Don't Kill Anyone

Tim had to get out of the room quickly, had to leave the bloody and gruesome scene behind him. Frantic, he ran into the night, climbing the nearby tree and hopping from one to the next to avoid leaving forensic evidence on the ground. He didn’t know how long he jumped from tree to tree, each leap taking him deeper into the forest, but when he came to his home, a cave that no one besides himself had discovered, he sat and thought what he had just done, reliving the gruesome scene with relish.
He had been angry and that stupid mongrel, John, wouldn’t shut up, thus further antagonizing Tim. He balled his fists and grabbed his hair, trying to block out John’s words but he was disappointingly unsuccessful. When John remarked on Tim’s beloved Betty’s recently improved looks and his wish to share with her pastimes best left for the darkness of the night, Tim snapped. He spun out of his chair and grabbed his drunken opponent by the throat and effortlessly lifted him into the air, then threw him into the wall-sized mirror across the room. While John lay there among the broken glass, dazed, confused and bleeding, Tim advanced on him, his nails turning into claws as the rage Tim felt turned him into the werewolf that he was. With a sadistic, cruel and…animal grin on his face, Tim raised one clawed hand…

Broken Promises

The first day of school, a whole new year filled with promises of success and new friendships. In my case, the promise of a relationship with the girl I’ve liked for a couple years now. My note was written, ready to be placed in her locker and it sat on my desk next to the snuggly white bear with the red ribbon bow around its neck, also an intended present for her. Now all that needed to be done was the making of the chocolates. Over the summer, I had discreetly discovered her favorite sweet and just how she liked it. Since it was chocolates, she preferred white chocolate with vanilla and peppermint extracts.
Now, I stood in the kitchen, the house empty except for myself, the dog and my little sisters. I pulled up the recipe for my love’s chocolates and started cooking.
I was almost done when my sister woke and started bawling as newborns do so I rushed to her aid, my elbow narrowly avoiding the glass container my great great grandfather used to own. It didn’t have any value or purpose, it wasn’t even allowed to be opened, so we just kept it on the counter as a paperweight for the stack of our family recipes.
When my elbow brushed it, I spun around on my toes, arms tucked in so I wouldn’t hit it square on and knock it out of my reach, grabbed and steadied it. When I was sure it wasn’t going to fall, I hurried upstairs to my sister.
As I was placing my sister in her crib, fed and changed, there was a crash and the dog yelped. I cursed silently and put my sister down for her nap then I hurried downstairs. Grandpa’s glass jar was broken, shattered on the tile, and the dog was rubbing his nose with a paw. I sighed and , steppe over the broken glass and shoved the dog into the backyard before I cleaned up the glass, with gloves, a broom and a dustpan, then I bleached the whole kitchen, as Mother has always told me to do in case it ever broke.
As I emptied the trash can into the trash can the trucks empty, I called the dog and he came running up. Taking his snout in my hands, I carefully inspected his nose. A welt was forming and there weren’t any signs of a cut so I left him to finish the chocolates. I scooped out several batches, let them cool on the table and put the pot in the sink. SO my other sister wouldn’t think of eating it, I put the boxes together, stacked them and put them in the very back of the highest shelf in the fridge to harden.
I breathed a contented sigh of relief. She was sure to tale me as her boyfriend now!
I let myself imagine how everything would go before I marched myself upstairs again to help Maria with her homework.

Nothing went according to Riley’s plan the next day. He put his gifts in Rose’s locker and hung around to watch her rejoice at his presents but instead of keeping them, she trashed them. While she read his note, she nibbled on some of the chocolates before she trashed the chocolates and the note.
Two weeks later, she was dead. The doctors at the local hospital told a very stricken and heartbroken Riley that she had died of cholera, one of the diseases thought to be eradicated. Naturally, a full-scale investigation ensued, spurred not only by Miss Rose’s death but also by the disease that killed her. When the police found took samples of the jar, which was still in the trash can in the backyard, they found it to be riddled with the bacteria that caused it.
As it turns out, Spike, the dog, had jumped up on the stove to sniff the chocolate and burned his nose on the pot. When he jumped down, he knocked over the jar and a couple shards flew into the pot, thus contaminating the chocolate.

Party Scream

I never thought I’d go to Prom. I just wasn’t the type of girl for dances; I wasn’t very social and I’d never had a boyfriend so why go? I don’t know how but my twin sister managed to weasel me into going with her. I’ll never forget that night no matter how hard I try.

