Arabella whistled softly to herself as she sped down the road to the old Whitman Bridge. Her parents had allowed her to borrow the old station wagon on the condition that she be home by two o'clock in the morning. She had told them that she would be going to a party at Janie's house and then heading straight home. Like most stories told to parents on Halloween, that was a lie. Arabella was meeting David, a fellow senior, and her boyfriend of one year. David was going to take her bungee jumping off the bridge and into the ravine. That was one of the things Arabella loved about David- his creativity. How many eighteen year old seniors went bungee jumping under the full harvest moon on Halloween?! David was an avid jumper and went regularly with his parents. Arabella's parents on the other hand were disproving of such dangerous activities. But now she knew enough about the sport to appreciate the safety and planning that went into each jump.
The two love birds had picked the old Whitman Bridge about two weeks before. They had carefully analyzed and tested the jump for length, cord tension, and also the area where they could hook in. David had done most of the work, but he had gently explained every step and why it meant that this would be an unforgettable experience. It was a remote location and the bridge had long been closed to rail traffic. There would be nothing to stop Arabella from having a good time tonight.
Arabella reached the dirt road turn off and carefully scanned the road in front of her, looking for any sign of oncoming traffic. The old service road was off limits to trespassers. The chain lay loosely on the ground, just as David had promised it would. Once the coast was clear, the young brunette turned onto the dark unfinished road. It was very dark beneath the tall pine trees and only her headlights kept her from plunging into the brush. Arabella drove slowly not wanting to risk any damage to the vehicle. She was leaning intently forward as the car slowly climbed the small embankment to just beneath the bridge. In the distance, Arabella caught the metallic glint of David's Jeep. She was almost there.
She had just started to relax when something large and dark swung across the windshield. Arabella was startled and slammed on her brakes, eyes scanning for some sign of what had just happened. Seeing nothing, she chided herself for being so jumpy. It must be the adrenaline for the jump, Arabella thought to herself. As she pulled in beside David's Jeep she noticed that he had already unloaded his stuff and headed for the bridge. She did likewise, gathering her small backpack and jacket and darting up the little path until her feet hit the solid wood planking of Whitman Bridge. As she ran, her flashlight etched a zigzagging line of light in front of her, keeping her on her feet. It wasn't long until she reached the middle of the bridge. David's rope was already hung and his gear was missing. Arabella was a little angry that he had already gone once without her. She peered over into the darkness searching for some sign of her boyfriend. She yelled down hoping for some sign of where he was. It did not take long for him to reply.
"Come on down baby! We'll go again together after." His voice echoed off the steep rocky walls, repeating the phrases over and over until they faded into the darkness of the night.
Arabella quickly set her harness and tightened down the straps. She fondly remembered how liberal David's hands had been when tightening the ones between her thighs and over her chest. Perhaps he would help resecure them after they were finished. Once she was sure it was on properly she attached her rope to the drop line and her harness and climbed to the top of the thick wooden beam overlooking the ravine. Arabella stared down into the bottomless darkness and then glanced skyward just as the pale yellow moon broke free of a thin trail of clouds. "Here I come!"
And then she jumped.
For a few seconds there was nothing as her body lay out suspended in air. Then the sudden rush of wind as gravity took hold of her. Down she flew, the wind whipping through her hair and the whistle of the rope as it dived with her. Seconds passed and as the rope began to slow her something ghastly and pale appeared on the ravine floor. Arabella let loose a scream of terror as she realized it was David.
His body was stripped naked and bent impossibly across the flat surface of a stone. His penis was erect and a trickle of blood had spilled down either side of his mouth, forming a grisly grin. The image froze in Arabella's mind as she was ripped back away from the ground and carried upward into the darkness. The freedom from the nightmarish vision was short lived as fire sprung from the ground beneath her, with David at its center. A huge burning pentagram spread up the hillside, completing its star just as she reached the peak of her recoil.