Cheerleaders: The New Evil

  He didn’t budge. “What’s wrong?” he repeated innocently. “Why did you run away?”

  “Alex—I—I—”

  He reached into the phone booth and grabbed her hand. Her hand was cold. His was hot, burning hot. “Corky, come to the lake with us.” He tried to tug her from the booth.

  “No, Alex. No, I won’t!” Corky cried, trembling all over.

  “Yes, you will,” Alex insisted softly, still smiling, ignoring her terror. “Come to the lake. Come now, Corky. We’ll have so much fun. You’ll see.”

  Chapter 25

  KIMMY ON ICE

  “No, Alex—please!”

  Corky tried to pull free. But he held on to her hand with inhuman strength.

  “Alex—let go!”

  He didn’t seem to hear her. His smile remained set. His eyes bored into hers, cold and uncaring.

  With a hard jerk of his hand, he tugged her from the phone booth. Corky cried out. Swung her fist. Her punch glanced off his shoulder.

  She punched him again. His smile widened.

  “Come to the lake, Corky,” he urged softly. “Come have fun with us.”

  This isn’t Alex, Corky told herself, staring at his grinning face in horror. This isn’t the real Alex, the Alex that I knew, that I cared about.

  This is a different Alex, inhabited by the evil. He doesn’t even know he’s doing this. He doesn’t even know he’s dragging me back to the lake—probably to kill me.

  He gripped her wrists with both hands now and began to pull her toward the back of the motel, toward the woods.

  Her eyes searched the parking lot frantically. Where are Kimmy and Debra? Corky wondered. Did they get away?

  Where are the rest of the cheerleaders and basketball players? Did they go back to the lake? Are they all waiting for me there?

  A truck roared by on the highway. Corky opened her mouth to call for help. But it sped past before she could get out a sound.

  “Come to the lake, Corky. You and I always have fun—don’t we?” Alex whispered, his breath hot against her face.

  What if I scream? she asked herself as he dragged her into the woods. Will someone in the motel wake up? Will they come hurrying out to help me?

  The rooms were all dark. There was only the black Jeep in the lot in back.

  It’s worth a try, Corky thought.

  As if reading her thoughts, Alex clamped a hand tightly over her mouth. Gorky’s cry was smothered.

  With a burst of rage, she dropped low. Spun free. Scrambled forward.

  Into the trees. On all fours for a few seconds. Then up. Onto her feet. Leaning forward. Keeping herself low.

  Through some low scrub, branches cutting at her legs right through her jeans. Stumbling over a fallen tree trunk. Gaining her balance. Struggling forward.

  “Hey!” Alex, startled, calling after her from close behind, “Hey! Hey, Corky!”

  Scrambling away from him, she slid over dead leaves. The morning sun, just poking over the horizon, cast a wash of purple over everything, making the woods appear dreamlike, unreal.

  “Hey, Corky! Hey!”

  His voice farther behind her now. Off to the left.

  Had he lost her? Had she confused him?

  She didn’t have time to think, to figure out where to run.

  She realized she was heading back toward the lake, but Corky didn’t care. She was getting away.

  For now.

  Oh! She forced herself not to cry out as a slender, low branch slapped her face. She could feel the sting of it on her cheek as she kept running, weaving, criss-crossing behind shrubs and trees, trying to leave Alex behind.

  Kimmy, where are you? she wondered, her eyes struggling to focus through the haze of purple. Debra—you were ahead of me. Did you get away?

  She had a sudden urge to call to her friends. But she realized that would only allow Alex to find her, to capture her again.

  The lake stretched just ahead, the ice a blue-purple under the low morning sun. Corky stopped, panting loudly.

  No one there.

  No one on the lake.

  Where had they gone? Had they returned to the motel? Were they somewhere in the woods chasing Debra and Kimmy?

  We know their secret, Corky thought, feeling a fresh chill run down her back. Kimmy, Debra, and I—we know the secret of their evil.

  That is why they came after us.

