A LOST BOY?

 A LOST BOY?

--(A story with a little dark humor I wrote)---

There was a boy named Ungon who was on his first hunt. Along the way, he had become lost, and his people were far behind him. Then he came upon a rugged piece of land, mountainous with jutting sharp rocks in a desolate area. His water container was near empty as was his rations depleted. Things were feeling hopeless. His strength was nearly spent.

When he suddenly happened upon a foreign camp. Strange voices off in the distance drew him closer to a group of shaggy, dark men who smelled like they knew not the meaning of a bath. More creatures than men. Some had tusks curving up from their mouths and boar ears, or horns on the side of their heads. Coming closer to the light of their camp and seeing their features better melted away all of Ungon’s weary troubles as only escape came to mind.

Braving the courage, he cleared his throat, asking, “Who are you?”

Startled they whirled about from the fire to the young man’s direction “What are you, we ask instead?”

“A morsel me thinks, but more bone than meat,” said another.

“I am a boy, Ungon is my name.” He declared, looking at the path behind him.

“The boy has a name for itself, how sweet,” the four creatures laughed in unison.

“What – what are you – things,” Ungon asked?

“Things? Boggers, Drogs, Hobgoblins, Orcs, takes your pick, Meat, and Bones, makes no difference after you’re eaten,” said the largest and closest goblin.

“What does it call itself?”

“Listen up, Duggnek! It called itself a boy,” declared the smallest of the four.

“Said its sweet name of Ungon.”

“I still says more bones than meat is this one here,” Duggnek wiped his leaking mouth.

“It’s all bone.”

“Some meat there, Noge.”

“I am a man on my first hunt.”

“I say, rather a boy on his last hunt, instead,” Noge laughed, and the others joined in.

“What you be hunten man-boy?”

“I was hunting rabbit then came upon a deer and then lost my way,” Ungon confessed.

“Rabbit, less bones than this one,” said Noge.

“Deer got more meat than him,” laughed Duggnek.

“Thinks he found Goblin instead, sad little lost man-boy did,” They all laughed, even the boy. Then they fell silent leaving Ungon laughing by himself.

“Man!”

“Man, and meat, all the same, Borge,” Duggnek nodded to his companion.

“And this one is lost nonetheless, ain’ts he?” Noge snickered to himself rubbing his hands together.

“Lost, then eaten says I, Noge.”

“Bokrah, I says hes lost and alone ands dats no good way to be, says we helps em,” Noge replied.

“I – I hates being alone,” Duggnek sighed.

“And lost, don’t forget lost!” The other three laughed, then Noge added, “Duggnek, You are always lost and alone.” They laughed even harder.

The boy said softly, “Well, no one likes being lost or alone, not even fine goblins like yourselves.” They stopped laughing and just stood there staring at the boy, who went on pitifully, “I do not like being lost, because now I feel so foolish.”

“Oh no, a foolish lost boy, that's no good havin.”

Ungon tried not to cry though his face looked like he wanted to, “Yes a foolish boy, thank you for making me feel even worse now.”

Duggnek stood up, twice as large as the lost hunter, “Well we can'ts have this poor man-boy feelen so horrible canwe? I says we takes em home – and quietly so.”

“Now, whose talking foolishness – what you mean take em home?” Noge was furious.

But Borge injected, “No, no, no there’ll be more men, meatier and less bones Im sure of it.”

Bokrah spoke up, “Now there is a plan to stand behind, lets take the rabbit hunten boy-man to wheres more man-meat tis.”

Ungon smiled happily, “Would you? Goblins are not so bad after all!”

They laughed deviously with watering mouths, “That’s what wes likes ta hear now,” Borge said.

“But –“ Duggnek began. Then Noge elbowed him in the stomach, “No buts here, we are just glad to help the boy to where more men are. Understand now?”

“Gratitude to you all, I think I came from this way.” Ungon, thought hard.

"That's right, lost boy we gonna shows its da way home," Duggnek laughed.

The four coarse-haired, smelly creatures followed him as if they were leading the way, “Yep, Is smells em this a way, lets keep goin boy-man.”

“Says his name is Rabbit,” Duggnek stumbled.

“No he didn’t, says its name was Ungon-deer,” Noge sounded smarter.

“Yes, that is right we are going the right way,” Ungon waved them on to follow him.

THEN at that moment, from behind razor-high rocks and surrounding brush fourteen spear-armed men jumped onto the scene hastily jabbing and slaying the four Hobgoblins!

"Nephew, you did far better than I did on my first hunt in taking two elk," Ungon's uncle praised.

"Son, I am so very proud of you!" His father beamed, watching as the others in the party cut the creature's heads off, then raising them on tall pikes.

Ungon said, "Gratitude, now that should serve as a warning that this passage of the Irons Hills is off limits to anyone else."

The four raised heads looked stunned, caught in their silent screams.

...