The Night of the Lizard Man

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Then Matthew, with a displeasing and painful voice, "Come on dad! Not another scary story!" "Well son, I will wait until later tonight because the night has to set in and really give tone to the story I'm about to tell you!" I replied as my eye locked on the cabin with the burning candle light. As if no one took notice, or didn't want to because everyone was worried about getting settled in after a long trip of unscheduled delays.

The camp finally settled in, and a late snack after dinner was announced as old man Timmons said smores contest on ten minutes near the open campfire. The crowd drew in with their perfect branches and supplies to make the perfect smores. The fire was fed with fuel of the open air and the right mixture of fire logs as the kids gathered in. Mostly the age range of 10 to 12, but there are a few teenagers who thought they knew the world back and forth. As we started to prep our smores for the calm and settled fire, we heard the door of the far-off cabin quickly close but not a trace of any as we all suddenly looked after the surprised noise.

Matthew looked at Michael and said, "What was that?". Old man Timmons started to laugh as the sound of owls in the background supported the tone to lay into the Legend of the Lizard Man! I interrupted the spooky mode around the campfire with an assuring voice "Don't worry, that just the Lizard Man who comes to camp out every 5th turning of an odd moon to take the souls of six children!" Matthew gives his friends a look of doubt and says, "Don't worry, Daddy always tells these false tales!" as his brother Michael and 7 of his friends look on with doubt and confusion. "Don't believe me! Just look at the six stones by the lake with the names carved into to them!" as Matthew's daddy had a disappointing look on his face.

Then old man Timmons started to point towards the cabin. The candlelight started to flicker, and it suddenly was blown out. Michael's eyes were as big as a sliver dollar, and Corbin with a scared and cracking voice said, "Who did that?". At this time, only the crackling from the campfire was talking, and the smores were slightly over cooked as all eyes were focused on the lonely cabin, far off between a cluster of trees. An owl suddenly swooped by to park on his favorite branch for the night as all the kids screamed and started to run to the cabin retreat. The father said, "Don't move for the Lizard Man is watching! He's counting on you to run for the cabin, and then he grabs you one by one. If we stay together as a group, then we have a better chance to make it through the night!". The other boys started to fearfully whisper, and old man Timmons started to speak.

It was a rainy night light this one and the tent could not seem to hold to pulling of the wind. "Camp 352", with 8 boys accompanied with two adults was camping and trying to make smores on an open fire. The camp master told two boys to go recon that very same cabin to look for wood and some extra rope, or anything that could deter the casting wind and prevent the tents from falling down. They thought that it would be no harm since the cabin seemed vacant and it would only take the two boys about 15 to 20 minutes.

Many hours past, and not a sight of the two boys. Old man Timmons told Korbin and Ryan to go fetch some wood because the fire was getting low. However, not a shaking knee moved as the story started to fill with suspense. The sudden crackle and pop of the camp fire gave everyone child a quick scare as they jumped and ran for the admin building. Old man Timmons said "Don't run!" as his old voice escalated with concern. " The Lizard man picks you off one by one and it is better that we stick together!". Then Matthew cried with a great fear, "What happened to the two boys that went towards the cabin?".

Old man Timmons picked up, right where he left off. So the two boys in the middle of their mission looking for wood, they saw what appeared to be an old man behind the cabin, cooking on an open fire. They wanted to play a trick on the old man and hid behind the trees and started to throw smooth stones at the old man. After minutes of countless stone being cast at the old man, he suddenly disappeared. The kids got concerned and started to move closer to the cabin and took a look at what was being cooked on the open fire. Johnny looked in the pot, and saw cut off fingers covered in soy sauce. As the two boys started to run, their feet was quickly swept from under them and suddenly, the two boys were hanging from the tree, upside-down.

The story was again interrupted by the camp administrator and she needed the boys to come in and fill out some paperwork that was missed at the beginning of orientation. Michael, shouted out in disappointment, "We need to find out what happened to the two boys and the fingers. What happened to the Lizard Man?" Old man Timmons started to walk off slowly and said, "We can finish the story tomorrow night. You and the rest of the boys get some good rest, there is plenty to do for camp tomorrow!" Matthew had to ask, as the candle in the cabin continued to burn and they thought the candle went out, "Why is the candle lit again in the cabin and who lit the candle?". Old man Timmons gave a comforting gesture with his hands and calmly said, "Don't worry, I will go check it out!" As old man Timmons walked slowly towards the cabin in the woods, the smoke from the extinguished camp fire hid the sight as old man Timmons walked further away from the children. As old man Timmons vanished from the kids sight, a sudden scream came and the camp administrator fainted, then Matthew's dad scream, "Everybody run for cover!"

