MicroHorror

It was a clear morning, with a perfect view of the sun hanging from the clouds above. And below that crystal blue sky sat the ruined city of Anchorage, dark puffs rising right into the mocking atmosphere. Eroded and sullied, the caved-in buildings and houses did nothing for the town’s character, but neither did the dawdling new inhabitants.

No, the zombies only pushed Anchorage off of the map, and anyone who tried to interfere was terminated. But now, after only a few years, the memory of the town has been forgotten along with the outbreak. It just sits there, wearing away, while the undead wander around aimlessly.

In Anchorage, there’s no one left to admire the sky.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eric yelled, rushing up the fire escape. Glancing down fearfully, he saw the horde of zombies following close below. His heart beat heavy as he continued upwards, trying to ignore the sound of their cries. When he finally made it to the open window on the thirteenth floor of the Woodward apartment building, he hurried inside, slamming the window shut. Pulling the drapes, he ran out of the bedroom, out of apartment 13A, and into the hall. He passed by apartment 13B, 13C, 13D, and stopped in front of 13E. Knocking harshly on the peeling wood, he waited impatiently as he turned to look down the empty hall, the sound of the zombies smashing at the window of 13A vibrated towards him. The seconds ticked by slowly as he stared at the peephole of 13E. Eyes going wide with frustration and terror, he pounded on the door more fiercely.

“Luke! Let me in! Hurry!” Eric watched with relief as the door started to creep open, but it stopped short as the chain prevented the room from further exposure. Luke peered a lone eye out at him, then past him, down the hallway.

“I’m sorry, Eric. I can’t let you in,” he told him calmly.

“What?” Eric breathed heavily, eyes flickering down the hall again, towards 13A where the sound was growing louder. “Why not?”

“You know the group’s rule about individual expeditions out into the city. You disobeyed, so now you must pay the price.”

“Jesus, Luke! I’m going to die out here!”

“You brought them here, so it’s not my problem.” Luke replied stonily.

Eric closed his eyes briefly as his heart hammered against his chest. “I’m sorry, okay? But you know how important that picture was to me. I had to get it. It’s all I have left of Janine.”

Luke’s cold gaze didn’t falter as he said, “Well, I hope it’s more important to you than your life.”

Narrowing his eyes at him, Eric muttered, “Bastard. How can you do this to me?”
Looking behind him quickly, Luke returned to stare at his best friend as he said, “I can’t let you in, we have to follow the rules… but, here.” Tossing a gun at Eric’s feet, Luke added, “It’s got a full round of bullets. Use them wisely.” Then he shut the door, leaving Eric all alone in the deserted hall. Picking the gun up from the floor, he heard the stampede of feet from behind him. Giving 13E one last look, he aimed at the doorknob and fired, kicking the splintered door open as he hurried down the hallway, disregarding the loud gunshots and Luke’s cries as the zombies tore him limb from limb.

I was sound asleep when I heard it. The loud cry that startled me from my dreams. Lifting my head from the pillow, I stared at the open bedroom door, down the dark hall where the crying was emitting from. Looking over at my wife, who seemed to be in such a deep state of dream that the sound did not wake her, I slid out of bed. The crying softened as I neared the last room on the left: the baby’s room. The large white crib shook as soon as I entered, then I heard a soft giggle vibrate along the yellow walls. My precious daughter. My pride and joy. Smiling as I wandered towards her, I lifted her up from her wooden prison. “Hello, my love,” I whispered as I kissed the top of her head. She was so gorgeous, an angel from heaven.

“Kevin, what are you doing?”

My wife’s voice diverted my attention. Peering over at her, I replied, “I’m just holding our daughter.”

“Kevin…” She sounded frightened as she took a slow step towards me, reaching an arm out. I let her place it on my shoulder as she frowned down at my cradled arms. “Come back to bed with me. You’re tired.”

I gave her a strange look before glancing back at the baby. Terror filled my heart as I noticed she was gone. She had vanished from my gentle embrace.

