Jack's heart felt like it would burst out of his chest any moment. The monster had been chasing him for a few minuted now. He ran and leapt sideways into a bush. The beast flew past its one mad eye glinting in the dark, roaring with fury a victim clinging to its back for dear life.

Jack hid in the bushes, taking refuge in the dark moist interior. It felt like this beast had been pursuing him on and off since he had been split up from his parents. He sat back, raised his legs, put his head on his knees and sobbed to himself. He wanted his mum to hug him and tell him everything would be OK.

“MUMMY WHERE ARE YOU?” Jack shouted, his sobs coming thick and fast now.

***

The warm sun on his head brought Jack around. He had cried himself to sleep. He stood up and stretched. How long was it now since he had been separated from his mummy and daddy? It felt like an age. It was still dark. His trousers were damp from the soft ground. He brushed the grass from his knees looking round nervously in case the creature came back. The glint from the lake caught his eyes. It was just through the trees a quick walk in front of him. He wanted to walk away from the lake, to stride off into the woods and go looking for his parents. But he felt a strange connection to the lake and felt himself drawn back to it. He just could not leave it for fear that he would be lost. This was a focal point. It was familiar, beyond the lake was dark and scarey. He new that if he just could get his nerve he could stride off away from the lake and he could get back to his mum. His mum. Why had his mom not come looking for him? It had been daylight when it had happened and now it was dark. Had they gone? Had they forgot him and just gone home? No, they must be looking for him, they loved him and he loved them. He walked towards the lake.

It was his attraction to the lake that had caused his misfortune in the first place. Jack looked at the expanse of water. His eyes where focused beyond it, beyond everything, they were looking to the start of his misfortune.

***
Irene and Joshua had brought their son away from the Smoky city of London to the woods for a picnic. It had taken them quite a while on the steam train but it was worth it to smell the fresh air and walk away from the crowds and the squalor.

“Could you believe the air could be so fresh”, Irene said tapping her husband on the arm.

“Breathe in all that country goodness Jack lad, it will help your lungs”, Joshua said to his son ruffling his hair.

They walked into the woods enjoying the warmth of the son on their face. Jack had the picnic basket over his shoulder and he had his other arm around the waist of his wife.

“Joshua.” Irene said, unhooking his arm and holding his hand instead. “I think that country air is getting to you, not in front of Jack”.

Irene pulled Jack close to her as they walked. A clearing was coming up in front of them. In the middle was a stump that would make a perfect table. Irene got Joshua to put the basket down and busied herself getting the picnic ready.

“Go for a wander Jack lad, have a look around, but not to far away mind”, Joshua said to his son.

Jack walked away from his parents looking around at all the countryside. It was his first visit, he had spent his entire life in the muck and smoke of London town. Through the tree's he could see something glinting that caught his eye. It was a lake. He had never seen such a large clean expanse of water. He walked close to the edge and bent over dipping his hands into the cool water. It felt cool and fresh, it didn't smell acrid like the Thames and the water was not slimey. He leaned over to try and catch a fish darting just under the surface, he slipped. For a moment he thought he could regain his balance, but it was no use. He fell, it felt like slow motion. As he reached the water his head hit a rock with a sickening crack and everything went black.

Jack was not sure how long he had been out, but when he awoke he had drifted into the lake itself and he had to dog paddle to the edge. His feet had touched the rocky bottom and he had waded to the shore, pulling himself out choking and coughing. Coughing all the water out of his mouth he had allowed himself time to get his strength back. Everything had looked different and he could not remember which way to go. He had stood up and started to walk around looking for something familiar. He wanted to shout out, but the dark and the unfamiliar surroundings made him too scared to make a noise. Wandering around the edge of the lake in the moonlight had been scary enough, and then the monster had turned up. He had seen it twice now. Each time was the same, it growled in a deep loud rumbling sound, with one big, bright scary eye in front illuminating everything. The last time Jack had seen that it had got a victim in its back. He had thought that his heart was going to burst until panic had seized him and he had ran as fast as his legs would take him.

He came back to the present wit ha snap. Maybe it was time, maybe now it was finally time to walk into the woods and find his parents.

***
Andrew Rode his trial bike as fast as he could out of the woods. He nearly lost it as he hit a rock next to the road, but he managed to recover and he skidded to a halt beside Mark.

“I saw it” he shouted at Mark. “I bloody saw it”.

“What the hell are you babbling about?” Mark said getting up from the ground.

“I saw that ghost, that snot nosed kid that drowned in the lake in Victorian times. I saw him and he saw me. I thought I was going to die”. Andrew said.

“Don't talk wet, there's no such thing as ghosts”. Mark said, but he still felt a cold chill go down his back.

“Think what you want”, Andy said, “But I'm not staying here”.

Andy rode off down the road. Mark jumped on his bike, not feeling so brave now he was on his own and Rode after him.

The
End.

Want to comment on this Short Stories? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...