"Hoot hoot...hoot," A white and gray owl hooted into the night. It sat perked on a tree branch nearby, observing its intruders with its yellow eyes blazing. The nightly bugs made their nightly sound, filling the forest with their faint ambience. The frogs croaked, opening their eyes, which also appeared a yellow glow at night, very surreal. They hid underneath the water, lily pads, and in the mud, waiting for their dinner. A firefly flew past the trees to meet with a few more by the campfire. They all twisted and turned, doing their own individual circles around the camp, making the night very magical. Yet, the trees had a spooky appeal to them, completely fulfilling the night.
"Then, the man in the cell..." I expressed, raising my arms to over exaggerate the story.
I was in complete animation, playing out the entire story with my body movements. My face was lit from the fire, giving me more character from the shadows dancing across me. The flames danced sporadically together, forming an interesting pattern to my story. Thomas and Emily sat on each side of Lily, both grasping her arms as if their life depended on it. All of their eyes were lit up, completely involved with my story.
"TURNED INTO FLAMES!" I yelled, grabbing both of my kid's knees.
Everyone jumped, and if my hand wasn't gripped sternly on Emily's knee, she would have fallen straight off the log!
"And no one else saw the ghost," I finished.
"Whoa, that was a good story dear, very intense. I have goose bumps!" Lily choked out, while rubbing her arms.
"It did not scare me any, that man was mental," Thomas said, he was definitely a fiery one.
Maybe I am mental.
"Uh-huh, so that's why you jumped," Lily said.
"Hey! I only jumped because you did! I was only trying to make you feel better about being scared," Thomas stammered defiantly.
"Oh okay," Lily said with her bright smile, then nudging Thomas with her elbow.
"Even Sam jumped," Emily observed as she pet him behind his ears.
He began to close his eyes, obviously loving the attention.
"Alright, alright. Time for bed," I said.
"Aw, one more story!" Thomas exclaimed.
"Please daddy?" Emily asked.
"Yeah! Emily hasn't heard you tell the family curse yet, but I think she is old enough now," Thomas said.
"Hey now, that's for me and your mom to decipher mister," I said, patting my son on the head.
"Well, I think she's old enough, and one more story wouldn't hurt, so it's up to you dear," Lily said, angling up her chin as if she were challenging me.
"Okay then it is decided, the family curse..." I trailed off.
"Yay!" The kids and Lily chimed.
"I think that Thomas should tell it though," I said, eyeing my son.
"But, but... I don't know it well enough dad, I forget how it goes," he muttered, disappointed.
"Okay son, no problem, I'll let you tell it next time," I assured Thomas.
Thomas lit up, "Okay!"
"About a hundred years ago, or so..." I began.
Everyone tensed up, preparing for the story.
"There were two people, Ete Hennessey, and Galeron Hutch. They could never be together, but they loved each other dearly. She had a daughter, younger than Thomas when they first met. Her husband had passed in previous years, he was much, much older than her. The community frowns upon second marriages, so they became very close friends instead."
I continued, "Until one day, she became very, very ill. He never left her side, mending to her every need. Until, he was tired of it. So, he began to poison her soups. It killed her very quickly, and everyone became very sad, some went insane. Her mother, Lindsey Hennessey, kept her rage and frustration hidden, and it built up over time, making her BURST like a volcano!" I made my hands explode, "she learned the ways of a witch and made a deal with a demon to turn into a black obsidian witch. Her skin decayed overnight and she became a creepy thing to haunt and scare anyone she crossed paths with. She smelled of rotten flesh and made the eeriest of sounds. What's even scarier is she loved to eat human bones."
Everyone's face cringed in disgust and horror.
I continued, "She then decided to make a deal with the devil himself, in order for the devil to take Galeron, and torture him for eternity, he would also take four of the strongest unborn souls in the Hennessey family line. So, who knows, maybe it will be yours," I finished, trying not to mention anything else too gruesome.
"Did that really happen daddy? Are they really going to take our souls? Does she really eat human bones?" Emily asked scared.
"Aw," Lily said, giving Emily a hug, then backing her up arm's length to look into her face, "No sweetie, it would've happened already, don't you think?"
"Yes, there hasn't been anyone taken so far?" she asked.
"No one, it would've happened already, it's been over one hundred years. It's merely a myth," I stated.
"Or a curse," Thomas replied.
I shot him a glance to cut through steel, quieting him quickly.
"No sweetie, it would never happen," Lily said.
"Alright, Time for bed," I said.
"Okay okay," Thomas said, fending his way to his bed.
Both kids chose their separate tent. Lily tucked in Emily, and I tucked in Thomas, kissing their foreheads.
"Please do not be so hard on your sister, she needs you Thomas. You need to protect her."
"I know daddy," he said putting his head down. "I just love her so much, that is why I pick on her. She needs to be tough. This world is tough."
I smiled and kissed his forehead again.
Lily convinced Emily that there was nothing to worry about. Then we each went to the other kid to also give them our kisses.
"Good night angel," I said to Emily.
Lily and I walked hand in hand to our tent to lie down; Sam was already worn from the day and passed out next to the fire.
"Good night love," I said kissing my wife on the forehead as I held her in my arms. We were both worn from the day's activities and we then passed out almost immediately.
*****
"Nicholas."
The same whisper from town sliced through the midnight air, causing me to sit straight up from a dead sleep. I looked at Lily, still asleep, breathing deeply, then touched my face to make sure it was not just another crazy dream.
Again, "Nicholas," only it was a little louder this time. A shiver crept up my spine, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to instantly rise. I forced myself up, and out of our home-made tent. Outside, the pale-dry moon shimmered high above, and a ring surrounded it. Blood was on the moon, that is what the town would say. Sam resided on one of the sitting logs by the almost burnt out fire pit. I grabbed my sword attached to a tree branch by the tent and looped it to my waist. Sensing his owner, Sam lifted his head.
"No boy go back to bed," I said as Sam cocked his head in a different direction with every word I said. Tensing as I began to walk off, he immediately got up on alert, cometely able to feel my tenseness.
"Nicholas."
******
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Black Tide Rising
FantasyA family curse that no one truly believed in, was passed down each generation as a story to scare one another. Until late one twelfth century night, a soul was taken by the devil himself. It was no ordinary soul and no ordinary man. He was one of th...
