Assault and Battery

“We’re suing.” Ian said for what was probably the 400th time. “If they don’t pay the medical fees, oh they’re gonna be sorry, we-”

“Ian. I get it.” I said. Why was he telling me what happened to him again? I witnessed it with my own two eyes. In fact, I was probably one of the worst worried witnesses as a metal bat connected with his skull.
I just couldn’t believe how all of it happened.
I woke up not thinking about what I would be doing that evening. I kind of stored the information in the back of my head, but thinking about it didn’t really trigger any kind of reaction. Scary things didn’t work on me (unlike my older brother; he still sleeps with the light on ever since he saw The Conjuring) so why would walking through this ‘haunted trail’ scare me? When Ian’s mom had asked me to go the previous afternoon, I had seriously considered. saying no, but I felt bad refusing something like that to her face. So I gave in.
The first part of my saturday was like any other. A baseball game, followed by a soccer match. I then quickly scurried home, where I was picked up.
The car ride there wasn’t very entertaining. I learned what this ‘haunted trail’ actually was. This farm had a path through the woods set up, and people would jump out at random spots and try to scare you. It seemed pretty harmless
I would soon learn how wrong I was.
The 30 minute car ride seemed like it stretched into an hour, and it was to my great relief as the crunch crunch of gravel beneath the car could be heard as we pulled into the parking lot. The sun had fallen out of the sky, leaving the full moon magically illuminating in the clear october night. After purchasing tickets and having the rules explained (no touching the actors, no flashlights, no pictures, always keep walking forward) we headed into the path.
It turned out my previous assumption was right; I wasn’t scared. Sure, the first couple of people who jumped out from behind a tree made me jump in return a bit, but it was too repetitive. After a while it became desperately dull, and eventually Ian and I were picking out where they were hiding, and laughing for they could no longer scare us without the element of surprise.
Soon we came to a small hut. There wasn’t much inside, except a human-werewolf (DIE, YOU MORTALS!) and a door at the end.
“ I got it!” said Ian in excitement. He ran to the knob with his hand outstretched, grasped it, and pulled…
WHAM!
An actor had got there first, and had attempted to smash the wall with a tiny metal bat.
He would have been successful if Ian’s head wasn’t in the way.
The bat connected full-on with his cranium; Ian’s legs gave out immediately, almost as if a switch went off in his body. The bat made a sound like a professional baseball player who’d just smashed a 500-ft boomer into the seats.
The actor felt terrible. He hadn’t intended to hit him, and the expression on his werewolf-painted face showed it. Me, along with Ian’s mom and the actor, lifted Ian to his feet. He was clutching his temple, which had turned a ripe-tomato color. We exited the path and got help. After a lot of ice (and a free hat and t-shirt from the constantly apologizing manager) we headed back to Easton.
I went straight to my room when I got home. I didn’t feel up to do much. I would learn the next morning that Ian had received a concussion, and wouldn’t be in the school the next few days. In my bed, I replayed what had happened in my head numerous times. It just didn’t fit. What was supposed to have been fun and exciting had ended up dull, and someone had got injured.
I figured some things aren’t fed up to what they’re supposed to be.
All of the thinking made my brain throb and my body tired. And as I faded away into a deep sleep, my head was still hurting, but probably not as much as Ian’s was.

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3 thoughts on “Assault and Battery

  1. That story was really well put together and i liked it. Well what happened to Ian was bad but the way you explained what happened was really good.

  2. Nice story, Colin, it kept me interested and tied with suspense throughout it and it was almost like i was there in the story watching the werewolf hit ian with the bat!

  3. I like your story Colin. All throughout the time I was reading this, I was never bored. Very well done. Your story is GREAT!

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