The Family Tree

The Family Tree

         A titanium door slid shut behind me, making as little noise as when it had opened. A black man wearing chrome colored riot gear checked my Press badge.
         “Pass through the molecular scanner and stop on the red dot.”
         I complied with his order and felt a tingling sensation as I passed through the scanner. A monotone voice streamed out of a speaker in front of me after I stopped on the dot.
         Subject is carrying two pens, two pencils, recorder, paper pad, four keys, plastic badge. No threat detected.
         A different officer escorted me through a series of doors and down a bleak hallway filled with rows of bars. Prisoners stared at me as I passed, their dull eyes seeming only to register that I was not a new prisoner to be wary of. I was led to a cell where an old man was asleep on a cot. The officer unlocked the door and I stepped over to a metal chair that was sitting beside it.
         The old man had been dozing and blinked several times before he turned his head and focused his eyes on me.
         “Who…who are you?” He grimaced as he tried to push himself up from his cot. He raised himself halfway up and then sighed when he was able to prop himself against the cold metallic wall. I flashed what I hoped was my most disarming smile.
         "I’m Robert Rolland, reporter from the Braxton Herald. The officers were supposed to tell you that I was coming to interview you. Didn’t they inform you?” I was tense for a moment, figuring that they had led me to the wrong guy.
         “Rolland? Rolland…oh…right. Yeah, they told me. Said you wanted to know my story; why I killed that ranger.” The old man stared off into space. “Don’t know why you wanna know really…no one ever believes the story.”
         “An officer friend of mine told me about you, he said you weren’t the kind of man that he thought would commit such a heinous crime. I believe your case will make a worthwhile human interest story for my weekly column.” The old man closed his eyes and was quiet. I wondered after a few minutes whether or not he had drifted back to sleep. I was startled when he breathed a heavy sigh.
         “I’ll tell ya my story. I don’t think it will do me any good, but if you plan to print it, it may serve as a warning to others.”
         “Excellent. Now to begin our interview I’d like to clear up a few things.” I turned on my recorder and placed it on the small stand beside the old man’s cot. “First, did you plead temporary insanity in your case and have it overturned by the court psychologist?” I was eager to hear the details, but was surprised when the old man grunted shook his head.
         “Yes. I did, but what you need to understand is what happened before the…incident. It was fifty-five years ago this October, the year was 2020 and the leaves were almost through changing. There was an unnatural cold seeping through the South…”

*           *           *

         “Jesus, it’s cold out here.” Josh looked over at Cassie. “It’s usually still warm this time of year. You’d think Georgia would be far enough south that we’d still be getting some decent weather.” Cassie glanced back at Josh and frowned at him.
         “Please don’t use His name like that; you know I don’t like it when you do.”
         “What? Oh…yeah, sorry, I forgot. It’s just so damn cold out here!” Cassie frowned at him again, but let the word pass without a rebuke.
         “It’s done this before Josh. Remember three years ago when it snowed in November? Quit complaining and help me get this tent stuffed into the back.” She started pushing on the end of the tent that did not seem to feel like inserting itself all the way into the back of the old 2004 Chevy Tahoe.
         “Alright, alright…I just wish my Dad would finish arranging his tackle box so we can get out of here. It’s been forever since I’ve been camping and I hear that Doms Forest is beautiful this time of year.” Josh walked over and helped Cassie shove the tent all the way into the SUV, creating a small cracking sound. “Oops. Oh well, I’m sure it wasn’t anything important.” Josh shut the hatchback and Cassie sat on the steps leading to the front door.
         “Yeah, I’ve heard it’s an excellent place to camp too, but it doesn’t keep me from worrying.”
         “You can’t be serious Cassie. I though we had resolved that issue. That kid’s probably working on an oil rig in the gulf by now.”
         “But he just disappeared while camping there!”
         “Yeah, yeah…blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is that no one found his body or even the trace thereof. Everyone decided he had run off because he had knocked-up some girl. Besides…” Josh was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
         A man wearing dark tan khakis with a plaid shirt tucked into them emerged. He was tall and exhibited a close-trimmed beard that was more gray than brown. He placed a large green tackle box on the steps and locked the door behind him. He turned around and smiled.
         “Hey Cassie, how are you? How does it feel to be going on your first camping expedition?”
         “Hi Mr. Scepts. I’m very excited. Since Dad died, mom hasn’t wanted to do anything. I’m glad she’ll be getting out of the house. She told me to thank you for taking me.”
         “It’s my pleasure Cassie, besides, how boring would it be to stay at your house alone while your mom went on her trip?”
         “Not too bad, but I’m still glad to be going with you and Josh. Maybe some of my manners will rub off on him.” Cassie smiled and Mr. Scepts laughed.
         “I wouldn’t count on it Cassie, after listening to all my rants on scientific theory he probably has a head just as hard as mine.” Mr. Scepts picked up his tackle box and started down the steps. Josh looked over from where he had just put the last piece of luggage in the side of the SUV.
         “Hey! I’ll be the judge of that thank you. I happen to consider science the essence of pure evil.” They all grinned at one another and Mr. Scepts winked at Cassie.
         “Alright kids, lets head out.”

