Twisted Roads – Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Ninety

He blinks, feeling the warmth of it run down his face. He spits a wad of saliva, blood, and broken teeth to the ground, then coughs violently before spitting again. “Damn,” he says with a chuckle. He looks up, squints, and places a hand high in the air, shielding his eyes from the light. “Do you want me to tell you… a story?” he says to the small group that stands over his broken and bloody frame.

“Your days of telling stories are done, Daniel. You need to come to terms with what’s about to happen. You need to realise that you can’t talk your FUCKING way out of this one!” one of the men says as he grips a bloody lead pipe in his hand and snarls.

Daniel laughs. “Judgement? Judgement is a funny thing, Simon, for those who cast stones should be wary of where they’ll land and what they could hit when their aim is off.”

“You piece of SHIT!” Simon yells as he smashes the pipe across Daniel’s face, sending him to the ground once more with a thud.

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” Daniel mutters as he lifts himself onto all fours. Simon bites down on his bottom lip. His face twists with anger as he drives a boot into Daniel’s side, sending him momentarily into the air before he crashes to the ground again.

“The time for penance is over. Your sins will go with you to your end, and this town will finally begin to HEAL!” Simon yells as he drives the pipe deep into Daniel’s skull. Silence follows as they all stand watching while Daniel’s blood pools in an ever-growing puddle beneath his now lifeless body. “Now, we can begin again. NOW, we can face tomorrow, without the past in the way,” he says as he turns to the others. The pipe drops from his hand, and his eyes grow wide as he stares into the cold, dead eyes of….