Plastic Mannequin City

Just ignore it

One of the first stories I posted on wattpad.

On there I'm at 71 short horror stories right now, I'm not sure if I will ever post all of the stories I wrote before on tumblr, but here is one.

Word count: 1105

TW: Psychological horror

I look up at the old school building, just for a second I see the cracks. The surrounding plants around it have started growing inside. Some of the windows are broken.

The broken bell goes off and it almost sounds like a muffled scream.

I quickly go inside.

Inside the right classroom I take a seat at my table, it is a scratched old table with graffiti, not done by me.

Slowly the classroom fills with my 'classmates', these dolls with keys in their backs. They enter with their rattling keys and stiff movements. Opening and closing their wooden mouths, like they are talking to one another. I can't hear them, but I'm not interested anyway.

Lastly, the 'teacher' enters leaving its books on the desk and 'starting the lesson'.

I don't care to listen to the clacking of its mouth. It doesn't matter anyway, ignoring is for the best and pretending.

At some point the 'teacher' points at me and stops.

Carefully I stand and walk towards it, followed by the empty stares of the other painted wooden faces.

It is quiet.

It has always been quiet.

My 'teacher' seems to have stopped working, so I stand behind it and gently turn it's key until it starts working again.

Then just as quietly as before, I return to my seat.

I stare out of the window, without actually observing what is happening. Well nothing is happening really. Nothing ever is.

Just nature taking over this school, this empty building.

Even during break I just stare outside, while those dolls are clacking to each other.

If I go anywhere the dolls will be mean to me, they will sometimes throw things at me or clack mean things about me. So it is better just to remain in one place. They are defective.

I return home without looking back.

I live in an old dollhouse, it's almost completely empty and always silent.

I love the silence.

I enjoy the emptiness.

The rest of the house is just like the city with plants growing everywhere, inside and outside the buildings.

All buildings are slowly breaking apart and I just ignore it.

It's all fake anyway.

It's all useless anyway.

Nothing matters here, just that I do what I have to do and return 'home'.

The next day when I go to 'school', something strange happens.

The 'teacher' introduces a new 'classmate', another doll.

With a key and a painted face, just like any other.

It takes the empty seat next to me.

The new student seems to try to get my attention, but I just start doodling in my workbooks. Pretending I don't see or hear her.

The day passes by quite quickly, and I return to my old dollhouse.

I walk up the creaking stairs and past the rotting woodwork.

In my room I stare out of the hole in the roof, at the dark, starless abyss, most people call the sky.

And just like always, another day has passed.

The next day I do the same as all the previous days.

Stare out of the window, turn a key and return to my seat.

Then lunch comes around.

The new student is getting more annoying.

It has even started jumping in front of me to get my attention, which made the other dolls clack their mouths like they were laughing.

It's becoming more and more difficult.

Then suddenly it locks it's wooden hands around my wrist.

No matter how hard I struggle, It won't let me go.

Then it started walking and I am forced to follow.

We go up to the rooftop.

"I need you to listen." The voice coming out of the doll sounds vaguely human.

While blocking the only exit, it let's go of my wrist.

What does this thing want from me? None of them ever try to contact me as long as I ignore them, why does this one do?

The new student puts a hand under its chin, then a short click could be heard.

She removes her face, I guess she was wearing a mask.

I look at her face, her nose, her eyes, her eyebrows... Everything about her looks too familiar.

She looks like...

me...

Why does she look like me?

"I need to speak with you, please listen." She pleads with my voice.

I don't like where this is going and I take a step back. She doesn't seem to mind though.

"I need you to start looking around you and not ignore everything."

I remain silent.

"Remember what the doctor told us, about the ignoring of bullies and unfortunate situations? Well he was wrong."

I stay quiet and stare past her at the door, so close yet so far away. I just want to ignore her and continue my day.

"You can't ignore everything, you've already done that too much. You need help. You need to tell others about what's going on and learn not to just take everything."

So annoying.

"I don't care... I can just ignore it." I mumble to myself.

"Please don't." the other me pleads, her eyes starting to look red and watery.

I don't answer and take a few steps closer to the door.

"No you can't leave!" She yells.

I glare at her: "You're not supposed to exist. The doctor wasn't the only one who told me to just ignore it. Everything is better this way."

Defeated, she moves aside, her head hanging down: "S-so it has already gone this far... I see, it really is too late."

In silence I continue towards the door.

As my hand brushes the door handle she suddenly seems to want to give it one more try: "This whole city will collapse on top of us! It will kill us!"

"Then let it collapse. I can't go back to the time, when I still observed, when I still listened and I still felt everything. That time was hell. It was worse than death."

"But it is not too late. You can still get the help you need, before your world will collapse!"

"I don't want it."

I shove her aside and return to class.

The classroom looks more in disrepair than before we left, but I ignore it.

As school continues on, more cracks start appearing and I haven't seen the other me since I left her.

She probably won't return.

She must have left.

Given up entirely.

Well it's not like she could change my mind or anything.

She has no power over this place, unlike me.

I don't want to leave this place.

Yes, it's empty and it's lonely.

It might all be breaking apart, but this is my only safe haven. My own place of peace and quiet.

My own safe little world.

When the teacher stops working while pointing it's finger at me again, I turn the key on his back and return to my seat.

See, it all works perfectly fine.

I'm perfectly fine.

Nothing is wrong.

As long as I just ignore it all

And then at last the cracked walls can't hold the ceiling anymore.

I can hear its creaking.

But like always... I just ignore it.

The flames in her eyes

The most recent short story I wrote.

I wouldn't call it horror, but to some it might be seen as frightening or dark. Personally I find it to be closer to fantasy.

Word count: 2298

This place, if I can call it that, feels like the strangest place I’ve ever been.

It’s so very cold here, although that might also just be my own body temperature, coming from within me. Am I cooling down this place? Though there still remains the slight chance of me being wrong about everything.

It’s far too dark to see, pitch black, darker than any place I’ve ever been .

Darker than the most cloudy of nights.

Darker than my room with the curtains closed at night.

I quietly wonder if I’m still asleep after all and decide to take a step forward to test this theory.

Unexpectedly I drop onto an unfamiliar floor.

So… I was standing when I awoke?

Not lying down?

With my hands I blindly scan the texture of the floor.

It’s colder than the air, my fingers run over something that feels like old tiles.

Damnit, why does it have to be so dark in here? If I could just see, I could have avoided falling.

Then the real question hits me: How the hell did I get here?!

Abduction?

I don’t remember a thing.

A nightmare?

It’s too real for that.

Should I wait? Would that be better? Maybe someone will rescue me.

Or perhaps this is a dream in which I must first die to wake up again?

But then I would need to get up and walk around…

After a couple of minutes of contemplating my choices, I finally decide that it’s time to get up again.

Almost embarrassingly childlike I stumble around in the dark.

Tripping over my own feet and at times an alien object, I finally reach something that could possibly be a wall.

Gently running my hands around me, I find another wall that seems to be made of something like metal bars, like those inside a prison cell. Too tight too escape from.

Still following this one might bring me to the exit.

I use the cold, rusty bars in order to move around, they feel old.

Taking one after another I carefully make my way forward.

Had this been a prison at some time? I question myself in silence.

Right, the silence.

This place seems to almost be completely without sound.

No noise of the wind, not even a little bit. Though I guess if I really want to hear it, I can just wave my arms around really quickly and create something like it.

Furthermore, there are no voices, no breathing from any other possible creature within this place.

