| Thorns scratched their skin as they pummeled through the brush. It felt like they were in a vacuum of sorts. Each boy could hear the others screaming but they sounded like they were screaming from a distance, or better said, like the noise they were making could not travel far. They began to wonder if anything was able to hear their screams. Then they must have all thought the same thing at the same time because they stopped screaming (since it didn’t seem to be helping or have much chance of being heard) and they listened. Immediately they could hear the crunching of dry twigs and leaves that had fell but not yet turned to dust from the previous fall. To make the circumstance even more surreal the bullfrogs on the lake again began to call out making that lonely, eerie sound. It was joined by a sloshing noise. Like wet fur slapping against itself because it was being moved quickly. Then the creature roared again sending chills down the back of all the boys. Hubert’s flashlight began to flicker. If the boys could be any further terrified it happened then. They didn’t want to be wondering around the pitch dark trying to find the way out of the brush. It wouldn’t be hard to get confused and they might actually end up walking right into the creature. Arnold started to cry out again but Jerry quickly stopped him. He whispered to his friend that if the flashlight went out the only chance they had was to stay hidden in the darkness until they were able to walk out of there. next page |  |