Short Stories

Short Story #3

Spring was always his favorite season. The pretty leaves and flowers would finally come back, and baby animals were always seen running around. The boy also liked the rain, because the river he usually visited would become deeper, and more fun to play in. Sometimes new shells and sticks would wash up on the shore and he would collect them and put them in his secret hideout. For the past few days it had rained quite a bit, the little boy wouldn't be surprised if the river was all the way up to the treetops. To his disappointment, it wasn't, although it was deep and was running fast. He tossed a stick into it, and giggled as the stick flew down the river, riding on top of the small waves. For a while he searched the bank of the river, picking up any sticks and rocks he thought were cool, and dropping a few that were eventually out-cooled. Near the bend of the river he found a bush with a strange black stick poking out of it. He searched through his collection of sticks to see one that was less cool, and dropped it. Grabbing the other stick he tried to pick it up, but it wouldn't move. He put his collection down and used both hands, but it still didn't move. Quietly the boy peeked into the bush and saw a large furry creature with a deer skull for a head. The "stick" was one of its antlers. With a gasp the boy backed away, picked up his collection, and left the creature. He had heard stories about them, and they were scary. 

After putting today's collection in his hideout he walked back to the river to look at it again. It still roared from the past few days of intense rain. He sat and watched it, almost forgetting about the creature he saw. Suddenly a large stick floated down the river and got stuck in between two rocks. The boy knew that eventually this stick would keep collecting more sticks and even trash and soon the river would be cut off. He couldn't let that happen, so he got up and made his way into the water. One end of the stick was in the shallow part of the water, he could get that part free and the stick would float down the river. Or he could drag it out and add it to his collection. He gripped the end of the stick in his tiny hands and tried to free it. It didn't work so he tried again, this time with more force. It moved a little, but it still wasn't loose. He tried a third time and slipped, the water swept him up and pushed him down the river, into the deep end. The boy tried to keep his little head above water. He sputtered and coughed until he finally managed to scream. His head went under again as he desperately tried to swim for the bank, but he continued to be pushed down river. This time the boy stayed under the water, starting to get tired, he wanted to take a nap. Suddenly he felt two arms wrap around him and he was lifted up out of the water. A stranger was saving him. The boy kept his eyes closed, they stung because of the water. Once the stranger got to the shallow end, they walked onto the bank, the boy could tell it was an adult. They put the boy down, the little boy wiped his eyes and looked up at them. It was a man, his soaked hair must've been blonde and his eyes were dark blue. He was a little pale and had antlers on his head? The boy tilted his head at the man. The antlers reminded him of the creature, he looked around, wondering if it was still out there. The boy looked back at the river, at least the large stick was gone. Suddenly the man chuckled, and the boy looked at him. "Geez kid, you nearly gave me a heart attack." He said between laughs. 

"I'm sorry mister. But that stick would've blocked off all the water." The boy explained. 

"Next time ask someone for help. You could've died " 

"What's your name mister?" The man looked at him and smiled. 

"I'm James." He said. 

The boy followed James home, where they sat by the fireplace to warm up. "You should come to my house?" The boy said. James looked at him, his head slightly tilted. "So my Mama can meet you." The young boy explained, looking at the man. "That way she can thank you." James smiled a bit and gently rubbed the kid's head. 

"She doesn't need to thank me." He chuckled. 

"Could you at least come with me so she'd believe my story on why I'm late to dinner?" The boy pleaded. James laughed, but nodded. 

Note: James belongs to me