Park ‘O’ Death, by Kaitlyn Hepp, grade 6

“… And now I don’t have a job!” Adam sobbed. “They fired me over $5.00 of bubble gum!?!” looking around the abandoned church with its smashed windows and lopsided pews he wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. “ I’m eighteen I shouldn’t be crying like a baby even if I’m broke, my mother hates me, and I don’t have anywhere to live, Damn it!!” He picked his way across the church to the door. A slight breeze was blowing through the big stain glass window behind the alter, or what was left of the window. Adam looked through the colored panes to see a tall, lanky, brown-haired kid walk into the graveyard.
“Where is it?” looking around sixteen year-old Hunter Daniel entered the graveyard. Walking between the rows searching the stones with his peculiar eyes. Little did he know he was being followed.
“Oh!” Adam gasped as he caught sight of the boys face. One eye was blue yet the other green. He looks only 16 he should be in school Adam thought to himself. Adam opened the little black iron gate to the cemetery “SQUEAK!” “Darn it, never trust gates with a hinge missing.” He muttered. Adam wasn’t the only one that heard. Hunter whipped his head around, starring at his follower.
“Who are you?” Hunter never had trouble getting straight to the point.
“Adam, the guy that used to work at the gas station, who used to have a place to live, and the guy that used to have a mother that loved him. What about you kid?” Adam said.
“Hunter, the guy that used to go to high school, the guy that used to live with his parents but ran away, and the guy that has a mother that probably isn’t to happy with him right now. In other words nothing new.” While they were talking they had wandered to the old rusty metal swing set in the old rusty park “next door”.
“Ladies first.” Adam said with a bow, gesturing to the swings.
“Hilarious.” Hunter scowled at Adam, but plopped right on down.
“So, you dumped high school.” Said Adam sitting on the swing next to Hunter. “I did too.” He laughed.
We have so much in common.” said Hunter sarcastically.
“Actually we do our mo…” he never did finish that sentence actually. For Adam had noticed something… something strange.
“What, what is i…” Hunter followed Adams horrified gaze, the swings they were moving! There was no wind, no one else in the park. Just them and the swings, moving soundlessly. Wait what? Soundlessly? To be silent they would have to be… oiled. Hunter thought to himself.
“This place is giving me the creeps. We should leave, something’s not right here.” Adams voice started to shake.
Scrambling they ran for the side walk only to stumble, blinded by a bright light that rose out of the ground around the property.
“RUN!” Hunter screamed. So that’s what they did, smack into a 20 foot high ancient looking metal fence.
“Oh no. It goes all the way around the whole park we can’t get out!” Adam became hysteric, he was hyperventilating. They simultaneously spun around to face the church. Some sound was coming from the graveyard.
“Why do I feel like scary music should be playing in the background?” Hunter whispered softly. Then they could see it, the dirt freshly turned with groaning sounds coming from underneath it. They started backing up right to the black iron fence.
Looking to the sky Adam cried” Why? Why do I have to die?”
“Will you please, SHUT UP!” Hunter ended in a yell.
They turned back to the cemetery. Hunters eyes widened, fingers were appearing on the edges of the graves, pulling at the dirt. Rising, something was rising out of the graves.
“This is not good. But I’m not going to die, I’m not going to die.” Adam squeaked.
A smoky mist came out of the churches windows. “Find thy sword or you shall perish…” a ghost!!! The ghost came out of the mist dressed in a priests robe.
“Oh, Father forgive me!” Adam cried falling to his knees.
“Snap out of it!” Hunter hissed shoving his elbow into Adams ribs.
“OW! Oh right – ghosts – not good.” Adam said shaking his head and reaching into his pocket. His hand brushed against something. His bubble gum!
By now the zombies had gotten at least their waists out of the graves pushing with all their strength to get their legs out. “Zombies! Really, why not skeletons, zombies are so much scarier!” Adam whined.
“Stop whining! What do you think, that I can control that?” Hunter asked.
“Yes, yes I do.” Adam replied.
