Story title: Edge of the Woods

Release date: September 1, 2018

Originally released in ‘The Fence: and Other Sordid Tales.’ Released in ‘Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery.’

Edge of the Woods

I grew up in a small town, in an area most people don’t know, or have ever heard of. Even now, when people ask, I have to use a bigger city to reference where it was, and then add the caveat; “2 hours east,” so they will have any idea.

At this place that no one has heard of, we had a small school that was combined grades. Kindergarten to grade 2 all shared one classroom and grade’s 3 and 4 shared the other room.

There was three times in the day, that all of my friends loved. The first was the 15 minutes before the first bell. I lived only 5 minutes from the school, so I would rush over each morning and for 15 minutes we would all just goof off. The second time was recess. It was also only 15 minutes long, but in those 15 minutes we would still have time to play soccer or road hockey and when the bell rang to indicate it was time to go in, we would all slowly walk in, knowing our teacher wouldn’t reprimand us for being a few minutes late.

The best time however, was lunch. We had a full 60 minutes to eat, and then play, which would revolve around 1 of 4 activities. For 30 minutes we would either play soccer, road hockey, baseball, or our most cherished activity; tether ball. The tether ball court was to the east of the school, situated beside the edge of the soccer field and the edge of the woods. The court had been there for many years before I attended the school, as the dirt around the metal pole was ground into a deep circle, making the pole almost an extra 6 inches taller than it normally was. The cement base was exposed, which would frequently cause injury to us, as we ran and dove, to try and prevent the ball and rope from completely winding around the pole.

We had a close group of friends, 8 of us in total, and because we all equally loved tether ball, we played quick games, only to one point and it was a winner moves on system. You lose a point, you are out and the next friend would jump in. This would guarantee that all of us would play at least one game of tether ball during our lunch time.

The sad part was, that we experienced longer winters than most areas. We had snow from October 1st until the end of March and as such, the tether ball was only operational for the month of September and then again in May and June. So time on the court was premium, because to make matters worse, when school ended for summer break, the ball and rope came down.

This year, we had made the mistake of playing soccer and road hockey in September and as winter began to fade away, we were all getting excited and anxious to play tether ball. We still had about a month until it would be set up, when we were called into an unexpected assembly in our library. The school wasn’t big and it wasn’t until about 10 years after I left grade 4 that they had a gym added on. So all of our assemblies were held in the library, which made for cramped quarters.

“Students, we have a very exciting guest today! He has a few things to discuss and remind you about, and then later your parents will also have a meeting with him!” Our teacher seemed super excited for us to have this assembly, and she watched our reactions attentively.

“Hello students, I am Officer Carson, from the local Police. I am here to remind you of a few key rules to keep you safe, because as the weather gets nicer, more of you will be walking to and from school alone.”

I was enthralled with this man.

He wore a slick uniform and he had a cool gun. I was ready to listen to every word that came out of his mouth. I could tell my friends were all feeling the same, as I looked around, which made me feel better. I didn’t want to rave about him later and be teased mercilessly.

“A few things I want to talk about are stranger danger and animal danger,” he started, “You all know each other’s parents, so they are not strangers. You also all know each other’s older siblings that drive, so they are not strangers either. So if someone offers you a ride and you don’t know whose brother or sister they are or whose parent they are, you do not get into their car.”

Well obviously, I thought. What type of dork would do that?

“I know I introduced myself just now and that I am new to each of you, but I should not be considered a stranger. As a Police Officer, I am here to help you. So if someone tries to grab you and put you in a car or they ask you for a ride, if you see me, you yell for help and I will come right away.”

Well that makes perfect sense, I thought, plus he has a gun.

“Lastly, the weather is going to be warming up a lot soon, which means you will be playing outside even more. Keep in mind that wild animals will be out and about as they look for food, and most of you are the perfect size for a cougar or a bear to snack on.”

The entire library burst into chuckles as Officer Carson said this part. We all knew to watch for animals, but it was still a funny thing to say.

“So again, if you see a wild animal, stay far away, find an adult and tell them, and more importantly don’t wander into the woods on your own.”

Then Officer Carson said goodbye, and left the room and our teacher instructed us to all head back to our classrooms and begin reading on our own, while the parents met with the Policeman.

We never gave the Officer’s visit another thought for many months.

We noticed when our parents picked us up after school, that they all looked around more frequently, and we started to notice that most of us were no longer allowed to walk to and from school alone.

*

Finally the day came that we had all been waiting for.

The snow had melted completely and as my mother and I walked up to the school that morning, I saw the maintenance man finishing up with the tether ball pole. The rope was in place and the hard rubber ball hung there, slowly rolling back and forth, waiting for us to smash it at each other.

