Read Online The Beginning by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
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contentedly, yawning out her words. “I agree. We’ve been working so hard for so long. Time for a break!”
The next week came to a close and the remainder of the winter months passed as slowly as they ever did in Oescienne. The days gradually grew longer and warmer, and as the weeks passed, the wildflowers of the great open fields started to bloom and smile up at any who might pass by. Jahrra’s garden had been green for weeks now from the winter’s rains, but the blossoms and bulbs were finally awakening to the longer days.
For several weeks Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede had wracked their brains to the point of frustration trying to devise a way in which they could trick Eydeth and Ellysian into stepping into their trap. Every single idea that one of them brought up was quickly dashed away because of some flaw or problem. Jahrra’s plan to right out dare them to face a rumored lake monster wouldn’t work because, as Scede pointed out, she was a known “liar”. Gieaun’s plan to coax them out to the lake by less obvious means and then terrify them with the monster wouldn’t work either because, despite how realistic it was, it wasn’t that convincing when seen during the day.
“We need to convince them to come out to the lake at night, preferably when the moon is bright,” Jahrra huffed, her brow furrowed in aggravation.
“We’ll have to trick them into it, Jahrra, like how Eydeth tricked you into going into the Black Swamp!” Scede hissed at Gieaun and Jahrra as they stood under their favorite oak tree in the corner of the schoolyard.
Jahrra shot him a perturbed look, and Scede just shrugged apologetically. “Well, he did trick you.”
“Alright, I think I’ve finally got it!” Gieaun whispered harshly. “During our mid-day break, I’ll pretend that someone told me about the lake monster, and you two will back me up. You know Eydeth and Ellysian won’t believe us, so we’ll convince everyone else that there really is a creature living in Lake Ossar. That way, when we do dare them to prove us wrong, they can’t back down!”
“Brilliant!” Jahrra chirped. “If they insist we’re lying and then they refuse to take our dare, it’ll prove they’re afraid. Eydeth wouldn’t risk that.”
Now all they had to do was hope that the rest of their plan went smoothly. When they were dismissed for their lunch hour, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede headed for the shady corner of the yard and climbed atop the huge slab of granite they always perched on.
They waited until all of their classmates were out in the main yard, and then Gieaun said, just loud enough for the closest group to hear, “Did you hear about the Nesnan man who went missing on Lake Ossar last week?”
Jahrra tried to look as intrigued as possible as she answered in mock surprise, “No, what happened?”
“Well,” said Gieaun, taking on a dramatic air, “I wasn’t supposed to hear, but father was telling mother, and I was just in the other room. Apparently some strange creature pulled a man from his boat. He was out in the middle of the lake at night hunting for deer.”
“That’s crazy!” exclaimed Jahrra. “No one hunts deer from the middle of a lake at night!”
“No, it’s true!” Scede joined in. “Father took me out a couple of times last summer, but we were hunting wild boar instead. They come up to the edge of the lake at night, and when the moon is full, you can see them very easily.”
Jahrra looked over at Gieaun as if asking her to verify Scede’s story. Her eyes grew wide and she nodded her head somberly. By this time, many of their classmates had started listening and were slowly gathering around.
“Alright, so it isn’t all that strange to hunt during the night on the lake, so what? What about the man who went missing? What got him?” Jahrra pressed, giving a fake shiver.
Scede, doing his best to look frightened, continued on for Gieaun, “No one knows for sure, but he didn’t show up at his home the
The next week came to a close and the remainder of the winter months passed as slowly as they ever did in Oescienne. The days gradually grew longer and warmer, and as the weeks passed, the wildflowers of the great open fields started to bloom and smile up at any who might pass by. Jahrra’s garden had been green for weeks now from the winter’s rains, but the blossoms and bulbs were finally awakening to the longer days.
For several weeks Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede had wracked their brains to the point of frustration trying to devise a way in which they could trick Eydeth and Ellysian into stepping into their trap. Every single idea that one of them brought up was quickly dashed away because of some flaw or problem. Jahrra’s plan to right out dare them to face a rumored lake monster wouldn’t work because, as Scede pointed out, she was a known “liar”. Gieaun’s plan to coax them out to the lake by less obvious means and then terrify them with the monster wouldn’t work either because, despite how realistic it was, it wasn’t that convincing when seen during the day.
“We need to convince them to come out to the lake at night, preferably when the moon is bright,” Jahrra huffed, her brow furrowed in aggravation.
“We’ll have to trick them into it, Jahrra, like how Eydeth tricked you into going into the Black Swamp!” Scede hissed at Gieaun and Jahrra as they stood under their favorite oak tree in the corner of the schoolyard.
Jahrra shot him a perturbed look, and Scede just shrugged apologetically. “Well, he did trick you.”
“Alright, I think I’ve finally got it!” Gieaun whispered harshly. “During our mid-day break, I’ll pretend that someone told me about the lake monster, and you two will back me up. You know Eydeth and Ellysian won’t believe us, so we’ll convince everyone else that there really is a creature living in Lake Ossar. That way, when we do dare them to prove us wrong, they can’t back down!”
“Brilliant!” Jahrra chirped. “If they insist we’re lying and then they refuse to take our dare, it’ll prove they’re afraid. Eydeth wouldn’t risk that.”
Now all they had to do was hope that the rest of their plan went smoothly. When they were dismissed for their lunch hour, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede headed for the shady corner of the yard and climbed atop the huge slab of granite they always perched on.
They waited until all of their classmates were out in the main yard, and then Gieaun said, just loud enough for the closest group to hear, “Did you hear about the Nesnan man who went missing on Lake Ossar last week?”
Jahrra tried to look as intrigued as possible as she answered in mock surprise, “No, what happened?”
“Well,” said Gieaun, taking on a dramatic air, “I wasn’t supposed to hear, but father was telling mother, and I was just in the other room. Apparently some strange creature pulled a man from his boat. He was out in the middle of the lake at night hunting for deer.”
“That’s crazy!” exclaimed Jahrra. “No one hunts deer from the middle of a lake at night!”
“No, it’s true!” Scede joined in. “Father took me out a couple of times last summer, but we were hunting wild boar instead. They come up to the edge of the lake at night, and when the moon is full, you can see them very easily.”
Jahrra looked over at Gieaun as if asking her to verify Scede’s story. Her eyes grew wide and she nodded her head somberly. By this time, many of their classmates had started listening and were slowly gathering around.
“Alright, so it isn’t all that strange to hunt during the night on the lake, so what? What about the man who went missing? What got him?” Jahrra pressed, giving a fake shiver.
Scede, doing his best to look frightened, continued on for Gieaun, “No one knows for sure, but he didn’t show up at his home the
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