Voodoo Sand Land by Fear359 (f/f, qs, grim?) "Hey Lori, can you believe this small town? I didn't even know that they made them this small anymore." "Come on, Faith. Would would give it a rest for at least a day?" "Why should I? You're the one who said that this would be a great short cut, and get us to spring break that much quicker! And now we are broke down in some town that looks like it's from the early 1900's." "Hey, how was I to know that that we would hit that hole and mess up the car?" "Faith that was no hole! It was more like a pit. It was huge! And how are we going to get it fixed? I don't think anyone here has even seen a car." Lori and Faith look at the car and wonder how in the world they are going to get it fixed in this small town, when a man walks up behind them and speaks. "Good morning, ladies." "Good morning to you, sir. Can you tell us if there's a gas station in town that might be able to fix this tire?" "There is a station two streets down from here, and I think that he can fix your tire. My name is Jojo, and I would be happy to show you where it is." "Pleased to meet you Jojo. My name is Lori, and this is my friend Faith." "It is a pleasure to meet you both. Now, if you will follow me I will take you to the station." As the girls jump in the car and slowly make their way down the dirt streets, they both see just how old this little town is. Lori has to drive about 5 miles an hour, because the hole she hit has bent the rim to the point that they could not change it out. Jojo turns the corner and Lori follows, and in two minutes they pull into a station. "This is the station? What do they fix here? Horse and buggy wagon, or what?" "Faith, would you please stop it? All you do is complain. For once in your life would you just stop it? Look, these nice people are going to look at the car, and they might be able to even fix it. We could still be back there on that muddy dirt road with no help at all so just remember that, alright?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just remember Lori, this is your fault not mine!" Jojo walks up to the car with the owner of the station. "Ladies, this is the owner of the station, Thomas." "What were you ladies doing on that road in such a small car for, anyway?" "Well, you see, Thomas, my friend here said that it would be a great short cut, and we could cut about 3 hours off our time to spring break. And now I'm stuck here in this little town, and I'm gonna miss out on all the fun!" "Well, hang on little lady. Let me take a look and see just how bad it is." As Thomas looks at the tire and the axle Lori gives Faith a look that says, 'I could kill you if you weren't my friend'. "Ladies, I have good news and some bad news." "Great, I knew it! I knew it!" "Faith, would you just shut up? Thomas could you tell us what the news is please?" "Miss Lori, your axle is bent, not a lot but still bent. Just the same, your rim is cutting into your tire and that is not good. I can fix it but if will take about 6 hours." "That's it, six hours? That's not so bad, Thomas. But how much is this going to cost me?" "Miss Lori, I fix for 150.00 dollars." "Thomas, you have deal." "You girls can wait in the station or walk around until I am finished." "Yeah, right. Do you know how many times we could walk around this town until you got finished with the car? God, I can't even count that high!" "Miss Faith, I sense a lot of anger in you. Why?" "I want to be on the beach, looking at cute guys. I don't like being here in this two horse town." "Miss Faith, if I my be so bold: If you do not stop this anger in your heart you will die as a very lonely woman." "Well, thank you for that news flash update. Now I've got some news for you, Thomas: Fix the car!" And with that Faith storms off for the station door, and Lori can't believe what she just heard. "Thomas, I am so sorry she went off on you like that. I'll go speak to her and ..." "Miss Lori, talking to your friend will do no good. I can see that she is a very angry young woman, and that will never change. But I will get to work on your car so you can get to spring break." "Thank you very much, Thomas. And once again let me say how sorry I am for Faith's attitude." As Lori and Jojo walk to the station door they begin to make small talk. "Jojo, how long have you lived in this town?" "Miss Lori, I have lived here all my life." "Well do you get out much? I mean, do you get to go to the city and see things?" "Yes, I do go to the city, but I do not like it! It is too big, too dirty, and the people are all mean, like your firend. I spend most of my time in the swamps around