*           *           *

         “We didn’t know what was going to happen that week. We all piled into that old Tahoe and expected a week of fun and relaxation.” The old man gazed at nothing again and was silent.
         “Um…well, my background research found that there was no camping gear where you claimed to have been. As for what happened in Doms Forest, I uncovered little in the old records…” The old man put his hand up for me to stop talking.
         “You didn’t find anything because the papers didn’t print much of anything. They all figured I just wouldn’t tell ‘em the ‘real’ story and I was discounted as a common criminal. As for the rest of it, they called off their search several weeks after I was arrested. They consider it a cold case now.” A tear welled up in his eye. “Damn it! You’re gonna print everything right…everything?” I nodded my head in affirmation. The old man seemed unstable with his emotions and I did not want to excite him any further by telling him that I might have to edit some parts of his story for length. He appeared to acknowledge my silent nod as a submissive gesture. “No, they kept everything under wraps. What happened in that cursed forest has never been subject to the scrutiny of public exposure.” I decided to risk another question.
         “I also did some research into Doms Forest. A National Park Service representative told me that it has not changed much and that they haven’t had many problems in the past fifty-five years. How do you explain that?” Tears welled up in both of the old man’s eyes that time.
         “Just listen to me Mr. Rolland and you’ll find the answers to most your questions.” He picked up a small cup of water that had been lying on the floor beside his cot and took a sip. “Like I was saying, we all piled into that old Tahoe and went on our way. We arrived at the ranger’s station just before dusk and parked. The trail was only traversable by foot from there on.

*           *           *

         A park ranger wearing brown canvas shorts, a green canvas shirt, and battered hiking boots walked out of the small station towards Mr. Scepts and the two teens. Mr. Scepts pulled a strap tight on his backpack and stood up to meet the ranger.
         “Hello! I’m Harold Scepts and this is my son Joshua and his friend Casandra. We have a reservation…” Mr. Scepts trailed off when he noticed that the ranger was not smiling. He cleared his throat. “Is…is there a problem Mr…”
         “Flishe, Ranger Flishe.” The ranger’s shadowy brown eyes made a stark contrast with his pale face as he ran them over Mr. Scepts. “No, I have your reservation on file Mr. Scepts. I just need you to sign this form stating that the park shall not be held responsible for any mishaps that may occur during your stay here.”
Mr. Scepts took the clipboard that the ranger offered.
         “Of course Mr. Flishe.” Mr. Scepts read the form, signed it, and passed the clipboard back to the ranger. “Much business this year?”
         The ranger looked over the signed form and the semblance of a grin appeared across his lips.
         “No, not a lot this year. I fear we’ve lost many of our guests to that amusement park that opened this summer. We have been…hungry…for guests this year.”
         Josh and Cassie had finished securing their own backpacks and walked over to stand beside Mr. Scepts. Josh looked at the ranger.
         “Yeah, we went to it this summer, the park’s awesome. I was wondering why you said ‘we’ though, is there another ranger that works here with you?” Josh felt uneasy when the ranger rested his gaze upon him.
         “I was referring only to my family. We have owned this forest for many years now, though we seldom get to walk through it.” He coughed and phlegm rattled in the back of his throat. Mr. Scepts put his hands on Josh and Cassie’s shoulders.
         “Thank you Mr. Flishe. We should be back within eight or nine days.” Mr. Scepts pushed the two teens towards the trail. The ranger kept his gaze fixed on Josh, but addressed Mr. Scepts.
         “It will be…an honor…to keep you Mr. Scepts. I trust you will fulfill our appetite for customers this year.” The ranger walked back to the station and the three campers began their trek through the woods. A few minutes into the forest, Cassie shuddered and Mr. Scepts asked if she was all right.
         “Yeah, but that ranger was strange. I felt like there was ice running down my back when he spoke.” She shook again as the imaginary cubes tumbled down her shirt. Mr. Scepts nodded.
         “Yeah, but when you spend months alone in a forest, it tends to affect your mind in strange ways. I’ve seen weirder guys than him at other camps.” He pulled out a sack of trail mix and Josh grinned at Cassie.
         “Dad’s right, we’ve seen some really odd guys on our trips. Besides, I bet Ranger Flishe went to that amusement park several times himself this summer.”
         They hiked on in silence, but Cassie could not shake the feeling that they were being watched.