Well the kids from the camp started to run as they headed to the main gate, the rain started to wash the road and there was no access to the main gate. Michael said, "What do we do?" Matthew's dad said, "take cover in your rooms and I will go see what happened to old man Timmons. Someone take Ms. Johnson some water and we will hide for the rest of the night!". The plan was set as Matthew's dad pulled out an old book, titled "How to catch The Lizard Man" and Michael noticed the title and ran straight for his room. The other boys followed Michael, but Matthew still had his doubts because he knew his Daddy all too well. So Matthew followed his dad back down the same road where they last saw old man Timmons before the vanish and scream. Matthew shaking his head the entire time as he walks side by side with his did. His father stated, "You should take emergency situations like this more seriously!". A sudden phone call to Matthew's cell interrupted their walk, and it was his sister Madison, calling to see how camp was going. Matthew started to get lost into the conversation with Madison as they walked down the road and all of a sudden, he noticed that his daddy was missing. He quickly hung up the phone and started to look around and didn't know the way back to the camp build as he got lost on the phone with his sister and thought his dad was there all along.

Minutes later on a lonely road, Matthew started to hear strange noises in the woods and as he saw movement in a unfamiliar figure coming to his direction, Matthew took off running and screaming. As the smoke cleared and the other kids saw Matthew, they all started to cream, "Over here Matt, run this way!" As Matthew got closer, the others asked him what happened to his father. At this time, Michael was all in tears and a complete mess as the camp had no supervision and a fainted camp administrator, Ms. Johnson who fell into a deep sleep. A missing father and no clue as to what happened to old man Timmons at the sound of a desperate scream. All the kids looked at Matthew and said, "What do we do?" Matthew saw his dads book resting in the middle of the road and quickly ran to it to pick it up for their last chance of hope. As they started to read, the book started to explain more details of the famous and historical Lizard Man.

"Well, what does is say?" as the other kids asked Matthew in a unstable and scared voices. Matthew said, "Hide in your rooms, we have to wait for the 5th moon to pass, and then we should be okay in the morning!". As the rain started to pick up and the wind ran against the rooftops, the kids had no choice with no supervision.

The boys started to build and secure the entrance to their room as Matthew continued to look for other tips as he read the book, with his eyes glued to all pages as if his life depended upon it. Suddenly, they heard footsteps as the window started to vibrate and the wind increased as the rudders sway back and forth and everyone came to a silent motion. The increased wind caused a window to crack and all the boys started to scream. A shadow casted just outside of the kids window and as the rain gave a sudden trust, the shadow vanished and everyone came to a sudden calm. Michael said, "Buckle down guys, I have a feeling that we are going to be in for a long night!".

The rain continued as the boys made effort to make a haste repair on the window, and continue to secure the room from further intrusion of the Lizard Man. The night grew old as the boys took turns to stay up for watch and had to be ready with season salt and butter, saturated over a stick made into a cross as they read this will keep them safe from the Lizard Man. However, on Michael's watch, he began to slumber as the day took toll on his eyelids. A deep sleep caught him and at this moment the boys were defenseless and easy pray for the Lizard Man. Michael came to a moment of pause from his sleep and noticed a finger on his neck. Michael screamed and woke up the whole room. Boys were falling from the top bunk and they started to scatter as if they have seen their last days flash before their very eyes. The officer flashed his light and said, "Calm down kids, its just me, Office Dudley from town and I came up here to check on you guys!". Matthew said, "how did you get pass the main road? It was washed out from the rain!" Officer Dudley replied, "Why, you're such an observant young man, son! Your daddy mush be proud to have a bright young man as you!". Officer Dudley turned away from Matthew as he looked at the other boys and said to them, "I'm going to take you guys to safety now! There is nothing to worry about!". Michael looked at Matthew with great concern and motioned with his eyes a not too comforting feeling.

Officer Dudley said to the boys, "Don't worry, we can play this game I have with smooth stones on the way back to the police station!". The boys quickly remembered with old man Timmons said about the stones and quickly ran out the building with no regard to the rain and wanted nothing to do with Officer Dudley. Officer Dudley had a strange and confused look on his face as he thought, what in the world has gotten into those kids. As the rain started to make a light transition and Ms. Johnson came around to greet Officer Dudley, they gave each other a look and wonder why the kids were all outside running around in the rain. Ms. Johnson gave a stern and quick yell to the boys, "If you don't get back in here and out of the rain, I'm going to put my belt to all of you!" The boys quickly replied and said, "But Ms. Johnson, Officer Dudley is the Lizard Man!". Ms. Jonson started to shake her head and said, "Old man Timmons and your father do it every year, Matthew!". "Why did you faint, Ms. Johnson?" shouted the boys! She replied, "I forgot to take my medication.". A sign a relief came over the boys as they headed back to the room soaking wet from the rain. "What about my dad and old man Timmons?" replied Matthew. Ms. Johnson said, "Don't worry about those old fools! I have something in store for the both of them!"

Officer Dudley looked at Ms. Johnson and said, "Well I going to head back to town and if you need anything Ms. Johnson, you give me a call!" "Sure thing Officer!", Ms. Johnson replied. As Officer Dudley drove off, the boys dried off and quickly settled back into their bunks for the remainder of the night. Ms. Johnson closed the door and as she walked out, Michael notice something moving in the back of Ms. Johnson's dress. As the door closed, three smooth stones fell out of Ms. Johnson's dress pocket and the boys gave a silent scream as the door fastened to the last groove. As they looked out the cracked window, they saw the cabin afar tuck in the woods, and the candle went out.