It was late as I blew out the candles in the main sanctuary. It was a windy cold autumn night, and the little drafty church was never a warm place, the congregation never noticed this, but I knew better, I have spent so many hours here alone. As I walked into the hallway leading to the office, I could see the shadows dancing on the wall opposite of the office doorway, suddenly a shadow from behind startled me as if someone was walking up behind me, I turned quickly only to realize the shadow was from one of the candles I had just extinguished, and I was frightened by my own shadow. I laughed out loud, and muttered something about all the time I spent here alone. Still I had a uneasy feeling, a feeling that I was not alone. I decided it was best to get home, as my supper would be a couple of hours old by now.

I stepped through the entrance of the old church only to notice the full moon casting its light into the trees the shadows from the forest dancing all around me. A cold misty wind bit at my face as I pulled my hood over my head, as I walked to my horse. Wendy my old mare had seen better days, but she seemed more tense than normal, like she was aching to get on our way. I paused for a moment before mounting Wendy, looking up at the moon, ominous rolling clouds where moving in and the wind seemed to be picking up some strength, the forest around me seemed to be alive with movement, the sight and the sounds of this was my queue that it was time to leave.

We were on our way, down the dirt road; Wendy was keeping a slow but steady pace. I began to relax some, and thought myself foolish getting all jittery at my old age. We were riding at this point straight toward the moon witch was nice to be able to see the road before us. We reached the crossroad, and made a right turn that would take me to my loving wife and three children, I know my wife would have finished cleaning up after dinner and my kids would be huddled around the fireplace studying there bible lessons. I thought to myself one mile down six to go. It started raining lightly I had to pull my hood tighter as the wind and cold rain stung my face, when suddenly the feeling I was not alone intensified, my hair on my neck stood on end, and Wendy must have felt it as well for her pace quickened. The wind and the rain and the shadows all around us, seemed to close in. When suddenly Wendy stopped cold in her tracks. I looked around us, but could not see anything, nothing but forest and shadow I could not hear anything but the wind and the rain.

Despite the cold and the wind, I was sweating now, My heart began to beat faster, I had the feeling of impending doom, panic was starting to set in, I urged Wendy forward but she would not move, I started talking to Wendy in my attempt to urge her to move. Suddenly someone or something leaped on the back of Wendy, I screamed and froze in fear as whatever it was wrapped its arms around me in a tight grip, Wendy lurched forward, neighing and bucking wildly down the road. My mind was racing as fast as my heart, fear and panic gripped me, lightening was striking all around us deafening thunder filled my head freezing cold rain poured all around us turning the road to a muddy mess. The grip around me was tightening around me; I pulled at the arms trying to loosen its grip, my eyes wide, screaming at the top of my lungs not able to catch my breath, we continued at a full run down the road. I thought I would surely go mad as this thing had me. Wendy laboring to breathe still neighing and snorting at a full panicked run down the road sweat pouring from her and me. Still in the grasp of the thing, I could hear its breathing as its head was only inches from mine I could feel the heat from its breath getting closer and closer. My heart was ready to burst, covered in sweat and freezing rain with the storm raging all around us, or mad run continuing mile after mile, screaming the entire way. Wendy slipped in the mud, and we tumbled on to the road and mud for what seems a eternity.

I let out a sigh, dinner had been done for hours and I set it inside the oven, and that man was still not home. I just tucked the kids into bed, and settled in my chair by the window, it was dark outside other than the silhouette of the lightening strikes in the distance, another cold and stormy night spent alone with the children. Starring down the endless dirt road wishing to see the form of a man on a old horse against the background of the wind swept forest. Another cold and lonely autumn night in the middle of nowhere.

My thoughts wandered to my sleeping children and there future, the bleak future of what was to come being the poor kids of a dirt farmer and preacher of a community that just didn’t seem to care about us. Oh they were nice enough to us, they always had a good word to say on Sunday morning, even invite themselves over for lunch on Sundays after church. I always made fried chicken on Sundays, but we never had enough to feed our family of five much less other adult mouths. This seemed obvious to me, but still they came, and my man with a big smile would usher them in to have a seat. I said nothing; even I knew my kids would once again be fed meager leftovers. I understood how seriously my husband took his role as the town folk sheppard, and I loved him so, but I just couldn’t bring myself to object how he would hold his flock above his own family. I just kept reminding myself, it has to get better in the future, there has to be more than this.

