Craig of the Creek: Scarred Past

One peaceful night in Herkleton, Craig Williams was sound asleep in his bed. Well, he was supposed to be. In actuality, he was sneaking his way into the kitchen to grab a late night snack. As he rummaged through the fridge. He could faintly hear something outside. It was faint, but he was able to make out the sound as a combination of rapid, heavy footsteps and faint cracks.

"What the?" He wondered to himself.

As he approached the door, the peeked outside and saw in the creek's wooded area, what appeared to be little flashes of light.

"Who could be setting off firecrackers at this hour?" He wondered to himself.

He decided not to bother with it and just let it go. However, that was easier said than done considering they went on for at least another hour or so.

"Great." He groaned.

Next day at their usual spot, Craig was talking and hanging out with Kelsey and JP.

"So, you didn't see or hear anything last night?" Craig asked.

"Nope. I have no idea what you're talking about." Kelsey answered.

"Sorry, man. No clue." JP said.

"Weird. I could've sworn I saw something last night." Craig said.

"Well, what time did you hear it?" Kelsey asked.

"Around 10:30." Craig replied. "I thought they were firecrackers or something."

"How 'bout we sneak out tonight to see what's there?" JP suggested.

"I don't know about that, JP." Craig gulped.

"Come on, it'll be fine." Kelsey scoffed, brandishing her PVC pipe sword. "Plus, we'll get to see what happens after bedtime."

"Good point." Craig said.

Later that night, it was 10:20. Craig had waited for hours and it was safe to assume everyone else in his house was asleep. But just to make sure, he checked all the rooms. Sure enough, his parents and siblings were all out. He tiptoed down the stairs and out the door with a flashlight before making his way to the creek where he met with his friends.

"What time is it now?" Kelsey asked.

Craig checked his watch.

"10:28." He answered.

"What now?" JP wondered.

"I guess we wait and look around." Craig figured.

And they did. For the time being, the kids searched the creek for any sign of the mysterious sounds that were heard last night. But try as they may and try as they might, they found nothing. Furthermore, it had already passed well after 10:30 and it was completely silent, save for the creek flowing and the rustling of leaves due to wind or the local wildlife.

"We've been searching for a while now and nothing." JP said, sounding ready to give up.

"I should've known this was gonna be a waste of time." Kelsey sighed in disappointment.

"Come on, let's get home before we get into trouble." Craig agreed.

Suddenly, they heard something. It was the same faint rapid footsteps and cracks.

"Do you hear that?" Craig asked.

"Yeah." Kelsey gulped.

"What is that?" JP cried.

Just then, the noises were increasing in volume as if they were getting closer along with a new noise thrown into the mix: screaming. As they got louder, they realized the cracks they had been hearing where not firecrackers, but gunshots. Just then, there was a series of near-deafening booms, prompting them to cover their ears. Then, they saw it.

They shined their flashlights and saw a horde of bloody and battered men in what appeared to be dark blue uniforms and carrying bayoneted rifles charging towards them. The terrified kids turned to run, but saw more rifle-bearing soldiers charging from the opposite direction. These soldiers wore gray. As the opposing armies closed in, the kids screamed and braced for the worst.

But it never came. When they opened their eyes, the soldiers had vanished into thin air.

"What just happened?" Craig panted.

"Let's get outta here." Kelsey said.

"Let's." JP agreed as he and Kelsey booked it out of there.

Craig was about to follow, when he saw a piece of paper on the ground. Picking it up, he realized it was some sort of letter. He figured he'd find answers in the morning as he stuffed it in his bag before running off.

"Dad?" Craig asked his father the next morning. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, Craig." Duane responded, pausing from his work. "What is it?"

Craig then presented the letter to him and told him of him and his friends experience last night. After taking, taking a look at the letter, Duane's face turned solemn.

"Craig, I'm gonna be honest. I had the same experience as you, when I was your age." He explained as his son's eyes went wide. "I think I've read this somewhere. Give me a minute."

After a quick internet search, Duane finally found the thing he was looking for.

"What is it?" Craig asked.

"Just as I suspected. The very creek you and all the kids play in... used to be a battlefield in the Civil War." His father explained.

That was all he needed to hear. Who knew such a beloved location used to be a site of the bloodiest war waged on American soil? And that fact left Kelsey and JP unnerved and awestruck.

"I don't think I'm gonna be able to see this place the same ever again." Craig sighed.

"None of us will." Kelsey said.

Soon, it was time to go home. As the kids made their way home, Craig turned around and gave a hearty salute to those who had fallen here before leaving. If he had looked closer, he would've seen a soldier saluting back.