THE STATUES OF THE BEANHILL STREET
It was almost midnight. Darkness covered all the places it could sneak in. But there were people who still had their eyes wide open, like the guys driving through town in a small black car. Both of them were laughing loudly.
"Wow! I still can't believe it! We beat them six to one. And the party afterwards was great too. There'll never be a more perfect night than this one." Bob could hardly contain his happiness.
"Yes, it's because you scored two goals." His friend, Lee, spoke in a low voice."And I was so stupid to let them get away with the only goal they scored."
"Oh, come on, Lee! It's not that bad. Cheer up!"
It only took a quick glance to know that the two young men were very different from each other. Bob was enviably slim and tall, the star of everything everywhere: daring, adventurous and impulsive. Lee was shy and never wasted words on anything unimportant (unless coaxed). He was the type to whom people would say "What a lump you are!" But opposites attract, and the two young men had been friends for almost ten years.
"Hey, Lee, don't you think it's too much quiet here?"
"I was going to say that."
"Yeah, yeah, as usual. Would you turn the radio on?"
"Okay, what station?"
"Radio One, if you please."
"All right. Here it is.... Oh, no! Not this again!
"Why? Don't you love it?" Bob threw a devilish smile at his unhappy friend.
Lee was shaking like a leaf as the preliminary music to Hairy Scary Stories blared through the speakers. He hated it. He couldn't understand could enjoy listening to stories that would keep him awake the whole night. Bet others didn't turn a hair.
"Well, tonight we have a Mr. Edwards here. Say, what's your first name?"
"Lou, they all call me Lou."
"Allright, Lou," the radio host was saying ."What do we have here? Did you pick up the idea from reading Goose Bumps?"
"No, no, this one is real, I swear."
"This is going to be a hair raising tale, isn't it?
"Yes, yes. See, it was some time ago. It was late and I was very tired, so I decided to take a short cut through Beanhill Street. You know where it is, don't you?"
"Yes, I do," answered Bob, who wasn't really interested in what Lou was trying to say. Huh, they could all take a hike, he wouldn't care!
"Of course we all know the spooky wooky Beanhill Street, don't we? Go on, Lou."
"Yeah, there were no lamps on that street at that time, I don't know if there are any now. But for sure there are graves on both sides right? Well, I was driving through while listening to Radio One. They were playing "Just Looking" when suddenly my car stopped."
"And, then?"
"You know there are statues on some of the graves and I thought ..... I thought that they were moving. They were closing in on me!"
"Come on, Bob, turn it off!" Lee begged
"Shut up, will you, it's all fake. Just listen."
Lee sighed. He wished he were home. But Bob seemed to be enjoying the ride and wasn't very likely to speed. there even seemed to be some sort of exuberance in his eyes, he seemed so pleased with all the darkness and quietness.
"....and how I thanked God when my car started again. They had already gotten too close to me and I thought I'd die from a heart attack. Somehow I got away.I promised myself. I promised myself never to drive on that street again. Better long but safe than short but creepy. Right guys?"
"Listen to him, guys! Don't ever set a foot on that street! Okay, Lou thanks a lot for sharing you eerie experience with us. Now it's time for another song. Let's hear 'Wide Open Space' by Manson...."
Lee felt relieved. What could be wrong with a song to keep someone company? But then Bob started again," Have you seen the video clip, Lee? Not yet? What a pity. It's about a guy who looks like a normal cinema goer, but then turns into a vampire and sucks the blood ot of some girl."
"Stop it, Bob! You're scaring the hell out of me!"
"I'm in a wide open space.
It's freezing.
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me..."
"Sing with me, Lee."
"No. Please find another station... Yeah, that's better."
"Oh no, I'm getting sick of songs about crushes and weekend lovers. Let's get back to Radio One. I want to hear Manson again."
"No, no, Whitney Houston is much nicer."
Bob whispered some rude words under his breath. Then he hit upon an idea."Hey, Lee! We're not far from Beanhill Street, you know. Let's do what the guy Lou on the radio did."
Lee turned pale."Count me out! You can't force me."
"You're a coward, a chicken!"
"Yeah, I know," Lee said meekly,"and you're a hero. You can call me what you want, but I'm not coming with you. If you're really keen on doing something dangerous like that, just drop me off. There's a bus stop somewhere near here."
"Suit yourself." Bob made a face:"Coward!"
Lee's blood started to boil, but he kept quiet. He never had the guts to stand up to his friend. Whatever Bob was up to was none of his business. Lee climbed out the car at the bus stop and soon was on the bus headed home.
Meanwhile, Bob had made up his mind. He turned his car in the direction of Beanhill Street."What a stupid a-- he is," he thought to himself, "I'll show him that this is just a silly joke. If necessary, I'll bring him a flower from one of the graves. That would be a wonderful gift." He smiled with satisfaction. then he murmured some dirty words for which, if his mom could hear him, he would have been beaten black and blue, like when he was still in the kindergarten
Beanhill Street was now coming into sight. Bob could see the graves. In his car's dimmed headlights, the stone figures all looked so alive. Bob was a bit surprised."Oh no, Bob, you're becoming like Lee," a voice said inside his head."There's nothing to be scared of. They're dead, they can't move."
But even Bob had to admit that his flesh started to crawl when the wheels hit the asphalt of Beanhill Street."There's no turning back now, my dear Bob. Look, everything is okay. There are no ghosts, no ghouls... Aye! Damn!... What the...!" The engine stopped.
Bob realized that the same thing was happening to his car that had happened to Lou on the radio."Easy, Bob, relax. There must be some explanation for this. A pothole, yeah, there are so many holes full of mud on the street. A wheel probably got stuck in one of them. Have to get out and check it out. Can't stay here the whole night..."
Bob stepped outside, checked the wheels, the engine, everything. There was nothing wrong. So waht did happen? Suddenly Bob felt the hair on his neck rising. He looked around, and then his face turned white as a sheet. The statues! They were moving! They were stomping heavily, coming nearer and nearer...
"No!... No! Get away from me!... No!" He screamed over and over again. But they kept coming closer... They reached out for him....
"Oh!" Lee shouted as the watch he was holding tumbled to floor, shattering its glass cover.
"What's the matter, Lee?" his mom asked.
"Oh, nothing, Mom, it's just... Well, I dropped Bob's watch. It's broken. Bob will mad as hell. I'll get it fixed tomorrow."
But, as you may have guessed, Bob won't be needing his watch anymore, will he?....NR