I wish we hadn’t gone to the woods that night. It had been fun at first, playing hide and seek.
In the dark everything was more hyped, thrilling and dangerous.
Hiding under a dead tree, trying not to laugh, I heard something whisper my name then felt hands around my neck.
(Inspired by; https://first50.wordpress.com/2019/10/14/i-wish-4/ with thanks).
Proficient; well advanced in an art, occupation or branch of knowledge.
It had started in his childhood as a focus for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and his love for Dungeons And Dragons had been born. Now, in his mid-thirties he was a Dungeon Master and sometimes player at the local board games club but he also travelled to events, conventions and D&D weekends to Master there.
He knew all the rules by heart, could add up the dice rolls faster then anyone and was great at reading out the adventures and describing the battles. He was proficient at the hobby but to him D&D was more then that, it was the way of his life.
Habseligkeiten; things that an adult might find worthless but a child sees as treasure.
Getting the kids away from technology was becoming harder and harder. I looked up ideas for making Sunday walks more interesting and decided a treasure hunt could be good.
I found a wooden box in the attic and also some worthless items I could put inside it; old coins, a small teddy bear, some fake gemstones and some small toys. Then I buried the box in the local woods next to a large pool of water. I made a map and spun a story for the kids; the lost treasure of a prince.
We had the best afternoon and the kids really did think they had found treasure.
(Inspired by; https://crimsonprose.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/crimsons-creative-challenge-21/ with thanks).
Sitting in the hushed audience, Gale fixed her eyes on the raised stage. Her twelve year old son was playing the final chess match against a forty-five year man who was the reigning champion.
There are worse thing he could be addicted too, Gale thought once more, computer games, junk food…drugs…
Her heart skipped a beat and she prayed that never happened. Focusing back on the tournament which seemed to be going well, Gale felt a swell of pride of her little genius.
Half an hour later, Gale’s son won. She stood up with the rest of the crowd, clapping and cheering.
(Inspired by; https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/10/31/2-november-2018/ with thanks).
It started out as a game of hide and seek which turned into a nightmare none of them could ever escape from.
(Inspired by; https://scvincent.com/2018/09/20/thursday-photo-prompt-pillars-writephoto/ with thanks).
Seven doors; six things that would kill me, only one that would free me. I had reached the final part in this biased life or death ‘game show’ which was a reality in my country. I choice the middle one. Grabbing the handle, I opened the door and faced my destiny.
(Inspired by; https://katmyrman.com/2018/05/01/twittering-tales-82-1-may-2018/ with thanks).
It was all riding on this final match, everything he had worked for was about to pay off. All he had to do was hit the ball right to win the game then his dreams would come true. He arched his arm back and got ready.
(Inspired by https://only100words.xyz/2018/01/18/three-line-tales-week-103/ with thanks).
Some days, it was nice just to sit back and watched the clouds go by. Laying on the beach, I looked up and watched the thin clouds drifting across the ice blue sky. When I was a child my parents had played a game with me were we had taken it in turns to call out the shapes we saw within the clouds.
I smiled and began to play, trying to come up with all kinds of animals and objects that the wispy clouds could be. I got things like; horses, birds, people and a three legged crocodile. Then though all the clouds seemed to move away leaving just the bright sun above.
I sighed and shut my eyes, glad that the shade of the sun umbrella was keeping the glare off me. My mind wondered off and I thought about how much easier life had been as a child.
(Inspired from; https://scvincent.com/2017/08/17/thursday-photo-prompt-wisp-writephoto with thanks).
By the time the goblet was handed down to Wisdom, the legend that the sliver helmeted skull was that of an forgotten ancient King killed in an unknown battle, had long been lost.
Wisdom placed the goblet on to his bookcase, not knowing what else to do with it. Staring at the empty eye sockets, he decided the skull was too real looking and he turned the goblet around.
Feeling a little better, he sit down at his desk and loaded a fantasy war game up on to his PC. For some reason though, his eyes kept drifting to the goblet and he couldn’t concentrate on his game.
There was something creepy about the goblet he decided and he didn’t want it in his bedroom. Getting up, he picked the goblet off the shelf and took it downstairs. He went into the dinning room and placed it in the glass corner case. The helmet wearing skull goblet looked out of place beside a small crystal rabbit and a hand painted porcelain box.
