Gravity Hill
Halloween Night
“It’s Halloween; I’m bored and there’s nothing to do,” Allie whined as she dropped to the couch. “Is anyone having a party tonight?”
Meredith and Lindsay sat on the floor, doing homework. Pensively, Meredith bit on the edge of her eraser. “Umm, I think Kayla is having a party at her place. Her parents are out of town.”
“Her parties are always lame. Since it is Halloween, why don’t we watch some scary movies” Meredith closed her binder and stood up. “Oh, even better – Carrie was telling me about some place near Thurmond off of 21, Gravity Hill, I think she called it. She and Jason went there a couple of weeks ago and supposedly your car goes up a hill while in neutral.”
“Yeah, right. I’m sure it’s just some illusion or tourist attraction,” Allie scoffed.
“Do you have any better ideas?”
“I think it sounds kind of fun,” Lindsay closed her binder and stood up, too.
“It’s settled: two to one; we’re going,” Meredith said while heading to the bathroom. “Carrie said you needed to bring baby powder to get the full effect.”
“The full effect of what?” Allie turned to Meredith, confusion on her face. Lindsay also looked questioningly in her direction.
“There’s a story behind Gravity Hill. Several years ago, a mother and her three sons were traveling by car when it stalled. The mom had her boys get out to push the car so it would jump start. The oldest boy slipped and fell, but the car was too heavy for the younger brothers. So, the car rolled back and killed them all. If you put baby powder on the back of your car, you will see hand prints of the three boys. “
“That sounds a little creepy. Are you sure you guys want to do this?” Allie looked frightened as she looked at her friends.
Lindsay laughed. “Come on, Allie, don’t tell me you’re scared. It’ll be fun!” She traipsed into the bathroom after Meredith and they returned with the baby powder.
“Okay, all set. We’ve got the baby powder, I’ve got the keys. Let’s go.” Meredith and Lindsay stood by the door as Allie finally grinned and followed. “Yeah, let’s go”.
_____________________________________________________________________
“I think this is it,” Meredith pulled the car to road on her left. The sun was setting and traffic was very light. “Yep, here we are.” Meredith slowed the car and pulled to the side of the road. She hopped out of the car, baby powder in hand. Allie and Lindsay watched as she dusted the back bumper with baby powder. Meredith jumped back in the driver’s seat with a now empty bottle. She drove the car a little further and stopped in the middle of the road.
“This is the spot. From here just put the car in neutral and let the ghosts work their magic.” Meredith turned off the car and put it in neutral. The three girls waited expectantly as the sun was setting.
Minutes past and the girls were getting restless. “I guess Carrie is just crazy. Have you guys felt the car move?” Lindsay inquired of the others.
“Nope, nothing. Let’s just go grab something to eat while we are out,” Allie seemed relieved at the thought of leaving. With resignation, Meredith reached for the switch to start the ignition, but as she moved, so did the car. It jerked and then lurched forward a few feet.
“Oh my gosh, did you guys feel that?” Allie clutched the seat in front of her. Lindsay mirrored her look of fear, while Meredith wore a look of excitement. The car lurched again, much harder this time.
“Okay, I’m scared now. Let’s just go home,” Lindsay said.
“Fine, let me just see if there are some hand prints on the back first.” Meredith excitedly unbuckled her seat belt and ran to the back of the car. Lindsay and Allie noticed as her face fell, displaying a look of fear. Meredith sprinted back to the car and locked the doors. With shaking hands she reached for her seat belt.
“Now I’m freaked out. There are three sets of hand prints on the back of the car. I swear they look like they are little kids’. We’re going home now.” Meredith reached for the ignition and turned, but nothing happened. She tried several more times to start the car.
“I don’t get it. The lights are on, but the car won’t make a sound.” Meredith made a few more attempts and reached for her cell phone.
“No signal. Do either of you have signal?” Meredith frantically looked at her friends and knew the answer by the look on their faces. Meredith tried the ignition again, but without success. Meredith pressed herself back to the seat and pressed her hands to her face, aggravated. Suddenly, the car lurched forward a third time, this time traveling further and faster than before.
“Meredith, push the brake! Do something!”
“We’re going to hit a tree! Stop the car!”
CRASH. The car careened off the right side of the road and landed in a ditch with sudden impact. Disoriented, the girls reassured each other’s safety and Lindsay reached for her door.
“My door won’t open. Meredith hit the unlock button.” Meredith pressed the button, but no sound was heard. Each girl attempted to force the lock by hand; none would budge.
“What’s going on? The doors won’t open! I want to get out of here!” Allie pried at the door and beat the window. Lindsay searched for something to break the window and Meredith tried to turn the switch again. Suddenly, the headlights went out, submerging them in complete darkness.
