Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-25597074-20151021034437

The words Billy’s parents uttered might as well have been a death sentence; “Take up the trash cans." Billy usually didn’t mind taking down the trash cans but as the season changed, the days got shorter and colder, the leaves fell, and September became October, Billy  began to deplore this weekly chore.

Billy’s long driveway snaked its way down a forested hill until it finally reached the distant street. Billy hated fall; he hated how the trees skeletal branches seemed to block out all light, despite not a leaf remaining on the long spindly branches jutting into the sky. Billy began his perilous trek down the hill. Dusk was already fading away to dark and Billy was only an eighth of the way there. Once he reached the bottom he had to bring up both garbage cans but Billy was a big boy he could do it.

He was now almost a third of the way down the hill, the wind made the trees branches appear to be reaching down to grab him there tall dark forms looming over him ominously in the overcast, moonless sky. He was just over halfway down, he had come too far to turn back now. Tendrils of fear began to reach out and Billy quickened his pace. Then he remembered what his father always said right before he tucked Billy into bed; “Don't be afraid of the dark Billy, it can't hurt you." Billy was three quarters of the way down now, his father's words giving him the courage he needed to finish the job. Billy was going to prove to himself that the dark was nothing to be scared of. Billy confidently walked down the hill reciting his mantra; “I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark." Billy saw shadows moving out of the corner of his eye but the bottom was in sight!

Billy entered the dim light the street lamps provided, still reciting his mantra. He grabbed both garbage cans and started walking back up the hill dragging both cans behind him, ignoring the shadows skirting around the edge of the light. “I am not afraid of the dark! I am not afraid of the dark! I am not afraid of the dark!” he defiantly shouted to the enveloping darkness. Billy was a quarter of the way up the hill when he heard the sound of twigs snapping and leaves crunching to his right. He turned and was shocked to briefly glimpse two glowing yellow eyes in the distant woods.

Billy froze in place unsure of what to do. He quickly mulled over his options. He could run but then his father would be disappointed in him and tell Billy he was to old to still be afraid of the dark. Besides what if the yellow eyed monster heard him running and chased after him? Billy decided to think out the situation logically like his dad would. There was no such thing as monsters so the yellow eyes must belong to an animal. It could not be deer they were light and quiet on their feet and the thing had made a lot of noise, It could be a raccoon or maybe even a coyote, either way as long as he stayed away from the creature he would be fine. He continued walking up the hill and reciting his mantra; “I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark." A shadow darted across the driveway, Billy fear growing in his heart repeated “I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark." Twigs snapped and leaves crunched on all sides of him. Billy was over halfway up the hill and walking as fast as he could with the two cans chanting his mantra; “I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark. I am not afraid of the dark."

Billy heard something moving behind him, shadows danced and darted in the corner of his vision, dark figures watched him from the tree line, the forest was studded with glowing eyes. Billy was 3 quarters of the way up the hill almost screaming his mantra, his voice muffled by the thick blanket of darkness. “I am not afraid of the dark! I am not afraid of the dark!, I am not afraid of the dark!” Billy had just a little further to go before he could return to the safety and comfort of his home. There was movement all around him, strange figures and shaped jutted around him. Billy screamed at the top of his lungs “I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK! I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK!” From behind him a low raspy voice responded, “Well you should be afraid of what's in it.”  