“Oh my... OK well remember what that priest said? We have to find the sword or we will die.”
“That’s not what he said he said perish.” Said Adam tartly.
“That’s what perish means!” Hunter was being rubbed raw. “I’ll go find this sword and you stay here and well kick some zombie.” Hunter set off running.
“But…Bu…” Adam stammered “OH…OOOH!” Adam screamed. The zombies were walking through the fence towards him. He fainted.
Turning around Hunter saw Adam faint. “Just my luck. I’m stuck in here with a sissy.” Hunter muttered. “ADAM!” Hunter yelled at the top of his 16 year-old lungs. Seeing his friend get back up he turned trying to find the sword. He heard a sound… “Ahoooo!” “Ahoooo!” He looked up ghosts were flying over the trees “Oh no…” Hunter started to say but he saw something. Something that would make their lives a whole lot easier. “The sword!” rejoicing Hunter started climbing the tree reaching the sword he said “Take this Mom, take this principal, take this stupid school!” he yanked on the sword with each word he said. “Hoi-yah!” Hunter cried raising the sword in one hand getting in a ninja pose he had seen on TV. “Sweet!” He was loving it!
Over on Adams side of the park Adam was panicking, he was surrounded my zombies. Their feet making thudding noises as they trampled the grass. One by one the zombies came forward slowly so slowly. “I’m not going to die, not going to die.” Adam whimpered. The zombies came closer and closer yet. Panicking Adam threw out a fist punching the zombies head right off! Amazed he stared at his hand. “Wow!” was all he could say. Now he started to enjoy himself spinning and kicking he pounded off head after head. Laughing he shouted “I’m king of the park!” before going back to his boxing match. “Watch out Jackie Chan the Adaminator is coming to town!”
“Really!” Hunter shook his head smiling slightly. Sprinting he got to Adam with the sword, “What should I do now?” he asked.
“How about you stay here with the zombies,” he paused to punch a head, “while I go execute my own plan!” Adam ran off with those words hanging in the air.
“Fine then.” Hunter declared, chopping off hands, feet, arms, toes, fingers, anything he could get at, like a madman.
Dodging past zombie after zombie Adam ran to the little kids jungle gym. Stuffing a handful of gum in his mouth he swung up onto the monkey bars. Chewing he swung to a platform, kicking off some zombie heads with each swing. He stuffed more gum in his mouth. With $3.00 worth of bubble gum in his mouth he waved his hand in the air shrugging off Hunters questioning stares. He spit the $5.00 worth of bubble gum into his hand taking out his new stolen pen (that used to be his old boss’) and drew some lines into the slimy glob.
Finishing his creation at last hr ran into the field of zombies and thought You cost me my job but you just might save my life. With that he yelled “Free brains! Who wants ‘em?” he dropped the “brains” and ran to where Hunter was standing.
“You look like you took a shower!” Adam laughed.
“It’s called sweat.” Hunter had to crack a smile. Turning they watched as one by one the zombies choked on the gum and disintegrated.
“It’s just like the movies!” Adam was enjoying himself. When all the zombie s had disintegrated the ghosts flew away, like they had seen death, which they actually had before.
“Congratulations, you are blessed.” The ghost of the priest said in his wispy voice, and right before their eyes he vanished. Unfortunately for them the fence didn’t.
“You’re kidding right! We did all that work just to be stuck in here the rest of our lives!” Hunter exclaimed raising the sword to fling it at the ground. “THUMP!” the sword hit something on its back swing. “WHOSH!” the fence vanished.
“Whoa due! What did you do?” Adams eyes got big. Turning around they looked at where the sword had hit the play set. The tip of the sword lay embedded in the plastic picture of a heart, right in the middle.
“In the heart of the park!” Adam laughed shaking his head, “Dude you killed the park!” Hunter couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Well, see you on Tuesday?” Hunter asked.
“You can count on it.” Adam said before turning leaving walking back home to his mom, where he should be.
Watching Adams retreating back Hunter thought Maybe, just maybe life isn’t that bad after all.