Caroline and the Deserted Town
Chapter 2
"Are we there yet?" Richard asked Caroline tauntingly, in the same tone a seven-year-old would ask his father on a long road trip.
It was two hours later, there seemed to be no end to the forest in sight. The wind howled through the branches and leaves. The quarter moon, which began the night peeking in and out of puffy clouds, was now completely hidden by thick storm clouds. Thunder could be heard in the distance – but it was getting nearer and nearer. The flashlight helped them to see a little, but not enough, as the underbrush seemed to attack their legs. What shook Caroline's confidence the most, however, was the constant rustling that indicated that animals were nearby – and worse, following them. "Shut up!" was the only reply she could think of, determined that Richard would not know how frightened she was getting.
She succeeded in fooling him, so he continued to complain. "Unbelievable… two miles, two miles you said. It's been two hours, we must've gone at least five. If we had stayed in the car, we'd probably be no further from Kulawakee Lake than we are now, but we wouldn't be scratched up from the underbrush, and we wouldn't get wet from the storm that sounds like it's coming. "I know where to go and how to get there" – hah!"
"Richard…!" Suddenly, it was all too much for Caroline. In a meek, frightened voice she admitted "I'm starting to get a little worried, here".
Richard's attitude changed immediately. He halfway held out his arms to her, but hesitated. Holding Caroline was the thing he wanted to do most in the world right now, but he was afraid. Afraid that if he held her, her body entwined with his, that all his feelings for her would be released… and she would be repulsed. Him, such a loser in everything – career, romance… everything. Then, he would lose her even as a friend. And he HAD to keep her as a friend – he had to at least be near her. He dropped his arms. But he wanted to hold her – and she needed to be held, by a friend. He halfway held out his arms to her again, and again hesitated.
Caroline ended Richard's dilemma – she threw her arms around him.
Surprised at first, Richard responded in kind. "Caroline…" he whispered tenderly. Then he noticed "You're shivering." Then he knew – he knew that he could do it, that he could put his feelings aside, because she needed him. She needed a friend. She needed his help.
Just then, a wolf howled nearby, and Caroline buried her head in his chest. "What are we gonna do, Richard? We're completely lost."
Richard thought a moment, then pointed to a nearby tree. "I have an idea… Do you think you can climb that tree? It's pretty tall."
Recovering her composure somewhat, Caroline replied. "Sure I can, Richard. Unlike you, City Boy, I grew up climbing trees. I can shimmy up them with the best of them. Why?"
"Well, despite my denigration of your navigational abilities, I did believe you when you told me that Kulawakee Lake is nearby. Otherwise, I wouldn't have just tromped into the wilderness – or let you go either." Caroline smirked at that last comment. "Without an argument, anyway… So, if you climb up that tree, you should be able to see the lights of Kulawakee Lake off in the distance. If we keep heading in the right direction, we're bound to get there sooner or later."
For the first time in more than two hours, Caroline was genuinely excited and happy. "Richard, you're a genius!" she said as she kissed him and ran to the tree. The urgency of their situation helped propel her up it in near-record time.
"Do you see any lights?" Richard asked.
"No." Caroline grimaced and shook her head. She looked around some more, then smiled. "But I do see a lake…! That must be Kulawakee Lake! Maybe the power's out in town. It's only a mile away. We'll be there in no time!"
Caroline climbed down the tree and took Richard by the hand. "Come on, let's go!"
"Caroline…! Owww…! Slow down!"
In her excitement of finding their nearby destination, Caroline had started trotting away. But the underbrush soon slowed their progress.
"Sorry, Richard. I guess I got excited. We know where we're going now!"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to get there in one piece." But despite his cranky comments and the discomfort of their situation, Richard was inwardly thrilled. Thrilled by the mere touch of Caroline's hand in his.
"You're right, you're right, Richard. There's no moonlight and this flashlight doesn't help much to see what's ahead. Still, I want to hurry, I hear the storm coming. Maybe we'd make better progress if I let go of your hand."
"No…! No… uh, it's pretty dark. There's too much danger of separation. It might slow us a little, but it's not worth the risk."
