Step Into the Ring

 

Hillary Lyon

 

 

            Overnight, the ring appeared in a small clearing in the woods. In daylight, the grass appeared bleached, but not withered. In the dark, it glowed faintly. All the neighbors were curious about the circle, especially the children, but animals stayed away. It was noted even birds avoided flying directly over it.

           A fairy ring, one old neighbor lady called it. Said it would bewitch whatever stepped into it, and whatever stepped in would never be seen again.

           One naughty girl caught a frog and tossed it into the middle of the ring. Before it hit the ground there was a sparkling flash of light, about as big as a child's fist; the frog disappeared in a puff of green mist. That was enough for the parents to forbid their kids coming anywhere near the ring. For once, the children didn’t argue.

* * *

           Charlotte convinced her bestie, Rochelle, to go with her to investigate this fairy ring. Rochelle, Charlotte noted, was everyone’s bestie, especially the guys. Most especially if that guy was somebody else’s boyfriend. For Rochelle, nothing was more deliciously tempting than another woman’s man.

           Like Charlotte’s fiance, Luke, for instance.

           Luke had been careless, leaving his cell phone over at Charlotte’s house. Of course, curious as women always are, she looked into his recent text messages and read the lewd exchanges between Luke and Rochelle.

          That was when she decided she’d have Rochelle accompany her to look at the mysterious ring in the middle of the woods behind their subdivision. And Rochelle, oblivious that Charlotte knew about her liaisons with Luke, agreed.

           “We’ll have a picnic!” Charlotte promised. “And chill.”

* * *

          On the ground beside the fairy ring Charlotte spread a quaint red and white checkered tablecloth. She dumped sandwiches and bags of chips on it. “Come on, let’s eat!” She plopped herself down on the tablecloth and patted the space next to her. “Sit,” she commanded.

          Rochelle sat, a bit unnerved by Charlotte’s cheeriness. She liked her, but liked fucking Charlotte’s fiance better. Maybe if I get all buddy-buddy with her, she won’t suspect, Rochelle reassured herself. Nothing sweetened a hook-up like sneaking around.

          After they ate, Charlotte hopped up and leaned over the edge of the ring. “Hey! Check it out!” She stage-whispered to Rochelle. “This is amazing!”

          Rochelle got up and stood beside her. “I don’t see anything.”

          “Look closer,” Charlotte urged.

          Rochelle leaned over the edge. “I still don’t see what’s so—”

         “Why, it’s a hell-mouth waiting to devour a traitorous slut!” Charlotte laughed as she shoved Rochelle across the rim of the ring.

          Rochelle flailed, waving her arms like a manic windmill. “Nooooo!”

         Charlotte grabbed Rochelle’s wrist to halt her fall. “Noooo, Rochelle! Don't!”            Charlotte yelled. “Stop! Please don’t step into the fairy ring!” She yelled even louder, in case anyone was nearby and might overhear.

          With a smirk, she let go of Rochelle’s wrist, sending her toward the center of the circle. In a blinding, sparkling flash of light Rochelle disappeared, leaving behind a small fluffy cloud of red mist, which quickly dissipated.

           Charlotte gathered up the picnic items, and shoved them into her backpack. She scanned the area, making sure she left no trash behind—though the fairy ring was a great place to get rid of garbage, she noted.

            Walking back to her house, she decided she should call Luke, and invite him to go on a picnic with her in the woods. He’d laughed at the gossip about the ring, said it was stupid superstition. Being what he was, it would be easy to entice him to join her for a romantic tryst beside this magic circle, with sandwiches and a slow sexy dance where she would persuade him to…

           Step into the ring.

​

           Hillary Lyon founded and for 20 years acted as senior editor for the independent poetry publisher, Subsynchronous Press. Her stories have appeared lately in 365tomorrows, Black Petals, Sirens Call, Night to Dawn, 50 Word Stories, Legends of Night drabble series anthology, and Revelations drabble series anthology. She’s the Art Director for Black Petals and is also an illustrator for horror & pulp fiction magazines. 

https://hillarylyon.wordpress.com/