The Haunted Hayride: Chapter Two

I let out a yell I was so surprised.

Scott reached up to try pulling her hands away from his neck as he struggled to scream himself, but the banshee-if that's what she really was-had her hands so tight around him that no sound came out.

"Dad, dad, floor it! Step on the gas," I cried out.

But Dad just sat there with his neck craned around, looking at Scott being attacked and smiling. He turned to Mom and said, "You know, this place might really be even scarier than your driving."

Mom stuck her tongue out at him. "Very funny. Ha-ha. How very hue-more-us."

I couldn't believe they were just sitting there and joking while Scott was clearly being attacked by a crazy lady. Or banshee. Or whatever the heck she was supposed to be. She followed her hands with her head until her gruesome face was completely inside the car. The blackness around her eyes weren't really circles, but almost teardrop shapes. She had rotten teeth and smelled horrible, like fruit that's been left in the crisper too long. She reached down and kissed Scott on his cheek, leaving a bright red imprint of her lips. "The kiss of the banshee," she slowly drew out in a high-pitched voice that was irritating in the way fingernails being scratched on a blackboard are irritating.

She continued. "You have been chosen for death. Say goodbye to your family." Then there was that terrifying wailing again. Only this time it was obvious that she hadn't been the one doing it. They must have set up speakers up and down the dirt road. She let go of Scott and disappeared into the darkness beside the car. Scott was still shaking, but by then, of course, I'd realized it was all part of the show. I hope, anyway.

"Well, that would have been scarier if Scott was actually part of the family. But since he's not, I guess he's not really going to die, huh?"

"I don't know, Brandon. She didn't tell him to say goodbye to us. She told him to say goodbye to his family. Anything's possible on a haunted hayride."

Scott had calmed down by then, though he was still breathing pretty heavy. "Gosh, did she have bad breath. And she kissed me! Yuck!"

"Scottie and the banshee sitting in a tree," Mom started singing.