"Okay, Richard… Do you want your coat back? I'm sorta feeling guilty. It's starting to get cold and it's my own fault for not bringing one. Besides the temperature, you're getting beat up 'cause you don't have your coat to protect you from the branches and brush."
"No, no. You're leading the way, you need it more."
Just then, a wild beast's baying sent a shiver down both their spines.
"Let's get going" they both said at once.
***
Despite the darkness and the brush, Caroline and Richard emerged into a less wooded area a half hour later.
Caroline excitedly pointed. "Look, there's a building!"
"Where?"
"Over there!" Caroline shined the flashlight in direction of the building.
Richard squinted and peered through the darkness. He barely saw a slight reflection of the flashlight's shine in the distance and smiled. "Let's go, Dorothy. The Emerald City awaits!"
***
As Caroline and Richard approached the dwelling, Caroline shined the flashlight backwards for a second. Reflecting back at them were five pairs of eyes from wild dogs. To Caroline, they seemed to be waiting for some misstep, or maybe for our two protagonists to separate. As if reading her mind, Richard assured her "Don't worry. I'll never abandon you." They stepped lively to the front door.
The building seemed more like a cabin than a house. Caroline knocked, then politely enquired "Hello? Anybody home?"
"What are you doing? Open it?"
"Richard…! We can't just break in! Besides, there's a path from this place, we're not in the woods anymore. Kulawakee Lake is not that big a place, let's go down the road a bit, into town."
"Okay" answered Richard, as he warily looked at the gleaming eyes upon them. "Let's stick close together, though."
As they continued on, the dirt path soon led onto an asphalt road. Pretty soon they saw a few houses, a gas station, a convenience store, even a cross street. But not even one light was lit. Several places had shattered windows. To make things worse, the sound of thunder and the rising winds made it obvious that a storm was just about to hit.
Richard could see Caroline was nervous, so he cracked "Ah, beautiful downtown Kulawakee Lake. Hah, compared to this place, even Peshtigo looks like a bustling metropolis."
That relaxed Caroline a little, allowing her to think more clearly. "Richard, it looks like the whole town is deserted. Much as I hate to, we'll have to go in somewhere uninvited." She waved the flashlight around the various buildings, then stopped when the light shone on a sign. "Look, Richard! That sign, 'Hotel'! Let's go on that street the sign is pointing to."
They went on the street a block up a hill and came upon an old Victorian house. "This must be it." Caroline remarked. It seemed like a good spot for a hotel in the little town. The house was on a hill with a view of the rest of town and the lake, and a picturesque wooded area lay behind it. Unfortunately, it, like every other building in town, was unlit. The flashlight didn't help much, but a flash of lightning from the distance helped them make it out. There was a stairway to a front porch and door, with ornate trim all around. Caroline had seen a sign above the front porch, and as they approached it, Caroline shined her light on it.
"Look, Richard… the Kulawakee Lake hotel."
"Yeah. No extra points for originality, huh?"
Although they were both sure nothing would come of it, Caroline politely knocked and asked "Hello? Anybody home?" But this time, Caroline did try the door.
"Look, it's not locked."
"Great! Let's get inside before it starts to rain or the dogs decide to attack."
Caroline gingerly opened the door and walked slowly into the darkened room. And then… she felt… something brush against her face. Shuddering, she thought "Wha…? Cobwebs?" Then she felt little crawly things. "SPIDERS!!" Caroline shouted. She dropped the flashlight and frantically started slapping her face, trying to brush the spiders off. "Ewww!! They're all over me, Richard! Get them off! Get them off!" Caroline threw off Richard's coat and started frantically brushing herself everywhere – her hair, her arms, her chest, her legs
Richard hesitated, then joined in brushing. After a couple of minutes of frantic activity they stopped. Richard picked up the flashlight and shined it carefully all over Caroline, who was breathing heavily. There were no more spiders on her. He held Caroline for a moment, and it was only then that Richard realized that he had been touching Caroline… all over her body. As he brushed off the last of the cobwebs sticking to Caroline, to ease his embarrassment and her worry, he cracked "I guess there'll be no tip for the housekeeper, huh?"
