The 2021 Scary Story Contest was hosted by the Coquitlam and Port Moody public libraries.
Third place, 11- 14 category winner
Iris Quinn, 12, Coquitlam
No one knew why the Wixx Family called it the Fire Road. Maybe because it was always shrouded with dark, smoke-like mist, or that the trees were always covered in ash, blowing in the wind.
She saw the Wixx daughter, Raven, come out of her house and onto the Fire Road, her black labrador close behind, and soon, they disappeared from sight. She followed.
It wasn’t that far along when Raven made a sharp left turn, into the deep, dark forest. And she followed, an uncanny terror yelling in her mind.
Soon, she couldn’t see anything, the fog clouding her view, only the pitch black lab within sight. She felt herself grow colder, a disquieting feeling coming on. But she followed.
Suddenly, she stepped on a twig, the crack echoing around the empty forest. Raven’s black hair whipped around and she barely had enough time to dive behind a tree.
They continued on, and she could’ve sworn the forest got darker and deeper. A breeze flowed past the trees, seeming to blow ash at her, getting into her eyes and nose, nearly making her sneeze.
Eventually, a light appeared far ahead and Raven broke into a run, going towards the light. Soon, the light took shape, a dark, shadow-like person. But she quickly realized it wasn’t a person; it was a demon, the light coming from its eyes, as bright as the sun, it’s dark body rippling like shadowy water. But she followed.
Raven ran up to it, panting for breath. “Finally,” it grumbled. “We can-” It paused. “Do you realize that a human child is following you?” it growled, its terrifying voice loathsome.
Her breath caught in her throat as Raven whipped around once more, the labrador snarling. She turned to run, but something stopped her, like an invisible hand around her throat. It lifted her off her feet, pulling her closer to the shadow. “You will not tell anyone what you have seen this afternoon,” it said menacingly.
“What are you going to do to me?” she cried out, struggling desperately out of the monster’s invisible hand.
It laughed, cold and heartless. “You shall see, human.”
It focused it’s gaze on her, seeming to melt her skin instantly. She screamed and writhed, her hands and face slowly crumbling away.
But there was nothing she could do. She felt herself turn to ash, blowing away slowly in the wind, joining the other bits of ash in the breeze and on the trees.
Raven headed back to her house, only to leave again a few minutes later. That’s when he saw her. He had noticed his sister hadn’t come back and watched her leave not that long before, following Raven. He slipped on his boots and went outside, going out on the Fire Road, after Raven and the dog, dipping into the dark forest.
He followed.
