Horrific Happenings: A Dark Horror Anthology Vol. 1 Read online

  Horrific Happenings

  A Dark Horror Anthology Vol. 1

  Published by James Anthony at Smashwords

  Copyright 2011 James Anthony

  Contents

  Prologue

  A Demon's Test

  Goodbye – The Ouija Consequence: Part 1

  Zombie World: The Rapture Of 2012

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Sarah couldn't run any further, she had to stop. Her lungs felt as if they would combust and her muscles were beyond fatigued. The chilled presence of an autumn midnight made her breath hang visible, frozen in the air.

  Moonlight protruded through the tree tops and the limbs of them came at her like jagged arms from creatures not of this world. But then again, what exactly was she running from? No man or woman has ever grown to be that tall, have they? That size. That smell. The sound it made. . The thought of its putrid face nearly made her vomit.

  She almost called out to her best friend, Alice, but then she realized. Alice was the only reason why she was alive. The beast had taken Alice. Sarah was the quicker of the two and that was the only reason why she was still living.

  Sarah wept silently as she traveled through the deep woods. She was missing a shoe. It must have fallen off while I was running, She thought. Continuing to weep and wince her way through the crackling wood, she noticed a faint light off in the distance. She decided that screaming for help wouldn't be a very bright idea. So, she crept on towards the light, lurking out of the moonlit view.

  When she finally reached far enough, she made the light out to be a little house. However, there was something peculiar about the house. A slight fog encircled the perimeter, and though there clearly were lights on inside the structure, it also looked to be deserted and boarded up on the outside.

  Sarah walked up to the deadwood door and knocked three times. No one answered. She put her head down and started to cry.

  Just then the door flew open and Sarah was violently pulled in by an unseen force. Sarah shut her eyes and began to kick and scream frantically like a mad woman until she heard a soft voice whisper, “Please be quiet, Child. Are you trying to become its next meal?”

  Sarah, still shaking uncontrollably, peeked an eye open and saw she was inside a clean, neatly organized home. Most certainly not what I saw while I was looking in from afar only a few minutes before, She thought.

  With the light from the fireplace flickering off of the old woman's gnarled face, Sarah finally managed to ask, “Where am I?” “My name is Annabelle.” said the short teapot shaped woman. “And this is my home. I've lived here a very long time, child and I plan to do so for a lot longer.” Sarah stared upon the woman feeling very little and out of place. “So when I have crying little girls banging on my door in the middle of the night, I need to see that. . Matters are attended to.” Annabelle said as she started to smile.

  “Please calm down dear, you're safe in here. Can I get you something from the kitchen?” “No.” Sarah said quickly. “I'm fine. I just need to sit here and gather myself together.” “What's happened to you, child?” the old frail woman asked. “I'm not entirely sure.” started Sarah. “One minute my friend Alice and I were in the back field watching the fireflies flicker and dance, the next we were being chased by a monstrous beast the size of ten black bears. Alice fell behind and. .” Sarah started to sob again, this time uncontrollably.

  “There, there.” assured Annabelle. “You must keep quiet now, child. This area has been stalked by a demon called The Fiend for many years now. Every autumn it comes out to feed, usually on deer and the like. But every so often it craves something a little more. . Aware.” “Aware?” Sarah asked. “Yes child, aware.” “How are we safe in here against something so massive!?” shouted Sarah.

  The woman's face went stiff in the light of the fire and her smile turned to a frown. “One more outburst out of you and you're out the door!” shouted the woman.

  After a brief moment Annabelle started speaking again. “Child, you mustn't be so loud or it'll hear us. My magic is starting to fade out as I grow older. I was once able to make this house completely invisible.” The woman said as she shown another sickening smile. “Now I can only shroud it with gimmicks. It's only an illusion, Dear. The Fiend cannot see us nor what goes on inside.” Annabelle started. “But. . It can see the house as you did, child and most certainly hear us.” she whispered. “So, please keep your voice down. The Demon can only remain outdoors as long as the sun is down so I highly suggest you sit tight until then. That is of course, you wish to leave?” she said as she pointed a slender finger towards the door. “N-no.” replied Sarah. “If it's ok with you ma'am, I think I'll stay.” she complied. “Very well, Child.” the woman said. “If you would like. . The woman started again. “You can lie down on the bed there and get some rest until morning.”

