The night was dark, on the 6th of May in the year 1840, and the wind was harshly blowing around the small village in which a poor family lived. The Smiths, as they were known, lived in a small village cottage next to their cousins in a land known as Acton. The father, named John, was a very hardworking and humble man, chopped wood 13 hours a day to provide food and shelter for the family. The work was very rough for a man who could only eat so little, but it was the only job available at the time. The family also consisted the mother, Emma, and their five kids, the oldest a 14 year old boy named Tyler. Times were rough for John and his family of, but at least it was Spring and they were no longer freezing from a long winter.
The May night brought a warmth throughout the house, and Tyler observed the intense weather of the night outside their small house while cleaning dishes. The wind seemed to be playing music in the summer night, and it were as if the trees were dancing to the music, swaying this way and that. Tyler chuckled to himself at his personifying thought, while he finished drying off the final dish in the sink. He walked into the living room, where his mother was braiding Ellie, a seven year old daughter’s hair. The rest of the family was sitting around the fire in the small spaced, doing their own little activities, waiting for a family prayer and to then be sent off to bed. Before Tyler could sit down on the hard wooden floor, his mother inquired of him;
“Tyler, honey, before you sit, could you please take the water out to the pigs?”
“Yes, mother.” Tyler said with a little sigh. The family never seemed to stop working. his dad was still out chopping wood in the candle light. Tyler took the heavy bucket of water out to the pigs, and saw his dad in the distance, chopping away with an an axe that was given to him my his grandfather. Tyler couldn’t imagine how tired his dad was at this point of the day, or any time of the day, really. He continued walking, and poured the water into the trough, while one by one the pigs noticed and walked to the trough. They tussled for an open spot to drink water, and over the grunts of the pigs, Tyler nearly didn’t hear the nagging holler that came from the direction of the forest. Astonished and confused by the sound, he finally realized that it was his father! He finally dropped the bucket after standing jaw dropped for about and dashed to his bow and arrows on a new outside window seal, and then rushed to the forest. He was scared of what he might see when he reached his dad. It was then revealed to him; Tyler’s dad was swinging his axe aimlessly at a huge creature, when at the time, both could not even identify.
The creature in a way had the mouth of a anteater and the but the body of a porcupine. Clearly, a frightening sight. Tyler sprinted to help, with a nervous yet determining look on his face. He was close enough to where he could hit the creature with his arrows, and yelling at his Dad, “Father! What is that is this thing?”
“Tyler, stand back!” he said “Take the family down to the cave near the reservoir! You guys will be safe there!” The creature spit a fire as John said this, and he barely dodge the heat.
“Father, I’m not leaving you! Let me help! We can take down this beast together!” John knew that he could not probably fight off this terrifying monster alone, but he didn’t want to risk his eldest son life.
“Tyler, please! I can’t risk losing you! Go with the rest of the family ”
“I can’t risk losing you too! Nor can the rest of the family!” Tyler said back. John faced reality and understood that his skilled son was the best shot he had at defeating this mysterious monster.
John reluctantly said, “Alright! Warn the family and come back to help.” The creature spat more fire, while John was also using all his strength to block his sharp swing of claws with his axe.
Tyler bolted to the house, informed his mother, and helped each one make their way outside and towards the cave. His mother seemed very scared, which would make perfect sense, but she was too shocked to say anything, and lead the kids to the cave where they would be safe. He had told her mother with great confidence that it was going to be alright and told her to have faith that they would defeat the unknown thing, unharmed.
Tyler returned to his father and the scary creature, and not much had happened. The two were in the same position as when they had left. Both seemed to be injured in some places, but both were still fighting very aggressively. Tyler snuck up to the side of the creature, and noticed an opening where he could nail the creature. He aimed his bow at the center of the creature's head. He planned out in his what he would do in his mind, and then put his thoughts into actions. Tyler made a diversing noise to make the grossing beast turn around. When he turned, Tyler nailed his arrow in the forehead of the creature Stunned, the creature, gradually fell backwards. Although it was unplanned, John got the message that this was his chance to kill the creature. He swung the axe up at the creature back, and it went through his body.
They became instant heroes; the town was notified and the Smiths were rewarded for their heroic actions, and with that money they were able to move out of their cottage and into a house that was fit for their large family. Mr. Smith invested half of the money for a new weaponry company, which became very successful. All the kid’s could now receive an education, too. In the end, the Smith’s family were able to spend more time as a family not slaving away all day to provide just enough food. For once, they were pleased with the way life was rolling along for them.