“Try the switch again!!!”
“Please, let us out!”
“I’m so scared. I just want to go home!!”
The girls pleading cries filled the car, along with sounds of beating and clawing. After several minutes, the girls’ hysteria lessened and all that could be heard were heavy breaths and sobs. The car’s lights flickered on and the girls’ eyes met a terrifying sight.
“I think this is it,” Meredith pulled the car to road on her left. The sun was setting and traffic was very light. “Yep, here we are.” Meredith slowed the car and pulled to the side of the road. She hopped out of the car, baby powder in hand. Allie and Lindsay watched as she dusted the back bumper with baby powder. Meredith jumped back in the driver’s seat with a now empty bottle. She drove the car a little further and stopped in the middle of the road.
“This is the spot. From here just put the car in neutral and let the ghosts work their magic.” Meredith turned off the car and put it in neutral. The three girls waited expectantly as the sun was setting.
Minutes past and the girls were getting restless. “I guess Carrie is just crazy. Have you guys felt the car move?” Lindsay inquired of the others.
“Nope, nothing. Let’s just go grab something to eat while we are out,” Allie seemed relieved at the thought of leaving. With resignation, Meredith reached for the switch to start the ignition, but as she moved, so did the car. It jerked and then lurched forward a few feet.
“Oh my gosh, did you guys feel that?” Allie clutched the seat in front of her. Lindsay mirrored her look of fear, while Meredith wore a look of excitement. The car lurched again, much harder this time.
“Okay, I’m scared now. Let’s just go home,” Lindsay said.
“Fine, let me just see if there are some hand prints on the back first.” Meredith excitedly unbuckled her seat belt and ran to the back of the car. Lindsay and Allie noticed as her face fell, displaying a look of fear. Meredith sprinted back to the car and locked the doors. With shaking hands she reached for her seat belt.
“Now I’m freaked out. There are three sets of hand prints on the back of the car. I swear they look like they are little kids’. We’re going home now.” Meredith reached for the ignition and turned, but nothing happened. She tried several more times to start the car.
“I don’t get it. The lights are on, but the car won’t make a sound.” Meredith made a few more attempts and reached for her cell phone.
“No signal. Do either of you have signal?” Meredith frantically looked at her friends and knew the answer by the look on their faces. Meredith tried the ignition again, but without success. Meredith pressed herself back to the seat and pressed her hands to her face, aggravated. Suddenly, the car lurched forward a third time, this time traveling further and faster than before.
“Meredith, push the brake! Do something!”
“We’re going to hit a tree! Stop the car!”
CRASH. The car careened off the right side of the road and landed in a ditch with sudden impact. Disoriented, the girls reassured each other’s safety and Lindsay reached for her door.
“My door won’t open. Meredith hit the unlock button.” Meredith pressed the button, but no sound was heard. Each girl attempted to force the lock by hand; none would budge.
“What’s going on? The doors won’t open! I want to get out of here!” Allie pried at the door and beat the window. Lindsay searched for something to break the window and Meredith tried to turn the switch again. Suddenly, the headlights went out, submerging them in complete darkness.
“Try the switch again!!!”
“Please, let us out!”
“I’m so scared. I just want to go home!!”
The girls pleading cries filled the car, along with sounds of beating and clawing. After several minutes, the girls’ hysteria lessened and all that could be heard were heavy breaths and sobs. The car’s lights flickered on and the girls’ eyes met a terrifying sight.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
________________________________________________________________________
November 1
“This is Officer Hall. We’ve located the missing vehicle off of Old US 21 in Thurmond. It appears the girls were in a minor accident last night. The doors of the car were open when we found it, but no sign of them. The only thing we found in the car was a camera. We’ll bring this down to station to see if that gives us any clues…”
“This is Officer Hall. We’ve located the missing vehicle off of Old US 21 in Thurmond. It appears the girls were in a minor accident last night. The doors of the car were open when we found it, but no sign of them. The only thing we found in the car was a camera. We’ll bring this down to station to see if that gives us any clues…”
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your visual narrative. You wrote a good story, and I think you captured the story very well in your images. The only image that did not have as much impact, as you noted, was the one in which the car was supposed to have crashed, but that is understandable, as you can hardly be expected to create an actual crash.
I think your story and images are also pretty unique, though it is influenced by a local legend. The only image that I think might be influenced by media is the one of the hand prints in the baby powder. In the movie Paranormal Activity, they sprinkle powder to see if anything shows up, and the next morning the demon's footprints are there. I have heard of Gravity Hill before, but I had not heard the supposed reason behind the phenomena. Is the story about the boys getting killed while trying to push the car the actual legend, or did you create it yourself?
Again, good work!
Tyler Steelman