Windkill

“We are now twenty minutes from the valley,” the representative informed in a serious tone, catching their attention from the rolling hills.

“It is time to tell you certain information about where we are going.” The serious expression on the man’s face stopped Cal from suggesting he was overdoing the act. Any reasonable person knew the people who ran ‘Scared to Death,’ would try to frighten them before they investigated the target for the show. It was like the carnival hucksters of his youth, making each attraction seem so much more than it really was. It was a lesson in psychology.

Yet there was something about the man’s demeanor that suggested he was not an actor used to give them all the frights. Mainly he could not act worth a damn. Cal studied the representative as he talked.

“The place is a valley called Windkill. There was a factory in this valley that exploded near the end of World War Two. The explosion killed hundreds of people and destroyed everything in the valley. What you will do is explore five sites in the valley separately, then together as a team. You will be dropped off at different locations to examine whatever you may find. Once that task is complete, you gather at a central location.”

“On your evaluations, we asked if you can read a map and compass?” You all answered yes, but we need to confirm your answers. You will use compasses to get around in the valley.”

As the man polled the family, Cal watched Bryon. His son was once in the Boy Scouts, but that had been a long time ago. Bryon answered in the affirmative with a slight hesitation. The representative pursed his lips and looked at Bryon, then sighed and nodded. The answer had to be taken on faith, though Cal decided he was going to pay attention to his son during this adventure.

“Each of you will wear the camera harness. As well as directing a low-intensity light at your face to aid in filming, the harness also carries two halogen lights that sit above your shoulders to aid in walking. It is worth repeating this clause in the contract; do not remove the harness or tamper with the camera. The harness has enough power to last eight hours. Tonight there will be only eight and a half hours of darkness, so there should be no problem with your equipment.”

He waited for a comment from the members of the Ottinger family, but, like at the airport, they remained quiet. The representative could not remember instructing a family more on the edge. These people wound tight to the point of breaking, and they had not even set foot in the valley.

“Listen. This is a live television show. We would not place you where anyone could get hurt. The stuff you do may look dangerous on the camera, but is safe. Try to have fun, get into the mood of the game, and you’ll be fine.”

“Why do they call it Windkill?” Cynthia clasped Bob’s hand.

“When the explosion occurred, a wind blew out of the valley that toppled a few houses. Over the years, local legend has made the wind grow to a hurricane that flattened dozens of homes. It’s not true, just a few homes damaged.” Again, the man met with silence. “Our people have combed the valley all day to make sure there are no large wild animals or obstacles. If you find caution tape, do not cross it, just walk around the sectioned off zone. Also, do not open any locked doors, of which you will find several. They are locked for a reason.”

“Just what caused the explosion?” Cal spoke softly to Marilyn’s frown.

“I can’t tell you that without ruining the surprise. You will be told on camera when the country can see your reaction to the news.”

“Okay,” Marilyn spoke with false cheer and a toothy smile. The rest of her family only looked at Marilyn with a neutral expression, but she knew what they were thinking. What the hell had she gotten them into? “What kind of prize can we expect?”

The representative was taken aback. He stared at the woman and wondered how she had gotten this far into the show without understanding the way it worked. “There is no prize.”

“Well, we have to get something for making it until morning?” the smile faltering only a fraction.

“We have some nice tee shirts…”

Despite himself, Cal laughed. That horrible little monster called reality had come in and burst part of Marilyn’s bubble. The look on her face was worth the trouble his laugh would garner, the stunned realization that not everything was going to go her way no matter how hard she insisted. “All we get is the privilege to brag about being made fools on national television.”

“We’ll only look like fools if you do something stupid,” not her best reply, but the venom stung Cal none the less.

This family was ready to explode. Somehow, the people who vetted the contestants for the show had screwed up. Instead of a nice family who stood together in a crisis, these people were ready to kill each other. The representative looked at the Ottingers with wide eyes, hardly able to accept the magnitude of the mistake.

Even if they did not see a ghost, the Ottingers might not get out of the valley in one piece. This might be the first case of murder seen live on national television.