The Yellow Jacket
A listless moon shone down from the starless, ebony heavens as
though it was ashamed to break through the heavy silence that en-
shrouded the entire area and as though it was afraid to wake up the
world.
Tbe light painfully worked its way through gigantic leaves and
massive vines to a deadly marsh stretching for several miles in all
dlrections.
We1rd shadows dematerialized and then reappeared in a silent mys-
terious game of their own.
Snake-like vines climbed and wound their way around immense tree
trunks, continually moving.
The dense breathing foliage seemed to be calmly and patiently
wa1ting with watchful eyes and ears, for some dreadful event to occur.
Even the creatures who lived in the marsh seemed to be intently
listening and always waiting.
A lonely abandoned mansion sat upon the moor, basking in the
shimmering moonlight, surrounded on all sides by the immense bog.
The whole atmosphere was filled with a feeling of foreknowledge
and ecstatic expectancy.
Two adolescents worked their way down one of the numerous paths
that wound their way endlessly in circles around that bog.
The atmosphere suddenly changed the instant that these two to~ch-
ed upon this god-forsaken plot of land. The trees, and vines became
more human and everything seemed to come to life. A feeling of hospi-
tality was generated by everything--living or dead.
Paths altered their courses and became more twisted and gnarled,
none of them leading anywhere except to another and mor'e complicated
trail.
The undergrowth rapidly became more dense and tangled, creeping
up to the paths' edges blocking the way and making it more difficult.
Vines wo~ld suddenly change their positions springing down in front of
the two and hindering their progress.
Trees glared out at them from thick foliage with angry yellow
orbs, and evil messages were whispered through vile mouths.
Everywhere the two went they were followed.
Meanwhile an ugly black shadow crept across the face of the moon
removing from this strange new world the last bit of warmth and good.
Footsteps sounded, and yet there was no wind.
As the two walked on inkey water oozed out of the ground staining
their shoes and pants.
As they broke into the clearing and stood in awe in front of the
mansion which they knew to be abandoned, a small flickering candle