The Whispering Woods

Lupin's Mum climbed the stairs, went into her bedroom and closed the door behind her (it was now 21:34pm) he could hear her muffled voice muttering something and the light switch click. Lupin then dove under his bed for his deep, blue back-pack and started filling it with stuff he'd need. He grabbed his list, a notepad, torch, compass and penknife. Then swung the bag over his shoulder, tip-toed down the stairs (being careful not to disturb his Mum) and raced into the kitchen. Lupin grasped around in the fridge for something to take with him, he clutched an apple, some left overs from tea and water and stuffed them into his bag. He crept out of the kitchen and up to the front door, threw on his coat, slipped on his shoes and cautiously opened it up. He then raced out and closed it behind him. Lupin started to trek up the steep, quiet road, with the Winter moon covering his path in silver mist. He walked and walked until he finally reached the beginning of the woods, it looked ever so dark and gloomy, trees were looming over one and other, they twisted and wound, like claws belonging to a beast. Filled with curiosity, excitement, and fear, he entered the deep, night stricken woods.

But little did he know, back home his Sister was awake and aware that he wasn't there. She had woken to a loud noise, which seemed to be coming from downstairs. She stumbled towards Lupin's room to see if he'd heard it too. "Lupin, Lupin..." she began, "Did you hear that..." But when she entered his room he wasn't there... She looked around, whispering his name, then his desk caught her eye... she saw plans written out and sketches drawn of a familiar creature, a rabbit-like creature, of which they'd seen earlier that day...

"Oh Lupin, not again," She sighed, "Loopy, Loopy Lupin..."

The wind wailed as Lupin explored further into the woods, eyes scanning every bush and burrow for the gorgeously glowing rabbit. He breathed in the woodland air and watched the moths dance around, and the fireflies twirl in the darkness above, as if they were tiny fairies. He watched as the trees swayed in time, muttering amongst themselves. And he watched the flowers float graciously, from up high in the tree tops, all the way down onto the woodland ground. He heard yowls and growls and crunches of paws and he heard rustles and bustles and animal calls. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a trio of rabbits had appeared! Lost in the mystic of the woods, Lupin had jumped a mile,

"W...w...what...w...where?!" He thought, both confused but intrigued. They hopped around speaking a language that Lupin had not yet come across, he thought it was some sort of secret rabbit-like code or use of communication that humans could not understand. Careful not to make a sound, he followed them. He hurried behind a bush and watched as the rabbits made their way further into the woods - Lupin raced behind bush after bush. But deeper and deeper into the woods the creatures went, yet showing no sign of fear.

"Where would they be going at this time of night?" Lupin whispered under his breath,

"What would they be doing this late?"

They eventually neared a ray of light, which looked as if it was an opening in the trees. The moon shone through and the rabbits fled toward it. And as soon as they touched the moonlight, they vanished! Lupin froze and stared... cautiously, he edged toward it and slowly put one foot...then the second into the light and walked through, then, in a flash, he had crossed into a whole new world! The sun was shining over the trees and glittering on a lake, and of the many times he had entered this very woods he had never seen this one, miraculously beautiful, lake. It sparkled and glistened as the sun shone bright, it gave Lupin the urge to smile his biggest smile, and grin his biggest grin, he felt calm, relaxed, almost forgetting the reason he was there. At the edge he saw the three rabbits muttering between themselves and then one by one, SPLASH... into the lake they went! Lupin frowned in confusion, "Rabbits can't swim?" He murmured, "Can they?"

Lupin stared at the lake, where had they gone? Had he been dreaming? He set himself down on the lime green grass, it was really, quite comfy. He swung his backpack off his shoulder, then started noting down yet more information. When all of a sudden there came a WHOOSH, he leapt to his feet, startled by the sound. The rabbits slowly, yet gracefully, emerged out of the lake... Well, they weren't rabbits at all, really! They were certainly similar, but these creatures were more fluffy and...magical! Their ears had turned into wings and their massive, black eyes were outlined by a coat of soft, silky fur.

"What are these creatures?" Lupin thought, "Who appear what they're not?" He pinched his arm to check he wasn't dreaming.

"Was the lake magic or was it some sort of illusion?" His expression suddenly changed from confused to totally ecstatic, as he remembered that he now has a way to prove his 'magic' theory right to his Sister....

"Maple has got to see this!" He yelled, forgetting that he may scare the creatures away.

He turned, then raced back into the moonlight and through the trees, excitement filling him as he went. "Are there more of these creatures? Or are there just few?" He thought.

"Where did they come from and why are they here?" His mind raced, it raced even faster than he was running, and that was fast - REALLY fast! He tripped up on tree roots, he tripped up on sticks, he ran straight through a massive cobweb?

"No, no I'm just seeing things...I must b...be tired," He told himself, fumbling through his backpack for his torch. He switched it on... A set of eight, blood-red eyes stared down at him, and on each side of a massive black body sat scary, spindly legs of eight...

"A massive...gi...gi...gi...gi...giant..." He gulped, a chill ran down his spine, "SPIDER," He finally cried.

As soon as the words had left his mouth the spider scuttled toward him - fangs lashing out venom and blood searching for him. Blinded by the light of the torch the spider flailed around, after a few seconds it's eyes re-adjusted to the darkness, it charged right for him... Lupin ran for his life - toward the village - toward his home.

It was very nearly in sight when he noticed...he couldn't hear the spider, he couldn't hear the scuttling, the clicking of fangs, he didn't have the feeling that it was there, nothing....there was nothing....it had completely disappeared...

The trees rustled above him, snarls and grumbles filled the tree-tops... He must have not noticed these...these beasts while following the rabbits into the woods, he must've been so focused on the rabbits, so focused on following them that he was completely unaware of what lay around him...