Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: SKULDUGGERY (09/01/16)
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TITLE: Johnny's Revenge | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jeremy Kirby
09/08/16 -
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Little Johnny learned that lesson more than once. He was going to make sure that old preacher would pay for his tricks.
Many years later…
Christopher clumsily hauled his heavy baggage up to the front porch of the church. He looked around at the beautiful place. Stained glass windows, a proud bell tower and a sweeping mountain landscape made this church a sight to behold. He wondered why so many pastors before him had left.
“I reckon ya might wanna throw yer stuff thair.”
The man motioned to a pathetic excuse for a wheel barrel. It was more like an excuse for a tetanus shot. Christopher pulled it out of the weeds and stood it up. He loaded his bags in it and followed the man over a narrow path through a field of tall grass. His eyes darted about for snakes. This was a far cry from the city he came from.
The man pulled open the large barn door. “Here ‘tis.”
The new pastor looked in. Sitting on top of a rustic table was a washbasin and pitcher. The bed sat against the wall with an oil lantern hanging on a rusty nail. He looked out again and saw the crescent moon cut out of the outhouse door.
“Right thair’s the pantry. It’s got food fer ya when ya get hankerin fer something substantial.”
Christopher thanked him and asked, “What was your name again?”
“Johnny - have a good sleep Pastor,” and he disappeared into the distance.
Darkness sprang early in this neck of the woods. Christopher didn’t get anything to eat that night so he went to bed hungry. About one in the morning he woke up with his belly just growling at him. He got up to go into that pantry to find something good to eat. He took the oil lantern off the nail but realized he had no matches to light it. He sat it on the floor, and walked in the darkness to the pantry. He opened the door, went in, and began to feel for a light switch. He saw some old wires and a light bulb before nightfall so he knew there had to be a light. All that he could feel was something furry, like coats.
“There must be a closet in here also,” he thought.
He gave up and went to his bed where he had some nutty bars in a bag. He gobbled up a crispy treat, and then went to sleep.
Again, the next night he slept TERRIBLE. He kept hearing something breathing in and out. He thought he was just hearing himself in his restless dreams. He was so hungry again. All they fed him were those stale chocolates in the foyer of the church. At least the sign said they were free.
He felt around for a light switch in the pantry again, but he couldn’t get past that coat rack in the dark. Everything he touched was furry. So he lumbered back to his bed, settling for oatmeal pies.
On the third night, a “Grroblobla, bublubla” woke him up.
“Oh my poor belly.”
He fumbled about the bag underneath his bed and found only empty wrappers.
“That’s it, I’m going to find that light no matter what,” he said with determination.
Up he went and swung open that pantry door. He felt around all the furry coats. Pushing and pulling his fingers through the shaggy fur.
“Oh blast it all!”
He was done with the coats so he grabbed them and yanked as hard as a man of such small stature could. Suddenly, they pushed him to the ground, and he could see the brightness of the light as the creature moved away from it. The last thing he saw was the teeth of a great bear as it devoured him whole.
The next day, Johnny swept the barn floor and put out fresh chocolates on the brochure stand in the church.
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