*           *           *

         Our trip went well for the first four days. We hiked, told stories, and lived off of dehydrated fruits, nuts, and the fish that we caught fresh from the Doms River.” The old man picked up his cup and took another sip of water.          I checked my recorder to make sure that the CD had enough memory to record the rest of his story. I also wondered why the papers had not printed his story before. Regardless of how absurd it was, the story had to have been screaming to become public fodder. The old man put down his cup and started his tale again.
         “Everything had been fine, up until that fourth night…”

*           *           *

         “Hey Dad, you almost done putting up the tent?” Josh tried to see through the thick pines that he was surrounded by, but was unable to glimpse his father.
         “Just driving in the last spike! Hurry up with that firewood you two, it’s starting to get dark.”
         Josh picked up a medium sized log and added it to the top of his pile.
         “Coming Dad!”
         “On my way Mr. Scepts!”
         Both Josh and Cassie popped out of the woods surrounding their camp at the same time. The both had a large bundle of firewood in their arms. Mr. Scepts directed them to lay their loads down on a flat section of the ground near a circle of rocks.
         “Superb job you two, this should last us all night. If we start hiking back tomorrow morning, we should make it back to the ranger’s station by Saturday.” Mr. Scepts stacked some small logs on top of kindling for a fire. Cassie rested on a large rock that was near the fire circle and looked up at the darkening sky.
         “I know that it seems to get dark earlier in forests, but isn’t it still too early for it to be this dark?” She pulled a strand of her raven black hair away from her face. Mr. Scepts glanced up at the sky.
         “Well, we are near the center of the forest and it is October 31st, meaning the end of daylight savings time. I just think that you aren’t used to being in the forest so long, or maybe you’ve read too many of those history books you like, talking about when kids used to dress up, walk around the neighborhood, and practice those speels. What was it called again…Falloween?” Mr. Scepts chuckled and went back to making the fire.
         “First of all, they only pretended to use spells. Second, it was called Halloween. You should know that, they only banned Halloween fifteen years ago.” Cassie bit her lip and looked defiant. Josh groaned.
         “Thanks Dad, you got her started about it again.” He sat down next to Cassie. Mr. Scepts started stuffing some old newspaper scraps under the neat smoke stack he had made.
         “Cut it out Josh. Cassie, I know what Halloween is, and how fond of it you are, but it was your Christians who got it abolished in the first place. I figured that we scientists would be the ones to squash creativity, but I was proven wrong. Let’s not talk about it right now though, we’re all friends and I don’t have anything against your faith.” Mr. Scepts, done with packing the paper under the wood, took a lighter from his pack and lit the paper in three different spots around the circle. Josh kneeled down beside him and blew on the small flames, causing them to grow larger.
         “So Dad, what’s on the plan for tonight? A weenie roast, collecting candy from strangers, a rousing chorus of Jingle Bells?” Cassie hit him hard on the shoulder. “Ow! What’d you do that for?”
         “Alright you two. No Josh, aside from this fish we caught a couple of hours ago, we have nothing to roast. I also have no clue as to what Jingle Bells sounds like.”
         “I know Mr. Scepts, I know how it goes!” Cassie started to sing but Mr. Scepts stopped her.
         “I have no doubts that you do Cassie. But, I have a better idea that I’ve saved especially for tonight. I thought that instead of our usual story-telling, we might have some fun and scare ourselves by hiking through the woods at midnight.” Mr. Scepts raised his eyebrow and looked at Josh and Cassie. Josh rolled his eyes.
         “Wow Dad, you’re a real thrill seeker. We haven’t done that since, let me think, last time you and I went camping.”
Cassie’s eyes had widened at the proclamation from Mr. Scepts.
         “Really? Do you mean it?” She felt a rush of adrenaline when Mr. Scepts nodded. Josh rolled his eyes again and Mr. Scepts slapped him on the back of his head.
         “Josh, you were so scared last time we hiked at midnight that you refused to sleep in your own tent.” Mr. Scepts stood up and Cassie laughed.
         “Dad, shut up! I was just cold, that’s all!”
         The three ate their meal of fresh trout and stale trail mix and then settled down to take a nap. As they slept, a slight fog radiated from the ground, creating a gray mist that hung just below the tree canopy. At 11:30 pm Mr. Scepts heard his watch playing his personal alarm song. He woke up Josh and Cassie. They all had a Snicker’s candy bar and then prepared for their midnight foray.
         “So Mr. Scepts, is there anything I should worry about while we’re out tonight?” Cassie looked halfway nervous as she looked around. The firelight made the tree’s shadows dance and the night was so black that even her hair seemed light in comparison.
         “No, not really, the only thing we need to be careful about is getting lost. Thanks to our wonderful GPS compasses, that shouldn’t be a problem either.” Mr. Scepts held out a small wrist band with a monitor attached to the top. “Cassie, if you haven’t used one of these before, our destination is marked by a blinking red star and our base camp is marked with a fixed blue star.” He pointed out the locations to Cassie and she nodded.
         “I took geography last year. Our final consisted of being airlifted into the middle of Kansas and having to find our way through a series of checkpoints spread across three miles of wheat. We used the old magnetic compasses then, so this should be a snap.”
