Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Tag: Fear

  • Daily Grind – Sleep

    Daily Grind – Sleep

    I finally, after days, almost a week in fact, found the salvation of sleep. But, it did not come to me gently, honestly I regret it ever happening now.

    When I closed my eyes, and drifted off into that unknown bliss, I was taken on a journey, one that had no purpose, only to pry more of my fractured mind away.

    I was somewhere, in the mist of a story, strange children ran riot, they were like beasts, small, growing, alike each one. I slayed them, as many as I could, and other weird and unusual creatures, they attacked me, ripped, pulled, and then he came, their leader.

    He was, almost like me, not that much different, maybe, like I used to be, when I was whole. He told me to leave his children, to go, before he struck me down, I held onto my weapon, a rake, but I used it to bash their heads in, so it was a weapon of sorts.

    More of them appeared, soon he was surrounded by his clones, ranging in sizes and ages, but they all looked like him, their face, that of an adult, while their bodies were of child.

    I made the decision to leave, to escape while I could, I realized for the first time since this started that it was not I who had been fighting them, but another, I was on the outside, just hovering by his side, watching.

    When I woke my heart was beating, my skin wet, as the sweat dripped off it, only 5 minutes had passed, 5 minutes that seemed like an eternity, but rest was not given, it was an uneasy 5 minutes, being awake would’ve caused less stress.

    I did not sleep again, pacing the house, checking each room, for unwanted visitors, but nothing else happened, it was as it always has been.

    But, I feel a change coming, I feel something birthing.

    But what?

    What is coming?

     

  • Daily Grind – Firelight, Dull My Pain

    Daily Grind – Firelight, Dull My Pain

    I had another visitor last night, someone new, it was 3am when I heard the banging on the door, I could see the flashing lights through the gap beneath the door frame. I was instantly charged, my whole body a mess of misfiring electrical impulses. As I gripped the door handle, a shot of pain ripped from my hand, ran up my arm and stabbed me somewhere deep in the back of my skull, I nervously looked at my hand to see two fingernails had lifted up from the skin, now only connected by white, stringy pus, as a black ooze slowly seeped from where they once sat.

    Whoever was on the other side of the door banged loudly once again, he called my name, my name, ‘Mister Towns’ he called, he wanted me to open the door, said his name was Detective Toddard, and he needed to talk to me about a phone called he’d received involving a case he’d worked a few years ago.

    I heard his words, all of them, but I just stared at my fingers, as the black ooze continued to seep out of the tips.

     He banged again, said if I didn’t open the door he’d break it down, I forced my hand to move, begged this to be a dream, even though I knew I was not asleep. Slowly I turned the handle, opening the door, it was dark, the porch was empty, there were no flashing lights, no frustrated Detective, nothing, empty. I closed the door and stared at my hand, the nails were reattached, as if they’d never been removed.

    He said my name, I spun around to face him, his head spilt open, the blood around his face dry and dark. Hell is coming for me he said, I won’t escape, retribution will be paid, no forgiveness, no hope, no happy endings, then, he grabbed me, thrust me against the wall and told me to never trust the beast,  then I was alone again, or so I thought.

    She lay asleep in the bed, snoring, I could hear her from the doorway, I was confused at first, so many things had just taken place, things that made no sense, I need time to comprehend what was happening. So, slowly I peered into the room, it was adorned with posters and toys, it was a child’s room, but this couldn’t be, this room was empty, full of boxes and junk only hours ago.

    I creep into the room, to the head of the bed, she rolled over, talking in her sleep, who was this child, and what was she doing in my house?

    I slowly reached out towards her, gripping the blanket that covered her, and pulled it back, the room spun around like a merry-go-round as I collapsed to the floor, vomiting dry air and whatever had managed to stay in my stomach from earlier that night.

    When I looked up again the room was as it had always been, filed with boxes and dust.

    My god, what’s happening to me?

    When will this nightmare end?

  • Daily Grind – It’s Getting Personal

    Daily Grind – It’s Getting Personal

    He mocks me the bastard, trying to twist my pain, making light of my darkness, my falling. It arrived in my inbox this morning, the email address, fake, non-existent.

    Gareth, why?

    Why do you do this?

    What did I ever do to you?

     

  • A Glimpse, Into Tomorrow

    A Glimpse, Into Tomorrow

    The room was dim, only lit by the light of the computer screen and the burning embers of his cigarette. His fingers move quickly over the keyboard, as the words drift from the depths of his imagination, or, from another’s.