  That is why they will not let us escape alive.

  She heard a scrabbling in the bushes behind her. Alex?

  Yes. She heard his muttered curses. Then she heard him change his tone and call to her again: “Corky? Come here, Corky. It’s me—Alex! Don’t be afraid of me! I want to help you!”

  No, you don’t, Corky thought bitterly. You don’t want to help me, Alex. You want to hurt me.

  Her eyes searched the frozen shore for a hiding place.

  Where can I go?

  She saw a shrub move just behind the nearest trees. Alex was getting closer. Soon he would see her. Soon he would catch her.

  Struggling to think clearly, struggling to find a path of escape, Corky backed up. One step, another.

  I’ve got to get away from him. Got to get to a hiding place.

  She raised her hands to her face and kept her eyes forward as she backed up.

  Where can I go?

  “Hey!” She cried out as her feet started to slide out from under her. Without realizing it, she had backed onto the frozen surface of the lake.

  She barely got her balance.

  She glanced down.

  “NOOOO!” Her scream echoed off the bare trees.

  Two eyes stared up at her from under the ice. Two lifeless eyes. Black hair floated around the face, billowing in the frozen water beneath the ice.

  Pain made Corky drop to her knees. She felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She bent over the face staring up at her, the dead, bloated face under the ice.

  Kimmy’s face.

  Corky forgot about Alex, lifted her eyes from the horrifying sight, and let out a furious howl of rage.

  Chapter 26

  ANOTHER CORPSE

  On her hands and knees on the ice, Corky stared down at her friend. Kimmy’s face pushed up against the surface, her hair billowing out like dark seaweed.

  They drowned her, Corky realized, her entire body trembling. They trapped Kimmy under the ice and drowned her because she knew the truth about them.

  Corky couldn’t take her eyes off the pale, watery face that stared up at her. Did they drown Debra too? she wondered, unable to stop her trembling.

  Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. As they hit the frozen surface, they sent up tiny puffs of steam.

  They’ll drown me next, Corky realized.

  They’ll catch me and force me under, trap me under the ice and watch me drown.

  She forced herself to her knees, wiping the tears from her cheeks with both hands. I’ve got to stop them, she told herself. I’ve got to find a way to stop them.

  And I have to pay them back for murdering poor Kimmy.

  Once again she pictured Alex’s smile, his inviting eyes pleading with her to come to the lake. He’s evil, she knew. They’re all evil. They’re not the kids I knew.

  They drowned Kimmy.

  They want to drown me.

  A rustling in the woods made her turn away. She saw tall weeds bend. Heard the soft swish of footsteps on wet leaves.

  They’re coming for me. Got to get away. Got to run.

  Without realizing it, she had climbed to her feet. Now she was making her way back into the woods, stumbling, staggering, lurching unsteadily. Her legs felt as if they were made of stone. She forced them forward, forced them to move, one step, then another.

  The morning sun had risen above the treetops, casting golden light that trickled down through the trees. The bare branches reached out for Corky as she hurtled between trees that were deliberately blocking her path.

  Turning back, she raised her eyes to the tall purple c
liffs that overlooked the lake. I should’ve run in that direction, she thought. I could’ve climbed the cliffs and escaped.

  Corky saw two figures move out onto the frozen lake. She recognized Jay, his Mighty Ducks cap on backward, his hands shoved into the pockets of his Shadyside High jacket. He was spinning slowly, his eyes searching the shore.

  Searching for me, Corky realized with a shudder.

  Through the tangle of tree branches, Corky could see Lauren step up beside him. Lauren shielded her eyes with one hand as she searched the woods for Corky.

  They used to be my friends, Corky thought, turning away. Jay always made me laugh.

  Now he wants to kill me.

  “There she is!” she heard Lauren cry.

  Corky froze at the sound. Her entire body suddenly felt as cold as the ice on the lake.

  With a low cry, she willed her legs to move. But they wouldn’t cooperate.

  Ice. I’ve turned to ice, she thought.

