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Most recently published stories in Horror.
The Killer
The streets were practically deserted at this late hour. As Seth drove, he kept glancing at his beautiful wife, Julia and their even more beautiful daughter, Annabel, who was asleep in the back seat. The smile never left his face. ''Are you happy?'' Julia startled him from his reverie. ''Baby,'' he answered slowly, ''I'm so much more than 'happy' right now. Life is too perfect.'' She leaned toward him to rest her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her. When they came to a stop at a red light, he gently lifted her chin and kissed her. Julia realized this was the street of the old barn and every time they drove past, it gave her chills. They were still in the moment when the light changed and he slowly lifted his foot off the brake and focused his attention back on the road. ''Tonight was amazing,'' she said after a moment. ''Yeah,'' he agreed, ''Annabel was radiant in her solo.'' They were on their way home from their daughter's dance recital. She was the best in her class by far and even at the young age of twelve and everyone knew she was a prodigy. Seth was about to comment further on the experience he had, when out of nowhere a child appeared in the street causing him to jam on the brake and turn the wheel. He didn't know how he missed the child but when the car came to a stop and he looked back, the child was still standing there in the road. ''What the...'' Seth's fright was replaced with anger but asked his wife ''Are you alright?'' ''Yeah,'' she answered and looked back at Annabel who was still asleep. Seth got out of the car and began walking toward the child. She couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old. ''Hey, Sweetie,'' he said softly, ''Are you okay?'' She shook her head in response before turning and walking off. ''Hey, where are you going?'' he called out to her. She didn't reply but he followed her, not knowing what else to do. ''Where do you live?'' he asked. Still no reply. She looked back again and kept walking. ''You want me to follow you?'' he asked. She turned again and nodded her head yes and continued on. ''Seth, Dear?'' Julia called out from the car, ''What's going on?'' ''I'm not sure,'' he replied, ''Call the police because something is off about this situation and I've got a bad feeling.'' The child was heading toward the old barn that had almost burned down a few years before. She disappeared through the open door that led to the stables. He jogged the distance to the door and walked in just in time to see her climb the last step to the steeple. Seth called for her but she didn't answer and he could no longer see her. He was deathly afraid of heights and did not want to climb the stairs. ''You okay up there?'' he yelled out. No one responded… he thought to himself Oh, God why me. He was gripping the railing as he climbed and the way it shook was extremely discomforting. ''Please come down, Sweetie,'' he begged. ''I'm scared of heights and it's not safe up there.'' Of course there was still no response. When he got to the top of the stairs he was met with a horrific sight. He raced to the child who just a moment ago had no type of visible injuries but laid here battered as if by a grizzly bear or something had attacked her. Seth laid his ear against her chest and couldn't hear a beat. He pumped her chest like he'd see them do in the movies and breathed air into her lungs. He repeated it and again listened for a heartbeat. Nothing. He was startled when she began coughing and gasping. ''Can you move?'' The answer to that was obvious. She looked up at him … hesitated and spoke ''You're.... real…" her wheezy voice attempted to speak and reached her hand out to touch his face as if to confirm her last observation. ''What happened to you?'' he asked her. Her hand froze and her eyes grew wide. ''Where's the bad man? Did you get him?'' Seth had a quick mind and it didn't require a genius to put the clues together and come to the conclusion that someone left her here to die. Where was he? Seth wondered. He coaxed her to a sitting position and began lifting her to her feet when he heard the sound of shuffling feet. ''Shhhhhh,'' he barely breathed the warning as he lay her back down. He tiptoed softly to the top of the stairs and peeked down. He couldn't see anything or anyone. He looked around the steeple for something to use as a weapon and came up with a broken pitchfork. He gripped the handle and again peeked down the stairs. A man was coming up with a child held over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. His heart began beating wildly as he moved to hide behind a pile of old wood. He watched as the man came to the top and laid the other child down gently. Seth's chest clenched in anger and his face grew tight as all his muscles flexed involuntarily. He sat with his back to the wood pile and took deep as he mustered his resolution. He absolutely had to save these two children and put this guy out of commission. He peeked around the pile again and saw the man with his back to him. He was whispering to the child he just brought up and Seth could hear her whimpering softly. He had the points of the pitchfork aimed at the man's back and he began thrust with everything he had. The man began turning just in time to not take the three prongs directly through his back but he was still skewered through his shoulder by one of the points. He roared in rage and pain as he swung a log sized arm aimed at Seth's head. The blow knocked him to the ground but he was back on his feet and moving, watching the man writhe in agony. Seth hoped Julia had called the police when he told her to. This was a monster of a man, big and fierce looking and he was angry. He realized he couldn't get the fork out of his shoulder and so the man began aggressively walking toward Seth. The child he had just brought had scurried backward to the stairs and climbed down. ''The police are on the way,'' Seth told him, "You better get outta here.'' ''I'm ready to die,'' he said simply and lunged at Seth. Seth was agile and so was able to sidestep and evade the man's attempt. The man absorbed the flailing punches like they were nothing and swung one lumbering blow that sent Seth sliding across the floor, almost knocked unconscious. He tried to get up but fell right back down. He watched in horror as the man came toward him with a sadistic smile.
By Steven the author3 years ago in Horror
The Boy in the Barn.
