*Thriller/Horror*
I was startled by the frantic pounding on my bedroom door. I stood up from my chair and made my way over to it. I already knew it was probably my best friend Alli. There really wasn't anyone else it could be.
I open the door and I can see right away she's been crying by the mascara that streams down her face. This had to mean we had lost another one.
"Did she get Micheal?" My voice shook as I asked her.
She nodded her head in response.
I grab her arm and lead her into my bedroom. I shut the door behind us as we needed to have our privacy for this. Not that anyone would believe us if they had heard our conversation.
"Talk to me." I spoke as I guided her to sit down on my bed.
She was breathing frantically and I could see she was trying to calm herself down. Her blue eyes looked into mine filled with nothing but fear. A feeling that I had come to know too well these last few days.
"Kira." She spoke my name quietly in a voice filled with emotion.
"Tell me what happened Alli." I attempted to coax the information out of her. I needed to know what happened.
"I-I went to go see if he was alright." Alli stammered out. "He was so adamant to take me out to get my mind off of this. When I realized he was an hour late I started to worry. I went to his house and there were police everywhere. He had his throat slashed in his bedroom."
I wrapped my arms around her as she broke down in sobs. We had experienced too much loss among our classmates over the last few days. All because we thought it would be a good scare to see if the urban legend about Molly Warren was true.
1 Week Earlier
"Should we be doing this?" I asked as we approached the locked gate.
I held my boyfriend Jace's hand tightly as I was already feeling nervous and uneasy as I looked at the locked up playground. Usually these places were somewhere kids came and happily played. Rohmer Park was the opposite though. It was so creepy that no one came here anymore and it only seemed to get vandalized, which was the reason for the fence.
"Come on Kira, it's just a harmless legend." Alli spoke as she stood next to her boyfriend Micheal.
"It'll be okay." Jace used his hand to rub up and down my back to help ease my nerves.
The four of us climbed over the tall fence and landed on the ground. Jace led the way as we made our way closer to the playground. The uneasiness in my stomach only seemed to grow. I knew we shouldn't be here.
"Do you think it's true?" Alli asked as her eyes looked over the playground. "Do you think someone really killed and buried her here?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "If she was buried here you'd think they would have found something to put in her actual grave."
"There's only one way to find out." Micheal chimed in. "Do what it says and see if she appears."
The legend of Molly Warren was a sad one. From what I understood the poor girl had been murdered on her prom night. There were many theories as to how. For example people thought maybe she had been cut up, maybe she was buried alive, but no one really knew how she met her demise. There was also no lead on who her killer was as they had no evidence. Her body was missing and nowhere to be found.
The rumors all led back to this park though. I wasn't sure if this place had anything to actually do with it or if it was chosen because it already had a creepy vibe. The playground was the original wooden equipment that was put up when it was first built. It was outdated and unsafe. There were talks about taking it out and putting in new but the town decided long ago to leave it as is. No one wanted to come here anyway with the thought that a girl had lost her life here.
Micheal set his backpack down on the bench and unzipped it. He pulled out four candles and held them out to us. We each took one and he lit them with his lighter.
"Someone's clearly prepared." I muttered out in a slightly unimpressed tone.
"I was going to do it anyway." He responded. "I was just hoping you and Jace would join us."
"How could we miss out on the possibility of seeing a ghost?" Jace was clearly more excited than I was about this.
"Do you think we'll really see her?" Alli's eyes looked between the three of us.
"Let's find out." Micheal spoke as he began to lead the way to the swingset of the playground. "Legend says we have to call out for her here."
"And what exactly do we say?" Jace questioned.
Micheal pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and opened it up. He studied it for a moment before speaking. "We all have to call out her full name three times and finish it off by asking her to come play."
"Come play?" Alli raised a brow. "Seems a little silly don't you think?"
"I don't make the rules." Micheal shrugged. "Are you guys ready?"
"About as ready as I'll ever be." I sighed.
We all stood side by side and started the chant. "Molly Warren, Molly Warren, Molly Warren will you come play?"
We all stood silently for a moment. The only noise came from the leaves rustling in the trees from the small breeze. My anxiety was beginning to go through the roof and nothing had even happened yet.
