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

  Just then two security officers rushed up. Jacob looked at them, then back at his Mom. She sat there, sharing her son's disbelief while his father's Doctor held her telling her everything was alright.

  “We need you to come with us, one of the men said as they both carefully grabbed an arm. “Remain calm and don't resist.” said the second officer.

  A deep dull ache pounded in the tendons at the back of Jacob's eyes. The fluorescent lighting in the security waiting room wasn't helping. He could see a woman outside of the waiting room window speaking to a doctor. Her hands were against the sides of her head and Jacob could tell she was beginning to cry violently as she fell to the floor.

  The door behind him slammed open and in came one of the security guards that had grabbed him from before. “Do you have any idea what you've done, Mr. .” The officer looked frustrated. “What the hell's your last name?” Jacob kept his head down, too ashamed to look at the enraged man. “Morris.” he said calmly. “Well, Mr. Morris, the police are on their way. You can speak to them when they get here. You killed that man, ya know that? He's dead! Doctors say he had a chance of livin' and you killed him. Drove the knife further into his brain when he hit the floor. And ya see that woman out there?” Jacob started to tear up as he looked at the woman being helped away by several members of the hospital staff. She looked right back at him with hate in her eyes as she rounded the corner. “That was his wife. Husband and a father of four, way to go Mr. Morris. The Police will be here any minute. . Dontchu dare fuckin' move you piece of shit.”

  The Man walked away. “Where's my dog!?” Jacob yelled at the Man walking out of the room, slamming the door once more.

  Jacob didn't know what to do. He'd never been in a situation like this before. He'd always been the 'good guy' with a decent head on his shoulders. One thing was very clear, however. He needed to get the hell out of there.

  He got up from the chair and peeked out of the window and around the corner to the Hospital entrance. The Police Officer had just pulled up in his vehicle. Shit.

  Jacob pulled the blinds down and began to race around the room to find a way out. He reluctantly looked at the door knob on the door marked 'Security.' It's locked, I know it is, he thought. He grabbed the knob and tried turning it left and right. Click click click. The door was locked. Of course it is He thought as he put his back against the wall and slid down to the floor. The images of the man falling off of the gurney and hitting the floor slammed back into his mind. “Oh my god.” Jacob uttered over and over again. “What have I done?”

  He looked at the roof and tried to locate an air vent. He found one. “Around thirty inches.” he said out loud.” There's no fucking way.

  He raced over to the window again and saw the Police Officer checking in at the desk.

  I need to try.

  He moved quickly around the room searching through desks and file cabinets for a screw driver. “Aha!”

  He grabbed a chair and stuck it on top of the desk. Lucky enough, by sliding the desk with the chair on top directly underneath the air vent, the desk also blocked the only door to the room. At least one thing went my way today.

  Jacob's heart was racing so quickly it felt as if he would pass out. Dizziness nagged into his head as he climbed on top of the desk, then the chair. As he was trying to pry off the seal to the vent, he faintly heard what sounded like demonic voices coming from deep within the ventilation system. Or was it all in his mind? He couldn't tell. Please, not now. He thought.

  “CMON!” Jacob yelled as he struggled to pop off the bolted covering. He heard the Security Guard from before start to bang and push on the door to get it open. “I swear to Christ, Morris, if you don't open this door!”

  POP! The covering fell to the floor.

  Jacob, taking one more second to savor the daylight, jumped into the vent and pulled himself up and into complete darkness.

  Black. That's all Jacob could see. The air that laid inside the hospital's ventilation system was dry and the stale smell of the recently deceased lingered. However, he didn't have a choice now. So, Jacob kept moving into the black on all fours.

  The fear circulating throughout his mind was inconceivable, and after awhile he couldn't tell anymore whether or not he had lost his sight again. The thought of that coupled with the thought of going to prison for a very long time started to get the best of him. Why me? He began to wonder. This has to be a dream.

  As time pushed on, Jacob began to realize he couldn't crawl anymore. His knees were beaten and bruised and he still couldn't see not more than an inch in front of his face. His eyes began to throb. He let out a long sigh as he laid on his side and shifted onto his back, looking face up. As he rested there, unsure of what to do, his mind started to wander. .