         “Great. Now, let’s all spread out about 50 yards from one another and diverge on our destination. If you get hurt, just push the green button on your GPS so the other two of us can find you. When we meet, we should be in the exact center of the forest.”
         Mr. Scepts, Josh, and Cassie all spread out and started hiking towards their target, light beams in hand.
         Josh took the eastern side and found that the underbrush was thick with briars. He pulled out his walnut-handled hunting knife and started cutting the briars away from his clothes instead of trying to unhook himself each time he got caught. He had just cut through a very large branch when he heard something that sounded like a muffled scream. What was that? He checked his GPS, but found no green star indicating that his father or friend was injured. He shrugged his backpack higher onto himself. Must have been an owl.
         Josh started to hike faster and took less time to cut through offending briars. He cut through another branch of thorns and heard the scream again, but this time louder. Where is it coming from? It can’t be an owl, it doesn’t sound like one. He checked to make sure the green star had not appeared and quickened his pace even more. He had just topped a small rise in the forest when he tripped on a large root and fell.
         Mr. Scepts had taken the middle route and set of due north. His path took him through a smooth section of the forest where the ground was even, but the trees were pressed close together. He stepped through an occasional patch of mist and was chilled by the moisture that soaked through his woolen shirt. He stopped and leaned against a tall pine tree to catch his breath. When he pulled his canteen off of his backpack he heard what he thought was laughter. His stomach twisted. I wonder who’s laughing. Did Josh and Cassie already get to the center of the forest?
         Mr. Scepts decided that he should hurry so that he would not keep the two teens waiting. The laughter followed him as he pressed towards the blinking red star on his GPS.
         Cassie had chosen the Western side. She had felt nervous to begin with so she set a rapid hiking pace. While she hiked, she kept her eyes focused mainly on her GPS and the trees straight ahead of her. She had felt like there was a presence around her since they had entered the forest, but had remained silent around Josh and Mr. Scepts about it. Her imagination kept invading her mind and shadows flickered across her peripheral vision. She made an abrupt halt when she looked to her right and found a giant shadow looming above her.
         Josh raised himself up from the ground and brushed the leaves out of his hair. He was not sure, but he thought he had felt a few crawling lumps among them. He shined his light beam around to see why his fall had been so soft and was horrified to find that he had fallen into a large thicket of poison ivy. He heard the alarm from his GPS and saw a green star blinking. He stopped thinking about how swollen he would be and started running towards the location.
         Mr. Scepts noticed the blinking green star on his GPS before the alarm sounded. He knew that it was Cassie because it was almost due west from him. He also noticed that the laughter had stopped. He found a break in the trees to his left and rushed through them. While he ran, he tried to recall the proper treatments for injuries that could occur while hiking.
         Mr. Scepts and Josh found Cassie together. She was sitting on a rotting log, crying. Mr. Scepts squatted down to examine her.
         “Are you ok? What happened?” He felt her pulse and pulled his backpack off to find his first-aid kit. Cassie motioned for him not to and made an odd sound by laughing and crying at the same time.
         “I…I’m ok Mr. Scepts. I feel so stupid though.” She took a handkerchief that Josh offered her and blew her nose. Mr. Scepts patted her back.
         “It’s all right Cassie, but what happened, we though you were hurt. He pulled Cassie up and brushed some leaves off of her. She blushed and wiped her eyes.
         “You and Josh are going to make fun of me, but you see that tree that’s broken in two?” Mr. Scepts and Josh turned and saw a giant pine that had been split in two and was now growing moss. “I thought it was a bear or something. I fell down and pressed the green button before I realized what it was. I was so embarrassed that I just started crying.”
         Mr. Scepts sighed and Josh laughed. Mr. Scepts handed Cassie her backpack.
         “Again, it’s all right Cassie. We’re just glad you’re not injured, right Josh?”
         Josh stopped laughing and helped Cassie put her backpack on.
         “Yeah, I was pretty scared there for a bit. Don’t feel bad though, Dad was right about the last time we camped. I slept in his tent the entire rest of the trip.”
         Cassie sniffed and hugged Josh.
         “Thanks. I’m really sorry I worried you guys. Can we just go the rest of the way together though?”
         Mr. Scepts looked at his GPS.
         “Well, we are close to our goal, but are you sure you want to keep going?”
         Cassie smiled.
         “Of course, I’m just a little shaken up. It would stink if we didn’t go all the way.”
         Mr. Scepts chuckled.
         “We’ll stay on course then. I’ve heard some noises though, so keep your eyes peeled for any animals. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about, but I don’t want to be surprised by a rabid raccoon.” Mr. Scepts pulled his own backpack on and Josh nodded.
         “Yeah, I heard some noises too. I thought it was an owl, but it might just have been Cassie’s crying.” Josh was hit in the head by a large pinecone. Cassie wiped her hands on her pants.
         “Serves you right you jerk.” She followed Mr. Scepts since he had walked into the forest.
         Josh rubbed his head. What the hell? It was just a joke. He followed Cassie and they hiked on in silence.
         A mile later, they all emerged from the forest into a vast clearing. They stood at the edge of the clearing, transfixed by the sight that lay before them. Cassie was the first to speak.
