Chapter One
Kelly road, Ohio Ville, Pennsylvania, present day
Kay South turned up the radio and sang along to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. “So how did we do?” She asked glancing at the pirate in the passenger seat.
“We’re loaded!” Tyler exclaimed gazing down at the bag full of candy. “We have to go there every Halloween.” Kay couldn’t help but laugh. Against her better judgement she had agreed to suspend tradition and finally take her son to her bosses Halloween party. It hadn’t been as bad as she had thought; with his wife there her boss had kept his perverted behaviour to a minimum, and Tyler had really enjoyed bobbing for apples and raiding the bowls of candy.
“Okay, that’s enough sugar for you young man.”
“Aw mum!”
“Don’t aw mum me, you’ll never get to sleep with all those e numbers pumping through your system, put the candy in the glove compartment, now.” Grudgingly Tyler obeyed.
“Toby’s mum lets him eat as much as he likes.” He grumbled, trying to sneak one out the bag before shutting it away. Kay grabbed it and tried to wrestle it away, while still keeping her eyes on the road.
“Tyler!”
“Just one more please!” Kay sighed and fixed him with her best scowl. Her mother was always banging on about being more assertive, that children ran raggered without a father figure in their life, and maybe she had a point. Kay gave into Tyler so much and she didn’t want him growing up being bratty, so she decided to put her foot down.
“No, now put it back…now Tyler!” He unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth, Kay was just about to give him an ear full when out of nowhere a horn sounded, darting her eyes back to the road she gasped.
Headlights turned on high blinded her and she had no choice but to look away. “Mum…!” Tyler screamed as she gripped the wheel trying madly to get them out of this lunatic’s path. She lost control and the car darted off the road and down a steep embankment.
Tyler screamed clinging onto her sweater which only restricted her movements more and a solid looking tree appeared in front of them.
Kay knew it was hopeless and stopped fighting with the wheel, grabbing Tyler, she braced for impact.
***
Kay South slowly opened her eyes. At first everything was fuzzy and indistinct like looking down at the bottom of a swimming pool. “Tyler…” She moaned stretching out a hand to pat the seat beside her. It was empty.
Jerking her head up, ignoring the stinging pain, Kay’s frantic eyes searched the interior of the car. Tyler was nowhere to be found. Pure terror seized her and it was only then she realized the passenger side door was open, had he been flung from the wreckage? Maybe the door had swung open on impact; maybe Tyler was okay and had gone for help…all this flashed through her mind within seconds.
Kay tore at the seat belt release and kicked the door open, the world spun and she clung to the remains of the door till the dizziness passed. The front of the car was a total write off, folded up like an accordion, tendrils of smoke rose from the smashed grill like ghostly fingers.
“Tyler!” Kay searched the dark wood that surround the road, but couldn’t see more than a few yards. The slivery light of the moon couldn’t pierce the dense foliage and left her enveloped in darkness. “Tyler!” it was no use, wherever her son was he couldn’t hear her. Staggering back to the car she searched for her purse, it had fallen off the back seat and its contents spewed over the floor. She grabbed her cell phone which mercifully was unscathed, then cursed out loud when there was no signal. Kay had to get help; she was probably concussed and somewhere out in the vast wilderness was her seven year old son.
Slowly climbing her way up the bank aided by old exposed tree roots, Kay reached the road and held up the phone. Still nothing. The sound of a distant car reached her ears and without hesitation she ran into the road, flapping her hands in the air like a crazed lunatic.
Headlights rounded the bend and she almost cried with relief when the car slowed and pulled to a stop.
A young girl with long dark hair got out and ran over to her. “Are you okay? What happened?” The effort had been too much and nausea hit Kay like a fist, she bent over and tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths. “We were ran off the road…” she panted. “My son is missing.”
“Where did you crash?” A guy asked, appearing at their side with a flashlight, Kay pointed and he took off.
“Please, you have to find him.” Kay pleaded, clinging onto the girl, “he’s never even been camping”. She made to follow the man but instead stumbled across the tarmac and would have fell if the girl hadn’t caught her.
“Maybe you should sit down for a while.” Kay struggled to stay vertical and shook her head.
“I have to find Tyler.” The girl still didn’t release her.
“At least let me take care of your wounds,” the girl said, “your no use to your son dead, don’t worry Sam’s looking for him, trust me if he’s out there my brother will find him.” Kay reluctantly agreed and let the girl lead her to the Chevy.
