Darkness Rises

• Aisha Tolson, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2011

She looked down at her hand, pale as death, shaking uncontrollably, covered in goose bumps. Her hand was dripping wet from the down pour in which she was standing. Thunders rumbling all around, like an avalanche of rocks that wouldn’t stop falling. In the distance, over her shoulder, a bright flash of white light shone, lighting up the clouds forcing her to turn her head away from the display.
Boom! The deep pound of thunder was getting louder. What she thought was lightning was now getting brighter and nearer as well.
She started to run.
Her bare feet were being hacked at by the sharp sticks, branches and stones of the forest floor. Her dark mauve flowing dress whipped around her body, her breathing quickening along with her steps as she weaved in between trees and their branches. The sound of thunder never ceased.
She continued running until she came to a clearing in the forest, all that lay there was a lake. She walked cautiously towards the clear water’s edge, keeping in mind what would soon be catching up to her. She looked down on the water, her reflection staring right back towards her. Her face, as pale as her hand, was beautifully shaped, her hazel eyes were filled with misery, grief as well as sorrow, and her black hair fell wet and curled around her face.
Crack! Thud! She looked up towards the noise. To her right, a tree had fallen down. Warily, she walked over taking only small steps toward the tree, an old oak she noticed as she stepped into a better view of the tree. She placed a hand on the oak, which had been soaked by the rain, the feel of the wood felt so alive, earth bounding. As she pulled her hand away from the oak she scratched her hand on a stray piece of wood. “Ouch! Damn it!” She said through clenched teeth. Her scarlet blood trickled down her hand and onto the old oak.
Without warning the earth below made a loud grumble, the earth shook violently. The bright light caught up to her at that instant, causing her to twist her head in the opposite direction. A loud groan came from where the light arose from, and then an ear-piercing crack sounded from the same direction. She was not alone.
It all went quiet. She turned to face what was now before her. The creature stood tall, proud even. It faced her, the black holes which were the creatures’ eyes stared at her with hatred and disgust. It spoke “When blood has fallen upon the ancient wood of this oak, darkness will rise.”
“What...what are you saying?” She asked anxious and petrified. The creature was speaking in riddles. She was now backed up against the fallen oak never letting the creature out of sight. What had she done?
The creature looked at her with amusement in his features. It replied in a husky voice, “I’m your worst nightmare.”