Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Unsplash
The fire crackled, spitting sparks into the obsidian sky. Smoke drifted towards Addy and made her eyes water.
But she didn’t mind. It was bonfire night!
“Who’s ready for a story?” her mom asked.
Addy sat straighter, her heart aflutter and eyes shining.
“You tell them best. Start with the scariest.” Her father chuckled, along with her three brothers who flanked him on the log.
Her mother gave a hidden grin. “Long ago, before our family was established in these parts, a great, hairy beast lived among these trees.”
Addy swallowed, her heart racing ever faster.
“He was larger than any man, stronger than any bear, and more cleaver than the smartest of animals. He roamed the dark of night, hunting for food, claiming his territory.”
“Here comes the best part!” Addy’s youngest brother whispered.
“The townfolk grew so afraid they grabbed pitchforks and lit torches, prepared to chase the beast from his hiding place.”
Addy’s eyes grew wide.
“But he proved no match for them. Twelve men laid to rest on this mountainside that night, no other man daring to approach again.”
“Well done!” Addy’s brothers said in unison.
The group clapped, their furry hands muffling the sound.
Addy smiled, her long front canines dripping saliva down her hairy face. “I love hearing about great-grandpa! How curious that those silly men called him…what was it again?”
“Big Foot!” her older brother said with a laugh.
“Thanks for the bedtime story, mama. To think, humans believe it to be a scary story! Ha!”
© Laura L. Zimmerman 2019
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