I wonder if this might be normal or abnormal here, though both fill me with a sense of fear.

I feel my way out of the room, it seems like I’ve not been imprisoned.

Still I don’t feel any relief, because it seems to be terribly dark everywhere around me.

I find myself in what I believe to be a hallway, the walls stretch out always further than I anticipate and are made of a different kind of stone from the walls inside the cell.

I’m starting to lose hope and am just able to stop myself from panicking.

I don’t think I will get out of here.

And perhaps that might be for the best.

My thoughts turn darker than wherever I am, like it’s trying to swallow me whole. Dragging me deeper down with each desperate escape I try to make.

Perhaps I’ve been eaten by some kind of giant creature…?

If it was a creature, it would probably still be warm.

Finally I decide it’s enough and sit down hopelessly on the floor.

Yet no tears leave my eyes, they’re useless anyway.

I sit.

I wait.

I pluck my clothes, until it tires me.

I wait.

My body has now almost completely turned as cold as the floor.

My thoughts, only turning darker and darker.

I close my eyes. Well I’m not sure, perhaps they’re still open. It’s too dark to see.

I wait.

Suddenly something wakes me up as it tumbles over me. Something moving.

“Ouch.” I say even though it doesn’t hurt.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so, so sorry!” The voice breaking the silence startles me.

Echoing, I can make out that the voice most likely belongs to a girl in her late teens.

“Wait, someone else is here?” She asks frightened: “I thought I was all alone.”

“I thought so too, but I guess that’s not the case.” I answer as calmly as possible.

I feel a warm hand helping me stand back on my own feet.

“You’re so cold.” The girl whispers: “How long have you been sitting here?”

I shrug: “No idea.”

I hear her hair moving, most likely she’s turning her head to face me.

And then, I finally see something.

In the eyes of the girl, I spot what seem to be two little flames.

Two blue dancing little flames.

Two little flames that seem to have not lost hope.

Two little flames that want to escape this darkness and return back to the world of light.

“What’s going on with your eyes?” I ask without thinking.

“What do you mean?” She asks surprised.

“It’s like there’s fire coming out of them.”

She giggles: “Yeah sure, the chances of you starting to see things thanks to lying on this cold floor for so long, is pretty damn high.”

Ignoring her I ask: “Do you happen to know a way out?”

“What do you think? I almost can’t see a thing.”

“Almost?”

“Yeah, sometimes only a wall when it’s near and of course my own hands.”

I move my hands, but don’t see them. I can’t see the walls either.

“Really?” I ask.

Could it be that she’s somehow able to see more in this darkness?

She giggles again: “You really can’t see anything? You should be able to see your own hands at least.”

“No…” I hesitatingly answer, shaking my head: “But I can see your eyes.”

“That’s weird, maybe you're imagining it?” It’s clear as day that she’s not taking me seriously.

Ignoring her tone I ask: “Should we try to get out together?”

“Yes please, I’m super glad I’m not alone anymore.” I can hear a sense of fear in her voice, she seems desperately trying to hide.

The girl takes my hand, probably that there’s no way I would be able to find her once lost.

I mumble a thanks and we start walking.

“Are we inside some kind of labyrinth?” The girl complains as we find another wall.

“That might just be the case.” I answer now slightly annoyed by the girl.

“You know, it would help if you weren’t so cold all the time.”

“Sorry.” I apologize. I’ve been told this many times before. That I should act warmer if I want to have a good life. Yet, I’ve found it to be rather difficult. I’ve known what it’s like to be too warm and kind. You often get used by others.

I’ve learned my lesson and cut people off, blocked them away from me. It’s safer that way.

Feeling around with my free hand I suddenly notice a crack inside a wall.

“Hey, could you check this out?” I ask the girl.

“Sure.” In my mind she shrugs as she answers, perhaps she really did it, perhaps she didn’t.

“I think… we can break this down.” She whispers as she lets go of my hand.

I can hear her rummaging around, most likely taking out loose bricks.

“Do be careful that it won’t fall on us.” I warn her.

“Leave it to me, I can see it… though slightly. I believe this should be able to be opened up.”

I take a step back and let her handle it.

She takes out brick after brick.

“I think it’s big enough for both of us to fit through now.” She finally whispers.

She takes my hand again and leads me through the narrow hole in the wall and we enter a new place.

Probably the same as the one before.

“Is this just like the rest?” I ask.

She takes me further away from the hole and touches another wall: “Yeah, we’re still stuck in this labyrinth.”

Suddenly I spot something out of the corner of my eye and quickly take the girl further back, to the other side, away from whatever that is.

“What’s wrong?” She asks slightly frightened.

“I think… someone is there.” I whisper to her.

I see two large flames welling up in the distance.

“Are you sure?” The girl asks.

I nod, but of course she won’t be able to see that.

Carefully I try to lead the girl further back, but am only greeted by a cold wall against my back.

Too late.

The flames look our way.

At first I believe to hear something crackle, only to realise that it’s laughing. Laughing of an old woman.

“You don’t have to hide for me, dear girls.” She laughs in a sweet voice: “I may be old, but my eyes can still see very well.”

I can feel the girl trembling: “How… how is it possible for you to see us?”

“What do you mean, dear child? There is enough light to see everything.”

“No, that’s not true… it’s pitch black, I can barely spot my arms before me.”

Still holding onto each other we slowly walk towards the older woman with her flaming eyes.

Her voice turns to me and so do her flames.

“Can you two really not see anything?”

The girl answers for me: “She can’t, I can just see a little.”

“Do you know a way out?” I ask the older woman.

I see her flames moving, almost as if shaking her head: “No, unfortunately not. Though I believe that now that we’re not alone anymore, we will find a way out much easier.”

I guess she isn’t the one who has brought us here, if it even was someone.

“Let me come with you, we might find our way out quicker.”

I look at her flames and nod.

“My child, how were you able to see me, if you can’t see anything else?” The old woman asks questioningly.

Before I can answer, the girl does it for me: “She keeps saying that she sees the flames in other’s eyes. Still it’s probably just-“

“So you can see the flames of other people’s souls?” The older woman doesn’t allow the girl to continue.

I shrug: “I don’t know… it’s probably just all in my head. I’ve never seen anything like that in my ordinary life outside of this place.”

“Here’s a mirror. Can you hold it by yourself?” The old woman shoves a cold and heavy object in my hands, almost having me slip it out of my hands. Hurting my fingers to keep it steady.

I try to look at it, but there is no reflection of my own flames, if I even have them.

“Well, do you see them?” the lady asks, way too enthusiastic.

I shake my head and answer with a plain: “No.”

Both of them take a stand next to me, probably looking in the mirror.

Then I see something inside of it.

The flames.

Their flames.

So… I don’t have them?

Could it be that… I’m soulless?

“So? What do you see?”

“I see nothing, but the reflection of yours.” I answer honestly.

“That’s unfortunate.” The woman says, sounding deep in thought: “Could it be… that you had a not so fortunate life?”

As I remain quiet, she apologises: “I’m sorry, it’s not my place to ask such questions. But if you need someone to listen to you, I’m more than willing to help you lighten that burden of yours.”

“Thanks.” I say, though slightly annoyed. I don’t like people poking into my problems.

The old woman leads us through the hallways, making sure, neither I nor the girl end up falling over something.

“You two should be thankful that you can’t truly see this place. Something horrible has taken place here.”

“I see.” I answer coolly.

“Don’t be like that!” The girl starts panicking.

