Ghost of the Wilderness
The boys were tired; they had been trekking for six hours and
still they had not reached the lake.
‘I think we are lost in this wilderness,’ said one.
‘We must stop and camp somewhere; Sun is about to set and
soon it would be dark,’ other replied.
They found a nice camping place near a rivulet.
‘How do you like it?’ asked one
‘I sense something eerie about this place,’ said the other
and laughed as if it was a joke. They began to set up the camp.
They were about to start their dinner when, in the dim evening
light, they saw an old, sickly man, in tattered clothes, approaching their
camp. They were taken aback and looked at each other.
‘I am tired and hungry. I haven’t eaten for days. Would you
mind sharing……….’ his voice was harsh and low.
The boys seemed lost for words; they said nothing.
‘“Who this man is and………what’s he doing here?” That’s what
you are thinking, no?’ Although his body was withered his eyes were shinning in
the fading evening light.
‘Yes,’ said one of them, meekly.
‘You think I am…….some unearthly being…..a ghost,’ he
laughed.
‘No,’ said the other boy but without any conviction.
‘I too came in search of the lake and got lost in this
wilderness. I have been wandering here for years……I have even lost count of the
years. I don’t think the lake exist…..yes; I know there’s no lake anywhere here.
Boys, let me warn you; there’s no way out from here; we are all trapped in this
ghostly wilderness.’
A terrifying nervousness began to grip the boys.
‘You can have the dinner with us but this tent is good enough
for two persons only. You may have to make some other arrangement…….’ one boy
ventured politely.
‘What bad times these are? People are unwilling to help even
a harmless and sick….….’old man started muttering strange words that the boys
couldn’t understand.
And then to their horror, he got on his all fours and began to
howl like a wolf. His call was promptly returned by a pack of invisible wolves.
************
My earlier posts are here
A B C D E F
OMG!!! Scary!
ReplyDeletethanks Archana
DeleteOoh, eerie. I like the tone and style here, almost like a fairy tale, but a little more precise.
ReplyDeleteThanks Patrick
Deletescary
ReplyDeleteGlad I read this in the morning and not at night. :)
ReplyDeletebut the real fun is when you read a dark story at night, thanks for stopping by
DeleteWow! this is too good.
ReplyDeletethanks Rajesh
DeleteNice setting, and what a sudden twist in the end when one almost got used to the old sickly man.
ReplyDeletethanks Narinder for appreciating the story
DeleteWhat a fabulous story! I love the weird, the macabre, and this has nailed it brilliantly.
ReplyDelete[@samantha_rjsdr] from
Whimsical Compass
thanks for stopping by
DeleteHmm? Would the wolves still come after them if they chose to let him sleep in their tent? Great story. Thanks for your comment on my blog.
ReplyDeletethanks, we can imagine all the turns and twists that are possible.
DeleteI am following you now. Follow me?
ReplyDeletethanks
Deletewhat a great story! Love the ending.
ReplyDeleteVisit Keith's Ramblings
Thanks keith
DeleteJ here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
ReplyDeleteHow has the first week of the challenge been for you so far? Are you meeting your goals of posting and hopping to other blogs?
My blog has a giveaway with bonus a to z challenges to encourage people to visit more stops.
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
Oooh, that's a great hook at the end. Well done!
Thanks J for stopping by, sure its my second year and i like it, yes i am meeting the goals and visiting at least 7 to 10 blogs everyday and my favorites are always there to follow
DeleteHmm the wolves may come and clear the tent for him after his howl, pays to be nice haha
ReplyDeletethanks pat
DeleteI think this pack is behind our house at night. We hear them but never see them.
ReplyDeleteyou can't be that sure with unearthly beings, thanks for stopping by
Delete*shivers*
ReplyDeleteI have a funny feeling that these boys will be stuck there forever...just like the old, sickly man in tattered clothes.
Don't forget to pop in by my blog.
There are still PLENTY of free books to be won during the A to Z challenge. Just remember to say which books really grab your attention.
Writer In Transit
thanks Michelle
DeleteYikes. I had a feeling that story wasn't going to end happy.
ReplyDelete~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
that's the problem ghosts, they make life miserable even in stories, thanks for stopping by
Delete