MicroHorror

It was ten minutes to seven when I left Dr. Fogelstein’s lab. Finishing up a project that was due the following day, I had to stay after school late and by the time I headed out to the parking lot there was not a soul around. The sky had just begun to turn a dark gray as I wandered over to my car, which I parked in a secluded corner near a few trees. I heard the clip clop of shoes from behind me and I froze with my hand on my key ring. Afraid that it was a mugger, or worse, a serial killer, I darted down near the hood of my sedan and tried to keep my breathing shallow. I was filled with relief as I noticed a familiar jock dragging a hand through his shaggy brown hair. It was Dan Marsher, quarterback for Jefferson High’s football team. Even a mere geek like me knew that he was the big boy on campus. Nobody messed with him. No one dared. As he strutted over to his ‘87 Firebird, I observed him from the shadows, confident that he couldn’t see me.

I was about to stand up when another figure came into view. As it neared, I realized that it was Sandy Ballen, Dan’s recent ex-girlfriend. My jaw dropped at the sight of her, as it always did. Her mid-length pink skirt twirled around her legs as she walked while her long blonde ponytail swayed across her back. She was the prettiest girl that went to Jefferson, at least I thought so… but Dan didn’t seem to. When I first learned that he had dumped Sandy for Karen Langdon, I was shocked. It wasn’t like Karen wasn’t pretty, because she was, but her beauty had more of a seduction appeal. Not at all like Sandy’s natural good looks.

My mouth was watering with jealousy as I saw her approach Dan, who I knew she was still hung up on. When she patted him on the back, I lowered my eyes and glanced away, hoping I wouldn’t catch them doing anything I’d regret seeing. If I witnessed Dan cheating tonight, I knew that by tomorrow I would blurt it out and the whole school would know I tattled. But I can’t help that I’m bad at keeping secrets; it’s not one of my strongest traits. As my mind recalled the last time I had spilled the goods on someone, I heard a loud pitched scream, which caused me to turn my head in its direction.

There, lying on the gravel near his car was Dan Marsher, the handle of a carving knife poking out of his upper back. I could feel my eyes popping out of my skull as I watched Sandy pull off a black pair of gloves as she grazed her surroundings. Keeping my head low, I watched her sprint away from Dan’s body and into a clump of tall bushes. After she had left, I just sat there for a few minutes, staring at Dan’s lifeless corpse. A wide ruby-colored pool was now forming beneath him and as I watched it grow, my conscience yelled at me to call the crime in.

Feeling my legs move out from under me, I dazedly wandered over to the phone booth near the main entrance to the school. Reaching for the metal receiver, my hand turned stiff as I thought of how lovely Sandy looked earlier. I couldn’t send her to jail… really, how could I? There was no doubt that I was in love with her. She was just too nice. Smiling after I hurried away from the booth, I ran towards my lone car and my gaze ignored Dan as I jumped into the driver seat. Firing up the engine, I drove out of the parking lot and down the road, happily planning on using her crime to my advantage.

Her dark silhouette danced underneath the chandelier. I watched in awe as the shadow moved across the ballroom floor so gracefully, almost as if in a waltz. Twisting and spinning, the shadow suddenly stopped before my feet. A lady’s pale hand surfaced before my eyes, reaching out to me. Shocked, I didn’t take the hand right away, but kept on staring instead, forgetting what I had come to the house for in the first place.

Then the ghost’s face appeared, and how dumbstruck was I when I laid sights on the beauty. She smiled softly at me, her chestnut curls framing her face nicely. I was surprised that I wasn’t scared as she curtsied slowly, her large white dress billowing around her body. Thick cream lace covered her entire neck, and the white fabric was loose around her arms.

She reached out to me once more, and without much needed consideration, I took her hand. She led me out onto the floor gently and I shuddered at how cold her hand was becoming. We started off the waltz slow then we began to pick up speed. As she gazed into my eyes, her hand sent chilling frost down my arm and I cried out in pain. I tried to tug my hand away but I found that my palm was frozen to hers.

Grinning evilly, she spun me faster and faster, causing our surroundings to become a blur. When I closed my eyes, I could hear her laugh as we kept spinning. Finally opening them, I noticed that we were now floating; her white hands were keeping me afloat. Yelling now, I still couldn’t seem to pull my hand away from hers. Our head grazed the golden ceiling, causing me to glance down. We were up high, and if I fell, I knew that the injury would be fatal.

