Park

"Will you all stop laughing? And stop giving me that shit!"

Michał had had enough. He had an important test tomorrow. He had to do well in it to get an A for the semester. And he was desperate for a good grade because he wanted to apply for a scholarship. Besides, he didn't want to upset the neighbors so quickly. He, Czarek, Marek, and Paweł had only moved in two weeks ago. They were incredibly lucky to have rented such a cheap apartment in such a convenient location, and he didn't want it to go to waste. All three of them had met in high school and were now studying at the same university, which was very close to their building—about a five-minute walk away. Besides, there were plenty of pubs in the area, but that didn't concern Michał. His three roommates did. How on earth these three managed to stay in college despite their frequent weekly binges and constant weed smoking was a mystery to Michał.

His complaint provoked a rather moderate reaction from his classmates. At least they stopped laughing for a moment. Marek exhaled smoke and looked at him with amusement.

"Why are you so upset? Take a hit and forget about studying or you'll go bald like that professor of yours.

" "Bull's egg," Paweł added, and all three burst out laughing.

"I don't want your weed, it stinks so bad I can't stand it.

" "What?" Czarek feigned indignation. "It smells a hundred times better than your shoes," he announced, and all three burst out laughing again.

"Can't you at least go to the other room with that?" Michał sighed, but he already knew the answer.

"You know damn well there's no room there," Paweł muttered. "This room is only good for sleeping; Czarek and I barely fit in there.

" "There's no telling what they do in there at night." Marek whispered conspiratorially, taking another drag on the joint.

"Fuck off!" "They both shouted back almost simultaneously, after which Paweł quickly snatched the crumpled joint from him. "I think that's enough for you." He added maliciously. This, of course, provoked a sharp protest from Marek, and after a moment the discussion flared up again.

Michał sighed and went to the window. There was another detail that made him so fond of this apartment. The view of the small park beyond the two-lane street. True, the street separating their building was very busy,

and the clatter of cars constantly reached the window, but Michał didn't mind. The apartment he grew up in was also near the street. The view of the trees, however, soothed him, helped him relax.

He noticed a light mist beginning to spread across the park. He thought it was a bit odd in this weather, but he didn't bother. The park seemed even more beautiful now; the mist gave it a certain eerie charm.

He drowsily surveyed the lantern-lit avenues, the main square surrounded by tombstones now shrouded in darkness, and the large obelisk standing in the very center. A star loomed at its very tip, like a giant eye, watching, guarding its territory. With each passing moment, he was becoming more and more fascinated by this place. He wanted to take a walk there now, he wanted to be there, he wanted to... He stood there, gazing blearily out the window, when suddenly

Paweł snapped him out of his stupor by placing a hand on his shoulder. Michał stiffened for a moment.

"What did you see there?" Paweł asked, peering out the window over his shoulder. Michał blinked as if unsure of what his colleague was talking about, then regained consciousness and shrugged. "I was lost in thought," he muttered, sitting back down at his desk. "

What a mess," Paweł thought, looking out at the park from the window. After a moment, he, too, was fascinated by the view.

"What a blast." "Look, the park looks good today," he added louder.

However, Michał ignored him, trying with all his willpower to understand anything in that damned textbook. Czarek lazily rose from his chair and shuffled to the window. Marek, on the other hand, opened his mouth in a shameless yawn without even looking in that

direction, thus demonstrating his interest in the whole affair. His two friends, however, were impressed. Both were horror fans, unlike him.

Marek was an obese blond with childish features and a very lazy disposition, interested mainly in eating, sleeping, smoking weed, and watching MTV. And since they didn't have television here, he had to make up for it with the former three. He was only moderately interested in other things, especially some stupid park. And in the middle of the night, at that. The two horror movie buffs, however, didn't even notice his lack of interest, as they were already both busy recalling scenes from old movies they knew by heart. They had long hair and wore black T-shirts with the names of heavy metal bands. If they could, they would listen to these bands all the time, but the constantly studying Michał and the sleepy Marek were vehemently opposed. Besides, they only had an old tape recorder, which further discouraged them. Paweł scratched his pointy, scruffy beard and smiled. He had an idea.

"Let's go for a walk there," he suggested. "We

'll smoke a cigarette and walk around. It'll be amazing, like in a horror movie. And that fog, staa ...

Marek, on the other hand, reacted very predictably, simply saying, "I don't give a damn, I'm not going anywhere."

A second later, he added, "I'm hungry, I'm going to eat.

" "What?" Czarek was genuinely surprised. "You still want to eat? There's nothing left, you've eaten it all. If this keeps up, we'll have to start going down to the basement to hunt rats." He burst out laughing.

"Oh, at most, we'll sell Marek for sausages." Michał said from his book. Now everyone was laughing except Marek, who, with a sulky expression, went to the kitchen to scout. After a moment, however, he returned and looked reproachfully at his friends.

"There really isn't anything," he muttered, concerned.

"Don't look at us like that," Paweł snorted. "You're the one who devours everything in sight that doesn't move and can be swallowed." They laughed again.

"Okay, okay, I get the hint, shut your mouths." Finally, Marek smiled wryly, too.