Wisdom went back upstairs and sat down at his desk again. He felt a lot better now. He got back to his game and forgot all about the goblet.
(Inspired by; https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/sunday-photo-fiction-january-15th-2017/)
Charlie arrived breathlessly home from school and went to head up to his room.
‘Charlie?’ his mum called from the kitchen.
His foot touched the bottom of the staircase and he almost broke into another run.
The kitchen door squeaked open and his mum appeared in the hallway. She was dressed in her office clothes; a black pencil skirt, white blouse and black jacket.
‘Are you okay?’
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
‘Come in the kitchen. I’ll get you a drink,’ she suggested.
Charlie looked longingly up the stairs and almost told her no. It was best just to get it over and done with though. Slowly, he followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
There was a bright orange pumpkin opposite him. It was mostly round, but a bit bumpy. He reached a finger out and poked the soft flesh.
‘Here you go,’ his mum spoke and put a glass of milk before him.
Charlie picked it up, his eyes still drawn to the pumpkin.
‘How was school?’
‘Okay…Can I go now?’ Charlie said in a low voice.
His mum sighed, ‘I suppose. Dinner will be soon.’
Charlie nodded, took a sip of his milk and went upstairs with it. There in his bedroom, he turned his TV and game console on. He loaded his fantasy game and began playing.
‘Charlie!’ his mum called a few minutes.
He rolled his eyes and tutted.
‘I need to nip out. I forgot something. Do you want to come?’
‘No!’ he yelled back.
‘I’ll be back soon then.’
‘Fine!’ Charlie called back then under his breath, ‘I just want to be left alone.’
He heard the front door close and turned his focus back to his game. A boss battle was coming up. He charged head into the fantasy game, forgetting everything else. Until a loud thumping sound came from the kitchen.
Charlie paused, shrugged and carried on playing.
The sound came again as if someone was knocking on the back door.
Charlie finally paused the game and got up. Growling, he went downstairs and into the kitchen. There was no one at the back door, but the pumpkin had gone from the table. Puzzled, he looked around for it and saw a flash of orange on the floor. He looked under the table and saw the pumpkin there against the wall.
‘What the….?’
He reached out for it. Changed his mind and went back upstairs with a shake of his head. The pumpkin had just rolled off. It hadn’t looked stable anyway. Charlie rushed back upstairs and to his game. Settling down again, he carried on playing.
He just about heard his mum come home and start tea. Later on, She had to call him down for it three times, before he give in and went.
‘What were you doing up there?’ she asked, as he sat down.
‘Playing my game…’ Charlie answered.
‘Did you do your homework?’
‘It’s half term. I got time now,’ he responded.
He ate quickly and before his mum could say anything further, Charlie had gone upstairs again. Loading his game, he fall back into completing his mission to find a magic sword. Sometime later, he heard his dad come home then his parents coming to say good night to him.
Charlie pretended to go to bed, but really he waited till he was sure his parents had fallen sleep and got up again. He went to turn on his TV when a he heard something moving downstairs. He stopped and listened. It sounded like a heavy ball rolling down the hallway.
Frowning, Charlie crept to his door and looked out. The hallway was dark and he couldn’t see. He walked out. Turned on the light and tried to listen for the sound again. He couldn’t hear anything. He made to turn back into his room, but then there was a creak. He went to the edge of the stairs looked down.
The pumpkin was in the hallway.
Frowning and wondering how it got there, Charlie went downstairs. The pumpkin was in the middle of the hallway, on it’s side. He touched it with his barefoot but it didn’t move. Shrugging, he went back upstairs, turning off the light and shutting the door. Charlie went to his TV again and turned it on.
He reached for the button on his game console. A dull thump, stopped his hand. Charlie looked over his shoulder.
‘What’s going on?’ he muttered, ‘Whatever.’
He pressed the button and settled down. As the game loaded, he heard what sounded like someone walking up the stairs. Only it sounded more hollow and with large gaps in between each step. Charlie ignored it and started playing his game. He was in the middle of another quest now.
He heard the loose board on the landing creak.
Charlie stopped his game and turned off the TV. He scrambled into his bed and pulled the duvet over his head. He quieten his breathing and stilled himself. He listened hard. It was just his mum or dad getting up to go the bathroom or something.
