Note on the text: I know I said my next story would be another magnet one but I just had to write this. The plot line below is true, and as strange as the gilded light may sound it happens… I have a witness… It's out there… Waiting… Review please!
Gilded Light Of Green Lake
Chapter one
Zigzag stood in the tent's entrance gazing intently at the night sky. "It's a full moon." He announced not turning from his post.
The other boys exchanged glances; "Maybe we should do it tonight." Squid muttered, wanting his leader's approval.
X-Ray snorted, "man you say that every full moon, I've been out there four months, and I ain't never seen anything. It's all just a big hoax."
"I guess you're right," Squid lowered his eyes, "Mom and Mr. Sir are just trying to make us stay in at night."
"You keep telling yourself that, Squid." Zigzag called, "that's what they want you to think."
They all shrugged it off, if there was anything that you knew about Zigzag it was that he was a little paranoid.
"He maybe right," Magnet argued, "I mean what happened to 'sneakers' they never found him."
The others nodded, remembering the boy who had left their tent before Zero. "Poor Sneakers," Zigzag shook his head.
"He was a good guy." Armpit remembered. "He helped me out a lot when I first came… Dug my hole for a week. Man, we all think Zero can dig, Sneakers was the shovel man."
Grins lit up their faces. All except those who had never met Sneakers. Caveman looked at Zero who shrugged, he doubted it himself.
Ricky returned his gaze to the heavens. "I got a feeling in my bones… The light's going to show to night."
"Oh come on, Zigzag." Squid rebuked his friend. "Like X-Ray said nobody's seen it… Why should tonight be different?"
They all sat in silence, no it wouldn't happen…. Not tonight, not ever.
Curious, Caveman asked, "hey guys, what's the light?"
Zigzag turned to him happily, while everyone else moved in closer to listen, it was ghost story time. "Many years ago, before this place was a desert, there was a lake here. Owned by a white man who loved a white girl more than anything. They were happy together, or so the story goes, until the white man found out his girl loved a black onion picker. One night he saw his girl kissing the onion picker. He swore to kill him. The Onion man found out and tried to get across the river, but the white guy was quicker. They had a fight, in the shallow water; the white man had a knife… He killed the black onion man…. The next day, the town's people buried the black man on the riverbank… But they never found his head… Looked all over for it but it never turned up. So now, every full moon, the onion man's ghost gets up, with a lantern and goes looking for his head. Rumor has it you can see his light, going around as he searches for his head."
"That was beautiful, Zigzag," Squid mumbled, "every time you tell that story it gets better and better. Where was the fight last time, a train right?" The others snickered.
The crazy boy ignored them. "So Caveman, you wanna go look at the onion man?"
"I don't know," Stanley began, what happened to sneakers?"
Armpit shrugged, "he went out to see the onion man, he hasn't come back since."
"I think I'll stay…" Caveman mumbled, while nodding his head decidedly.
X-Ray laughed, "look at you chicken boy! You're lucky you're not quakin' right now! I dare you Caveman, I dare you to go looking for Onion man!"
D-Tent joined their leader in his laughter. But X-Ray laughed the longest. "I dare all of you," he announced, "you're all nothing but big chickens! Afraid of the onion man's ghost! Ha, it's a wonder you dogs even get out of bed in the morning!"
"You're not gonna call me that!" Squid roared standing up, "I'm going to spend the night outside, in a hole, and so help me if I ain't back in the morning!" And he pushed his way out of the tent.
Inspired by his friend's courage, Zigzag also jumped to his feet. "I'm going to stay outside too. And I even believe in the onion man!"
No one else moved, X-Ray smiled. "Looks like we got four chickens left."
The remaining boys glanced at one another, "yo! Zigzag, Squid wait for me!" Magnet left D-Tent.
"If I don't come back," Armpit muttered standing up, "my will's under my pillow. Never can be too careful with those yellow spotted lizards." He stripped his bed, and carried his blanket out.
Rex grinned at Stanley and Hector, "you mind standin' up, Caveman, I wanna see if there's a egg on your cot."
Caveman glanced at Zero who shook his head. No need running an unnecessary risk.
"And you Zero," the tent's leader mocked, "you run Caveman like a mother hen. Always clucking in his ear… Bock… Bock… Bock!" The cackled to himself.
Zero stood up, "Come on Stanley," he mumbled ignoring Rex, "let's leave. I don't want to stay here."
"That's right!" X-Ray shouted after them. "You all just fly the coop!"
His laughter filled the camp, long, mocking, jackal-like barks.