A Beam of Hope

Disoriented, the boys wandered around the forest in the dark, having forgotten to bring along flashlights when they left their camp site earlier in the day. Sounds of rolling thunder in the mountains were followed by a flash of lightning that illuminated the skies for a split second. The boys' faces were identical masks of fear. Stranded in the middle of a dense forest, the last thing they need is an impending thunderstorm which threatens to drench them to their skins. The fog was rolling in even more thickly as the temperatures started to drop further. The boys hugged their thin sweaters tighter against themselves, trying to stop their teeth from chattering.

Hopes of being rescued were dwindling fast as their calls for help went unanswered. Just as they thought all hopes were lost, Wayne suddenly recalled a survival tip he once saw on the television.

"I just remembered something. Where there are rivers and streams, there will be civilisation nearby! We should find a river or something and follow it upstream; that way, we'll be able to find help!" Wayne told the other three.

So, with renewed optimism, they trudged along trying to find a stream. It was another 10 minutes before they'd heard the sounds of river gushing. Just then, the storm that had been looming on the horizon all day finally came pouring down. The rain that was coming down in sleets further worsened their visibility; they could hardly see anything at all, let alone finding the stream. When they finally did reach the river, it was not relief that they felt; it was horror. The river was at least 20 feet wide, with wild muddy water that was rushing so quickly, anyone would be swept off their foot and into the murky depths of the water should they attempt to cross it.

Nevertheless, they proceeded to follow the river upstream carefully, stopping every now and then to catch their breath. It was awhile before they'd finally stopped walking. It was a dead end. The river led them to a waterfall that was almost 60 feet high. Crushed, they decided to seek refuge from the rain by walking deeper into the woods, hoping the trees would help shelter them from the bitter cold the storm brought on.

After what seemed like ages, the rain finally started to die down, leaving only darkness and cold behind. Attempts to start a fire for warmth failed as the fire woods were all drenched by rain water. By then, the boys were feeling lethargic and hungry, having only eaten a hasty brunch earlier on. Just when they were about to give up, a few fireflies appeared out of nowhere, distracting them temporarily from their predicament.

They followed the fireflies as though in a daze, drifting deeper and deeper into the woods and even further away from civilisation. They snapped out of the daze as the fireflies disappeared abruptly. As they look around the place they now stood, they let out a gasp and stood with their mouths agape. Standing in front of them was a tree that seemed even larger than the one they saw yesterday. Fireflies were surrounding the huge tree, making it seem like the tree was twinkling. Overcame with fatigue, the boys decided to rest under the tree for a moment before continuing to seek help.

It was now past midnight, the boys had unknowingly fallen asleep at the base of the tree after the day's ordeal. Being a light sleeper, Kit was awoken by the sounds of rustling behind one of the trees. Alarmed, he quickly roused the other three from their sleep, worried that the beast earlier had managed to track them down. A pair of amber eyes glowed from within the woods, scaring the boys out of their skin. Without a second glance back, they ran as far as their legs would bring them.

Out of breath, the boys slowed to a stop as the beast did not seem to have pursued them. Kit decided to rustle through his backpack for something to arm themselves against the creature should it appear again. Buried under various junk was the flare gun handed out by the forest ranger days earlier.

"Look at what I've found! The flare gun the ranger gave us the other day," said Kit. "We should use it. Maybe they'll see it and come to rescue us!"
"No way, what if the sound attracts that thing and makes it come for us again?" argued Long.

Disappointed, Kit put the flare gun back into his backpack. They continued to walk for a bit more before Wayne had spotted a faint light in the distance. Thinking that they were near the edge of the forest, they ran towards the source of light, only to stop short at the edge of a dead forest. The faint light shone weakly through the bleak gloomy darkness emanating from the dead forest.

Left with no other choices, the boys had nowhere else to go but forward. They had to find out where the light was coming from as it was their only hope of being rescued. The fog that had dispersed after the rain was starting to thicken again, which made the boys look like they were floating on thin air. The dead forest was eerily quiet, with only occasional caws from ravens perched on the dead branches. As they walked on, they noticed tombstones that are half buried in the ground, and by the looks of it, some of the tombstones dated as far back as the 18th century. Surrounded by half fallen archangels and mausoleums that looked like they were about to collapse anytime, the boys stifled an involuntary shudder.

"This is waaaay too creepy to belong in a national park," said Ken. The other three agreed silently as they struggled to find a way out of the dead forest.

When they turned their heads to look back after some time, the lively forest that they were once in had completely vanished from their sight. The faint light that led them here in the first place looked even further away than before. The fog that had been creeping at their feet started to swell in size, engulfing the boys completely in its cloud. Unable to see more than a few feet, the boys held hands and formed a human chain so that they would not be separated in the thick fog. Every once in awhile, one of them would trip over the exposed roots of the dead trees or hit their heads on the low branches, making the progress forward even slower.