The woman laughs joylessly: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Why did you have to say that? Now I can only imagine all the shapes as dead bodies.”

The woman remains quiet.

So that must be the case.

Still, there don’t seem to be enough to cover the entire floor. Since the older lady is able to guide us through them so well.

“Gosh, this seems to be a dead end.” The woman sighs.

“Really?! I don’t want to go back there!” The girl cries out.

Carefully I let go of the girl’s hand, something has taken my attention.

There is something shining dimly straight ahead of me, it’s unlike the flames of my two companions.

Somehow friendly and familiar.

“What’s over there?” I ask while straying away from the others.

“You shouldn’t go there!” The girl calls out, but even though her voice sounds terrified, I don’t listen.

I feel like the light is calling me.

“My child! You shouldn’t venture there!” The old woman calls out to me, her ancient voice trembling in anguish: “Terrible things have happened there!”.

But I ignore her as well.

I feel myself walking into something like a puddle, too thick to be water, but I decide not to think about it.

The light is getting closer and closer, brighter and brighter.

“Ma’am, please get back here!”

“You’ll hurt yourself if you continue!”

I feel something sharp digging itself into my right leg.

Quickly I kneel down to push whatever it is away, but it starts digging deeper into it.

It hurts.

It hurts so fucking much!

Every time I try to reach it, my hands seem to slip away, whatever I’m standing in is way too thick to be just water.

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about it!!!

As I’m finally able to take out whatever it is, I notice that little lights are dropping down.

I try to look at what I believe to be up, only to find out that the small lights are coming from me.

I smirk, I guess I’m not soulless after all.

I hear both women behind me yell at me to return, screaming for the fear I might get hurt or lose my life.

I don’t pay it any attention and continue.

The light I see behind that door.

My own tears seem to be leading me there as well, dropping quietly without sound, slowly they turn dark like everything around me, just showing small pieces of my path.

I reach out my arm for the light.

But instead of holding something warm, it’s something cold.

It’s an old door handle.

Very, very old. Something I would expect to find inside an ancient castle.

As I hold it, all the light fades once more and I open the door.

The library

Books are scary...

A story I wrote about someone stuck in a strange library.

TW: Psychological horror, gore

Only darkness.

No memories.

No thoughts.

No feelings.

No 'me'.

All of a sudden a bright light fills the place.

It is so bright that I can't see anything.

I?

Me?

As my eyes adjust to the light, I notice that I am in a library.

It is not a normal library, the bookcases look like trees, with their branches reaching far up.

Their leaves, all different, give the room a dreamlike feeling.

The roots which are growing all over the floor are connecting all the trees together.

The floor where I awoke is covered in a beautiful mosaic.

The light is coming from two big windows with stained glass, one above me and the other on the wall I'm facing.

It is not like how it is in a church, the stained glass is in much more colors and the image is something I can't really understand

It looks really vague, but maybe that was the intention.

Carefully I stand up and walk towards the nearest bookcase.

There are many, many books.

None of them seem to be sorted in any way, the genres couldn't be any more different and none of them are in alphabetical order. Not the titles or the writers.

It's a bit of a mess honestly, some of the books aren't even placed properly on the shelves.

As I walk around the room, I notice that there are no doors present.

How did I even get here?

I have no bruises or wounds and I don't remember being kidnapped, so that probably isn't it.

But neither do I remember coming here out of free-will...

I should investigate more.

As I look around I notice one other strange thing, it's one of the bookcases.

Just like the others it looks like a tree, but it looks like it has been dead for a long time. There are no leaves on the finger-like branches and it almost looks like it has been burned.

Still it is connected to all the others by the roots.

When I take a step closer, I can unexpectedly feel something...

Something bad.

An emotion?

A memory?

I don't know, but for now I shall leave it be.

I walk to another bookcase, this one has many children's books.

From bedtime stories, to those of wild adventures.

From fairytales to informative books.

And then there are the books without an author.

Carefully I take one out.

It is heavy and rather dusty, so I clean it off and open it with care.

It is someone's childhood.

Mine maybe, but it could also be someone else's.

I just don't know.

The pages are filled, everything is written to the furthest detail.

Every day, what happened, what they ate, people they met.

As careful as I took it out, I place it back in the bookcase.

I take out another, but similar book, again it is about the same child. Most of the other characters in it seemed to be the same as in the last book.

I can see now, why there are this many books, they must all be about this person's life.

So all these books are sorted! Not by genre or writer, but by date!

Quite proud of myself for figuring that out all by myself I continue on to another bookcase.

In it are a lot of schoolbooks and a couple of story books, these don't look as much for children as the previous. Most of them are too difficult or scary.

And again I open a random book from the ones without an author.

It is about a teenager, I think this might have been the child from the other bookcase before.

The same as before, everything is written to the finest detail.

The places they went to and the lessons they learned.

The bookcase after is about an adult, whom most likely has been the child and the teenager at some point.

This is by far the one with the most books, they must have enjoyed reading very much.

Same as before, the authorless book I take of a shelf is written into the smallest details.

About where they traveled to where they bought a house.

About losses and new lives.

I truly wonder who could have written these and all I am left with is the ability to wonder about who all these people are or were.

Although all of this is quite nice to read, my curiosity grows towards the 'dead' bookcase.

It has started making noises.

Scratching.

And something like speech.

I can't understand it though, it is all too muffled.

Quietly I walk towards the tree, step by step I get closer.

When I am close enough, I can see that none of these books have an author.

As I stand close enough, the sounds suddenly come to a halt and I place my hand on one of the books to take it out.

Slowly and with as much care as the others I take it from the dead tree.

This book is different from the rest, it is way heavier than it looks and the cover has been all scratched up. I am not sure if it was done with a knife or fingernails.

Or maybe it could have been teeth?

Vigilant of anything I can think of, I open the book.

As soon as I do, the scratching starts again and the muffled noises sound more like screams.

In this book are bad memories.

Fear.

Discomfort.

Sadness

Jealousy.

Pain.

Hate.

The handwriting in this book is terrible, more like someone scratched it in.

As I try to read what the words say, the tree starts to shake.

Quickly I take a few steps back.

Veins start to appear in the tree, filled with a strange growing color.

The roots of the other connected trees start to die, causing them to all drop their leaves.

Before they hit the ground they turn red and then turn into blood as they fall, splashing and making the mosaic disappear underneath the dark liquid.

Suddenly the first bookcase catches fire, burning all books with it in an instant.

Then burns the second and after that the third.

Before I can do anything, all the bookcases have been burned to ashes.

The blood washes over them, making even the last bits disappear.

All the books are gone and now I am only left with the dead tree.

The roots grow rapidly and start to cover the windows, until I am back in complete darkness again.

Only this time with all the awful memories.

Book cover I made

This is a book cover I made for a book I finished writing last month.

If you were to find this within a bookstore, what would your thoughts be? What do you think it's about?

Angelic monster

A short horro story I wrote:)

TW: Blood & psychological horror

I've been such a coward.

Never before have I stooped this low.

Never before have I done something like this out of fear.

Yes, it's all because of a fear that can thoroughly be explained and the reason is an understandable one.

But somehow the feeling I got from doing it hasn't left me.

It's like it's slowly rubbing my back, poisoning my skin.

It has burned itself deep into my soul and the chills I got from that day still haven't disappeared in the slightest.

I dislike this feeling.

I hate this memory.

It feels like I will have to watch my back until my last breath.

That day I went with my students to do research on a strange cave that had been recently found, I'm a teacher you see.

