THE TWILIGHT ZONE

“DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY”

Yes, the story is long, but definitely worth reading. Save the ending until the end!!

Dimensions in time are always an easy escape route from our own, present realities, just as long as we don't have to face the truth about ourselves. For our young couple Scott and Amber, whom you are about to meet, it's quite understandable that all their travels, detours, and attempts to escape their own reality leads only in one direction...into the Twilight Zone."

A long stretch of highway at the base of a mountain curved down through deadly turns towards the valley below. From a distance a brown 1986 Plymouth appeared. It was dusk. Scott nudges Amber. "You awake?"

"Kinda...must have dozed off," rubbing her eyes.

"Check the map will ya? See if we didn't miss that turn-off."

"I'll tell ya in a sec. Let's see, we're still on seventy-five just past the county border..." Amber tracing a route on the map with her finger, "...which would put us just about 2km from the turn off just past a cemetery."

Suddenly, the engine stopped as the car began to drift and swerve down through the curves. Amber grabs Scott’s arm as the car begins to slide through patches of oil and sand spitting rancid oil across the windshield. “What the hell?" Scott turning the ignition over and over. "Dammit, it won't start," struggling to keep the car from rolling over, turning the wheel against the rounded curves. "We gotta pull over," pumping the brakes down across a patch of dirt off the highway coming to a stop.

"What happened?" Amber looking over at Scott.

“I don't know...the engine just cut out. I'll have a look," grabbing the latch of the door stepping out onto the dirt. He opens the hood, looks around, then glances up at Amber. "Seems to look okay. Try the ignition again, will ya?"

Amber reaches over and turns the ignition key. Nothing. She gives it another turn, the winding sound slows down and stops. "Sounds like a dead battery," looking out from the window. "What now?”

“I can see some lights about halfway down the hill. If we get this thing out on the highway, it should just coast down the road," pushing against the open door. The car begins to move towards the highway gaining speed. Scott jumps into the driver's seat slamming the door. "Just hope the brakes hold out," glancing over at Amber slowly pumping the brake pedal.

"I see it, there, on the right...slow down!,” Amber screaming.
Instantly, the brake pedal slides to the floor as Scott slams his foot on the pedal.

"It won't stop!"

"Over there!" Amber pointing at a dirt road off the right side of the highway. "Turn!"

Scott quickly turns the steering wheel to the right; the back wheels screech as the smell of burning rubber scorches the pavement breaking the rear axle into two pieces. The car flips over, rolling across the dirt road slamming into a hillside.

Behind the mountains a glimpse of a full moon could be seen spreading it's light across the landscape. In the distance an open wagon being pulled by two horses comes into view. The wagon wheels are heard plowing along an old dirt road slowly crushing rocks as the horses leave a dusty trail fading into the wind. A man in overalls wearing a dark brimmed hat pulls back on the reins.

“Woah..." He looks towards the side of the road. "Damn kids, always sneaking off," glancing down at the boy and a girl lying in the grass. "Hey, you two!"

Scott looks up, wiping the dust off his face. He stares at the wagon, then pulls on Amber's arm.

"Best you two be gettin' home before yr pa comes out lookin' for ya. Hop in the back and I'll give you a ride to the farm," staring at both of them.

Scott and Amber look at each other, then back at the man. "I think we'll walk."

"Alright boy, haven't yr way. Just don't get caught up in all them stacks of barbed wire over the hill. Your pa just bought 'em this morning," pulling up the reins. "Ya!," whipping up the lash. The wagon begins to roll down the hill, disappearing behind the hills.

Scott looks around, then back at Amber. "Who the hell was that?" Standing up walking over to the dirt road. "And where's the road?" Looking over at Amber.

"The car is gone too. So where are we Scott? In some kind of nightmare?"

"I don't know. Let's see what's over the ridge up the hill. Should be a phone somewhere.

“Ya, good idea," taking his hand.