He felt heavy at the sight of it. Like he was the muddy earth that it stood on. It was for this weight it had put on him, that he held it at a chokehold within his mind. An imaginary prisoner he kept locked away, and the only recreational time it had was when he was alone. “I'm sorry sir but there are still some papers left for you to sign.” Marshall turned to look at Tom. he felt like Tom was some sort of cold husk. Lanky, pale skin, and sunken eyes, all tucked in a nice suit. He looked at Tom, up and down. He made him feel cold and husk-like as well, as he was handed the papers. “Thank you, sir. I will leave you and return tomorrow to pick them up. I believe that much time will suffice?” Marshall nodded, as his face grew dark. Tom seemed to glide on the mud as he climbed into his car, and it too seemed to run like some hydrophobic machine, untainted by the sticky substance. Marshall felt cleanliness as soon as Tom's car had gone through the gates, like a warm shower washing away a cold slime. Bella came out of the house, and grabbing hold of Marshall, she smoothly rubbed his back, looking at him with sadness and love. “Are you okay?” she asked, as she wiped some dirt that seemed to reach on Marshall's cheek. “Yeah. go on and take the kids back to the hotel, I still need to do a couple of things, and then we can head out tomorrow.” she nodded, and went back into the house, coming out later with the children and driving out.
By Typheus Wolf3 years ago in Horror
Where do the bad men go?
He’d only ever noticed the barn when he was thinking the bad thoughts. He realised this as he stumbled towards it, the weight of the bundle in his arms both far too heavy and far too light. He had the bad thoughts a lot, admittedly, so the opportunities to notice its absence were infrequent. But that morning where his mind was on his unpaid bills, the morning when that bitch had moved out, the morning he lost his wallet, all had one thing in common; he had wondered when he’d missed walking past the barn.
By Gwendolyn Pendraig3 years ago in Horror
The Barn
Growing up we only had one rule, don’t go in the barn. Grandma would go into the barn only at night. When she thought my sister and I were asleep. When she thought mother was too drunk to care, or still at the bar. As I grew up, I was fascinated by the noises from the barn and the way for the few hours a day mother was sober she wouldn’t, perhaps couldn’t, look at it. In the evenings, if she was drinking at home, she would sit out on the front deck instead of the back garden which caught the evening sun but overlooked the barn.
By Francesca Newman3 years ago in Horror
The Black Song
April 14 Laura and I got into a fight today. Got a little heated, which sucks because things have been really good lately. Or so I thought. She got mad because I don’t want to go to her mother’s place this weekend. Four hour drive just to hear backhanded insults and sleep in a shitty bed, no thanks. Laura said I could use the time to “engage” with Sean, whatever the hell that means. I just walked away, hopefully she’ll cool off up there. I guess I got the whole weekend to myself. What should I do?
By Blake Anglin3 years ago in Horror
King of the Shadow Throne
He sat in the darkness of his hall, alone. This barren castle with the memories screaming in perpetual darkness, he sat brooding on the centuries, his losses, his wasteful onslaught that brought nothing as reward. Wreaking havoc just because he could, in the past his bloodlust and anger were legendary. Countless lives laid waste by his hand, millions of people drained for his sustenance. This Knight of death once almost destroyed civilization, but with many victories came many sorrows. Armies rose against him, and armies fell, at one point in time he was unstoppable. Dracula, The King of the Shadow Throne, The Elder Immortal, Lord of all Vampire. As he reflected on his past, sitting in his dark hall alone, the world outside past by without a notice. The dawn never touched the interior, it only darkened the shadows and cast a dreary, ever-present mist over most of the ground. The cursed land for miles around his castle that laid at the base of two enormous mountains whose names have been lost in time, like it’s lord, lost in the deep pages of history, no longer a myth or legend, forgotten entirely.
By Dalton Rogers3 years ago in Horror
Heart's Call
What I do is not, strictly speaking, urban exploration. At least, not in the most technical sense of the phrase. Yes, broadly, I do plumb the depths of old and moldering buildings and structures, but I like them quiet, isolated, distant. Far from the cities or even the suburbs. Out in the country or the woods, where everything is still half-wild, where decay is the natural state of the things we’ve built. Certain folks may quibble that what I’m describing is literally the essence of urban exploration, but there is no urban to speak of where I go. No suburban either. And besides, they’re not telling the story, so if I want to make broad, poetic statements about my hobbies, they can type up their furious complaints and counterarguments when I post this. Or they can shove them up their asses. I’m not picky.
By Griffen Bernhard3 years ago in Horror
The Messenger
Elea had felt a cool wave of relief when she opened her eyes to find Anders still sleeping in her lap. His breathing was labored, but he was still breathing and that made her rejoice almost to the point of tears. Elea and her younger brothers, Bo and Anders, and sister, Agnes had come to the farm three years ago when their parents had died of consumption. Delores Inger took in wayward children and Elea had initially been very grateful to have somewhere to go with her siblings. But, they soon found out that Widow Inger did not house children out of the goodness of her heart. She took them in as free labor for her farm, forcing them to work long hard hours with little in return.
By M K Dotson3 years ago in Horror
An Old Barn's Memory
The shadows slip along the planks of ancient wood, their soft sighs undetected by anything other than the forgotten souls who have nestled themselves among the stale hay and dust, remnants of a time where this old barn used to be new, freshly painted and crowded with beings of flesh and warmth.
By Abrianna Leaming3 years ago in Horror