Various Short Stories/Poems I Wrote For School

Mystery of the Scythe

In a lone park in the small rural town of Greensburrow, there lies an unusual sight. A lone scythe stuck in the ground in the center of several glowing cracks. Nobody knows where this scythe came from and people generally tend to avoid it because of various rumors regarding it. One day, two children run into the park and approach the scythe.

They stop in front of it. No grass was in sight and the scythe exudes an ominous aura. One of the kids say, "I'll bet you $5 that you can't touch that scythe."

"Bet," says the other kid before running closer to the scythe.

Despite all the warnings the rumors state to stay away from the scythe, the kids throw all caution to the wind as the one kid who betted he could touch it lays his hand on it. Sudden pain fills his entire body as he lets out an unearthly scream. The other kid watches in horror as his best friend screams in agony until it suddenly stops as his fingers slip from the scythe causing him to fall. The other kid runs to his best friend and puts his hand on the now cold body of his friend, trying to shake him awake tears in his eyes.

"Wake up. Please. Wake up! WAKE UP!"

His plea is not heard by the corpse or if it has no response comes. The kid runs. He runs and he runs until he arrives at the police station, his tears never ending. It doesn't take long before the police and an ambulance arrive at the scene. The paramedics rush over to the child but confirm the worst. The child is no longer of this world.

The police chief, Harry Johnson with gray hair and green eyes in a blue police uniform, puts his hand on his hat and asks the other kid, "And you said this happened right when he put his hands on the scythe?"

The kid in tears over the loss of his best friend sobs, "Yes. He touched it and died. It's all my fault. I dared him to touch it. I didn't think this would happen."

Johnson puts his hand on the crying kid's shoulders and reassures him, "You couldn't have known any of those rumors were true. I myself didn't believe them but respected them regardless. Now why don't you go over there to Officer Clay? She'll get in contact with your mom so she can pick you up."

The kid wipes his arm across his face and simply says, "Ok," before heading off.

A guy in a white shirt with black hair and yellow eyes walks up to Johnson. Johnson asks him, "Do you really believe the scythe is the cause of all this?"

A bunch of officers run past them and the person next to him states in a gruff voice, "I don't know. I heard the rumors about them myself and just to be on the safe side, I sent some detectives to investigate said rumors, but it's too early to jump to conclusions. The eyewitness account seems to lean more into the supernatural than any scientific explanation damaging its credibility in my eyes. Keeping in mind that it is a child who gave the report, their perception of the event may be warped from the trauma."

"Well Harris, I would like to think that maybe the children are just more willing to accept the supernatural than us adults. At the same time, I agree that we shouldn't jump to any conclusions. Conduct the investigation with your usual precision," state Johnson.

"On it," says Harris moving towards the crime scene.

Days pass as the police department go through every avenue, every possible scientific explanation until one day as one of the detectives was getting up he accidently grabs the scythe to give himself a boost up only to let out an unearthly scream thanks to his momentary lapse in judgement. Despite the fact that his hands were gloved, he continued screaming as several officers separate him from the scythe only for him to go limp in their hands, his death assured.