Patches of moonlight begin to fade through the trees combed over by dark clouds filling in the night sky. Thunder rumbles as lightning bolts spark endlessly. A bolt strikes a tree splitting it's wood into the air. Another tree is hit, cutting it into pieces. Scott and Amber cover their heads kneeling down in the brush. Lightning continues to flash with crushing thunder rumbling across the ground. The heavy rains began to flood the road overflowing into the valley below.

"Come on!" grabbing Amber's arm. "Run!"

Reaching for the hilltop, they both slid over the muffy ridge into a field of dry grass. The storms and darkness were gone, leaving an eerie silence spill over into the landscape under a warm sunny day. In the distance was the crumbling remains of an old abandoned farm.

Amber looks up, scoping the landscape, then back at Scott. "What happened to the storm?"

Scott reaches for a limb on an old tree pulling himself up. He walks over to the ridge and looks down from where they had just escaped. Darkness had consumed the skies with pounding rain melting the landscape as far as the eye could see. Bolts of lightning filled the air scorching the ground into a flooded wasteland. He turns back and looks over at Amber sitting in the grass. She catches his glimpse. "You okay?"

Scott just stares across the fields.

"What's the matter?" Standing up moving through the grass towards him.

"I think we're in some kind of time warp."

"Time warp? What are you talking about?"

"Look over the hill."

Amber paces herself close to the ridge, looking over the flooded valleys with violent storms smothering the landscape below. She turns towards Scott. "So you're saying we're in two places at the same time?"

"Three different places."

"What?"

"Just hear me out," sitting down on a large boulder. "We were in our car that crashed... then an old wagon on a dirt road shows up...and now here," looking up at Amber. "At least that's the way I see it," moving off the boulder.

"So what do you wanna do...go back down the hill?"

"Ya right," turning towards Amber. "We'll just slide down and sink in the valley."

"I didn't mean it that way.”

“I know sis,”moving over next to her, placing his arm around her waist. “We'll be okay.”

“Hey, what about that old farmhouse over there? Wanna check it out?” Glancing up at Scott.

“Sure. Maybe we'll find the bogeyman in some closet.”

“Come on.”pulling his hand.

The filtered light through the cracked ceiling reveals floors, walls, and ceilings made of old cedar. There are two small bedrooms, a kitchen, and the main room which contains a stone fireplace set into the wall. An old grandfather clock stands silently in one corner, partially hidden in the ruins of wavering shadows. A door in the rear of the house leads to the backyard. Amber is standing in the corner next to the old grandfather clock. She repositions the clock weight, and it begins to tick.

"Hey Scott, the old clock works. What's your watch say?"

"What?"

"The time dummy.”

"Oh, ah... 3:45pm."

"There, setting the clock.”

"Come on, let's check out the rest of the house...," eyeing Amber rocking back and forth in an old chair. "You just gonna sit all day?"

"Maybe. Kinda nice in here," smiling.

"Alright, I'm gonna look around upstairs,”
stepping up the old staircase.

Amber sits alone in the living room near a window by the grandfather clock. Suddenly, the old clock stops. She looks up at the clock. It stands silently with its hands frozen in position. There is a rustling sound from the outside fading in and out as the wind begins to comb through the landscape. She looks out the window catching the hazy sun as it begins to fade across the horizon. Something is moving outside, yet remains hidden. Amber glances around through the shadows. Another sound, almost like faint breathing, is heard across the room. Amber slides off the rocker picking up a metal rod by the fireplace.

"Who's there?" Slowly crossing the floor towards the front door.

"Anybody there?" The old hinges crack as the front door slowly opens over the old splintered floor, then instantly slams shut. The windows follow, each slamming shut, riveting their hinges into the wood holding the room in darkness. Amber backs up against the wall by the grandfather clock, catching her breath. Movement could be heard slowly pacing across the floor. She becomes chilled, folding her arms around herself listening. She looks down the hallway towards a rear door at the back of the house. Slowly sliding along the wall, she moves towards the door. From her pocket she grabs a small flashlight pointing it to the rear. She looks back. Something is closing in on her. She runs to the rear door kicking the old splintered wood into pieces escaping out of the house.

