The Texcola Thirteen

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window", said Superintendent Hemms.

"Well," said Agnes, "maybe someone decided to live there."

Doris added, "I know if I find an empty cabin, and it's cold, and I'm alone", "and there's wolves running around everywhere," Lois interjected.

Jimmie and Austin started to laugh. "Yeah we get it!" Jimmie said. "You'd knock down that door quicker than this s'more is done"

The superintendent was more serious than the teenagers expected. He told them that he was just making sure everything was ok. "If you see that candle on the window, don't go on trying to figure out what it is. Jus' go over by the jail house. It's right around the corner".

After a brief hesitation, he said, "I'll handle it."

"You have got to be the town party pooper, sir." Wintha said. George came up with the idea of a campfire. The teenagers were celebrating their graduation, and now the mood was "meh."

It had been the largest one yet in their town of Texcola, thirteen students. 1938 was a good year. A lot of folks were passing by on route 66 on their way to the East coast. The strangers would eat at "The Last Stop" diner and walk around the town spending money.

Jack stood up and exclaimed "Oh my God! We are fools!"

"What in the world is up?" asked Venice, his girlfriend.

Jack continued "We don't have any sticks"

"Wadaya mean?" asked Junior

"He means skewers" Herbert answered smugly. "You know; it's how you hold the marshmallow over the fire."

"I'll take my bike and ride to the gas station." said Johnnie.

"I'll chip in for some more lighting fluid for the fire", said Herbert.

Johnnie got on his bike and rode away. About a minute later, he saw superintendent Hemms dancing around his own little campfire. Hemms stopped as soon as he sensed someone was watching.

“Any news?” asked Hemms.

“Uhm, we need skewers for the marshmallows and some lighting fluid”.

“Well, you’re just in luck, I’ve got some right here!” said Hemms with a big, weird smile on his face.

“What were you doing? If I may ask.”

Hemms stopped smiling. Then he said, “It’s the sacred dance of the shadows”.

Johnnie didn’t know what to say and just stared at him.

Hemms suddenly started laughing out loud!

“Haha! I’m just trying to keep warm. There’s no one in the jail to keep me company so I dance with my shadow”. He started to hum a peculiar tune while explaining “if you keep to this tune and going around in circles, you’ll see that the shadow kind of takes a life of its own”.

“O. K.” muttered Johnnie

“Tell you what” said Hemms. “I’ll give you the skewers and the marshmallows if you bring your friends here” I’ll show you the dance of the shadows and we’ll have a grand ol’ time!”

Johnnie thought it was weird but agreed to talk to his friends about it.

The thirteen students decided they could have a good time and that it couldn’t hurt to do something different.

So, on they went on their brief trek to the jail house to share some s’mores and learn the dance of the shadows.

They all gathered some wood and with just the right amount of lighter, that fire was impressive!

Soon enough, Hemms was urging us to learn the sacred dance of the shadows.

“But we’re toasting the marshmallows” said Johnnie.

“Oh, it’s fine” said Herbert. “We’ll just keep circling with the skewers on the fire.”

“Yes!” exclaimed Hemms. And started to Humm the strange melody.

The students began to increase the speed of their “carousel” as the humming of superintendent Hemms also increased in tempo. The shadows began to appear as if they were dancing. But as Hemms humming turned into singing, so did the shadows take on a life of their own!

The teenagers started to join, as if possessed, to the tune of Hemms until they were all chanting uncontrollably!

Hemms stopped singing. And they all snapped out of it.

Suddenly, Wintha saw that her shadow was still moving. She took her skewer and began stabbing the ground where her shadow was. The rest of them started wildly to do the same! Until each one of the students started to faint!

Hemms was laughing while dragging their bodies to jail screaming “You’re all guilty as charged!”

When they were all locked up in the one room jail house, Hemms howled at the moon and said, “I want s’mores!”

Now two candles burned at the window.

You can still see a slab with the names of the thirteen victims, in front of the jailhouse by route 66.