44.

Things are tense, there is more than enough worry going round to last a lifetime. There is fear too, a fear that exists on many levels. A panicking fear that anything can happen at any given moment without any kind of warning. A hopeless fear that no matter what anyone tries, the same horrible ending will still come. A confident fear, we will take on whatever you throw at us and we will win, beat you at your own game ... but please be gentle.

Two members of this group are only fourteen; one who may have once thought himself to be tough now convinces himself he is not so tough at all. Missing a couple of hours or so of school seemed like a good idea to Jeremy but now if he could only take it back then he would in a heartbeat, he'd even be happy to trade a month of going to school seven days a week for to get away from where he is right now. Heck, he would even take on a full day of maths with Miss Bradshaw picking on him as much as she likes, which is not exactly what she does do.

A young lady went for an early morning run with her dog like she had done so many times before, if she had of known where the latest of her runs would have got her then she may have willingly given up her runs to prevent her looped entrapment from happening.

Imagine heading off to cut up some wood for yourself to make sure winter would not feel as cold as it might do if you don't do this one thing only to end up in a place of endlessness for years without getting an opportunity to go home. If Jason had known what was to come, then he most definitely would have been happy to endure an entire winter wrapped up in bed rather than having the life he had known taken away from him.

Then there is Terrence. Well, he was coming here one way or another, whether he knew it or not, wanted it or not, a destiny had grabbed him by the horns. This place, if it were possible, is written into his DNA. Without knowing it, his life before coming to this town had prepared him to come here. What can his life ever be if he doesn't get out of this park and out with all those who are in his company?

Out, if this were something he may accomplish alone, he would have his parents who he loves very much, he'd have his father to share expensive whisky with, his mother to fuss over him and he would endevour to ensure she doesn't become terminally ill and then there is Mary, his new town neighbour. Could she ever become anything else? Never mind what she might become if given the chance, a more immediate concern is as to how she is doing? Where is she? Is she alright? Is anyone alright?

Would making it out alone be considered a success? If success can complete and whole then, can any member of this group go on and have any kind of normal life if and when an exit can be made?

With a time of year currently in existence, if one could be put on this park as it were temporarily stuck in a particular season, you could say it was autumn. There are many fallen leaves, crisp leaves of various colours but then again you could also say it is spring for all the surrounding trees appear to be full with leaves despite what is on the ground. Winters are harsh for the surrounding town, so if that were to suddenly appear for any length of time ... without escape coming, anything is likely to happen.

But in this moment, Autumn, or Spring it may be. There are plenty of birds in flight and singing away, there always has been that. The place as a whole has never been particularly warm or particularly cold ... well not yet anyway.

This horse chestnut trail is a lengthy stretch of a trail. It mostly is a straight walkway, and it has its slight declines and slight rises, it is the only wide-open space within the whole park. There are, obviously enough, plenty of trees on either side of the walkway but they do not come close to stretch out far enough to provide much shelter for if it should rain for instance.

If it were to rain, then some sort of shelter can be taken among the trees but if you were out on the open walkway, you would most definitely get soaked in a matter of seconds. Terrence has noticed on a previous occasion the sound of rain hitting treetops while he remained completely dry, as if the sky and the ground were separated in time. With all that is and all that has happened would it come as a surprise the group to see and feel a sudden coldness and a fairly strong snowfall?

'Seriously?' Karen speaks out loud, for it has come and, in an instant, too.

For one thing, she is wearing the least amount of clothing with more or less just shorts, running shoes and a relatively thin running top.

'Right so' she says, 'I guess this is how I meet my end. This is why I am to have my name etched in stone. I'm to freeze out here. If any of us aren't gonna survive this, then that's probably going to be me.'

Karen is a runner, right? Maybe she can run herself out of the park but then what about splitting the group up? And if Karen were to leave the group, wouldn't she simply revert to being in a kind of one run loop that Terrence is sure she was on? The harsh winters the local town knows ... no one can outrun that.