She sat down on the passenger seat and faced sideways so the girl could get to her easily. Cold droplets of rain started to fall and her fear for Tyler grew. The girl dug around in the trunk and returned with a first aid kit, she must have saw Kay examining it because she gave her a smile.
“It’s always better to be prepared.” She flicked it open and took out some cotton wool buds which she soaked with water from a bottle, setting it down she gently pushed back Kay’s matted brown hair and dabbed at a gash on her forehead.
“I tried to call for help,” Kay offered, “but I didn’t have a signal, do you?” The girl shook her head.
“This place is a proverbial black hole I’m afraid.” Kay looked up at her as she dressed her wound. She looked to be in her early twenties and very pretty with cascading hair and honest round almond eyes.
“Are you from around here?” She asked her, the girl shook her head.
“New York. Me and my brother are road tripping. Okay, that’s the best I can do for now. You’ll probably need stitches.”
“Thank you.” Kay said getting to her feet; she felt more like herself but her voice still trembled as did her hands. The girl noticed and pulled out a candy bar from her coat pocket.
“Here eat this, you’ll feel better. I’m Star West and this guy here is my brother Sam.” Kay turned to see the guy crossing the road towards them. Her heart throbbed when she realized he was alone.
He was smoking hot with high cheekbones, full lips and rain dripping dark hair, in different circumstances Kay would have defiantly hit on him, but all she could think about was Tyler out there all alone, at least she hoped he was. It sucked that that was the best case scenario. “Find anything?” Star asked him, which struck Kay as a stupid question; they could plainly see that he was alone. He regarded Kay with weary eyes before he answered in a rough and raggered voice. “There’s no sign of the boy, it’s like he’s just disappeared, no tracks in the mud…nothing.”
“But he has to be out there…” Kay cried and felt them both study her.
“This other car that ran you off the road,” Sam said slowly, “what did it look like?” Kay stared at him.
“What does that have to do with finding Tyler…?” She gasped as it dawned on her what Sam was implying. “You don’t think they took my son, do you?” He shrugged dismissively.
“I don’t think anything; it’s just strange that the only tracks I see is yours.” He shined the flashlight on to the road’s slick surface and sure enough there were her tire tracks, but none from the other vehicle. Lightning lit up the sky above them and Kay felt a cold shiver travel down her spine.
“I swear…” She breathed.
“It’s okay; we’re just going to have to look harder, is all.” Star said casting Sam an irritated glance. She took Kay’s hands in hers. “We will find him, I promise.” Kay got the uneasy feeling that she was missing something but all she could focus on was getting Tyler back. That was all that mattered. “Come on.” Star squeezed her hand reassuringly before the sound of an approaching car caught her attention. Kay ran to flag it down, maybe their cell phones worked, or they could go get help while she stayed here and searched for Tyler, Kay was determined she wasn’t leaving this damn road without her son. Sam caught her arm and held her back.
“Look at your watch.” He ordered his sister. Star pushed up her coat sleeve and stiffened. She looked at them with foreboding until Sam instructed her to get off the road.
“What are you doing?” Kay shouted at him, trying to yank away from his grasp, “it’s just another passing car, they can help us.” Sam looked at her and there was pity in his dark eyes.
“Another car or the same car that ran you off the road?” The vehicle was right around the bend and would become visible in just a few seconds. “You were lucky we were driving past, but another so soon? This road doesn’t actually connect to any motorway.” His words made her head spin, why would they come back?
“Guys!” Star called out to them motioning to the road. Kay turned to see blinding headlights bearing down on them. She screamed and tried to flee but Sam held her to him and swung them around, putting his body in between her and the oncoming car. Kay braced herself for the second time that night and waited to die. Freezing numbing coldness seemed to sink into her very bones but there was no impact, just an icy sensation that made her teeth rattle.
Sam’s grip on her lessened and she looked up to see an empty road. “What the…”
“Sam!” Star shouted again and Kay turned just in time to see him launch into the air. He cleared her head and landed hard on the tarmac a good fair few feet away. Kay found herself staring into a pale face with rooting teeth and a terrible grin etched onto thin chapped lips. She recoiled as he reached out for her.
“Star help me!” She screamed as his cold fingers snaked around her wrist. He said nothing but bored into her with dead eyes.
“Stop!” Star yelled and Kay glanced away from his pock marked face to see her stooped beside her unconscious brother. “Please,” she pleaded with Kay’s captor. “I can help you, don’t take her…” and that was all Kay heard before darkness came.