Author: thelighthousetve

by Camden S.

I wake up on a normal morning, the rays of sun shining through the windows, birds chirping after returning from migrating south for the winter. It’s a Saturday morning after a long week at school. I love sleeping in on Saturday mornings, my eyelids still heavy after a long night of dreaming. As I lay in bed peacefully, my Dad calls my name. “Henry, start packing, we’re leaving in an hour!” And then my peacefulness ends as I remember we have a camping trip lasting the whole weekend. It’s not that I don’t like camping, in fact, I love it. But I was looking forward to a nice calm weekend instead of hiking until my legs feel like they’re going to fall off.

I drag myself out of bed and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I exit my bedroom my little brother Gregory (we usually call him Greg) comes running up to me. “Henry, I’m so excited! Do you think we’ll find any animals?!” He says jumping up and down. Can’t you go bother someone else? I say to him, not in the mood to start a long conversation. “But Dad’s busy packing, so there is no one else to talk to.” He says, sounding disappointed. I push past him ignoring his questions and go brush my teeth.

After I brush my teeth, I head downstairs to have some breakfast. My Dad sees me and asks, “Are you excited for the trip, son?”. Sure am, Dad, I say trying not to sound like I don’t really want to go. I feel bad for my Dad. It’s been hard ever since my mom passed away a couple years ago. He’s been trying to comfort us by taking us on many adventures, but it can sometimes be a little bit tiring.

I finish packing and get in the car, ready to go. My dad comes out of the house looking like he’s carrying a whole convenience store’s worth of goods and loads it into the back of the car. Greg comes out of the house, excited to go and begins running in circles.

It takes us about 4 hours to reach our camping location. It’s a really beautiful place; the sound of water flowing down the lush green hills and squirrels leaping from one tree to another. When we arrive at our spot, we begin unloading the car. I grab the tent with my Dad and start assembling it, while trying to figure out where the heck this one pole goes. After that, I grab a book and sit underneath a tree to read.

As dusk approaches, we all head into the one cramped tent that we all share. Our particular tent has a little clear plastic window at the top so you can see the stars. I lay there looking at constellations while I drift asleep.

The next morning, we wake up bright and early, Greg is the first one, wanting to head outside the tent while I was still trying to sleep. “Calm down Greg, I’m trying to sleep,” I say. “How can I calm down!? I want to head outside!” I love Greg but he doesn’t really understand the concept of relaxation. All this commotion wakes my Dad up and he takes Greg outside.

When I head outside the tent, I find them cooking some sausages. I walk up to my Dad, and he hands me a plate. I breathe in and smell the wood burning in the fire and the scent of the trees and flowers all around me. It smells amazing. I sit down on a seat near the fire and begin devouring my sausages.

Once we’re finished eating, we get ready to go on a hike. I grab my boots and favorite hat. My dad steps out of the tent and asks us if we’re ready to go. As ready as I’ll ever be, I say still half asleep. As we start trekking through the forest, I look all around me and see many beautiful things, from the little bugs on the ground fauna to the giant eagles flying above the treetops.

Around noon, and an hour into our hike, we hear rustling in a bush off on the side of the path. As we go to investigate, we see a deer snacking on some leaves. I see Greg the most excited I think I’ve ever seen him. The deer notices us and starts to run away but when Greg sees this, he runs after the deer. Greg! I yell as I run after him. My dad did the same and we run through the forest in an attempt to stop him. I eventually catch up with him and I grab his wrist. “What were you doing Greg? It’s not safe to run out into the woods like that.” I look around to see where my dad is, but I can’t find him. I call out for him but hear no response, we must have gotten separated while chasing Greg. I have no idea where I am, and the trail is nowhere to be seen.

Greg starts crying and says, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have run off like that. I just wanted to say hi to the deer.” It’s ok Greg. Do you remember the way back to the trail? “I don’t. Are we lost?” he asks between sobs. I don’t know, but we should try to find our way back before it gets dark. I think we went this way. Holding Greg’s hand, we start to find our way back to camp.

