Horror – Tyrek's Writing

The Shadow

They didn’t see him; nobody ever did. They sat around the dinner table, joking and singing or whatever, but Jack didn’t care, not now. There were 3 of them this time: a father, a mother, and a daughter. The parents were old, and the daughter was maybe 22 or 23, not that it mattered to Jack; he went where he was told, no matter what. A birthday party, perhaps, Jack wondered mildly, as he lazily strode through the kitchen toward the back door. He locked the door quietly before lazily looking for the light switch. The Change was Jack’s favorite part, the moment they went from joy to fear. The Change filled the room as Jack found the light switch and flicked it. Jack was quick with his duties, and when the lights came back on, the family was unrecognizable; bits of blood, hair, and flesh coated the walls and floors. Jack admired his handiwork. The Shadow would be pleased. Jack smiled once more before wandering back into the night.

Jack Rowe worked as a bartender, or at least he pretended to be every week for 40 hrs or more. It wasn’t something he liked doing. Matter of fact, he hated it. All those degenerates and heathens lit Jack on fire. If he had to hear one more story about how, this one got dumped for that one, while the other was screwing somebody else, he might decide to put an end to the whole affair in a very violent manner. Jack never got what he wanted, however, because The Shadow loved the bar. Young women were its prey of choice, and there was no shortage of them tonight.

“Jack, Hello”, Rose waved a hand in his face, “Earth to Jack.”

Jack blinked his way back into existence while turning to meet the gaze of his “boss”. If you could call her that, I mean, she was 20 years younger than him. A fact that wasn’t lost on him as his gaze slid from her face and down her neck, over curves and dips, and down to things only his imagination would ever see. Her deadly blue eyes shone in her pale face, as wild red hair framed her freckled cheeks. Rose was heartachingly beautiful, but far too young. Maybe he was just too old. It was only a few years ago when a woman like that would have been all over him, but now…

“Jack, the trash needs to go out,” Rose said, interrupting his thoughts once more. She shifted uncomfortably before shuffling out of the room. Jack didn’t blame her. With a sigh, he gathered the trash and walked out the door.

Jack dragged a trash can behind him, and he felt a familiar twinge in his neck. Jack didn’t flinch; he was used to it by now. One moment he was throwing a bag into the dumpster, and the next he was falling. Then he was still. The Shadow never really had a form other than glowing red eyes. The eyes were never the same. The size, the shape, the number. It changed from occasion to occasion. Jack noticed this idly as he looked around, for the eyes.

He found them to his left, and when their eyes met, he felt an image surge into his mind. A woman in a blue dress is sitting at the bar. She had been at the bar drinking her sadness away. Her boyfriend was a jerk or something, but it didn’t matter now. She was Marked. She would be his next victim.

When Jack returned to his post, the woman was there, sipping on something sweet, Jack never bothered to learn the name, and pouring out her soul to the woman next to her. The Shadow lurked in a corner, listening with glee as the woman described how her boyfriend went home for the holiday and hooked up with his ex. Three red eyes appeared in the corner of the room as she went on about how she found his second phone, the one with all his other girls. A fourth eye opened. Maybe it was a smile. Maybe not. Jack couldn’t care less about the woman or her crappy boyfriend, but this was part of the chase, and Jack always did what he was supposed to.

So while the woman talked, he listened, and when she got up to leave, he followed. Jack kept his headlights off as he drove behind her; he didn’t need them. His night vision had been extraordinary. When she drove up to an apartment building, Jack watched to see which was hers. Once he was certain of her apartment number, he drove off. The Chase was fun, but the rest was yet to come. He went around back, walking through an alleyway, a pair of glowing red eyes peering from the darkness. The fire escape was easy enough to climb, and the window opened easily enough. There were only two of them this time. The woman in the blue dress and a boy. Presumably the boyfriend. From the bedroom, Jack watched them argue in the kitchen. The moment wasn’t right for The Change to work; it had to be the right moment. Jack slipped out of the bedroom and into the living room.