It seemed their worries were over… for the moment. Or were they? Apparently, all the commotion had attracted the attention of someone… or something. They faintly heard over the howling wind the most pitiable voice imaginable, moaning in the distance. Or did they?
"Uh… you know, Caroline, why don't we close the front door and slide that table against it… Uh, just to keep out the dogs."
"Good idea."
Caroline and Richard had found shelter just in time. It started raining in sporadic bursts, pouring down one minute, then easing to a drizzle the next. Lightning would occasionally flash, giving the hotel an eerie atmosphere.
After sliding the table against the door, Caroline remarked "Well, I guess we have to stay here. I still don't feel right, just coming in and taking a room."
"Caroline" Richard replied, exasperated. "There's nobody here to pay."
"I know, I know. But I just don't feel right about it."
"Okay. Well, you know what? If it makes you feel better, leave some money on the counter when we leave in the morning."
Caroline brightened. "Thanks, Richard. I will."
"So, Caroline, it's probably about seven or eight o'clock. What do you want to do for the night?"
"We can't read or watch TV or listen to music. We could talk."
"Ugh" was Richard's involuntary response. The thought of hours of talking with Caroline did not appeal to him.
"What?"
"Oh nothing… I was thinking, we should explore this place. See if there's anything to eat or drink. Maybe look for more flashlights, this one's not gonna last forever. Then maybe we could check out the… bedrooms."
They were both uneasy about discussing the sleeping arrangements. Richard realized that Caroline, under these circumstances, wouldn't want to be alone all night. But Caroline, sleeping in the same room as him… no, it would be impossible.
"That's a great idea, Richard. Let's explore this place."
***
Caroline and Richard started exploring the old house that had been converted to a hotel. As they did so, the thunder and lightning became more intense. Even though they both steeled themselves after each outburst for the next, they couldn't help but be startled each time. It kept Caroline and Richard on edge.
First they gingerly explored the lobby. They clung to each other for comfort, walking slowly around together, Caroline aiming the flashing methodically from one spot to the next.
"Look, Richard. An old copy of the "Kulawakee Lake Gazette". Maybe it has my strip. Let's see."
"Caroline, I think it'd be more productive to see if it had anything to say about why this town is deserted. But, that can wait 'til later. I think we should continue exploring. For one thing, I'm famished." On cue, Richard's stomach began to growl.
"You're right, Richard." She put down the flashlight, folded up the paper and handed it to Richard. "You hang on to this, we can read it later."
The next place they entered was the dining area. As thunder and lightning again roared and flashed, they jumped a little.
"Did you see that, Richard?"
"What?"
"No flashlights… But candles and holders on every table."
They went around and gathered several, stuffing them into Richard's coat, which Caroline was again wearing.
"All we need now is some matches" said Caroline.
"There's bound to be some in the kitchen. They sometimes have to relight the stove. The dining room must share a door with the kitchen… Let's try that one."
The door did lead to the kitchen. And a box of wooden matches was found in the logical place, in a drawer by the stove. Caroline handed Richard a couple of candles, which he placed on the counter and lit.
"Voila!" Richard exclaimed proudly.
They both felt better. Even though the candles didn't produce much light, it was comforting to see the whole room, even if dimly, instead of a single spot where the flashlight shone.
Caroline looked around. "A refrigerator! Let's see what we have."
"Caroline, no…!"
Richard's warning had come too late. The instant Caroline opened the refrigerator door, a powerful stench greeted her nostrils. Whatever was in there was no longer recognizable, having decomposed into greenish-brown lumps with the consistency of watery gelatin. Caroline closed the door instantly, but it was too late. She fought the urge to heave and said "Let's get out of here". They each took a candle, putting a hand in front of the flame to prevent it from blowing out, and retreated to the dining room, where they sat at a table.
Recovering somewhat, Caroline said "Let's take a break from exploring and read the paper."
"I'm still hungry."
