Cave Dwellers

As the tires screech away, we stood stranded, alone. “Is this a joke?” Kasey yelled angrily. Our friends Jendra and Mike left us. “Guys, this is stupid, let’s call home.” Charlie or “Turok” is what we call him, said as he pulled out his fossil known as a phone. I look over his shoulder and sees he has no service. “Well, we can’t call without service, dude,” I said trying not to laugh. “Kasey, try yours.”  
Trying hers, I look at her phone, there is one bar! Turok walks over with us and he starts jumping up and down. “Yes! Yes! One bar! Call someone! Anyone!” Kasey hurries and calls her boyfriend Chris.
  “Chris? It’s me-”She was cut off. I stare at her as she looks at the phone then back at me. “Did your phone just die?” I ask. “Maybe…” I go to grab her phone and she screams loudly and chucks her phone in the woods. “What the heck!” Turok screamed.
“Where’s your phone, Matthew!” Kasey asked me with an angry look on her face.
“Uhm, back in the car,” I say looking at the ground.
“Why!” she yelled.
“I thought we didn’t need it, so I left it to charge more.”
“Ugh. You know you are really stupid at times!”
“Ok, stop!” Turok interrupted, then saying to himself quietly. “At least this can’t get any worse.”
That is when a flash of lightning crashed down nearby and it started to pour down rain.
“Wow, just like a horror film.” I looked up.
“Are you serious, Turok,” Kasey yelled. “You jinxed it!”
“Sorry!” He yelled sarcastically.
Cold and wet, we walk down the path that our friends drove away on, but the rain was making the tracks go away. I sigh and look at Kasey and Turok, they were further back talking to each other quietly. I stop to wait for them but then I see out of the corner of my eye, a cave. “Hey, guys, I found a cave!” I yell after them. They look up and run towards me. I almost laugh because Kasey slips in a mud puddle.
Turok laughs and looks at the cave and stops. Kasey got up, angry, then she came over to see the cave also. “We can hide here until the storm clears,” I say as Kasey walks into the cave as Turok and I follow.
Turok sat on a rock and shook his head to dry his hair. I look around the dark cave as Kasey and Turok talk about what they might do to Mike and Jendra once they get home.
Looking back at them, I see a figure in the cave entrance. I’m surprised they haven’t noticed it. “Guys, we have company!” I yell.
They look at the figure and stand up surprised and back up towards me. “Who are you?” I yell at the figure. “Something you might regret seeing.” The figure looked up with glowing red eyes. The eerie voice was feminine. She started running towards us.
With no hesitation, all three of us run deeper into the cave with the thing following us. Dodging rocks left and right, weaving in and out of different cave chambers, we finally lose it. Sighing a breath of relief look behind me and I run into something. Something big, and warm. I look up slowly and start shaking because I’m greeted with a Mad scientist.
Trying to run he grabs my collar. Turok and Kasey got caught by the Figure from the entrance.
With no way to get out of this. He takes us to a secret lab. Looking around, I start getting scared. Different children were locked in cages but they weren’t the children you would see in movies with happy endings. They were dead! At least that’s what it looked like...
Struggling, I try to get free. Looking at my friends the figure injects some type a serum in them. They went unconscious. I look up at the Scientist and asked, “Who are you!”
“I am Dennis David. This won’t hurt a bit.” He said with an ear to ear smile and stuck me with a needle. I was trying to fight whatever he injected me with but it was no use. Everything went black.
Waking up, a bright light was shining in my face. I look around, the room blurry. I look over the other way and that Dennis David guy was standing there staring at me with his smile. He was so close that blurriness wouldn’t blur him out.
I yelp loudly and my full vision came back. I was in a smaller room now with Turok tied to a table, Kasey in the middle of a pentagram and I am tied to a dally. I look around and I see this big pool filled with bubbly green liquid.
I was wiggling to try to get free. That’s when Dennis started to roll the dally towards the pool. The closer I got the hotter it got. Then I realized, it was acid! A huge pool of acid!
Squirming more I get my arm free and I grab onto the closest table and hang on for life. I finally got my other arm free and grabbed the table with it.
Denis looked angry. He grabbed a hold of my waist and jerked on my body to let go. When he jerked a couple more times my palms started sweating and I was now slipping. Trying to grab onto something else, he swung me away from the table as I grabbed Kasey’s bracelet she had on and Turok’s dog tags.
