The six adolescents huddled in closer around the camp fire. It was just 8:15 on that July night but darkness had started to envelope the life long friends. It had been Gary's idea that the six of them spent a week camping in Yosemite It was after-all the last time they would be at school together, as after finishing this summer, in a few weeks the friends were all going to differing Colleges throughout the Country.
Gary surveyed the shadowed faces around the blaze that was gallantly warming the chilly evening giving them haunting glow. First, Julie He was going to miss her most of all He gazed at her with the glow of the fire illuminating her raven hair, freckled fair complexion and hazel eyes. He could not help but chuckle to himself as they had dated for almost a year. Memories he would treasure for eternity ..He shall never forget that night he picked her up for the junior prom It seemed as if it was years ago . Next to Julie sat Booker-Or Matt as he was actually christened. Everyone had dubbed him Booker since he was ten. He was a reading fanatic. His nose always found within the pages of a best seller; typically horror and suspense and although considered by many to be slightly eccentric, he had proven himself as a loyal friend They had shared much success on the chess team on their freshman year.. Next along came Alex- Bookers kid sister-Red haired and freckled and full of innocence. She was only ten months younger than her brother, but looked much younger . Bobby was next in the circle he was a straight "A" student destined for greatness and medical school. He was always the voice of reason within the troupe constantly having a logical response for everything. Lastly was Billy, Gary's closest and oldest of friends. They had been buddies since Gary had moved into the neighborhood at age five and he discovered Billy lived just three houses down and had been friends ever since. Gary sipped on his can of Budweiser as he spoke." Who knows when we shall all be together like this again?" There were nods of agreement around the fire and the mood was getting mellow and solemn It was booker who chirped in with a wry grin on his face "Hey, we are six teenagers sitting about the campfire. Surely something bad is going to happen, doesn't it always in these situations." Julie shuddered Her imagination was starting to play tricks now "Shut up Booker you are giving me the creeps!" She ordered. However Booker didn't shut up in fact he was just getting started The others moaned as they knew what was coming . Booker looks at each one solemnly in the eye "Do you believe in ghosts? I didn't .Not until my grand-dad shared with me this story." There was all at once an eerie hush amongst the friends. "It was in the 1920's I believe. My great grand dad was born in England: In a place called Yorkshire. I have never been but I hear it is beautiful. His folks had been servants in a grand house in the middle of the moors which was apparently miles from the nearest neighbor, despite being in the recession times were relatively good for my grand-dad and his folks. They had their own guest quarters within the main house, and plenty of heat and fuel: This was important you see as the winters were apparently very harsh . One December evening as my grandfather told it was getting late when he heard the lady of the house sobbing out of control. He told me how he sneaked downstairs to see what all the commotion was. He saw the son of the house, who was the same age as himself, Just ten years old He discovered he was very, very sick. They needed a doctor and urgently, now the only doctor in the town was twenty miles away. His father had been sent in the Rolls to collect him but the roads were icy and the driving treacherous and the lady of the house suddenly recalled that there was a visiting Doctor from London staying at a neighboring farm house for the Winter doing some study or other. "Yes, yes, how silly they needed to send someone to fetch him" and as my great grand father listened on they called out his name " Gary paused .Despite the warmth of the fire he tightened his jacket about him as he was starting to feel chilly. "Don't stop" Came Alex's voice. Gary looked grim as he continued, "Well, they called for my great grand dad they did and they gave him a note and told him to cut along the moors. They knew a short cut they explained to him an old foot path. He told me he was terrified but he had no choice as he was just the son of a servant. H informed me that he put on his best boots and his warmest coat and set of into the dismal night. He looks at the time piece they had lent to him and he remembered that it was 6:30.Darkness was starting to loom wearily over the day and it took my great grand dad two long hours to reach his destination. When he finally arrived half frozen he banged on the door in desperation .He was greatly warmly and they gave him hot milk and some fresh scones with butter. But they had bad news they told him that his journey had been in vain... It was true that yes they had had a doctor staying with him, but he had resumed his travels, and moved further North to Scotland just a day prior. He told me solemnly how he had to set off to the main house again and how his tired chilled young muscles were daunted at the prospect. Yet, he had to set off once more. He set of into the night By now it was after 8:30 and my great grand dad told me it was darkest than he had ever known it. It wasn't long before he was back on the path and it was then he heard it a faint whistling and gentle foot steps behind him. He stopped and crouched behind a tree and that every story of dread and horror he had ever heard about the moors were at that horrid moment racing and dancing within his young mind. Eventually he spied a figure in black emerging from the haunting shadows He is about to scream then smiled to himself in relief as he sees it to be a vicar; a simple man of the cloth. Who better as a walking companion in such a desolate of places? He made himself known to the vicar who apparently was equally startled by his presence and in a few moments they continued to walk along; side by side. My great grand dad was curious as to why such a man as he would be walking along this deserted path alone. The vicar proceeded to tell him that he gotten word the day before of a tragic death in a house just two mile beyond the main house and that he had been called at his earliest convenience to help the family deal with their tragic loss.. My great grand dad was surprised he never knew that such a house even existed. Yet, he reasoned, he was merely a child and what did he know. The vicar continued his tale and spoke of his experience the last time he had made this walk. He told him that he too had seen a stranger in the shadows and that he too had gained unexpected company along the bleak walk across these very moors. The man had told the vicar that at first he had wanted nothing more than company, but soon in to the journey the stranger had started to beg for money .. Just then they noticed the welcoming lights to the manor house. My great grand dad was almost home. The vicar smiled as "Just long enough to finish my tale" he told him The stranger got seemingly distraught at the vicars denial of money. The vicar was only prepared to offer spiritual support to the poor, not financial. The stranger had pulled a knife from under his cloak and stabbed him in the chest several times .He told my grand dad how he had then taken his wallet and his pocket watch and he explained how the watch was chiming exactly ten o clock as the stranger ran off into the night. The vicar advised my grand dad to run the rest of the way home, and he did, despite his tiredness and aching legs. He had found it remarkably curious as to how on earth the vicar had survived such a gruesome attack. He looked behind him o wave the kind man good bye and the vicar was gone. As my great grand dad reached the house panting and exhausted. The front door opened just as the Grand father's clock in the entranceway was chiming: Ten times. It turned out that the neighbor's house had burned down ten years before " Gary looked at the startled faces around the camp fire. Alex was the one who broke the silence this time. "Ghosts ..Who would believe in ghosts!" She suddenly smiled" My turn for a story " She added Her face looks almost translucent as she recounted her story "This is a tale you should all have heard. It involves six teenage campers in the woods. It was on a night very much like this one that the incident happened an occurrence so grisly and utterly brutal that it was destined to become almost folklore; part of the annuals of urban legends. The culprits have yet to be incarcerated. The teens had been absent a week before the grim discovery was even made; the bones of six bodies. On a pot on the fire was the remains of a sweet smelling stew and after much examination the gruesome truth was revealed .The pot was actually the remains of the six teenagers .Other evidence revealed that it had been some bizarre witch craft sacrament. It is often told that there method of agonizing demise never allowed the spirits to be released and that they are trapped eternally at the very spot of there mutilation. The names of the victims were Julie Simpson, Gary Wall, Robert Hadley, and William Dillon. Matt Brown and his sister Alex . A knowing petrified expression falls grimly over their faces just as a cackle was heard deep in the woods It seemed that yet again they were about to re-live there eternal fate. .. ------------------------ Yahoo! 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