Go!” Ella shouted as she stepped off the porch walking in the direction of the school. It wasn’t very far from Tina’s house so they figured they would walk.
The three girls laughed and danced their way to the school thinking tonight was going to be one they’d never forget.
They reached the school parking lot; only a few lamp posts lit the vacant lot. Brooklyn brushing her blond hair back from her hazel eyes said “Almost there.”
“Whooohoohoo this is creepy. I love it.” Ella said. Ella defiantly was a random, crazy girl who wasn’t afraid of what people think of her, which Brooklyn admired because, yes she had her moments but Brooklyn could never be as fearless as Ella. With her short, undone, brown hair that touched her shoulders and her unique sense of style Ella stood out. Rora on the other hand liked to fit in, go with the flow and even with her thick, black, frizzy hair that surrounded her face, she was beautiful. They all were and they all were about to do something wild. Although Ella told them she’d run around naked before in public places so she wasn’t worried but Rora and Brooklyn were a little.
They continued walking across the parking lot, around the back of the building where the football field is and over the bridge onto the field. Floodlights were on wrapping around the building but not the stadium lights, which was a relief.
“What if the cops come or a teacher or someone? What will happen? Will I get arrested? I’m from another country I’ll get kicked out of America and sent back home!” Rora said with a crack in her voice.
“Yeah and then you can look cool in front of your friends back home and tell them you got kicked out of America for running naked in public.” Brooklyn said with a laugh.
“Everything will be ok.” Ella said. “We run down and back as fast as we can. You’ll be begging to do it again.”
Rora sighed “Ok.”
The girls removed their shoes then their jackets. Before Brooklyn could go any further she thought she saw a light come on in the building. “Hang on guys, I think I saw a light come on.”
“What? You serious?’ Rora asked.
“It’s all in your head. You’re fine.” Ella said as she started removing her jeans.
The girls paused and looked around. Just then all the lights turned off. Immediately they started running off the field. Ella tripping over her jeans managed to pull them up. They ran off the field and almost to the parking lot when Ella stopped and said, “Wait! I forgot my shoes.”
“Ok let’s all go back and let’s hurry.” Brooklyn said.
They ran back to the field, grabbed the shoes, then ran back to the bridge then stopped and put their shoes and jackets back on.
“Ok that was scary but seeing Ella run like that with no pants on was hilarious!” Brooklyn said.
“Yeah that defiantly got my adrenalin pumping” Ella said.
“Let’s go back to Tina’s now.” Said Rora.
Laughing, “Ok sounds good to me.” Brooklyn said.
As they started across the bridge a dark shadowy man-figure was crossing.
“It’s ok guys just stay close.” Brooklyn whispered seeing her hot breath against the cold night air. Brooklyn was surprised at how brave she was acting. She has always been afraid of the dark and scary movies but now Ella and Rora were depending on her to protect them. Just be calm. It’s ok. Everything is fine. Don’t freak out, Brooklyn thought. They crossed over the bridge as the man was and passed right by him. He was a large man wearing all black. When they got back to the parking lot, Rora said “Ok that was freaky.”
“I know right?” Brooklyn said.
The only light that night was from the full moon shinning light on the deserted parking lot.
“It must have been on a timer. You know, the lights.” Ella said.
“Yeah that must have been it.” Brooklyn agreed.
It seemed as if the wind picked up as they walked back, blowing all the dead leaves off the trees into the blackened streets. The trees whistled and whispered creating large shadow monsters on the sidewalk. All the girls were on edge jerking their head around with every noise and movement checking behind them making sure no one was following them.
“It’s like we’re in a horror movie.” Brooklyn said.
“I know it’s freaking me out.” Ella said.
“Well we are almost back to Tina’s.” Brooklyn said.
As they were walking back a huge blue tarp with stained red spot on it flew by them. They all let out a shriek in terror.
“That’s creepy.” Brooklyn said.
“And Random.” Rora said.
“Oh my gosh I almost peed my pants.” Ella said.
They continued walking. A light fog had blanketed the neighborhood streets. They saw a car in the distance parked on the side of the road with trunk open.
“You guys see the car, right?” Rora asked.
Ella and Brooklyn nodded their heads.
Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton and she couldn’t seem to swallow. “Do you think that’s where the tarp came from?” Brooklyn asked.
But no one answered because as they approached the car and more into view of the open trunk, they smelled the rotting stench of meat and a metallic scent filled their nostrils. Then they saw what they feared was going to be in there. It all took them a minute to realize what they were looking at. Brooklyn felt paralyzed. There was a rusty chainsaw with blood dripping from the teeth. A mangled ripped apart body laid in the blood-covered trunk. The blood drained from the girls’ faces turning them pale white. Tears came to their eyes burning in the cold air. They all turned around and started running. Their screams disappeared in the wind. When they turned the corner there was the large shadowy figure they saw at the school. In his hands was a chainsaw just like the one in the trunk.
The girls froze.
“I wasn’t planning on killing so many girls tonight but I’m afraid you’ve seen too much.” The man said in a low raspy voice. He yanked the starter string and the chainsaw jerked him back as it came to life.
Brooklyn felt her blood boiling as it spread throughout her body and she began to feel light-headed. It felt as if her legs were made of lead and too heavy to lift them. They were all thinking it but Brooklyn finally said it.
“Run.”
She had to pull on the other girls’ arms to make them move. They all ran back the other direction. They ran like they’ve never run before taking huge leaps. With Brooklyn’s long legs she was ahead of the other two but they weren’t far from her. They finally reached Tina’s house but not too far away, walking towards them, they saw the man laughing. Even with the wind blowing the sound of him laughing and chainsaw on was so loud it seemed like he was right behind them.
The girls ran into Tina’s house, shut the door, and locked it. They started stacking things in front of the door. Chairs, tables, bookshelves, anything they could find. Once there was nothing left they stepped back into a corner and stared at the door. They heard the man try and open the door. They all held each other close clutching each other as the tears streamed down their faces as the man pushed and shoved. Soon enough he gave up and left.
* * *
The sun hit Brooklyn’s eyes, blinding her. She held up her hand to block it. The morning sun was pouring through the windows giving the living room that morning glow. She sat up and looked at everyone sound asleep. That was some dream she had last night, she thought to herself. That’s why I don’t watch scary movies. She got up and got herself a drink of water; her throat was dry and sore. Ella, Rora, Sindy, and Tina all laying on the floor in peace. She shook her head hoping to get that bad dream out of there. When she turned around and looked into the front room she saw the chairs, tables, and bookshelves thrown against the door. A chill went down her spine.
Last night wasn’t a dream at all. It had happened.The End.