  Jacob began to slip in and out of consciousness until something peaked his attention. What was that noise? Jacob stopped breathing to strain every ounce of energy he had into his sense of hearing.

  Jacob. . A voice whispered. “Who's there?” Jacob demanded.

  There was a long pause.

  Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. .

  He heard three different voices say his name right after one another. He recognized his Mother's voice, then his Father's. . The last voice he couldn't put a face to.

  Another long pause.

  Can you see, Jacob. .? Can you? whispered the voice again.

  “WHO'S THERE!” screamed Jacob.

  A third long pause.

  Just when he was beginning to think it was all in his head, a very low demonic voice sounded directly in front of his face.

  Can you see, Jacob?. . CAN YOU!?”

  A bright flash with a strobe effect lit up the face of the most hideous creature Jacob had ever seen. The very sight of it sent waves of fear through his brain and moving a muscle was next to impossible. He opened his mouth to scream but all he received was a mouth full of maggots and dead flesh from the Horse-Demon. Jacob choked and vomited up the vile concoction all the while staring in awe at the thing. The Demon then smiled a huge toothy smile, and disappeared completely.

  Jacob struggled to gain his composure. He got back on all fours and started crawling as quick as he could with all the strength he could manage.

  Out of nowhere, the light came back on. He was in his parent's living room. What the hell.

  He stood up and looked around.

  CRACK! Thunder and lightening. He realized that he was in his dream. YES! He thought. It was all a dream, thank God! His thoughts raced. “CHARLIE!” He ran towards the front door and opened it. There was Charlie. . And there was The Demon.

  It's just a test, Jacob. . It said with it's deep enthralling voice. “What fucking test!?” screamed Jacob. “Why me!?” You were chosen, Jacob. Let it be. .

  Everything went white and Jacob jumped awake banging his head on the metal of the inside of the ventilation system. Once he realized where he was, he started to laugh. The laughter soon died out in his first breath and his second turned to soft sobs. “JUST FUCKING KILL ME!” he screamed.

  When the echo of his cries faded out completely he saw a faint blue light come on down the narrow shaft. Jacob's eyes widened with hope.

  He worked his way onto his blooded and battered knees and tried to progress towards the mysterious light. When he got close enough he saw something that made his heart stop.

  It was Charlie.

  Jacob closed his eyes for a moment and prayed to God.

  “Come on, Chuck buddy!” He called out nervously. Charlie let out whimpers as his old fragile body crawled towards Jacob. He reached out and grabbed his dog and slid him closer. “It's ok, buddy, I have you.”

  He petted and stroked his dog's head while they laid comfortably in the blue light. Jacob closed his eyes and again, he prayed.

  Behind his eyelids he could still make out the blue hue of the mysterious light. All was peaceful in that moment. .

  Jacob. . The now familiar voice rasped. The light behind Jacob's eyelids went from a tranqu
il blue, to a hellish red. Jacob didn't want to open his eyes, but he knew he had to. He looked down at Charlie first. One more pleasant sight. He thought. But all he was holding in his arms were the skeletal remains of his Golden Retriever.

  Tears trickled down Jacob's face as he stared straight ahead in horror. “Why me?” he kept saying over and over.

  The Demon's face came down from above slowly entering Jacob's view with the same huge twisted toothy smile it showed off before. One of it's long fingered hands encompassed Jacob's face like it was a toy.

  It's almost over, Jacob. . It's grave voice boomed as it began to push two sharp fingernails into each one of Jacob's eyes. Let it be. .

  Jacob's Mother and Father stood over there son in the hospital bed as he lay there in a medically induced coma. “That's the last time we ever leave him home alone.” his mother said between sobs. His father grabbed her tightly. “One day we'll look back on this and laugh.” He said reassuringly. “He's going to be fine, I promise you.” “Look!” his Mother said with an optimistic smile. “His eyes are moving! Is that a good sign?”

  “Perhaps.” said his Father. “Or perhaps he's having a really good dream.”

