Beware The Standing Stone: [REL2018]

Here I am again, posing as a writer. I hope you all enjoy.


Beware The Standing Stone: [REL2018]


It had been standing there, near the road for as long as anyone could remember. Most people passed by without even noticing it was there. Some folks told stories about who had put it there and why, but no one took them as anything but stories to scare the young children. It just stood there; not very tall and not too big around. At just the right angle, one could see little sparkles of green shine from the reflection of sun light on the smooth polished gray stone. It was like the other standing stones in the area, just closer to the road and more easily accessible.

Marcus was a curious young lad of nine or so, and had developed a fascination with the stone over the past year. Each time he walked by, he would slow down and gaze at the patterns in it's surface. Some places seemed to be made up of small pebbles which had been mortared together and polished . Other places had a rough and rutted appearance but were as smooth as the rest of it's surface.

One day Marcus could no longer stay on the road as he had been told by the village elders when they told the stories of the stone. He was several yards away when he stepped off into the field of grass. Slowly he approached the stone just aching to get a good close up view of the patterns he had already picked out from the road. As he got closer, he could tell there really was a definite pattern on the surface of the entire stone as if it were designed to be so.

Finally he was as close as anyone had ever dared get. He was easily within arms reach but dared not get closer. As he moved around the stone, watching the now tiny green sparkles of sun light, Marcus thought he saw a very tiny crack. Leaning closer, he saw he was right. It was near the bottom and only about an inch long, but it was there. Could this mean the stone was beginning to break apart? Could it be that time was taking its toll on the stone and that one day it would crumble and fall?

Marcus stepped out from the grassy field and went on to school, knowing he must come again and check on the progress of the crack. This would be the only way to determine the eventual out come of his discovery. Over the next few weeks, Marcus would visit the stone several times and note the progression of the crack in its surface. As he had grown fond of being near it, he hoped it would still stand for a very long time. But, the crack was getting longer each time he would visit.

One day, Marcus noticed the crack had widened near the bottom. It was now wide enough for him to see some of the small grains inside the rock. He had to get a better look, so he got down onto his knees. As he did, the crack began to open even wider and Marcus could see deeper inside the stone, but there was nothing but blackness. Suddenly, Marcus was no more.

It had been standing there, near the road for as long as anyone could remember. Most people passed by without even noticing it was there. Some folks told stories about who had put it there and why, but no one took them as anything but stories to scare the young children.

THE END

a reply to: tinymind


I liked that, compressed like the stone itself, leaving me hungry for more

a reply to: tinymind

Very cool, creepy story. I love the circular, enduring, and ancient quality to your tale.

(Don't forget to link this to the main thread!)

a reply to: tinymind

Great story. Keep writing.

Bally