    “You know what happens next,” a voice says from the darkness.

    “I know, you told me this part, I know it better than you,” he replies quickly, nervously taking a drag on the cigarette.

    “It’s important, the words must be correct, no holes, no mistakes, it must be as I said,” the voice hisses.

    “I know alright, a billion times, every time, I know what happens, okay!” He barks back, looking over his shoulder into the shadows that shroud the room.

    “Remember your place child, for you live because I have need of it.”

    “Without me you’re nothing, so don’t try threats. I’ve agreed with your game, I know what I have to do, you get everything you want and I get my life back, better than it was, no bullshit plot twist, no screwing me over. I get it all back, how it was before you ever entered my life!” He says.

    “When I have him, when I have fathers sin, you will have what was promised, now type, write my words, and together, let us burn this world!”

  • 27 Days Until The End – Cranky – Daily Prompt- Wrapped In Words

    27 Days Until The End – Cranky – Daily Prompt- Wrapped In Words

    Cranky carnivorious beast,

    ripping,

    tearing,

    breaking its way in,

    chewing,

    biting,

    stuffing it all in,

    I freeze with fear,

    as I watch it feast,

    my god,

    how where does it find the room,

    and now we’re cursed,

    with a sugar high,

    I never knew being a parent,

    on Easter morning,

    was such a pain in the arse!

    This is for the Daily Prompt

  • 28 Days Until The End – Committed – 50 Word Story Expanded

    28 Days Until The End – Committed – 50 Word Story Expanded

    “Bobby, are you sure this is the way he went?” She asks, as they slowly make their way down the deserted hallway, their torches tearing through the darkness like knives.

    “He ran in here, I swear I’m not lying Sofie, it was Lyndon James, as god is my witness, and all that other crap, he ran in here, he’s alive and we’re going to stop him once and for all!”

    She swallows a mouthful of air, and grips Bobby’s arm tightly, “I’m sorry honey, I didn’t mea…”

    “Then don’t question me again,” he says pulling his arm free. “Lyndon took everything from me, turned the school against me, turned you against me, stopping him means everything, it’s the only thing I can think of, once I prove to everyone he’s been behind all this, he’s not as dead as his freshly dug grave makes him look, they’ll all be begging me to forgive then, begging me to be,” he stops, and flashes his light behind him, into the darkness, and freezes. “Sofie, now isn’t the time to be fooling around,” he hisses, then waits, and as he waits, sweat runs down his brow, stinging his eyes. “Sofie?” He calls out quietly. But no reply comes, well, not a reply he would want anyway.

    As he stands in the silence, the fear builds, until his torch comes to rest on a flowing stream of deep, red blood, cascading along the floor, from underneath one of the doors. Slowly, he inches his way to the doorway, and places a hand on the handle, it squeaks as he turns it, making him jump, quickly he grabs his face tightly, as he lets out a muffled shriek. Then, once he’s collected himself, he pushes the door open, and the torch light reveals the mutilated remains of Sofie, he screams in terror, fear, and sadness, rushing to her side, as her dead eyes stare towards the doorway, it slams behind him, and he leaps to his feet, feverishly searching the small room.

    “SHOW YOURSELF, YOU BASTARD! COME ON, LET ME KILL YOU RIGHT THIS TIME!” He screams, as he spins around the room, he sucks in a deep breathe, as the light flicks past, the blood covered form, of Lyndon James, his face twisted, his lips, smiling.

    He grips Boddy by the hair, and drives the blade deep into his stomach, and then, for some time, they both freeze in place, staring at each other, until finally, he smiles, and pulls the blade free, leaving Bobby’s dying body to crash helplessly to the ground.

    “See me now? See what you made, now, join me in hell, murder!” He hisses, as Bobby feels his life drain away, cursing that night, blaming Lyndon for stepping out, not watching, it wasn’t his fault, it was never his fault…

  • 28 Days Until The End – Committed – 50 Word Story

    28 Days Until The End – Committed – 50 Word Story

    He grips Boddy by the hair, and drives the blade deep into his stomach, and then, for some time, they both freeze in place, staring at each other, until finally, he smiles, and pulls the blade free, leaving Bobby’s dying body to crash helplessly to the ground.

    “See me now?”

