John Mabry 9th grade

RECESSION OF EVIL:

THE VICTORY OF THE DARK ONE

Janice looked quickly around the village, the thatched huts were quiet, unusually so.

"The Dark One-He ... He came in the night: Janice's father spoke slowly. At thelnention of the Dark One she shivered, she did not like the name.

"Who is the ... the Dark One?"

"No one knows, he comes, and makes a man to sleep, the man is not warm anymore, the man does not draw the air, he ceases to be an active part of the village."

"Leeder Phelps" Janice felt a hammer strike her heart. Leeder Phelps had ruled the village of Los Angeles for over fifteen falling-of-theleaves. It was that time again.

"Who does the Dark One visit?" Janice blinked back the tears.

"Everyone, when their time is right," He glanced at his daughter, forlorn, "Worry not, oh little shining star, your time is not, and will not be for hundreds of falling-of-the-leaves." She knew that he was right, after all, wasn't He two hundred and nine himself?

Janice could see that the town was returning to normal after a few days, the shook was over. There would be a council fire tonight, a new leader would be selected, then a celebration, horses and riders would be sent to the other villages: one to a nearby village called San Diego, and others to villages further away, such as Mexico City, Chicagoland New York. What excited Janice most was the celebration, oh! What good tings to eat, things never before seen or eaten by any in the village, things with pretty paper labels on metal tubes and sealed pottery that you could see throdhl Excitement was such that she forgot about the Dark One .... momentarily.

The feast was grand, Janice beamed as the candidates were brought forward, her older brothers among them. The priest rose from the crowd saying in a booming tone, "Fellow Los Angelites," there was applause at this cleverness, "Before you are the candidates, all who are eligible...."

A voice arore from the crowd: "Not quite all." Into the firelight stepped the son-of Ledder Phelps; Marshall.

"Why Marshall," started the Priest, "I thought you had gone to grieve your fathers ...."

"Gone to grieve, old one, back to avenge." There was a rustle of puzzlement from the crowd. The Priest cleared his throuat, "Avenge?"

"Avenge. I am taking over the village. I am Leeder Marshall, comprehend? If anyone disagrees, let him speak to my advisor, and friends."

The Priest was about to protest when Janice saw fear come into his eyes, she turned back towards Marshall, from the shadows stepped a number of trolls, brawny, man-like beings caused by The Bomb, so long ago.

Janice shudderedo she waw the Priest do the same as, from another shadow stepped an old man wearing a black robe, a wizard.

"Marshall," The Priest pleaded, "Marshall, why do this?"

"I have said, to avenge, I declare war on the Dark One."

Janice gasped, she looked at her father, his face was wrinkled in concern, not of age.

"No one fights the Dark One".. he said, "He cannot be seen let alone fought."

A cat-of-nine-tails tore at her fathers shirt, he winced.

"Silence, speak when spoken to, and you will see how to fightl"

Janice saw the crowd dispersing to thier individual hutts, she grabbed another metal tube with small green pebbles painted on the paper encircling it, and helped her father home.

Later in the night, Janice's father, Williams, arrived at the hut of the Priest. Janice lay very still so that she could hear the voices coming from across the path:

"Ah, Williams, you have come. How is your back?"

About twenty voices grunted.

"I believe the Dark One has touched his mind."

"Why do you say that, Father?"

"Why would anyone in his right mind keep the company of trolls and," the Priest shuddered, "a Wizard with a Ouiji Board?"

Perhaps to converse with the Dark One.1f someone suggested.

"Why would you converse in order to distroy?"

"Ah yes," someone agreed, "But how does Marshall propose to destroy?"

"Tell me," querried the Priest, "What is it to destroy?"

"To-To Kill?"

"Close enough, now, what does it mean to kill?"

Janice heard silence. Her eyelids were growing heavy. Within minutes sleep would be inevitable.

"I"ll tell you," answered the Priest, "to kill means to bring on the Dark One before it's time."

"The men remained quiet, puzzled.

"What are you getting at father?"

"Simple. Marshall propose to kill the Dark One, but how can the Dark One take himself, and why?"

The men suddenly understood.

"Then what can we do?"

"Sit back and play his game, the Dark One will take him soon."

"You are sure?"

"I have never failed you in the past, have I, Williams? Have faith my son, the truth shall prevail. Oh, one other thing: say nothing to the women, you know how superstitious they are."

"Un-huk, well, good-bye, Father."

"Goodbye Williams. Goodbye Jones. Goodbye Renson..."

Janice turned over on her mat and was asleep before her father reached the door.

Janice awoke to see her father mending the walls of the thatched hut from the inside; it was raining. She walked over to him, "Good morning, little shining star. Your mother is sewing and your brothers are out hunting muskrat, so what do you propose to do on this rainy day?"

Janice smiled, but did not hear him, "Daddy, I .... I heard your meeting last night." He stopped his work, "Oh? And What do you think?"

"I think I will wait"

He chuckled, scooted her out into the rain and continued his work.

It was two days later, the waiting was almost over. "Leeder" Marshall and his troop had gone through the village disrupting things, terrorizing the inhabitants. They had taken the last of the see through pottery for themselves, they had but one left. The people showed signs of weakness, Janice felt herself tiring quickly. She stood in the doorway of her hut, watiching. Her eyes Jerked open quite suddenly, there was Marshall, with about five companiouns that was all together, including the wizard. They entered the leeders hut. That was six hours ago, Janice told her father., his face brightened, he darted out the door.

Bang!!! William's fist hit the door of the Priest"s hut, the door opened. Janice ducked behind a large rick.

"Williams, why what's wrong?" shouted the Priest, wiping the dirt off the knees of his pants.

"It's Marshall and his troop, they went in the leederts quarters at noon and haven't come out yet!!!"

"Let us go and see, oh, and Janice, you can come :out of hiding."

Embarrassed, she came out from behind the rock. The Priest put his hand on her shoulder's, "Come Williams." They walked swiftly across the village, making stops at each hut to call out those that had met together, nights before.

About twelve men stopped in front of the leeders hut, Janice felt herself being shoved back. Her fathere rapped sharply on the door. She felt the tenseness growing. There was no answer. Her father cast a glance at the Priest. He nodded. Williams' hand grasped the door rope, pulled it, and the door swung outword. The fading sunlight of dusk cut through the blackness of the windowless hut. Williams stepped outside, followed by the others, including Janice. Slipping inside, her eyes lit upon an empty piece of see- through pottery that had once contained something the ancients had called tomatoes, but now lie empty. Marshall was apparently sleeping, the same with the trolls and the Priest kept clear of the wizard. She touched a troll, and drew her hand back suddenly, it was cold, she felt sick and looked first at the Priest, then at her father, who put his hand on her shoulder.

Jones jumped back, startled, the Ouiji Board spelled slowly

B 0 T U L I S M

"Botulism, strange. What does it mean Stevens?"

Stevens, the scholar, looked puzzled, then relieved, "I know not. It is a secret of the ancients'."

The Priest let the party out of the hut, took a torch, and set it. Janice looked frightened the Priest, noticing this, attempted to comfort her, "Daughter, the Dark One has visited this place, the battle fought... a victory won."

They are Joined by thier families as they watched it burn to ground, until the last spark extinguished itself.