It’s quite scary being in a forest all alone. I hear noises echoing in the tall trees above my head. I see a squirrel running away, afraid, just like how we feel as we are trying to find the way back to camp.

After a while of walking, I notice the sun starting to set. I realize that we will not be able to find our way back today, and we’ll be stuck out here for the night. Just thinking about being stuck out here in the cold scares me. Just Greg and I alone. What happens if a bear comes? I can’t think about this now, I need to focus on finding somewhere to sleep for the night. After about 10 minutes I spot a cave. Looks like we’ll be spending the night here, Greg. “What! We are sleeping here!? What about camp and Dad!?” he yells. We’re going to have to continue looking tomorrow, but we need rest right now, I say, exhausted.

The cave is pretty big, and it seems safe as I walk into it. I call over Greg, saying to follow me into the cave. My voice echoes off the cave walls creating an eerie effect. I gather some leaves to make a bed, so we don’t have to sleep on the bare rock. As the sun sets, we lay in the cave as the forest starts to fall asleep. Something I never would’ve expected about being in the woods alone was how, after your fear fades, you notice how peaceful it is. The only sound is the light breeze and swaying trees.

Greg and I wake the next morning to a sound outside the cave. A slight bristling in the leaves as something moves through them. We lay in silence, fear creeping in as I wonder if it is a bear. Every second feels like an hour, the suspense unbearable as it gets closer to the cave. And suddenly, I see my father. I feel Happiness, joy and relief all at the same time as I run to my father to give him a big hug with Greg close behind me. As I hug my father, I think to myself how Greg and I just survived a night in the woods, and how this will be the best story I will tell in my life.

The End

by Olive Pea

It was August in a small English town, and the melancholy gray sky over the trees had ceased its weeping for just a moment. Four children pleaded to be let outside and their mothers finally shooed them through the doors to play for a while, but not without the usual warnings, “be safe, don’t ruin your clothes, and do not go near the woods”. Within minutes, the four young boys convened at the northern edge of town, gaping up at the wall of trees that seemed to erupt from the ground like knives.

The foolish four knew of the beast in the woods. The teachers and parents warned, the townsfolk whispered, and recently the paper brought news of three missing young men found dead in the woods. But never mind all that. Today these four children were, according to Adam, to become heroes, monster hunters, the stuff of legends. Adam, of course, was the leader, as always. He had gathered the other three around him, forming a sort of square.

“I shall defend you all, as your leader, with my mighty sword!” Adam declared, hoisting his fantastic sword, an old stick, to the gray sky, tossing back his hazel-brown hair with a flourish. Bertie looked up at him in awe, just as he always did. Bertie was Adam’s best friend, 10 years old like Adam but stalkier with fair hair. They were both best friends since before they could remember and spent every day after school at each other’s houses. 

The other two boys were younger. Connor and Sean Wallace were 9 and 5 respectively. The brothers had flaming red hair and sparkling blue eyes. They had moved to the town in January from Ireland after their father died. They were mostly quiet, but when they did speak their voices rang with the melodious tones of their homeland.

“I don’t reckon you’re plannin’ on goin’ in there,” Connor said, his bright blue eyes nervously flitting across the forest line. “That’s where the beast is.”

Adam shot him an irritated glance. “That is the plan, we are monster hunters after all. We’re going to find that beast and kill it!”

“But–but they told us not to. It’s dangerous! We could get hurt—”

“Shut up. We’re monster hunters, don’t listen to the old people, they’re looney!!”

“I will go in,” Bertie said loyally.

“Alright then, in we go!” Adam declared.

So, in they went. Three excitedly skipping through the first trees, while one cautiously crept. With Adam leading, sword raised, they stormed through the forest like titans. Past a boulder. Around a pond. Over a fallen tree. Dusk had begun to seize the sky when they finally found the perfect cave. The walls dripped with moisture, leafless vines covered the entrance, and a decrepit tree stood on either side, bent and shriveled with death. Little Sean danced around in a circle and giggled, while Bertie looked at the cave with glee. Connor kept glancing over his shoulder; Adam had a stealed look painted on his face. He held up his mighty sword. Then the sky began to weep again, and they pulled their hoods over their heads.