“Where is she?” I asked my wife shrilly, looking down into the empty crib. My eyes surveyed the entire room but the baby was nowhere to be found. “Where is my baby?” I cried hopelessly, feeling my wife’s hold on my arm tighten.

“Come on, Kevin…” She tugged me but I wouldn’t budge.

“Tell me where she is!” I yelled at her.

Her face heated as she took her hand off of me. “Stop this right now.”

I glared at her. “Where did she go, Sheryl? You better tell me.”

Sheryl remained quiet as she stared at the beige carpeting, a small baby toy lying at her feet. She picked it up slowly, staring at it with a fixed expression of sadness. “The baby is gone, Kevin. You know that. You were there when she… when she died.” She finished shakily.

Confused and doubt filled my mind as I glanced at the toy. My little girl is dead? No, she couldn’t be. She was just born. How could she already be dead?

“You’re a liar,” I said into the still night.

My wife’s brows rose as she stared at me. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re exhausted.”

“No,” I spat, grabbing her hand tightly. “I’m wide awake.”

“Kevin, you’re hurting me.” She moaned as she tried to pull her hand away, but I held on tighter. “Kevin!” She yelled loudly, terror creeping into her voice.

“Are you scared, Sheryl?” I asked her.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because,” I said angrily, forcing her onto the floor. “You’re hiding her from me! I want to know why!”

“Kevin, please!” She cried. She was trembling now as I twisted her arm behind her back. I watched the flow of tears stream down her face as she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, the same blue eyes our daughter inherited.

Picking up the small child-sized rocking chair that sat next to the crib, I asked her one last time. “Where is she, Sheryl?”

Her eyes went wide as she stared at me, then at the pink chair that was raised above her head. As her face wrinkled up with grief, she murmured sadly, “She’s dead.”

“Wrong answer,” I told her as I brought the chair swift against her skull. Her head split from impact, and as the blood trickled down her face, I heard my daughter laugh one last time.

The echoes.
I hear the cries of a thousand men.
Or is it women?

I guess it really doesn’t matter.
I too am a victim here, in this hellhole, suffering from excruciating pain.
I cannot help them. I cannot escape.
Oh, the torture.
And the echoes…

It’s a symphony.
A never ending song of misery that I am forced to hear.
Every day.
Every day I’m trapped in my dark chamber.

I wait.
I’m waiting for my chance. One chance. To slip away.
To elude their vicious grasps.
But the time never comes.
I am stuck here.
Hidden by the dark.

No one will be able to find me.
I do not know where I am.
I barely know anything anymore.
But there is one thing I am sure of.
I am a captive.
A prisoner.
And I am never going to set my eyes on light again.

Deep and bottomless.

Where was the water?

I was staring down into the dark abyss, searching for the water source of the well, but after a few minutes, I concluded that there was none to be found. Backing away from it, I glanced around at all of the houses that lined the Venice streets. So many of them and yet not a single soul was out here. No plants, no trees, it felt gloomy and eerie to be the only person near the strange well.

Looking over at it again, I realized that the well oddly excited me, and my body seemed possessed as I strolled over to it slowly, lifting my head over the large black hole.

“If you toss in a coin, and make a wish, it is sure to be granted.”

Twisting my head around in alarm, I found a weak old man staring blankly at me. His skin was a deep olive, and his white beard fell down to his knees. It was obvious he was Italian. He seemed crippled as he stumbled over towards me and the well. He stopped just a few feet before, giving me a strange smile.

Confused with what to do, I mumbled, “Hello.”

“Go on,” he said simply, offering me a small silver coin. When I took it from his hand, the man urged, “Throw it in.”

Turning to face the well once more, I flipped the coin over the opening, where it disappeared quickly, swallowed whole by the darkness. Peering over my shoulder at the man, I noticed that he kept on grinning.

“Now, walk closer to the edge, and close your eyes. Then you must make your wish.”

He seemed so eager that I couldn’t refuse his instructions. Placing my hands on the stone ledge, I closed my eyes and wished.

