This is a story I originally published in a book on a Minecraft server, and I'd really hate to lose it so what better place to put it for safe keeping than a place where I regularly post stories?! ^_^ Anyway this is word for word what was in that 50 page written book, but I fixed any spelling/grammar errors and lengthened one part. I think I may even do an alternate ending for this...
Well, I'm rambling. ignore me and enjoy the story :D
The Eyes
By~
Eurynyan
Part 1:
The Legend
The forest was off-limits at night. Always had been; always will be. It was all because of some urban legend.
A phantom dwelled within those trees, that enjoyed murdering unfortunate travelers, and devouring their souls. The empty husks would shamble about the forest; animated like a human, but rotting like a corpse. The walking corpses would tear at other living beings, wanting to take their victim's soul for themselves, though ultimately failing when they instead killed their prey.
However, that was many years ago. No corpses roamed, no more "sightings" of the infamous specter. Children began to believe it to be a hoax, but they still were too afraid to enter the forest at night.
Part 2:
The Dare
Dawn had only just broken when screams were heard alongside the crowing of the roosters. The people of the village went to their windows as a haggard man burst from the trees and into the town square. He tripped over the tattered shreds of his pants and fell to the ground hard. He continued to scream as he struggled to get up; he'd probably have continued running if the Mayor hadn't gotten to him.
The man writhed an fought with the Mayor, desperate to get away, but his weary body held no strength and eventually he collapsed into a sobbing whimpering heap.
"What plagues you, unfortunate one?" the Mayor asked him. He received crazed ramblings.
"Demons! Devils! The walk the earth; they want our blood and spirits! Oh God, the eyes! Why d they glow so bright? My friends! My friends, their souls were pulled into that eerie glow, their bodies walk no, but their eyes have lost their shine! Oh the eyes! The eyes! Those horrible eyes!" His words turned incoherent as he sobbed and clung to the Mayor's night-shirt.
The crazy man was taken to an empty house soon after.
x~x
News of the man and his rambling spread through the village quickly, becoming what every villager whispered to each other during their daily chats.
"Do you think it's true?" one boy, about 14 years of age, wondered out loud to his small group of friends, another boy his age and a girl a year younger than them both.
The other boy shrugged. "He was probably just a crazy drunk, Soren, don't read too much into it."
Soren smirked. "Wanna go and make sure?"
"No way!"
"Why? Yah scared?" he chided and poked his friend in is arm. "Aw, is wittle Stevie scared?"
Steve punched him in the arm. "Quit! I ain't scared."
They went back and forth until the girl jumped in. "You guys are so annoying! No one's going into the forest at night, anyway; it's forbidden.
"It ain't forbidden, people are just too chicken to go in there because of an old ghost story." He poked Steve again. "People like Stevie here!"
"There's a difference between being scared and being smart! And going into the forest at night is stupid, stupid!"
"Who're you calling stupid?"
"You, stupid!"
"You're both stupid!"
"Shut up, Selena!" both boys cried.
She threw up her hands. "I'm done! I'm done with you both!" She got up and stormed off in the direction of her home. "Go into the forest at night! I don't care anymore!"
Steve stood to chase her, but Soren grabbed his arm and yanked him back into his seat. Before he could tell the teen off he was interrupted.
"I dare you to go into the forest at night. If you spend the whole night out there, I won't tell Selena that you like her."
Steve's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't..."
Soren chuckled and cupped his hand to his mouth. "He, Selena! St-"
Steve tackled him before he could finish. "Shut up! I'll do it! I'll spend the night in the forest!"
Soren put out his hand. "Shake on it?"
Steve sighed. He'd never hear the end of it if he backed out now. He took his friend's hand and shook it; cementing the promise.
Chapter 3:
The Darkness
Steve snuck out of his home that night with an unlit lantern and a knapsack with the basics: blanket, food, water, and his flint and steel. Soren greeted him at the edge of the forest wearing his usual mischievous grin. Oh how Steve wanted to punch that grin off his face.
"Got everything?" Soren asked. Steve only grunted at him, unamused, and looked into the forest. He felt a strange chill go down his spine, but ignored it and lit his lantern. "Just go to our usual spot. Yah know, by the old well? It's not too far and not too close, so you shouldn't get lost."
Steve grunted again, and tentatively bumped fists before heading out into the trees.
x~x
Steve made it to the well in one piece, and set up camp feeling more confident than at the beginning. He sat on his blanket and took a swig of water from his flask. Everything seemed to be going great, now all he had to do was survive the night sounds until morning.
An errant owl hoot made him freeze. He composed himself with a few deep breaths.
Keep it together man, he thought. There ain't nothing out here but owls, mice, and maybe a few wild dogs... Crap why'd I remind myself of that?
With a sigh, he leaned against the well and let himself doze
His eyes snapped open when a strong gust of wind blew through and completely blew out his puny campfire. He suppressed a whimper and struck his flint and steel, trying to bring his source of warmth and light back to life once, more but the wind only picked up more, blowing out every ember or spark he made.
A branch snapped and he gave up on the task and relit his lantern. He stood up and looked around swinging about his lantern haphazardly.
"S-Soren?!" he called. "Soren, I swear to the Gods that if that's you, I'll-" Another branch snapped and he flinched. "Soren?"
His lantern seemed to lose its glow, and he frightfully tried to relight it only to find that it still shined though it seemed to give no light.
"Poor poor lost lamb..."
Every hair on his body stood.
"Frightened and blind you are, I have stolen your light, little lamb. Now only mine exists to breach the darkness. Look into my light..."
