ARRESTED DECAY by Ashlee MacCallum Go camping with your friends, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. But “they” didn’t know my friends. I declined participation in a hormone-fueled game of truth or dare, so when the newest member of our group, a California transplant named Dakota, suggested we tell ghost stories, I was all in. “There is a small town off Highway 395, about thirteen miles from the road. You’ll know you’re getting close when the road turns to dirt and your vehicle starts to kick up dust on the unpaved path. Tucked behind the hills, you’ll find what was once a gold-mining hot spot. Today, it’s a 19th-century ghost town.” Blake made a ghostly moan from behind me and we erupted in laughter. Dakota was undeterred. “The town experienced a mining boom in the 1870s and became a bustling area with over two hundred buildings and a population of 10,000 people. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and by 1920, only two hundred people lived in the mining community. Today, no one lives in the ghost town; it is preserved in a state of arrested decay. People travel there to walk down the deserted streets and get a glimpse of the California Gold Rush and the way of life in the wild west. It sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Fun, even. But there is a dark side to the lonely hills of this little ghost town. While history remembers it as a place where miners raised their sweet families, it was actually a lawless town ripe with violence and bad luck. Now, what do you think happens to a town that’s seen more than its fair share of death?” “Ghosts?” Jess giggled. “Worse, ” replied Dakota. “A curse. The legend goes that anyone who takes something from the town will be cursed to experience misfortune and tragedy. Even if you take something as small as a pebble, you will be haunted by the object and the ghosts of the town until you return the item.” “Wait,” I said. “What is the name of this town?” “Bodie, California.” I broke out in a cold sweat. “I . . . I’ve been to Bodie,” I said. Dakota’s face twisted as she said, “My dear, I know you have. Don’t you see? That’s why I’m here.” “I don’t understand,” I said. “Oh, I think you do. Today is the first of three important dates, each of which will bring you misfortune. The third and most important date will fall exactly a year from today. It is on this date that your time expires. In other words, you have one year to return what you took.” “I didn’t take anything!” I yelled unconvincingly. “That’s what they all say,” said Dakota. “I’ll be waiting.” I blinked and they were gone, left with nothing but an hourglass etched into my left palm. Go camping with your friends, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. “They” didn’t know my friends, but I didn’t either . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I hope you enjoyed my entry for the third annual Kid's Choice KidLit Writing Contest! I had a blast researching the real-life ghost town of Bodie, California. A huge thank you to Kailei Pew for organizing and hosting this incredible contest!
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AuthorAshlee MacCallum Archives
October 2023
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