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 The Journal  (40 ratings)by John Christopher Cook Page 3 of 5 It was on the trees all around him and on the
leaves that were lying on the ground. The sun was slowly setting and the
wind grew colder and harsher. Suddenly he noticed something nearby in a
puddle of blood and flesh. Black berries were floating in the dark pool of
blood. He knelt over to pick up a shiny metal necklace. As he wiped the
blood away he realized who's it was. It was his own mother's that his father
gave to her long ago. She had ventured out that morning in search of berries
for her pie that she was planning to bake for him. He screamed in terror as
he began to hear the most terrifying noise he had ever heard. It was a dark
wicked laughter coming from the trees around him. It was growing louder and
louder as complete darkness took over the forest. A dark coldness ran down
his spine and went right through his soul. He felt like ghosts were flying
in and out of his body. He was frozen in complete terror. The woods were
dark and the insane laughter was closing in on him. He covered his ears and
started running home as fast as his feet could move. He was running out of
breath quickly and was too scared to scream now. He hurled himself through
thorns and vines running faster and faster. He could see the branches moving
all around him and the laughter was right behind him. He could feel warm
breath on the back of his neck and the sound of horse's hooves pounding on
his heels. Suddenly, the clouds broke and rain began to fall. He could feel
the wind from an axe slicing the air behind him. He looked ahead and through
the darkness he could see a clearing, it was home. The boy only ran faster
and faster, never realizing that the thorns had sliced him all over his body
and he was covered in blood and vines. As he fell onto the clearing the
noise behind him stopped, but the laughter did not. The wicked laugh began
to multiply and the boy realized that dark hooded creatures surrounded him.
With all of his might he cried out in terror " Father help me!" There was no
answer. The boy fell to his knees and looked up through the mist only to his
sister nailed to the front door. Her white night gown was drenched in blood.
Her blood was dripping from her toes onto the entrance of the once happy
home. He screamed and screamed but his father never came to his rescue. He
cried out up to the heavens in terror " Father, where are you?" A stiffness
came over his body as he watched dark hooded figures come out of the dark
woods on horses. They had surrounded the clearing and had wolves bound in
chains latched to their saddles. The boy could do nothing but watch the
wolves drool over the blood that covered his entire body. They clawed and
scrapped at the ground trying to get to him to rip him apart and eat his
flesh. He could see crows flying over head and cawing as the wickedly evil
laugh pierced his soul. Then the world fell silent within an instant.
There was no sound at all as if he had lost his hearing. As he gazed out at
the hooded terrors that surrounded him he could feel the wind blowing through
his hair. He knew that he was doomed and was going to die. With an evil
glare one of figures stepped towards him. He pointed to the blood drenched
body of his sister and with the voice of evil said, " You have until dawn to
bring us the book!" The boy could only see the shadow of a human skull under
the hood and then fell to the ground. As he began to faint, he heard the
sound of wolves howling and hooves disappearing back into the woods.
III A few moments later the boy awoke in pool of rainwater and blood. He stayed on the muddy ground and tried to clear his head. As he wiped the blood away from his eyes he looked at the house and began to feel extreme pain in his chest. He held himself tightly and tears fell from his eyes. He lowered his head only to raise it and curse the heaven's above. He cried out again for his father, only to hear the caw of the crows in the twisted branches that surrounded him. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 John Christopher Cook, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. The author has submitted the work in accordance with and in agreement with the following Submission Guidelines. |
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