Tonight was the night…Prom. The one dance of the year that you must go to or be labeled as a social outcast forever, and it was the single most important thing to my sister except boys. Since she had recently gotten her car keys yanked by our parents, she relied on me to get her from place to place. SO that’s how I ended up at Prom on that fateful day, driving my dumb sister.
The party was to be held at the old warehouse that the school used only once a year for Prom. It sat in a deserted area of town, far away from anything else, least of all the slumbering town. Because of it seclusion and the thick concrete walls and no windows, the music and lights were dampened so the tiny little town could sleep at night. This is what made the warehouse so perfect for Prom.
The party was already well underway when I put my Spider Fiat into park.
“Okay, we’re here.” I said with distaste as I turned the engine off. As was expected, my sister was climbing out of the small car even before the car was in park and now she was heading for the door, her dress gathered in her hands. I could hear her heels scraping and clacking on the asphalt as she rushed to the door. I shook my head and sighed at her predictability before I gathered my purse and keys and slowly climbed out. I wanted nothing more than to turn around and drive home but my sister depended on me…and besides, Kane Hennessy was here!
Immediately, an image of him popped into my head and my heart grew light as I let myself daydream about dancing and sharing a fairytale romance with him. The invitation in my purse seemed to suddenly turn to marble as I made my way up to the door. The invitation was what came with the ticket when one paid the fees for going to Prom.
For a long time, I stood there, content to watch everything, but then one of my eccentric friends, Courtni, came up to me.
“Hey, Desiree!” She greeted me.
“Hi, Courtni. What’s up?”
“A couple friends and I are going to play a game. Want to join?”
“Aren’t we a bit old for games? And we’re at PROM. Why would you want to play a game when you can dance?”
“Because not all of Star High are crazy about dances like your sister is. And besides, Kane will be there!” She said in a singsong voice and my mind was instantly made up.
“Where are you friends and what’s the game?” I replied, grinning.
She also grinned, grabbed my hand and tugged me to the far corner.
“Hey, guys!” Courtni said when we came to a group of people. “Desiree will be joining us!”
“Fantastic! We’ve all got partners now. Desiree, do you mind teaming up with Kane?” One of the guys exclaimed.
“Not at all.” I replied and my eyes went to Kane, who sat majestically and kind of away from the others yet close enough to participate. I sat down beside him and waited for the game to begin.
“So, what are we playing?” Courtni asked a red-headed girl.
“It’s a new game, Kind of like Spin the Bottle but also like Truth or Dare. It’s quite simple. A pair spins the bottle and the pair the bottle lands on has to do a dare that the spinners demand. Here, I’ll go first to show you.”
She reached forward and spun the bottle. The neck landed on Zac, Courtni’s partner.
“Now, Zac, since the bottle landed on you, my partner and I get to choose the dare that you and Courtni will have to do. We’ll skip this part since this is a demonstration round. Then Zac would spin the bottle again after the dare and the whole would repeat.”
All of the gathered people said their praise and soon the game was underway. Everyone’s dare were amusing and creative by turns. I talked with Kane about which dares we could use while the other teams did their dares.
The other teams soon grew dismayed because Kane and I were the only team the bottle always skipped over. At every round, at least one person would throw their hands up in the air and groan in exasperation. Not long after, I started wanting the bottle to land on us and I was continually disappointed when the bottle missed us.
And then the spell broke. The bottle landed right on me.
“Alright!” Courtni shouted and I sighed in relief.
“Kane and Desiree,” She started our dare, since she was the one who had spun the bottle. “ I dare you…” She looked around and pointed at a closet. “To lock yourselves in there for ten minutes.”
The crowd of players made noises and Kane shrugged and stood, holding out a hand for me. I took it and Kane helped me to my feet. Still holding hands, we walked to the closet. Kane tried to open it but it wouldn’t budge.
“Its locked. What do you want me to do, Desiree?”
Hearing him say my name, I zoned out.
Desiree…Desiree…Desiree. I heard his voice calling my name in my head and it sounded sexy yet smooth, soft as puffy clouds and down feathers in a pillow. It strongly reminded me of honey.
“Well…A dare’s a dare. Just keep trying.” I heard myself say, as if from a distance. I was still dazed from Kane finally saying my name.
He nodded and tried the door again, and again and again. Finally, he grabbed the knob with both hands, widened his stance and pulled hard. The door flew open, shards of wood cutting my cheek as Kane flew backward a bit with the force of the door being released so suddenly. He quickly regained his composure and balance as I turned to the closet then I froze…and screamed. Inside the closet, there were two rotting bodies, one male and one female, dressed very elegantly despite the clothes they had died in were colorless rags now, torn and shredded in places. Kane was immediately at my side and he supported me while my knees turned to water and crumpled under me. I heard Kane curse before he picked me up gently. He took me back to the group, asking for someone’s phone and took me outside.
By now, I was starting to freak. I shook violently and sobs wracked my body as the tears tumbled down my face.
Kane sat in his car and put me on his lap while he dialed the local police. He quickly finished, closed the phone and held me against his chest, whispering words that should have soothed me had I been able to hear them over the sound of my crying.
By the time the police arrived, I was calm again. Well, mostly. Naturally, Prom was canceled,t he two bodies were removed and the investigation began. Kane and I gave our reports to the police and then we were allowed to go home.
After that night, Kane and I grew close. We dated and eventually married.
Before long, the bodies were identified as Cheryl McAllister and Bobby Prebay. They had obviously gone missing last year and they had supposedly run away together. They were juniors at the time of their deaths, two people whose love had soured where it had once blossomed. As it turns out, their friends had made them play the same version of Truth or Dare we had played. They were dared to stay in that closet until they made up and loved again but the girl who had the key got swept up in the joys of Prom by dancing with her boyfriend and completely forgot about the lovers locked in the closet. Cheryl and Bobby died of suffocation the next day.