  • 28 Days Until The End – Free – Daily Prompt – Wrapped In Words

    28 Days Until The End – Free – Daily Prompt – Wrapped In Words

    Close your eyes,

    and ignore the pain,

    sleep,

    the eternal sleep,

    rest,

    for you are free,

    released from this place,

     from your pain,

    so close your eyes,

    go on,

    and go forth,

    step forward,

    step out,

    where you end up,

    heaven or hell,

    will be measured by your life lived,

    your payment,

    your final judgment,

    now scarred by my blade,

    twisted in my darkness,

    for I am the sinner,

    and you are my victim.

    This is for the Daily Prompt.

  • 29 Days Until The End – Best Offer Accepted – 50 Word Story Expanded

    29 Days Until The End – Best Offer Accepted – 50 Word Story Expanded

    I don’t know when I first noticed it, the coldness, outside the air was warm, beautiful in fact, I could’ve stripped down to nothing, and still felt like I had too many clothes on, but, inside the house, it was cold, and I mean dead cold.

    Nothing I could do would make it anymore than that, I even had the heat pump checked, you know, just to make sure it was working, the guys who came to have a look at it, gave me a strange look, like I was crazy, but, once they came in, and felt the coldness themselves, they understood what I was talking about.

    They pulled that fucking thing apart, checked every piece of it, for any possible fault, but, found nothing wrong with it at all, so, eventually, after a few solid hours of searching, all they could do was charge me for their time, and leave…

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  • 29 Days Until The End – Best Offer Accepted – 50 Word Story 

    29 Days Until The End – Best Offer Accepted – 50 Word Story 

    It was just a simple, off hand comment, one that didn’t mean anything at the time, simply, he said, ‘if I was you, I’d call a preacher, maybe it’s a ghost!’ As soon as he said it, we all laughed, but, as I shut the door, my mind ran wild.

  • 55 Days Until The End – Escape – 50 Word Story Expanded 

    55 Days Until The End – Escape – 50 Word Story Expanded 

    “Just put the fucking matches down, and let me help you!” She screams, his eyes nervously twitch, moving from the match stick in his hand, to the box in the other, and then to her, and back again, “Toby! For fuck sake, LISTEN to me! Whatever shit you’ve gotten yourself into, it’s not as bad as you think, let me share the burden, let me help you!” She yells.

    “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” He screams as he flicks the match against the box, but, it fails to ignite.

    “NO!” She screams as she rushes towards him, he swings wildly, connecting a solid right hook to the side of her head, sending her crashing to the ground. For a few seconds, she lies dazed on the ground, beforr scrambling to her feet, shaking her head vigorously as she tries to gather her bearings, then, looks up at him, as her blood runs down her face, her nose a mess, and her left eye slowly begins swelling up, forcing it to close completely. But, through the pain, she pushes forward, and clenches her teeth together in anger. “Toby, for FUCK SAKE, STOP!”

    “I-I-I, I can’t, it won’t let me, I have to.”

    “Who won’t Toby? Tell ME?”

    “The thing in my dreams, it comes to me, it tells me all the horrible things it’s going to do, tells me how it’ll end, and how I need to do this, how I-I…” He pauses and stares at the floor wide-eyed, his lip quivers, then he looks back at her. “I have to do this,” he says, striking the match again, it sparks to life, and he lets it drop, as the match falls into the gasoline, the room is engulfed with light, he feels the heat hit him, tearing at his flesh, wave after wave, his throat burns, his eyes explode, and then, nothing, the pain, gone, and he stands naked, in darkness, as it stares back at him.

    “W-W-Where am I?”

    “You are in the place between the now and the then, the past and the future, you are in my realm, outside all that is,” it says in a cold, raspy voice, like fingernails along a blackboard.

    “W-Why?” He asks nervously, the beast almost laughs, as it takes a step towards him.

    “That’s something you should’ve asked before you made your journey,” it says, as it’s size doubles and it engulfs his tiny frame into itself. “It’s something, YOU should all ask yourself, before making your way to me,” it says, as somewhere, lost within its soulless, empty, black eyes, Toby screams for forgiveness, and for you, to stop it.

  • 55 Days Until The End – Escape – 50 Word Story 

    55 Days Until The End – Escape – 50 Word Story 

    As the match falls into the gasoline, the room is engulfed with light, he feels the heat hit him, tearing at his flesh, wave after wave, his throat burns, his eyes explode, and then, nothing, the pain, gone, and he stands naked, in darkness, as it stares back at him.