  She heard the crackle of dead leaves, rapid footsteps as Jay and Lauren hurried to capture her.

  Corky sucked in a deep chestful of cold air. Got to move. Got to move! she urged herself.

  “Corky—where are you?” Alex’s voice. Nearby.

  They’re circling me. They’re trapping me.

  No!

  With a surge of effort, she bolted forward. Grabbing a tree trunk, she hurtled herself deeper into the woods.

  “Corky—I want to talk to you!” Alex’s phony pleading from somewhere to her left. “I just want to talk, Corky!”

  She cut sharply to the right. Felt the prickle of burrs against her cheek. Brushed them away and, ducking her head, kept moving.

  Deeper into the woods.

  The voices followed her, voices she knew so well, the voices of strangers now.

  “Where is she?”

  “I just saw her.”

  “We have to form a wider circle. All of us. Then just tighten it around her.”

  “We may be too late. She may be on her way back to the motel.”

  “She won’t get away. If she comes out of the woods, we’ll have her.”

  Corky forced back a sob. Her chest felt ready to burst.

  The voices were so close!

  Dark trees circled her, appeared to be closing in. She spotted a double trunk, two trees growing together, entwined as one. With a desperate lunge, Corky darted behind the wide trunk, slid into the coolness of the indentation between the two trunks.

  Waited. And listened hard, trying to slow the pounding of her heart.

  The crunch of footsteps grew louder. The voices nearer.

  “Corky? It’s me, Alex. Corky? Where are you?”

  “Corky? The bus is waiting. It’s time to go to the arena.” Heather’s voice, so close. Was she standing right in front of the double tree trunk?

  Holding her breath, Corky sank back against the smooth bark. She shut her eyes and prayed, willing them away.

  Go. Please go. Go search somewhere else.

  She heard the crackle of leaves. Heard the sharp crack of a twig breaking. Heard their muttered curses as they continued to search.

  “Corky—it’s Lauren! Ms. Closter wants to see you back at the motel!”

  “Hey, Corky—what’s the problem?” Jay’s voice, somewhere to her left. “Why are you hiding from your friends?”

  And then Heather’s voice again. “Corky—it’s time to go to the game!”

  Go. Please go. Please please please!

  Gorky’s entire body tensed, every muscle tightened as she prayed for them to leave.

  A few seconds passed. Then a few more.

  A bird whistled loudly above her head. A shrill whistle, like a warning call. Corky raised her eyes and saw a large bluejay perched above her on a high limb.

  A few seconds later she heard the flutter of wings. A shadow rolled over her as the jay took flight.

  And then the woods lay silent.

  Pressing her back against the hard trunk, Corky held her breath and listened. No footsteps. No voices.

  A soft wind off the lake made the bare tree limbs rattle and creak.

  She heard a soft thud. A nest off a tree limb?

  Then only silence.

  Is it a trap? Corky wondered, still gripped with fear. Are they waiting on the other side of this tree, waiting to pounce?

  Have they left? Or are they all standing there, watching the tree trunk, watching for me to show myself?

  The silence grew heavy. Gorky’s ears rang.

  She had to find out.

  She had to know.

  Taking a deep breath, Corky kept her back to the tree trunk as she edged to the side—and peeked out.

  She gasped in surprise when she saw the lifeless body lying on the ground.

  Chapter 27

  EVERYBODY DROWNS

  Corky stared down in shock at the dead bluejay.

  Why did they have to kill it? she wondered.

  Just because they could?

  Its wings spread against the ground, its feet poking straight up in the air, the bird’s head tilted at an unnatural angle. One lifeless black eye stared accusingly at Corky.

  They will kill everything, she thought. Everyone and everything.

  Her eyes darted, making a wide circle of the woods.

  No one there. They really had moved their search to another part of the woods.

  With a sigh, Corky dropped down heavily onto a fallen tree trunk and buried her head in her hands. Her entire body convulsed in a sharp tremor of terror. She realized she had never been this frightened in her entire life.

