The Midnight Arrow

• Nicholas Edmonds, Grade 10, Clarkson Community High School
• Short Story
• 2016

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

TWANG!
An arrow impales itself into a nearby tree. No! Why now? I would run away from the skeleton,
But it stands in the direct path to my house.
TWANG!
No time to think. I run at a diagonal route, taking me dangerously near the skeleton. Still, I
need to get home. If I had looked, I would have seen the skeleton with an arrow ready in its
Bow. Waiting. A detour would waste too much time and I sprint with all I have. An arrow flies
Through the darkness.
There isn’t the sound of the arrow hitting a tree or the ground. It sunk its tip into my thigh. I let out a cry, refusing to die silently. The abomination walks closer, smiling at me with its eternal grin. The moonlight reflects off of the bones, making them seem to glow. I start to black out from the pain when something happens. Only parts are seen from my pain-induced state. An arrow ready to be released to end my life. An arrow in flight. The bow knocked to the ground. A dagger drawn but broken by a shining sword. And then the skeleton falls in front of me, still grinning that smile before fading away.
A hand appears in front of my face. I look up to see its owner. A strong man with eyes filled with bravery. I pale in comparison. His hair is rough and it is blown by the cold, snowy winds. Stubble covers his chin. I take his hand and struggle up.
“You just respawn? Here, take my sword.” He speaks briskly, wasting no time, and goes right to the situation at hand. I take the sword and glance at it. It’s shiny, iron perhaps? I always wind up dying, after finding iron. Then I realize that he is still waiting for my answer.
“Yeah, I got killed by one of those green things. My house is in the west but that skeleton got in my way.” My voice is shaky from both pain and fear.
“A creeper, eh? Yeah those things can really creep up on you. We’d better get to your house so we can fix up your leg. I don’t won’t another ambush.” He hoists my arm in his shoulder. The pain is relieved, if only slightly.
We made it back to my house without any more events. I close my eyes both from pain and embarrassment as he looks at the wound.
“Not bad.” I would sigh if he wasn’t so close. We get inside and I have to sit down to avoid my knees buckling out from under me. Through some very painful procedures and plenty of screaming, he manages to get the arrow out. He tells me to rest and I manage to fall asleep though all the pain.