I sat rocking in my old chair gazing out into oblivion the chair creaked some and combined with the noises from old wooden planked floor I soon started to doze off. A loud crash of thunder startled me out of a uneasy sleep, I rose from my old chair, and looked at the clock over the fireplace. I was late, even late for that man that served this community so and now it was storming the winds and the rain howled out in the dark cold night. My thoughts began to race, where can he be. I guess it’s a mothers intuition, but I went to check on my kids, A since of dread started to come over me as I reached for the doorknob to the little room, where I just knew I would find them huddled in a mass of homemade blankets and quits. As I opened the door, the window to that little room smashed in as the thunder and lightening raged outside, the rain pouring down on the rooftop, the door slammed closed and knocked me backward onto the floor. Oh my God my kids, as I quickly dragged myself to get up and reach for the door. My kids were screaming as I struggled with the door, panic was over coming me, I have heard my children scream before, but this was different, these were shrieks of fear. The door would not bulge, I called to my kids, that mommy was there, and they will be ok as I continued to try with all my might to open the door, when suddenly their screaming just stopped. My heart stopped, my mind raced, my heart beating wildly, I took hold of the doorknob, and with one effort turned it, only to have the door open with out any problems. My kids where not there.

really good story LD, i like how you changed the character half way through, really different.

great story.



Roswell.

Originally posted by roswell1
really good story LD, i like how you changed the character half way through, really different.

great story.



Roswell.

Thanks, I'm a complete noob when it comes to writing stories, this is my first attempt at it.

The story isn't finished yet.

Yep I agree here too! good stuff!! Im spending my time today to besure I get to everyones stories today!!
So I am here to give you a little support and tell you to keep up the good work!!

Cold sweat forming on my brow, my heart racing, my head spinning, looking around franticly not able to comprehend what I was seeing. The window smashed in with the wind and rain pouring in, the rags we used for curtains flapping wildly in the wind, the empty beds, there shoes all lined up near there doorway. I screamed in horror at this site, as I rushed to the smashed window, looking out all I could see in the silhouette of the lightening strikes was the dancing shadows of the forest. I struggled to hear my kids, but I didn’t any sound from them, all I could hear were the sounds of the swaying forest and the thunder booming in my head.

I rushed toward the front door; I grabbed my coat knocking over the lamp, starting a small fire. I stepped out into the dark stormy night, yelling for my children, wide eyes and overwhelmed with panic as I struggled to see or to hear any signs from my children, but I could not hear or see anything. For the first time since the birth of my children, I was truly alone, my thoughts turned to where is that man. I didn’t know what direction my children had been taken, but I knew what direction my man would be coming from, so I started down the muddy road at a jog, my head was pounding as I tried to grasped what was happening, surely my man would know what to do. With the storm raging around me, the eerie shadows from the forest my pace quickened to a run, I started yelling my children’s names, but all I head in response was the crash of thunder and the rain pouring to the ground.
Oh my God I yelled as I slipped in the mud to a stop, my thoughts on the fire I started in my rush to look for my children. I turned back into the direction of the house screaming wildly struggling to keep my balance, my heart was surely going to burst threw my chest, as I struggled for breathe, my body aching, pushing myself harder fear and panic rushed over me, when I realized my children were never in there room tonight, they had wanted to sleep in the attic. Oh my God what have I done, as I struggle down the dark muddy road.

Suddenly I could hear something other that the rustling of the forest, something other than the thunder cracking all around me. There was something there, coming up from behind me, I could hear it, racing at top speed. It was getting closer, I pushed myself harder, then I could hear the screams, I could hear the snorting. I started to scream as I tried to run faster and faster, but it was no use, it was coming up fast. Running at top speed with the lightning crashing to the ground and the thunder roaring in my head, It was on top of me, crashing into me.

Ladies and gentleman, please if you would bring your attention to me, I will try to let you all know what we know right now. As most of you all know, there was a train derailment last night about five miles from here, now no one was hurt. But we have a very interesting situation, the train was hauling a circus outfit, now we have gathered up most of the animals, but some of the gorillas and monkeys are still missing, we will be organizing a few search teams to try to round them up, right after this meeting.

Now as for the other situation, what you haven’t heard so far is that this morning, our Preacher, and his wife have been found dead about a mile from their home. We really don’t know anything; other than it seems that they had some type of accident, and they were both found on the road with there necks broke. Also it saddens me to report to you, there children have also been found, dead from a apparent fire at there home.

The End
LDF


[edit on 8-10-2007 by LDragonFire]

very nice I liked how you gave us both the husband and wife's perspective of the night's event. Very descriptive writing style too. I also like the twist in the end, that it ended up being circus animals and not the paranormal that took the preacher out.