We were driven there by the group that secretly had been holding my family hostage, I knew, but pretended not to and I was lucky that none of my students noticed.

The group wanted me to investigate this cave in order for more power.

It was said that monsters had been created from this cave.

The research I had done before had proven that somehow it's real.

That's when they found out.

My God, why did I have to find it?!

Why did I have to be the one to do this?

If I could go back in time...

Well it doesn't matter anymore now, everyone is dead.

All my students have been killed, every single one of them.

I still remember all their faces, I still remember their ideas, their wishes and the possible futures they could have had.

Well... I don't really want to go on about them anymore.

We found and caught the monster that was needed for the group's project. They needed a weapon and that's the one they wanted.

A monster that could destroy cities with ease.

Somehow the one we found looks much different from what had been foretold in the stories I had studied, no hairy paws or yellow eyes, but it was a monster nonetheless.

A monster of great skill and strength beyond that of a simple human being.

Now years later, the monster sits before me.

It has an almost angelic appearance, with white wings on its back like a lower class angel from the bible.

Its skin is dark grey, its form almost human, and covered with small white feathers, except for on its neck, face and claws. The head somehow has longer feathers growing out of it, like the hair on a human's head.

Its claws are like a combination of that from a bird and the hands of a person.

Having five 'fingers' on each hand that are more longer and slender than that of a human being and of course ending in sharp nails.

The other researchers and I have been unable to find out the gender of the creature, which is another strange thing. But then again, it's just a monster, nothing more, nothing less. It has already killed so many.

It snuffed out their lives like it was nothing and it will surely do so again.

Somehow, by continued teaching it has mastered the human language.

And now it sits before me, eerily calm.

There is a thick glass wall between us, since this monster is being used by the group as a weapon and is of course still a danger to everyone.

"Professor, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" the monster asks politely.

I can feel myself growing irritated by its tone.

Since when did it believe to address me by 'Professor'? That was reserved for my students, not this monstrosity.

Still I decide to let it slide for now, I don't want to anger it.

"Well..." I hesitate, while mustering up the courage: "It's about that day."

"I see." The monster looks down, does it remember? Does it feel guilt for what it has done?

"The day you found me, I assume." It guesses.

I nod: "That day I will never forget how you slaughtered my students." I almost growl at it whilst glaring.

"I didn't." It answers as if trying to hide its guilt.

I hate it.

I hate this monster.

"I want to know what went down there." I demand it: "How did you get there and why were you there?"

The monster hesitates for a moment but then begins to answer: "Well, I don't remember too much about that place. I believe that there are things I don't know about it at all."

"Be more clear."

"Yes, professor, I'm sorry."

"Quit calling me that." I guess I'm saying it now anyways.

It stops for a moment, almost looking shocked from my sudden burst of anger. Well it probably doesn't feel that anyway, I must have imagined it.

Then it nods as I sign to it that it should continue.

"From what I heard about the cave, it could be used as a way to conjure up monsters or demons."

"Go on."

"I don't think you would want to hear it."

"Continue." I say glaring at the monster.

It sighs in discomfort and then does as told: "I believe that there is something inside that cave that has the ability to turn something or someone who enters into a so-called monster."

"Yes, we noticed with the rat."

"Pro- erm, I mean sir, why did those students got sent inside? If you knew-."

I don't let it finish: "It was an emergency."

I was powerless that day, I couldn't do anything. It's not my fault.

"So, then do you remember entering the cave?"

To my displeasure the monster shakes its head: "No I don't. There are no memories from before I awoke."

"Awoke?"

"The moment I heard their screams."

"Well you are the monster of that place after all."

"Sir, I actually don't believe that to be the case."

Annoyed, I look at it: "And what the hell does that mean?"

"Like some of the other scientists say, I don't believe to have come from there, nor am I the creature you have been looking for. I'm just too different."

"They are just toying with you, giving you false hope, you're a monster after all."

Is it just me or did it seem slightly annoyed when I called it what I did?

No that can't be.

For a moment it remains silent.

"But then, isn't the monster in this situation yourself?" The monster then asks me as if it was something completely normal.

"What?! No! You're the monster, you are the reason they died." I panic, wondering what it is trying to do to me..

"I didn't kill them. I tried to save them all."

"Bullshit! You killed them, you were covered in blood when we found you!" I yell as I feel my face growing red. Why would it say such terrible things?

Somehow the monster remains completely calm.

"I didn't kill them." It repeats: "I tried to save them, but the one who went rampant was already killing the others even before I awoke."

"SHUT UP!"

But the monster continues: "I saved one person though, the girl, one of your students, she left the cave alive."

Rage has filled my mind and I'm unable to think clearly.

"I didn't do anything wrong!!!" I yell, slamming my fist against the glass.

But then calmly the angelic monster throws the undeniable truth in my face:

"Wasn't it you who pulled the trigger?"

What's for dinner?

A short horror story I wrote:)

Word count: 1025

TW: Gore

That is the question I've been wondering about lately.

Mom and dad are amazing people, so it's really not that I don't trust them.

The truth is, sorry I know I'm not allowed to do so, I've been listening a lot to Carl recently.

I know, I know, he always says such weird things.

But I mean, he is still my brother.

Our family is so big, but he's always on his own, so I decided to be his friend.

He has always seemed quite lonely, never saying a lot, if not remaining silent for multiple days at a time.

Sometimes it looks like everyone has decided he is crazy, but I have not.

Even in silence we are able to play together.

Yesterday as we played with our toys he spoke an entire sentence.

It was a question.

"Do you know what's for dinner?"

At first I looked up in shock at the fact he spoke at all, but I quickly regained my composure: "I don't know." I answered.

"You should see."

I tried asking him more about it, but he stopped answering completely.

No word, not even a peep came out of him for the rest of the day.

After a while he got tired of playing and started reading a book.

I left him to it and started looking for mom.

It didn't take long for me to find her.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, dear."

"What are we having for dinner tonight?"

It takes a second for her to answer.

Did I accidentally scare her?

I thought her face looked like that, even if it was just for a second.

"Chicken, mashed potatoes and some veggies. Did you not see it on the board?"

Oh right! I can be so stupid sometimes!

"Sorry mom, I forgot to check..." I hit myself in the face: "Can I help you with cooking?"

She smiles at me in a rather sad way: "I'm sorry dear, not today. Maybe some other time."

"Okay!"

I give her a hug and walk off to do something else.

As the time to finally eat dinner the sound of the bell can be heard throughout the whole house.

Like always, we eat by candle-light and we're eating everything like it says on the board.

Nothing weird, nothing strange.

Was Carl just messing with me?

The next day I spent my time with Carl again.

"Hey Carl" : I ask my brother: "What did you mean yesterday about the food?"

He stops moving the arm his toy is in and then looks up to face me.

"So you haven't seen it?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to see."

"You should look again."

And off I am again, as I walk towards the board dad notices me.

"Hello dear, what are you doing here?" he asks with a kind smile.

"Well dad, I was just wondering what we were going to have for dinner today."

He laughs just as kind as he smiles: "Well aren't you curious! We will be eating soup and bread today."

I nod: "Thank you, that sounds delicious!"

And then I add: "Is there anything I can help you with dad?"

He pats me on my head: "Don't worry dear, you should just go and play with the others."

And just like he told me to, I go to my other siblings.

Unfortunately they don't seem willing to spend time with me, they even make mean jokes about me.

All because I'm supposedly stupid for spending time with Carl.

