Introduction
Hi! I am John Keys, an amateur writer and I am passionate about storytelling. This book was inspired by raylls game, known as Fears to Fathom 4: Ironbark lookout. If you like what you read you can follow me on my patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/JohnKeys
First Chapter – The Beginning
I’ve always been alone. To me social interactions always seemed alien, strange, something that cannot be understood. Probably that is why I chose to work as a fire lookout. I am alone, in the middle of the forest. Most people would go insane, but I thrive in this situation. I can be whatever I want, whenever I want. I am free like a bird released from its cage, or at least that is what I thought. Suddenly strange things started to happen, but let’s not get ahead ourselves. I’ll start at the beginning. I am Jack, 21 years old and this is my story.
I’ve decided to become a fire lookout. This will be my first day on the job. I am super excited. I’ll have to meet first the park manager, my boss, then I can start my quiet life.
Joshua:
Hey, kid! Welcome to the team! I expect nothing, but the best out of my subordinates, so don’t let me down.
Jack:
Yes, sir!
Joshua:
Here are the keys and I will walk you where you’ll spend most of your time from now on.
Jack:
Thank you, sir! That is very generous of you!
Joshua:
Don’t mention it!
Joshua took Jack to the fire lookout where they parted ways.
I can’t believe I am here. My dream finally came true. This place would be very boring if I didn’t bring a couple of books with me. Thankfully I’ve got everything from fantasy to horror, adventure and even romance. I won’t be bored, that much is for certain. Oh! I almost forgot! I have to check in the radio and see if everything is working fine. Yeah! Everything seems to be in order. I should settle in. Alright! Now that’s done I should eat something, but in order to do that I’ll have to turn on the generator.
Jack went down to turn on the generator, when he heard a weird noise. That should have been a sign to check it out what that might have been, but Jack couldn’t be bothered. He was too happy to notice anything strange, but that would change soon.
Alright! What should I eat! I’ll cook something light for dinner, like some king of soup. (He ate the soup.) This was delicious. Now it’s time to go to bed.
In the middle of the night Jack woke up to a strange noise, like there was some kind of chanting going on, but he was very tired, so he fell back to sleep.
(Morning arrived.) Ahh! I love nothing more than drinking tea in the morning, enjoying this breeze and this wonderful scenery.
Second Chapter – Strange happenings
The night had arrived.
I see a light in the distance. I should check it out and make sure there are no campers.
That is exactly what he did. When he arrived, there was no campfire, only a child. “I want my mommy!” – he kept saying.
Hey little one, where are you parents? I want my mommy! Is she nearby? I want my mommy!
Suddenly a branch broke. Jack looked behind, but there was nothing. When he wished to talk to the child, the child was no more. Jack couldn’t believe his eyes. He was there a second ago. Where could have he gone? Nothing made sense. Jack gave up trying to find reason so he went back to the fire lookout. He couldn’t sleep, he was visibly shook from this experience.
Suddenly there was some kind of light seeping in. He went outside to check it out, when the hole cabin was surrounded by children whose throat was cut. “Beware! Beware! He’s coming! He’s coming! Beware! Beware! He’s coming! He’s coming!” – they kept saying. Jack got scared and screamed as loud as he could, when suddenly the kids disappeared.
(Morning arrived.) Ahh! I love nothing more than drinking tea in the morning, enjoying this breeze and this wonderful scenery. I might have had a terrible nightmare and because of that I slept terribly, but I can still enjoy my hot cup of tea.
Third Chapter – Realization
Night arrived. Jack was terrified. He didn’t know what was waiting for him. Once again he saw some light. He didn’t want to go there, but because it was his job he had no choice. A cult? They were doing some weird ritual. They cut the throat of a child. Jack got scared and made some noise. Everybody looked towards him. He began to flee. Luckily, he wasn’t followed. “What just happened?” – Jack thought to himself. Nothing made sense once again.
I have to contact the authorities. They will know what to do.
Jack went to the police station where he explained what he saw, but the police officers didn’t believe him. “Probably the solitude got to your head.” – they said. Jack was on his own. He had to find a way to fight back. As he was thinking he found a wall filled to the brim with missing children. It clicked in his head. What if the cult members were sacrificing children to summon something, but what? Those ghosts might have been the ghost of the missing children. Now everything made sense. That was when Jack realized what was going on. Jack decided to head back to the fire lookout.