here and enjoying nature." "Jojo, don't get me wrong, but you think the city is dirty? What about the swamps? Dirty water, mud, gators, snake, spiders, and other things." "I can see your point Miss Lori, but that is nature, and nature is pure, no matter how dirty it might look." "I guess you're right, Jojo. So what is there to do in this town, anyway?" "Well we hunt and fish and tell stories." "Well the hunting and fishing is out. What about the stories?" "Well most of the stories are old and about the swamp itself, and the voodoo that went on back in there." They both come to the door, and Jojo opens the door for Lori, as they both walk in and find Faith sitting in a chair, pouting. "Faith, what you said out there was uncalled for, and I want you to get out there and apologize right now!" "Lori, shut up! If it weren't for you and your stupid short cut we would be there by now, having fun. If anyone should apologize, you should, and to me!" "Ladies, ladies! Please let us not fight on such a pretty day. What's done is done, and you cannot undo what has already been done." "Jojo, you're right. What's done is done. And if Faith wants to be a butt head about this then, so be it. You were saying something about Voodoo?" "Ah, yes! Long ago there was a Voodoo priestess, and she was very, very evil and lured many people into the swamp and killed them. Some say it was becasue she was a lonely woman, others say it was because she liked to kill, and some say it was because she was just plain mean." "Jojo, you mean to tell me that you believe in these stupid ghost stories? I thought you were smarter than that." "Faith, I'm warning you! Knock it off, and I mean now!" "That is quite alright, Miss Lori. She cannot hurt me with her foul mouth." "Thomas, what do you think was wrong with the Voodoo Priestess?" "I have done some history on it, and it seems that before she was a voodoo priestess she was the most beautiful woman in town, and all the men wanted to marry her. But she wanted nothing to do with simple men. Then one day a man came into town and was rich. She knew that this was her chance to get out of here but the man was married and wanted nothing to do with a spoiled little witch. The pain was too much for her to bear, so she went off into the swamps one night and was never seen again. Some say that she is still out there, calling for the one that did not want her. Others say that she hates all men and lures them in to their deaths. About a year after she went into the swamps, poeple started to disappear without a trace. They would go into the swamps and would never be seen again. No one knew what was going on. Even trappers that knew the swamps would vanish without a trace. And that's when everyone knew what was going on." "And what would that be, Jojo?" "Miss Faith, there is a legend that in the swamp is a place, were people are pulled down to their deaths. You call it quicksand, but here it is called Voodoo sand." "Voodoo what?" "Voodoo sand, Miss Faith. Called up by the Voodoo Priestess herself to pull one down to join her army of the non-living." "I don't believe this crap, and Lori I hope to God that you aren't falling for this either!" "Miss Faith, just because you are not a believer, why must you be so bitter?" "Because, quicksand is quicksand! There is quicksand all over the world, and you're trying to tell us that some Voodoo Priestess calls it up whenever she wants to? Get outta town, Jojo!" "Miss Faith, I cannot explain the quicksand anywhere else, but here it is called up by the Voodoo Priestess. That is what I have been told, and that is what I know." As Jojo finishes his story about the Voodoo Priestess, Lori is hanging on to every word, while Faith is just shaking her head, not believeing a word of it. "Jojo, do you think that she ever died?" "Lori, come on! Would you get off it? That is just a story to people like us that get stuck in this town. None of it is true." "Oh, Miss Faith! You have no idea of what is real, and what is not. You only believe in what you can see and touch. If you cannot than it cannot be real or the truth. And that is what will be the death of you!" "Okay Jojo, I'm sooo scared now. Do you think that the Voodoo Priestess will be angry with me? Ha ha ha!" "Miss Faith, that is not good that you make fun of the Priestess. She knows all, sees all, and ..." "Yeah right! Lori, I'm out of here. There has got to be something to do until the car gets fixed. Jojo, is there someplace I can take a walk and get some fresh air?" "Miss Faith, if you go down three streets take a right turn. There is a small trail that leads around the river