Bloody Hell

Dante sat back against a tree to watch his sister enjoy the meal they had caught together. When she noticed he hadn’t joined her, she turned to him.
“You want to share, Dante? There’s plenty for both of us.”
“You know I don’t like blood, Vanie.”
Vanessa winced at the reminder.
“Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s okay.” Dante replied then lithely jumped up to land on a tree branch. As his twin sister ate, he relaxed into his favorite resting position.
What kind of vampire am I, one who hates drinking blood. I am the weirdest vampire ever without a doubt!

When his sister detached from the kill, he jumped down and , without a word, they raced back home together but Dante stopped in his tracks when he heard a blood-curdling scream of terror that definitely feminine.
He immediately changed course and ran as fast as he could in the direction from which the scream came. Not long later, the air became drenched with the scent of her fear and the scents of her attackers.
Suppressing a violent growl, he leapt on top of the nearest building, trotted on all fours like his animal side often does and looked down into the alley below.
The woman, a young lady of about eighteen, was backed up against the opposite the one Dante was perched on, surrounded by eight men, who closed in on the woman slowly. Her hands bled profusely and she had a bleeding gash on her neck. But what really infuriated Dante was the gun one of the assailants held, fully loaded and ready for use. Then a breeze kicked up, bringing their scents to him. What he smelled made him growl openly and, throwing caution to the wind, he snarled loudly like the lion his sister often compared him to.
Instantly, all nine people looked at him terror and confusion.
Dante snarled at the men “Leave her alone!” and jumped down, landing with a loud ‘Bam’ as his weight cracked the concrete beneath his feet.
The men laughed among themselves and seven of the eight approached him while the one with the gun grabbed the woman by hair and held the gun to her head.
Dante saw this but rushed toward one of the attackers, snarling. He grabbed the poor soul and, with one hand, decapitated him in one powerful swipe.
One down, seven to go.
The dead assailant’s friends all stopped in their tracks in complete shock. One turned and ran but Dante couldn’t let him leave. He leapt, landed on the man’s back, sending him sprawling. Dante held on as the man tumbled to the ground and clomped him on the back of his head, instantly killing him, even ripping off a good portion of his skull.
Two down, six to go.
After dispatching the second victim, Dante whirled around to face the rest of the pack and charged forward, killing two in one blow by snapping their necks.
Four down, four to go.
Dante didn’t hesitate in his attacks. He leapt forward, bit one unfortunate man in his throat and literally ripped his gullet out using only his teeth. He fell to the floor, gurgling and clutching his throat as he writhed in agony and blood pooled around him.
Five down, three to go.
From the two remaining of the original seven, one stepped forward and did some Ninja-looking moves that was meant to look intimidating. Dante wasn’t impressed or intimidated. He stood, in a ‘You’re kidding me, right?’ posture then grabbed him by the shoulders and hurled fifty feet down the alleyway and into the street…just as a big Semi truck came by.
Six down, two to go.
The last one was killed all too simply. All Dante had to do was slam his cupped palms against his opponent’s ears at the same time and powerfully. Well, he must have hit him too hard because his skull exploded.
Seven down, one to go.
Now, only the holding the young woman captive remained.
After a tense several seconds of Dante staring at his last opponent, he stepped forward. Just a single step was needed. He let go of his captive and took a step away but then it was too late. As Dante took control of the young lady’s captor’s mind, he stepped toward the woman and knelt beside her but she squirmed away, terrified of him.
“No, no, no. Please don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you. Please, “ He held out his hand, every molecule of his being turned soft and gentle instead of the gruesome monster she had just witnessed him releasing. “We need to leave. Umm…I’m Dante. What’s your name?”
Hesitantly, the girl took his hand but he could tell she was afraid.
“Tia.” She whispered.
“Tia. That’s a beautiful name. You're hurt.” Her hands had not escaped his notice.
“Oh yeah. I punched one of them and I started bleeding. I bleed easily so its no big deal.”
He brought her hand to his lips and licked the scratches, which healed instantly.
“Come, I know a place where you can wash up.”
Gently, he led her away while behind them, the last of her attackers jumped from the roof and landed head first.
Eight down, zero to go.