They say he's a bad child and that me spending time with him makes me just as bad.

Crying I go back to my room.

After a little while I suddenly hear a quiet knock on my door.

I don't open the door, I want to be left alone.

The others might even make more fun of me if they see that I'm crying.

I hate it.

But my thoughts have no control over whoever is behind the door and it slowly opens.

It's Carl.

Quickly I wipe away my tears, but it seems that he has already seen it.

Without speaking a word he walks into my room and gives me a hug.

Comforting me in silence.

After I've calmed down a bit more, he whispers something: "You should see what we have for dinner."

Again?!

The question makes me a bit angry.

"I already know! It's soup with bread."

I push him away.

Defeated, he looks me in the eye and then shakes his head.

"You should see again."

"I don't understand, Carl! Please just help me understand!"

The tears are back again and this time not only from my eyes.

Carl is crying.

I've never seen him do so before.

"Dinner... is not..." He mumbles, stumbling over the words or perhaps not finding the right ones.

He strangely makes no attempt to wipe away his tears, mumbling the same words over and over again.

Just what could he mean with that?

Isn't this going too far for a joke?

This time it's my turn to give Carl a hug, but as I get closer, he starts to shake.

Is he scared of something?

Then just before I can wrap my arms around his body he runs away, leaving a trail of tears behind.

Just why is he crying?

I try to go after him, but can't find him anywhere.

He doesn't even seem to be in his room.

As I look under his bed to see if he might be hiding there, I notice a small object with a note attached to it.

I take it to have a closer look.

On the note he has written my name.

It's a flashlight.

I click the on/off button a couple of times, but it seems to be broken.

Still I decide to take it with me.

At dinner, we all gather at the candle-lit table again.

I look over to Carl's seat, but it's empty.

I ask the others, but they only snicker and mom hushes to make us go quiet again.

The rule is 'No talking while eating', so I too stop asking.

Today I don't feel particularly hungry and get bored quickly.

The candle light makes it so it only shows the food we're eating, I can't see any of the others.

It's almost as if I'm eating alone or I might not even be there either.

As I fiddle a bit with my fork I suddenly remember that I have the flashlight.

Without much thought I take it out and press the 'on' button.

This time however it did turn on.

It showed...

The table...

In a terrible condition...

The food...

It looks horrible...

My family...

Doesn't look like my family...

23:37

Here is another short horror story I wrote:)

TW: Gore, eyegore

How long has it been now?

5 years?

Or 15?

I honestly can't remember.

But I do know that it has been a while.

I really don't know where the time went since I started working at this hospital.

I'm a doctor here.

Not too good, but not too bad either.

Average really.

Really average.

But even so, seemingly needed.

Many people who start working here leave not too long after, but I stayed.

"Are you still feeling up for it? The night shift, I mean?"

The voice of the hospital director takes me out of my head.

"Sure." I mumble.

He turns his back to me: "Great! I knew I could always rely on you."

I nod and leave the room.

I am a bit tired, but some more coffee will probably get rid of that feeling.

Right, back to work! I think to myself, a bit less energetic than I had hoped.

I'm usually the one who gets the shifts the others can't do.

Though I really could have seen this one coming.

And working overtime has become rather normal.

As I quickly drink from my small cup of coffee, I rush to the room I need to go to.

While I pass two nurses on my way there I catch a few words.

"Is he doing it again?"

"I think so, maybe he should just leave."

"Yeah, or there might be more mistakes than usual."

I know that they are talking about me and I want to turn around to tell them that I can hear them, but stop myself just in time.

It doesn't matter anyway, if I say something, it won't change anything.

I really need to get going.

I do my shift like usual, I rather take my time with each patient then go fast through my list. This does unfortunately cost me my break, but then again I usually skip those, so it doesn't matter.

Time ticks by slowly and before I know it, the darkness has swallowed the outside world whole, only leaving some lights.

As I enter one of the patients rooms I greet them and take a seat next to the bed.

While listening to their problems, my attention suddenly goes over to the tv.

The pale blue light shows a news reporter.

The words 'URGENTS NEWS' in red light attract my attention.

Something about a virus? If I get it right.

"Doctor? Are you still listening?"

"Ah, yes, sorry. What were you saying?" Embarrassed I look through the list, avoiding eye contact, they luckily continue.

When I've listened to everyone in the room I get up and ready myself to leave.

I turn around one last time.

Wasn't there a tv in the room?

Maybe someone took it away...

Walking to my next stop I can suddenly hear others whisper.

"It was all his fault right?"

"That his patient died? Yeah, it is."

"That's awful."

"I wonder who is going to be next."

"If you ask me, he really failed his job as a doctor."

"Why do they even allow him to continue this work?"

I clench my fist, I really should just ignore it, but it's just too difficult now.

When that accident happened, they didn't do anything to help me or to stand by me.

They only use me to not get blamed themselves!

My thoughts don't matter and the whispering continues, getting only meaner, cutting deeper into my skin.

"Oh, will you please shut it?!"

I ask angry as I turn around.

But there is no one.

The whispering has stopped too.

Do I hear someone walk away?

Never mind, I should get back to work.

As I enter the next room, I'm greeted by an older man who is still awake.

I take a seat next to his bed and start our conversation.

After a while I suddenly notice that something has appeared on his right cheek.

"What's that?" I ask pointing at it.

"Is there something on my face?" He asks, a bit frightened from my seriousness.

I lean forward to take a closer look.

It looks red and swollen.

There is a strange stripe.

Suddenly it opens.

It's an eye.

It looks at me.

It stares into me.

It judges me.

It calls me a failure.

Then I remember what I had seen on the tv before.

A virus.

This must be it.

"Doctor? What's wrong?" The man asks, shaken.

"Don't worry." I say without looking away from the eye in his cheek.

"You will be in need of another examination."

I try to stay as calm as possible and rush him to the ER.

I call over some of my other colleagues who say they will come help me soon.

"What's going on?" asks the man with panic in his voice.

"You're sick." I say calmly

Suddenly my vision changes, it's almost like watching an old movie too close to the screen. My senses are gone.

The doctor notices the spreading of the eyes.

"I need to stop it, immediately." He mumbles as he takes the scalpel from the white table.

Calmly he lowers it closer to the biggest eye.

"I just need to remove it."

He knows that he should wait for the others, but they are taking their sweet time to get there.

"W-what are you doing with t-that?" The man almost starts to cry.

"Don't worry, I will save you." The doctor answers with a kind smile.

The scalpel gets closer and closer.

With one swoop he takes out the eye.

Blood flies around the room coloring it from white to red.

He can't hear his patients screams of anguish and just continues removing the eyes.

After a while his patient doesn't move anymore.

Did he fall asleep?

The door opens and the doctor's colleagues enter.

"W-what the hell happened here?" One of them asks in a trembling voice.

"We have a virus." The doctor answers calmly: "I just saved his life."

"Saved his life? You killed him!"

"No, he is just asleep for now."

One of the others steps forward to the patient.

"His eyes have been removed, why did you do it?" As he looks up, the doctor sees it.

His colleagues have been infected too!

There is another eye in her neck.

It needs to be removed immediately!

The doctor quickly moves close and slashes it out, she gurgles for a bit and then falls to the ground into a puddle of her own blood.

His other colleagues scream and try to run, but the doctor is faster.

"Don't worry, I forgive you from whispering about me. I will save your lives as well."

After the successful operations the doctor moves to the front desk, the people behind the desks aren't people anymore.