  Goodbye – The Ouija Consequence: Part 1

  “I know you're moving it, knock it off!” shouted Carl. Nick looked at his best friend like he was an idiot. “Why the hell are you so obsessed with these things anyway?” he quipped back. “Every time its the same thing. You always accuse me when it's clearly your twitchy-ass hands that move it.” he finished with a cocky laugh. “Maybe if you would slow down on the damn Monster drinks we could. .” Carl cut him off. “Whatever, asshole. Let's go find something else to do. It's superstitious bullshit anyways, it never does anything cool.”

  Carl reached over the bed they were sitting on to the windowsill, grabbed his 48oz can of Monster and started to chug. He placed the empty can back onto the sill just as a strong gust of wind blew in from outside, knocking his can off again and pushing the Ouija Planchette on the board to the word 'Goodbye.' “Whoa. . See that?” asked Carl. “Yeah.” replied Nick. “Well. . I guess that was kinda cool.” Carl said with a Jaded laugh. “Yeah.” started Nick. “Too bad it was just the wind.”

  “So uh, where's your Mom at?” Carl said with a sarcastic grin and raised eyebrows. “Just shut up, dude.” Nick began. “There's no way in-” “HEY, MOM SAYS YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PLAY WITH THAT!” Nick's little sister announced. Nick quickly slid the Ouija Board under the blanket, jumped up off the bed and ran to the door. The door slammed shut before he could reach it. He could still hear his sister Kara, laughing as she ran to tell their Mom. I know I locked that damn door, thought Nick.

  “You need to go, Bro. My Mom's gonna flip shit.” Carl pulled the Ouija Board out from under the covers, thought for a moment and looked up at Nick. “It's a piece of fucking wood, Dude. What's the big deal?” Nick felt embarrassed and was about to make up a lie when Carl, who's notorious for this sort of thing, cut him off – again. “You know what, Man?” Never mind, I'll see you at school tomorrow.” “I can't believe there's only two weeks left until we're done for good.” said Nick. “Hellooo College.” Carl said with a smile.

  Carl grabbed his laptop and his homework that they were suppose to be working on and headed to the door. “Tell your Mom I love her.” he said quickly as he exited the room laughing. “You're dead! Yelled Nick as he started to laugh a little too and shake his head. Such an idiot.

  Nick took one last look at the old fashioned Ouija Board sitting on his bed before he locked his door behind him and headed out to the living room.

  Nick peeked his head around the corner into the living room and saw his sister laying on the floor watching Dora the Explorer.

  “Get your ass in here and sit down.” his Mother said without even looking up from her magazine. “Uh-oh!” exclaimed Kara.

  Nick rolled his eyes and smiled. “Damn, you're good.” Nick said to his Mom with an innocent voice.

  He took a seat next to his Mother at the kitchen table. 'Sing-a-long' songs were roaring on the television behind them. Nick looked over at Kara. “Can you please turn that-” “Look at me.” demanded his Mother interrupting him. What's the deal with people cutting me off today, he thought.

  “What's the big deal?” he asked. “What's the big deal!?” she repeated. “First off, I want to know what the hell you were doing in my storage unit.” she started to whisper so Kara couldn't hear her.

  “I told you guys not to go in there and you promised me you wouldn't.” Nick turned his gaze away from his Mother out of frustration. “Look at me, goddamn it.” his Mother scolded. “You promised me. I don't have to explain myself to you, you're the child and I am the adult.” “Mom. .” Nick started. “I'm sorry I went in your storage unit, ok? I was looking for my old baseball mitt because we're doing a scientific study in Chemistry on the aging components of leather.”

  Nick was always pretty decent at lying but this on-the-spot lie surprised even himself.

  “I came across this thing in the back and I knew you'd told us before not to mess with this type of stuff but. .” Nick faltered a little. “I guess curiosity just got the best of me this time.”

  Nick noticed that his Mother's eyes were going from “Superbeast Mom Mode” to “Sympathetic Mom Mode.”

  Getting any kind of back story as to why his Mother hated all things having to do with the supernatural was always a daunting task. She was a closed book. He knew it, and she knew that he knew it. That's just how it always was.