         “What is this place?”
         Silhouetted against an enormous full moon, a tree stretched hundreds of feet into the night sky. In the clearing around the tree, fog was pumped from bogs. It created dense patches, which when blown by the breeze, gave the impression of ghosts flitting about in the air. In the distance, an animal called out. The echoes of the cry reverberated off the trees around the clearing and created the illusion of a pack of animals. Mr. Scepts scratched his beard.
         “This clearing isn’t marked on our GPS. Still, what a wonderful surprise. That tree must be ancient.”
         Josh peered into the hazy clearing.
         “Um, Dad, I don’t like the looks of this place. I know there’s no such thing as ghosts and monsters and stuff, but this place feels strange, like my body is trapped in a shell or something.”
         Mr. Scepts slapped Josh on the back.
         “Nonsense! Come on, let’s go check it out. We can sleep in this morning and if we hustle we can still make it to the ranger’s station on time.”
         Watching their steps, the three made their way through the bogs and arrived at the foot of the giant tree. They estimated how wide the tree must have been and decided that it was at least thirty-five yards across. The tree’s python-like roots writhed and stretched above ground almost as far as the end of the clearing. Bubbles of gas surfaced and popped in the bogs, releasing a foul stench formed from the rotting earth beneath them. They searched the perimeter of the tree and found nothing of interest until Josh called over to the others.
         “Hey guys, come check this out!” He had cleared away several thick layers of moss from the side of the tree and was working to scrape away a thin layer of mud. “I found something. Does this look like a door handle to you?”
Cassie inspected the area that Josh had cleared and leaned back.
         “Yeah, it does. Look, it even has a keyhole.”
         Mr. Scepts had until that moment had his view obstructed by Cassie leaning over. When she leaned back, he saw the handle and he thought of the laughter he had heard earlier. He shivered and the hair on his neck became coarse and rigid.
         “This is strange. I wonder if someone lives here. But how could they, this tree would have died from having a home carved out of it.” He looked up at the branches and then bent down to pick up a gourd that had fallen from them. “There’s no doubt that the tree is alive. I don’t recognize the variety though, so this must be a foreign tree. We don’t have anything that would even in the smallest way compare to this variety in Georgia.” He looked back at the handle. “Try to open it Josh. It doesn’t look like it’s been opened in a long time.”
         Josh grasped the twisted handle and gave it a sharp tug. Moist clods of earth fell away from the tree and revealed the square outline of an immense door. Cassie joined him with tugging on the handle. A few minutes later, the two-foot thick door opened with a loud crack. A sigh escaped from the darkness within the door, like something had just gotten the chance to breathe after millennia of waiting to taste the air. Mr. Scepts shivered again in the new breeze that flowed from the door.
         “Incredible.” Mr. Scepts took a tentative step forward. “Josh, Cassie, stick close beside me, I think we can go in. It smells like it’s been abandoned for years.” Josh and Cassie followed him and they all moved through the door. “Change your beams to lantern mode; it will give us more light.”
         They stepped into the tree and their breaths caught and stuck in their throats. They had not been sure what to expect, but they were all surprised at what they found. Their eyes alighted on ornate woven rugs, crystal torches set into the wall, antique oaken cabinets, and two staircases with balconies that wound around the outside of the room. Sitting in a carved and gilded chair placed in front of the door was the half-decayed corpse of a man dressed in a fine tweed suit. A velvet top hat perched lightly on his head and leaned down on the sagging flesh near his left ear. His gruesome hand rested on an open book in his lap; the knuckles shining bright yellow from where they had broken through the skin.
         Cassie screamed. Both Mr. Scepts and Josh clapped their hands over her mouth. They were all quiet for a moment and when nothing happened they all let out heavy sighs. Josh turned to Cassie.
         “What were you thinking?” He glanced at the corpse again. “Let’s go Dad, we need to tell someone about this.”
         Mr. Scepts held his lantern higher in an attempt to see more of the room.
         “Hold on a second, how is this corpse still decaying, that door can’t have been opened in years. We need to see if there are any more bodies in here so the authorities know how extensive the situation is. You two stay here for a moment, I’m going to see if any of these torches on the walls have oil left in them.”
         “Dad, no, I…”
         Cassie grabbed Josh’s hand.
         “Calm down Josh, your Dad’s right. Besides, it’s not like we can’t see him the whole time.”
         Josh pulled his hand away from Cassie’s.
         “You calm down Cassie. I’m sorry if I’m a little freaked out by a dead guy sitting in a tree.”
         Fwooooooooooooosh…………….Mr. Scepts had found oil in the first torch he encountered and lit it. What he had not counted on was for all of the torches in the room and along the stairs to ignite at the same time.
         Josh and Cassie ceased arguing. The tree, though having its torches aflame, was still dim. Strange shadows that did not correlate with any furniture or decorations flickered against the wall. Forlorn, faded paintings hung everywhere and small stacks of books resided in dusty enclaves. Everybody’s main attention was directed to a battered phonograph sitting where the exact middle of the tree should have been. Mr. Scepts walked over to it and inspected it.