"How do we know if it worked?" Alli asked.
"It says that our candles are supposed to go out and then she'll appear." Micheal answered as he looked at the rest of us.
"Did we do something wrong cause the candles are still lit dude?" Jace added.
Before another word could be said the flame on my candle went out. I looked down and then over at the others. Their candles were still lit. This definitely wasn't helping the anxiety I was feeling.
"Why'd mine go out?" My voice shook as I asked.
"I don't know." Micheal had a puzzled look on his face. "Everything I've read has never talked about just one going out. It's either everyone's goes out or she doesn't show."
"There is a breeze, maybe it just hit a weird angle to blow your's out." Jace was trying to find a reasonable explanation to feel better.
"Yeah. Maybe." I nodded.
"Let's get out of here." Alli suggested.
"Okay." Micheal sighed. "Seems like nothing was going to happen anyway."
The other three blew out their candles and we headed back to the fence we had climbed over. I felt like we were being watched the whole time. I glanced back before climbing over and noticed one of the swings moving back and forth.
"Come on Kira." Jace's voice caused me to break my attention from the swing. He was on top of the fence and held his hand out for me.
I took it and hoisted myself up and over. We then headed back to Jace's car and got inside. He started it up and the radio immediately went to static. He turned it off quickly.
"Maybe there is really something out here." I mumbled lowly.
"Maybe." Jace's eyes were concerned as he looked me over. "Let's get you home."
Present Day
"Sleep here tonight so you're not alone." I suggested once Alli had calmed down.
"I'm so scared." I could hear the fear in her voice.
Since the night at Rohmer Park four of our classmates had died in horrible ways. Andrew Thompson's car had somehow gone off the bridge at the town entrance and went into the river. Jillian Mullins was found electrocuted in her bath tub with a look of pure fear in her eyes. Dana Edwards had been found with her wrists cut long ways and her eyes gouged out. Max Elliot had been found with a Colombian necktie. And now there was Micheal.
At first we thought maybe these were just freak accidents. That was until I started seeing her. Molly Warren had made her presence known and she was pissed. Every time she visited me she didn't harm me but it made me uncomfortable and I didn't like it.
The others didn't believe me at first. They couldn't see her like I could. Then they started feeling her threatening presence. That's what it took for them to finally believe me.
"I know." I didn't know what to say. I was terrified too.
Molly Warren clearly had it out for our class. I just couldn't figure out exactly why. Any other time anyone tried to do the legend no one had died. They got spooked and came back with a spooky story but nothing like this had ever happened. So why did she choose this time to harm people?
We didn't really say much further. We both were on edge as we didn't know who was next on Molly Warren's list. We got into the bed and tried the best we could to get some sleep. Not that it was very easy, especially for Alli who had just lost the one she loved.
Eventually we both did end up dozing off. It didn't last long for me though. I was suddenly woken up with Molly Warren intensely staring at me.
She had dark hair and her skin was pale. She had a gash on her head from some sort of injury. Her sunken eyes clearly held no life in them but that didn't stop them from conveying her anger. She wore a lilac purple dress that went to her knees and was a mess of dirt and blood.
"What do you want with me?" I asked.
Every time she appeared the last few days I closed my eyes and waited for her to leave. This was getting out of hand though and had affected a close friend. I need to get answers. The only way to do that was to ask her for them.
Her intense stare slightly softened as she held her hand out to me. I was hesitant but I took her hand. If she was going to hurt me she would've done it already.
Once our hands were connected there was a flash and I recognized the school gym immediately. Molly stood by me as I looked around the room. The style everyone had was clearly from the seventies. As my eyes looked over the crowd I found myself looking at Molly who was happily smiling as she danced with one of the jocks.
Next thing I knew we were at Rohmer Park. There was a deep hole dug in a grassy area. Surrounding it were five others along with Molly and her date. Two of them were guys and then there were three girls.
"You really thought he'd take you on a date?" One of the girls sneered as she mocked Molly with a malicious smile. "You fucking wish."
I could see the hurt and betrayal on Molly's face as she realized her date had set her up. Those feelings didn't last long as they were replaced by fear. She tried to run but her date grabbed her and held her against him.
