Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 12:47:41 MDT From: Robyn Meta Herrington Subject: SUB:CONTEST:Weekend Retreat And still, they keep coming. . . bwahahahaha. . . Remember, critiques to ME at rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca Robyn ======================================================= Weekend Retreat The five young people basked in the glow and warmth of the cabin's fireplace while a storm raged outside. With bellies comfortably full of pizza, they tried to think of something to do. The storm had apparently knocked the power out, so their original plan of having a "Freddy & Jason Marathon Weekend" was out of the question, at least for a little while. "Why'd the stupid power have to go out *now*?" mourned Rachel, as she thumbed through the stack of videos. "I was really looking forward to seeing _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ again. Classical horror!" "Yeah. Would've been great to see the _Nightmare On Elm Street_ and _Friday The 13th_ films all together," put in Pete. He was disappointed too, but felt a man shouldn't show it. "Now what are we going to do?" asked Amy, the youngest of the group. "You think your parents would let us use the cabin again next weekend, Pete?" Chad caught Rachel's hand and drew her down beside him. "I don't know. It's not our fault the power's out, so it wouldn't hurt to ask them." "But what are we gonna do *now*?" moaned Ellen. "Well, we could--" Rachel whispered to Chad. "Oh, no, you won't," chided Sandy, overhearing them both. "I've got it! Let's create a ghost story!" Pete looked around the group of friends, beaming with pride at his idea. His black hair was cropped short in the latest style, and the jeans he wore reflected his desire to be part of the 'in' crowd. "You know, a sentence or two at a time, pass-it-around-the-circle sort of thing. I did it once in a creative writing class and it turned out really cool. Why don't you start, Amy?" "I don't know... Why do I have to go first?" The fire made Amy's strawberry blonde hair shine with even brighter red highlights than usual. She felt slightly threatened by being asked to begin. "Because you're the youngest, and this is your first cabin weekend," prodded Pete. "Just give us an opening line. You'll see, it'll be fun!" "I really don't think this is a good idea." She looked around the group for someone to rescue her, but nobody jumped in. "Oh, all right then. 'It was a dark and stormy night'." Amy gave the group a half-hearted smile as she proposed the oldest line in the book as a starting point. "Pretty cheesy start, but okay, I'll bite," said Chad. "'Lightning flashed, illuminating the world as a theater strobe light would, red after-images burned into the frightened', um, I think, yeah... 'group's retinas.' Gotta be a group of good friends, just like us! Go ahead, Rachel, add to my line." He gave his girlfriend a squeeze. He'd only been with Rachel for a couple of months, and this was her first weekend cabin trip, too. "You know sex is my forte, Chad. I'll pass this time and maybe the story will get juicy." She batted her brown eyes at Chad in an exaggerated attempt to look seductive. Pete jumped in, "Cut it out, you two. 'Thunder boomed seemingly on top of the lightning; no time to even count one-one- thousand between them.' Naw, that sounds stupid. Let's try: 'Thunder crashed, and the wind whipped the trees in response.' Yeah, that's better." "Hey, this is fun!" put in Sandy, as she brushed dark brown hair out of her eyes. "Let's see.. 'The group huddled closer to the warmth of the fire. The roar of the rain savaging the windows grew louder, as if it were a living thing desperate to get in.' Anybody bring marshmallows?" "I brought marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, so we can try and make those thingamabobs we used to have at Girl Scout camp. Now, hush! Here's my line: 'Something lived in the swamp... and it hungered.'" Ellen began to rummage in her backpack. "But we're not *in* a swamp," protested Amy. "Well, we wouldn't want it to be *here*, now would we?" Chad was always reassuring. His blonde hair and blue eyes radiated innocence that made people want to trust him. "I guess not." Amy's eyes became shadowed as she realized it was her turn again. "'It was green, and covered with dangling algae.' Just like _Swamp Thing_! Are we violating copyright laws? Let's quit. C'mon, Ellen, let's make some S'mores." "Amy's half right. Let's make up our own monster; not copy _Swamp Thing_. I vote we move it into a forest. 'One foot didn't work right, so it made an odd sound when it walked.'" Chad illustrated his sound effects with his hands on the hardwood floor of the little cabin. The motion pressed Rachel's back against his chest. *Shuffle*, *Thump*, *Shuffle*, *Thump*. Chad squeezed Rachel when he finished. "Oh, right, my turn. 