Horror logo

7 Days

Short Story (1,553 words)

By Lee HollandPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
1

I had just finished writing my new murder mystery novel 'Suffer, I Dare You', and I was going to go celebrate, when the phone rang. I picked up the phone and asked who it was. They replied with “you have 7 days”. I quickly put down the phone because everybody knows that they are hoaxes. I decided to go to sleep.

The next morning, as I got up to have breakfast, I heard smashing glass. I ran to the front door to find that someone had thrown a rock through my window. I shouted after them, but they did not look back.

Later that day I found a note reading ‘6 DAYS’. I threw the note in the bin because it must have come through with the rock. Suddenly a knife went straight past my head and wedged itself into the wall next to me. Engraved on it was ‘listen to my warnings’. I snapped the knife. I was sick of these people thinking they can scare me into doing whatever they wanted.

I woke up at 2:30am the next day because I could hear a noise, like a possum. I went to go shoo the possum away and saw a tall man standing there with a chainsaw, lightly scraping away at the tree in my front yard. When he left, I read the carved message ‘5 days.

Now I was scared...

I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around quickly to see who it was, but no one was there. I started to increase my pace and by the time I was at my front doorstep, I could no longer hear the footsteps behind me. As soon as I walked in, I felt a cold breeze slip through the living room and blow into the kitchen. I followed it, curious to see where it would lead me. I turned the corner and there it was. The figure from yesterday morning. Carefully, I stepped back until I saw something peculiar.

Right above the man was a small device, shrouded in light. I took a step forward, but the light blinded me. As I stumbled backward, I made out the words '4 days' shining through the device. I blinked and looked down. When I glanced up, they were gone.

I thought that the device was a dead giveaway that this was fake, but what would I know?

I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a can of spaghetti. Yum! I thought. While I waited for the spaghetti to cook, I read the back of the can:

20% tomatoes, 10% sugar. 3 days...

3 days.

3 days was all that I could see now. I had thought this was a hoax, but here it is on my spaghetti tin. I wondered how anyone could have gotten in, I always lock my windows and doors at night and when I'm not here.

I was really worried now.

I had been trying to sleep for almost 4 hours, but the words kept haunting me.

"2 days, that’s all you have"

I sat up in surprise.

"W-What" I stuttered.

Only 2 days, I never got to do everything I wanted to do. My family cannot come here, they are too far away. And the creature will probably kill them as well.

I tried to go back to sleep but ended up thinking more about what this was. What was trying to kill me, and why?

I sat on the couch staring at the TV.

"Two people were found dead in their apartment after a mysterious voice called them and said, and I quote: You will die in 2 hours unless you bring him to me. It is unclear who, or what called them, but we must find out what they want before more innocent people die"

Like me!

I was angry. I was pissed. What had I done that was so bad that- whatever it was- needed to kill me for it?

Suddenly on the screen were the words:

24 hours

I could not take it any longer I picked up my phone and called the person who had told me '7 days'. It went straight to voicemail. Great.

I turned off my phone and went outside for a walk. Bad idea.

I took a deep breath and the frosty air filled my lungs. I felt calmer out here, more relaxed. As soon as I stepped onto the path, the weather changed. It was no longer frosty and white. It was boiling. It was so hot I thought I was going to pass out. I looked up towards the sky, was still snowing. So why does it feel like I am going to melt into the ground?

I turned to look behind me, and there stood a man. He appeared to be holding… the sun!? He was holding it right above my head. No wonder it was hot. He looked down at me and snarled.

"12 hours" He growled before disappearing.

I tried to think of all the ways I could get out of this, but I had nothing. I could kill whatever tries to attack me. No, I can’t do that. I could try to escape. No, they would find me.

I am doomed. The only thing I can do now is to do whatever I can to finish my bucket list. Except, I couldn’t. Because they would kill me as soon as I step foot outside.

10 hours, the table read.

I don't know why I had done it, but I had had a sudden pulling urge to write on the table. It wasn’t so much an urge, more like a force. A force compelling me to write that on the table. It was a force that I could not fight, and for some reason, I did not want to fight it.

9 hours. I could hear the voices chanting, coming from somewhere inside the shadows of my mind.

8 hours. I whispered to myself, in a slow satanic verse.

7 hours, the walls read in blood that, thankfully, wasn't my own.

6 hours. My heart was pounding in my chest as the words flashed across my mind. It was like someone had taken control of my thoughts.

5 hours. All my happy memories were floating from my brain and hung just out of reach.

4 hours. It felt as if time was slipping through my fingers, defying my feeble attempts at holding on.

3 hours. If only I could grab something that was not there.

2 hours. My brain was ridding itself of reality, leaving only blank and dull thoughts.

1 hour. I only had an hour to live and I could not even remember why or how I knew. I just did.

I sunk lower and lower in my chair. Just waiting for the world to begin to blur. Waiting for my time to dwindle down to nothing.

I could only watch the few memories remaining. Reminding me of a life ill never get to see again.

30 minutes. If I were given the chance to live again, I do not think I would. What good is a soulless body, drifting about, barely taking in anything?

20 minutes. My loved ones would not face the same fate as me. I know their spirits are still on Earth, within their bodies. Granting them happiness and life.

10 minutes. I can only wait. Listening to the world tick away outside.

5 minutes. No one out there could imagine what was happening. I could not imagine it now, even if I tried. My creative mind had left when my soul was shattered.

2 minutes. I could barely hear the footsteps shuffling into my house.

1 minute. I heard a soft banging coming from the doorway. I felt as if was being sucked away. And then I felt, nothing.

30 seconds. The nothingness was overtaken by a sense of calm. This calm was heavily laced with worry, though, one would not notice.

10 seconds. I heard a heartbeat.

5 seconds. I relaxed into my worry and let my muffled focus wander into a shadowed corner of my mind.

"Do it" I whisper.

3 seconds. I closed my eyes and stared at the figures in my brain

1 second. My calm was overtaken by confusion.

Time's Up!

The figures in my mind seemed distant. It sounded like they were calling out to me.

I didn’t notice the blood trickling down my throat and dripping onto my arm. I tried to reach out towards the figures, but they grew smaller. I could hear a name being called. It was familiar. The cries of the figures echoed through my mind. Filling up the space that had been made.

The figures looked sad, but I did not know why. I reached out to touch them, but they crumbled away as my fingers made contact. I looked at the dust in my hands. I was overcome by a state of sadness. My eyes blurred and I felt calm again. My gaze followed the light that had appeared.

Slowly, I started to move towards it. Sounds echoed through my mind. Waves, crashing on the shore. People, calling out a name. Cries. Screams. I felt as if I was happy again. I blinked slowly as I emerged into the light.

I blinked and it was dark.

monster
1

About the Creator

Lee Holland

Young Writer. I prefer to write murder stories but I do enjoy writing in other genres.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.