He began to walk her to the hole in the ground. Molly kicked him in the balls and tried to make a run for it. I watched as she hid behind trees as the other six searched for her. Out of nowhere her date had approached and hit her with a shovel. This is what had caused the gash on her.
Molly was knocked out, honestly it looked like she was dead. Her date carried her body over to the hole where the other five looked at him in horror.
"You weren't supposed to actually kill her Frankie!" One of the girls shrieked. "This was supposed to be a joke!"
"Look, I didn't mean to hit her that hard!" He tried to defend himself.
"What are we going to do?" One of the other's asked as they frantically looked between the group.
"We bury her." Frankie spoke to the group. "We have too much going for us. No one will think we had anything to do with this. We bury her and pretend like nothing happened."
"Won't someone know?" One of the other guys asked.
"Not if we're careful. We'll make it look like the kids messed with the grass here and surrounding areas. If anyone gets suspicious I'll handle it." Frankie spoke with confidence.
They all managed to finally agree with each other. Frankie had got a trunk and placed Molly's body into it. They then proceeded to bury her. Except Molly wasn't dead from being hit with the shovel.
She came to in the trunk after they finished and began to freak out. She scratched and clawed at the trunk but had no luck. She ended up exhausting herself and running out of air. That's when she really died.
Then it flashed to a few days later where Frankie dug up the trunk before the park could be searched. Once they had cleared it he returned Molly's body and buried her under the swingset.
"They took my youth, they no longer have theirs so now I take their children." She whispered as she stood beside me and watched the scene herself. "All I really want is to be where I belong."
Her words made my blood run cold. She couldn't take away the years she had missed out on from the culprits. Killing my classmates, who were their children, was the only way for her to even the score. Unfortunately for Micheal I recognized his mother and she played a part in his fate tonight.
I blinked and the next thing I knew I'm back in my bed beside Alli. I shook her awake as I grabbed my phone and dial Jace. Alli groaned but gave me her attention.
"What?" She asked.
"We have to go!" I keep my voice down as I answer her. "I know how to stop this."
Jace answered the phone and his voice spoke before she had the chance to respond to me. "What's going on?" He asked groggily.
"Come get Alli and I. I don't have time to explain." I answered quickly and quietly.
"Okay." Thank god he wasn't questioning me on this. "I'll be there in ten."
While we waited Alli and I got dressed and quietly crept down the stairs and out of the front door. We were careful to not make any noise. I didn't want to wake my mom and stepfather. They would end up asking questions that I didn't have time to answer. Not that they'd believe them anyway.
I ran to the storage shed by the garage and grabbed a few shovels. Jace's car pulled up to the curb for us and I put the shovels in his trunk. Alli and I then got in and shut the doors quietly. Jace looked between the both of us with a puzzled expression. I knew the lack of details probably didn't help his confusion.
"What's this about?" He finally asked.
"Head to Rohmer Park." I directed. "I'll explain it all on the way."
Jace began to drive. I proceed to explain everything I had learned from Molly Warren herself. A few days ago they both would've told me I was full of shit. Not tonight, tonight they believed me without a second thought.
"So what does she want then?" Jace's eyes focused on the road.
"She wants to be laid to rest, in the proper spot." I answered him. "If she's in her grave she can rest and she won't be disturbed ever again."
"So why did she choose you to reveal all of this too?" Alli's voice was quiet as she questioned me.
"I don't know." That was one thing that I had yet to figure out.
We arrived at the park and got out of the car. I would've climbed the fence but we didn't have the time. I grabbed the bolt cutters Jace kept in his trunk and cut the chain that locked up the gate to the park.
We each had a shovel in hand as I led the way to the swing set. The three of us remained silent as we started digging into the ground. The only notice was the sounds of the shovels digging into the dirt. After some time we finally heard a thump as one of the shovels hit something hard and our instincts told us to move faster. Before we knew it the entire trunk was uncovered.
"This is it." I could feel it in my gut, this is what we needed.
The three of us did our best to pull the trunk out of the ground. I noticed there was no lock on it. I took a deep breath in as I mustered up the courage to open it. I had to make sure this was her.