  Sarah looked around the room. In the far corner, the fire that contorted in the fireplace had an eerie green hue to it, making everything illuminated by it appear very unnatural. In the next room was the kitchen. She could see jars on the counter tops that were filled with items unknown to her but resembled tools of sorcery and witchcraft.

  The tension in the room was thick, the silence becoming more and more tedious.

  The Woman broke the silence first. “Perhaps you'd like to hear a story, Dear.” she stated. “Maybe that would help the time pass more quickly?” “Sure.” Sarah said, still on edge. “That would be nice, thank you.”

  The Old Woman reached over to a shelf and pulled out a thick black book with no title art covering the front. “I've yet to read every story in this book.” said Annabelle. “Some say that this particular book has a mind of its own, that it can see into the future, Sarah.”

  Sarah looked puzzled. “How do you know my name?” she asked as her natural survival instincts started kicking in. “I never gave it to you.” The Woman's face remained expressionless. “The only issue you should focus on, Child, is staying indoors until morning. . And you told me your name just awhile ago, Dear.”

  Sarah knew she hadn't told The Woman her name, but after playing back the noises in her head that The Fiend made as it tore apart her friend, she assumed this witch was the least of her problems. She was determined to survive this ordeal. To return to her mother and father and tell them everything she had witnessed on this cursed night.

  “Lay back and relax, Sarah.” the Witch said as she opened the Black Book. “And please, whatever you do, try not to make any loud noises.”

  A Demon's Test

  “Take me through one of your dreams, Jacob.” said the Therapist. “From start to finish. We're going to get to the bottom of this.”

  Jacob could feel the pain in the back of his eyes start to radiate again as fear swelled up in him like an over filled balloon ready to burst.

  “I use to be blind, Doc.” he started. “I was born that way. By the time I had reached age sixteen I had long accepted the way I was. Never to see what my mother and father looked like. Never able to see the blue of the ocean. The red of fire. Never to be able to even see my own reflection in a mirror. I had accepted it, Doc.” Jacob said as his voice began to shake.

  “When I was twenty-two, my parents left me home alone while they went out for a long overdue night to themselves. They deserved at least one night a month away from constantly taking care of me. At that age I was old enough and more than able to fend for myself, or so I had thought. .”

  “The weather outside was incredible. .” Jacob started again after a brief pause. “I'd always heard thunder and lightening before, but of course never being able to see what it looked
like, I had always just assumed it looked as it sounded.” “Dangerous.” Stopping again for a moment, he began to feel very uncomfortable. After taking more than a few moments to regain his thoughts, he tried again.

  “My Dog who helps me, Charlie, was scratching at the front door. I let him out to do his thing, all was normal. When he hadn't come scratching back at the door after awhile, I started to worry. So, I grabbed my walking stick, headed to the door, and stuck my head out to call for him. I heard him growling at something, must have been a raccoon or whatever, so I called after him. When he wouldn't come, I got aggravated and stepped out onto the porch to let him know I wasn't messing around. . And that's when I fell.”

  Jacob closed his eyes, still speaking. “At least, I thought I had fallen.

  When I came to, I was in the hospital. My head was throbbing with pain so bad and my mouth tasted like it was full of metal. When I heard my Mother's voice I began to open my eyes and. .” Jacob paused again, this time he started to cry. “She was beautiful, Doc.” he empathized.

  The Therapist stared back blankly.

