Tales From the Cave-Beauty & the Superbeast

The Mysterious Mountain

It was late.  Night had fallen upon the forest where Geppetto was, still on his way to where the fair was being held.  The old horse he had rented lopped along, going slow as molasses, exhausted from the long journey.  Geppetto didn't seem to notice, his attention solely on the map of the forest.  Even though he had gone up and down this path many times before, he always found himself getting lost without directions for him to read.

He looked around at his surroundings.  He couldn't very well see the road ahead.  If not for the single torch placed carefully on his cart, his entire vision would be pitch black.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some wooden picket signs.  One of them pointed east, and was labeled Summersburg.  Geppetto smiled.  "Ah!  Summersburg!  If my memory serves me well—and it always has—that's where they're holding the fair this year!"

He took hold of the reins and steered the old horse down the path the sign was pointing towards.  No sooner had they disappeared into the darkness of the far road did a branch full of keaves fall from just below the sign.  Written just under Summersburg, in large red letters, were the words Danger!  Wolves Ahead!
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Geppetto was riding nice and steadily when all of the sudden, he felt something light and fluffy pile onto his shoulders. Confused, he looked, and was surprised to see white sprinkled on the sleeves of his red shirt. Looking around, he noticed for the first time the tiny white flurries falling from the sky. He held out his hand and let them fall on, sending a freezing sensation onto his fingers. "Snow? In the middle of June?"

No sooner had those words left his mouth, there was a flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder, startling the horse and causing it to rear back in fright. As Geppetto pulled on the reins to calm the animal, he looked around just as another flash of lightning appeared—casting newborn light on the hungry wolves hiding in the shadows, their teeth bared and their eyes menacing.

Geppetto didn't need to take a second look. "GO!", he yelled, snapping the horse's reins. The animal whinnied and began blindly running down the path. The map flew out of Geppetto's hands and fluttered away, but at that moment, he didn't care where they were going, as long as it was away from those wolves.

He looked behind to see the wild dog-like creatures barking madly, practically nipping at their heels. "Faster! Faster!", Geppetto urged the horse, snapping the reins again and again to make it gain speed. As the path grew shorter, Geppetto could see a tall cast iron gate up ahead. Cupping a hand around his mouth to project volume, he called out, "Help! Help! Help us!"

As if by magic, the gates flung open to allow them entrance. Geppetto snapped the reins one more time as he, horse and cart sped through the open way. The moment they were safely behind the walls, the gates slammed shut just as quickly as they had opened, trapping the wolves outside just before they could cross the border. They stayed there for a few minutes, barking and growling, before finally slinking away back in the shadows.

Geppetto let out a breath that he had not known he had been holding in. "Thank you!", he called. "Whoever you are!" As he tried to catch his breath, he looked up, finally noticing where the horse had led him to. And what he saw took away whatever little breath he had.

Standing firmly before him, scraping the sky, was a tall, grand old mountain, capped and covered in the thick white snow that fell from the sky. It looked dark and dreary, like places seen and described in horror movies. Just looking at it sent chills up and down Geppetto's spine. He wondered why he had never noticed this mountain before, or why it wasn't described in any maps or in the news. You would think it would be hard to miss.

But, scary or not, Geppetto needed a place to stay the night, and he certainly couldn't venture back beyond the gates as long as the wolves still roamed the forest. So, finding a stable for his horse, he mustered up every last ounce of courage he had and walked inside through the gaping hole that seemed the only entrance in.