Mark of the Clover ~Part 1~

"Come on, Andrew," James whined, "It is a harmless party for St. Patrick's Day. Your brother is even the one who is hosting it.”

“Even more the reason not to go. Where is it anyways?”

“Somewhere off route 75. On an abandoned farm inside the old animal barn. Shouldn’t your brother told you about this?”

“No, he wants to protect his younger brother from all that chaos. And,”

“You are seventeen and bound to run into chaos,” he said cutting me off.

“And that place creeps me out. The last owner died of an overdose after poisoning his family on St. Patrick’s Day.”

“That was a couple of decades ago. You will be fine.”

“James, have you forgotten something?”

“No but most of the people there will not even remember what happened the morning after so you having nothing to worry about. Trust me.”

“Fine,” I sighed, “I can ask my brother if he can drive us.”

“That would be great. Let’s head back so we have enough time to get ready.”

We hopped off the old, rusty car that is hidden behind a layer of trees and walked in the direction of home. He split off at the street for his house and I continued on to make my way to mine. As I expected, my brother was loading up his car with his green sprayed hair which made him look so ridiculous that I could not help but laugh.

“Need a hand, Mike?”

“Sure. Grab those boxes over there and load them into the back seat.”

“If they are heavy, I am afraid I cannot help.”

“I know you cannot lift a lot and they should be light.”

“Can you take me and James tonight?

“You know how mum would feel.”

“I do but I am about to graduate and James really wants me to go with him.”

“Okay. You have to ride in the back though and it will get bumpy so hold on for dear life. Give me his address and tell him an hour.”

“Thanks.”

I finished putting the lighter boxes in the backseat even though we should have switched them around so James and I do not have to risk out lives. He lifted the heavier boxes and then went out to get the last supplies. There is forty-five minutes for me to shower, get dressed, and tell my mother. Time speeds by. I blinked and I was in the back of a truck watching James fail to climb in. Before he could even sit down, my brother slammed on the petal and sped off. This sudden movement caused him to fall forward and onto me.

“Woah. I would have liked ten seconds to sit down. Sorry,” he sat down and began brush his clothing off.

“You should have known my brother would have done that. This is going to be a bumpy ride all the way there.”

“This should be fun. Hang on tight and be careful.”

“You too.”

After thirty-seven bumpy and painful minutes, we arrived into blaring music. The party has not started yet because my brother and two of his friends have everything in their vehicles. James hopped down off the back of the truck and offered his hand to help me down. I kindly took it and carefully got off the truck. Mike shooed us away so he could get set up. Not wanting to go very far into this unnerving place, I sat on the side of the barn that vibrated with every beat of music.

“That is so loud for just five people. They are going to be deaf. How in the world can they do that?” he wondered as he sat in the grass fiddling with the flowering weeds.

“I’m sure they are already deaf or they just like to ignore me. It takes us a while to get his attention.”

“Look it is a patch of clovers,” he cheerfully stated picking one of the clovers.

“Perfect for today. Look at that farmhouse.”

“I do have to admit that is pretty spooky. Want to go?”

Looking at him strangely I said, “Not right now.”

“What else are we going to do until it starts?”

“I mean you can go but I want to stay here for a bit. Being on that bumpy truck made me feel weird.”

“Leaving you would not be the best option just in case people begin to show up.”

“True. Maybe later.”

We sat there talking about schoolwork as people slowly started to arrive adding to the noise of the music. I have always hated things like this because I don’t drink, there are drugs, there is too much noise, and there are a lot of people. This brace made it difficult for me to get off the ground but luckily for me I have someone to pull me up. He led me into the loud, busy room where I felt like I did not belong and stepped away to talk to his friends. Looking around I saw things that I did not agree with. This is my hell. Something caught my eye though. A college student who is cheering and drinking in the corner had a three-leaf clover marked on his bare chest right by his heart. It just seemed out of place and off. There was no way to describe how it is. James snuck up behind be as I was trying to analyze or figure out my thoughts and grabbed my shoulders making me nearly jump through my skin.

Wrapping me in a hug he said, “I left you for a moment and now you look you have seen a ghost. Take a breath and calm down for a second.”

“Just thought I saw something weird,” I said letting myself calm down and lean into him.

“Well, this place is full of weirdos right now so you probably did see something weird. No need to worry or get shaken up.”

“I guess but,” I pondered my words, “it was different in a strange way.”

“How?”

