Submission (#4346) Approved

“You know there’s supposed to be a ghost in this area of the woods.” As the group of kittoms walked down the dense forest path, Quetzal spoke up from the back of the pack. “They’re supposed to kittomnap anyone who goes too deep into their territory.” 

“Be quiet, Quetz. You’re scaring Ahdinah.” Alatus turned around from the head of the party and glared at his cousin. He had been the first one to challenge Quetzal on her ghost stories in the deep forests of Kyendi when their families had been vacationing in the region. 

“The forests of Kyendi are haunted. I’ve never seen a ghost but I know they’re out there. People say that the forest itself watches you when you travel deep enough. I mean, it just makes sense. It’s the oldest place in Eyre, after all. Of course, there’s gonna be some weird magic stuff going on.” Quetzal gathered the cousins on the edge of the forest outside of the vacation house her family had rented for the fall. Eyes gleaming, she pointed into the dark woods. “If you get lost on the way to the willow elder tree, the ghosts will get you. But if you make it all the way there without showing fear, you can earn boons and magical powers from them.”

Ahdinah frowned as she sat next to her sister. “That sounds more like the Fae than ghosts.” She considered herself an expert on the fae after her encounter the previous year with the Hallow Witch. After all, she had come back with a permanent change to her shadow afterward.

“Ok, fae, sure. Whatever. We should go explore! If we find a ghost or fae creature then we’ll be so famous.” Quetzal was practically bouncing out of her seat. “It would be so fun. We could do a trial of courage through the woods tonight.”

“You just want us to get scared so you can swoop in and be the heroic knight who saves us all.” Alatus rolled over from where he was laying on the ground and plucked a few blades of grass as he talked. “You’re gonna end up scaring your sister, or Dalfon, or I and we go crying to your dad, you’re gonna say it was just a prank. And that we shouldn’t have taken it so seriously.” Next to him, Dalfon nodded in agreement. 

“You’re kinda predictable at this point Quetz.”

“Oh boo. You’re all so boring. You’re just scared that I’m right and you’ll actually get kidnapped.”

“Now hang on…”

“I am not!”

“I’ve gone on lots of adventures. You can’t call me a coward!”

Now all four kittoms were traveling through the dark woods searching for ruins and ghost territory. The night sky was lit brightly by the full moon hanging in the air, but the dense jungle blocked most of the light from reaching the forest floor and made it hard to see more than a few feet. Guided by glimpses of the Elder Tree of Kyendi in front of them and the large Rajasana mountain ranges behind them, the kittoms continued deeper into the forest. Alatus, as the tallest, could see the far off Elder Tree the best and led the party through the jungle until they came across a ruined temple. The sound of running water from within coaxed the kittoms to enter the temple, promises of a safe place to rest and relax tempting them from their quest. 

Finding a small stream and waterfall emerging from a broken wall in the ruins, the kittoms all sat down to drink and talk about what the next step was. 

“Surely we can’t make it all the way to the Elder Tree tonight? We still have to be back before the sun is up, otherwise, Mother will be mad at us.”

“Don’t worry too much Adinah. I know where we’re going and the tree doesn’t look that far away, so it’ll be fine.” Alatus smiled at his cousin in assurance. “Besides. Dalfon left a note, so no one will worry.”

“You wanted me to leave a note?”

“You didn’t think to leave a note? Why’d you take so long then?”

“I was grabbing snacks!” Out of his satchel, Dalfon pulled some sweet buns, once warm and fresh out of the oven, but now somewhat cold and stale.
“Alatus, does this mean we have to go home now?” Adinah sighed as she looked at the temple around them. “This place is actually pretty cool. I kinda want to explore more.”

“We can ask your parents to bring us back tomorrow, but since someone apparently didn’t leave a note, we need to go back so they don’t worry about us.” Picking up the bottles of water they had collected, Alatus turned around. “Hey… where’s Quetz?”

There was silence as all three kittoms looked around them. The normally boisterous kittom had disappeared into the stone tunnels of the ruins. Sharing a concerned look, the kittoms quickly gathered up their things and went down one of the dimly lit tunnels.

“Quetzal?”

“Quetz! Come out now!”

“We get it, you had your fun. Hahaha, we’re scared, you can come out now.” Dalfon laughed nervously as they continued down the hallway. “Guys… is it me, or is it getting darker in here?” The tunnels were lit with glowing rocks, likely fractures of sunshard crystals embedded into the temple walls by whoever had lived here years ago. The soft yellowish glow given off by the crystals cast strange shadows on the wall that seemed to pulse and move on their own. The dimming of the lights caused the group to crowd closer together as an ominous noise filled the tunnel.

Clunk

Clunk

Clunk

A face emerged from the shadows of a nearby rock, ferociously grinning with big sharp teeth. Alatus yelped as he clung to Dalfon, the two kittoms screaming in terror. Adinah stood frozen as the monster stepped out from the dark. Garishly colored, the face became a recognizable mask as Quetzal emerged laughing. 

“You should see the look on your faces!” Quetzal wiped away tears from her eyes as she put the mask back into her bag and began to push the other kittoms back out of the ruins. “I came yesterday to set up the ruins so it was extra scary.”

“How’d you do the clunking noise? I didn’t see anything heavy.” Adinah picked up Quetzal’s bag, weighing it against her own. 

“What clunking noise? That wasn’t me…”

Clunk

Clunk

Clunk

“Get ooouuuut!” A growling voice echoed through the ruined temple. “I’m taking a nap!”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh” The kittoms screamed in unison as they dashed away, out of the temple and back through the jungle to the house they were staying at.