He had a hold of my waist still, I was squirming and wiggling to get free but I was too late!
He hurled me into the pool of acid. I screamed loudly hoping someone could hear me, even though I knew there was no one to help now. The acid was burning off my skin and muscles. I tried to keep my head up above the acid, but Dennis used his foot and dunked my head under. I knew what was going to happen. I held onto the necklace and bracelet tightly as everything went black.

~~~~~~~

With a flash of light, I wake up. Though, I’m not myself anymore. My vision is blurry. I lift my head and look around. I see Kasey tied to a chair cackling like crazy, while Turok is walking in circles his back hunched and fur growing on his back.
I look down at my body, or what was left of it. I was nothing but a burnt skeleton, tied to a dally. Looking up again I realized everything had a yellow tint.
Denis walked in then and saw me. His usual ear-to-ear smile appeared on his face.
“I see you’re awake!” He chuckled.
I wanted to say something but nothing came out! Not a sound.
“It’s alright. You can’t speak. You’re the pumpkin king now. Your new name is Skeleton Jack. You know that movie, the one Tim Burton made or something.” He said walking towards the table next to me. I watch to see what he is going to do next.
He picks up a syringe with this blue liquid in it. “You are the hardest to make. After this, you will be able to talk once again.” He walked towards me. “You won’t feel a thing.”
He stuck the needle where my mouth would be about. “Now, Speak.” I open my mouth and tried to say something but it came out in a wince.
“Hm,” He began. “Test one did not work, only small sounds.” He wrote down what he said aloud in a small notebook.
Denis looked up with a smile. “And that’s why we have tests, to make sure we are doing it right.” He walked into the other room where Turok was pacing. Turok began to growl, while the door shut behind Denis. It was quiet in the room I was in.
I looked around to study the room. It was just a dugout cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling, dripping slowly onto everything.
I was afraid to move since I was nothing but a crisp, I thought I was going to break.
I had literally nothing to do at all. I was just standing there alone, bored out of my mind.
Who am I kidding? I’m a skeleton now, how can i be bored?
Let me tell you, I haven’t the slightest of clues.

~~~~~~~

After a while of growling, cackling, and nothing for a 5’6 skeleton to do, the creep came back.
“Ready for round two?” He asked. “Say something if you aren’t ready.” He teased.
I glared at him with my hollow eyes. He laughed.
“Well, i guess you’re ready.” He stuck me with the needle again. This time my mouth had more movement and I could feel it move.
Oddly enough, it tickled.
“Can you speak now, or do I need to make something for a voice box type thing?”
I tried again, and still nothing.
“Voicebox it is.” He sighed angrily. “I’ll just make it right here, so you can watch.”
He went to the small closet room to grab some supplies and came back to the table next to me. He began on the voice box carefully putting pieces in the right places.
As soon as he started, he finished. He was a very motivated man for a mad scientist.
The ones on the t.v. shows just throw stuff together and call it whatever it is.
He strategically places the voice box in my pumpkin head.
“Just wait awhile then you might be able to speak if not, I’ll have to trash ya and start over.”
That part really got my heart going, if I had one at least.
He walked out and shut the door behind him. Once again, I’m stuck in a lonely waiting game.

~~~~~~~

I wanted to fall asleep but I couldn’t. Denis came back with a cup of water.
“Open.” He wanted me to drink it, I had no choice, I was dead anyway. I opened my mouth and he dumped it in. It swished around a bit before he made me spit it back out.
“Tell me your name.” He demanded. So, I did for the third time and this time it really worked.
“M-Matthew.” I winced, hoarsely. We were both equally surprised.
“Amazing,” He clapped slowly. “You are my best project. To bad Your name won’t be Matthew anymore.” He sneered.
“You and your friends will wreak havoc on this cruel ungrateful world.”
“But why us? Why no those kids I saw earlier?” I asked.
“Because they weren’t suitable for the jobs I wanted done.”
“Why do you want us to ‘wreak havoc’ on the world?”
“You saw what your so-called ‘friends’ did to you.”
“But Why do yo-” He cut me off.
“ ‘Why! Why!’ Why do you ask so many questions!” He practically yelled.
It shut me up, he sighed and unhooked me from the dally. I stood and moved my arms.
I was so fragile. Denis smiled and gave me a black cloak.
