Part III

"Don't go that way," baby girl whined.

"Why not?" the new kid asked, forging ahead.

"It's scary. Only the big kids go that way. We're too little."

The new kid hadn't slowed at all as he entered the dense forest, on the trail worn by the dirt bikes. "This way is quicker, and we have to hurry before that dog chews it up." He turned back to see Baby Girl hesitating, then taking a step towards him and the woods, then a step back. "Anywhere the big kids can go, we can go too," he said to the woods as he headed up the trail. The kid went between some bushes and Baby Girl couldn't see him any more. She ran after him, screaming "Wait for me! Wait for meeeee!"

The sun re-appeared through a hole in the canopy of trees and Baby Girl heard giggling. She saw the New Kid stopped at the edge of the clearing, and ahead of him were three big girls, enthroned on the bench seat of a pickup truck. One of the big girls was hiding something behind the seat, in the stuffing still damp from the rain yesterday. They had a game on the ground in front of them.

"What is your name?" hissed the oldest one. She was playing with a cigarette lighter. The other two giggled more. "What is your name!" whispered one. "What-- what-- is your-- hee--- hee!!" They fell against each other, and instantly became serious again.

"What is your--" she started giggling again, and the other one finished it for her: "Quest!"

"We're after Gruphf!" announced the New Kid, in a deep, deep voice.

"We're after Gurf!" mocked the oldest girl, in a much deeper voice than the New Kid could ever manage. They all giggled again.

"Gruphf!" said one of the girls. "They're chasing my little brother's dog. Grupfh. Goooooph!"

Baby Girl gripped the New Kid's hand, and he jumped and looked at her. "Let's get out of here. I'm scared," she whined.

"We have to ask them if they've seen Gruphf" he whispered. Then he shouted to the three weird girls, "Have you seen Gruphf the Dog?"

"We do not answer questions from BOYS!" shrieked the big girl, making the New Kid stumble back a step, almost knocking Baby Girl over.

"We don't?" said the girl next to her.

"NO!" boomed the oldest. The third girl giggled more and reached behind the couch again. The oldest slapped her arm and she sat up again, looking nervous suddenly.

"NOOOO!" she agreed with the big girl. "WE only answer questions from WOMYN!" The big girl nodded her approval. They fell together giggling again, and one slid off the seat.

"Ask them!" whispered the New Kid.

"Me?" Baby Girl was in tears now. "I can't."

"C'mon! Ask them where Gruphf went so we can get out of here!"

The three weird girls stared at Baby Girl, smirking. She stared back at them, and started to turn away to run. She stopped and turned back again, and then took two steps towards the throne, very fast.

"WheredidGruphgo?" she shouted and then ran back behind the new kid.

"What?"

"What did you say, my child?" demanded the big girl.

"Ask them again. Don't talk so fast. It'll be okay."

Baby girl tried again, almost in a trance. "Where." She took a breath, "Did." another breath, "Gruphf," almost there, "Go?"

The big girl stared into her lighter flame and answered in a chant "Ask..."

"Ask..." joined the second girl. And the third.

"Ask" she chanted again, "the Ouija..."

"The Ouija..." her weird friends chanted.

"Ask the Ouija Board!"

They encircled the game board in front of them and the New Kid and Baby Girl stared and didn't breathe and they didn't move. The three girls chanted "Ouija Board Ouija Board Where Did Gurf Go?"

"It's Gruphf" whispered the blonde girl.

"Gruphf. Ouija Board, Ouija Board, Where Did Gruphf Go? Where Did Gruphf Go?"

The New Kid and Baby Girl smelled burning sticks and leaves as the nervous hands of the big girls, their nails pink and covered with glitter stabbed into the center of the board, and glided across it. They were moving something. Hours seemed to pass as the weird girls were enraptured by the Ouija Board, and the two little kids' eyes were locked on the big girls.

Then they stopped. They sat straight up, and studied each others' faces, and none moved. Solemnly, they turned to Baby Girl.

The oldest girl pointed at the blonde girl. "Tell her" she said, flatly.

The blonde girl tilted her chin down and raise her arm. She held it straight out and extended her finger. The three weird girls sat motionless, and the New Kid studied the pointing finger.

"That way," whispered Baby Girl. "He went that way."

"Yeah." said the New Kid. "Let's get out of here."

As they ran down the trail and out of the woods, the sound of the big girls' giggling followed them, almost to the edge of the wood.

-- end of part III --

An Emily Dickinson poem in the poll.