They didn’t see him, nobody ever did, but he saw them. The fighting intensified, and Jack began to worry that the moment would never come. He would have to do it anyway; it just wouldn’t be as fun. Jack sighed. Well, if it had to be, it had to be. Jack had a job to do. A moan escaped the woman’s lips, and stopped Jack in his tracks. The fighting was morphing; they still yelled at each other, but only between breaths as they began to shed their clothes like the wretched animals they were. The yelling devolved into moaning as the woman’s back found the couch Jack had been standing by. He had escaped into the bathroom while they were… busy. Six red eyes watched as the man’s pants fell to the floor, and six more eyes watched as the woman continued her shrieks, for lack of a better term, of pleasure.

This was the moment. It was time for The Change. The breaker was easy to locate because he had already seen it on the way in. It was in the bedroom. Jack smiled, and with a push, the power was out. The shrieks and groans from the living room silenced, and Jack’s smile widened. It was even better than he had expected. He heard them whispering to each other in the living room, and Jack walked past them to the front door. He waited for a moment before locking it. He wanted to be sure they heard it. A gasp of fear from the woman confirmed it.

A laugh escaped his lips; he couldn’t help it. They couldn’t see him, he was sure, but they could hear him. He savored The Change in all of its glory, but all good things must end sometime. With a sigh, he brought up a shadowy hand, where he held his new weapon. A vase from the nightstand. Thirteen eyes watched as the vase cracked against the boy’s skull, and another laugh escaped into the void. The woman screamed and ran to the door, but Jack was fast. Jack’s tendril-like fingers grabbed her throat before throwing her back down on the couch. A shard of the vase lay at his feet. With a singular motion, he brought it across the boy’s neck. The woman was next. Jack’s hand found her throat again, and he squeezed, as her naked body squirmed beneath him. His joy could not be contained any longer, and he laughed. He laughed and he laughed and he laughed, until his eyes turned red.

When the lights were back on, Jack admired his masterpiece. The Shadow was pleased. Jack knew because he no longer saw the eyes. He was satiated for now, and so was Jack. He giggled to himself quietly all the way home.

“Jack, could you empty the trash again? I know you just did, but…” Rose’s voice trailed off as she left, not bothering to finish her sentence. Jack watched as she walked away, watching her hips sway side to side. Heartachingly beautiful was the term he had used, and his heart was aching for sure. She was the girl he wanted but knew he could never have. He thought about this as he felt the familiar twinge in his neck, one moment standing and the next falling. And then he was still. The eyes were uncountable this time, but he didn’t need to look at them to know who was Marked.

It was Rose, it’s always been Rose. Jack smiled. Maybe it was time to let her go. Or maybe he’d hold onto her for a little while longer. The eyes blinked in what could have been laughter, and Jack joined in for the last time.

Tommy isn’t Real

       I would consider my life to be normal. I’m 35 years old. I work a normal office job. I’m married to a beautiful woman named Sam, and I have a 10 year old son, named Tommy. My life is normal in every way, except for one small detail. Tommy isn’t real.
      For the life of me, I can’t remember him even existing until a few days ago. I know that’s crazy. Tommy acts like a normal kid, Tommy’s room is fully furnished, his toys litter the floor. It makes no sense, but I just can’t shake the thought. Tommy isn’t real.
       “Brian?” Sam’s voice shook me from my thoughts, “You’re staring off into space again.”
        “Sorry, just lost in thought,” I said. I had been getting dressed before stopping. I quickly dressed, embarrassed
        “You’ve been zoning out a lot lately, are you feeling ok?” Samantha asked, her voice full of concern.
         “I’m feeling fine, I’ve just been thinking a lot I guess.” I said, in an attempt at humor.
         “Ah, you’ll get used to it ,” Sam said with a smirk. She was much funnier than I was.
          I turned to give Sam a smile, before ushering her to the door.
         “Don’t you have someplace to be?” I said in faux annoyance, fashioning on a smirk of my own.
         “Yes, and I’m going to be there awhile, so don’t forget to pick Tommy up from school.”, Sam said, with a pointed look.
         Tommy. I wondered briefly, what would happen if I didn’t pick him up. Would he disappear? He wasn’t my kid after all. He wasn’t even real, but no, that would be awful. Regardless of who the kid is, I can’t abandon him. Besides Sam would just pick him up after work and then I would be in trouble.
          “ Earth to Brian, hello?,” Sam said, waving a hand in front of my face. “ Maybe you need to see a doctor, this doesn’t seem normal”