Against his better judgement, the teen looked around until he finally saw them: a pair of glowing eyes that slowly drew nearer to him. With a scream he abandoned his lamp and campsite and ran into the trees, unwittingly going deeper into the forest in his haste.
Steve ran until he realized that he was lost, and stopped for a breather next to a large dark oak tree. He strained his ears in search of sounds.
Silence...
There was nothing... no footsteps, no crickets, no hooting, no rustling of leaves. Only his breathing and his heartbeat.
"I... I lost him?" he panted.
"Peek-a-boo."
Steve let out a throat shredding scream when he felt cold hands grab him from behind. He wrenched away and tried to run again, but an unseen force wrapped around him and pinned him to the tree. He struggled fruitlessly, keeping his eyes shut for fear of losing his soul in the way the haggard man had described. "No! NO! Please!" he begged. "Please don't kill me!"
The cold hand gripped his chin and made him turn his head. He winced when he felt nails dig into his flesh. "Ssh, ssh, little lamb, it's alright... I'm feeling merciful so I'll make it painless for you. Just open your eyes and I'll reward you with a painless end."
Steve shook his head.
His head was held still and the being ran the back of his other cold hand down his cheek. "Now, now. Don't be difficult, though since you are but a child I know that that is in your nature; being difficult. However doing so will only kindle my ire, and make this arduous for me and painful for you. So... will you open your eyes for me?"
Steve shook his head frantically not wanting to open his eyes and willingly allow his soul to be taken.
The nails dug into his jaw more and the being hissed harshly at him, blowing his old blood and spoiled flesh laced breath into Steve's face. A demon. This being wasn't a specter or a phantom. He was flesh and bone of the evil kind.
The hand let go with a rough yank and he heard the being pace around him and the tree. "Miserable thing... I wanted to be nice, oh how I was in such good spirits from my meal yesterday night, but you've ruined it..." The claw came back and lashed out at the boy's vulnerable chest making him howl in pain. "Nothing left now but bitterness and malice. I'll hurt you until I feel better..."
x~x
The torture went on for hours, and Steve managed to pull through without fainting or, more importantly, opening his eyes. No matter how much the demon, bludgeoned or clawed, lashed or bit, his eyes remained closed.
There was a break in the beating and the demon made a surprised sound. "I was having so much fun that the sun has snuck up on me... oh well, you win human; if only because you were so much fun to play with. The humans yesterday weren't nearly as fun!" A hand touched Steve's cheek, this time gently so. "One last time, little lamb. Open your eyes for me?"
Steve panted wearily as he stood there, propped up against the tree trunk with the only thing keeping him from falling being the weird invisible bindings. Was it truly morning? He couldn't be sure and he was in no way about to open his eyes to find out. He held out this long, he could hold out for a few moments longer, until he was sure the demon had left in search of a place to rest until nightfall. He slowly shook his head once more.
The demon humphed and the bindings loosened. Steve stumbled but managed to keep from falling. "So will not let me see your eyes, huh? Fine..."
Steve grunted as one last blow was dealt to the back of his head.
Chapter 4:
The Eyes
Sobbing. Steve only heard sobbing and he felt numb yet sore. He could only tell that he laid in a bed, covered by a heavy blanket. He would've thought that he'd dreamt everything up if it hadn't been for the soreness.
"Will he be alright?" he heard someone say.
"M-Mom?" he rasped, coughing slightly and making a slight pain in his throat flare. He opened his eyes to look around. Or at least he thought he did. "Mom, why can't I see?"
His mother sobbed harder and he felt her embrace him tightly. "it's okay," she said. "It's okay baby. I love you and I forgive you for going into the forest. Just know that your father and I will always be here to help you."
Steve gently pushed her away, and reached up to rub his eyes. With a shuddering breath he let his hands fall.
His eyes were gone...
x~x
The demon lazed upon his seat of soft furs and human hair, dangling one of Steve's eyes in front of his face. He brought it closer and licked it lazily, swirling his tongue around it before popping i into his mouth.
He pushed it around in his mouth before he bit into it and made a blissful moan at the delightful wet pop it made. He chewed slowly, savouring the taste before finally swallowing.
With a pleased sigh he brought the other eye to his mouth but stopped; he wanted to save this one, as a trophy of sorts.
He rose fluidly from his seat ad went to the weathered cabinet in his cave where he retrieved a jar of weird smelling liquid and dropped the eyeball inside. He grabbed a stiff piece of parchment and quickly scribbled on it: "Fun Little Lamb, Steve," before placing it on a shelf with his other trophies. One of which was gathering dust. He swiped the filth away, revealing the old jar and the eye within it. He gazed at the eye for a moment as if he expected it to turn and return the gaze. "There," he murmured. "Now you can see again...
...brother..."
FIN
Thank you so much for reading my weird story. It turned out to be a mix of Minecraft, Amnesia, and the opposite of SCP/the Weeping Angels (Instead of dying if you blinked, you died if you open your eyes) I really hope you enjoyed!
SHAMELESS ADS~
Evolia's Elftree Cafe
Wanna relax in a comfortable setting with a Pumpkin Spice Latte? Or maybe you just want something to eat? Well come on down to Elftree Cafe, where Malon greets you and Zelda serves you!
(t/warp elftree)
Maybe even take a rest at Evolia's J-Style Inn or pick up a book at the Elftree Book Shoppe
That last bit after the "FIN" was just stuff I put at the end of the book to promote the town we have on the server. *Laughs* I told you I copied it word for word XD
Anyway thank you so much for reading, and pretty please leave a review? It'd mean alot!
