Page 15 - World of Darkness

Chapter 1:
Chapter 1:

The Secret History
The Secret History

Tom smiled, letting out a contented sigh, his hands
resting in the pockets of his corduroy jacket. “Nothing’s
changed. It’s exactly how I remember it.”
“Oh, c’mon,” Jenny said, looking around the small pond
skeptically, her arms crossed. “Nothing stays the same
forever. Surely this old swimming hole is different somehow.”
“No, I’m telling you — it’s the same. Same tree, same
There are demon- branches, same water level. Heck, I bet the old ‘hole to
There are demon-
haunted worlds, re-
haunted worlds, regions
gions of utter dark- nowhere’ is still at the bottom.”
of utter darkness. Who-
ness. Whoever in “’Hole to nowhere’?” Jenny grimaced. “Sounds creepy.”
ever in life denies the
life denies the
Spirit falls into that
Spirit falls into that “Yeah, we used to dare one another to try and swim
darkness of death.
darkness of death. down it. Bobby tried once, but couldn’t hold his breath long
— Isa Upanishad enough to get far. Scared him half to death.”
— Isa Upanishad
“Eew,” Jenny waved her arms, trying to fend off the
image. “Why do boys do such idiotic things?”
Tom took his jacket off, smiling. “I swore I’d find the
end of that hole someday.”
Jenny stared, aghast. “You’re kidding.” She shook her
head vigorously. “Stop it, Tom.”
Tom laughed and dropped his pants, revealing swim
trunks. Before Jenny could grab his arm, he splashed into the
murky water.

“You can’t see anything through that mud!” Jenny cried.
“Just forget it. Let’s go home.”
“No way,” Tom said. “I swore I’d do it. Besides, I
dropped a silver dollar in there once. I want it back.” He dove
beneath the surface.
Jenny could see his murky form going deeper and deeper.
It paused at what looked like the bottom and then disap-
peared. She moaned, clutching herself, biting her lip, and
waited.
“Tom!” she yelled when he hadn’t surfaced. “Oh my
God!” She kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her pants.
She didn’t have a bathing suit, only underwear. Grimacing at
the chill in the water, she waded out.
Halfway to the center, she stopped, hands to her mouth,
trying to scream but with no sound. Blood mixed with
bubbles gurgled up from where Tom had disappeared. Frozen
with fear, she tried to will herself to dive down and help him.
Then his hand broke the surface. She breathed a sigh of relief,
which became the longed-for scream when the hand kept
rising, severed at the bloody wrist.

14
Chapter 1- THE SECRET HISTORY