From behind, I heard him whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” had begun to form on my lips but I never got the chance to say it. All of a sudden, my feet were up over my head and I was falling down into the well. I couldn’t scream as my throat froze up, so I just watched at the light from above transformed into a tiny dot above my head. I didn’t know how long I was falling, but it felt like an eternity. It was as if I was descending into Hell itself.

Then, I plunged straight into water, the darkness preventing me from sight of my surroundings. Swimming upwards, I gasped as my face rose above the cold surface. My eyes darted around but I couldn’t see a thing. I just stared up at the tiny speck of light while I swam around, hoping to touch stone, land, anything but the chilling water.

It was when my fingertips touched land that I heard it. A slight breathing sound that sent waves of fear down my back. I was not alone down here. My heart was pounding as the panting neared closer to me. It was growing louder and louder until I could feel the warm breath from the creature hit my face. I just stood there, gagging with fright, wondering what the monster’s appearance was. I felt a slimy hand grab my shoulder, gripping it tightly and I knew that I was about to die, but one thought kept playing over and over in my mind. My wish had come true.

I didn’t wish for death, but I had wished for excitement. And in an ironic but terrifying way, meeting my doom proved to be very stimulating.

I breathe, I live, and I exist.

It’s what I tell myself every day, every miserable second that my stomach lurches from hunger. I hide down here, in the dirt, waiting. Waiting for the day when I can return, when man can no longer hunt me. It is important that I wait, or I and the rest of my kind will become acquainted with extinction. Although it is not our only fear; fire, guns, and above all, man are our highest anxiety, we do not wish to kill for fun. We only bring death upon those that we have chosen to benefit our stomachs.

I have no name, no definition for my species. What I am, although I appear almost human, I regret that I am not. I am a beast, a shape shifting demon. I and others of my kind can choose whatever form we would like to be. I have chosen the shell of a man because, for the entirety of my existence, it is what I have yearned to be. But it is not what I am and many humans, who I have come into contact with, have known this truth. My eyes are too red, and round, an obvious flaw. Also, my skin is the color of the moon; another imperfection.

It is all quite peculiar. I eat these human, their flesh, as well as drink their tantalizing blood and yet, I want to become one of them… but I am not sure why. I believe it is because of a woman I knew once. She was kind to me, when many of them were not, and it was her pure soul that released my veiled emotions. Though I can’t seem to remember her name… it was so long ago, before the age of technology, when family was the most important goal in life. Yes, I know she is the reason I choose to carry on.

And although it is dark down here, and I am all alone, I can feel her beside me. I can smell her honey-colored waves, and the scent of her womanhood. She’s been gone for a long time now, but I’ll see her one day when the Earth starts to decay and I am left to die. On that fateful day, my eyes will cloud over and in the place between worlds, I will see her approach my fallen corpse with open arms, summoning me to join her side in the afterlife.

“It only takes one shot.”

“What does?”

“To kill a zombie,” Fred said, rubbing a damp cloth over the barrel of his shotgun while the two sat comfortably in Fred’s small kitchen. The feel of the cool metal excited him as he continued on cleansing, ignoring the astonished expression from his friend Daniel.

Daniel, who was rather against violence but not when it came to zombie killings, replied, “I don’t think so. It takes at least three bullets to take one of those suckers down.”

Fred shook his head at his friend’s mild manner. “No, no, Daniel. Here, follow me, I’ll show ya.” He led him out of the kitchen and down to his cellar, where a loud howl was emitting.

“What the hell is that?” Daniel asked, as they grew closer to a door at the bottom of Fred’s basement. “Oh, don’t tell me you’ve got one of ‘em locked down here.” He said fearfully, while he kept close to Fred’s backside.

Fred only smiled a toothless grin as he unlatched the thick metal door. And as it slowly swung open, Fred lifted the gun into air just as the zombified man charged in his direction.

The sound of the gun rattled the walls of the basement, and Daniel was forced to cover his ears from the harsh vibrations. As Daniel peered over Fred’s shoulder, he saw the bloody mess of what used to be a living zombie.

“It’s dead. Just in one shot… how’d ya do it, Fred?” Daniel asked with conveyed amazement.

“Aw, hell, Daniel, you just shoot ‘em in the head!”

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.