Horror

I’ve written a lot of stories over the years in many genre’s. My Horror file came up first, I hope you like the first story to my site! Its called Monsters.

Monsters

A child’s imagination can see clearer than their adult parents.

Adults frequently dismiss the imagination of children,

and in some cases this is to their own demise.

There are four houses across from the park in a small, economically depressed town. Families of low income doing the best they can to varying degrees of success, or failure. On this night, it is the children who could see what was most important, yet their words were not heeded. Tragedy struck minutes apart, one house after another and the children did give warning.

Clara cried out for her mommy. She was four years old and she knew the monster was getting close. Her father opened the door, in his pajamas and angry at her outburst.

“Clara, I told you last night, there are no monsters. Now grow up and get some sleep!”

“But daddy, it is under the bed, I know it.” Her father’s frown became deeper and he answered angrily.

“I told you last night and the night before there is no such things as monsters. Hell I looked under the bed and I am not doing it again, now shut up and go to sleep!” Clara’s Daddy slammed the door behind him leaving her in the dark, except for a night light that cast ominous shadows. She quickly tugged the covers tight around her and Suzy, her doll. Tucking them in so no part of her stuck out, pulling them over her head. She wispered to Suzy that everything would be ok, knowing it would not. Next door to Clara her friend Joey was having similar issues.

“Mom, Mom, quick, I heard it, I heard it! It’s under the bed I know it! I told you, come quick!” Joey was six years old and heard his mother’s voice echoing down the hallway to his room.

“Oh for Christ sake!” Then her heard feet stomping towards his room and he cringed a little, although he understood that his mom being angry was not as bad as what was under the bed. The door flew open and his mom stood there in her pajama pants and bra. Her hair was mussed up and she was really mad.

“Dammit Joey, I have a guest tonight and you know better than this.” Her voice was a fierce slurred whisper and she swayed a little where she stood in the doorway, continuing. “One more outburst like that and you are grounded for a month.” Joey was shocked.

“But Mom…” She held up her hand.

“Do you want two months?” Joey shook his head. He was sure tonight was the night but just in case, he didn’t want to get grounded. She stared at him frowning and then nodded and shut the door heading back to her guest. Joey immediately assumed the position that had always worked in the past and sat up, back against the wall with his blankets tugged up so they were not hanging within reach of the monster. That was always best. His eight year old friend Jill had taught him that. He glanced at the window towards her house wondering how she was doing.

Jill stood in the corner of her room with her blanket wrapped around herself watching. Her step-dad was hauling the bed frame out of the room and then in stony silence her mom made up her mattresses on the floor. Finally standing and glaring at her.

“No more Jill,” she said in total exasperation. “I will hear no more of your whining. You are getting far too old for this nonsense. Now there is no under the bed for a monster to be. Now say your prayers and get some sleep so the rest of us can too!” Jill remained silent as her mom left shutting the door quietly, she never slammed doors. Jill sighed. Parents never understood the simple things.

Just because there was no space under the bed didn’t mean nothing was under there. She looked around even more worried now. She was closer to where the monster was with the mattresses like that. If her ankle even slightly went over the side. She got into her rocking chair and pulled her knees up resting her chin on them, with her blanket around her. She saw her old Bo Bo the bear on the desk and pulled him close. She would take all the help she could get. She was next to the window and moved the curtain aside letting in some light from the street post. Her friend Jake’s window was across from hers and she wanted to see how he was doing. He was the leader of the friends on Eighth Street. He had warned them about the monsters and the best ways to handle them. She saw movement and cracked the window hearing a door slam faintly from Jakes house. After a minute she saw him open the curtains and he saw her. They waved and then shut the curtains. She leaned back in her chair and hugged Bo Bo. She didn’t think she would sleep that night. She completely forgot to say her prayers.

Jake let the curtains fall back and sighed looking around his room. No way was he sleeping on the bed. He glanced at the door hearing his dad’s bedroom door shut. Jake was ten years old and had tried not to bother his dad. He knew his dad was older than other kid’s parents and had been seeing doctors lately, but he hadn’t been able to help himself from warning him about the monsters and now he was in trouble for it. Jake looked around the room one more time, and then on sudden inspiration he went over and opened up the closet. He would barricade himself in for the night. He hoped his friends were safe. He had warned them that each of them were on their own and to be careful. They had all heard the sounds from under their beds. He hunkered down in the closet and moved everything between him and the door. There were enough clothes to keep him warm and he waited.

Clara’s father went into the bathroom and relived himself then washed his hands and brushed his teeth. He listened down the hall and did not hear any rustling of covers or squeaking of Clara’s bed so hopefully she was asleep. He shut off the light and went into the master bedroom and Clara’s mother Margie was sitting at the end of the bed in her nightgown.

“I wish you hadn’t yelled at her.” She said tiredly. He knew she was right and knew his own tiredness had helped cause his outburst.

“I know honey, but five nights in a row? Every time she screams like that freaks me out. I think she might actually be asleep now though. We have most of tomorrow off so I promise to apologize and maybe we can all go to the park for lunch.” He sat next to his wife and she leaned against him, agreeing.

“Maybe we can find out what is really going on with her.” She said to him. “I mean I know children get scared but this is becoming severe.” He was about to agree when a searing pain went through his right leg shooting up from his calve and his wife screamed. In an instant they both looked up and the mirror on the wall showed them a horrific reflection.

