THE DARK IDEA

The six boys chose their steps carefully into the dark forest. The night was cold,the bright ball in the sky shone on the face of the woods. The owls hooted,the wolves howled and their leader was Karen. Karen had packed his books onto his arm before a pamphlet let go. He stooped low to pick the short paper but read it first instead.

"Hey guys,come take a look!" He beckoned. The other five boys clustered around him to know what it was.

"Here,look!" Karen said with a surprised face pointing his index finger on the tiled floor.

"A house in the woods?" Kelvin read from his standing. This gave an opportunity to narrate better."History had it that that house stood for a thousand years with no one living in it. They said that people die..."Karen paused to take a glance at the attentive faces of his friends."... immediately as they come in. And this house in question is located right in the woods two miles away from here".

"That's cool!"James threw in.

"Yeah, we could visit the woods at dusk!" Karen added with thrusted fingers for emphasis and bulged eyes for the sake of conviction.

"That's uncool".James took back his enthusiasm.

"...common boys,we are students..."He gave a chuckle."...and students explore". The five boys signed. They were totally confused and their faces showed it.

"Okay,we are going in their to witness the house and nothing more,agreed?"Michael opted. Karen nodded."This night....at six".

That was few hours ago. Right this moment, the boys walked the dark forest with torchlights in their hands,shoving their way into the bushes.Each of them wore thick clothing,against the cold night and the mosquito bites.

"We'll know it when we see it." Karen broke the silence as he shove aside the tiny branches on his way for clearer passage. After crossing a small stream,the boys saw themselves in a neat and clear part of the woods,no grasses,no trees,just an old house and short broken fences.

"I thought you said people don't live here?"Joseph questioned flashing his Torchlight around the vicinity.

"And that's the house".Karen whispered to himself before his hand dropped the Torchlight he was fisting. Without wasting a second,he reached for his small camera and started doing some snapping jobs.

"Guys..."Kelvin's shaky voice showed his nervous mood."Did we talk anything about visiting a grave yard?"The other five boys turned their neck swiftly to their behind. Their eyes beheld trees with dead branches and a countless number of graves in the frost of the night,each with it's own unique epitaph. Everywhere became more quiet than it was,The hooting got more intense,every object around became creepy.

"Am getting outta here!"Kelvin made for their way back almost running.

"Wait!!" Karen beckoned. He had seen a shiny treasure tightly fisted by a decaying palm thrusted up from a grave,and he was planning to snatch it out!Karen must have gone daft!

"Karen what are you doing?" Michael queried. He was visibly scared to the spines."Drop that and let's shoot he, remember what we agreed on..."

"Oh please spare me those words."Karen was bent on taking this home."This is a real diamond which can be sold handsomely."Karen admired the shiny crystal in his palm."Besides we need a proof that we really visited here".

"Karen,the photos are enough proof. Drop that!we are not leaving here if you still habour that!"Robin reprimanded.

"That? it's diamond Robin, don't sound sick".Karen defended."Now I am getting out of here...."

A strong wind from the high sky blew over the face of the woods, continuously. The tree branches danced to its rhythm and the grasses were bent to its direction. The strange wind swept into the air dusts and fine particles causing the boys to shield their faces with their arms and palms. When the wind ceased and everything had settled,Karen found the Pamphlet on the earth.As he bent to pick it,he met the other side of the Pamphlet. James caught the sight too.

"Warning...!" He read aloud."Never take any treasure away from the house or it's premises,it is cu...." James peered harder at the Pamphlet to get the missing word. When he failed,he looked up at his friends."It's scratched off".The other five boys moped at each other in astonishment.

"I should return the diamond"Karen suggested. He was sweating already and fright clothed him. His very legs were shaking!

"Of course!"

"You should!"

"Right away!"

When Karen made to return the treasure,the grave yard was no more.

.....and the game was over. The Torchlights the boys were using went dead for no electrical reason.As the boys wandered about in the heart of the dark jungle terrified, a thick cloud from no where clothed the shinning moon, slowly,so that the woods was blacked out and the boys couldn't see their way back. The boys were trapped! Mysterious ravens flooded the sky,and then propelled at the boys in hundreds. Black feathers filled the air,dancing freely in the open space..As the boys tried running,Kelvin struck his right foot on a large rock and broke it. He landed on his behind and groaned in pain. His cries was accompanied by the strange cries of babies and pussy cats.Karen took it no more,he swerved into the air and took to his heels.

Then they came... sinister creatures with no face,no eye,no nose,no lips.Thier tattered wings flew them around the horrified boys. Then pretty sharp canines sprouted from their jaws,and with a hand of seven clawed fingers,they charged at the defenceless boys. At the farther distances behind him,Karen could hear his friends screaming in pain, calling unto him. He could hear ripping. He could hear bones cracking,he could hear fleshes tearing,he could hear blood and bone marrow being sucked,eyeballs being sucked out of their sockets,but Karen didn't stop. He shouldn't stop. Soon he was out of the woods.

"What's happening kid!" A cop in a black uniform caught Karen into his arms. Police cars had crowded the area,each with noisy sirens.

"It's okay kid,tell us...what did you see?"But Karen was rather in short of breath,for he had ran a good distance. Blood dripped in rivulets from the scar on his forehead.

"Please..." He tried some words."...save the others..." Karen fell on the floor,and his vision blurred out.