Recess took even longer than before to arrive. Or so it felt. From the window of our classroom, we could see the tether ball court by the edge of the woods. The ball just slowly swung back and forth, enticing us, begging us; please, kids, come swing me around!

I was about to continue reading my Carmen San Diego book, when I thought I noticed movement at the court and looked again.

Nothing.

I knew nobody was there, but a part of me thought I saw an adult near the court. I wanted to be the first one to play this year, so my imagination must be a bit jealous, I thought.

I started reading the paragraph again, and once again I noticed movement in my peripheral vision. I quickly looked up, but still, there was no one. But I was now convinced, that someone had been at the tether ball court, and the ball was left swinging violently around the pole.

I raised my hand and told my teacher I thought someone was sneaking around the tether ball court. She left the classroom and a short time later she returned, and instructed us all to keep reading.

Outside, the Principal and the maintenance man could be seen walking across the soccer field in the direction of the tether ball court. They both looked around and then walked into the woods, completely disappearing. I found myself holding my breath.

A few moments went by and they both emerged, and walked back to the school. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were engaged in a conversation, and from their expressions, it was clearly of some importance.

When the lunch bell went off, we were all told we could play outside today on the playground, but we were not allowed to go around the other side of the school to the tether ball court.

I was devastated. My friends were super pissed, with my best friend Matt slugging me in the shoulder so hard I couldn’t lift my arm for the rest of the day.

At the end of the school day, we all were given a letter to bring with us and give to our parents to read and sign that night.

*

We were not allowed to play tether ball until the following Monday. A whole week went by, with us having to watch it hanging there every day from our classroom window. It was rough. But finally, finally, Monday rolled around and our teacher told us that for that lunch time, we could head out there and play.

We didn’t even eat inside. We ran as fast as we could to the court, bringing our sandwiches with us.

I made it there first, followed closely by Matt. We played a quick 1 point game, as per our rules, and I was eliminated immediately.

I walked off, heading sadly, to the end of the line and joined in the taunts and the jeers, as we trash talked our other two friends who now played. Matt was dominating and kept winning game after game. After 3 other friends were defeated, I suddenly realized, that I was now second in line to play. There wasn’t much time left before lunch would be over, but I was hoping to have one more chance to avenge my loss. I was watching Matt closely, trying to find his tendencies, when I realized, there was a set of eyes watching me, from the edge of the woods. Matt had his back to the woods and both he and Eric were so intent on the match that they didn’t notice. Dan, who was next to play was trash talking so hard he didn’t either. I nudged my friend Mike, who was in line after me, but when I pointed, whatever it was connected to the eyes had disappeared. Mike slugged me in my shoulder and yelled for me to stop trying to prevent us from playing tether ball. The other boys heard and the whole gang came over and proceeded to take turns slugging my arm, until I knew it was bruised worse than it had ever been before.

Finally the lunch bell went, signaling for us to head back inside. I picked myself up and sheepishly looked at Matt, who was still standing closest to the tree line.

Behind him the trees rustled a bit. We were the last two boys standing there. Matt heard the trees move as well. He jumped over beside me and we both stared at the spot, too scared to even move.

We were transfixed, as something began to slowly push aside a branch, and I could vaguely make out what looked like two eyes peering back at me.

Just as the branch was pushed aside, the Principal grabbed us by the shoulders and we both jumped, screaming loudly. Matt and I ran straight back into the school, and once inside we filled in the Principal.

This led to another tether ball hiatus. Two weeks passed before we were allowed to play again, and when we were, the Principal joined us.

He didn’t play, he just stood guard.

The trees didn’t move or rustle that day, or the next or the next, and after a month the Principal decided to stop joining us at lunch.

*

With now only a month left before school was over, we had started a tournament amongst our group of friends, to find out who the ultimate 4th grade tether ball champion truly was. This meant that for two lunch periods in a row, two people would play and at the end of those two days, one person would be a winner and move on and the next two people would play for two lunches in a row etc, until we would have a 4 day, winner takes all, tether ball champion. We had each donated our best comic and our parents had given us each a dollar, to make the pot even better for the winner. $4 and 4 amazing comics had us in a frenzy and the trash talking was loud and aggressive.

For the next 30 minutes, we watched two of our friends battle it out, Eric on one side, Tim on the other, and as the lunch bell rang, to send us all inside, they were tied at 15-15.

Tomorrow, a winner would be decided.

As we all skipped back towards the school, Tim realized he had left his lunch bag behind and told us to head in, as he ran back to grab it.

That was the last time anyone saw him.

Our teacher questioned us when Tim had not come back inside after 15 minutes. Officer Carlson was there within the hour and also questioned us.