Their many eyes stare at him.

One of the monsters screams and the doctor looks at the red trail he has been leaving.

They hit something and an alarm goes off.

The lights turns red.

They must be spreading the virus!The doctor thinks.

He quickly runs at them, slashing their vitals. Removing some of their eyes.

It doesn't take long for more monsters to appear, these are even more Grotesk and have even more eyes than the others.

They try to grab hold of him by his arms, making him drop the scalpel.

But it's not enough to stop him completely and so the doctor runs away.

Hallway after hallway, it's endless.

They won't be able to find him.

They won't be able to infect him.

The hallways get darker and darker and a monster that was chasing him is getting behind.

It's time to hide somewhere, the doctor decides.

Quickly he opens the first door he sees and rushes inside.

He locks the door behind him and waits for the monster's noise to pass.

"You won't last long this way." An old creaking voice behind him suddenly says.

The doctor turns around and peers into the darkness.

It takes a couple of minutes for him to get used to it.

But then he sees.

In the room, on an old chair, sits an even older lady awaiting him with a smile.

Unlike the others in the building, she seems strangely normal.

Did she flee here? The doctor wonders.

Then he changes his attention to all the clocks in the room.

Has this room always been here?

He couldn't remember.

Some of the clocks are new, others are old.

Some digital, some have hands.

All of them seem to stand still on a certain time, yet all different.

12:03

18:49

11:55

09:12

No, on closer inspection, they're all broken.

"Do you want to know where you are?" the old voice asks him in a familiar voice, yet he does not recognize it.

Where had he heard it before?

"Who are you?" he asks, but she doesn't seem to feel like answering him.

Instead the old woman laughs: "In this room are the people who took their last breath. These clocks show the last time they did. Some are long gone, yet some just a minute ago." With this she smiles at the doctor, it's a joyless and cold smile. "This hospital has quite the history." She ends.

He doesn't understand, what does she mean with all that?

"Well, talking in third-person is the last thing that will help you understand the situation you got yourself in."

"What the hell?" My senses suddenly return violently back to me, my vision is back to normal as well.

I look down at my hands, even though it should be too dark to see, I can see the blood. I can smell it. I can feel it.

It didn't happen.

It didn't happen!

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

NOTHING DID!!

"You added to this pile of clocks here." The old woman smirks, but as I look up at her she isn't old anymore.

She is a child.

She looks like she came out of an old picture.

"Did you really forget about me?" She asks, moving her head slightly sideways.

I don't remember her.

Why don't I remember her?!

"That's unfortunate." She says as if reading my mind: "But it won't save you from what you did."

I frantically try to find the light-switch.

I can hear people in the hallway, they must be searching for me.

Suddenly the girl, now a middle-aged woman, swings an old hand watch in front of me.

23:37 it says.

Now I remember, 23:37, that was my reason for doing the work I did.

Wait, what time is it now?

The lights turn on, I wasn't the one who did it, but it's one of the former monsters.

I'm in the morgue.

There are no clocks in here.

"You're coming with us pal!" the intruder yells at me.

I sigh and look at my watch.

It's 23:37.

Perhaps it is my time too.

The circus

I short horror story I wrote:)

Word count: 1841

TW:

Once every year there is a circus in the town I live in, for the rest of the year nothing special really happens. But that is not the only reason why so many are anxious about its arrival.

I don't know everything about it, but even so it is a bit of a strange circus. It is a mandatory one and there is another strange rule: Those that have not seen it are not allowed to watch.

So basically a lot of people sit together with their eyes closed, listing to sounds that will make you want to open your eyes. This makes it very challenging for most, especially when you are not allowed to cover your eyes in any way either.

Luckily, I am one of those that have not found it difficult, in all the years I have lived here I have not once broken any of its strange rules.

"Lynn, I am so terribly worried about him." Says Jenny as she tries to hide her trembling hands.

"Jenny, really, don't worry. His dad will be with him, right? And Sammy is a pretty smart kid."

She shakes her head: "Even so, he is still just four years old and not all kids are like you when you were younger... and how you still are." Was it just me or did I sense a small hint of disappointment in me? Maybe annoyance?

For most people it is difficult to go without looking and Jenny was rather young when she saw it for the first time.

It happened during the last year of middle school. Jenny and a group of her friends had freely decided to keep their eyes open during the show. She used to be quite the daredevil, throughout the village she was also known as 'Jenny the brave'. Now it is just a silly nickname, since she lost all that bravery that day.

Before that day, we weren't friends yet, we were just classmates.

On that day she went with five others, the bravest of middle school, but eventually also the most stupid. For as far as I know has no one ever tried that before.

I still remember the day after, like it was yesterday, all of them were absent. The teacher told us what happened and that they had gotten sick with nightmares, that's how bad it was.

"You probably have to be the oldest one here that still hasn't seen it!" Jenny says taking me back to the here and now.

I laugh: "Nah, no way. I bet there are still some of the elderly that haven't seen it."

"27, you're getting pretty close."

"Jen, we are the same age!" I laugh loudly.

Then Jenny lets out a shaking sigh.

"Jenny, really it will all be alright. Let's go do something fun together soon, oh maybe we could go apple picking again. It is almost time for those, Right?

"Okay, okay, you're right, but apple picking season will start next month. But I would love to have a game night again at your place. You have collected a lot and John has been wanting to play those again for a while."

"Alright, game night it is!"

Proud of myself for being able to help my friend. I say my goodbyes and leave her café.

In the distance I can already hear the circus music, as I squint my eyes, I can see the people that have worked there the previous years.

They are all very old and very thin, I wonder if they ever get something to eat.

Unlike the crowds for a normal circus, most people here are anxious. Parents telling their kids to behave and some of them even scaring them, all just to make sure that they won't look.

"Sam! Sammy!" I suddenly hear someone call out from the crowd.

I recognize him immediately, it is Jenny's husband and Sammy's father, John."

"Hey John, is everything alright?"

He shakes his head wildly: "No, no, not in the least! I lost Sam, if you hadn't already noticed?!" He answers panicked and angry that I even dared to ask such a stupid question.

"I will help you look." I offer.

John is a bit of an ass, but I do really care about Sammy's safety. I don't want the poor little kid to be traumatized or get sick of nightmares.

"Caitlynn, you have to tell me when you find him, immediately!" He demands.

I nod and walk the other way, wondering about how Jenny and John ever got married.

The circus tent is already very old, ancient even, as some have said. But still as sturdy as ever. Just beneath one of the peaks there is this creepy grey face, it always moves. Looking at people that enter or even just pass by. I have no idea what it is made of, but most likely some type of leather. Some old mechanism must be the thing that makes its eyes move, it looks rather creepy. Especially if it is the first time seeing it, by now I've gotten used to it.

At the circus you can buy food, but I've never seen anyone there. This entire event feels more like a funeral than something that is supposed to be fun.

Another strange thing about this entire event, is that it always seems to have just enough places to sit as the amount of people that live in this village. Which means that if there is an empty place, someone isn't here.

I don't know anyone who hasn't come each and every year though.

I decide that the best way to find Sammy is to maybe ask some of the employees of the circus and maybe for them to let everyone know about his disappearance.

As one of the employees walks past me, I quickly tap her on her shoulder to get her attention.

The older lady turns to me looking at me with her dark eyes and a face that is so thin, it almost looks like a skull.

I tell her what is going on and her face seems to show something like fear.

"Oh no, we need to do something before it begins!"