Two huge wrinkled hands with claws, extremely long claws, had come from under the bed and grabbed their legs. It looked, and felt like his flesh was being shredded. As the instant passed they were yanked down by the incredibly strong claws and this caused their upper bodies to swing forward and hit the hard wood floors face first. Clara’s dad screamed with his wife as his nose shattered and the clawed hand sunk into his thigh pulling him further under the bed. They both slid back along the floor trying to resist but to no results. Since the bed was only 6 inches off the floor his rear end was gouged by the bed frame and the whole bed was lifted up as they were wedged underneath. He could not see Margie’s face in the dark and her screams turned to gurgles as claws dug deep into his back and he was pulled further under the full weight of the bed. Pain radiated throughout his whole body and the claws slicing into his throat strangled his screams and his life.

Joey’s mom Jen headed back towards her room where her guest, boyfriend Tom, was waiting. She stopped at the hallway mirror. The light from the night light in the socket behind her allowed her to see her reflection enough to fluff her hair a little and adjust her pajama bottoms lower showing a sexier glimpse of her panty waistband. Her first night off in two weeks and the kid had to freak out again. She swayed a little smiling. There was no more sounds coming from Joey’s room and she hoped that was it from him for the night. She entered her room and shut the door behind her Tom was sitting up on the bed and she assured him everything was fine.

“Don’t worry, it was just kids stuff. Monsters for Christ sake.” She moved to the bedside table and lifted her glass and drained the last of her wine. He smiled at her and his eyes ran appreciatively over her frame and back up to her eyes.

“So where were we?” He asked Jen. Jen smiled too, mischievously. Then she jumped on top of him bouncing them both on the bed. Since she had had one too many glasses of wine she lost her balance and rolled off of the other side of the bed landing on her knees with a soft thump. She kneeled up strait with her elbows on the bed giggling and he lay there laughing as well.

“You are nuts you know that?” he asked happily.

“I am not,” She began when it felt like hands grabbed her thighs from under the bed and yanked. What felt like claws dug into her legs and the force of being pulled laid her on her back with her legs under her and she screamed, sliding under the bed. Tom reached frantically over the edge of the bed and grabbed her arms shouting something she couldn’t decipher in her panic and pain. Her chin cracked hard against the metal frame of the bed and then it felt like the clawed hands shoved her up from underneath, digging into her back and lifting her and the bed off the ground. The metal springs of the old bed dug deep into her chest belly and thighs and she scream even more with only a vague awareness of Tom being thrown off the bed. The force pulling her had her completely underneath the bed before it came down on top of her. The legs snapped off the bed so the full weight of it came down on her and a bare nail on the underside sunk into her right eye. The claws tore her face right off as she died; never knowing Tom was in the midst of joining her in death.

Jill’s mom Carly and dad Jon got ready for bed shaking their heads over Jill’s antics for the fifth night in a row. Carly finished up last, rinsing out her mouth after brushing, than sipped some water before going into the bed room. Jon was waiting and as was their custom they both knelt on either side of the bed to say evening prayers. It was her turn tonight.

“Jesus God, thank you for todayyyyyyyyyy!” her voice turned into a scream as hands grabbed her thighs and pulled her under the bed. She heard Jon scream and as she flipped back with the force she saw him going over backward. Claws dug into her waist and groin sliding her further under the bed and she tried to push herself up but that put her forehead in line with the bed frame and a shattering pain exploded in her head as she hit it and then her head slapped back down on the floor. For her last instant she felt like her knees slammed into Jon’s knees and she could feel claws digging into her chest and throat and her awareness faded forever. She was on her way to God now.

Jakes dad Daniel sat on the side of his bed with a sigh. Things had been hard since his wife died two years earlier. Now with his heart issues he had had to scale down his hours at work making things harder for him and his son. He sighed again. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper with Jake but really, five nights in a row. He vowed to make it up to him tomorrow. They had to stick together. He turned to swing his feet up to the bed and stopped with his left foot on and right one on the floor, thinking he had heard something. He waited a moment and when he heard nothing more he was about to lay down when a searing pain shot from his calf up his leg that was hanging off the bed. He barely had time to cry out when a tremendous force yanked him to the floor on his right side and hauled him underneath his bed. Since his left leg was still up on the bed, and he was pulled so quickly and powerful as he passed under the bed he heard his hip give a tremendous pop and his left ankle was folded up next to his left ear. Pain shot from his heart down his arm in waves as claws dug deeper into him. He died, whether from a heart attack, or the claws, is debatable. Ultimately it makes no difference.

The newspaper crime report read something like this: A bizarre mystery surrounds the disappearance of the adults in four houses on Eighth Street last night. Screams were heard at one house after another. When police responded they found the child in each house huddling in their rooms, while the master bedrooms were awash in blood. The beds were destroyed but there is no sign of the children’s parents. There was simply a huge amount of blood with no tracks going in or out. Police say it is unlikely that the parents are still alive after that much blood loss. There is no reason found why such a crime would take place as nothing is thought to have been stolen. A source close to the investigation claims the only thing the children have said is that they all had told their parents there were monsters. Monsters indeed.

A child’s imagination can see clearer than their adult parents.

Adults dismiss the imagination of children frequently,

and in some cases to their own demise.

These children are not at fault, it is their parents who, through lack of belief,

did not think to protect themselves.