Matt and I reluctantly retold what had happened prior with the tree and when we were done Officer Carlson and the Principal shared a look, and then Officer Carlson got on his radio. Shortly after 4, other police officers arrived and one of them had a dog that sniffed everywhere. It appeared as though it would get a lead and then when it got close to the edge of the woods it would stiffen up. It did this several times, which put all five officers in motion quickly and all of them stormed into the woods, disappearing in the thick forest.

After what felt like an eternity, the officers reappeared and walked up to Tim’s parents, who had recently arrived. They handed what appeared to be a bloody shoe to them that looked an awful lot like the type Tim wore. Tim’s mother burst into tears and fell to the ground, her husband trying to support her.

From inside the classroom, we could hear Tim’s father yelling loudly and at no one in particular.

Our teacher let us know that school was cancelled for the rest of the day and for all of us to remain in our classrooms until our parents had arrived.

*

It took a few weeks for the numbness to go away. School just wasn’t the same without Tim. I hadn’t been slugged hard since he disappeared and we were forbidden from even going near the tether ball court; first because it had been deemed a crime scene, and then afterwards because the principal said it was too close to the forest.

Too close to any predators lurking.

All of the parents had attended a few meetings with the Police, as well as with a few local groups. Volunteers had set up a local walking group to assist in making sure people got home safely if they were not driving anywhere.

The one month anniversary of Tim’s disappearance coincided with the last day of school, so we had a special assembly in the Library. Tim’s parents spoke and cried, our teacher spoke and cried and Officer Carlson came back and gave the stranger danger and animal speech again. To this day I can’t remember what Tim’s parents said, I was so upset. I missed my friend.

When the assembly was done, we found out that the rest of the day was cancelled, effectively starting our summer break 3 hours early.

Normally we would be jumping for joy and we would run from the school with no care. Not today. We solemnly left the library, took our few possessions from our desks, put them in our backpacks and then headed to the parking lot to await our parents.

While we were standing at the front of the school, waiting to be picked up, Eric and Matt suggested we have one final point in tether ball to honor Tim. No chance I said, I wanted nothing to do with that side of the school ever again. Grade 5 was looming and it was a 30 minute bus ride away. I couldn’t wait. The school would be forever tainted, in my young mind.

They shrugged their shoulders, dropped their back packs and ran over to the tether ball court. I saw my mother’s car pull up, and I quickly jumped in, not saying a word. I never saw Eric or Matt again.

Some people will say that they saw them playing tether ball. Other kids said they watched something appear from the edge of the woods and grab first Matt then Eric. Either way, once again, the only thing the police found was one bloody shoe, and I knew it was Matt’s.

*

That summer doesn’t exist in my brain. I think back and remember all the good times I had with those three and long for a good shoulder slug or one of them yelling juvenile obscenities at me. I wish they had been found; alive preferred but at least a body would have given the families some closure.

Shortly before the next school year, we moved away. It was on the same weekend the tether ball court was paved over, a giant fence was erected completely surrounding the school yard and a basketball court was put in place. My parents moved us to a bigger city. I missed the woods behind our house and the mountains that surrounded us. But I was happy to move. I had grown petrified of the trees at the edge of the woods. I had nightmares, where I was snatched and pulled into the dark branches, only seeing two eyes as I was ripped apart, one bloody shoe thrown from my body.

Now as I entered middle school, I had trouble bonding with a new group of friends. Boys my age were meaner in the city, more aggressive and more materialistic. My shoes were not brand name or brand new, my concert shirts were from bands I loved, not who were popular and my mother cut my hair, I didn’t go to a barbershop.

Everything that I loved made it easy to pick on me.

I knew if my old friends were around, they would have told me that it didn’t matter, that I could listen to whoever I wanted to, and that my mom did a fine job of cutting my hair. But they weren’t and they never would be.

So every Saturday I take a walk to a park about 30 minutes from our house. There isn’t much there, just a small playground and a picnic table. But a large forest backs onto the end of the park. Usually there are a few people milling around, but I don’t care, I can easily find a place to sit. I will sit there, still as a stone, for hours on end.

Waiting, watching and hoping.

Hoping to join my friends.

Hoping to see the tree branches move.

Hoping to see two eyes peering at me.

Wishing I was brave enough, to walk to the edge of the woods.

END

Authors Note:

This story was inspired by the creepy woods near the elementary school I attended in Burton. They always seemed thicker and darker than the woods we had behind our house.

I liked the idea of not describing the “Thing”. Imagination will always
make it far worse than any description that I provide!

This is also my little attempt at a sort of buddy story. A bit like IT or The Body (Stand By Me). A group of friends. It’s a short tale, and maybe one day could be expanded upon, but for now, I like this little story, that truly reminds me of the younger days growing up in Burton.