When the Wild Hunt Rides

We weren’t supposed to be there. The antique carousel, a staple of tourism in the city, always closed when the sun slipped below the horizon. Years ago, it used to stay open long into the night, until a tragic accident involving the death of the mayor’s son brought its operations to a halt. If it had hadn’t been for a group of militant supporters throwing their weight around, the carousel would still be shut down, the meticulously carved wooden creatures rotting away in obscurity.

But my cousin Kara didn’t care. She was two years older than me and a sophomore in college, and she suffered from an overwhelming need to prove herself to the idiots who claimed to be her friends. Add in her belief that she was exempt from most of the rules of polite society, and you ended up with a spoiled brat who nearly always gets her way.

She had long since mastered the art of convincing me to do whatever she wanted, and this was no different. “C’mon, Liz! You’re spending Halloween with me. It’ll be fun! Stu has beer.” By fun, she really meant, “You’re the only one with a car who is willing to put up with my bullshit and drive me and my asshole friends around town on a night when you would much rather be watching cheesy horror films and stuffing yourself with the full-size candy bars, and homemade lasagna.”

While she may have mastered the art of manipulation, I was still working on the ability to say “No.”

“Right. So. What are we doing tonight, Kara?”

She giggled at me as she clambered into my car, her posse not far behind her. Her skirt was just short enough that everyone in the world could see her Hello Kitty Halloween themed panties. Well, at least my cousin has class.

A set of keys appeared in her hand, dangling playfully from black, orange, and sparkly fingernails. “You’ll just have to see when we get there!”

I parked down the block at Kara’s urging, and we walked the rest of the way there. The building was dark, but at quarter to midnight on Halloween night, with the crescent moon mostly obscured by clouds, I didn’t expect much more than that. I groaned as Kara danced towards the back door. She didn’t have to say a word…I knew exactly what she had in mind.

Stu, the only one among us actually of age, pulled out a brown paper sack and started handing out ridiculously large cans of cheap beer. Kara planted an obscene kiss on his lips as she grabbed her drink, dancing off towards the door with the keys in hand. I have no idea how she actually managed to unlock it with those claws of hers, but she has always been able to Girl better than me.

She pushed the door open with a flourish, glancing back to her friends to ensure she was still stringing them along. Her dazzling smile flashed as she pranced into the building, her heels echoing on the cement.

Laughter filled the air as they all made their way inside. They seemed unconcerned with being here after hours. Typical Kara behavior, thinking there wouldn’t be any consequences to her actions.

“Liz…” My eyes flicked around the park as I looked for the owner of the voice, shadows dancing on the sidewalk. “Liz!” The grassy area around the building was empty, devoid of all holiday revelry.

I hurried through the door to join them. My heart was racing in my chest, blood pounding in my ears. Behind me, the wind caught the door, slamming it shut with a ringing finality. Kara was ahead of me, holding court for her admirers, “The dumb ass had no idea my hand was in his pocket! Idiot probably still thinks I was just trying to give him a handy.”

Wind whistled through the poorly insulated building, a chill creeping in around us. Dead leaves rattled against the thin tin walls that were intended to protect the monument. Four pairs of footsteps cautiously picked their way around the outside of the building, pathway illuminated courtesy of a single cell phone.

Kara laughed as she pulled the switch, and the ancient wooden carousel that dominated the building roared to life. Row after row of tiny bulbs burst with light, their thin yellow glow illuminating the room. The calliope music followed suit, slowly grinding into existence. “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls! On this Halloween night, a night filled with all of the darkest creatures of the night, with witches and werewolves prowling the streets, I give you…The Carousel!”

The rest of them started to laugh as Stu pulled open the wrought iron fence that surrounded the horses. They ran around, each looking for their very own steed.

I’ve been there during the day. Everyone has been. It was always one of my favorite places as a kid, but the horses looked different with the shadows dancing over them. What had once been a cherished part of my childhood had shifted in the darkness. Horses that had been carved to appear to prance through a summer meadow now had menacing scowls stretched across their muzzles.

The whisper came again, brushing against my ear like a lover’s lips, “Liz. You should go. You don’t belong here.”

Kara shot me a look, laughing at my discomfort, “What are you waiting for, stupid? Get on a damn horse so we can start the party!”

“Kara, no, I don’t think we should be here.” Concern wormed its way into my chest as the wind howled around the building, rattling the tin walls. She sighed at me and rolled her eyes, her annoyance taking over, “Jesus Fuck, Liz. Stop being a pussy and get on a goddamn horse. Go, get on that one. It was your favorite as a kid, wasn’t it?” She gestured to Lightning, the first horse that had been carved for the carousel. She was right; he’d always been my favorite.