           I waved it off, “I’m fine. I’ll pick up Tommy, I promise.”, I said, shooing her out the door. “You’re going to be late if you don’t go now”
          “You just can’t wait to get rid of me,” Sam said playfully, “Don’t forget Tommy”
         “I won’t forget, I promise”, I said with a smile.
           She smiled approvingly before walking to the car. Shutting the door behind her, I headed back into the house, determined.
        Technically I worked from home, but I got the feeling that I wouldn’t be working today. I needed proof that I wasn’t crazy. I needed to prove Tommy wasn’t real. I headed to Tommy’s room to find evidence.
Tommy’s room was a mess. There were toys on the floor, paper strewn about, and crayons scattered about. I bent down to pick a toy up. It was an action figure from some TV show that Tommy liked. I never really got into it but I remember the day I came home with the toy. He had been so excited about it. I still didn’t really get it, He was some sort of soldier holding a gun, it all seemed pretty generic to me.
He was my son though, so I bought the toy, because he liked the show. I remember how his face lit up upon seeing it. The kind of joy only a child could have. It was a wonderful feeling, and yet something just wasn’t right.
I didn’t buy that toy. In fact, I never bought anything in this room. This room shouldn’t even exist, because Tommy shouldn’t exist. Yet it does and he does and I just can’t understand why. What does he want from me? Where are these memories coming from? Maybe I’m the crazy one, maybe he’s always been here?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, waking me from my existential trance. The time on my phone read 1:30 pm. I had been standing in the same spot all day. Maybe I was going crazy. The phone continued to buzz in my hand before I finally answered it.
“Is this Mr. Brian Dellinger?”, a female voice asked on the other end of the line.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“This is Andrea from Mandrake Grove Elementary. We are calling about your son Tommy. He got in a fight, and is being sent home for the day.”, the voice said.
     It took me a moment to realize that that meant she wanted me to come pick him up. “Oh, ok I’m on my way”, I said before hanging up.

I guess I’m picking him up a little bit earlier than I thought. I headed to the car. Maybe it would be good to spend some time alone with him, Even if he was a new addition to the family, he was my son, and that meant I was going to have to get used to him. As I walked out to the car, I realized something. Sam had taken the car to work this morning. But it was still in the driveway.
As if to answer my unasked question, Sam rounded the vehicle holding a grocery bag. I guess I hadn’t noticed her.
“The school called, they said they wanted you to go pick him up.” Sam said, giving me a quick kiss, before walking inside.
“You were already in the car, why didn’t you pick him up?”I asked, confused.
“I offered to, but they said something about me not being an approved guardian or something, apparently they don’t just let the kids just go home with anyone.”, she said from the kitchen.
That made sense, I had enrolled him myself, and had myself and my mother down as approved guardians. Thinking back on it now, I’m not really sure why. “ Ok well. I’ll be back”, I called, before shutting the door finally. Before getting in the car.