  They were gone for now. But they’d be back.

  She had to get away, away from the lake and these woods, away from the town. Away.

  She had to get help. She had to find a way to stop them.

  But right now, she realized, she couldn’t move from the fallen tree. Couldn’t raise her head from her hands. Couldn’t stop her body from trembling.

  Paralyzed by her fear, Corky lost track of time.

  Had a few seconds passed? Minutes? An hour or two?

  The sun’s warmth on the back of her head brought her back to full consciousness. She stood up, tossing back her hair, blinking at the bright golden sunlight. The few patches of still white snow glistened as if dotted with a million tiny diamonds.

  Corky stretched, raising her hands high above her head, arching her back. Then she started to jog, pushing shrubs out of her way with both hands.

  I’ll get to the highway and just keep running till a car stops for me or I find a phone, she decided.

  But she stopped at the edge of the motel parking lot when she saw the yellow bus. The gray-uniformed driver stood beside the open door as Heather and Lauren, in their cheerleader uniforms, climbed on.

  Gary and Jay were shoving each other playfully, bumping shoulders, laughing as they stumbled through the door.

  They’re going to the arena for our next game, Corky realized, taking a step closer. She made her way onto the parking lot and ducked low behind a maroon minivan.

  Peering out from in front of the hood, Corky saw that on the bus were the Shadyside players and cheerleaders. The driver must have picked up the boys first. Through the windows she could see them laughing and talking excitedly.

  As if nothing had happened. As if everything were normal.

  As if Kimmy weren’t frozen beneath the ice in the lake.

  Swallowing hard, Corky searched each window for Debra. But didn’t see her.

  Doesn’t anyone wonder where Kimmy and Debra and I are? Corky wondered.

  She quickly answered her own question: No. Of course not. They know where we are. They know everything isn’t normal. They’re all putting on an act.

  They’re having a wonderful time, she thought bitterly. Look at them, laughing and joking with one another!

  The sight forced a sob from Corky’s throat. She felt all her muscles tighten as a wave of fury swept over her body.

  The bus driver climbed on
to the bus. A few seconds later, the door closed. The engine sputtered to life.

  Corky stepped away from the minivan, her eyes on the smiling faces inside the bus. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw herself in front of the bus. To stop them. To stop their laughter, their jokes.

  To her surprise, the bus door swung open. The driver climbed down. Shaking his head, he made his way toward the motel office, taking long, rapid strides.

  He must have left something there, Corky thought. Or maybe he has to make a call.

  A sudden flash of inspiration made Corky move quickly.

  The idea swept into her mind, fueled by her frustration, her bitter anger.

  Staying low behind the parked cars, she hurtled herself toward the bus. Then, gasping in a deep breath and holding it, she grabbed the sides of the bus doorway, pushed herself up the steps, and dove into the driver’s seat.

  Had anyone seen her?

  Corky let out her breath in a loud whoosh and listened.

  No. The laughing and excited conversations continued without interruption. No one called her name or shouted out to her.

  She glanced in the wide rearview mirror. She saw Jay and Alex near the back, slapping each other a high-five, laughing gleefully. She turned the mirror until she couldn’t see anyone. Now no one could see her.

  Corky slammed the door shut.

  A solid partition closed her off from the rest of the bus and hid her. She released the emergency brake and slid both hands around the big steering wheel.

  Slipping the bus into gear, Corky leaned forward and lowered her foot on the large gas pedal. Corky pressed harder on the gas, and the bus rumbled out of the parking lot, bumped over a curb, and onto the highway. Behind her, Corky heard kids laugh and cheer as the bus hit the bump and bounced hard.

  Leaning over the wheel, Corky listened to their conversations. They hadn’t heard the driver shout at the bus.

  And none of them seemed to realize that the bus was heading away from the New Foster Arena.

  Behind her, loud cheers erupted as the bus bounced into a deep pothole. Without slowing, Corky turned off the highway and onto a narrow road called Cliffview.