Everyone in Sallemville had heard of Dead Man's Point. It
was a cliff or an extremely high and steep riverbank. It was just
on the edge of town. Everyone called the river Blood River because
of what happened the night of Halloween ten years before.
Sallemville, 1985
It was the night of Halloween there was young children trick-or
treating, and teenagers egging houses and soaping cars.
The teenagers that weren't vandalising houses and vehicles were
up on a cliff with their motorbikes, trikes and quauds.
Everyone went up there to have races. These weren't ordinary
races though, the object of this race was to drive as fast as
you could, come as close to the edge of the cliff, and then turn
before you went over.
Coincidentally there was a new kid in town who was trying
really hard to fit in. He thought that if he took the challenge
and won that everyone would envy him.
So when the leader of the group asked who wanted to go first the
boy raised his hand. He got on his motorbike and backed up a
little way. Then he took off at high speed.
Everyone followed slowly behind to watch. He was going
at a very high speed and coming up to the edge rapidly. All of
a sudden it seemed that he accelerated right when he should have
turned. The boy was about 12m from the edge. One of the spectators
yelled out, " He should have turned by now!"
Then the boy went over the edge. He never even made a sound.
It was as if he wanted to go over.
After that night no one went to Dead Man's Point for five
years, and no one could figure out why the boy went over, not
even trying to turn. Some said he just couldn't take the pressures
of being a new kid.
1995
It was now 1995, everyone pretty much forgot about the terrible
accident on Dead Man's Point. Kids would go up there for bonfires,
families would have picnics.
All was well until October 31, when somebody got the idea that
they should start having "the races" again.
Everyone was up there about to start when another teenager came
staggering out of the woods. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin
was parched and dry, and his clothes were ripped and torn.
" Man," someone said. " It looks like he
just went over the cliff."
The boy that everyone was staring at spoke. His voice was
raspy and coarse. " Would you mind if I rode along with
you? I really love these races." He was asking the kid who
was going to go first.
"Ummm, I suppose you could," he said. They started
out slowly and began to speed up. All of a sudden the visitor
on the quad grabbed a hold of the driver's head and twisted it
right around. The audience screamed in terror as the visitor laughed
a wicked laugh and yelled, "Now I am even for what they did
to me!"
That night was more terrifying to Sallemville than any other
night they ever had.
