Fredarica (Fred) The Turtle
Hi everybody! I'm going to tell ya'all about a Halloween party
Freddy, Killer, Alleah and I had last year. We had a mushroom
roast and told scary stories by the campfire. It isn't Halloween
yet, so I can't tell you about this year's party.
Here is the story:
"The Story Of The Swamp Monster"
PART ONE
"So, Fred, do you know any good scary stories?"
asked Freddy.
I gave him an answer with a story that goes like this:
"Once upon a time there were four turtles sitting by
a campfire, just like us. It was a full moon just like tonight,
I said."
"One of the turtles asked a question, 'Do you know of
any scary stories, Roberta?' (the turtle who was telling the story.
"'Yes,'" said Roberta. She went on. "'Some
turtles had gone hiking on a dare. They were dared to go hiking
after dark at midnight. But they never came back alive. They had
been warned to stay out of woods, especially that night.
"'Other turtles that they knew said that once a year,
on a full moon night, a swamp monster rises from the slimy depths
of his marshy grave. The stories said that he was a Big People,
or as they call themselves, a human. He was murdered by another
human and his body was dumped in the swamp. Honestly, Big People
have no respect for each other.
"'Back to the story. Each year, on the anniversary of
his death, the swamp monster rises from the slime and hunts for
something to eat.
"'The turtles didn't listen to that, of course. So off
they went, hiking into the night. They had gotten to the deepest
part of the woods, were the swamp began. They had just gotten
to the swamp when they heard a noise.
"'SNAP!
"'It was the sound of a branch being broken.
"'What was that?" asked a turtle.
"'Probably nothing. Just ignore it and it will go away,"
said another turtle.
"'SNAP! CRUNCH!
"'It didn't go away and it was closer this time.
"'I'm scared," said a turtle.
"'There's nothing to be scared of-'"
"'SNAP! CRUNCH! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!
"'The swamp monster!!!
"'The turtles screamed but that was the last sound they
ever made because the swamp monster ate them. Then he lurched
back to his marshy home with a full stomach.'" Roberta had
gotten to the end of the story.
"'I know. What worries me is that in the story, it was
a full moon just like tonight. And I heard that about 20 years
ago, a Big People was killed in these very woods and dumped in
the swamp - just like in the story," said Roberta.
"'Aw, come on. That story can't be true-'"
"'SNAP! CRUNCH!'"
"'THE SWAMP MONSTER! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
"Roberta and her friends ran out of the woods faster
that turtley possible," I said.
"Of course, it could have been a deer or some other kind
of animal. But then again, it could have been the swamp monster.
The end," I said.
"Fred! That was a good story," said Killer.
"Thanks. I spent a lot of time making it up-" I
was interrupted by, of course,
SNAP! CRUNCH!
"Oh, no, the swamp monster!" yelled Freddy.
"Somehow, I have the feeling we've been through all this
before," said Alleah.
"Stand back," said Killer. "I'll protect you
from the swamp monster. Here he comes. Here's Bill?!" We
were alarmed to see Bill, Alleah's little cousin, coming out of
the bushes.
"Bill, you're in big trouble. And I mean BIG," said
Alleah.
"I just came to hear you tell scary stories," said
Bill.
"Bill, you should be sorry that you scared us by making
those noises," I said.
"Noises? What noises? Everyone knows that I can walk
through the woods as quiet as a mouse," protested Bill.
"Fred, Freddy, Killer, Bill's right. He can walk though
the woods and you wouldn't even know he's there," said Alleah.
"But then," I said, "Who made the noises?"
"Who made those noises?"
That question, till this day, remains a mystery. We didn't
wait around to find out. We ran for our lives.
The only one who knows the answer is whoever or whatever made
those noises that night. That might be a harmless deer or the
swamp monster.
You can guess the answer or find out for yourselves. Sure,
it's no big deal going out at midnight searching for a swamp monster,
on a full moon night, into the middle of a murky swamp. Coming
back alive, however, is another story.
Sweet dreams, ya'all.
THE END