  “Mom. .” Nick looked at his Mother straight in the eyes. “What happened to you when you were younger that made you hate this type of stuff so much?”

  His Mother continued to stare at him, not moving a muscle. A few long seconds went by and Nick could tell she was really starting to become upset. She looked down at the table and grabbed onto Nick's hand. As she raised her head back up to look her son in the eye for the last time that night, she whispered “Just put that fucking thing back where you found it.”

  Half engrossed in her daily fix of Dora, which she was proud to say that she's seen this particular episode eleven times in a row by now, Kara's other half of her attention listened in on her Mother and Brother speaking and swearing quietly in the kitchen. She wondered why her Mom would make such a fuss over a board game. Mommy never swears unless she's very upset. She must really not like that stupid game, she assumed.

  Nick got up from the table and decided it was best to leave his Mother alone for the rest of the night. “I'm going to stay the night at Carl’s.” he said as he started walking to the front door. “His Mom said she would take us to school in the morning. I'll do what you told me to do in the morning.” His Mother nodded as she focused back in on her magazine, clearly not as amused with it as she was before. “I'm going to my room, Mommy.” Kara told her Mother. “Ok, sweetie.” she replied.

  Kara, checking out the front window, saw that her brother had made it all the way down the street with no indications of coming back any time soon. “I need to help Mommy.” she thought quietly out loud to herself. “The same way all of Dora's friends help her.”

  Kara tried the door to Nick's room. It was locked, like always. She reached into her left blouse pocket, pulled out a bent bobby hair pin, and began to perform the technique she's done many times before. I love tv, she thought. It teaches me everything.

  She popped the lock easily and pushed the door open. The smell of dirty socks and burnt incense always made her stomach turn, but she didn't mind it this time considering the mission at hand. She saw it staring at her from over on the bed. Kara quickly ran over, snatched up the board and pointer, tossed them into the very old case it was kept in and with that, she hurried out of her brother's room to make her way to her own.

  This box looks really old, she thought as she pulled out the board and pointer. With the removal of the board, she heard the sound of fabric being ripped. She peered into the small chest and noticed that the old dark c
otton lined within was beginning to disintegrate and peel away on one of the corners.

  Without thinking twice, Kara grabbed at the weakening fabric and ripped the entire bottom out, which revealed a yellowish almost black slip of paper labeled “November 16, 1691” The piece of paper was discolored and barely salvageable because of it's age and the hand written ink was hard to read but Kara did her best.

  The Note read:

  To our beloved Sarah Good

  The knowledge you've bestowed upon us is more than we could ever ask of a lady, friend, or acquaintance. The covenant we all share together in our treasured little group has personally broadened my horizons like nothing other. May Mother Earth bless us each and everyday with new gifts and harmony.

  I've crafted here for you something I hope you might enjoy. It is a tool for communicating with whomever you wish......................

  The rest of passage wasn't legible by any means, wasted away by years of hands and damp air. At the very bottom of the note however, it read “Giles Corey 1691” Kara, not knowing at all what this incredible find signified, simply crumpled up the old piece of paper and tossed it into her Hello Kitty garbage can.

  Kara examined the old rickety piece of wood. The pain that she recalled her Mother expressing over this stupid alphabet-board came back into her memory like a ton of bricks. It made Kara very angry, so in one motion, she snapped the frail piece of wood over her knee into two pieces.

  Kara got up from her bed and walked over to her pink garbage can. And that's, that. She thought to herself as she tossed the broken board pieces in. She examined the Planchette one more time before she tossed that in too along with it's predecessor. “You can't make my Mommy said anymore!” She said out loud.

  When the Planchette hit the bottom of the trash can, the light in Kara's bedroom went out. “What the hell?” she asked a little shaken. Kara slapped herself on the hand and covered her mouth for saying a “bad word.” She walked over to the light switch using the moonlight entering her bedroom window as her only source of sight. She flicked the switch on and off, nothing. Out of confusion, she walked over to her door, tripping over toys and twisted the knob to let herself out. It was locked.