and leads back to town. It's about 3 1/2 miles around." "Great! I'm going to the car and change. Then I'm gonna take a walk, Lori." "Faith, don't go too far! The car could get fixed before you get back." "Lori, are you kidding? Look at where we are! It will take that clown at least six hours how to figure out how to get the damn tire off!" And with that Faith walks out the door and to the car. She opens up her suit case and grabs her Reeboks, puts them on, and she starts off walking. "Miss Lori, your friend has alot of hate in her heart. Why?" "Jojo, Faith has been like this since we were kids. If she can't have it her way she doesn't want it at all." "Then why do you call her a friend? You are so much different than she is." "I just put up with her when no one else will that's all. I guess you could say that I keep her in check. I am the only one that will put up with her and her bad attitude. Don't get Faith wrong Jojo, she is really a nice person. She just wants to be at the beach, that's all." Thomas walks in the door and asks Jojo to come outside and help him try and get the bent rim off the car. They all three walk outside, and Lori decides to try and catch up to Faith, and they can walk together. Faith has about a 20 minute head start and comes up to a fork in the road, and they both look the same. She curses under her breath at Jojo, because he said nothing about a fork in the road, and so she goes left. Faith walks on for about 10 minutes just looking at the trees and the river. When she does take a good look at where she is she can't believe it. Somehow she has walked into the swamp, and when she turns around the trail that she was on is gone. "What the heck? What is going on? Ah, when I get back I'm gonna have a few words with Mr. Jojo. How in the hell am I gonna get back now? Oh, maybe it's the Voodoo Lady! She's after me and is gonna get me! What a laugh!" Faith has a good laugh to herself and decides to keep going and starts off walking again. She can still hear the water to her right even though she cannot see it because of the thick trees and moss. The trail starts to the right and Faith knows that she is almost back on the right track, when she comes to a small creek between the two trails. It doesn't look deep, maybe 5 or 6 inches, so Faith starts out across it. She reaches the other side in moments, and then she hears something that sounds like drums. "What is that? It sounds like drums, but out here? No way! Wait a minute! I know who that is! It's Jojo trying to scare me with that Voodoo stuff. Well, I ain't gonna fall for it!" As Faith begins to walk forward, the ground is getting muddy, and Faith thinks that it is because the river is only 10 feet away, that it has made the ground muddy. "I don't believe this! My new shoes muddy! Jojo, when I get back you have had it!" Faith comes up to a turn in the trail which leads to the left. So she takes off and 50 yards in the trail go through some reeds. "Man, if I knew that I was gonna be taking a damn hike I never would have come! Oh, well! It can't be much farther now, but Jojo, when I get back your butt is mine!" Faith starts walking into the reeds, and the drums are going louder and louder. Than they just stop. "Alright, Jojo! I know it's you, and you can stop with the Voodoo crap. I'm on to your little game, and I'm here to tell you that it won't work, and - hey what is this? I can't move my feet! They seem to be stuck in this gooey mud! Jojo, this isn't funny anymore! I 'm stuck in some kind of mud, and I can't get my feet loose!" As Faith tries to get out of her sticky mess she can slowly feel herself sink, and the more she struggles the more she sinks. "Jojo, this is not funny anymore! This stuff is up to my calves, and the more I try to get out the more it sucks me in, and ... No, no! Quicksand!" "Not just quicksand, my dear, but Voodoo sand!" "Who said that? Show yourself!" Faith is not ready for what she is about to see, a woman, and she is walking above the ground where Faith is trapped, and the woman is laughing at her. "Lady! As you can see I'm sinking in quicksand and I could really use your help!" "I am not here to help you. I am here to watch you sink to your death. It has been a long time since I have had someone in my Voodoo sand, and I have forgotten how much fun it is to watch someone sink." "Lady! I don't know who you are, I don't even care. I just want to get out of this quicksand! So please help me!" "Oh, you know who I am, Faith. Didn't Jojo tell you who I was? I am the Voodoo Priestess, and you will be another victim to add to my army of the undead!" Faith can't believe