The Happy Happy Village

Night is Falling... (Part-2)

-Down Hill-

I soon left the guest house and followed the dirt path to Happy Happy Village, the sun was in its last moments of its sunset as the last rays of light would soon be gone. I was well on my way back to the village. I did say to Harold, Lisa, and Gordon that I would be returning soon, and I guess soon was then. I was quite eager to see them again actually. I could imagine what the three of them could tell me about the village, what surprises that I had yet to learn. And I eventually do... but not the way you'd think I would.

Not at all through a simple sit down conversation over a glass of water if that's what you thought, or through any pleasant methods. Oh no my dear reader, the only to find dark secrets for yourself is to find out in the worst possible way imaginable. And unfortunately for me, I did learn a few dark secrets which I did in fact learn in the worst way imaginable... and this is how it began.

-:-

I shortly arrived at the base of the hill that came before the village, hearing the music playing from a distance. While the sounds of smooth jazz were very welcoming to me, what was standing at the top wasn't. A man stood up at the top with his back to the sun, casting a large shadow on me and the forest floor. He then came sprinting down towards me. As he came closer and closer, I could then identify the man to be Harold. I only expected nothing more than a welcome from the man, a welcome with open arms. But it actually wasn't a Happy Happy Village welcome like I thought it would be. Harold was charging right at me with sweat and a very urgent panic, and then proceeded to latch right onto my suit jacket like some sort of savage man from the wild! It was no welcome, but a horrifying painful distress.

"John," he said, "Please tell me you're going to see my wife?!" He had the crazed look in his eyes like a wild rabid dog, he was breathing straight down my neck.

"Harold, I was just on my way to see you guys." I said nervously prying him off my body, "why do you look so nervous?"

He grabbed me again, pulling me towards him as he gave me a desperate look of fear. "I don't have much time, not much time John!" He was shaking up and down quite uncontrollably.

"Harold, calm down!" I said to him, "what's going on?"

"I'm going to die John!" He softly murmured in horror. "I'm gonna die."

"What?" I wasn't sure if he was being serious or just messing with me now. But I was too frightened by the bar tender's expressions to even answer. If only I knew what was happening then, I could understand why he had acted so strangely to me.

"Hear my last request," he said, "as a friend?" I nodded as I looked at him rather terrified of his serious tone. "Get out of here John! Save yourself before it's too... it's... too... " The man clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and began to make a very painful cry as if he were in pain.

"Aaaaaagh!"

"Harold!" I cried out as I watched the man only suffer. His painful sounds continued on as his grip on me loosened. He fell to the floor, writhing in agony. I couldn't believe what I was watching before my own eyes, I was speechless. My wide eyes and hanging jaw could only speak for the shock I felt. Louder and louder Harold howled, until he let out one last sustaining yell. He lay motionless on the ground, with open eyes without light.

He didn't breathe, he didn't move, and he didn't hold any detectable signs of life. Harold had died right in front of me. If you were in my shoes when this happened, you would be certainly mortified to witness a sudden death much like a sudden heart attack. It's quite an experience, take it from me dear reader.