Tommy was sitting in the principal’s office, when I got to the school. He had his head down, looking like he had been crying. The principal sat across from him, and she nodded for me to sit down as I came in.
“Hello Mr. Dellinger, we need to talk about Tommy.”, she said. Her tone was worrying, as if she was really saying “We need to talk about you”
“How can I help?” I asked, sitting down next to Tommy.
“Well, Tommy has been acting out recently, he’s been angry, and brash. He got in a fight today, and he’s usually such a pleasant child. We were hoping you might have some insight into what might be going on outside of school. Maybe it will help us understand his behavior.”
“Nothing has been going on that I know of,” I said, defensively. I know they were just trying to help Tommy, but it really felt like they were accusing me of something, and i didnt like it, “Maybe, it would be best to ask his mother, she spends the most time with him.”
“Do you think maybe that’s the problem?” The principal asked accusingly.
“What are you implying?”, I asked, feeling the judgemental gaze of the principal burn into my forehead.
“I’m not implying anything, Mr. Dellinger. I’m saying maybe you need to spend more time parenting than doing whatever it is you do.”
The audacity of this woman, I thought as the anger bubbled up inside, I prepared to unleash a torrent of her, but was stopped when Tommy spoke.
“You’ve been acting weird, daddy”, Tommy said, a whimper in his voice. “ You keep staring at nothing, and you talk to yourself all day, and you don’t listen to me.” Tommy broke down crying, and I moved closer to put an arm around him
“I have been acting a little strange, I know. I’ll work on it, I promise.”, I picked Tommy up and headed to the door, ignoring the accusatory ire of the principal as I walked out. I hadn’t even thought about how my behavior would have affected him. Maybe he was just as confused as I was, and my lack of empathy toward him probably wasn’t helping. I decided then that Tommy was going to be my top priority. As long as he was with me, he would be my kid, and I would take care of him.
I put him in the backseat of the car, and buckled him up before getting in the car myself. Tommy had stopped crying, and was now just staring ahead blankly. I pulled out of the parking lot and as I looked in the rearview mirror I saw him looking directly at me. I felt bad for the kid. If i woke up in a strange house, with a strange man I would be crying too.
“I’m sorry ive been acting so weird, I’ve just been… confused, I guess,” I said, trying to comfort him. “We’ll talk about it more at home though, Mommy is waiting for us.”
“Mommy doesn’t live with us anymore, daddy”, Tommy said in a sad voice, “She’s in heaven, remember?”
Needless to say I was taken aback by that statement, I literally just saw her at home, right before I picked him up.
“Don’t say that Tom. Sam is at home. I just saw her a moment ago,” I said, fear tinged my voice, unsure of my words.
“My mom’s name isn’t Sam, you keep talking to Sam, but she isn’t real daddy”, Tommy said, tears began to well up in his eyes again.
My mind began to race, what was he talking about. Sam was at home, I just saw her. He must be mistaken.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sam is waiting for us at home.” I said in what I thought was a reassuring voice. It didn’t work though, because the kid broke down again.
“SAM ISN’T REAL, DAD. SHE’S NOT REAL. STOP TALKING TO SAM.”. Tommy screamed at me, as he screamed it finally happened. I remembered Tommy.
I remembered bringing him home from the hospital, I remembered his first steps, his first word. I remembered his first day of school, his first report card, everything. I remembered his mother, Linda. I remembered her fight with cancer, and I remembered her death. I felt a twinge of pain as it all came back. There really was no denying it. Sam isn’t real.
“What are you talking about Brian, I’m right here”, a voice said from the passenger seat, I turned my head, and stared in disbelief, as I saw Sam sitting next to me. A wicked smile across her face.
The look of surprise on my face must have been obvious, because Tommy spoke from the backseat. “She’s here again, isn’t she?”
“No, you’re right Sam isn’t real” I lied to him.
“Then what were you looking at ?” Tommy asked.
“What were you looking at, Brian” Sam mocked from beside me, her taunting grin still plastered across her face, I ignored her though.
“Nothing,” I lied again, “ Daddy isn’t feeling well, I’m going to drop you off at grandma’s house, ok?”
“Ok,” Tommy replied
“If only you had waited,” Sam said, her voice lilting as if singing a song, “I just needed a little more time”
“Time for what?”, I asked.
Tommy’s head shot toward, “She is here, you said she wasn’t”
“A little more time “, Sam giggled
“I’m sorry, I lied Tommy lied, but everything is going to be fine, I’m going to get rid of her,” Sam giggled again from the seat next to me,” Run inside and tell Grandma that i might be gone for awhile, I’m sorry to do this to you Tommy, and I’m sorry Ive been so strange, but I’m going to make it right I promise.”, I knew it was an empty promise, but my eyes pleaded with him to believe me.
“I love you, Daddy”, was all he said before hopping out of the car, and running inside.
“I love you too, Tommy,” I said to the empty chair behind me.
“I love you, Brian”, Sam said, laughing giddily as if that was the funniest thing anyone had ever said.

Sam giggled again from the passenger seat. She didn’t speak again, but her eyes followed me, the permanent smile, a freakish fixture on her horrible face. Her eyes bore into me as I drove quickly to the nearest hospital.
That’s where I am now. They did an x-ray and found what they said was some sort of parasite. They said I was lucky I had come in before it had done any real damage to my brain. They said that Linda’s death may have left my mind vulnerable to manipulation, and that the bug could sense it. They said that the hallucinations would fade over time, and I would go back to normal.
I dont understand any of it ,but even as I type this. I can still see her across the room. Her lips permanently parted in a sinister smile. Her eyes boring into my skull
“Just a little more time.”