Then we descended and I felt myself growing weak. My pulse slowed as we passed through the ballroom floor, and I watched in horror as we sank. Without choice, I stared at the ghoul holding me hostage, a sweet smile still on her lips. I ceased struggling as my soul gave up and all turned black as she pulled me under the marble floor.

It was nearly nine as Calvin Green slowly pulled his Ford pickup onto his girlfriend’s driveway. He fixed his red tie and grabbed the dozen red roses off of the passenger seat. Today was their one-month anniversary and he wanted to do right by her. Thrilled that they were still together, Calvin decided that they would do something special tonight to celebrate. Not uttering a word about the occasion, he planned on surprising her.

As he walked up the path to her house, he noticed a small red sports car sitting inside her garage. He knew that it wasn’t hers but figured she must have a girlfriend over. Grinning wide, he knocked on her door, holding the red roses out before him. Hearing rustling and hushed voices, he waited patiently for her to open the door. The lights in the house clicked off, causing Calvin to narrow his eyes. He knocked again.

“Melissa?” he called out. He waited a moment but received no answer. “Melissa? What’s going on?”

The latch on the door was moved, and so was the lock on the knob. Calvin took a step back as the door creaked open. There, standing in the dark, was his girlfriend. Dressed in a small black robe, she seemed deeply pale, and when he came toward her, she hissed.

“Melissa, honey? What’s wrong?” Calvin asked with fear etched across his face.

“Who are you?” Melissa inquired.

“What do you mean? It’s me, Calvin.” He smiled and offered her the roses. “Tonight’s our one-month anniversary. I thought we should go out tonight and I even managed to book a table at that fancy place you like.”

Melissa’s eyes grew wide in recognition, and then she pouted her lips. “Oh yes, Calvin. How sweet of you to offer to take me out.” She slinked over to him and wrapped her arms around his body. Kissing him tenderly, she said, “I’d rather have dinner now, if you don’t mind.”

Calvin’s throat tightened as she slid her hands across his butt. His eyes skimmed her body and he found her robe coming undone. Swallowing eagerly, he nodded and let her kiss him once more. “That’s fine with me,” he replied. Melissa’s smile flickered and she grabbed his free hand, tugging him towards her door. Turning her blond head swiftly, Calvin noticed a small bruise on her neck. “Melissa, where’d you get that from?” He pointed at it, concerned.

With a lustful glint in her eye, she whispered hungrily, “You’ll find out.” Licking her lips, Melissa led him inside her gloomy home, fastening the bolts to his freedom.

She watched the small pink clock that sat on her desk. The slow movements of the hands were mesmerizing. Alice had been doing this for exactly three hours, ever since Jacob had walked out the door, out of her life. For good, he had said.

“Well, I just don’t believe him. We don’t, do we, Mr. Gallan?” Alice asked a stuffed white cat that lay on top of her bedspread. Her bed was carefully made, each corner tucked in; no material hung off of the sides and all of Alice’s animals sat perfectly still against her many decorative pillows, except for Mr. Gallan. He was a special toy to Alice. She had had him ever since she could remember, ever since her mother had still been alive and before the beatings had taken place. But those days were far behind Alice now as she continued to stare at the still cat. His glassy blue eyes watched her carefully.

“I just don’t understand! Why would he go?” Alice screamed at the stuffed animal. She grabbed Mr. Gallan and hugged him to her chest. “He said that you were the problem. He said that I needed to get rid of you! That I was too old to keep you around… but you don’t want me to get rid of you, do you, Mr. Gallan?” Alice glanced down at the white cat cradled in her arms. For a split second, she thought she saw him shake his head.

“Jacob’s a bad man,” a voice whispered.

“No, he isn’t. He just doesn’t understand.”

“He’s bad, Alice,” the voice repeated.

Alice dropped the cat onto her bed and walked over to a large mirror that hung on the light blue wall of her bedroom. Staring at her reflection, Alice replied, “I love him, Mr. Gallan.”

“I know you do, but he’s not worth the pain, Alice.”

Alice began to tremble as she looked deep into her brown eyes; they seemed to suck her in. Jacob had always told her that she had beautiful, alluring eyes.

“He hurt you, Alice.”

“No…”

“He hurt you!” the voice yelled, sending slight chills down her back.

“He didn’t,” she insisted.

After a few moments of silence, the voice spoke again. “You know what we do to people that hurt you…”

Crying now, Alice muttered, “Please…”

“Just like your stepfather. Remember what we did to him?”

