Into the Fog

The giant bird came out of the fog. It looked like a reptile. They say it was larger than a bus. Its wings put a shadow over half a block. The sound it made could be heard for miles. It flew back and forth across the village and everyone stared. It had never seen people before. It must have thought they were trees. It swooped down and picked up a dog wandering down the street. Everyone ran. It could have just as easily picked up a person. With its meal in its mouth, it flew back into the fog. This was the story handed down. It had been handed down for over a hundred years.

"Don't go over the tracks."

Those were the first words Jason Quick heard. Those were the first words everyone heard. The other side of the tracks was a void. No one lived over there. If they had a town crest it would carry the motto, "Don't Go over the Tracks."

Pirates Cove was a small fishing village on the English coast. It only had one road in and out. It also had one set of railroad tracks. No one ever stopped in the village, because it had a bad reputation. Children went missing in this village. They blamed it on the giant bird, but no one knew for sure. No one had seen the bird again.

The village was on the seacoast. The waves crashed against the rocks. There was a sandy beach, and a wharf where boats could tie up. The village was once the home of pirates. They would sail out, attack merchant ships, and return with their treasure. In the village, they would trade the gold and silver for rum, food, and supplies. When they drank all the rum, they would sail out and look for another ship to plunder.

Now it was just a fishing village with a set of train tracks. Beyond the tracks, there was always fog. No one lived on the other side of the tracks.

Stories were told about children who wandered into the fog and never returned. Six years ago, three children went picking blueberries on the other side of the track. No one saw them again. The police came and search parties went out. They went across the tracks and never returned.

Last year, Brian Quick, Jason's ten-year-old brother went missing after chasing a soccer ball through the fog. The detective wanted people to go across the tracks and look for him. No one would go. The detective and two others went, and no one saw them again.