The Man in the Mirror

I stared into the mirror, and a tall, dark skinned man stared back. His movements were sluggish, as if he were trying to predict my next move. His eyes glazed over, as if staring just a little too far into the glass. I reached out a hand, and so did He. Our fingers met on the glass, and we both stared at our fingertips. A red stain marked the glass, proving its existence, although I couldn’t see it. All I could see was the world behind it. The world where He lived.

He didn’t speak, but he looked down at the red stain streaking the glass between us. I took comfort in the fact that there was a divide between us. Why did He just stand there? Did he know something, I didn’t? Didn’t He know what was coming? If He did, He didn’t act like it. Frustratingly He smiled a demonic smile. The smile of a man with no remorse, a man with no soul.

A gun sat on the countertop in front of him, he only glanced at it momentarily before looking back into my eyes. He looked disheveled, as if he hadn’t washed himself in days. His shirt was torn, and bloody. He smiled, of course. That dreadful smile. Why did he smile? I looked deeper into his world for an answer and found more questions.

Blood. I saw blood covering the floor. A wall obscured my vision into the rest of the room behind him, but I saw long strands of orange-red hair swimming in a pool of amber. It was obvious what happened, even obscured as it was. Someone was dead, and the man had done it. I leaned to the side slightly, and so did He, to get a better look. I saw her face, and instantly I recognized her. Her name was Cara. We were together for a little while, although I hadn’t seen her in a few days. He had killed her, had I done the same?

Of course not. We had a slight disagreement, sure, but that was a while ago. I would never go so far as to kill her. Although now that He had done it, I found myself feeling ashamed. Not the shame of remorse but the shame that comes with the lack of it.

The man, reading my thoughts, smiled at me mockingly. I quickly looked down to the red streak. It was there. The mirror was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief, and he did the same. Smiling the whole time, as if to mock my movements. As long as He was on his side of the glass though, that was fine. The side of the glass with Cara’s body.

Cara. She was a lovely girl. A pretty girl. Funny, beautiful, kind, and considerate. A girl all men want. A girl that I had. All people have their flaws, I’ve had more than my fair share of them, but she was different. She was perfect. That’s what I thought at least.

I wonder if his situation was similar to mine. I wonder if He had dated her too, if He had fallen in love. I wonder if his heart was torn out, and ripped into shreds. I wonder if she looked at him with the same coldness she had looked at me with. I wonder if he watched that perfect facade crumble before his eyes, to reveal the serpent underneath

It’s enough to drive anyone mad, but I didn’t kill her, break ups happen often enough, and I deal with them and move on, but maybe The man didn’t.

Maybe He waited until the sun went down and she was asleep. Maybe he broke into her apartment, with the spare key he knew was hidden under the mat by her door. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t exactly as asleep as He hoped she would be, and they had fought. The fight would have been loud, and the gunshot would have been even louder.

The man in the mirror never stopped smiling. I hated that smile. I felt the anger bubble beneath the surface, as hatred burned into my soul. I hated that man in the mirror, and He knew it. That’s why he smiled.

He knew I couldn’t hurt him, on that side of the glass. The red streak between us serving as a reminder of our separation. He mocked me, standing beside Cara, and I hated him for it.

I did have something on him though. He wouldn’t move without me. I had the control. All I had to do was stand still, and He would never hurt anyone ever again. I laughed at the absurdity, and he followed suit. I couldn’t hear him, but his motion mimicked my own. I hated him for that too.

I heard the police open the front door to Cara’s apartment. They screamed and yelled, but I didn’t move. I held him in place, to meet his demise. I knew I could save him . All I had to do was lift my hands and do what the officer told him to do. He didn’t deserve it though. He deserved to stay right where He was. I looked at the red stain on the glass. He was still in his prison, where He would stay forever. This time I smiled, He mocked me with a grin of his own, as I reached for the gun, and fired.

The End

The Dollmaker

Thud woosh

The Dollmaker lived on the edge of town. He kept to himself most days, but that didn’t stop the rumors from spreading. Usually rumors are par for the course in a small town such as the one we find ourselves in , but what do you do when the rumors are closer to the truth than you know?