‘
“So you don’t look too weird,” Denis said as I put it on. I did look weird. “Your friends are in the other room. You can join us in there when you are ready.”
He left the room. “At least he gave me a choice,” I sighed. I looked around the room and found a broken mirror. I look at it and sigh sadly. “Might as well join them. It’s not like I’m going to be human again, anytime soon.
I set the mirror down and join the others. They look at me, their eyes widening.
“Woah,” Kasey said surprised. “I wish I was you right now.”
“Trust me you don’t.” I squint my hollow eyes.
Turok circled and sniffed me. His back was hunched and covered in fur. I watched him, closely. He looked at me then my leg and bit it. I yelped loudly, as Denis hit Turok in the head with a newspaper. It got his attention. Denis then threw the paper and Turok ran after it.
“He might kill ya before an angry mob.” Denis laughed.
My sockets widened, and I looked at Denis. “Uh, say what, now?” I say scared and confused.
“Oh, you might get attacked because they don’t know what you are or what you’re capable of,” Denis smiled. “But don’t worry, you have Kasey to help ya out.”
“Why me?” Kasey asked with a snobby tone.
“Because if you don’t you will end up like those other children that are in those cages out there.”
“What happened to the ki-” She was cut off by him yelling.
“Something you don’t want!” He then sighed frustratedly, “Just do as I tell you, go scare people and bring me more children!”
Kasey nodded and ran off with Turok who still had that newspaper. I look at Denis one last time before joining my friends. Or

~~~~~~~

We approached the town we live, or should I say lived in. The streetlights flickered as we walked by them.
It’s Halloween and all the children run about giggling. I pull the hood over my face trying not to scare anyone. I had to hide, but as we walked we came closer to Jendra’s house. Michael's truck was in the driveway.
My mind started going dark, and swirling through my jack o’ lantern head was revenge.
Turok began snarling and Kasey smiling an evil witchy smile. We went up to the door and I rung the doorbell.
Jendra open the door smiling and saying, “What’s the magic words kiddies?”
Her smile vanished as she looks at us. “Aren’t you a bit old for trick or treating?”
I laughed, “Aren’t you a bit sorry for leaving us behind?”
She gasped, “M-Matthew?”
A flame ignited in my pumpkin head showing that demonic carved face. Kasey stared at her cackling, the Turok lunged at her. She screamed and slammed the door. I heard her lock the door and run to the back of the house.
“Turok, go!” I called. She was going for the back door lock. Turok ran on all fours howling. She got to the door first.
Kasey and I followed. I peeked through the window, Jendra screamed and shut the curtain.
“Turok, ram the door down,” I said in an angry tone. He nodded and started ramming into the door. After about three rams he busted through. We went in, it was dead quiet, and that’s what I wanted my “friends” Michael and Jendra to be, dead.
“Sniff them out, Turok.” He put his nose to the ground sniffing away. He sniffed the whole house, that’s when I heard a small sound as if a cup fell. I wiped myself around, my cloak flowing around me, exposing my crisp skeleton.
“Michael?” I teased. “Jenny? Come out and ‘play’. I won’t hurt you. Maybe just end you, but it won’t hurt.” I heard Jendra beginning to cry and I followed the sound.
It came from under the kitchen table. I slowly squatted down by the table and lifted the tablecloth. “That’s a great idea!” I said abruptly. They screamed at my jumpscare. “Let’s play hide and seek! You hide,” my voice became darker. “I’ll count.”
They exchanged each other looks and then back at me. “1! 2!’ I began. They ran out from under the table to hide. I continued to count loudly all the way to 25. “Ready or not here I come!” I chuckled.
Turok followed me like a dog and Kasey stayed behind just in case they ran out.
“Mikey, Jenny, come out, come out, wherever you are!” I called out. It was quiet. I put my hand on Turok’s head and pointed to Jen’s parent’s room. He nodded and went in there. I looked in her room.
I checked the closet and the under the bed. I checked any crack or crevice. I couldn’t find them.
Then they made a big mistake of sneezing. The small sneeze came from above. Turok must have heard it too because he came into the room growling.
I look up and grin. “I have them in my sights. I mean, We have them in our sights.” I chuckled.
Kasey walked in. “So what’s the plan?” She whispered so they won’t hear us.
“The plan is to lure them out. Somehow.” I speak quietly. Turok then jumped up and down with an idea in mind.
“What is it?” Kasey asked.