“This guy had a three-leafed clover and . . . and something was off. I cannot pinpoint exactly what though. Like it did not belong. That guy over there.”

“He might have put it there for today.”

“You’re right. I need to keep my mind stable.”

“Let’s get out of here,” he said whilst pulling me out of the crowd.

He pulled me through the tall, dry grass towards the abandoned farmhouse. The music and noise was getting softer. Dark birds rest or flutter nearby. A crow caws in the distance. We stop at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the splinted wooden door. This house was left here to rot. I felt the urge to go in unlike before. It was almost like I was being pulled in or like I was needed.

“Andrew do you want to go?”

“Sure but watch your step,” I warned.

Carefully, we made it to the door and in the house. Everything was just left here as it was. Children’s shoes still sit by the door, coats hung up in the open closet, and the welcome mat still is here. Just now there is a layer of dust, mold, and spiders. The smell was awful though almost like death. Small footprints mark the ground over top of this dust. Someone else had been here. Someone very small. Pushing past the smell, we made it into the dining room which was the creepiest thing ever. Plates were still on the table with forks placed on top and glasses lay shattered on the stain ground. They must have held the poison and fallen from their hands as the poison took over. More small footprints are in here. Seems like fresh footprints too as no dust has settled on them.

“This is too weird,” I said shaking my head.

“Someone probably wandered in here looking for food or shelter.”

“Nothing is touched in here though.”

"Maybe they came in here just like us. Let’s head to the cellar.”

“No. I don’t like this,” I thought about my words for a moment, “Fine but only for a few minutes and then we are out of here.”

“That’s a deal.”

He opened the cellar door and led the way down creaky wooden steps. It was not as dark down here as I expected or as creepy. There was little dust and little decay almost like this room has not aged. I went over to the bookshelf to look at the books and found an interesting one that caught my eye. No idea what it was about or what it was actually saying. As I was flipping through the pages, I got a sudden pain in my chest. It felt like someone was burning me or the worst heartburn you could feel or a combination of both. This caused me to fall to my knees.

“What’s wrong?” he asked whilst walking over.

I shakily unbuttoned my shirt to reveal a four-leaf clover marked into my skin right by my heart. A fresh drop of blood fell from it adding to the already fallen one. I look up at him to see his face blank.

“What is that?”

“If I knew, I would tell you.”

“We are leaving this house,” he said while helping me off the ground and pulling me out, “and we are never returning.”

“That I can fully agree with.”

We made it out of the house and just sat on the ground near the tall grass. I looked at the clover closer. It looked like a mixture of a burn, a cut, and bruise. It was just the strangest thing I have seen and there is not a way to describe what it really looks like. A purplish-black bruise encompassed the clover. A third drop of blood fell.

“Just like the one you saw earlier on that guy.”

“His was a three-leaf clover, mine is a four-leaf clover.”

“Okay,” he thought over his thoughts, “how did they get there?”

“Again. If I knew, I would tell you.”

I look down again and see something sort of poking out of the clover. As I tried to pick this seemingly small thing, it was under my skin a bit. A piece paper that read ‘SAFE’ is what it was.

“Safe? Safe from what?”

“Four-leaf clovers mean luck and this luck will keep you safe but from what, I have no clue. I am so puzzled.”

“We need to get back to the barn to check on that other guy.”

“Agreed.”

We quickly walked through the tall grass and back to the noise. The guy with the clover was now laying on the floor with his eyes closed. I walked over to him and he was not responding. James made his way through the crowd and over to me.

“We should get him out of here. Help me move him,” I shouted over the music.

“You cannot move him. One of these weirdos can help.”

He called over two people who easily picked up the guy off the floor and started moving. There was another man who stood at the railing of the overlook and there was a clover on his neck. In the next second, he fell and twisted his neck. You could hear it snap and crack. The entire crowd was cheering though like it was some great act. He was carried outside and put next to the other.

I looked at the ground and back to James. “I do not think they are alive.”

“What do we do now?”

“Call the cops would be a good option.”

“No signal up here.”

“Let’s go to them then.”

“Neither of us have a license yet. I mean I would but then my back got messed up and delayed everything.”

“Perfect, get the keys from your brother.”

“Give me a second.”

I walked back in to find my brother who was right in the middle of everything. Easily, I got the keys off of him probably because he did not even know his name at this point. Someone next to me had a clover on his neck also so I pulled him out of the crowd.

“I got the keys. He is coming with us.”