Thud woosh

There was nothing particularly odd about this man. He was a tall, dark skinned man, in his early 60s. He didn’t often speak, but when he did he spoke in a rich, baritone voice He did have one eccentricity though. One thing that lit the rumor mill ablaze. The Dollmaker, if you can imagine, sold dolls.

Thud woosh

Rumors don’t always have a logical source, and of course the old man at the edge of town is ripe for forming rumors. However the rumors weren’t about him. They were about the dolls. Life-sized dolls, of all ages, races, genders, If you could name it, he probably had it.

Thud woosh

Not only life-sized , but life-like. Silky hair caressed there heads, and the eyes. Don’t look in there eyes, they say the reflection could drive you insane. They looked so real, it was almost as if they were posing. One might expect them to, get up, straighten themselves out, and walk out the store, and if the rumors were true, they could.

Thud woosh

The rumors were not entirely true, as you can probably guess, but that didn’t stop them from spreading. They told stories of people who went into the shop, and never came back out. Only to be found in the display window by their grieving mother. No evidence had ever been found to back this claim though.

Thud woosh

His real name was Henry Hunnicker, and as long as anyone could remember he’d always lived in town. He was a husband, and a father, and he led a happy life.

Thud woosh

Even then he was a quiet man. Opting to be a more action forward member of the community. Everyone in town knew that if something needed to be done, he was the guy to call, and with little more than a grunt of affirmation he would get it done.

Thud woosh

That was until the night his wife died. He tried to continue to help the community, but when grief strikes, it strikes true. He withdrew into himself and with his son out of the state for college, Henry Hunnicker was all alone.

Thud woosh

Henry was a valued member of the town however, and the town would help him out however they could. Even his son would come to visit more often, to show some support. They helped him get a job at the local cemetery.

Thud woosh

Now you might not understand the logic of that move. Why would Henry Hunnicker work at a cemetery, especially the very cemetery his wife was buried in. The close proximity to his wife comforted him, in a macabre way. The towns people found it a little strange how much time he spent at her grave, but “We all grieve differently” they would say. They never knew how right they were.

Thud woosh

A shovelful of dirt arced gently across the night sky. Then another, then another before Henry hit the lid of the coffin. She was a little dirty, but he’d clean her. He’d preserve her, and keep her safe.

Thud woosh

Transporting her was easy. The cemetery was also at the edge of town after all. He brought her home, and made good on his promises. He cleaned her up, changed her clothes. He painted her face a pale pink, and although he wasn’t good with makeup, he tried his best. Setting her on the chair, he admired his work.
His lovely wife. His first doll.

Thud woosh

Henry waited. He had covered his tracks but surely he missed something. He was certain that at any second he would here a banging at the door, and the unwelcome cry of “Police!”, but it never came. The cemetery owner called to ask why he wasn’t at work. The owner hadn’t noticed anything either. Henry smiled for the first time in a long time.

Thud woosh

Henry found that he had a knack for doll making. After the first one he just couldn’t stop. He found the whole thing to be exhilarating. A sort of therapy. Looking into the face of death and bringing it back to life.

Thud woosh

Though he soon encountered a problem, anyone with a collection of life sized dolls might have. He ran out of places to put them

Thud woosh

Quitting his job, Henry opened up shop. Henry was now the Dollmaker. Henry, if you can imagine, sold dolls

Thud woosh

Rumors continued to spread, but the Dollmaker brushed them aside. Little did they know, the truth lay shallowly beneath those rumors, but as long as nobody found it, The Dollmaker didn’t mind.

Thud woosh

And on quiet nights like this, when the wind blows just right, you can hear the

Thud woosh

of the Dollmakers shovel.

Thud woosh

Searching for his next masterpiece.

Thud.

“Daddy, Im Going to Kill You”

“Daddy, I’m going to kill you”

I looked up at my daughter who sat across the table from me. She didn’t usually speak at dinner, so the sound of her voice startled me.

“I’m sorry, what was that” I said, not sure if I heard correctly

“I’m going to kill you, daddy.”

” What are you talking about honey, why do you keep saying that?”, i said in annoyance

“Because I am, the voices in my room taught me how” she said, barely even looking up from her food. She seemed happy to be saying the words. ” What are you going to tell them?”

She must have seen me from the corner of her eye as I reached for my cell phone. “They won’t do anything, the police I mean, I’m only 6, I say all kinds of silly things”, she giggled at that, and ate her food.