"Isn't there a way to delay the show for a bit?" I ask carefully, I know that we still have some time, but it would be a good second option if we can't find him before it runs out.

"No, no, I'm so sorry. It has to start at 12 o'clock straight, bad things will happen if we don't." She seems to be more panicked than me, so I put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "It will probably be fine, Sammy is a smart kid. So maybe if you could tell others to help the search, we can cover more ground quickly."

"Yes, Yes, I will ask all of my colleagues if they have seen him, what does he look like?"

"He is 4, has blond hair and wears his favorite dino shirt today. It's blue with green."

She nods and runs off faster than I expected of someone as old and thin as her. I couldn't even thank her.

I can see the lady talk to each of her colleagues with quick hand gestures, then one of them runs inside to come out with a megaphone.

As I want to continue John walks up to me: "Ah hey John, did you already find-"

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU ASKED THOSE FREAKS FOR HELP?!" He shouts at me: "You SAID that YOU were going to help and NOT to make Everyone think that I am a BAD FATHER! ASK BEFORE YOU PULL STUPID SHIT LIKE THIS!!!"

What a jerk...

Calmly I answer him: "Well, we will find him a lot quicker now.", But this only seems to anger him more.

"HOW the HELL can you be this CALM?! YOU REALLY DON'T CARE!"

I look at his red angry face, I am not afraid of his tantrums.

"We will find him and nothing bad is going to happen, bad things have never happened before anyway."

His face goes quickly from red to pale: "You really believe that... There is something seriously wrong with you..."

Then out of the corner of my eye, I see a little blond kid enter the tent.

"Well John, shout all you want, but I will continue to look." I run to the tent were I thought that I possibly saw Sammy.

As I enter the tent, I am greeted by a seemingly endless hallway.

"Sammy?" I call out.

No answer.

I take my phone out of my pocket and turn on the flashlight.

Now the hallway is filled with the bright white light.

I can see doors on my left and right, all of them look very old.

The bit of paint still remaining on the doors is peeling off.

The smell of damp and dust almost makes it unbreathable.

Quietly I walk, listening for any sound.

Then somewhere in the middle of the hallway I can hear whispering from one of the rooms.

I open the door and shine my flashlight inside.

Finally!

I see Sammy standing, next to what seems like a skeleton with too many arms and heads.

"Hey, Sammy! I was looking all over for you."

No answer.

"Sammy, c'mon, we gotta go."

Again silence, he hasn't even turned his face to me.

I sigh and step into the room, as I walk towards Sammy, I suddenly hear something moving.

Quickly I turn around to see what it is, has the skeleton moved?

Nah, that's impossible.

"Sam, your dad is worried about you."

But again Sammy seems to be ignoring me.

I place my hand on his shoulder: "SAM! Are you listening?"

And then he finally moves, shocked he looks at my face. So he hadn't noticed me before?

"Sam, we have to leave!"

The little kid before me starts tearing up quietly and wraps his tiny hands around my knees.

"Were you scared, Sammy?"

He nods while I gently pick him up.

"Let's go to your dad. Oh and promise me to keep your eyes shut. I will tell you when you can open them again, okay?"

"Yes, auntie." He says with fear and tears in his soft voice.

As I quickly leave to go to the place we have to be, I can hear whispering and something moving around following us.

"And then we found him again, there is really nothing to worry about."

"Why don't you understand?!" Jenny suddenly screams after me when I finished my story, her eyes red from tears and anger.

Tired of people shouting at me, I answer rather insensitively: "Why are you all so worried, nothing bad has ever happened around here! That circus is just a silly little thing to scare kids! As long as we just follow the rules, we are safe."

"Silly little thing?! You don't understand because you haven't seen it! You are just blind!"

I still don't understand the problem.

"Don't you remember the last year of middle school, when a whole family went missing!"

"I have never heard of anyone going missing."

"The group I was with existed out of a group of 6."

"6? Oliver, Amy, John, Mary and you. Who am I missing?

"Jerry, remember..."

Her voice sounds hesitant.

"I'm sorry, who?"

Shocked about my answer, Jenny stares at me with fear filled eyes.

"Y-you two have always been best friends... how?"

The fears of an inanimate object

I wrote this one a while ago, but still found it fun to share.

I hope you enjoy this short horror story:)

TW: Gore, blood, dolls

Word count: 1534

I have gotten so used to the smell, I don't even notice it anymore.

It's the smell of old books, old people and old junk.

I've sat here, day in, day out. Never able to do anything. I can't move or speak. I can't even blink.

My head has always been fixed in one position and that is forward.

I am like many in this old thrift store, an old, dusty object.

I am a doll.

I know I am, I've seen myself in a mirror before, that's when they brought me here and it is my very first memory.

It honestly is very strange, I am an inanimate object with thoughts and feelings, yet I can't do anything or let anyone know.

I was quite upset and shocked when I found out. Scared, but unable to show the emotion. Wanting to scream but unable to tell anyone. Unable to move, but wanting someone to comfort me.

That was the worst part of my being.

I just woke up, learning that my life held no meaning and I would never be able to do anything or be loved by anyone.

I hated it.

I hated my existence.

I hated whomever put me here.

I hated my creator, yet there is nothing I can ever do about it.

So I just sat here. Always in the same place, always dressed the same, always looking the same. Always with a little extra layer of dust covering me. Always praying. Always hoping for a change.

I've seen the sun come up and go under for a long time now, from a tiny window in the back of the store. Each time it came, it took a little bit of color from the objects in its way. Until they turned gray and were thrown out.

I was lucky, the sun never shone on me, it couldn't. So the light just lurked ever so slightly under my feet. Like a hungry predator, waiting for its prey to run. But I of course would never move, so it just left every time it had to go again.

At some point, I got jealous of the sunlight, it was able to shine. It was able to move. It was always there for the people and animals and I could or would never be able to.

Such a stupid thing to be jealous of.

I was even more jealous of the tiny birds by the window, as short as their lives might be, they were my only source of entertainment.

The birds sang to one another and could fly, they could travel. Oh how much I wished that I would have been born a bird and not an inanimate doll.

I've seen people come and go, I've seen them get older and then eventually one day they just stopped coming and new people took their place.

Take me home, take me home...

I silently wished.

But who would listen to the pleading of a voiceless doll, an object without a soul.

Something that can't do anything or even think.

Well of course they are wrong at that last part. I am very lucid after all.

Unfortunately...

Then one day, The happiest day of my inanimate life, a little girl and her mother came to visit the store.

The girl saw me.

As soon as she did, her eyes started sparkling. I've never seen anyone's eyes do that before. Especially when they saw me.

The girl almost seemed to fly towards me, that's how quick she was.

She was the very first person that would speak to me.

"Hello Dolly, what's your name? Do you wanna be friends?" Her little arms stretched out to me in a hug.

I've never had a hug before, it is so warm. I wanted to cry, but of course I couldn't.

I wanted to tell her to please take me away from here, oh please.

Of course I wanted to be her friend, I've always wished for one and she would be my first.

It was like she could read my mind.

She begged her mother to get me for her.

Her mother wasn't too sold on the idea at first and called me 'that creepy old thing', but her daughter didn't care.

She wanted me and started to throw a fit, then the shopkeeper said that they could have me for free.

What a nice guy.

Now the mother couldn't refuse anymore and she gave in.

"Fine, but keep that thing away from me." She told the little girl, while looking at me like I was a dirty old sock.

Well I forgive her, I was too happy anyway. I had been here for god-knows-how-long and even the spiders didn't like me.

