Aashna K.C.
There was a quiet village nestled between two massive mountains, surrounded by a mysterious forest. Evan Earl, a brave and curious boy, lived in this village with his hardworking, middle-class family. His family valued education and the sense of community, and Evan shared this love for learning with his many friends. Though he enjoyed playing with the animals in the forest, there was one place he had always avoided: the forest at night. The villagers whispered about a terrible monster that prowled under the cover of darkness, a creature so fierce that those who ventured into the forest after nightfall were never seen again.
One afternoon, Evan and his friends decided to play Hide and Seek in the forest after school. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the shadows grew long, and they realized it was time to return. But as they turned to head back to the village, they saw an old man walking toward the dark forest. Evan, worried about the danger, rushed up to him.
“Please, don’t go into the forest at night!” Evan called out. “A terrible beast lurks there.”
The old man chuckled and waved them off, brushing aside the warning. “I’ve lived here longer than you’ve been alive. I’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly, Evan and his friends watched the old man disappear into the woods. They waited by the edge of the forest, hoping he’d return. But after what felt like hours, they heard terrible, agonizing screams coming from deep within the woods. The children froze in fear, before they sprinted back to the village and told the frightened villagers what they had heard. Everyone hurried inside their homes, afraid of what had happened to the old man.
The next morning, Evan and his friends were still shaken. They couldn’t stop talking about the screams they’d heard. Though the fear from the night before lingered, a sense of adventure sparked within them. Together, they decided that they would return to the forest to face whatever lay hidden in the darkness.
After school, they gathered and ventured back into the woods to play once more. But as nightfall approached, they remembered the danger. Quickly, they raced to leave-but Jay, one of Evan’s friends, realized he had forgotten his backpack in the forest.
“I’ll go get it!” Jay declared boldly.
The others didn’t want to leave him behind, so they ran back into the forest with him. But by the time they had retrieved the backpack, night had completely taken over, and darkness consumed the forest.
Frightened by the night, the group huddled together beneath the trunk of a large tree for safety. As they sat there, the ground suddenly trembled. They heard rumbling sounds from a distance, and soon realized that it was the beast. Simone, one of Evan’s friends, recalled reading an old book that described the creature: “It’s blind,” he whispered, “it can only detect movement, sound, and vibrations.”
They stayed perfectly still, hoping the beast wouldn’t sense them. The rumbling grew louder, but eventually, the sound faded, and the forest fell silent again.
Relieved but hungry, Alex, another friend, spoke up. “We left our backpacks behind. We don’t have any food.”
Everyone’s stomach growled, but Jay, ever the daredevil, decided to risk it. He sneaked out of the shelter and ran to retrieve some food from his backpack. Just as Jay reached the backpack, the rumbling started again. He quickly ran back to the tree, his heart pounding.
Back in the village, the parents of the children were gathered, anxious and worried. The night had grown long, and their children had not returned. Fear settled over the village.
In the forest, the beast’s presence was unnerving, and it stalked the woods, searching for any sign of life. But no one dared to move. After what felt like an eternity, the creature finally retreated.
Once the beast was gone, Alex let out a sigh of relief. “That was too close,” he whispered.
Jay returned safely, carrying a few leftovers from his backpack. As the group ate, they froze whenever they heard the slightest rumbling noise. They ate in silence, waiting until it passed, then resumed their meal. Eventually, they found a quiet spot to rest for the night, staying vigilant in case the beast returned.
At midnight, they heard the sound of voices approaching. A group of people, unaware of the danger, walked toward the noise. Simone’s eyes widened. “I have to warn them!” he said, rushing toward the group.
He quickly convinced the strangers to follow him back to the tree trunk. They huddled together in silence, waiting for the beast to pass. As they held their breath, the ground rumbled again, and something heavy dropped from the beast’s cloak.
Evan cautiously approached to inspect what had fallen. It was a large, ancient-looking book-its cover worn and its pages yellowed with age. He opened it carefully, revealing pages filled with strange symbols and drawings. Some of the pages contained spells for summoning fire, creating barriers, and even changing the weather. But one page in particular caught their attention. It was bookmarked.
As they examined the bookmarked page, they saw it contained instructions on how to defeat the beast. The instructions were in the same strange symbols, but one of the strangers, who was familiar with such ancient languages, began to translate.
“These symbols are from an old language of witches and wizards,” the man explained. “I can read this. We might have a chance to stop the beast.”
The man read aloud the spell that would banish the creature. They would need to stand in a circle and chant the words at the moment the beast appeared. The spell was as follows:
Beast of the night,
Go away from our sight!
Back to the shadows,
Where there is no light!
Evan felt a surge of hope. But as he continued to read, he noticed some small text at the bottom of the page. He pointed it out to the group.
“What does this say?” he asked, his voice trembling.
One of the strangers read the tiny writing. “It says the spell must be performed the very night the book was found. If not, the beast will remain in the forest forever.”
The realization struck them all like a thunderclap. They had no time to waste. The sun was beginning to rise, and they needed to act fast.
They quickly formed a circle, their voices rising in unison as they chanted the spell over and over again. As the beast appeared before them, they chanted the final words. With a sudden, deafening silence, the creature vanished, swallowed by the shadows.
As the first light of dawn broke through the trees, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. The forest was finally safe.
They hurried back to the village, where their parents were waiting anxiously. As they recounted 123Echoes of the Wonderful Mind their incredible adventure, the villagers celebrated the children’s bravery. That day, they were honored as heroes, and every year afterward, the village held a special tradition to remember the day they overcame the darkness of the Midnight Forest.
And so, Evan and his friends became legends, known not only for their courage but for their friendship and determination in the face of fear. Their bond grew stronger, and their adventures continued- but none would ever be as unforgettable as the night they defeated the beast of the Midnight Forest.