Finally, they arrived at the source of the light. A magnificent mansion towered over them, its ancient looking architecture give off an eerie feel that sent a chill down their spines. Despite its dilapidated outlook, there's a fire burning brightly in the grate, which gave off the faint light that attracted them from afar. Slowly, they walked up to the doorway and tentatively knocked lightly on the polished maple door. To their surprise, the door creaked open slightly, revealing a lavishly furnished hall.

Blood red carpet covered the entire hall, with twin marble staircases that lead to the second floor. Ornate carvings of what seemed like angels can be seen on the railings of the staircase, giving it a somewhat grandiose yet ominous look. As they looked around the hall, they noticed that a fine layer of dust was covering all the furniture, even the grand piano in the center of the hall looked like it has not been played in quite some time. The place looked like it was uninhabited, abandoned by its affluent owner that seemed to have left the place in a hurry, leaving everything untouched in his hasty flight.

Hearts pounding furiously, they took their first steps into the strange mansion.

The Forest


As the ranger led the students through the trail, Wayne can't help but be awed at the ancient trees that surround them. Yews, maples, sycamores are just the few he can name, and then some which he could not recognised as they were covered in moss. The four of them went deeper into the woods in search of their camping site for the next three days. As they went deeper into the woods, the sounds of other students faded into silence; soon, there was only the panting and grunting of the four. Finally, the ranger stopped at a clearing and the four of them gave a big sigh of relief.

The sun overhead filled the clearing with a haze of warm sunshine which made them feel that the long walk was definitely worth it. The bubbling sounds of a nearby stream could also be heard.They were told to gather up fire woods and taught to set up the tent which would be their home for the next three days.

"If you ever get lost or need any help, use these compasses and head south-east, that should lead you to the direction of our headquarters. Use the flare gun wisely as it's only good for a single shot," said the ranger as he handed out the compasses and the flare gun to the boys.
Before the ranger left, they were also given a first aid kit in case of any emergency situations. After the ranger left, the four of them got to work setting up their tent and gathered pots and pans to cook their dinner. Kit and Ken were tasked to gather fire woods while Wayne and Long were supposed to cook. When Kit and Ken finally gathered up enough firewood, the sun had already set and their surroundings were dissolved into darkness.

After tinkering with the flint stones for almost half an hour, they finally got the fire going. It was another half an hour before they got the fire hot enough to cook themselves a simple meal of potatoes and porridge. Even though the food weren't tasty, the four of them were ravenous by then and wolfed all of it down. After cleaning up the cooking utensils at the nearby stream, they went back to the camp and soon fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep surrounded by the sounds of the insects in the forest.

The boys woke up next morning to the cheerful sounds of birds chirping and the morning sun shining through the thin nylon of the tent. Groggily, the four of them tumbled out of their tents and proceeded to walk to the nearby stream to wash up.

"Ow! You stepped on my foot!" yelled Ken when Long accidentally stepped on him in a sleepy daze.
"Sorry..." Long managed to say before he tripped over a branch which landed him face first into the river mud.

The other three broke into raucous laughter at the sight of Long's face buried in the mud. After a good long minute, they finally managed to stumble over the stream to clean up their dirty bodies. The cool refreshing stream came as a huge relief as they were all sticky and sweaty after yesterday's flurry of activities. The boys frolic for awhile more in the clear cool water of the stream before their stomachs staged protests.

Breakfast was a simple affair made up of canned meat, beans and some slightly squashed bread which were found in Ken's backpack. After satisfying their stomachs, the four of them decided to explore the surrounding woods as they were slightly bored with just staying at the camp site. They packed some sandwiches and followed a faint trail that led to the woods, bringing along their compasses in case they lose their way. There were little wild flowers along the trails, which gave a touch of colour to the vast green forest. But boys being boys, they had fun trampling on the flowers while cracking jokes with each other while they were hiking through the woods.

"Hey! Look at that!" Kit said as the boys came to the foot on an ancient oak tree that stood at at least 100 feet.

For a moment there, all boys stopped their incessant chattering and just stood there awestruck at the wonders of nature. The oak tree stood taller than any other tree in the forest, with branches reaching out to the sky above. Seeing the oak in its full splendor simply took their breath away. It was awhile before they'd regain their senses and started the walk back to their camp site as the sky overhead grew darker and the temperatures dropped.

By the time the four boys retraced their steps and got back to their campsite, night has already fallen. Hungry and tired, they hurriedly made dinner and went to rest their aching bodies.

When they awoke the next morning, it was already nearing noon. They were scheduled to arrive back at the headquarters before sunset. So after a quick brunch of instant noodles, they decided to take a look at the majestic oak tree for the last time before leaving. Bringing along their compasses once again, they tried to retrace their steps from the previous day. As they hike further into the woods, their easy banter soon changed into worried exchange as the tree from yesterday was no where in sight.

"I swear it was around here somewhere! We saw it just yesterday!" Long said as he tried to figure out where the tree went.

The puzzled looks on the other three boys' faces showed that they too, had no clue as to where the tree could have possibly disappeared to. Tired and disappointed, they got out their compasses to help them figure out which way would lead them back to the campsite. However, the needles of the compasses just spun wildly in every direction when the boys took them out. Their uneasiness grew when the cell phones would not work properly either; there seemed to be no signal no matter where they went.