Batty

Paying no attention to the movie, I leaned against my husband Daniel’s chest, hoping he’d pay more attention to me than his favorite film.
Even though we’re married, it really doesn’t feel like it, particularly in the last few months and I was rather desperate for some

indication he still cared about me.
When his arm enfolded me, I was quite content to sit with him but then my womanly instincts kicked in. I tried to ignore it, waiting until the scene where the two love interests started making romantic overtures so I could so some romancing of my own.
It started out subtle, almost hesitant, at first but Daniel responded just as subtly until I kissed him.
The heat turned up quite quickly but I grew a bit distracted, to my horror. I heard an insistent squeak and fluttering and it unnerved me.
I tried so hard to forget about it and focus on Daniel but I just couldn’t.
“Danny. I’m sorry, honey, but something’s making noise and it’s irritating me. Can you please check it out?”
“In a minute.” He griped and kissed me again, trying to bring the romantic mood back. I let him but the trance was broken by the same squeak.
“Danny, please.”
Instead of answering, he tried to kiss me again but I flew off the couch before he could.
“Fine. I will, then.” I said and marched upstairs.
I followed the sound into the bedroom but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary so I turned to leave but then I heard it again…Right above my head. It was coming from the attic.
I stalked to the trapdoor, grabbed the rope and pulled the ladder down.
“Bella, did you find it?”
“Its in the attic, whatever it is. I’m going to investigate.”
“No, you’re not. I am.” He said and gently pushed past me, grabbing a flashlight from the nightstand and disappeared into the darkness.
I anxiously waited for him but there was no sign of him fro several moments. Just as I was opening my mouth to ask him to come down, he gave a shout, followed by rapid footfall.
“Daniel?” I called and then he was climbing down the ladder. “Danny, what is it?”
“It’s a rabid bat. Come on, we need to block off the house.” He said and I closed the windows. When he heard the door close, then lock, I panicked and ran to the door.
“Danny! You’ve locked me in with the bat. Let me out!” I shouted but it did no good. These walls were heavily insulated so it made talking from different rooms difficult. The walls, the carpet, drapes and bed-dressings all soaked up my voice as it left my mouth. There was no point in calling for Daniel. He couldn’t hear me. That means I had to get away from the bat.
I moved to close the attic but then I realized that I didn’t know where it had gone. The squeaks and fluttering had stopped. So I moved to the bed and climbed under the covers, tenting myself securely. The bat wouldn’t be able to get to me through the rightly closed openings and he couldn’t through the thick bedspread. I was safe until Daniel let me out.
So I waited…and waited…and waited.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door opened. I jumped up and ran to Daniel.
“Bella? How’d you get in here? WHY are you in here?” He exclaimed as he held me close, that note of panic once more in his voice.
“You locked me in. I shouted fro five minutes but you didn’t hear me so I hid in the bed.”
“Oh, Bella.” He whispered, the panic replaced by regret. “I’m sorry. I guess I was so afraid you’d get hurt that I assumed you had gone downstairs. I should have slowed down looked properly. I’m so sorry, honey.”
“Its okay, Daniel. Everything’s alright now.”
Daniel didn’t respond verbally. He just flashed me a smile and led me downstairs. While we tried to focus on the movie again, I looked at him.
He was afraid, but not for his own safety. For mine. He was afraid of the bat because he didn’t want me to get hurt!

I realized and happily threw my arms around him. Not once before now has he shown his protective instincts, one of my favorite qualities in a guy, and I was happy to finally see that unknown side of him.
Daniel chuckled and, unable to control myself, I kissed while the exterminator upstairs killed the rabid bat that brought us closer together.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.09.2012

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