  • 55 Days Until The End – Whispers – Daily Prompt -Wrapped In Words

    55 Days Until The End – Whispers – Daily Prompt -Wrapped In Words

    I hear them,

    in the walls,

    talking to me,

    telling me their lies,

    stories of darkness,

    of controversy and death,

    I listen to them,

    I tired not to,

    but it’s better to give in,

    than to try and hide,

    for in the end,

    when it comes for me,

    I want it to know,

    I know its name,

    and,

    I am not afraid.

    This is for the Daily Prompt.

  • Day 309 – Daily Prompt – True Horrors Await Me – Wrapped In Words

    Day 309 – Daily Prompt – True Horrors Await Me – Wrapped In Words

    And as the beast rised before me,

    I gazed upon it’s massive form,

    and I knew true horror,

    its teeth were many,

    its eyes were black,

    its skin was decaying,

    its hands clawed,

    and its stench,

    well,

    it was overwhelming,

    ano as it looked down at me,

    it smiled,

    how long I have waited it said,

    the key to its salvation was found,

    in me,

    its destroyer,

    or was I,

    just it’s helpless victim?

    This is for the Daily Prompt.

  • Day 300 – My Name – 50 Word Story Expanded

    Day 300 – My Name – 50 Word Story Expanded

    “Damn it Damien, let them go, they’re innocent!”

    “Never, no one is innocent, everyone of these fucks has sin on their souls, and they’ll all pay the price, so is my word, so, it shall be!” He says, gripping the blade tightly as he slashes it into the air violently, coming to a stop in front of his face, he feels the sweat run down his brow, his eyes, grow wide, as he stares into Damien’s hateful eyes, slowly, he reaches a nervous hand up to the blade, and pushes it away.

    “Steady on there sunshine, I’m not the enemy here…

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  • Day 265 – Frantic Motion – Short Story

    Day 265 – Frantic Motion – Short Story

    “You have to trust me,” he says, as he stares into her hopeless eyes, she nods her head, biting into her lip as she does.

    “With everything I have,” she says.

    He smiles, “Good, because, what we’re about to do, requires you to do exactly what I say, when I say it. You can’t stop and think, you can’t wonder why, you just have to move, no thinking, no stopping, just one, flowing, unrelenting, movement, do you understand?”

    “I understand Kevin, and, I trust you,” she says as she places her hand out for him to take, he looks down at her hand, then back up to her face.

    “I can’t carry you, I can’t hold you, you have to follow, if you slip up, if you slow do, or stop, then it’s your problem not mine,” he says, she pulls her hand away in surprise, and he smiles once again. “Don’t think that should be anything to worry about, I love you, it’s just, I can’t do this if I’m carrying you as well, so, you have to just follow, listen and obey…

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  • Day 247 – Ride, The Lie – Short Story

    Day 247 – Ride, The Lie – Short Story

    Okay, so, last night, I told you about the not so normal drive home I had with my family, I know plenty of you doubted it, laughed off what I told you as another one of my crazy little short stories, and you know what, I don’t blame you, I would.

    But, don’t tell me you didn’t feel a but was coming. But, none of what I told you was a lie, while, at the same time, none of it was the truth.

    How the hell does that work, it’s either the truth, or, it’s a lie, right? Wrong!

    How so, this so.

    I didn’t tell you everything that happened, and what I told you, I added a few over the top elements.

    It didn’t happen yesterday, or last week, or last month, in fact, I don’t really remember when it happened.

    The woman, when I saw her, she didn’t glow, in fact, it was the opposite, I almost didn’t see her because of how monotone she was.

    I also told you I stopped inches from her, that’s also a lie. I plowed right into her, the moment I first laid eyes on her, there was no second time, no long moments of driving with her image stuck in my head.

    You see, I was caught halfway between being awake and asleep, her dirty, grey image standing in the middle of the road like a possum caught in headlights, registered nothing to me. But, when she stuck my car, or, my car struck her, she hit the hood and windscreen hard and I thrust my foot on the breaks.

    I jumped from the car, that was true, she grabbed me and told me to watch out for the beast, like I told you before. But, in reality, when I turned around, there was t just blood on the exterior of the car, I saw blood, plenty of blood, on the inside of the windscreen, my wife’s door was hanging open, so I rushed to it, and her empty dead eyes stared at me. I dared myself to look in the back seat, it was the only way, but before I could, my heart jumped as I felt the cold knife against my throat, he hissed in my ear, deep low words, words I don’t remember and then darkness took me.