"So, are you coming with us or not?" they asked.

He was about to say he was going to bed, but he thought he wouldn't fall asleep hungry. At least not yet. Maybe after another joint.

"Okay, I'll take a walk," he finally announced. "But roll something else for the road.

" "What were you thinking?" Czarek sneered, approaching the small brown table where all three had been sitting recently. On it were rolling papers, a half-empty pack of Red & Whites, two lighters, and an ashtray full of

cigarette butts. He took a cigarette from the pack, broke it, and poured the tobacco onto the table. Then he reached into his pocket for a small

plastic bag of marijuana. While Czarek was rolling, Marek lit a cigarette, and Paweł announced he was "going for a piss." In less than five minutes, all three were ready to leave. When the door finally closed, Michał

breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed the silence for a moment, and after a while he immersed himself in his studies again.

They took the elevator down from the eighth floor and stepped out into the autumn night. The air was cool and a light breeze blew. A thickening fog hung around them. Czarek and Paweł were wearing parkas, the typical attire of heavy metal fans, while Marek wore a plain navy jacket and a dusty green baseball cap. After leaving the stairwell, they moved forward, past the dumpster, and across the parking lot toward the park. Two metalheads walked ahead, and Marek lazily trailed behind them. He felt a bit uneasy. Something about the surroundings seemed off. It was too empty. Yes, he knew it was Sunday and it was almost ten o'clock, but there was always at least someone walking their dog, someone returning home. And now? There was no one around. What's more, even the lights in almost all the apartments in the area were off. Only the cars were tirelessly moving down the street, carrying their owners to their destinations. The wind was blowing, not at all strong or particularly cold. Just a light breeze. A shiver ran through Marek, though. His friends must have found the emptiness strange too, because they stopped talking and looked around.

Paweł broke the silence.

"What's the matter, has everyone left or what?

" "Yeah, where has everyone gone? Are they asleep already?" Marek added.

"It really is like something out of a horror movie," Paweł remarked sarcastically.

Czarek finally laughed out loud.

"We smoke too much of that weed because we're winding ourselves up," he stated, perhaps truthfully. "And through this fog, look, it's getting thicker by the minute."

They were talking as they passed a four-story apartment building opposite their high-rise building, when Paweł noticed the curtains moving. On the ground floor window they were passing, the curtain parted, revealing the wrinkled yellow face of an old gray-haired woman. She looked at them with wide eyes, then opened the window and leaned out.

"What are you doing here on a night like this?" Her voice sounded like pipes scraping. "Don't you know it's best not to hang around this area on nights like this? You could get lost." She spoke in a completely serious voice.

Czarek barely suppressed a laugh. "Thank you for your concern, we have a map," he assured, amused.

"Do you think this is a joke? Everyone in the area knows it's not." She grimaced, revealing a few brown teeth. "But there's always someone who doesn't believe it." She added sadly. Her face softened, her gaze clouding over as if she'd

remembered something.

The students were already starting to leave, whispering to themselves and giggling when they heard her voice behind them.

"This fog only appears here once every few years. Stay home tonight. You'll have so many more opportunities." Her raspy voice took on an almost pleading tone.

They walked on. Marek and Czarek exchanged snide remarks and silly jokes about the old woman. Paweł, on the other hand, remained silent.

He was reminded of his own grandmother. She had spent the last moments of her life in near-total unconsciousness. She no longer recognized anyone and kept asking about her long-dead husband. She wanted to know when he would return; he would surely be

hungry, and dinner wasn't ready yet. She died babbling and relieving herself. The boy grew gloomy. He felt sorry for this woman, just as he felt sorry for his grandmother. He was afraid of old age; he had often promised himself that when he was old

and felt he was losing control of his mind, he would kill himself. He didn't want to live like that.

They stopped at a two-lane street, waiting for a moment to cross, and looked out at the park. The fog prevented them from seeing very far. Only the beginning of the large park square was visible. The first two monuments were still visible, and beyond them stretched

the tombstones, disappearing into the mist. The next two statues of soldiers were no longer visible, and beyond them, the top of the obelisk rose proudly above the fog. They crossed both sides of the street and headed down the right-hand side street leading off the square. Nearby was a bench where they had been accustomed to sitting when they came here during the day, ever since they moved in.

During the day, especially on sunny days, it was crowded with people. Parents came here with their children to play and pick chestnuts. Owners came with their dogs so their pets could run free. Elderly people came here

to sit and relax. Lovers strolled here hand in hand. In the evenings, groups of young people enjoyed a drink here. That night, however, there was no one there but the three of them. There were the aforementioned tombstones lining both sides

of the main square. All of them bore plaques with the name, surname, and military rank of the deceased. Further on, on both sides of the hill on which stood a tall stone block with a star, there were also graves, but these were anonymous. Around this one were lit paths, with benches scattered here and there. Surrounding them were numerous trees and shrubs. Occasionally, they could find a spot to sit among them.

They walked along a concrete path that curved into the park, talking. The first thing they noticed as they entered the path was that all the benches had disappeared. This was strange, considering they were set into the ground. They fell silent, slowed, and after

a moment, stopped. Not even a hole remained in the concrete where the benches had been. It seemed as if they had never been there. They glanced at each other. Czarek broke the silence.

