Twisted Roads – Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Today’s story is brought to life by the following prompt…

This is my submission for Kevin’s No Theme Thursday.

A What Not in Colour

Stefan drops to his knees and stares at the television set, a wave of horror washing over his face as the image of a man fades in and out of focus within the grey fuzz spewing forth from the screen.

“Surprised to s-s-s-zzz-s-s-see me?” the figure asks, as a set of putrid yellow teeth burns a hole through the fuzz, causing Stefan to gag, almost as if he could smell the rancid odour of the figure’s breath.

“H-H-How?” he stammers.

“All you n-n-n-zzzz-n-n-need to know is, hell, it’s a really FUCKING hole, a-a-a-zzz-a-a-and if I was to tell ya h-h-h-how I managed to g-g-get here, I’d h-h-zzz-h-have to kill ya!” The voice cackles loudly through the static. “I know, it sounds as stupid a-a-a-zzz-a-a-as I thought it was gonna sound, ‘cause we both know I’m gonna kill ya anyway, don’t we!”

“B-B-But w-w-why?”

“Why no-no-no-zzz-no-no-not?” the voice scoffs.

“I-I-I, I lied for you. I-I-I protected y-y-you, e-e-even when they threatened my f-f-family. E-e-even when t-t-they…” His words catch in his throat as tears stream down his cheeks.

“Even w-w-w-zzz-w-w-when they killed t-t-t-zzz-t-them? Was that w-w-w-zzzz-w-what you were going to say?” the voice taunts as it fades in and out of the static.

“FUCK YOU!” Stefan screams as he launches himself to his feet and drives a kick into the television screen, sending it momentarily rocking backwards.

“Tut-t-t-t-zzz-t-t-tut, Stefan, anger will get y-y-you nowhere!”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?” he cries as he tears at his face, pulling his hair and clenching his jaw tightly, while punching and kicking the air in dramatic fashion.

“I-I-zzz-I-I, I already told you why. I’m here to k-k-k-zzz-k-k-kill you.”

Stefan’s face twists, and he arches his head away from the television, staring at it with a raised brow. “How? How are you going to kill me from all the way in there?” he says, pointing a finger at the television.

“In here, as y-y-y-zzz-y-you put it, is only t-t-zzz-t-t-temporary. Soon I’ll b-b-b-zzz-b-b-be free of this, and then I’ll tear y-y-y-zzz—” The screen falls silent as Stefan swings the television’s power cord around in his hand playfully.

“I don’t see you doing much of anything without this plugged in, so I’d best keep my options open,” he says with sarcastic, leaden words as he proudly strides off.

“Y-Y-You didn’t really think t-t-t-zzz-t-t-that was going to work, d-d-d-zzz-d-d-did you?”

Stefan closes his eyes and takes in a breath. “I was hoping it would. It would make this a hell of a lot easier.”

“E-E-E-ZZZ-E-E-Easy isn’t o-o-o-zzz-o-o-on this R-RIDE!” the voice roars as the room shakes, and the very colour drains out of the walls, running into the television like water down a drain.

“W-W-What’s h-h-happening?” Stefan stammers as he stumbles back, watching the colour drain from his shoes, then his trousers, and finally his shirt.

“L-L-L-ZZZ-L-L-Like I said,” the voice almost sings as an image is slowly sewn together from streams of colour that shoot from the television in front of him. Finally, a fully-formed figure stands colourfully before him, while the rest of the room fades away into a world of black and white.

“W-W-W-What?”

“Again with the ‘what’!” the figure snarls, smiling broadly as he leans menacingly towards Stefan, who cowers on the floor before him. “Let’s concentrate on the ‘how,’ and work our way there!”