the.phrophecy.

This story I wrote around the age of 11, it's just another short story I found whilst going through my files.

One day while a couple of boys were exploring a cave by the beach, they discovered a roll of notes hidden under a pile of stones, they slowly lifted up the rocks one by one not wanting to tear the delicate looking paper that lay beneath.
“What is this?” asked James
“They look like letters to me,” Alex replied as he read out the first one that his extended fingers could grasp. It read:
‘whoever is to read this, is to be warned for once you begin you must not stop...’
Alex paused for a moment and looked up at James, with a hint of regret in his eyes. James who had always been the rebellious one said, “What are you waiting for? Keep reading!”
“But-“ Alex began, but James broke him off, “Oh give it here you wuss!” he snatched the letter and began to read,
‘Whoever is to read this, is to be warned for once you begin you must not stop.
Until you find a clearing, where all there will be is a single tree,
and a deadly silence, except for a rabbits hop.
Think back to the path you took there,
and look beneath the tree,
Marked with a dagger is the blood of those who tried to flee.
Be warned, the world in which you are to enter,
to save your mortal soul, holds the creatures from your nightmares,
A blood thirsty hunter.
Escape him and you will live,
Get caught and you will most definitely die.
Perish is his name, winning is his game.
Don’t let him catch you!’
“Ha! What a load of mumbo-jumbo,” James snarled as he began tearing up the letter.
“NO STOP!” Alex cried snatching the remains of the note off of James.
“This is serious do you want to die? Do you?” Alex was near breaking point everything showed it, his eyes were wide with fright, his body was suddenly stiff. James rolled his eyes at Alex and chuckled at his expression.
“Alex, someone has made this letter to scare you, it’s not true.”
“But James how can you be so sure, it said we mustn’t stop once we start reading, and what was that about a blood thirsty killer that will come and get us?” Alex stammered.
“I don’t remember why don’t you read it again?” James said sarcastically
“Well I would but you ripped it up didn’t you!” obviously not picking up on the sarcasm in James’ voice.
“Alex, come on mate how likely do you think this all is?” James said
“Well I’m not sure, let’s just get out of here.” Alex’s voice broke on the last words.
“Good choice mate the exit’s this way.” James pointed to the darkest part of the cave.
“What? Are you kidding me it’s the other way where you can see light.” Alex protested
“I don’t think so…” James said now unsure
“Well I do, so you can come or you can stay.” Alex hissed as he walked away
“I’m coming I’m coming” James yelled running to catch up to Alex .
Alex and James kept walking for what felt like ages
“ I think my feet have blisters.” Alex moaned.
“Well it was your idea to go this way wasn’t it?” James snapped back.
“Well it made more sense than to go into the darkest part of the cave, not see anything, then die!” Alex rebutted.
“Well that’s great now we can see, then die.” James muttered under his breath.
The two of them continued walking until they came upon a opening. After looking around, only one tree was visible.
“We must be getting close to the exit.” James said mostly to himself.
“What makes you say that?” Alex sighed.
“Well how do you think this plant is growing?” James replied hand gesturing at the tree.
“Good-“ Alex was all of a sudden dead silent
“What?” James asked puzzled
“Shhh!” Alex held his finger to his lip motioning for James to be quiet. James waited for a while still confused because of Alex’s reaction until he heard the thud, thud of a creature ‘could that be a rabbit’ James thought to himself.
“Did you hear that?” Alex whispered.
“Was umm that a rabbit?” James replied in a shaky voice.
“I think-“Alex stopped mid sentence.
“What is it Alex?” James said starting to worry
“Why. Is. That. Tree. Red!” Alex said each word as its own sentence
James turned his head and sure enough the tree looked like it had been bleeding. But that was not possible. Then James had a mental flashback of the letter:
‘Until you find a clearing, where all there will be is a single tree,
and a deadly silence, except for a rabbits hop.
Think back to the path you took there,
and look beneath the tree,
marked with a dagger is the blood of those who tried to flee.’
It couldn’t be. It can’t be true

“Uhh Alex remem-“ but James stopped not because he was scared but because Alex wasn’t there.
“Alex! This isn’t funny man, come out!” the desperation in James’ voice was clear. How he wished he was home with his parents eating dinner playing with his sister, but sadly this wasn’t the case. Panic overtook James. He tried to run, but his feet wouldn’t move, it was like they were bolted down by an invisible force, he tried to scream but no sound came out, it felt like someone was holding a cloth to his mouth. James stumbled backwards landing with a hard thud! He opened his eyes and saw a shadow emerge from the tree, this shadow was not Alex, he was far too big. Slowly, inch by inch the huge black silhouette came closer. Then the blackness overtook James and all he saw was black. Now I wish I could say that James wakes up and he's with his family eating breakfast, or that Alex came around the corner mocking James for his stupidity; but sadly that was not the case, both Alex and James were never seen again.