         “This might be one of the first phonographs ever made, the craftsmanship is exquisite.” He gave the crank a wind, seeing if it could still play. To everyone’s surprise the phonograph whirled into action like it had never been out of use.
         When the moon in the sky is like a big pizza pie…it’s amoré… Mr. Scepts gasped and stepped backwards.
         “Dean Martin? This must be a refurbished phonograph with a battery pack somewhere inside it. Maybe this mansion is a large machine. If so, then that corpse could be a part of the machinations. This would take the work of an engineering genius.”
         Josh looked up and realized that he could not see the ceiling.
         “That or this place is haunted, or evil, or some other unpleasant thing.”
Cassie shook her head.
         “Josh, you’re two years older than I am and a guy. I find it ironic that I’m less afraid than you are. What if that dead guy is really just nuts, bolts, and prosthetics? Anyway, I don’t think God will let anything happen to us.”
         “God Schmod, I don’t like it here.”
         Mr. Scepts contemplated the situation and then looked at Josh.
         “Ok, you’re right, we’ll leave in a little bit. I want to check out the upstairs of this place, it looks like there are doors on the second level.”
         Josh sneered at his father.
         “Why do you always have to figure things out? Just this once I want to get out of a place I shouldn’t be in and you want to stay!”
         “I’m sorry Josh, I’m sure there is nothing at all to worry about. Whether this is a machine or not, we still need to check it out. You can stay outside if you want, I’ll only be a minute.” He stepped up onto the first stair and Josh walked to the door. “What about you Cassie, are you coming with me or staying with Josh?”          Cassie looked at them both, considering her options.
         “I think I’ll go with you. This tree reminds me of those Halloween stories I’m into, plus you’ll need help checking all of the rooms. Josh, just press your green button if you need us.”
         Josh directed a new sneer at Cassie.
         “Fine. You two go have fun on your little escapade.”
Mr. Scepts and Cassie started ascending the left stairway and Josh walked back through the large doorframe.
         I can’t believe them. The scientist and the Christian, exercising theology and the scientific method on a place no one can deny has something wrong with it. Josh sat down and propped himself up against the rough, wet bark of the tree. Wonderful, the fog has spread. If they don’t hurry up we won’t be able to find our way back through these bogs. He pulled a granola bar out of his backpack and crunched into it. A vine hanging above him tickled his neck and he batted it away.
         “Ouch!” Josh looked down at his hand and a burning red welt was spreading across it. Damn, that vine just stuck me with a thorn.
         Mr. Scepts and Cassie mounted the first landing and entered the first room they found. Cassie was impressed.
         “This bedroom is awesome! There’s lace everywhere, and look at these stuffed animals, they look so real!”
         Dust was as prominent in the bedroom as it had been in the entrance room. The bed was a four-poster with maroon curtains hung from every side. An antique brass framed mirror blurred their reflections and a large brick fireplace gaped at them like it was mad from the solitude of ages. Cassie started inspecting the stuffed animals.
         “This wolf looks so real, if it wasn’t missing an eye I don’t think I could tell the difference.”
         Mr. Scepts nodded.
         “There are a lot of interesting things in this place Cassie. I’m going upstairs to check out the tree’s next tier, are you going to finish the examination of this level?”
         “Sure Mr. Scepts. Remember that Josh didn’t want us to be too long.”
         “Of course, I’ll meet you back down here in about fifteen minutes. We can contact the authorities when we’re done.” Mr. Scepts left the bedroom and started climbing the next flight of stairs.
         Cassie left the door open so she would remember where she had started and continued to the next door. She walked into a room containing a massive dining table that seated fourteen people. The walls were still the tree’s wood, but were hung with elegant tapestries depicting medieval battles. Next to one of the walls was a silver tea stand, complete with a silver tea set. She walked over to the set and picked up the kettle. If this is real silver, it should be tarnished black by now.
         Cassie heard a scratching noise behind her and turned around to see if Mr. Scepts had come back. She tried to scream. All she managed to get out was a faint gurgle before blood from her jugular vein filled her lungs.
         Mr. Scepts had found what he imagined was the recreational room on the next level. It contained two billiards tables, a wet bar with whisky still in the bottles, and several gaming tables where people could play chess, poker, and cribbage. He walked over to the bar and checked the labels on the whisky. Astounding! This is from 1953. How is all of this so well preserved when the outside is all bogs and insects?
         He stuck the bottle into his backpack and moved to the next room. He believed that it must have been a ladies drawing room at one time. There were two large fireplaces, a shelf full of Victorian novels, and a baby-grand piano nestled into a corner. Several elegant sofas occupied the middle of the room. He stepped over to the piano and played a quick scale, he was only a little surprised to find that the piano was in tune. He looked down at his watch. What do you know? My watch has stopped working. Oh well, I guess I had better go get Cassie and Josh.
         Mr. Scepts walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. As he was about to descend to the level below him, a powerful gust of air snuffed all of the torches in the tree. He stood with his feet fixed to the floor, gripping the railing beside him. Something nicked his ear and then thudded into wall near him. He turned his head and found a wicked looking knife, shining a faint green, quivering in the tree. Smoke tendrils rose from where the blade was imbedded and the smell of burning flesh permeated the air. He heard the laughter again, echoing all around him.
