50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Warhammer 40K Edition

The galaxy is in turmoil. There is no light among the millions of inhabited worlds other than the gleam of fanaticism, and the pyres where heretics are burned. The promises of progress and plenty have been lost, buried beneath battlefields that stretch to the horizon. The stars echo with the laughter of thirsting gods, and the only surety is that worse things lurk in the darkness than a quick, clean death.

In the grim darkness of the future there is only war, and horror. These are some of the short tales one might find waiting out in the deep black.

For those who would like addition short, snacky scares, check out the original 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, as well as 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, SCP Edition for those who want to see some tales of the Foundation and the monsters it battles!

Lastly, I've dramatized this list for readers who prefer audio dramas, complete with full SFX... so check it out if that interests you! For more like this, check out my growing Rumble archive at The Literary Mercenary!

1. The Blood Angels were dropped into the battlefield as reinforcements right in front of our line. It was strange, though... their armor was black, instead of red.

2. The traitorous elements had taken command of much of the city. The loyalists rejoiced when they saw the Guard surround the hive with their artillery, until the breeze caught their banners and they recognized the emblem of the Death Korps.

3. "Would you care to repeat that, Guardsman?" the commissar asked, unsnapping the flap on his holster. "I don't believe I heard you properly."

4. In the thick of the fighting I heard one of my battle brothers come up alongside me, bolt pistol blasting as he roared, "For the Emperor!" When I felt the knife sink into my back he whispered, "Hydra dominatus."

5. "It's just one bloody eldar," the sergeant snarled to the rest of his warband. When they heard the eerie, echoing, unnatural laughter, they knew that this one eldar was too much even for all of them.

6. "The Emperor protects," I whispered as I closed my eyes. The thing I'd glimpsed in the darkness drew closer, unhampered by my prayer.

7. We had declared ourselves independent from the Imperium. When the ancient ships came out of the Warp, twisted legionnaires of Chaos at their helms, we had no one to call on for aid.

8. The servitor addressed me by name. As I heard its hydraulic fist clench, I realized it had never heard my name... not since before it had been modified, at least.

9. I thought the worst thing the biologos could say after my examination was that I was going to die. It turns out the worst thing the tech priest could say was, "Interesting."

10. The thing that loomed out of the shadows was long and sinuous, its chitinous hide covered in dripping slime, and its maw open to expose rows of razor teeth. I wept as it tore at my clothing, because it was so beautiful I couldn't look away.

11. "Your son is strong," the salamander said, gazing into the infant's eyes. As he handed me back my child he added, "Perhaps he will be stronger than his two brothers were."

12. The eldar gathered round the dead mon-keigh in silent dread. They knew space marines traveled in packs, and they would tear this world apart until they found vengeance for their brother.

13. It wasn't that much different from eating corpse starch when you thought about it. Not really.

14. After weeks of grueling, bloody battle we thought we'd finally pushed the orks to the breaking point. We realized too late that noise they made wasn't caused by fear, pain, or desperation... it was joy.

15. The tau had arrived with a full contingent of battle suits, fire caste warriors, and advanced weaponry. None of them had feared a single Catachan with a knife... at first.

16. The knight called Star's Halo had stood for thousands of years against all foes who had threatened the world. When we found the dead, burned-out husk of the great machine, we knew we were going to die.

17. The meteor shower was beautiful. We didn't realize what it was hiding until the drop pods started impacting.

18. The guy had it coming for running his mouth. When we found the inquisitorial rosette tucked away up his sleeve, though, we realized we were in deep shit.

19. We heard the flies before we saw the corpses. When the corpses saw us, we had nowhere left to run.

20. Pleasure worlds had something to suit every taste. Some tastes, though, were more extreme than others.

21. The dig had revealed an ancient, sprawling tomb complex that looked fit for a king. What we didn't realize was the silent ones lining the walls beneath the earth were merely sleeping.

22. Sitting in the darkness of the black ship surrounded by the soulless was like being blind, deaf, and in hell. In the blessed silence, though, I could no longer feel the eyes of the Dark Ones staring into me.

23. We had him surrounded, and astartes or not, all he had was a sword. Then the librarian's eyes began to glow, the light reflected in the force blade held in the psyker's fist.

24. "Do you know who wrote that book you love so much?" the Word Bearer whispered to the canoness in a sly, knowing voice. "Will your faith endure the truth, I wonder?"

25. The arbites had been trying to contain the swell of mutants pouring out of the underhive. Nobody asked what was driving them up out of the darkness, though... not until it was much too late.

26. "Careful with that weapon, trooper," the commander snarled. "It's worth more than you are."