They started to panic as the sun was quickly dipping below the horizon. Arguments started to break out as they tried to determine which way was south-east. Hungry and thirsty, they wandered aimlessly in the woods, hoping to run into some other groups of students. Sunlight was fading fast, soon there was only darkness left. The night air was cold and still, and the boys' breaths rose up in puffs of steam.

A sudden rustle in one of the bush startled them as everything else was still and quiet in the dark forest. Just as they were about to dismiss it as a figment of their imagination, a low growl rose from bush. The boys exchanged a glance and immediately broke into a sprint, trying to put as much distance between them and the beast as possible.

When they finally came to a stop, they were even further into the woods than before. The forest is now covered in mist, the surroundings were as silent as a grave, not even the sounds of insects could be heard. Shivering and scared, the boys were lost in the woods.

A Day Out

Rain was trickling down the window pane; the pitter-patter of the raindrops hitting the roof makes a soothing symphony that promises to lull the tired minds to a deep slumber. A boy sits at his desk in a room, staring blankly out of the window. The room is sparsely furnished, with just a cluttered bed at the corner of the room, a messy shelf filled with dusty books, a simple double door wardrobe and a small desk littered with notes and papers. The boy's dark brown eyes seemed a million years away as he sat at his desk, distracted by his train of thoughts. The orangey glow of the desk lamp makes his unruly hair looks almost light brown, a contrast from its usual dull brown. As he continues to be absorbed in his thoughts, he toyed with a piece of paper on the desk; an invitation to the yearly camping trip organized by the school.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and let out an audible sigh. It was nearing midnight. He was never the outdoor type, but this was his last year in school and his friends would not let him pass over this outing, like he did with every other outings ever organised by the school. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "There is no way I could get out of this one," he thought. With that, he finally went to bed.

The next morning, he was awaken by the annoying beep of the clock. He got up from his bed and grumbled all the way to the bathroom to wash up. As he got dressed and went downstairs, his father was already sitting at the dining table reading his morning papers. His father has pleasantly plump features with short salt and pepper hair and a rotund stomach that seems to plague every middle age man nowadays. The boy simply grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen counter and headed out the door with his backpack. They never did talk much. When they finally reached the school ten minutes later, there were only a few students in sight. He took a look at his wrist watch and saw that he was thirty minutes early.

Just as he was walking through the school parking lot, a boy who is almost the same height as the boy called out to him.

"Wayne!" greeted Long, "you came! I thought you'd ditch us again."

Long has been friends with Wayne since 7th grade. He has grown from a tiny kid to a gawky lanky teen. With short black hair and brown eyes, they could almost be passed off as brothers. Wayne smiled as he joined the others who were waiting for the chartered bus to take them to the camping destination. There were two other kids in the group, a very tall kid who's closing on 6 foot and another kid that is about the same height as Wayne and Long.

"Hey Kit!" Long greeted the tall kid and Wayne high-fived Ken, the shorter one.

There were a few other groups of students who gathered at the hall as they waited for the bus to arrive. The morning sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow that is much welcomed after a cold and humid night. The dews on the grass twinkled as the refreshing breeze blew through the school field. The excited chatters of the students blended in with the rustling of tree leaves in the morning breeze. The bus driver blared the horn loudly, startling all conversations to a stop. The kids quickly grabbed their backpacks and clamored to get good seats on the bus. Wayne sighed with relief when he saw that the bus was an air-conditioned chartered coach that has soft reclinable seats unlike the ones on the school bus that squeaks every time you tried to move.

"At least the journey there will be comfortable," thought Wayne.

He fell asleep as soon as he snuggled up in his seat. Long however, was texting someone on his phone, and judging by the look on his face, it was a special someone as he could not stop smiling to himself every now and then. Kit and Ken on the other hand were soon engrossed in a game of cards on the other side of the aisle. Despite it being a huge ruckus on the bus, Wayne slept on, blissfully undisturbed by his fellow schoolmates' antics.

Three hours later, Wayne awoke from his slumber when the bus went over a particularly nasty bump which almost made him fell off his seat. Irritated that he was roused from his sleep, he grabbed his water bottle from the backpack and took a deep gulp. Most of his schoolmates had already fallen asleep, tired from the racket they had caused earlier on.

He rubbed his weary eyes and tried to smooth his hair, which jutted out at an odd angle as a result of his weird sleeping position. He tried to flatten his hair in vain, wetting it with the water from his water bottle; hoping it would look better by the time they reach their destination.

It was another hour before they'd finally reached their destination. By then, the bus was so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop. Finally, the bus started to slow down and came to a halt. Everyone peered out the window and perked up as the National Park came into view. The National Park rangers greeted the excited kids and showed them around the main building where there is a reception waiting for them. As they walked towards the building, miles and miles of forests stretched out beyond the land. After the students had a quick lunch at the cafeteria in the building, the teachers took a head count and a few of the rangers handed out camping equipments such as tents, flint stones, swiss knives and also some food and water supplies.

Once they got their provisions, they were split into groups and led into the forest by the rangers.