  “My Mother knew instantly that something was different. She called for my father and told him that she thought I was looking right at her. The doctor taking care of me at the time then walked in and looked at me. He asked me how I was feeling and when I turned and looked directly at him too, he gave me this. . Shocked expression. He couldn't believe it either, Doc. The Doctor at the hospital just stood there looking back at me and my parents in this complete astonishment. The Doctor then told my parents that they would have to complete some more tests just to clarify we had nothing to worry about. When he was finally done with all the medical bullshit he just looked at me and simply said. .” “Congratulations.”

  “It took my parents and I awhile to get use to everything.” Jacob continued on. “It was like being born again. I use to hear that phrase everywhere, 'Born again.' But now I had truly experienced what it really meant. The entire world was brand new. The People, the Sun, The Sky, even Myself.” “Everything.”

  The Therapist interrupted Jacob. “Where do your nightmares come in, Son?” Jacob looked at the Therapist with dread. “I don't want to become blind again, Doc. .”

  “The Doctor and my parents told me that I was struck by lightening that day. “Do you know what the odds are of that happening to you, let alone regaining the eyesight you never had because of it?”

  The Therapist was sitting there fiddling with his iPhone.

  “They're astro-fuckin-omical.” Jacob blurted out as he stared with resentment at The Therapist.

  “My dream goes back to when I'm letting Charlie outside to use the bathroom again. In the dream, the thunder and lightening is constant and much louder. I have my eyesight in the dream, which I find odd and when I go outside to tell Charlie to come in, I see him barking at some. . Thing. I can never make out what it actually is other than it has these threateningly bright white eyes. Everything is distorted and happens so quickly and then BAM! All goes white and I wake up.”

  The Therapist picked up his notebook, jotted something down, then sternly looked back up at Jacob. “I believe your dreams are a reflection of you being unsure of how and why you've been given the extremely rare opportunity you've been given and your subconscious is only trying to make sense of it all. I personally believe you have absolutely nothing to worry about, Jacob. Nothing at all. Here's a prescription for thirty, five milligram Valium. Take this only when the nightmares occur.”

  Jacob showed a sarcastic smile, stood up and took the piece of paper. No longer acknowledging The Therapist anymore he then left the room. When he stepped outside into the sunlight, he looked down at the prescription. “Fucking Shrinks.” he said under his breath as he ripped up the paper and started his long walk to work.

  Later on that night Jacob unlocked the door to his apartment and walked into the darkened living room. He tossed his keys on the coffee table and sat on the floor to greet Charlie, his now very old Golden Retriever. “Hey Chuck Buddy, he said. “Were you good today?” Charlie licked his master's hand and his tail wagged slowly.

  Jacob looked over at the answering machine and saw a flashing number eight. “Really, Mom?” he muttered.

  He hit play on the machine and skipped to the last message. The automated voice said aloud: Message received nine eighteen pm. Jacob looked at his watch. It read twelve thirty-three am.

  Jacob honey, it's Mom again. Listen, I know you're going to be thirty this year but that doesn't give you the right to not let me check up on you constantly anymore. Jacob smiled. Please give your poor Mother a call back. Oh, and by way, you're father's not feeling very well and he asked me to tell you to stop by the house. Please call back, bye.

  Jacob punched in the phone number to his parents house and the phone rang. No Answer. Asleep, he thought. Sounds like a good idea.

  Jacob was jolted awake by the ringing of the telephone. He looked at the alarm clock. Three thirty-five am. Shit.

  He hit talk on the cordless phone. “Honey, It's Mom.” “This couldn't wait until tomorrow, Mom?” Jacob said in a groggy voice. “Jacob. . Your father's in the hospital, he had a heart attack.”

  Jacob dropped the phone out of shock and hurried to pick it back up, trying to hear what his Mother was saying on the receiver so far away.

  “Honey, are you there?” “Yeah, I'm here Mom.” He assured. “I'm so sorry, sweetie. The Doctors say he's fine for now, but I'm scared and I really don't want to be alone right now. Can you-” “I'm coming now.” he stressed. Jacob slammed the phone down on the night stand, got dressed as quickly as he could, and made his way through his darkened apartment.