“What is that?” Connor pointed at a muddy mark on the ground. It looked like a footprint. There were more, leading into the cave. 

Adam investigated and announced, “Monster tracks. We’re going in my crew, heave ho!”

Conner did not like this, looked at Adam with a furrowed brow, and said with concern, “if we really have found monster tracks, then I say we should tell the grownups. It’s too dangerous. We could die Adam, we could die!”

Adam laughed. He laughed some more. Then Bertie joined in. Even Sean, aloof, began to giggle. When Adam had finally gained control over his outbursts, he shouted, “we are going in! We are monster hunters, and I shall kill the monster with my sword and rid these lands of this beast!!”

Conner didn’t look so sure of that and said warily, “I’m staying out here.”

“That’s right, you’ll be our guard’” Adam proclaimed. He then turned toward the cave and under his breath muttered, “looney.”

Bertie copied Adam and whispered stupidly, “looney.”

So in they went, except Connor who was stationed just outside the mouth of the cave. All flashlights clicked on at the same time, as was Adam’s orders.

Dark and brooding stood the thing. Its ghastly sunken face loomed 5 feet above their heads, suspended from an unnaturally tall and twisted body like a rotting tree. The thing opened its mouth, revealing a cavern of rows and rows of sharp teeth, and it inhaled with a raspy gurgling sound, sucking out the light of their flashlights. The shadow neared them, and footsteps thundered off of the cave walls. Then the noise abruptly stopped, the tall shadow right before them. Adam screamed and jumped forward, swinging his sword wildly in all directions. Then a piercing shriek came from Bertie, beside him. The monster growled and its footsteps boomed out of the cave. Sean started to cry as moans of agony came from Bertie’s hunched shadow. Adam rushed towards him and dragged him out of the cave, ordering Sean to follow.

Now he could see Bertie’s face; a slash ran across his left eye from his forehead to his left cheek. Adam looked at his mighty sword. Its tip was red with blood, and Adam smiled giddily.

“Look Bertie, I wounded the beast! I sliced at him like a true monster hunter, and scared him away. Now he shall have a great scar to remember me by. Hah!”

Bertie moaned, clutching his ruined eye with both hands.

Connor then rushed from his hiding spot in the bushes towards the three, a look of horror on his pale face.

“It’s comin’ back!! It’s comin’ back, run!!!”  

They heard the crashing footsteps quickly nearing them once again. Adam grabbed Bertie’s arm and pulled him while Connor swooped up his little brother into his arms.

Then they became like all things hunted, running breathlessly and numbly; deer leaping over logs, hares bounding amongst the ferns, mice scurrying through the grass. But the thing was fast. 

Tears in their eyes, hearts pounding vigorously, legs aching, the boys ran, Adam still pulling Bertie along and Conner carrying Sean. Their clothes tore as the branches and bushes snatched at them like gnarled hands and fingers; the rocks tripped them, making them stumble into muddy puddles that filled their boots; even the wind seemed to be fighting against them as it pelted raindrops in their faces at a slant; nevertheless, they sprinted as fast as they could. Over the fallen tree. Around the pond. Past the boulder. The footsteps subsided, but their fear had not and so they mindlessly continued to flee in panic.

The rain fell like arrows shot from heaven, the inky stain of death from the fallen sun had bled through all remaining daylight, making it difficult to see, but still they stumbled on.

The four finally reached the town. Though lamps were lit the streets were bare. They struggled toward the first house, and pounded on its vivid red door. Exhausted, panting, Adam released Bertie and Connor set Sean on the sheltered porch. The door opened and an elderly man, back bent with age, looked down upon the ragged boys. “You hunted it, didn’t you? Come in you fools! You should have heeded the warnings. You could have lost more than an eye!”

The End