This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are
not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. Any resemblance to any person or
persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved
The rights of the author have been asserted by him under the South African Copyright Act of 1978 (as amended).
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FRIGHTENERS: HORROR ANTHOLOGY FOR CHILDREN
Book 1: Trick-or-treat
Book 2: Don’t be afraid of the dark
Book 3: The tree
1
“Dad!” Bobby called out from bed.
Bobby sat upright in his bed and stared at the bedroom door hoping that his dad would enter at any moment. Bobby had just turned ten and was the only child of a single father. His mother died when Bobby was two. Ever since it’s just been the two of them.
A moment later the door opened and his dad stepped into the room.
“What is it, Bobby?” His dad asked with a sigh.
“I think I saw something move outside the window.” Bobby said convinced.
His dad took a deep breath and indulged in Bobby’s complaint by walking over to the window. He glanced out into the front yard; it was deserted except for the old tree which stood at the far end of the yard. It had a tyre swing that hung from one of its branches which slowly swayed back and forth in the light breeze.
“It’s probably the wind.” His dad said.
Bobby’s dad pulled the curtains shut and turned to Bobby. He didn’t believe Bobby, but he didn’t want to think his son was a liar either. Perhaps they just had to go back to using the night-light?
“Should I go get the night-light from the attic?” His dad asked.
“No.” Bobby quickly replied.
Bobby shifted a bit in his bed and then faked a smile. He hadn’t used the night-light in years and wasn’t about to be a baby about something he may or may not have seen in the yard.
“I’ll be fine.” Bobby lied and smiled.
“You’re sure?” His dad asked.
Bobby nodded and said, “Yes.”
His dad lingered in the doorway for a moment longer, nodded and then left. The light from the hallway dissipated as soon as the bedroom door shut. Bobby laid back and pulled the covers up to his chin. He knew he saw something move outside. It wasn’t his imagination. Something cast shadows on his window – a window which was on the second floor. He only saw the shadows for a moment and then they were gone.
He hated being alone in the dark, but decided to keep it a secret. His dad wouldn’t understand. He’d probably think Bobby was going insane or something. Grownups never understood kids.
He stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars pasted against his ceiling. He loved the night sky, but could never see it from their house. The air was too polluted in their neighbourhood. Smog from the nearby city hindered his sight of the stars.
His dad pasted the glow-in-the-dark stars against his ceiling a few years earlier. Bobby knew they were fake, but he took some kind of solace in thinking that his mother was one of the glow-in-the-dark stars and watched over him as he slept.
Something rustled outside his window and he turned to the window with a jerk. He couldn’t quite place the sound he heard, but it scared the hell out of him. Everything went quiet again for a moment and then he heard the sound again. He sat upright with a jerk and kept his sights on the drawn curtains. He wanted to know what was going on outside, but was too scared to open the curtains.
He glanced up at the glow-in-the-dark stars to draw courage and then threw back the covers. He tip-toed over to the window and slowly reached out at the curtains. He opened the curtains just a crack and peered out into the front yard. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The yard was empty. A passing car beamed lights onto the yard and then Bobby noticed something quite disturbing. He wasn’t sure for a fact, but it almost looked like the old tree stood closer to the house than before.
He scrutinized the tree for a moment. Could it be? Was the tree really closer than it was before?
2
Bobby wanted to tell someone he trusted about his suspicions about the sinister tree. He couldn’t tell his dad because he’d think Bobby was going insane. A tree couldn’t simply get up and move… could it?
The next morning he met his friend Alex at his house and they walked to school together. He decided it was safe to confide in his best friend, but he had a bit of trouble convincing Alex that he was being serious. Alex thought it was a joke, despite Bobby not smiling or laughing.
“You think your tree moved last night?” Alex asked laughing, “You’ve been watching too many horror movies.”
“I’m being serious.” Bobby pleaded, “I know it sounds crazy, but the tree moved. I swear! It’s closer to the house than it was yesterday.”
“That’s impossible.” Alex said composed, “Trees can’t move.”
“I’m telling you this one did.” Bobby said.
They walked in silence for a moment while Alex pondered about his friend’s sanity.
“Okay,” Alex said, “Let’s pretend the tree moved.”
“But—”
“— There’d be proof of it.” Alex said.
“What do you mean?” Bobby asked.
“The ground around the trunk of the tree.” Bobby said, “Can you see any signs of the ground being uprooted?”
Bobby thought for a moment. He didn’t check the ground around the tree, but he was convinced of what he saw. He wasn’t crazy.
“I didn’t check that.” Bobby said with a sigh.
A red-headed girl frolicked towards them from behind and swung her book case with each cheerful step. She hummed some kind of song which neither one of them recognised – it was most probably a song she made up as she went along. Nancy was a weird and free-spirited girl.
“Check for what?” Nancy asked.
Bobby rolled his eyes at the sound of her voice. He didn’t like her too much. She was too nosy for his liking. They weren’t friends with her, but she walked with them every other morning.
“Nothing.” Bobby said mundane.
“Sounds to me like you were discussing something.” Nancy said observant.
“Bobby here thinks his tree is alive.” Alex said sceptically.
Bobby gave Alex a stern look of disapproval.
“He’s right.” Nancy said cheerfully.
Confused at her statement, Bobby glanced over at Nancy.
“You believe me?” Bobby asked surprised.
“Yeah.” Nancy said as she nodded her head, “All trees are living creatures. Their green leaves are proof of that.”
Bobby let out a sigh of frustration. That was not what he meant. He thought someone finally believed him.
“He thinks his tree moved.” Alex corrected her.
“That’s not possible.” Nancy said adamantly, “Trees don’t move.”
“That’s what I said.” Alex said.
“Don’t know why I associate myself with boys who think trees move.” Nancy said to herself.
“We’re not friends.” Bobby uttered to himself.
“Correction.” Alex corrected Nancy, “Boy… not boys. Singular. Not Plural.”
“You’re guilty by association.” Nancy said, “See ya.”
Nancy smiled and waved at them as she frolicked on ahead without them. Bobby was glad to see her go. He wasn’t very fond about her cheerful personality. It could get old some
times.
“I’ll prove it to you.” Bobby said, “I’ll prove to you that the tree moved.”
3
Bobby didn’t pay much attention in class that day. All he could think of was the tree. He was sure it moved. All throughout class he found himself staring out the window at the trees in the schoolyard until the teacher called out his name. Why didn’t other trees move? Why was it so hard for Alex to believe him? He was not crazy.
He walked home alone that afternoon. Instead of going upstairs to play video games, he stood in front of the old tree. He stared at its cracked bark and at the old tyre swing. He used to love spending his days on the swing, but spent less time on the swing and more time playing video games.
The tree seemed as ordinary as any tree, except that it still appeared closer to the house than before. He studied the soil and the grass at the base of the tree; nothing seemed disturbed. It made no sense. He stared up at the branches of the tree which swayed in the wind. It was possible that the branches cast the shadows he saw the night before.
He stared up at his window on the second floor and saw that the shadows from the trees fell short; they didn’t reach the window. Perhaps he was indeed losing his mind?
He stared at the base of the tree for a while and tried to figure out how he’d prove it moved.