    To this day, I still don’t know why he left me alive, maybe it was a way to thank me for killing the girl, or maybe it was punishment, is that why he killed my family? To make me suffer from taking his kill from him?

    It doesn’t matter anymore though, this part of the story anyway, because, soon, tomorrow, tonight, or maybe in a few minutes, I’ll forget what really happened that night, and I’ll be home again, with them, happy, whole, and not here, alone, old, suffering every time the meds wear off, and I sit here waiting for the new round to kick in, until I can be lost in a world of what should’ve been, and not this horrid world of what is.

    End

  • Day 246 – The Ride – Short Story

    Day 246 – The Ride – Short Story

    I want to take this moment, the one we’re about to share, to tell you about a story that happened to me, just a few hours ago. I know, in all honesty, you’re not going to believe me, because, I don’t believe it myself, but it’s true, I swear to whatever higher being you believe in, it is, for I have no reason to lie.

    First I’ll set the scene, so you’re with me, and I can tell the story correctly. The sun had just set, and dusk was fading from the sky, the stars were starting to take over the darkness, and the moon, large and full, glowed a deep yellow. I was, in my car, my wife, sleeping in the passenger seat beside me, and my daughter, talking to herself in the back seat, slowly slipping into the sweet embrace of sleep as well.

    Did I mention it’s Friday the thirteenth today? Not that it’s relatively important to the story, but, it adds some charm I guess.

    Anyway, soon it was just me, staring into the darkness, as I drove forward, onward, towards home. We had already traveled more than an hour, and had almost the same if not more, until we reached home, a family outing, one that had almost been a waste of time, as we had rushed around, and really never got to experience each other’s  company, the way we would’ve wanted to.

    Anyway, I saw her, at first, standing on the side of the road, her white dress glowed in the cars headlights, or maybe, it was just glowing on its own, I’m not sure anymore. Anyway, I drove past, but, for the next few miles, the image of that woman nagged at my head, I couldn’t stop thinking, if she was okay, lost, or, something to else. That’s when she was standing there, in the middle of the road, staring straight towards me, I slammed on the breaks, and the car slid for a few short meters, coming to a stop, a few feet from her, I leapt from the car and starting yelling at her, all the while, she stood there, quietly, just staring at me. And then, as my heart slowly started to slow, and my anger cooled, she reached out and pointed, past me, past my car and towards a huge black shadow that stood behind it.

    “Beware the beast,” she said.

    I felt the sweat run down my brow, and I turned back towards her, she was inches from me now, and grabbed hold of my arm.

    “WAKE UP!” She screamed.

    My eyes flicked open, and I almost lost control of the car, my wife stirred in her seat and asked me if I was okay, I brushed off her question and literally held my eyes open the rest of the way home. The funny thing was, when we got home my wife asked me what was wrong with my arm, I asked her why she’d ask such a question, and that’s when I noticed the bruise on my arm, in the shape of a hand.

    Now, again, you don’t need to believe me, but, it’s true, I mean, seriously, why would I lie to you?

    End

  • Day 218 – Market – Short Story

    Day 218 – Market – Short Story

    “You seriously brought this piece of shit from there?” He says, holding up the unusual looking goblet, the rim of it cracked and chipped, the base, the same. “Fuck, it won’t even hold any liquid in it, how much did you pay?”

    “Two hundred,” she says quickly.

    He looks up at her, his eyes wide with disbelief, “You, are FUCKING kidding me? Two hundred FUCKING dollars? Are you INSANE?”

    “Trevor, trust me, this goblet will change our lives,” she says, snatching it from him, and slowly, runs her fingers around a symbol on the goblets stem…

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  • Day 217 – Green Zoned – Short Story

    Day 217 – Green Zoned – Short Story

    “What is, what is,” she says proudly, standing over the bloody and beaten man, who kneels before her.

    “P-Please, Aurora, can’t you see what you’ve become? There’s st-still time, we, we can still sa-save them,” he says weakly.

    “Don’t be a fool brother, it’s over. I’ve chosen my alliance, and, we have been victorious. Why not stand by my side and rule this world, we could overthrow Falgan, together.”

    “No, not like this, not bitter, not twisted. You’ve become someone I don’t even know, we fought for peace, for, for something better than this, something, beautiful…

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