And so, I left the old thrift store and started anew with a new family and a best friend.

Molly (the little girl) and I did a lot of things together, she would dress me up at least 17 times a day. With clothes her grandmother had made for me. She told us that she once had a doll like me, that also looked very similar. She was also able to repair and clean me a bit and after that I had become a lot prettier.

After all that, even Molly's mother didn't even feel that bothered by me anymore.

We had tons of tea parties and Molly had of course given me a full tour of the house and introduced me to all the other dolls and stuffed animals.

I knew all their names by heart. I wonder if any of them were like me, but there wouldn't be any way of knowing.

I might not be able to do or say anything, but I really did have the time of my life there.

I have a home.

We would eat breakfast together, we would go on walks together. We would talk about anything, well more like I would listen, but I really don't mind.

Unlike other kids, Molly is a very gentle soul and always takes very good care of me. She has never even dropped me, not even by accident.

One day school had started for her again, we met during the summer holiday after all.

I felt sad to let her go, she wasn't allowed to take me with her.

Every time she came home, she looked a bit upset. She seemed to try to hide.

One day she asked me: "Dolly, can I ask you something?"

I could see tears welling up in her reddish eyes. "Dolly, do you hate me too?"

This broke my heart.

Of course I didn't hate her.

I would never.

She was my dearest friend.

My personal hero.

I felt awful, I couldn't do anything. I hadn't felt like this in a while, it was like I was back in that awful dark place. Where I would never be able to do anything.

I want her to be happy.

She doesn't deserve whatever she's dealing with right now.

Not with how kind and gentle she is.

And yet, I just can't do anything...

I wanted to talk to her, I wanted to support her or at least to be supported. Her mother is quite busy and didn't always seem to notice.

I wish I could let her know, even if it is only her.

But I am just an inanimate object, incapable of speech.

Tonight something awful happened...

Someone broke in.

It was unplanned, he didn't seem to know the layout of the house.

The burgler was probably looking for valuables.

Only Molly and her mother were at home that night.

Both asleep.

The man accidently entered the wrong room.

Molly and my room.

Molly is a very light sleeper and woke up by the gently creaking door.

She noticed the bugler and started to scream.

So he hit her, he didn't want any witnesses.

He was desperate.

He would even kill to get his prize.

He hit her again with his bat.

And again.

I could do nothing but watch this horrible scene in front of me.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to save Molly.

He hit her again and she stopped crying, bleeding heavily.

Something snapped in me.

My emotions, but also my shackles which had kept me stuck for so many years.

I was going to kill him.

This man... had to go.

I don't know how, but I got out.

Out of my cell, which was my body.

Out of my dusty prison.

I shattered the room's window and with the glass shards, I pinned the man against the ceiling.

Anger.

Anger was the only feeling.

Anger and rage. Then maybe, also hate.

He screamed.

He cried.

It made me feel something... like joy.

Blood dripped down like a slow waterfall, creating a pool on the wooden floor.

Blood stained the carpet.

Bleed more...

BLEED MORE!!!

I think I killed him.

Did I go too far?

He stopped crying.

He stopped screaming.

Molly's mother runs into the room to save her.

I quickly return to my body, she probably hasn't seen me.

She screamed when she noticed the man on the ceiling.

She got her daughter out of that room as soon as possible, leaving me behind.

Leaving me behind in the mess I made.

I can see blue and red flashing lights outside.

The cops have arrived.

The paramedics as well.

Molly seemed to have had a slight concussion, lucky girl.

I'm so glad, it didn't get any worse.

Molly doesn't really know what happened though, probably just her child mind keeping her protected.

It has been a week and Molly is ready to return to school again.

And I guess I'm lucky too, it is take-your-toy-to-school day.

Molly has promised to take me.

I'm glad.

Now I can find out who made her upset like before.

And now I can do something about it.

With my new power, I will surely be able to make her happy again.

Dreamselling

My most recent short horror story.

Word count: 748

TW: Existential horror/dread

To sell your dream.

Dreamselling

Sold dreams

Someone decides their dreams impossible and sells them to someone without dreams

"I've had it!" I yell: "Mine is just simply unachievable!"

My colleague laughs: "Some dreams just are that way, many people here sell them, here there's no need for them anyway. Dreams just get in the way of getting finished."

We're sitting inside the grey lunch room of our workplace.

I turn to him and lean back: "Did you sell yours?"

A proud smile crosses his face: "Of course I did, daydreaming doesn't get you anywhere and I earned money with it too!"

I shake my head: "I don't think that it's the right thing to do."

"Why not?" He looks surprised.

A colourful memory comes back to me, one from very long ago, when I was still a child. I was playing in the green grass of my grandmother's garden. In both the bright yellow of the sun and the shade of an old tree from which the pink leaves almost seemed to glow.

That day so many years ago I told her my dream, the one I still hold to this day.

"That is such a wonderful dream, don't ever give up on it okay?" My grandmother told me after listening to it. I was so happy to hear those words, she wanted me to achieve that dream.

"So, why haven't you sold it yet?" My colleague asks again, taking me out of the blissful memory.

I shrug.

He continues: "If you do, you don't ever have to complain about it anymore. Life is so much lighter and happier without it."

"I know, I know... Live in the moment, right?"

He nods proudly: "I knew you would come to understand it."

The bell buzzes, letting us know that it's time to go back to work.

Back in my spot I think back about the conversation, should I do it? Should I not do it?

Honestly the dream hurts, I'm far from the place where I truly want to be.

As I get back to my apartment I find a bill lying on the floor by the door.

Damn, I guess I'll be losing a big chunk of my loan again.

Hesitantly I open the letter and look pained towards the many numbers.

Will I have enough to escape during the holiday? Or not?

I let out a long sigh and head to bed.

Closing my eyes I only find nightmares to haunt me, to taunt me.

This dream of mine is really that bothersome... isn't it?

After another day of work I feel more and more overwhelmed. Should I make the appointment? Would that bring happiness in my life?

It takes a while before I finally decide to go through with it...

"Please." The doctor gestures towards the bed and I lie down on it.

He notices that I'm a bit hesitant: "Don't worry, you will only come out a better person." He tells me in his kind voice.

I nod in response and the doctor pushes the bed with me on it into the machine.

There really is no going back now.

By the memory of my grandmother's words I start to quietly sob.

I'm sorry grandma, I'm really sorry, but I can't live with such an unachievable dream. Only to see others that have already achieved and others that already live that life that I want. It's better for me to leave it behind, to burn it, to let it be eaten by the flames. To leave it for another with a better chance.

The following years I work hard, get promoted multiple times and climb into the highest ranks. It's not because I want to go there, it's just because I don't care. Once you do something good enough you get faster at it too.

A colourful scene appears before me once again, it has been so long and yet in a way it also seems to have the same dull and grey look as the rest of the world.

Do I remember it correctly?

This is what I originally wanted, right?

Why do I feel so empty?

I've achieved that what I once dreamed of.

Oh, right... It's because I sold it... right?

I don't dream of this anymore, so it's simply useless.

It doesn't bring me happiness.

It doesn't bring me joy.

Because I left it behind.

I left it for another. Something better with quicker satisfaction.

Why did I even decide to sell it in the first place?

I feel strange.

Is that the feeling of regret?

This thick, slowly slithering snake, showing me the emptiness of my heart.

Was it really just a dream that I sold? Or was it more than that?

Was the money that I received from it really worth it?