There was a knock at his door.
Charlie faked sleep as best as he could.
His door opened, but instead of footsteps the carpet, something very heavy rolled across his floor.
Frowning, under the duvet, he wondered what was going on. He almost pulled the bedding down to see, but nervous had gotten to him. He held his breath and waited.
Something knocked into his bed and he felt vibrations through him.
Taking a deep breath, Charlie threw the duvet back and clicked on the lamp. He looked down and saw the pumpkin at the foot of his bed. A crude mouth and two eyes had been craved in the surface out of which yellow light was coming out. The pumpkin was grinning evil up at him.
A scream ripped out of Charlie’s mouth and echoing in his ears. He tried to get out of the bed, but the bedding was tangled around him. He fell to the floor and the pumpkin rolled towards him. Charlie screamed again and scuttled across the floor to the door. He reached it at the same time his mum appeared in the doorway.
He grabbed her legs and pressed his face against her. He felt her arms around him then heard her scream as she saw the pumpkin.
She pulled Charlie to his feet and they ran into her bedroom. Slamming the door, they both looked at Charlie’s dad getting out of the bed.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
‘The pumpkin….did you do that?’ Charlie’s mother gasped.
‘What?’
‘The pumpkin had a face on it and it was next to Charlie’s bed.’
‘It came into my room by itself!’ Charlie cried.
‘Don’t be silly!’ his dad snapped.
Pushing past them, his dad opened the door and looked out. They looked too and they all saw the pumpkin sat in the hallway. Light from it’s eyes and mouth pooling on the floor and casting an eerie glow around it.
‘Charlie, did you do that?’ his dad asked.
Charlie shook his head and backed away.
‘Why would he?’ his mum shot in, ‘he’s been in his room all day.’
‘Right, well someone’s having a laugh aren’t they?’ his dad said.
He went out into the hallway, picked the pumpkin up and they heard him carry it downstairs.
‘Honestly, Charlie, did you do that?’ his mum asked.
‘No. Why would I?’ Charlie shouted.
Shaking off the last of his fear, he went back to his room and closed his door softly. Charlie turned the TV back on, but before he sat down to play his game again, he went to the window. His bedroom looked over the side of the house. He couldn’t see anything out there other then the glow of a streetlamp and the side of the neighboring house. He went back to his game and after a few moments heard his dad come back in and to bed.
He heard the hush voices of his parents, but couldn’t make their words out. No doubt they were talking about him though. Ignoring all of that, he started to play his game again. However, he couldn’t help but think about what had just happened. Who had done that to the pumpkin and why? It had seemed so real, but of course it couldn’t have been….
Soon tiredness crept on him and Charlie went to bed. Just as he was falling asleep though, he heard something moving in the downstairs hallway. Pulling a face, he listened and tried to decided what that was. Then he heard something rolling up the stairs…
He clutched the duvet then throwing it back, he got out of bed and rushed to his desk. Grabbing his chair, he dragged it to his bedroom door and wedged the top of the chair under the door knob. He stepped back just as something heavy banged into his door. Charlie looked around his room, wondering what else he could do. But there was nothing here that would help.
The bang came against his door again and carried on.
He wanted to scream, but couldn’t.
Then the banging stopped.
He waited for what felt like an age, but was only a few minutes. He took the chair away and opened his door. He turned the hallway light on and saw it was empty. Then he noticed his parents bedroom door was open.
His mum’s scream ripped through the house and Charlie bolted over.
He turned on the light as he entered and his feet stumbled to a stop.
The pumpkin was on the bed eating his dad’ head. There was blood everywhere and his mum was fleeing into a corner. Charlie looked around and spotted a pair of small scissors on top of a cupboard. He grabbed them, charged in and stabbed the pumpkin with them.
The pumpkin turned to him, blood dripping from sharp fang teeth which tried to bite his fingers.
Charlie stabbed down again and again.
The pumpkin tried to move out of the way, but Charlie was faster. He stuck the scissors deep in, grabbed the pumpkin and threw it to the floor.
The pumpkin smashed and the yellow light went out.
Charlie looked at the mess, trying to catch his breath. Behind him, he heard his mum scrambling around on the bed. She was speaking, but he couldn’t hear her. Then her words sunk in and Charlie reached for a mobile phone and called an ambulance.
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