I didn’t know what to do. What voices? Could she really kill me? No, that’s silly of course. She says silly things all the time.

“Honey, why do you want to kill me?”, i spoke cautiously

She didn’t respond, she just ate her food in silence. I went back to eating too, putting this odd conversation behind me.

“All your friends hate you, you know. They’re scared you might hurt them. If they could kill you they would, but they can’t. I can though”

“Stop this right now!” I yelled. Anger welled up in my stomach, and my fists clenched on the table. She didn’t flinch though, she smiled.

“ Are you going to hurt me daddy?” she said with a smile, that ungodly smile. “ Are you angry with me”

I didn’t respond. I wasn’t really sure what to say, she usually listens to me.

Angrily, I stood up from the table. “ You are in big trouble, you shouldn’t talk to your father that way, little girl”, I moved to step toward her. I don’t know what I was going to do, but she only smiled. She laughed and giggled and smiled

“ Sit down, daddy. You’re being silly.”

The lights flickered as the chair behind me rammed into my legs as an unseen force pushed me back down into my seat.

“Daddy, you know it’s only right. After what you did to mommy”, she said as she shoveled more food into her mouth.The words were like a punch in the stomach. Tears welled up as i remembered her crumpled form laying at the bottom of the stairs

“Mommy is OK, she just had a bad fall, sweetie. The doctors will take care of her” I said in a whisper. I wanted to believe that’s what happened but we both knew it wasn’t true

“ Mommy wont wake up because of you, you hurt her. You hurt her like you hurt all your friends. They want you to fall too, so they don’t have to be scared anymore, so they don’t end up like Mommy” , She was so nonchalant she could have been talking about what she was eating for dinner

“Look, Amaya, I know I have a drinking problem. I get drunk and-”

“YOU’RE NOT DRUNK, YOU’RE MEAN. YOU’RE MEAN AND YOU HURT PEOPLE AND NO ONE WILL MISS YOU AFTER I’M DONE”, she yelled

The sudden shift in tone startled me. She had never raised her voice at me before. I reached into my pocket and i pulled out my phone, and i hate to admit it but in that moment i was terrified of my daughter

“ Look, I’m calling the police, Amaya. Stop this right now”. I croaked feebly

“GOOD, CALL THEM. CALL EVERYONE. I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW THAT I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, THEY WONT DO ANYTHING. THEY MIGHT EVEN CHEER FOR ME. ALL YOUR FRIENDS WILL LAUGH AT YOU AS YOU DIE, THEY’LL ALL SCREAM “BEAT THE MONSTER LIKE HE BEATS HIS WIFE, LIKE HE BEATS YOU“ AND THEY WILL LOVE ME, BECAUSE THEY HATE YOU. I. HATE. YOU.”, She screamed the final word, her face twisted in an agonizing position, and then she giggled and laughed and howled in laughter.

Without warning she stopped, and she grinned from ear to ear

All the lights downstairs turned off at once and I ran. I ran upstairs as fast as I could. Away from my own daughter. Away from that demented grin. She didn’t flinch at all, she just smiled, and she sat there. Waiting for the right time

I called for help but nobody answered. This is my last resort, if you’re reading this, please help me. I could pay, I have a lot of money, and I’m desperate, please. When I ran away she said one last thing to me, it chilled me to my bones. She sounded so innocent but the words were ice cold

She giggled , “ Hey daddy, don’t you want to know how you’re going to die?”

I don’t, I really don’t.

I woke to the sound of crying.

It was early morning when I heard the whispering
I had been sleeping over at my girlfriend, Julia’s apartment when it happened. We had been together for a while and I’ve slept over several times, even still this particular development seemed to bug me. I had never heard her whispering in her sleep before, but more than that her words were a little unnerving if not outright creepy She seemed to be saying,
I have to save them

I have to save them

I have to save them

I have to save them…

Over and over again, Each whisper was like a small needle in my brain, preventing me from sleeping.
Not sure what to do in a situation like this I decided to go to get up and go to the living room. I was already up, with no hope of falling asleep so I decided to watch a little TV until she got up. I wonder if waking her up would have changed anything.

