The Playing Fields First Draft

Chapter One

    "I gotta go." Claire said, drunkenly.

     It was nearly ten pm, and Claire was finding it hard to see clearly. That was far past Claire's limit on drinking at parties, something she concocted when she was invited to her first party. Granted Claire was underage at just 19, but when had that stopped teenagers? And that was the only mistake Claire wanted to make. Passing out drunk in her own vomit was the last thing Claire wanted, so she learned her limits at the first one and continued it as a tradition.

     Tonight, was different for Claire.

     All she wanted to do was blow off some steam after a disastrous first semester of college. Claire may have gone a drink over her limit, and she could feel it impairing her sense more than usual.

     Rob Welles, a classmate of Claire's and the guy running the party, was your typical frat boy, but as Claire noticed, he had a thing for tomboys. "So soon, Claire?" Rob asked, his words slurring. "Are you sure that you don't want to spend the night with the rest of us when the curfew begins?"

     Claire shook her head. "Thanks Rob, but when it comes to nursing a hangover, I'd rather be home."

     Rob nodded, he at least understood that. "Be seeing you."

     "Later Rob."

     Claire carefully navigated her way to the house's foyer. It wasn't that there were many drunks, or even partiers there, it was more about keeping herself steady. Maybe I should've had a designated driver. Claire thought, as she wobbled her way out of the house. She couldn't wait to feel the cool air on her overheated skin, another reason why Claire didn't drink unless it was socially, she didn't like how warm she felt afterward.

     Ah! Air! Sweet cold air! Claire thought as she walked out the door. A breeze of air cooled Claire in a way that made the experience worth it. Claire loved walking home after a party for that sensation. But it wasn't something that Claire would do unless she knew exactly where she was going.

     The old road Claire used to walk home was well known to her. As a child, Claire would walk on it with her siblings and friends.

     Speaking of friends, Claire pulled her phone from her pocket, and went to her contacts to call her friend Jenny Nelson. Claire and Jenny have been friends since kindergarten. While Jenny would be a frequent companion to these parties to unwind and would alternate between being the designated driver.

     "Hey Claire." Jenny's soprano voice answered.

     "How's college going?" Claire asked, there was a bit of drunkenness that caused her to feel some jealousy. Between the two, Claire was the tomboy, and Jenny was the typical beauty that was Claire's friend rather than her bully. But that jealousy was more over how much more perfect she seemed compared to Claire's own mess of a life. While the two wanted to go to the same college when they were children, Jenny ended up at Michigan State while Claire ended up at Lakewood's community college.

     "Good, good." Jenny said. "Are you home?"

     "Not yet." Claire said, not trusting herself with larger words.

     "Isn't there a curfew?"

     "I'll be home before it hits."

     Claire could feel Jenny's frown. "Claire, I've been keeping tabs on what's going on in Lakewood, several college age disappearances isn't good."

     "Relax. Even if I disappear, I know I'll be in good hands." Claire laughed off the concern.

     "Oh?" 

     "Yeah, you'll call my sister the paranormal huntress, and she'll make sure I come home safely!" Claire grinned.

      A moment of silence, then laughter hit Claire's ears. "Wanna know how I know you're drunk?"

     "How?"

     "Because you come up with the worst ideas when you're drunk!" Jenny exclaimed.

     In Claire's defense, it was the best idea she ever had while drunk. Logically if anything happened to Claire, Jenny would immediately let Claire's sister, Seanna, know about it. Seanna was powerful enough to mount a rescue party. Despite the falling out between the two of them over the years, Seanna wouldn't let anything happen to family.

     "Really, you think that Anna would have the pull to mount your rescue on a whim?!" Anna was the name Claire and Jenny used for Seanna, something that stuck with them during the point in Seanna's childhood where she insisted that everyone called her by the "normal name."

     "Then this is the best of my worst." Claire laughed off Jenny's criticism.

     "Fact."

     The two women laughed. Despite everything that happened in Claire's life over the past few years, Jenny's friendship was a constant.

     An additional sister in Claire's life.

     "So, how'd your semester go?" Jenny asked.

     "I went to a party and got drunk; how do you think it went?" Claire remarked.

     "Bombed pretty hard?"

     "You have no idea." Claire replied.

     "Man, that sucks!" Jenny sounded as upset as Claire felt.

     "Yeah, but what can you do?" Claire shrugged.

     "Are you reconsidering your major?" Jenny asked.

     "I would, if I..." Claire stopped. She noticed something odd in the distance.

     There was a twisted looking road that splintered off from the main road.

     "Claire? Are you there?" Jenny asked, concerned. "If you don't answer I'm calling Anna!"

     "I'm here, calm down." Claire told her friend, nonchalantly. "There's just a new road that I didn't expect to find."

     "New road?" Jenny asked, suspicion and worry coated her voice. "Like someone just built a new one?"

     "Uh-huh." Claire said, her curiosity led her to walk over to road to check it out.

     "Claire, don't check out the new road." Jenny told her, the fear for her friend overriding any kind of sarcasm she'd regularly have. If it was the daytime, sure, because the supernatural would rather take people during the day. There was no doubt in Jenny's mind that the supernatural was responsible for the disappearances in Lakewood.

     "Relax." Claire said, she was getting closer to the road, and she could see that it wasn't like the road Claire was walking on. It was covered in debris, fallen branches and rocks littered the path. Twisted old trees lined the sides of the road, giving it a spooky look.

     "Claire." Warning was in Jenny's voice.

     "Yeah, I'm gone." Claire said. "It's too creepy!"

     Claire turned to go back to the main road, or at least she intended to. Something was keeping Claire from going back to the road, and instead caused her to walk directly down the road. As Claire walked, she dropped her phone with a panicked Jenny calling out for her. Claire's mind was screaming as well, she didn't understand why her body wasn't responding to her commands.

     A fog emerged from the trees.

     And Claire was gone.