what she is hearing, but as the Voodoo Prestess walks up to her, Faith looks down at the feet of the Voodoo Prestess who is no more than two feet from her and sees that she is not sinking in the quicksand. And that's when she lost it and really started to struggle. But the more she struggled the deeper she sank into the quicksand. "Please, help me! I'll do anything you want me to do, but please don't let me die! Not like this!" "Oh my dear, you are doing what I want! You are sinking into my trap, and soon I will have your friend too, and you will both serve me well!" Faith has sank up to her waist, and all of a sudden hands come out of the ground and start to pull her in faster. "What is this? What is this?" "Those hands are the hands of all the ones before you. They will pull you down into their world where you will become a part of it. So, now I bid you a farewell. I must go set a trap for you friend now. I will see you soon." As the Priestess turns and walks away Faith can feel the slimly hands of her army grab her waist and begin to pull her down. Faith struggles on, but it's no use. The undead have her, and in moments she is up to her neck. And then with one quick pull Faith is gone. "Faith! Faith, where are you? Come on, this isn't funny! I should just leave you here and go to spring break without you!" Lori doesn't really mean that, but she is so mad at her friend right now, for treating these nice people so badly. Then out of the blue Lori hears something. It sounds like a voice, someone is singing. But it's not on the trail that Lori's on, it's over to the left. "I'll go see who that is, and maybe they have seen Faith. And maybe she's not too far ahead of me and I can catch her." Lori starts for the sound of the voice and comes through the trees, when she comes upon a woman sitting on a tree stump 40 feet in front of her just singing. "Excuse me Miss! I am looking for someone, and I was wondering if you have seen her." "Was her name Faith?" "Why, yes, her name is Faith. Can you tell me which way she went, please?" "Why, of course, my dear. She came this way and went to that trail." "Thank you. What is that song you were singing? It was beautiful!" "That is an old song, one that has been in my family for years. You better hurry if you want to catch your friend." As Lori starts to make her way across the clearing her feet slip into some very deep and gooey mud. And as she tries to pull her feet by pumping her legs she feels herself sink in deepper. "Ahh, I'm stuck in some kind of mud! Do you think you can give me a hand? This stuff is sticky and deep. I'm sinking!" "Well, of course you are dear. It is my Voodoo sand, and you will become another one for my army." "Voodoo what? No, this can't be happening!" "Oh, but it is, my dear. You are sinking in my trap, and I will have another one. Oh, this is a good day! Your friend is gone. I trapped her about 20 minutes ago. And now you will be next." Lori can't believe what she is hearing, and what's more she can't believe what she is seeing: Hands are coming out of the ground and grabing her by the waist and are slowly pulling her down into the unknown. And the more she struggles the deeper she sinks. "Who are you, and why are you doing this to me?" "Lori, you know who I am. Jojo told you: I am the Voodoo Priestess, and you will be my slave forever! Jojo didn't tell you the entire story, so I will. After I went into the swamp I stumbled into some quicksand. But I made a deal with the darkside, and I put a curse on that little town for all time. You see, everyone in that town is my slave. They are all dead. They tell people that come into town that story, and they come out here, and I set a death trap for them to become one of my own. So you see Lori, no matter how you struggle, you will never get free, and your soul will belong to me, in a matter of moments." "No, no, nooo!" As the hands slowly pull Lori into the quicksand she can hear a woman's laughter and then nothing, the quicksand has filled her ears and then blackness. Back in town a car pulls in, and two guys get out, yelling at each other. "John, you are such a jerk! Why in the heck would you take a short cut through some woods for? Do you know how much it's gonna cost to get that tire fixed?" "Look Fred, the lady at that gas station said that we could cut at least 3 hours off our trip. How was I to know that we would hit a hole the size of New York?" "Gentlemen, can I help you?" "Yeah, Miss. Is there a station in town that might be able to fix that tire?" "Yes, there is. If you would follow me I'll take you to it. And by the way, my name is Lori."