“Okay. I hope you remember how to do this.”

“I do.”

He put the person in the backseat and got is the passenger seat as I was turning the keys. I moved the seat up, adjusted the steering wheel, and took a deep breath. I have not driven in a little over five months so I am a bit rusty but I think I know the basics. He was briefly explaining the directions and I was trying to map them out in my mind.

“You got this. Just try to remember everything you were taught. I would help you but I have not even learned how to do this yet.”

“Please remind me of the turns when they come up.”

“I can do that.”

He leaned over to kiss my cheek and I pulled out on to the dirt road. Slowly but safely, we were making out way to where we needed to be. The intersection scared the life out of me but I made it. There was a police car parked to watch for speeding cars and I pulled over. James got out first followed by me. The officer got out to meet us.

“Aren’t you boys too young to drive?”

“No, we are both seventeen. Sir, we need your help,” I politely answered.

“What may I help you with today?”

“Some weird things are happening up at a party and we could use some assistance.”

“Sure, I am just sitting here in my spare time. Young man are you bleeding?”

“Just a little bit.” I now hold my shirt tightly shut.

“Lead the way with your car.”

The officer got back in his vehicle and we hopped back in the truck. The man in the back has fallen asleep. I was now having a mini panic attack as I, a person without a license and not that much knowledge in this field, was now going to drive in front of a police officer. I calmed down, took a deep breath, and backed out on the road. Everything was going well until I was on the intersection and all I heard was the squeaking of breaks. A massive shipping truck slammed into the back of my brother’s truck. James and I were violently thrown forward into our airbags. My head did slam off the steering wheel hard and there was a bit of ringing in my ears. The truck backed up and drove off. James looked at the back of the car and looked back up with a terrified look.

“Don’t look back there.”

“My brother is going to kill me.”

“I’m sure he will be happy that you are alive. On the other hand, they will most definitely kill me. Are you able to move?”

“Yes, but probably to dizzy to stand.”

“Stay seated.”

“Enough about me. How are you?”

“Most of the damage went to your side. I am pretty fine.”

He got out of his side to walk over to mine. All he was open my door and stand there as the officer was walking over.

“Are you all okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s continue,” I said still feeling out of it.

“I think we should head to the station.”

“No, we need to head back before things get out of hand.”

“Only for a few minutes so I can tell the situation. Wait until I tell you to drive.”

He walked back to his vehicle and went on to his radio. James went around to his side and got in.

“The officer had a clover on his forearm,” I sighed.

“Oh no. Why is this happening?”

“A harmless party you said.”

“Never in a thousand years did I think this would happen. Put something on that already. So he is going to die too?”

“Everyone with the mark of the clover has died so far.”

“Except you.”

“I have the only four-leaf clover.”

I ripped up an old t-shirt my brother had laying in the front seat and put in on my head. In the next two minutes, he helped slow my shaking and we were back on to the dirt roads. This car was only hanging on by thread. The party was full of random games when we arrived. They ran out of drinks at this time. He came around to help me stand to show the officer what happened but the officer never exited his vehicle. I know he is dead.

“That makes four.”

“I need to get back to the farmhouse,” I said with a strong feeling or pull towards thins house.

“Okay. We can go.”

Leaving the officer in his vehicle, we walked through the tall grass and ended back up on the rotted wooden steps. My name was being called as soon as I walked in. It sounded like I was being called or chanted. I pushed him behind a dusty sofa just as I heard light footsteps coming in from the next room. A small man dressed in green walking in with a golden sack in his hand.

“Andrew, I was waiting to meet you in person.”

“What do you want?”

“No need to fear me. You are safe.”

“Why me?”

“Do you know the date I died? Seventeen years ago.”

“No, I do not.”

“Same day you were born. You were chosen on that day.”

“Chosen for what?”

“To come here.”

“Wait you chose me the day I was born?”

“Yes, how else do you think you would have survived that fall and afterward woken up from the coma? I needed you alive so you could bring me back here and I could take care of this.”

“Are you the one killing everyone?’

“Technically but technically not. A curse some might say.”

“I was not born on this day.”

“Fool, I died at least a week after St. Patrick’s Day but the press said it was. I am trapped in this form now.”

“How many more will die?”

“Watch out for the clovers. Once you have the three-leafed clover, you are marked and will most likely die. You can only access me in this house and in this room.”

“Is it painful?”

“Ask your friend behind the sofa?”