by Stefan Geir
definitely be it. He appeared to have a permanently sinister smile attached to his face as he grinned back at Sawyer. His sharp, yellowed teeth looked as if they had never before been introduced to a toothbrush. His clawed fingers wrapped tighter around the hilt of a small, rough-looking sword. This was definitely no Trick-or-Treater.
As the goblin stepped closer, the growl deepened. Sawyer knew he would only have one shot at getting out of there. Still holding his backpack up for protection, he slowly backed up toward the nearest tree. Once he felt the rough bark against his back, he stood his ground, waiting for the goblin to make his move.
The goblin assumed that he had backed Sawyer into a corner. In one swift movement, the creature leapt up, thrusting his sword straight forward like a spear. Sawyer was ready. He dodged to the right, moving out of the way just in time. As he did so the sword flashed by his head, sticking hard into the tree. He spun around the goblin, keeping clear of its sharp claws. Gripping his backpack in both hands, he swung it up as hard as he could, hitting the goblin square in his face with all of his might.
With the sword still imbedded in the tree, the goblin fell to the ground, confused and disoriented. Without looking back, Sawyer raced away. He headed toward the distant lights while using his flashlight to see his way out. He didn’t slow until he was back out of the thick forest. Searching for an escape route, he could see that the glowing lights were coming from houses sitting along a quiet street. Throwing his backpack over his shoulders, he ran for the closest one.
Up ahead, as he neared the first house, he saw a small, brown wooden fence that completely encircled the property. Not having time to run in a different direction, Sawyer decided that his best bet would be over the fence. He was going to have to jump it. There was no time to waste. He could already hear the goblin growling behind him. Growing tired, he pushed himself harder.
As the fence was closing in, he could almost feel this creature’s warm breathe on the back of his neck, but he dared not look back. He was almost there! Ten more steps, and then he would jump. Five more. Two more. It was now or never…
Just when it seemed that he would crash headfirst into the fence, Sawyer leapt into the air with all of his might. Launching off of the ground, he managed to get his right foot over the top of the fence. As he cleared the top, he could see soft green grass welcoming him on the other side. Just as his left foot was coming over the last part, it snagged onto the wood, causing him to lose his balance. He came crashing to the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt and grass in the process. His flashlight flew out of his hand, bouncing away into the night.
With his arms, Sawyer pushed himself up as quickly as he could, his hands digging into the slightly wet and soggy earth. Scrambling onto all fours, he started shuffling forward. Before he could even get two feet, he felt something bite into his foot, making him slip back down to the ground. It had him! He wasn’t fast enough! He kicked his feet furiously, trying to shake this thing off, but it just wouldn’t let go.
Sawyer’s heart was racing. He could hear the growling. The smell was unbearable. He could feel the warm, wet slobber on the bottom of his foot. He screamed out, trying to scare it away. Unfazed, the creature bit him again, but strangely it didn’t hurt. It actually… tickled. Wait. Why was it tickling? This didn’t make any sense. He kicked his foot again, but the goblin just wouldn’t let go.
Confused, he twisted around to see what was going on, but somehow, he had become totally entangled in his coat. It was completely covering his whole head. Sawyer struggled harder to free himself, but the harder he fought, the more entangled he became. This goblin or whatever it was, kept tickling the bottom of his foot. It was becoming maddening! Why wouldn’t it stop tickling and licking him?
Suddenly, he realized why he couldn’t see anything; his eyes were closed. As he opened his eyes, bright light quickly forced them closed once more. Why was it suddenly so bright? And why was the creature now barking?
Confused, he pushed back the blanket that was tangled up all around him. Forcing his eyes open once more, he could see bright, yellow sunlight pouring in through his bedroom window. Again, he heard the barking. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked to the foot of his bed and saw that his dog Rex, was licking at the bottom of his foot.
“Rex, stop it!” Sawyer yelled, as he pulled his bare feet back under the covers.
Rex, barking in acknowledgment, trotted back out of the room with his head held high, proud that his mission was accomplished.
From the kitchen, he could hear his mother calling to him, “Sawyer. Breakfast is ready. I really need you to get up now. We have to be gone in an hour.”
He sat there for a moment, attempting to clear his groggy head. What a strange dream!
“Sawyer, did you hear me?” His mother persisted.
“Yeah, mom. I heard you. I’m getting up.” He croaked.
Flopping back onto his mattress, Sawyer closed his eyes, searching for the energy to crawl out of his warm and comfortable bed. As he lay there, everything started coming back to him. Grabbing his favorite watch from his night stand, he verified the date; it was Saturday, October 31st.
He slipped his watch over his wrist and tightened it up before sitting up in bed.
“Sawyer! Are you up yet?” His mom asked.
“Yes! I’m coming! I’ll be there in a minute.” He promised.
From down the hall, he could smell fresh pancakes and sausage cooking. His stomach grumbled, telling him that he needed to eat. Throwing off the covers, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, slipping his cold feet into his comfortable, light-brown moccasins. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes, he stretched his arms out over his head while trying to stifle a yawn. Jumping to his feet, he hurried toward the kitchen, looking forward to filling his belly with delicious food instead of being chased by imaginary goblins.
However, before he cleared his doorway, Sawyer tripped over something, nearly causing him to land flat on his face. After regaining his balance, he reached down and grabbed his backpack from underneath his feet. As he tossed it onto his bed, something fell out of it, making a soft clinking sound as is clattered to a stop on the hardwood floor. Curious, Sawyer reached down and picked up the small object. When he opened his hand, his heart skipped a beat. It was a dirty, yellowed, pointed tooth.
THE END
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Cover Art by Scott Dallimore
This book was dedicated to Michelle
About Stefan Geir
Stefan Geir was born and raised near the rocky, oceanic coast in Northern California. From serving in the United States Military to photography, he has worked many different and interesting jobs. He is happily married with four children and currently resides in the beautiful state of Colorado.
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Other Books by Stefan Geir
Boppy Makes a Mess
Boppy Goes for a Walk (Coming Soon)
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