Finally got #2 live, as soon as I uploaded, Amazon was having problems with the publishing. This issue has the complete versions of Bone Deep, Family Eternal and Cruel Young. It also has When Light is Gone, something take control of an island leaving everyone in the dark, and Chuck, he’s a paranormal investigator but he does things a little different from the rest.
This will be last story in V1 #2. It’s based on something my daughter told me when she was only two years old and it disturbed the hell out of me. She said, “Daddy, when I was six, my mommy broke all my bones and threw me in a dumpster.” I was shocked because that’s not something you would normally hear from a two year old and what got me more was that she had never even heard the word dumpster before. So how could she know what that was or that bones could be broken, i mean she was just learning how to count to ten. I don’t know what to believe about that but even though my daughter is much older and doesn’t remember anymore, it still bothers me. As with dreams that bring out emotion and stay with me, I figured I would make that into a short story too. Here is a part of it.
Chelsea began having strange dreams that started on her sixteenth birthday. They were of a little boy that looked about eight or nine years old. He had a little trickle of blood that came down the side of his face and it seemed to come from a small fissure above his temple. He told her his name was Brandon and in her dreams, the two would always play at a beautiful park surrounded by trees and flowers, and there, next to a swing set was a picnic basket sitting in the middle of a quilted blanket. For weeks she had lucid dreams of nothing else but being at the park with Brandon and sometimes they would just talk.
One night, she decided to ask him what had happened to him and why was his head bleeding. A sadness came over Brandon’s face when he looked down and said, “My mommy, she pushed me down the stairs and then she put me in the trash can.” She was instantly taken to the top of a staircase and felt a hand push her from behind. Chelsea felt the pain of hitting each stair on the way down, then she was taken back to the park where she now understood what had happened to him. Feeling his anguish, she wanted to make him feel better so she smiled and grabbed his hand then said, “Hey, how about I push you on the swing for a little while.” His sorrow seemed to disappear and his smile that she had grown to love was back. When the sun would set there, in reality the sun was rising and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she awoke. “I’ll be waking up soon,” she told him, “but you know I’ll see you again.” He jumped off the swing, held her hand and looked up at her. “You are so nice Chelsea,” he said, “I want you to meet Hallie and Heather soon.” Becoming curious about them, she asked, “Oh really, are they your friends?” He replied, “They are my sisters.” Then he smiled again and wrapped his arms around her before stepping back and disappearing.
Chelsea awoke to mixed feelings about her dream. She was looking forward to meeting Brandon’s sisters but she was also very disturbed by what had happened to him. “Who could do something like that to their own kid?” she mumbled to herself.
I write horror but to me, the scariest thing to me is love.
MAN: To you my love I bring a gift.
WOMAN: Oh, what gift would that be?
He presented her with his heart balanced on the tip of a knife.
MAN: I bring you my heart and dagger. If you don’t care for it, it will slip and be pierced by the knife. If you mistreat it, it will lose balance, fall and break. If you neglect it, it will become weak, stop beating and fall apart. What happens to my heart happens to me so I give it only to you.
WOMAN: Why my love, would you gift this to me?
MAN: Because I trust you.
Erica and her son, Ethan, had just moved in to an old farm house after the loss of her husband. The house belonged to her close friend, Sara, that had no use for it and rather than just let it sit there, she let Erica move in. Her heart weighed her down as she unpacked, thinking of how unprepared they were for any kind of tragedy. When the first set of bills came in after Mark’s death, she didn’t know what to do. They had no life insurance and no savings, so she would put the bills on the kitchen table and hoped they would just disappear. Eventually, her only choice was to sell their house.
Everything she took out of the boxes brought back memories of Mark, so some things just never got unpacked. One day while she was searching for a job on her computer, Ethan went to her begging for the toy he had just seen on a commercial. “Mommy, mommy” he said tugging on her sleeve, “I want the new Gojijo Man toy. Can I have it please mommy, please.” In a very consoling voice she said to him, “I’m sorry baby but we just can’t afford it right now.” Ethan gave her the saddest face he could conjure up hoping that she would change her mind. He was still very young and didn’t have much of an understanding of how money works yet. She felt so bad that she couldn’t get him the toy so she made a deal with him, “I’ll tell you what, if you let mommy look for a job, then as soon as I get one we will go to the store and get you the new Gojijo Man. Does that sound ok to you?” He smiled wide and did his little happy dance. “I’ll take that as a yes, for now you can go play outside, ok baby,” she said before continuing her job search.