“Mr. Gallan, stop!” Alice pleaded as she placed her hands over her ears and began to hum, trying to block out what he was saying. “Not again,” she whispered strongly.

The cat’s voice grew faster and his pitch was louder as he screamed the four-letter word over and over again, sending Alice into a trance. Images of Jacob flooded through her mind, and then were all gone, erased by the word. The stuffed cat lay motionless on her bed, white fur covering the wide grin displayed on its tiny face.

Alice locked eyes with her reflection and smiled. “Kill,” she said.

I am alone… there is no one left. There had been nights when I prayed for this, the end of this awful town, but now it all seems so unreal. The Devil took them, right from under my eyes. I told them to hide, yes, I told them that it would come to this. They wouldn’t believe me… called me nuts, lunatic, and crazy. Now look at them, they’re all dead. Dead as doornails. Eyes glazed over with the evil blood that once flowed through their veins. It’s no surprise to me why they were not spared. Terrible bunch of people they were, the whole town was corrupt. I didn’t like them, but I had told them about the ambush. I shouldn’t have but I have a heart.

I can see why no one would believe the ravings of an old man, claiming the Devil himself in a small town such as Nascency. But he had risen from Hell, I watched him do this and he spotted me. Instead of running away, I froze as he approached. He did the opposite of what I suspected him to do, he spared my life. But before he left, he said that he would take the souls of the evil that resided in Nascency. I asked why, but he gave me no reason. I don’t think that the Devil really needs a reason anyhow.

On that late Wednesday night, he busted into their homes, ripped children from their tight grasps, spilling the blood of the innocent. I can’t see how children could be evil. He then took no pity on the evildoing parents. I surveyed each of his attacks, sometimes he would only kill them, but others it seemed that he devoured alive. I don’t know how I was able to watch all this with no hint of remorse, but I managed.

When he finished with the lot of them, he approached me once more and offered his thanks. I didn’t know what he meant by this, but all I could do was nod. The sun had begun to rise when his face was clear to me. To my surprise, he did not have the face of a sacrilegious figure. He appeared to be an ordinary man, just a man. This Devil, winked once at me and took his leave, never looking back once at the slaughtered.

That had been over a year ago, and Nascency is still vacant, stained with the blood of its past residents. I never could leave this town, something deep inside possess me to stay, as if I owe it… something. I watch over this place, I keep it safe from the sinners. But the silence had driven me past insanity, my memory is quite indistinct and now I’m not even sure if those events even took place. All I know now is that I am alone and there is no one left.

There is slight breathing,
But it stops.
The light flickers,
But it stops.
My mind is whirling,
I can’t think.
I can’t see,
It’s dark.

I feel something inside me,
And then it’s gone.
I see a figure move,
And then it’s gone.
I run so far,
I have to stop.
I have to breathe,
It’s dark.

I know that it follows,
My end is near.
Life is slipping,
My end is near.
I fall to the ground,
I shut my eyes.
I shut my mind,
It’s dark.

A quiet night on the street where I live
No one outside to see, is it safe to go dig?
Dragging and carrying her out to the car
I know I will not have to travel very far
With her in the trunk, no cops I’m in luck.
Latch of the back and behind the wheel I am,
Blood covers every inch of my hand.
Wiping the sweat off my lips, my brow and my neck
I need to stop I’m smearing it.
Drive, drive, and drive, down the road,
I will get caught. I know I just know.
Looking for those bright lights,
The sirens blaring against the silent night,
I made it, I made it, but this cannot be true,
All that’s left is to bury her deep in the ground
It’s so quiet there isn’t a sound.
Deeper and deeper I go, shoveling mud out now,
It had to be winter. I hate the snow.
I laughed and I did cry when I watched her die,
Slamming her head inward and her guts
She thought she could get away with all those fucks.
Stupid woman, this was coming, you deserved it
But I still feel unsatisfied.
I cover her face with the dirt. Yes I cover her up.
She buried now, she’ll never hurt me again.
Maybe I should go and finish off all of her men.
Yes, It’ll make me feel better and then I’ll be okay
But I’ll do it tomorrow, save it for another day.
Too tired now, I think I’ll rest.
It’s so cold out here. My hands are ice.
I lay on top of where she sleeps. I am warm now,
It feels nice.
I think how much I loved her and the past is in my head,
Now I wish that my wife wasn’t dead.
I cry some more, the last time in my life
My sleep carries me off into the cold, dark and miserable night.