Technically Karen has been in this place the longest but for her, the dog and both boys, they all are sure that they haven't been in here as long as the other two. For Karen it still feels as if she has only been here minutes, for the boys it feels only a little longer than that. Terrence it may seem like a few hours, a day or so at most, Jason has felt like he has spent years here though technically he was the last one to enter.

45.

The group are at a loss. A heavy snow has begun to fall, and it is sticking to the ground. A sudden coldness swept in right before the snow did begin to fall. There are even patches where the snow seems quite heavy. Previously and up to now it had always been relatively warm with only momentary brief stints of cool breezes. It had been quite warm at moments when each member entered the grounds.

For Jason, cold season was on the horizon prior to his arrival so he was the only one to enter with a jacket. It had become worn and torn, aged in a place without time as Jason himself has aged. The boys have their school uniforms and Terrence has a decent amount of clothing, so Jason offers his jacket to Karen without hesitation. Having the least amount of clothing with her, Karen does not argue accepting the offer.

The snow brings a piercing coldness and Karen is already shivering, the jacket is of some help but still it is hitting her more than the others.

'C'mon' speaks Terrence, 'we better be going, and please, everyone ... stay together. We are not going to lose anyone.'

Again, there is no argument. The group gather round Karen and rotate to offer her and the group as a whole as much shelter as possible. The snowfall comes faster, thicker that it not only brings a freezing cold, but it also begins to hinder sight and hinder movement. From Spring to a blizzard in mere seconds ...

They are so far along this trail in this moment that attempting to go backwards towards the roadside exit, which is still the closer of the two exits, is not worth attempting. They will not get there before a serious toll would be taken.

Terrence feels that he has to do something, and he has to do this something right now ... but what? He steps away a little ways from the group and vents what is on his mind.

'What do you want with us?' he asks out loud addressing the park as if were a living entity, capable of giving a direct response. 'We are getting out of here. Do you hear me? You have taken enough from us. I am not going to allow you to take any more from any of us. You got that?'

Apparently ... it doesn't, the blizzard strengthens.

'Alright, is that how you are going to play it, huh?' the anger in his voice is clear to see, or rather hear. 'It is me you really want, right? You can have me; I submit but only if you let us go. Let us all go, and I am yours. I will surrender ... I am surrendering to you ...'

Someone's or somethings attention has been caught. As Terrence has been able to feel or sense for some time now, this park has a life force of its own or is a life force and this life force responds duly. Maybe this is it; maybe whatever it is that controls things, maybe it needed Terrence to give himself freely.

The blizzard begins to ease and continues to ease until the snowfall comes to a complete halt. Up ahead, now that Terrence can actually see further than an inch or two, he can see a man standing alone.

The man that Terrence can see up a head of him is Cecil Lynch. Hasn't he got out of this place? But then again, there was that visit after first vision had come, the vision where Cecil's release had been shown to Terrence. Once taken, you then belong, but that does not mean that freedom can't be regained.

Cecil is a fair bit up ahead and he is pointing off in a direction behind him and this suggests to Terrence that an exit has been allowed or granted, getting there is the immediate problem.

As previously assumed, this place affects different people in different ways. Even Cecil's daughter Susan Lynch knew to a degree as to how this place had affected her father. It is as if Cecil had been chosen for a reason, he had a purpose with being here. In the distraction of looking momentarily back to the group, Terrence loses sight of Cecil for a moment and when he looks back, Cecil is no longer where Terrence had seen him.

In having looked back, it is clear that the other members are suffering the effects of the cold, Karen suffering more so. She is shivering uncontrollably.

'I'm f-f-f s-s-so c-cold.'

'Guys, we need to get her warm like now.'

'Fire' Jason says. 'We need beyond the snow and to get a fire going.'

Jason points toward some trees. A clearing like one where the tombstones were seen needs to be found. The group moves together as a unit, dog included, and a clearing untouched by snow is found. Dry leaves, twigs, and anything combustible need to be gathered and placed in the center of this clearing and they quickly are. And a fire is soon blazing.