Erica and her son, Ethan, had just moved in to an old farm house after the loss of her husband. The house belonged to her close friend, Sara, that had no use for it and rather than just let it sit there, she let Erica move in. Her heart weighed her down as she unpacked, thinking of how unprepared they were for any kind of tragedy. When the first set of bills came in after Mark’s death, she didn’t know what to do. They had no life insurance and no savings, so she would put the bills on the kitchen table and hoped they would just disappear. Eventually, her only choice was to sell their house.
Everything she took out of the boxes brought back memories of Mark, so some things just never got unpacked. One day while she was searching for a job on her computer, Ethan went to her begging for the toy he had just seen on a commercial. “Mommy, mommy” he said tugging on her sleeve, “I want the new Gojijo Man toy. Can I have it please mommy, please.” In a very consoling voice she said to him, “I’m sorry baby but we just can’t afford it right now.” Ethan gave her the saddest face he could conjure up hoping that she would change her mind. He was still very young and didn’t have much of an understanding of how money works yet. She felt so bad that she couldn’t get him the toy so she made a deal with him, “I’ll tell you what, if you let mommy look for a job, then as soon as I get one we will go to the store and get you the new Gojijo Man. Does that sound ok to you?” He smiled wide and did his little happy dance. “I’ll take that as a yes, for now you can go play outside, ok baby,” she said before continuing her job search.
While Ethan was outside, he tried to find ways to entertain himself. He dug a hole and threw rocks at an ant pile, then he saw the perfect tree for climbing. Towards the bottom of the tree, there was a big dark knot and branches that led all the way up like a ladder. He climbed the tree and pretended he was Gojijo Man’s sidekick fighting off evil monsters and saving the world. Then he slipped and fell out of the tree landing on his knees. He gave the tree a mean look and rolled up one of his pant legs to inspect his knee for any cuts or bruises. He had some blood that formed around a small cut but it was nothing too bad. He wiped the blood off his knee and smeared it on the knot of the tree then ran inside. After finding a bandage for his scrape, he decided that playing inside would be much safer and he played until it was time for bed.
The next morning when Ethan woke up, to his surprise, there next to his bed was a brand new Gojijo Man still in the box. He jumped up and did his happy dance then took it down the stairs to play with it. Erica was awakened by Ethan stomping around the living room screaming about killing monsters. She smiled when she saw him be cause he hadn’t been that happy since his father died. “What are you doing Ethan? You look so happy this morning.” He ran over to her, toy in hand, gave her a big hug and said, “Oh thank you thank you thank you mommy. You’re the best mommy ever.” She giggled and ask, “Oh really, and why is that, baby?” He held up his new toy and said, “Because you got me Gojijo Man!” Ethan spread the toy’s wings and began flying it around the room. Erica was confused and puzzled with a hint of concern because she knew she didn’t buy him that toy. Continue reading
I awoke in a poorly lit cave having no idea how I got there. My head was hurting something terrible and felt like I had just been hit by a bus. When I got to my feet, I had a vision, a flash of thought enter my head and I saw myself climbing on top of a roof. I remembered seeing my girlfriend next to me, then nothing. “Megan,” I thought to myself, “where am I? Are you here somewhere too?” I started my search to find out.
The cave was warm yet very cold in some parts and what little light that was in there, did not keep me from stumbling around. I walked for what seemed like miles until I finally saw a light coming from an opening in distance. “I’m coming Megan, I will find you,” I said to myself as I moved toward the light. As I moved closer to the light the walls of the cave became more and more illuminated. I could see what looked like crude cave paintings but they were symbols that I couldn’t understand or make sense of. I just kept moving towards the light knowing I need to get to her. Thoughts of her being hurt, scared and alone scratched at my soul and I picked up my pace.
When I finally reached the glowing opening, I was in awe. There, I saw that the light was coming from molten rock and a few fires that seemed to be burning nothing. Then I heard the screams, the whimpering and moaning beyond the lighted chamber of the cave. Through the waves of heat that warped my sight, I began to make out bodies. As I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t just seeing things, I caught sight of where my feet were placed. I was standing on what appeared to a pile of bones. Taking a second look around me, I noticed in horror that the entire cave was constructed of bone. I had to push back my fear and find Megan.
As I made my way past the ledge I was on and moved towards the exit of the glowing room, the moaning bodies began to grab at me. “HELP ME! HELP US! IT BURNS!” the voices cried. My only thought was that of getting to my love so I left them to their torment. Continue reading
j.r.fate 