"I'm not. Not after… that. I was much closer to the stench than you. Besides, I loaded up on potato chips and Twizzlers while you were driving. Even if I was hungry, I doubt if there's anything in the kitchen that isn't spoiled or stale."
"Well, I want to look. Would you rather stay here? Will you be okay alone?" Caroline nodded. "Okay, here are the matches, in case you want to light more candles. I'll take the flashlight."
Awhile later, Richard emerged from the kitchen.
"What did you find, Richard?"
"Nothing that will be very satisfying, but it should take the edge off." He placed on the table two plates, a butter knife, a jar of preserves and a box of crackers.
"Crackers and jelly?"
"Yeah, well normally I have a more discerning palate, but I'm not being choosy tonight. You want some?"
"Crackers and jelly? I guess my stomach can handle that. Thank you, Richard."
As Richard spread preserves on several crackers and put them on both plates, he nodded to the paper and asked "What did you find in the paper?"
Caroline teased him. "This edition did have my strip in it."
"Caroline…"
"And it did have something that might explain why this town is deserted. This issue said that several residents had come down with a mysterious disease. As it progresses, it seems to affect both body and mind. Their bodies would waste away, causing them great pain. And the unhinging of their minds caused them to blame the very existence of other people for their miseries. First, they'd run away, to the woods, to get away from people. Later, they'd come back in the dead of night, to attack."
The account from the paper had a very sobering affect on Caroline and Richard. They both remembered the faint pitiable moaning just after they had entered, but didn't want to mention the possibly imagined sound, for fear of scaring the other. They ate their crackers and jelly in silence.
"Caroline, I really don't feel like doing anything else tonight. Why don't we choose our rooms and turn in?"
"Rooms?"
"Yeah."
"Richard, I was thinking… that is… would you mind if we slept in the same room?"
Richard was more nervous about this than anything else that had happened this miserable night. He was afraid her nearness would unhinge him, cause him to reveal his feeling for her. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Caroline."
"Oh Richard, we're both adults. I would just feel so much better if you were in my room." She took his hand. "Please, Richard?"
Richard steeled himself. "I can do this. Caroline needs a friend. I can do this."
"Okay."
***
Their room had one king-sized bed. It was not made up with sheets, but there were plenty of extra blankets on the top of the closet. As Caroline put two blankets on top of the bed, Richard put one on the floor and folded it over.
"What are you doing, Richard?"
"I'm sleeping on the floor."
"Don't be ridiculous. There's plenty of room on this bed."
"Uh… no… I don't think I'd be comfortable there."
"Oh, Richard, I don't have cooties. Look, if it'd make you feel easier, I can sleep under the second blanket, and you can sleep on top… of the blanket."
"Uh… no. I've felt the mattress, too soft. The floor is much more like my mattress at home."
"Well… Okay, Richard."
Having no sleepwear, they both just took off their shoes. Caroline jumped into bed first. Before Richard blew out the candles, Caroline asked "Richard…?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you leave one candle lit?"
"Sure."
Richard blew out the other candle, and lay down on the floor, within the folded over blanket.
"Richard?"
"Yeah?"
"I want to thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything. For coming with me, for tromping through the wilderness, for eating crackers and jelly. I mean, we wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't insisted on finding out why a stupid paper of a stupid town with a stupid 600 people canceled my strip."
"That's okay, Caroline. It's part of what makes you, you. I might complain, but it's one of the reasons I -…"
"You what?"
"It's… one of the reasons… I… go with you, to keep you out of trouble."
"Oh" said Caroline, disappointed. "Were you really expecting to hear something else?" she thought. "Well, goodnight, Richard."
"Sleep tight, Caroline."
Unseen and unheard by Caroline and Richard, an army of… things approached. Disease wasting their pain-wracked bodies. Most couldn't see well, and moved only slowly 'cause of disease eating away one of their legs. Step, slide… step, slide… step, slide… Even walking slowly, they kept their arms extended in front of them, to help with their balance. Though slow, their advance was steady. Like moths to a flame, they were drawn to the hotel. Drawn by their hatred! People were there! They had heard the noise, seen the flickering lights. People were responsible for their misery! People must die!