Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The End Is Here - A Halloween Inspired Short Story

The End Is Here

My friends were dead. These three monsters before me killed them.  There was no way they were letting me out of this house alive. That much was evident in the hungry gleam in their eyes. My life was over. I could run, fool myself into believing I had a chance at escaping; or I could give in and let them kill me.

I chose to run, fleeing up the stairs. The three hungry creatures flew up the rickety steps behind me. They were toying with me. They were going to let me believe that I could outsmart them. This was just some sick game they were playing; a game I couldn't win.

It - they followed me up the stairs from the dead, dark bottom of the house. Choking back a scream, I darted into the room at the top of the steps.

I heard the first footsteps creak across the wooden floor. "Come out, come out where ever you are," the voice whispered.

Pressing the back of my hand across my mouth, I clenched my eyes shut hoping he wouldn't hear my heart racing in my chest.

Heavier footsteps echoed across the floor. "Come on out, darling. I'm hungry."

The third man's footsteps fell softly on the old wood floor. They came to a stop on the other side of the door; the one I currently hid behind.

"I can smell your fear, love. It's delicious."

A shrill scream clawed its way up my throat and out of my mouth.  Outside, a cloud passing over the moon moved out towards the ocean. Moonlight flooded the room. The window, I thought. It was my only way of escaping.

Stumbling across the room, I ripped the curtain back, peering down at the iridescent light that bathed the yard. It was a long way down, but surely a broken arm or leg was a better fate than death.

The old window obviously hadn't been opened in quite some time. I tugged at it, furiously trying to pull it up. The window did not budge. I glanced around, searching for something, anything that would break the window pane. If it wouldn't open I was going to break it and climb through. On the bookshelf opposite the window stood a large, heavy looking wooden figurine. I grabbed it, dragging it back to the window.

The door knob jiggled. The dull brass shook as it turned, groaning. Panic seized my heart. Wasting no time, I hefted the wooden figure up, smashing it against the glass.

The window gave way, pieces of it rained down onto the porch and lawn below. Behind me, the door creaked open slowly. I let go of the figure, it hit the floor with a heavy thud, and heaved myself through the window. Window sill gave way to empty space as I floated through the air. Wind rushed by, howling in my ears. The ground seemed to be hastening towards me, so quickly, yet slowly at the same time.

I cried out as I hit the earth. My left arm shattered, something pierced my side. I rolled onto my right side, blindly grasping for the object embedded in my side. My fingers closed around a shard of glass.

I took a deep breath, sucking it in through pursed lips. Gently grasping the glass I pulled it out. Warm blood spilled down my back and side. Help, I needed to get help before I bled to death in the middle of nowhere. Footsteps echoed across the field. The voices of the men - creatures, whatever they were, could be heard as they called across the ground for me.

I rushed for the woods, praying that under the cover of trees I could lose them.  Save myself somehow. No such luck. Three steps into the forest, I tripped over a tree trunk. Falling forward, I landed on my already broken arm. The pain was intense. I squeezed my eyes shut, hissing.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," a musical voice murmured above me.

Tears poured down my face. This was it, this was the end. "Please," I begged. "Please don't - just let me go. I promise I won't say anything or tell anyone."

Someone sighed. "They always beg," a deep voice, to the left of my head, rumbled.

"Of course they always beg," the musical voice replied sarcastically. "It wouldn't be fun if they didn't."

I tried to inch away, clawing at the dirt with my good hand. I still had a chance, I could still escape. A pretty face loomed above mine, appearing suddenly from the darkness. He had the eyes of a ruthless killer, black and empty. I screamed.

He grinned. His teeth were  jagged, like little razors embedded in his gums. "They always scream too."

A second face, pale and ghostly, appeared from the darkness. "Hello love," he murmured softly. His eyes danced; this was a game he enjoyed.

"I hope you don't mind, but we are hungry."

My heart pounded against my ribs. The third one, the big one, appeared. I knew this was it. I was dead.
They rushed forward, jagged teeth exposed. I screamed squeezing my eyes shut.

This was it. The end is here.

I was dead.


Copyright 2009 by Elizabeth James as Common Law Literary Property.

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