Julia woke up around 11 am. I tend to get up a little earlier anyway so when she woke up and saw my modest attempt at breakfast she just smiled.
“Good morning”
“Good morning, Julia, How did you sleep”
“Good, good. I had a wonderful dream. At least I think so. I can hardly remember it now”
“That’s nice, I would have figured the opposite”
“What? Why?”
“You seemed uneasy when I woke up. You were whispering.”
“Whispering? What was I whispering?”
“I don’t know, it sounded like “I have to save them”, it was pretty creepy actually,” I said with a slight chuckle.
“Oh?”, She said with a laugh, “That does sound pretty creepy.”
We shared a laugh over it and then everything went on as usual. But even though enjoyed spending the day with Julia I couldn’t help but feel uneasy with her. I just keep hearing.
I have to save them
I have to save them
I have to save them

Over and over again.

It was a few nights later when I found myself in the same predicament
Awaking once more in Julia’s apartment. To the faint sound of whispering….and crying
Quietly crying, almost imperceptible, while saying
I can’t
I have to save them
I have to
I have to save them
I can’t save them
I CAN’T SAVE THEM
I CAN’T SAVE THEM
Julia, screaming with sobs,
I CAN’T SAVE THEM I CAN’T SAVE THEM I CAN’T SAVE THEM.
I jump out of bed, frightened by what I could only assume was some sort of psychotic break. I approach my girlfriend’s screaming and crying body unsure of what to do. I tap her shoulder.
“Hey, are-” I start to say but as soon as I tap her shoulder she falls silent.
Hesitantly I put my hand on her shoulder
“A-Are you okay?”
Julia’s head slowly rose. Her eyes met mine.
And then she screamed
An ear-splitting, eye-watering scream of desperation and sadness. I couldn’t help it, I fell to my knees in tears, praying for the screaming to stop.
I reached for Julia and shook her shoulder.
“Julia please wake up, please. Julia please” I pleaded and then… silence.
Julia looked over the side of the bed where I was laying on the floor.
“Why are you on the floor?”

Julia had gone back to sleep, but I couldn’t.
I walked out of her apartment and went home.
In the following days, she tried to contact me but I ignored her. A few times she’s even knocked on my door but I pretended I wasn’t home. I know it’s terrible but I would do anything to avoid her awful screams. I would do anything to avoid those eyes. I went to bed uneasy, feeling guilty about abandoning Julia. But eventually, I was able to fall asleep. I dreamt I was outside in a meadow. Looking up at the stars. There was a woman next to me. It wasn’t Julia, but she somehow felt familiar. She looked up at the sky and then she looked down at me.
“It’s coming,” she said
I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to say I just looked back to the sky and saw nothing
“I can’t save you, any of you. You will hurt and you will die. You can’t be saved”
Her words snapped me out of my stupor
“What did you say?”
I turned to look at her. Her brows were furrowed in frustration, her lips curled in rage. And she screamed. A scream of anger and fear and frustration. I fell backward into the grass in time to see a massive meteor crashing through our atmosphere.

Once again I woke up. Only this time it was so much worse. It was laughing. It was laughing and screaming and crying and though I couldn’t see the source it was unmistakably Julia.
THEY CAN’T BE SAVED
THEY CAN’T BE SAVED
THEY WILL HURT AND
THEY WILL DIE
THEY WILL HURT
AND THEY WILL DIE
I HAVE TO SAVE THEM
THEY WILL HURT AND
THEY WILL DIE

And suddenly it was silent again.
I waited. And then waited more.
It was still silent after a few minutes but I decided to check the window to be sure.
Being on the second floor I did not expect to come face to face with Julia. Our eyes met once more. And then she screamed A scream that could rouse the dead. And I ran. She didn’t follow me she just screamed. And I cried. I couldn’t help it. The despair overwhelmed all of my senses. I ran blindly through the streets but no matter how far I ran I could still hear the screaming.

I woke up in a hospital bed. Somebody was driving by and found me lying on the side of the road and took me to the hospital, where I was comatose for six months.
When they asked me what happened I told them. I told them everything and they laughed. They thought I was joking at first but once they realized I wasn’t kidding they decided to call in a psychiatrist. So now I’m telling you. I still hear her screaming every night. I can still hear her anger, her despair, and her frustration.
We will hurt
We will die
And we can’t be saved.