'It was All Hallow's Eve, and the monster walked abroad, looking for a victim. ...or victims.'" She snuggled closer to Chad. Outside their cabin, something stirred. "'Blood!'" yelled Pete, and everybody jumped. "'It wanted -- needed -- blood. And it could smell blood; fresh, warm, frightened, living blood.' I like this!" This was almost more fun than watching old horror flicks, he thought. "'It knew that somewhere in its forest home, there was a meal waiting.'" Sandy gave a convulsive shudder as she spoke her line. She'd always thought enjoying being scared was perverse, but she liked the feeling anyway. Ellen handed the goodies she'd found in her backpack to Amy as she said, "'Tiny bloodshot eyes gave it no help in the murky undergrowth, but its sense of smell was acute. Nose in the air, it followed the elusive scent.' Are you going to take your turn, Amy?" As Amy took the ingredients for S'mores from Ellen, she just shook her head. There was an absent look in her eyes, as if her thoughts were far away or she was listening intently to -- for -- something. "Me again!" said Chad. He spoke his line directly into Rachel's ear, tickling it with his breath. "'It discovered the little cabin almost by accident, but once there its nose confirmed that inside was dinner. Filled with a need, it wanted to rend the very walls of the cabin, but it knew it must wait for the right opportunity.' It's probably watching us right now... Look!" He thrust a forefinger at the cabin's smoke-blurred window. As everybody yanked around to look, he began to laugh. "That's not funny!" exclaimed Amy, who had dropped the S'more preparation and looked ready to bolt. Everybody except Amy joined Chad in laughter, and the window was forgotten. Outside, something peered in through the smokey glass. "'It prowled outside the cabin, seeking weaknesses.'" The menace in Rachel's addition to the story was somewhat hampered by her inability to quit giggling. It felt so good to be terrified and have the comfort and support of being in a lover's strong arms. "'Its hunger became overpowering. It had to have blood, and soon.'" Pete mimed being the monster, making sinister gestures at the rest of the group. Sandy sighed. "I can't think of a line." "You pass your turn, then," said Ellen. "'How could it get into the cabin to feed? The windows were closed and locked, and the wood still too new and stout to break. It wandered about the cabin, searching for a way in." She imitated Chad's sound effects. *Shuffle*, *Thump*, *Shuffle*, *Thump*. Outside, something circled the cabin, searching for a way in. When the group looked at Amy for her turn, she tried to make herself smaller. "I can hear that thing outside." Chad laughed. "That *thing* is our creation and it's *not* outside this cabin. 'The group was nervous inside the little cabin. Just beyond, the creature waited, eager for a possible meal. Its claws reached for the door.'" He slowly brought his hands up and suddenly grabbed Rachel, who squealed. She quickly put Chad's arms back around her and added, "'The group knew it was out there, waiting, and they were terrified. Dawn was coming but not fast enough, and when one of them tried to turn on a light, they found that the power was out.'" "Did you hear that?" Amy leaned toward Ellen and whispered, her voice hoarse. "I didn't hear anything. Your imagination is getting the best of you, Amy. You don't have to help with the story, but don't be a spoilsport, okay?" Pete's eyes gleamed in the firelight. "'They threw more wood on the fire, not realizing that the monster could see them better through the window with more light. It had to have fresh blood by dawn, or it would die.'" Outside, something paused again by the window, and growled. "There! Outside! Did you see it?" Amy threw hperself as far from the cabin's window as she could get. Chad rolled his eyes in disbelief. Was it mimicry of his actions earlier or could she actually be so gullible? "Ooo, I'm getting goosebumps!" put in Sandy. "Amy could be right. Let's stop now." She rubbed her hands over arms full of prickles. "Can't," said Ellen. "Gotta either rescue the heroes or feed the monster." "Like I said, it's just a *story*," said Chad. "Chill out, guys. 'Inside the cabin, one of the group panicked. There didn't seem to be any air to breathe; they had to get outside, had to get home.'" "I think we're scaring both Amy and Sandy. Maybe we should quit?" Rachel looked around at everybody, but the boys were willing to continue. "Okay. Sorry, Amy, Sandy, I tried. 'The creature sensed an impending opening, and waited by the door.'" "It's *out* there," insisted Amy from her corner. She was terrified and wanted to go home. "It can't be out there, Amy. We invented it." Chad and Pete exchanged looks. "She's not gonna believe us until we show her," sighed Chad. Being macho was a lot of work sometimes. "That's true. Look, Amy; there's nothing out there," said Pete, as he swaggered to the door and yanked it open. "See?" Outside... -------+++++++-------+++++++ +++++++-------+++++++------- Robyn Herrington Operations Manager, Microforms Services University of Calgary, MacKimmie Library Ph: (403)220-6903 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rmherrin rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca -------+++++++-------+++++++--------------+++++++-------+++++++-------