I wrote this ghost story last week. Please print it out and read it to your friends around a campfire or in another suitable context.

Farmer Gordon and his goat ambled down the road. Gordon goaded Gordon’s goat, but Gordon’s goat slowed.

“Go, go!” Gordon groaned. “We’re in the Weird Wood! Sun is setting! Darkness growing! Slowing bad! Going good!”

Gordon’s goat stopped completely. Gordon sighed slowly, weakly.

“Okay, Goat. Stay, goat. I’ll be on my way. All of us back home will mourn you. I’ll tell them that I tried to warn you.”

Gordon glowered grimly. Gordon’s goat wouldn’t go. Gordon grimaced glumly.

“I’m defeated,” he conceded. Down the path Gordon proceeded…

“GOLD,” Gordon’s goat bleated.

“Gold? Gold???” Gordon repeated.

“Gold!” Gordon’s goat wailed. “Weird Wood holds gold! I know! I’ll show! Within the Wood! Let’s go!”

Gordon’s face went pale.

Through the trees went Gordon’s goat. A lump rose in Gordon’s throat. Gordon’s fears Gordon swallowed; through the trees Gordon followed.

Gordon’s goat goaded Gordon onward through the wood. Gordon wondered while he wandered whether Gordon should.

“Gold!” Gordon’s goat reminded. “You’ll find gold, and when you find it, there your dreams are also found! No more bossing goats around; you’ll be lounging in silk gowns, with human maids surrounding, serving milk in silver goblets, and mopping up your spilt droplets.”

Gordon gobbled down all his goat’s gilded words. He was perfectly persuaded by the promises he heard.

Snapping, rumbling, screeching, pounding, winding, bending, breaking, trembling, trampling, curling, coiling, seeking the center of the Weird Wood—

“STOP” screamed Gordon’s Goat. Gordon glimpsed a glittering grotto.

“Go, Gordon!” Gordon’s goat goaded. “Go and grab your golden goal!”

Gordon crawled into the cave. All the walls were shimmering, shining with the glow the gold gave. Tunnels twisted him around, squirming, worming deeper down.

As the twinkling tunnel ended, Gordon had to shield his eyes. Piles of gold! But from his prize a sparkling spectral spook ascended!

“Ghost! Ghost!” Gordon gasped.

“Greed,” Gordon’s goat giggled.

The golden ghost gobbled Gordon as he cried and cursed his gold. But Gordon’s goat just ignored him, and ambled onward down the road.