The Dare to be Brave

In a small area somewhere on the side of Terror Mountain, were four buildings. One, the biggest out of all four, was an oil pipe factory. Many Neopets came up the mountain each year to work there, leaving their family and petpets back home, not seeing them until Christmas. They would have a week off, and then they would climb back up the mountain to the factory. Another building was the bar, where all the workers went for their two meals each day - breakfast, which consisted of a plate of faerie pancakes, the day's specials and occasionally snow puffs and other treats. Special Kau milk bottles were also provided. Dinner was a hearty beef or vegetable soup, and some sourdough bread. A bit of wine came along with the meal. If the workers wished, they could purchase more food, but most Neopets decided not to, although their stomachs may be rumbling quite loudly. Their salary wasn't much, and that was the reason why.

     The other two buildings were homes. One was close to the factory, and the facilities were very high class. This, of course, was more expensive, so not much Neopets could stay there. Most of them lived in a small, stuffy and dirty longhouse quite far away from the factory and the bar. Now, in between the three buildings and the longhouse was a cemetery of the workers who died in the factory or around the area. Since it was always a bitter cold up on the mountain, and it took too long to go around the cemetery to the longhouse, the workers made a path through the cemetery. That way, it would save many minutes out in the cold.

     Now, there was a young Lupe who was sent up there by his parents to provide for them and his three younger siblings and two little cousins. His name was Reuben. He worked hard, but he hated the cold weather, and one thing you really should know about him is - he has taphephobia. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is a fear of cemeteries. Of course, his family was not rich -- that was the reason why he was up there, anyways -- so he had to stay in the longhouse. Of the three years that he had been working in the factory, he had never, ever used the shortcut through the cemetery and preferred to face the bitter cold although he hated it for much longer to get back and forth to the factory and longhouse. The other Neopets noticed this, and always teased him for it. They called him, "Reuben the Chicken" and gave him no sympathy for his fear, and never gave him a word of encouragement for him to overcome it.

     One morning, after Reuben entered the bar and sat down to eat along with the others, a fairly new worker, a Meridell war hero, challenged him.

     "Hey, Reuben, I hear from these fellows that you never use the path through the cemetery," he said, nodding at him. At first the young Lupe was hopeful. Perhaps there was finally someone who cared about him and his phobia? But in the next sentence, the hope bubble popped. "Seriously, boy, YOU are a big, fat, chicken," the soldier cried out, making many others snicker and smirk at poor Reuben. For a while, the attention was off of Reuben, and the Neopets continued to eat. All through this time the soldier looked thoughtful. Near the end of the meal, the soldier declared, "Reuben, you have a chance to prove yourself to be brave as Lupes should be, and get on my good side and also become part of the pack here! And, note a chance. Would you like to know what you will have to do?" Because of all the pressure, Reuben agreed, not sure of what to think next.

     "Well, then. The Chicken has agreed," the soldier remarked, triggering another burst of laughter from the workers. "Alright, you have to walk through the cemetery, and not go around it as you usually do." At this, Reuben turned away in shame. He knew he couldn't do this, but he listened on. The soldier continued. "In order to prove and show us that you did do it, take my sword, and stick it beside the large tombstone, which is near the middle of the left side of the path. My men and I will go there in the morning, and if we see my sword where I told you it should be, you will have proven yourself brave. You will also receive 75,000 Neopoints. Fair?" Reuben's eyes widened. Seventy-five thousand Neopoints! It was more than half a year's pay for him. He, not thinking too clearly, and his mind clearly on the reward, quickly nodded.

     "I'll do it," the Lupe declared, his voice sounding quite bold. The workers were taken aback. Were they hearing correctly? Indeed they were. The soldier smiled slightly.

     "Good. Since you sound so good…I dare you to do it -- tonight."

     The soldier, some of his men and Reuben stood at the gate of the path that cold, blistering winter night. The Lupe was scared nearly to death. During the day he greatly regretted his decision, knowing that he really, really, could not go through the cemetery, reward or not. But he knew backing out would make the others never let him hear the end of it, and the soldier would not let it, anyways. So he gripped the handle of the sword tightly, and a Kougra opened the gate for him, snickering and as he slowly, trembling, walked past him, he whispered in his ear, "Good luck...if you come back…" Reuben gave him an irritated and hurt glare, and he shivered as he pulled his long coat -- it nearly touched the ground -- tighter around his body. As he hurried along the path, he could hear the soldier's loud voice fade, calling his nickname, and mocking him.

     He ran to the middle of the path, and found the large tombstone exactly where the soldier had described it. Hurriedly he kneeled down and stabbed the sword into the ground beside the tombstone. Triumphantly he rose to stand up and continue his way to the longhouse - but he couldn't! It felt as if something or a supernatural being was holding him back, and not letting him go. Reuben screamed, shouted for help, but no one could hear him through the howling winds. He muttered words of hatred for the soldier and his parents, who sent him up the mountain. He yelled in intervals, but still no one heard him. He tried to pull away again, but nothing happened. He could feel the pain when he got frostbite, and the falling snow and strong winds cut at him like a knife. He cried again and again, but it didn't work. He fought until he could fight no more…

     The next morning, the soldier and his followers went to the tombstone. Indeed, the sword was where the soldier had asked for it to be. But they found Reuben, his face pale with great terror and blue from the cold. His long coat was pinned between his knees by the sword to the ground…

THE END