The Feud of Fright Woods

Chapter 1

The distant stars that kept him company were the glitter that sparkled from the beauty of his music. The moon, gleaming above, was his only spotlight; and the lonely forest around him was the audience who never disapproved of his passion. Adiss' cold eyes were full of searing memories, and each night they sought to find comfort in the scenery of the forest outside of his boarding school. But to do this, Adiss had to sneak out.

On this particular October night, Adiss was strolling through the forest, carrying his new acoustic guitar—it was silver, with a red ankh symbol below the sound hole. He was looking for a tree to sit by, so he could play his guitar and compose something new. However, Adiss would not settle for any old tree: it had to be a special one. Adiss was accustomed to this forest—known as Fright Woods—and it did not take him long to find his tree. It was a tall one, with a smooth bark partially covered in moss, which made for a perfect resting spot. So, with an exhale of satisfaction, Adiss sat and rested his back against the natural cushion.

A frail creature landed on his hand before he could strum his guitar. She was long and slim, with many thin legs. Extending from her body were two graceful wings decorated with an elegant black and blue pattern. The butterfly looked up at Adiss with its deep, alien eyes.

"The flutter of your wings is the essence of my dreams," Adiss recited with a sudden poetic impulse. Hearing this, the butterfly opened her wings and let the frozen wind take her away.

Adiss was different from other boys. Almost all his body—including his mouth and ears—was covered in white bandages as a result of a horrible, fiery incident in his youth. Imagine a mummy wearing a school uniform—his wayward appearance made everyone see him as a repulsive monster who should be avoided. But unlike his dead Egyptian counterparts, Adiss had some hints of humanity left in him: he had dark brown hair and a pair of gentle blue eyes that looked through a horizontal slit across the wrappings on his face.

"Gleam O' glorious pearl, shine so I can feel your frozen touch," recited Adiss as he strummed sweet chords on his guitar. And so, a time of lonely music entwined with the autumn wind passed for Adiss. But he did not have the entire night to himself, and even if he did, the air was growing painfully cold. So Adiss strummed one last chord, and when the strings stopped vibrating, he stood from the tree and bowed his head.

He began his walk back to school, traveling through a trail in the vast forest. This little trail led out of the woods, and onto Fright Path—the main route that traversed the forest. Soon, Adiss arrived at the path. Now he only had left to reach a gate in the distance, which encircled his school—Berlon Boarding School for Boys. Standing here, Adiss could see the single rigid tower extending from the ceiling of Berlon. It was a stubby and thick structure. He could also see the flatness of the ceiling and the thin window-slits aligned along the walls. But what Adiss most carefully looked at was the single round window at the highest point of the school, from which the Principal overlooked the grounds with a solid, conquering pride. If this window showed any light inside, Adiss was in trouble. For now, at least, he was safe.

Adiss' eyes shifted from the impressive fort that was his school, to something further in the distance. He stared dreamily at a truly beautiful—and far older—building, sitting upon a hill that was covered in roses and pumpkins. This was also a boarding school, but for girls, and it was called Cherry Hill School for Girls.

The all-girls school was a delicate building, with gothic stonework and lush vines licentiously encasing its walls. Its four towers that held the sky in place spiraled upward, coiling and growing thinner until they reached the stars. The two largest windows on the front wall were wide and round, with glass allowing in a full moon's light. Higher on this wall, there was a small window, looking over the land of Fright Woods with nurturing dominance for every tiny thing in sight. And it was precisely this provocative beauty of the all-girls school that captivated Adiss' attention every time that it came into his view.

Adiss had always dreamt of one day visiting Cherry Hill. He was determined to see the beautiful antiques and lavish furniture that it surely must have had. For the two and a half years that he had lived under the—literal—shadow of this school, Adiss had pictured the building as a place of warmth and comfort. But he had never been allowed the opportunity to enter this place—and for that matter, neither had any of his schoolmates—even though Berlon School had stood next to Cherry Hill School for over a hundred years.

The reason for this denied opportunity was because for almost as long as the two boarding-schools had stood together, a thriving feud had wedged itself between them—a dispute; a toxic grudge. No one was entirely sure of how this feud began or why it had to continue, but no one dared to do anything about it. This... was the Feud of Fright Woods.

However, the truly ugly part of the Feud was in the past. Now, it was an awkward silence that neither school wanted to break. The girls and boys saw each other less, and the acts of vandalism decreased—perhaps from a lack of creativity. This more-or-less peace was the result of a consensus made in the late fifties, which declared a 'cease-fire' without directly putting an end to the Feud. The two schools were content with this decision and ever since then, there had been no more warfare—just silent hostility.

But this consensus had been made far too late, as a few years before it was declared, another attempt to appease the feud had made its way into the calendar of the two schools. It was a yearly event that tried—but always failed—to get the boys and girls to dance with each other in hopes of establishing peace. This event was the Midnight Ball, on the night of Halloween. But instead of accomplishing what it had set out to do, it made the schools' relations all the more awkward, ensuring the presence of the Feud with every passing Halloween.

This Midnight Ball was a decision issued by the local school board, which had become pressured by the number of parents concerned over the students' hostility . The idea was that the students would have to dance with a partner from the opposite school or otherwise fail to pass their current grade—despite what their academic progress had to say. And furthermore, each school would have to perform a Welcoming Song for the other as a sign of tolerance. Thus, the school board took credit of establishing a Halloween filled with dancing and music in Fright Woods—only, the dancing was awkward, and the music was like the low-point of a funeral requiem.

On even years, the Ball was to be hosted in Cherry Hill; on odd years, it was hosted in Berlon. Or perhaps in is not the correct word: technically, neither school hosted the event inside of their building, but rather in their courtyard, so as to deny full entry to their guests. Therefore, the one time that Adiss had been to Cherry Hill for the Ball, he only managed to see its bare, undecorated courtyard.

On this particular night, the year was an even 1978, and a week before October the 31st.

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Hey Wattpad Friends!

Ready for a spine-tingling adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat? 📚✨ Dive into "Fright Woods Feud," a mystery set in the fall of 1978, where two schools locked in a century-old feud face their ultimate challenge.

📖 Why "Fright Woods Feud" NEEDS to be on your Reading List: ✨ Uncover the secrets of Fright Woods alongside Adiss, a boy shrouded in mystery and mummy wrappings. ✨ Join Blue, the enigmatic new girl, as she brings a fresh perspective to an age-old conflict and tries to end the feud. ✨ Feel the tension rise as Halloween night and the Midnight Ball loom, where the fate of the feud will be decided.

Every chapter is packed with mystery, drama, and heart-pounding moments. Don't miss out on this thrilling journey through Fright Woods!

Hit that ⭐ button and add "Fright Woods Feud" to your Reading List now! Let's uncover the secrets together!