There was once a man named David. David had a wife whose name was Elizabeth. David and Elizabeth had just recently had their first child, a baby boy whom they named James. He was born just a few weeks back. David and his wife were exceedingly happy about the birth of their first child, so they decided to take a celebration trip to a small cabin in Appalachia. They decided on this place due to the absolutely beautiful scenery surrounding the cabin. So it felt like the perfect place for the couple to stay for a bit.
As they grew nearer to the cabin it began to become darker. David said to Elizabeth “I’m really excited to go to this beautiful place”. “Yeah we need some time away from the relatives” says Elizabeth. They then roll into the dirt driveway of the cabin. They knocked and an old man answered the door. “I presume you three are my tenants” the man says “Yes” David says. The place is all ready for you folks but I have a few rules I must tell you before you can get settled. The first rule: lock ALL doors and windows and leave no open curtains. The second rule: If you hear cries for help or something calling your name NO YOU DON’T and return to sleep. The final rule: NEVER under any circumstances enter the forest at night. The couple assumed he was just being creepy.
The man left and the family started to settle into sleep since they were exhausted. David forgot to close the curtain near where his son was sleeping. The family quickly dozed off into slumber. Late at night David wakes up and hears James screaming in terror. He rushes to James’s room to see him gone and the window wide open. In a panicked frenzy he wakes up his wife to tell her what has happened. He goes outside and hears faint noises of an infant crying in the forest. David wastes no time and rushes towards the sound calling out the name of his son. David now deep in the woods sees a tall creature with sharp claws staring at him. It lunges towards him and slashes open his chest. David starts to see all black as the world goes dark. David should’ve followed the rules.
Jackson Seavey, Antrim, Age 13
Grade 8