The Light in the Wood

From Create Your Own Story

It's the worst summer of your life. Your parents have taken off on a two-month tour of Europe, meanwhile shipping you off into the dull countryside to stay your horrid Aunt Matilda for the whole summer. Aunt Matilda seems as unhappy as you are about the arrangement - the old woman always looks like her mouth just filled with lemons and vinegar every time she sees you. To escape her endless lectures on your poor table manners and posture, you've begun to spend most of your time exploring the woods behind the old farmhouse. On this particular day, you've brought your lunch in a backpack with a few other essentials - you hope not to be back at least until dinnertime, as Aunt Matilda's bridge club has descended upon the house. The forest is thick and quiet. After walking for almost an hour you stop short, catching a faint but frenzied tinkling in the distance. You walk toward the sound, curious. After a while you catch sight of a tiny light flashing in time to the tinkling. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you slowly move closer. Finally you make out the shape of a massive spiderweb strung between two young trees. Thrashing in the web is the small flashing light, only inches from a massive, menacing banana spider, at least two handspans across. To your shock the tinkling suddenly forms frantic words in your head: "Help me! Help! Please! I will reward you! Only save me from this shameful death!"

Your head is whirling. What will you do?

Make a run for it - lights can't talk, and even if they did, you're not about to stick your hand next to that enormous spider!

You inch closer, wondering if Aunt Matilda's guest bedroom is coated with lead paint. "Who's there?" You ask in a small voice, sure you are hallucinating.

You've always wanted to be a hero! You shrug off the backpack, grab a fallen branch, and race toward the spiderweb, determined to kill the spider before it kills... whatever that tinkling thing is!