Catching her breath she senses an eerie smell like that of a dead animal. Amber runs towards the cliff, stopping only a few feet from the ledge. She turns around looking across the field. A whispering in the distance grows louder and a soft wail is heard - like that of something long since dead, dredged up to roam the earth. Amber is about to turn back toward the house when a strong force pulls her to the ground dragging her across the grass to an old rusted wheel laying in the field. Snake-like vines wrap around her ankles and slither up her legs. Then suddenly the vines were gone. She tries to scream but nothing comes out...her throat parched from the cold wind. She hears footsteps approaching from the distance moving closer. She buries her head in her hands.
A face appears, wrinkled with age. The eyes staring down at Amber.

"What in God's name are you doing out here child? Didn't I just tell ya to start puttin' breakfast on? Scott's been out in them fields since dawn. Come on," grabbing her arm pulling her up off the ground. "Yr ma is waiting for ya."

Amber lowers her head, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun rising over the ridge. Across the field she catches a glimpse of Scott walking through the tall fields of corn carrying a shovel and rake across his shoulder. She looks back at the man. "I'll catch up with Scott and we'll be right in."

"Alright...but don't make your Ma wait too long," turning towards the farmhouse.
Amber pivots around and walks over to Scott as he lays down his tools next to the barn.

"Morning sis," taking off his hat wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Saw you had a little trouble last night."

She grabs his arm pulling him into the barn slamming the door behind her.

"Hey, what ya doing? I'm starving. Let's go eat."

"You can drop the act now Scott." Looking into his eyes. "So, you wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"

Scott smiles, then leans against a tall pillar. "Just having a little fun."

"A little fun...is that what you call it? You get your kicks off crashing cars, or maybe watching me in a dark house scared to death...then dragged across a field and tied down by some live tree creature? Is that what you like Scott? Is that what you get off on?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well you better explain something cuz I'm done Scott. You got that? I just wanna go home."

"I didn't mean to scare you...I just thought we both needed a holiday for awhile, ya know, see some different things. Have a little fun. That's all.”

"Sure, whatever. See ya back home bro," opening the barn door.

Scott steps over and blocks the doorway." "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"Nothing I guess. I just thought you might have...I don't know...it doesn't make any difference now."

"I guess not...so get out of my way," pushing him away from the door.

"You really wanna go home?"

"Damn right," walking out of the barn.

Scott moves into the sunlight leaning against the barn. "Hey!”

Amber stops and turns around. "What?"

"Got something to show you," approaching her. "It's right around back...just take a minute."

"Another one of your time travel tricks?”

"No. It's home," disappearing behind the barn.
Amber follows, stopping by the side of the barn. She sees Scott looking down at the ground.

"So where's home?" slowly moving up next to him.

"Right over there," nodding towards a large oak tree. "There's our home...both of us."

Amber slowly approaches the large oak tree shading a small area. She glances down at the ground. There are two grave markers side by side; one of Scott, the other Amber.
“May They Rest In Peace”

She looks back at Scott with tears in her eyes, then kneels down in front of the two headstones. "I should have known...I should have known."

Final Notes:
"What brings you to one door then later takes you to another door, aided by several detours, long hallways and unforeseen events will eventually put you back in the place where you really belong. For Scott and Amber there are no detours to escape their final resting place...in the Twilight Zone.

References:
● Story by Abbie Stewart.
● Photo by Aaron Groen
● Copyright: The use of "The Twilight Zone" name courtesy of the television series by Rod Serling - © Rod Serling.
© 2021 Abbie Stewart RIGHTS RESERVED ON WRITTEN MATERIAL