"Why aren't there any benches?" he asked, surprised. "Were they here during the day? Were any of you here today?" he asked. His friends shook their heads.

"I have no idea. Why would they take them?" Paweł replied.

"It's like something out of 'Unbelievable.'" Marek added, grimacing ironically.

He turned his back on his friends and the street and looked around. Thick fog clung to everything. A shiver ran down his spine. He thought he was glad the streetlights hadn't disappeared like the benches. After a moment, the absurdity

of such an idea hit him, and he chuckled to himself. He looked at one of them. They were green, about 4 meters tall, with a lampshade protruding from the top. It was this lampshade that caught Michał's attention. He stared blankly at it as it glowed in the darkness. He thought it resembled the eye of some enormous reptile. The thought no longer seemed absurd. It seemed to him that the lampshade was growing before his eyes, expanding like an inflated balloon. After a moment, it filled his entire field of vision. Now he was certain it was an eye. A huge yellow eye with a slitted, reptilian pupil, gleaming with a sinister light. Marek stood there, his eyes bulging. His mouth gaped open. The eye became everything to him. He saw nothing but it, and thought of nothing else. Suddenly, he saw something begin to fill it. A dark red liquid gurgled in from nowhere. Splashing in all directions, it slowly filled the entire globe. The light changed from dark yellow to red. Red became the only color in the world. It filled everything. Red light, and that sickening gurgling sound.

A scream caught in Marek's throat. Only a gasp escaped his lips. The boy stumbled backward, tripped over his own feet, and fell, his bulky frame falling to the ground. He blinked. He felt as if he had just woken up. He sat on the ground, propped up

on his hands, wondering what he was doing there. Everything slowly came back to him, filling the emptiness in his mind.

He noticed that it was quiet. He no longer heard the cars passing by. Worse still, he couldn't hear his friends anywhere either.

He turned and froze. There was no trace of Paweł and Czarek. They vanished into the mist.

Worse still, the street vanished with them.

Where cars had been driving a moment ago, trees now grew, and among them a path leading into the darkness.

Streetlights lined the path, but they were off.

The boy couldn't believe his eyes. He began to tell himself it was just a dream. That maybe he would wake up any minute. But he was still sitting there. Alone, in this normally familiar, but now completely unfamiliar place. He wet his lips and

ran a hand through his hair. He stood up and looked around.

He was no longer in the same park, or at least that was the first thought that came to his mind. Although everything looked similar, the trees were the same, as were the streetlights and the path he was standing on. However, the street disappeared. Instead,

New paths and trees that had never been there before. The old paths, however, now veered in different directions. Overall, the park seemed larger. More than that, it was enormous. Marek wasn't sure, because everything was still shrouded in fog, but it seemed

to him that the estate had vanished. There were only trees everywhere. Trees crisscrossed by mazes of narrow concrete paths.

He stood alone in the fog and tried to rationalize it. His head ached. His mind was still numb from the damn weeds they'd burned while they were still in the apartment. He tried his best to focus, but he couldn't. He felt his heart leap into his throat. Panic rose within him, like an invisible fist clenching his

insides.

"Czarzek! Paweł!" he cried. "Where the fuck are you?" he moaned after a moment.

Only the rustling of the surrounding trees answered him. He was about to call out again when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a silhouette disappearing

into the darkness, between the trees. He couldn't make out the exact shape. He didn't have time. He saw only a slight movement in the darkness.

"Hey! Is that you? Don't be kidding, answer me!" he called.

An innocent, girlish giggle answered him. The carefree laughter of a young child playing. It was quiet, but Marek heard it clearly. He didn't know what to think.

"Is anyone there?" he muttered.

Another laugh, this time more distinct. The boy slowly began to move off the path, walking towards the sound.

Suddenly, he remembered all the horror movies he'd watched with Paweł and Czarek when they'd lived in their previous place. He'd never been a fan of such films, but since they'd watched them, he'd followed them out of boredom. However, he could never resist the snide comments that so annoyed his friends. These included scenes where the main character or heroine, sensing something suspicious in the darkness, instead of going for help, rushed to see what was happening like complete idiots. And they always ended up dead.

Marek didn't want to end up like that. He turned on his heel and headed down the path in the opposite direction, determined to get out of this strange place.

Then the laughter rang out again. This time, however, it came from the direction he was heading. The boy's eyes widened and he stopped again.

And again the laughter. This time from his right. And again, from his left. It grew louder. And again, a carefree girlish giggle, this time right behind him. He even thought he felt her breath on the back of his neck. A cold, unpleasant breath. Or maybe it was just the wind.

Marek turned around immediately,  but there was nothing behind him. The laughter grew louder and came from more and more directions. Eventually, it began to come from many at once. It was as if a whole gang of girls were laughing their heads off at him.

The innocent giggles began to escalate into high-pitched whimpers.

It was too much for him. He wanted them to stop, to finally shut up. He didn't even realize he'd started screaming. He ran forward. He had no idea where he was running. He simply wanted to get away from that damned noise.