Joshua:
Where have you been?
Jack:
I was at the police station.
Joshua:
Why?
Jack:
In the woods I saw a cult killing a child, but the police officers wouldn’t believe me.
Joshua:
I see. For now, calm down and drink this tea.
Jack:
Thank you!
…
Jack:
I feel dizzy. – he fell asleep. There was something in the tea.
He woke up in the middle of the woods, tied to a chair.
Joshua:
Sorry, kid!
Jack:
What is going on!
Joshua:
You know too much.
Jack:
Know too much about what?
Joshua:
About what we do in the woods.
Jack:
Are you responsible for all of this?
Joshua:
We do what we must do for our god.
Jack:
You’re insane!
Joshua:
He will deliver us all!
That was when Jack realized he needed to get out of there immediately or else he might lose his life. He needed to escape somehow. There was a knife in his pocket. If he could reach it somehow, he might be able to escape. He had done it! The knife was in his hands. He cut the rope that tied him to the chair silently and when the time was right, he ran into the woods. The cult members chased him, but to no avail. Jack escaped successfully. He couldn’t go back to the fire lookout, at least not now. His only choice was to find some kind of shelter in the woods. He was able to find a cave entrance where he could spend the night. Thankfully, Jack had a couple of survival techniques up his sleeve. He collected some wood and started a fire.
Jack went to sleep, but woke up in the middle of the night. Jack saw a deer. He was surprised and followed the deer. He ended up a small waterfall. There were the kids he saw not so long ago. They were singing a melancholic song. They looked at Jack and disappeared.
“Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you!” – he said with a stern, serious look on his face.
Fourth Chapter - Smell of death
Morning arrived. Jack decided to go back to the fire lookout to get his stuff. He was afraid that the cult members might be there. He needed to be careful. He arrived to the fire lookout. He was right. The cult members were there, looking thru his stuff. Jack waited for them to go away and after a while they went elsewhere. Jack was able to get all of his stuff and most importantly he was able to get something to eat, because in all of this commotion there was nothing for him to eat. He had a plan about how to take out the cultists. He dug a large hole that took him a couple of days. He created wooden spikes that he put at the bottom of the hole and now the most difficult part arrived. He had to lure them into the hole.
Jack went to find the cultists. It was difficult. He searched thru the whole forest and couldn’t find them. It took him a couple of days to find them, but they were already dead. Some kind of ferocious animal tore them into piece. Jack couldn’t believe his eyes. He vomited and after that called the authorities. On the ground there was a book covered in blood. Jack took it for himself. “There might be important information in this book” – he told himself. The police officers arrived. “I guess you were right kid, sorry for doubting you!” – said one of the police officers. The case was ruled as a suicide, even though it was obvious it wasn’t one. They couldn’t determine what caused their death, after all not even bears do something like this.
A new park manager was appointed. His name was Samuel.
Samuel:
Hi, Jack! I’m Samuel. Nice to meet you!
Jack:
Nice to meet you too, sir!
Samuel:
You’ve gone thru something terrible. You can take off a couple of days if you’d like.
Jack:
No, thank you! I’m fine.
Samuel:
If you say so.
Jack went back to the fire lookout.
It’s strange to be back here after so long. First I should read what can be found inside the book. Orcbug? It says that it’s an evil monster. It’s like a bear with the head of a deer. It brings calamity and destruction. That is what the cultists have summoned into this world. No wonder they didn’t survive. What were they thinking? Fire is my least worry right now. I have to somehow find it and kill it, but how? Oh. It says here that a stake to the heart should do the trick. What is this, a vampire?
Fifth Chapter – First and last encounter
Morning arrived. Jack drank his morning cup of tea, as per usual and watched the forest to see if there was any fire. In the midst of all of this he saw a couple of trees moving very strangely. He took his binoculars and saw Orcbug. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “He’s real?” – he said. Now was time for him to create a plan to defeat the beast. He remembered the hole he dug out for the cultists. He might be able to use that to defeat Orcbug.
Night arrived. He went out into the wilderness to search for Orcbug. After a while he was able to find it. The beast ran towards Jack. Jack, terrified, ran towards the trap he had built. Thankfully he was able to lure the beast into the trap and a stake went thru its heart and Orcbug died.
Jack was relieved. Finally, he could spend his time actually watching for fire instead of doing something else. The end.

Story 1