         Mr. Scepts used his light beam to guide himself down the stairs to the level below him. He stayed crouched down, wondering what and where the thing was that had thrown the knife at him. He knew that he had to reach Cassie and get out to Josh. He looked around and saw only two doors open on the level, so he ran to the closest one. Oh Jesus! What’s going on?
         The light beam showed Cassie lying on the floor. She was surrounded by a congealing pool of blood and a wolf was standing beside her, content to be gnawing on her throat. It looked up at Mr. Scepts and the light beam reflected off of its one eye.
         Mr. Scepts closed his eyes, hoping that it was all a dream. He opened them again and was still violated by the scene that lay before him. The wolf bared its gleaming red fangs and growled from deep within its throat.
         Mr. Scepts quickly shut the door and made his way to the edge of the next set of stairs. I hope you’re with your God now Cassie. If you are, put in a good word for me, I don’t want to die. He kept his footfalls soft as he tread down the stairs to the entrance hall. Switching off his light beam, he emerged at the bottom of the stairs. The only light came from the doorway and he could not see anything. He strained his ears, but the only sound he heard was his own heartbeat. Then he noticed that there was not a body sitting in the chair in front of the door. He screamed when a bony hand caught his arm in a vise grip. The corpse spoke to him in a dry, raspy voice.
         “It’ss ssoo nicce to meet yoou Mrr. Scceptss.” It tightened its grip around Mr. Scepts’ arm. He tried to get away, but the corpse was resilient as granite. It let out the shrill laugh that had haunted Mr. Scepts through the forest and up the stairs. “I coorrdiallly innvitte yoou to bee a guessst for dinner.”
         Mr. Scepts was able to twist around in his shirt enough to get a glimpse at the corpse. He shook when he saw the corpses face. It had twisted into a grin reflecting pure evil. The eyes, mouth, and holes in the desiccated skin burned with an unholy green fire.
         Mr. Scepts’ body went slack and the corpse started dragging him across the room. He was helpless, but he managed to expel a weak yell.
         “Josh…” Josh… “Get out of here! It’s coming…”
         The corpse stopped and looked at Mr. Scepts as if just realizing it had forgotten something.
         “Hooow didd yoou gettt dooown heeere? I sawww thhe knifffe hitt yooou. WHERRRE ISSS THHE KNIFFFE?” The corpse dropped Mr. Scepts and stared up in the darkness. It screamed like it had just been subjected to the tortuous flames of Hell. “Nooo, howw cooould itt? The knifffe sett usss onn firre!” It grabbed its head in pain and sprinted up the stairs.
         Mr. Scepts, finding himself released, got on his hands and knees and crawled across the floor. He made it through the door and was quick in shutting it behind himself. He looked around to see if Josh had escaped. He was relieved to see that there was no sign of him. Good, he heard me.
         Mr. Scepts felt a drop of liquid hit his hand. He looked down and his eyes widened in surprise. He rolled over on his back and his face wrinkled in pain. Josh, no, not Josh! Please let me wake up from this nightmare, please!
         Josh was hanging twenty feet in the air. A semi-transparent vine was wrapped around his body like a snake. Four-inch long thorns had punctured through his body in many places and he was bright red in the moonlight. Mr. Scepts saw black material flowing up through the vine and realized that the tree had liquefied his son’s organs and was now feeding from his body. He turned over and vomited. When he looked up again, he saw a vine advancing towards him. Its thorns were seeping a clear substance that sizzled when it hit the ground. He got to his feet and screamed at the tree.
         “You bastard, you’ve killed my son…my SON!”
         Knowing that he would not survive if he stayed, Mr. Scepts took the opportunity to run. The fog by that time was so dense that he had no idea where he was going. He fell into bogs, stumbled across roots, and had lost both of his shoes in the muck before he had even escaped the clearing. The whole time he ran, he was haunted by the sight of Cassie’s mangled body and even more so by the sight of his son’s innards being digested.
         He ran for two days, stopping several times only to dip his head in the cold water of the Doms River for a drink. He emerged at the ranger’s station grimy and battered. His eyes were wide and bloodshot and he could not keep his thoughts organized. The ranger walked out of his office when he saw Mr. Scepts.
         “Leaving so soon Mr. Scepts?”
         Mr. Scepts focused his wild eyes on the ranger.
         “It got them…IT GOT THEM...NEVER SEE THEM…NEVER!”
         “Whatever do you mean? Who got who? I fear that you are making no sense Mr. Scepts. Please, come sit in the station and you can tell me all about it.”
         “NO…NO…DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? MY SON...IT ATE MY SON!”
         The ranger grabbed Mr. Scepts.
         “Come sit down Mr. Scepts, we can discuss it over dinner. Please, come sit…”
         Mr. Scepts grabbed the ranger by the shoulders and shook him.
         “THE TREE! THE TREE DID IT! I DIDN’T DO IT! I HAD TO ESCAPE, TO GET AWAY FROM THE CORPSE! THE TREE DID IT…”
         The ranger’s eyes began to glow green and Mr. Scepts stopped shaking him.
         “I believe that this is entirely unnecessary Mr. Scepts. The penalty for assaulting a ranger is quite harsh.”
         Mr. Scepts’ mind sank into oblivion and his natural instinct to survive kicked in. He grabbed the ranger around the neck and twisted as hard as he could.
         Crunch…