27. "Your genetic code simply will not accept the procedure," the astartes said, resting his huge hand on my bruised and bloody shoulder. "It is a shame, as you would likely have been among the best of us."

28. The ratskins warned away anyone who tried to delve too deeply in that part of the underhive. Most never came back, and the ones who did that could still talk screamed about green lights and ancient gods until someone put them out of their misery.

29. For just a moment we all felt the light of the Emperor in that place with us. Then the mouth of the Throne opened, and we knew no more.

30. The Guardsman's Primer was inaccurate, self-important, poorly-written, and next-to-worthless. Following it was likely to get you killed, but not following it would get you executed.

31. Most guardsmen didn't survive their first deployment. The only reward for those who did was a pat on the back, and another roll of the weighted dice.

32. We'd killed their defenders, surrounded their world, toppled their churches, and made it clear that surrender in the name of the Greater Good was their only real option. What madness kept them fighting?

33. Cadia stands. Tanith remembers.

34. "Most astartes are warriors," the Night Lord said with a chuckle full of blood. "But we... we are killers."

35. They say you never hear the shot that kills you. The ones that leave you crippled, though, are loud and clear.

36. The Administratum secretary found a dire call for reinforcements, citing the dangers of an imminent collapse of the battle lines. She was about to send it up the chain, until she saw how long the document had waited to finally reach her desk.

37. "There, we're safe now," the traitorous governor said, slamming the vault door. "Well, one of us is," his secretary replied, her face melting as the polymorphine wore off.

38. The plasma cannon had been giving the enemy merry hell. When I pulled the trigger again and heard the high-pitched whine, I knew I was going to be its final kill.

39. I'd received nothing but scorn, hate, and disgust my whole life. Even daemons couldn't bear to touch me, if for different reasons than most people.

40. "Everyone contributes," I said to Arlen, dumping their gagged, struggling form into the waste recycling vat. "In their own way."

41. "I'm innocent," I moaned through my broken teeth. "That proves nothing," the inquisitor said, picking up another of his gleaming, steel tools.

42. It was definitely a drop pod, but it was so small there was no way more than one person would fit in it. I opened the vox to report, but all I heard from the other end was gunfire and screaming.

43. The impact from the weapon would kill most any human. When the roar erupted from the dust cloud, though, the enemy realized they'd upset the ogryn.

44. You've got two choices when the psyker starts twitching. You either shoot fast and maybe fill one grave too soon, or you hesitate and bury an entire world that should have lived.

45. Most of the hive retreated when the chaos cult came out into the open. The gangers, though, were locked, loaded, and ready to make them bleed for their turf.

46. The Emperor was powerful, but he was far away on Terra. Other gods may not have been so strong, but they came to you when you needed something.

47. Khorne doesn't care from where the blood flows, but I do. Or at least I did, once.

48. A bayonet isn't much concern to a chaos sorcerer. Unless it's lodged in their windpipe, of course.

49. "You were very determined not to be taken alive," the Haemonculus said, carefully repairing the hole I'd put in the side of my head. "I look forward to seeing how long it takes to break that spirit."

50. The galaxy was awash in blood. The scent of all that death was drawing something from beyond; something hungry for more.

Tune In Next Time on Table Talk!

I figured this week I'd try something a little different for Table Talk. If you'd like more gaming tales, in addition to more Warhammer 40K fiction, I highly recommend checking out some of the following stories, along with the rest of my full Vocal archive!

- Field Test: When Inquisitor Hargrave comes to the world of New Canaan just ahead of an ork rok she claimed she had a weapon that would wipe the greenskins out. Rather than looking to the skies, though, the real weapon was by her side all along.

- Waking Dogs- A World Eaters Tale: For my fans of Warhammer 40K, this is a story I felt compelled to tell about one of the infamous World Eaters remembering who he once was. It was also dramatized by the channel A Vox in The Void, for those who enjoy audio renditions.

- Old Soldiers: It's been years since the end of the Hyperion Conflict, and Pollux has been trying to live a normal life since then. Or as normal as one can be when they're a Myrmidon. But when an assassination attempt fails, Pollux has to re-activate his old unit and get to the bottom of it, uncovering secrets buried for decades.

- Crier's Knife: My sword and sorcery novel, we follow Dirk Crier as he sets out to collect his wayward cousin from parts unknown. Dark tidings lie ahead, but those who stand in his way will learn why the mountain folk say only a dead man crosses a Crier.

- Marked Territory and Painted Cats: Join Leo as he gets roped into other people's problems on the mean streets of NYC. A Maine coon with a bad habit of getting curious, explore the world of street beasts in these nasty little noir mysteries!

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