  Jacob made a dead stop before he could make it to the end of the hallway. It was dark, almost completely so. “What in God's name is that?” he thought.

  At the end of the dark hallway stood a figure. Jacob couldn't make out many features. He just saw it standing there, breathing. It's face appeared massive, haggard and horse-like. It's arms looked skinny, multi-jointed and long. So very long. That's all his half broken vision could make out, the rest just an alarming blur. I'm seeing things. It isn't real, he thought. Jacob rubbed his eyes with his fists and pain suddenly coursed through them causing him to drop to his knees. The intense pressure manifesting through his skull started to make its way down his spine and all throughout his body. Just then he heard something moving towards him.

  Jacob put his hands down resting himself on the floor and with cautious hesitation he finally managed to look ahead and down the hall. The figure was gone, so was the pain, and standing there in front of him was Charlie. “Good boy.” Jacob said while he petted his dog's head.

  Still feeling a bit disoriented, he hit the lights in the hallway and did a full three-sixty before allowing his adrenaline levels to subside. “C'mon, boy.” he coaxed. “Wanna go for a ride?”

  Jacob walked into the hospital and was instantly greeted by his Mom. “You can't have pets in here, Mr.” said a woman from behind the service desk. “Wanna bet?” asked Jacob. He pulled out the credentials for the dog's ability with assisting the blind. The woman sneered at Jacob then put her head back down.

  “What the hell's going on, Mom?” His Mom reached out and hugged him not saying a word for what felt like an eternity. “I don't know.” she finally said. “The Doctors won't tell me anything.” Jacob held his Mother tightly and caressed the back of her head. “It'll be ok, Mom. He said, unsure of how convincing he sounded. “Now we just play the waiting game, huh?” he said, attempting a joke. His Mother managed a half hearted laugh. “We sure are use to that by now, aren't we?” She said as they started to walk towards the waiting room.

  Hours passed until an African American doctor walked up to Jacob and his Mother. Jacob nudged his Mom awake. It was nine thirty am. “Please tell me you have good news, Doc.” said Jacob. The doctor started to speak with a controlled yet confident voice like he'd done this many times before. “I'm afraid it's the exact opposite.” J
acob could feel his Mother's grip on his arms tighten more and more with every word the Doctor spoke.

  Jacob kept his head down as the Doctor continued speaking, every word pushing him more and more into a state of total disbelief. He started to notice the things around him very vividly. A clock on the wall ticking very loudly. Calls and pages to doctors and staff over the intercom. A group of doctors and nurses as they rolled a patient on a gurney past them.

  Jacob looked around and didn't see Charlie. “Hey, where's Ch-”

  In the midst of him trying to find his dog he was thrown off by the disturbing sight of the patient being wheeled past. The patient was wide eyed with shock and trying to speak. The amount of blood was the main attraction while a large knife handle protruded outwards from the side of his head. Jacob stared with intrigue and concern as they wheeled past. Jacob stood there lost in the alarm in the patient's eyes. He then noticed that the sheet over the patient's feet began to lift up from underneath. What Jacob saw next sent chills down his spine. From underneath the covering he saw a pair of glowing white eyes. Those devilish white hot eyes seemed to sum up all of his fears and he knew he had seen them before. They were taunting him, laughing at everything going wrong in his life up until now.

  There was no way he could control himself. Jacob jumped up and ran over to the gurney and started to pull the blood stained sheet off. With the force of pulling with all his might, the patient rolled and fell off the side of the frail gurney landing on the floor with a loud smack! The patient, laying there still wide eyed and trying to catch his breath, let out a long bloody gurgle, his eyes finally then closing forever.

  “Security!” one of the nurses called out. “What the hell are you doing!?” screamed one of the doctors. Jacob looked at where the man was laying only a few moments ago. There was nothing there but a pool of blood up on the headboard which flowed down in vein like fashions to the footrest.

  Jacob stood there in shock. He turned around and looked at his Mother. “I-We need to go home. Can we please go home?” he asked her.