“Yeah. I guess he was.” She glared at me for a moment longer before turning her gaze to her boyfriend, all evidence of her irritation swept away in a vapid giggle. I slipped under the chain that protected me from the creatures, moving slowly towards my mount.

I don’t know why I did it. I wanted to prove to her I wasn’t scared.

I stared up at my horse, and he stared back at me. Its dark carved eyes blinked lazily, sides moving as though it were inhaling slowly. My breath escaped me in one gasp and I blinked, staring at the wooden sculpture. My fingers trembled as I reached out a hand to stroke his sides, feeling nothing but smooth wood, a memory from my childhood.

“Liz!” I started, shooting my cousin a glance as she took another long drink from her beer. She looked at me with desperate eyes. She needed me to get on the horse. Needed me to not fuck this up for her. Needed me to pretend I was cool enough to hang out with the big kids.

I sighed, clutching at the golden pole and swinging my leg over the horse.

“Fuck! Finally! That’s what I’m talking about!” She let out a gleeful crow, and I watched as she leaned far over the side of her horse. I tried to tell her no. I tried to yell, but the words were caught in my throat. I tried to swing my leg back over the horse to get away, but it was too late.

From a distance, I could hear the church bells proclaiming the witching hour. Kara slapped the button and the ride lurched into movement. The horse beneath me let out a groan as it began to move up and down slowly, the calliope music increasing until I could barely hear the chiming of the bells over it.

The horse beneath me felt warm to the touch, his carved wooden hair softening and flowing over my hands. He tossed his head back, and I could hear a quiet nicker, barely audible over the music and the bells and the laughter of my companions. The ones who had no idea what was happening to them. I shot a look behind me, looking at each of the creatures around me.

The horses were alive.

They stared at me, eyes wide and wild, foam dripping from the carved wooden bits. I saw them, and they saw me.

“Kara…Kara, stop the ride! You have to stop.” My voice came out a whisper. Fear held me as the bells continued to chime. Every passing moment, the ride picked up speed, until we were flying in a circle, flying faster than the ride had ever gone before.

My cousin and her friends just continued to laugh. They had no idea anything was wrong.

The final bell tolled and the lights flickered around us before plunging us all into darkness. The music continued its insane tune, the horses beneath us continuing to pick up speed. Their bodies shifted the wood melting into firm flanks. Living and breathing creatures.

I could hear Kara screaming. They finally were beginning to understand. A voice echoed, laughing, “Guests. How exciting!” I felt myself slipping and I tried to clutch the bar, grasping for it in the inky darkness.

I found a handful of coarse hair instead, the creature beneath me shifting slightly, lunging forward.

Through the screams of my companions I could hear the laughing voice, the voice that had called my name and warned me whispering softly in my ear. When the Wild Hunt rides, you join or die.

I could feel the cold air of the night sky on my face and I clung to my horse. A guttural, terrified moan filled the air around me. I wanted to pretend that it wasn’t mine.

“Liz!” I could hear Kara screaming behind me, terror in her voice.

“Let us go, please. Oh god, let us go.”

The horse beneath me bucked and I clung to him.

Why would I do that? The voice in my ear was cold, but he was enjoying this. Enjoying our terror. This is my night, and now you are mine.

“No…” I struggled to move, trying to slide off the horse. Whatever distance that would meet me would be better than this.

Behind me, I could hear Stu screaming. And then, the screaming faded as he fell. Further and further away.

Join us, or die. His voice was joined by a thousand others, all whispering the same phrase. Join us, and when the dawn comes, you will be free. Join us, or die.

“I don’t understand!” The horse beneath me changed course and I could feel him plummeting down towards the earth. My fingers dug into his mane even as he shifted beneath me.
Join us, or die!

“Fine! Fine, I’ll join! Please!” I screamed into the night air, and the world around me erupted into laughter. Lightning pulled up abruptly, and I could feel him changing. I could feel myself changing. The horse beneath me became an extension of my body. I could feel his movements.

What an excellent choice you’ve made. The voice laughed, and I could see his face swim before me. Impossibly tall and pale and gaunt with eyes that burned.

I could hear Kara behind me, screaming my name. Begging me to help her. But in that moment, I didn’t care.

“No.” My words were lost in the wind, ripped away by my fellow hunters. Behind me, my cousin screamed as she tumbled to the earth.

His laughter rolled over the earth and the clouds above us parted. The moon shone down, illuminating his army, a thousand strong.

And now, we ride.

When the Wild Hunt Rides first appeared in the anthology Epona’s Children.