As soon as I opened it there was an awful stench that unleashed itself. I couldn't help but gag at how bad it was. I covered my nose with my hand as I peered inside of the trunk. All that was in here were skeletal remains in a lilac dress. This was definitely Molly Warren.
I closed the trunk and we carried it to the car. We managed to get it into the back seat and I chose to be the one to sit with it in the back. Jace started the car back up and headed for the cemetery. The last thing we needed to do was get her buried properly.
The silence was uncomfortable during the drive. What did we expect though? One of our friends was dead now and we were toting the dead body of a missing girl. How the hell do you make conversation with something like that?
We entered the cemetery and looked for her grave stone. It was pretty easy to find thankfully. We climbed out of the car and started digging yet again. While we worked I could feel eyes on us. They weren't Molly's though. She would've made her presence known by now. These eyes also didn't have the same vibe or energy as what Molly gave off.
The three of us jumped when we heard footsteps approaching us. I turned around to see a familiar face. My stepfather must've followed us or something.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he looked between the three of us.
I let out a sigh as I knew I was going to have to explain this. "We wanted to see if the legend of Molly Warren was true. We did it and managed to unleash her and her pent up rage. She started visiting me and then killing off our classmates." I explained. I knew by the look on his face this sounded ridiculous. "She visited me again tonight. She told me why she killed the others and all she wants now is to be laid to rest."
My stepfather was at a loss for words it seemed. I could see in his eyes he was searching for what words to say. Finally his eyes met mine and he reached out his hand. "Let me help."
I nodded and began to hand over the shovel. My fingers brushed his and in my mind an image flashed. It was the image of Frankie, Molly's killer, who I know realized looked exactly like my stepfather. This is why she chose me, I was the link to getting vengeance with the culprit.
"It was you." My voice was low and shaky. "You killed her and you got away with it!"
"What are you talking about?" His voice grew dark.
"She just showed me. It was you who killed Molly Warren!" I shouted out loud.
I could see his entire demeanor change. Instead of being helpful he was now threatening. Before I could react he hit Jace with the shovel and knocked him out. Alli and I both were horrified and took off running.
I managed to hide behind a grave to conceal myself. I could hear his footsteps in the distance. I jumped as I then heard Alli scream out in pain and then the thud of her hitting the ground. He had hurt her but I wasn't sure how bad.
I heard the footsteps again and they were getting closer to me. I covered my mouth with my hands to conceal whatever noise may escape from me. I jumped again as my stepfather practically jumped in front of me with a malicious look on his face.
"Found you." He smiled sardonically.
I stood up and made a run back to Jace. I was a foot away from him when I tripped and fell. My stepfather practically pounced on me and wrapped his hands around my throat. He squeezed tightly and I was gasping for air that he wasn't going to allow me to get.
"You're right Kira. I did kill her." He spoke as he choked me. "Unfortunately I'm now going to have to do the same to you and your friends."
My eyes got a glimpse of something moving. I saw Alli approaching quickly as she held one of the shovels. She was clearly ready to attack but stopped in her tracks and practically turned as pale as a ghost.
I glanced up and I realized my stepfather's grip on me loosened. His eyes were glued to the same spot as Alli's. I turned my head to see where they were looking at. There was Molly Warren, except she didn't look dead. She looked exactly how she did in the flashback she had shown me.
Her eyes met mine for a moment. "Take your friends and go. I've got this covered. Thank you."
My stepfather was too stunned to realize I had slipped out from under him. I made my way over to Jace who was now coming to. We both watched as Molly began to approach my stepfather who was now at a loss for words.
His confusion turned into a pure look of terror as Molly shifted her image into the horror I had seen the last few days. She had a vengeful smile as she reached into his chest and managed to pull his heart out. I watched wide eyed as the life drained from him quickly.
Then with a flash Molly was gone and he fell lifeless to the ground.
I took her advice. We loaded up in the car and left. The three of us didn't know what to say or how to process what we had just seen.
In the end the police managed to put it together. The story made the news as my stepfather killed her years ago and finally decided to bury the body at her grave. While in the process a mountain lion must've come and attacked him. It was the only explanation that made sense to the public, but the three of us knew the truth.