*           *           *

         “They found me a week later, living in an abandoned hunting shack about ten miles from the station. I had regained my senses by then and they arrested me for the murder of the park ranger. They sent a search party through the woods every day for a month afterwards. No one ever found a trace of the kids, our camp, or the tree. I was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to four life terms here.”
         I sat still in my chair, pale at just the retelling of the events that had occurred. I stood up.
         “Thank you Mr. Scepts. How old will you be this year?”
         “I’ll be one-hundred years old soon. I wish I could just die though, I miss my son.”
         “Just out of curiosity, where do you think your son might be today if he was still alive?”
         Mr. Scepts looked at me, trying to decipher why I would ask such a question. He shrugged.
         “I don’t know. He might have been a scientist like I was, working for a university. He might also have been a manual laborer for the Mars mines. I couldn’t tell you.”
         I finished my questioning and left Mr. Scepts’ cell as soon as possible. He had sounded like he was reliving the tale the whole time he was telling it. I had been in journalism far too long and that was not the face of a man who was lying. I wondered if he had just told the story so many times that he had come to believe it himself.
         I slid into my 2075 Ford Mustang and pressed the call button to get a hold of my secretary.
         “Yes Mr. Rolland?”
         “Yeah, Sally, I just finished my interview with Scepts. Can you book me a flight to Georgia? I’m going to have to do some first-hand research of this story.”
         “I figured you would Mr. Rolland. I’ve already booked your trip. Your contact is a man by the name of Harlaigne Flishe.”
         “Flishe? Now why does that name sound familiar…”


Owen Latchkey