“What if,” he started with a low voice. “I break through the ceiling and scare them out the other way?”
Kasey and I exchanged looks. That was actually a good plan, coming from Turok.
“Ok, wait for my signal.” I started for the entrance of the attic.
“Wait what’s the signal?” Turok asked. I paused and knocked three times on the door. “Oh, ok.” Turok got ready to bust through the ceiling.
I got into position then realized if they fall on me I’m going to break. “Change of plans. Kasey, you stand here and catch them.”
“Why can’t yo-, oh wait, ok.” She chuckled. Even corrupted, me and Kasey can still bond somehow. She stood where I was and nodded. She was ready.
I knocked three times, and Turok busted through the ceiling. Jen and Mike scream and I heard them crawling to the only exit. The plan was working.
The stairs to the attic came down. Jen and Mike froze in there steps. Jen was on the verge of crying, and I have never seen Mike so scared in his life.
All of a sudden my flame in my head went out. What am I doing? They are our friends. Just because they left us doesn't mean they deserve this. It was only a joke.
Kasey drew closer to them. Turok did the same from behind. Jen began to cry and Mike held her close, shaking in fear.
“Wait!” I yelled.
They both stopped and looked at me, confused.
“What are we doing? We can’t hurt them! They are our friends. Yeah, they may have left us in those woods. Sure they may have got on our nerves, pushed our buttons, and got under our skin, but that doesn't mean we hurt them. Nobody is perfect! We need to see that, not the revenge! We aren’t evil! We are only human! Well, not anymore.”
Jen and Mike stared at me, while Turok and Kasey exchanged looks. The fury in their eyes turned into sadness. Turok lost the hunch on his back and the fur shedding. Kasey climbed down looking at me.
“I can’t believe it. For once, you are right.” She hugged me and then whispered, “We will not speak of this to anyone.” She let go and looked at Jen and Mike.
“I’m sorry,” Turok said. “We all are. That guy just turned us like this.”
“I know it’s not your fault. We promise to never leave you alone like that again.” Jen looked at us, with a slight smile.
“So it looks like you got the worst of it, huh?” Mike climbed down with Jen and Turok behind him.
I wrap the cloak around me, “Yeah, I guess I can’t go out into public like this.”
“Hey, the plus side is that you won’t worry about going hungry.” Mike tried lightening my mood, which clearly didn’t work.
I went to open my mouth, but someone knocked at the door. Jen walked over and opened the door, and there stood Denis David!
Kasey, Turok, and I gasped.
“Tisk, Tisk.” He shook his head. “Somehow, you broke them. How impressive, Matthew.” He clapped slowly.
“Why are you here?” I glared, the flame igniting.
“I’m just here to tell you, no, I’m here to warn you.” He snickered.
“About what?” I took a step forward.
“Since you aren’t going to be doing what I made you for. When the sun rises in the morning, you will have to say your last ‘goodbyes’.”
The light went back out. “What?” My voice was soft. If I had real eyes, tears would be pouring out.
“You will turn to dust by the morning. Unless you join me. Then you will live forever.”
“Live forever and spread evil? Or dying in my friend’s presents?” I look at my friends and back at the scientist. “I choose the latter.”
  He scoffed. “You rather die than live for all eternity? Heh, your lose.” He turned and walked down the steps of the porch. “Goodbye, Matthew.”
Jen shut the door behind him. She looked at me scared. “Matt, why did you choose to die? I wouldn’t care if you went evil as long as I knew you were alive!”
“But I couldn’t live like that. I rather am here for a minute then in the hands of him. Thank you all for my great friendship.”
I take Jen’s hands. “I will leave you either way. I want to leave you the good way. Not the bad way.”
So we sat down on the couch and they spent the final hours of my time with me. It was the happiest moment of my life. Kasey, Turok, and I told them about our experience and the topic then switched to funny stories that happened to us.
It felt only like an hour before it was time for the sun was about to come up.
“You can’t leave us.” Jen cried. “You’re too young!”
“Jen, I’ll always be with you.” I cupped her face with my boney hand. “You will always be in my heart.”
The sun shone over the horizon, and I started to turn to dust like Denis said. I gave Jen one last smile. “Goodbye.”
Then as soon as it started, I was gone. Nothing but a pile of dust.
Days past, there was a funeral, and they kept my dust in a beautiful box with my name carved into it.
Oh, you must be wondering, How do I know that? My friends, that is another story.