The Apparition

Plans to erect an ingenious piece of construction are planned. Will something go wrong?

A light gale lilted over the placid waters, making ripples that reflected rifts of a sun partially covered by grey clouds. Deer drank at the bank of the lake. Jaden peeked over a bush, with his arrow in his bow, pointed at an unsuspecting prey.

Suddenly, a large crocodile burst through the water surface, snaring the deer. A short struggle ensued but only for a few minutes as the deer stopped resisting and stilled.

“Blast it!” said Jaden. He grunted and walked away, back to his village. He walked through a thick forest before entering a clearing where stone huts and dirt roads were.

A grey-headed man approached Jaden. “I see you were unsuccessful.”

Jaden rolled his eyes and exhaled. “A crocodile took my target at the edge of the Great Lake.”

“The head mason has come up with plans to erect a stone enclosure to trap deer near the lake.”

Jaden widened his eyes. “How ingenious, Titus!”

“Actions to start the project will commence tomorrow.” Titus motioned to a wagon with large block stones in it. “The stones have been cut and piled into the wagon.”

“May I take part?”

“Very well. We begin at sunup.” Titus nodded and walked away.

Jaden went to his stone hut and sat on his wicker chair. “This idea may transform how we hunt.”

Jaden yawned and looked out his window at some hawks. Jaden exited his hut and went to his blacksmith occupation at a stone enclosure. He went to work tempering and shaping blades and spears.

At evening, Jaden was done with his duty. He wiped off sweat from his forehead and went back to his hut and slept.

Jaden awoke before dawn and walked outside and saw horses tied to the wagon.

Titus walked to him. “We are all disembarking.”

Seven horses pulled the wagon and they entered the forest. The atmosphere was odd. A nervous knot was in Jaden’s gullet at the nameless feeling. He sensed like they were all being watched.

“This place feels vexed,” said Jaden to Titus.

“You feel something too?”

“Indeed. What devilry fills this place?”

Titus and Jaden went on as the presence felt stronger. An azure glow through the forest thicket appeared

“What is that!” said Titus with a pale face.

“Could the forest somehow become haunted?”

Titus brandished a long blade with pursed lips.

“I don’t think that will help us, Titus.”

The light gradually got closer to the group of men as they marched to the lake. A thick tension filled the company of men.

“It’s a spirit!” said one of the men as he ran away, back to the village.

“Maybe we should turn back,” said Titus.

“We must complete the task.”

Suddenly the light vanished.

The two men glanced at each other.

“Let us make haste before it appears again!” said Jaden.

They all moved on and soon they made it to the lake.

Everyone sighed in relief.

“Let us begin,” said Titus.

Pick axes and shovels were used to start erecting the stone enclosure.

It took six hours to build the one side of the enclosure after the foundation was laid. Then they all took a rest and made a circle of stones and kindled a fire and roasted meat.

“Do you think we will see the light again?” said Titus.

“I don’t know.”

After eating, Titus stood. “I must relieve myself.” He crossed the line of foliage and he was out of sight.

Thirty minutes later Jaden got concerned. “I’m going after him. It’s been too long.”

Jaden entered the tree line and looked for Titus. After ten minutes, he gasped at something horrible. Laying motionless and drained of color was the body of Titus on a leafy floor.

Jaden’s stomach dropped and he ran back to the camp. “We must leave now!”

“Why?” asked a man in the company.

“Titus is dead! It was like a ghost drained the life out of him!”

“The glowing presence! It must be!”

Seven of the horses were unhitched and mounted as the remaining men evacuated on foot.

A bright blue light flashed all around them. A loud voice filled the space. “Leave this place humans!”

“Who…who are you!” said Jaden.

“I am the spirit this forest. Your plans to make a construction to trap the deer will inevitably eliminate all the remaining deer. A spirit from another forest told of this same thing that happened. Now forsake this place or I will do to you like I did to your companion.”

Everyone fled in a panicked frenzy without a word through the forest.

Suddenly a man in a brown cloak stood before them and put up his arms to halt the terrified men. His voice was echoing and deep. “Be at peace men!”

They all stopped.

“Who are you?” said Jaden.

“I am Thourn, the white shaman. I have appeared to you, so that you might subdue the forest spirit.”

All were dumbfounded.

Thourn approached Jaden and gave him a glowing emerald. “Use this to bind the spirit from the forest.”

All remained speechless.

“Go, now!”

Jaden gazed into the stone and he felt an odd peace come over him. “I…believe you!”

“No! We could end up dead like Titus!” said a man.

“He’s right!” voiced another.

The men retreated to the village and Jaden was alone with the shaman. “Thank you. I will do as you have enabled me to do.” Jaden raced back to the edge of the lake and sure enough the blue spirit appeared. “I warned you human!”

“Be gone, cursed being!” said Jaden as he held up the stone.

“The Stone of Banishment! Where did you get that!”

“Time for you to leave!”

The apparition shrieked and her light dimmed until she was gone.

Jaden fell to his knees. “It’s over. I must tell the others so the project may continue.”

Jaden stood and walked with a lightness in his spirit and suddenly the stone disappeared.

“It’s over. Its purpose is done.”