Read Online The Land of the Dead: Book Four of the Oz Chronicles by R.W. Ridley - Free Book Online
Authors: R.W. Ridley
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stood in a smaller room. I quickly darted the flashlight beam from wall to wall. There was a small set of stairs leading up to another room. I pushed April in that direction and whistled for Kimball to follow. We dashed through the door. It was a room with an iron fence overlooking a hole.
“What is this place?” April asked breathing heavily.
“I don’t know.” Our voices echoed in the cavernous room. “Looks like an empty swimming pool.”
A groan came from behind us.
“To the right,” I said.
We nearly stumbled over each other as we erupted toward another door. Another short staircase took us up to a small hallway into a small gymnasium. Just as we were about to enter the room, the little girl appeared at the end of the hallway. She motioned for us to follow her. I grabbed April’s arm and pulled her in that direction. “C’mon…”
An echoing scream crept toward us from the swimming pool below. April and I gasped in unison.
“Mimic,” I said.
“Oh my God,” April said placing her trembling hand over her mouth. “What are we going to do?” I could hear her struggling not to cry.
Mimic screamed again.
I pounded the wall with my fist. I wanted to block out her screams. She was just a Throwaway, after all. No one would blame us if we just left her. Not even the other Throwaways.
She screamed again. This time it sounded like she asked for help.
“You go. Take Kimball. Follow the girl.” I said.
“No,” April screeched. “I can’t go alone.”
“You won’t be alone. Kimball will look out for you. He got me this far.”
She grabbed my arm. “You can’t go back there.”
Mimic screamed.
“I can’t leave her.” I pried her fingers from my arm and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but there was no way I could pull it off. “Go.”
She backed away slowly at first. The tears were flowing now. Kimball barked, and she took that as him telling her to hurry. She turned and did just that.
I watched her until she disappeared through the door. I was never sorrier to see someone leave. I pressed myself flat against the wall and took in a deep breath. After a count of three, I peeled myself from the wall and slowly went back the way I came. I don’t know why, but I counted each step. On step twenty-three, I was back in the pool room. The air was different, cold and sickeningly sweet.
With a shaky hand, I held the flashlight in front of me. I didn’t want to see too much, so I kept it facing straight ahead, just enough to illuminate my path. I heard Mimic whimpering. I dashed down the path. I slowly turned to the right and saw what appeared to be a cross between a ladder and stairs leading down to the bottom of the empty pool. Before I took another step, I saw Mimic sitting on the surface of the neatly tiled pool floor. She looked different. I couldn’t put my finger on it… yes I could. She was clearly a she. There was no mistaking it. In fact, she looked… like April. I shook my head. I was seeing things. The flashlight was getting weaker, and I was seeing things.
I slowly descended the ladder and stepped onto the pool floor. The soles of my shoes galumphed on the sloping surface.
“Mim…” I was about to call her Mimic even though that wasn’t her name. “Are you okay?”
She turned to me and I saw her face for the first time. It was April. From the hair, to the clothes, to the way she looked at me, it was April. “How did you… I thought I told you to go with Kimball.”
She just shook her head and whispered. “He’s behind you.”
I tensed up. My bones ached. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt movement just over my left shoulder. I swallowed and slowly turned toward it. He was there.
He was a small, thin man. His face was etched with sharp lines and covered in white and gray stubble. I was frozen in fear. His eyes were not vacant and dead, but sharp and cruel. He snarled and said, “Do you know Jeremiah?”
April or Mimic or whoever the girl was
“What is this place?” April asked breathing heavily.
“I don’t know.” Our voices echoed in the cavernous room. “Looks like an empty swimming pool.”
A groan came from behind us.
“To the right,” I said.
We nearly stumbled over each other as we erupted toward another door. Another short staircase took us up to a small hallway into a small gymnasium. Just as we were about to enter the room, the little girl appeared at the end of the hallway. She motioned for us to follow her. I grabbed April’s arm and pulled her in that direction. “C’mon…”
An echoing scream crept toward us from the swimming pool below. April and I gasped in unison.
“Mimic,” I said.
“Oh my God,” April said placing her trembling hand over her mouth. “What are we going to do?” I could hear her struggling not to cry.
Mimic screamed again.
I pounded the wall with my fist. I wanted to block out her screams. She was just a Throwaway, after all. No one would blame us if we just left her. Not even the other Throwaways.
She screamed again. This time it sounded like she asked for help.
“You go. Take Kimball. Follow the girl.” I said.
“No,” April screeched. “I can’t go alone.”
“You won’t be alone. Kimball will look out for you. He got me this far.”
She grabbed my arm. “You can’t go back there.”
Mimic screamed.
“I can’t leave her.” I pried her fingers from my arm and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but there was no way I could pull it off. “Go.”
She backed away slowly at first. The tears were flowing now. Kimball barked, and she took that as him telling her to hurry. She turned and did just that.
I watched her until she disappeared through the door. I was never sorrier to see someone leave. I pressed myself flat against the wall and took in a deep breath. After a count of three, I peeled myself from the wall and slowly went back the way I came. I don’t know why, but I counted each step. On step twenty-three, I was back in the pool room. The air was different, cold and sickeningly sweet.
With a shaky hand, I held the flashlight in front of me. I didn’t want to see too much, so I kept it facing straight ahead, just enough to illuminate my path. I heard Mimic whimpering. I dashed down the path. I slowly turned to the right and saw what appeared to be a cross between a ladder and stairs leading down to the bottom of the empty pool. Before I took another step, I saw Mimic sitting on the surface of the neatly tiled pool floor. She looked different. I couldn’t put my finger on it… yes I could. She was clearly a she. There was no mistaking it. In fact, she looked… like April. I shook my head. I was seeing things. The flashlight was getting weaker, and I was seeing things.
I slowly descended the ladder and stepped onto the pool floor. The soles of my shoes galumphed on the sloping surface.
“Mim…” I was about to call her Mimic even though that wasn’t her name. “Are you okay?”
She turned to me and I saw her face for the first time. It was April. From the hair, to the clothes, to the way she looked at me, it was April. “How did you… I thought I told you to go with Kimball.”
She just shook her head and whispered. “He’s behind you.”
I tensed up. My bones ached. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt movement just over my left shoulder. I swallowed and slowly turned toward it. He was there.
He was a small, thin man. His face was etched with sharp lines and covered in white and gray stubble. I was frozen in fear. His eyes were not vacant and dead, but sharp and cruel. He snarled and said, “Do you know Jeremiah?”
April or Mimic or whoever the girl was
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