Tag: short story

The Platform Pt.4

I stayed there, un-moving for what seemed like an eternity, I almost felt a bit of peace come over me before I realized…

Mj Gale3 Comments

There had to be a way out. I got myself standing and half stumbled to where I thought the edge was. The floor was glowing bright enough that I could see where it stopped. I grab a piece of the pile, a hand I think, and throw it toward the dark part of the ground and listen. There is no noise. It was obviously a drop off. I start moving along the edge and it becomes apparent that we were on a giant rectangular platform. I look up for anything that might help me, but it’s too dark to see anything at all. Then I hear the whoosh again just in time for me to dive to the floor.

I stayed until the second whoosh came back through, hoping my new adversary was still on the pile. I listen as hard as I can but I don’t hear anything. I stay still for a few more minutes but the floor is just too hot. I crawl back over to my created pile and very carefully and as quietly as I can, begin to climb up it. When I am almost to the top I struggle to try to see if he was up there or if anything was moving, either it was too dark or he wasn’t there. I climbed the rest of the way to the top, lay backwards face up, and keep as still as possible. I thought I’d heard a noise to my left but I didn’t budge, I needed time to think, and it was still so hot and I was SO thirsty. I stayed there, un-moving for what seemed like an eternity, I almost feel a bit of peace come over me before I realiz that is probably a bad thing.

I need to stay alert, I need a game plan. My Brain is so foggy, I can’t think of anything except an ice cold drink. Right then I feel the pile move, and I know he must be climbing up it. I continue my attempt to be as quiet as before. He obviously wasn’t wanting to try to work together to find a way out, but I wasn’t sure I could do what he did to me. I hold as still as I can while I feel the pile move ever so slightly. It was so hot, I was so thirsty, my Brain was so disoriented, what if I was just imagining it moving..? Finally I sense that he is near, he was obviously trying to move slow and quiet, I can tell he is near my feet, I pull my knees into my chest, struggling to see any type of shape in front of me, but it was still just darkness.

I sense it before I feel him, he was on his knees groping around the top of the pile. I close my eyes, hesitating briefly, before shooting my legs out and hitting him square in the chest. He shot backwards yelling out and grabbing for something as he flew down onto the floor. He instantly starts screaming as he hits the ground; there is an awful, grinding noise accompanying his screams. The red light is now back and almost on-top of me above the pile, a dark, dark red that was finally illuminating the room. I look and am able to see him down there, the floor was glowing bright orange, and there were hundreds of spikes sticking out of it now, and the spikes were turning. He was punctured and being ground up. As his screams finally subside I realize I am covered up to my knees on-top of the pile. Then he stops completely, and it is eerily quiet again.

There is a loud noise on the other end of the platform, I see two large doors open from what seemed to be nowhere, light fills the area. I squint but all I can see is the gore left behind. The floor is no longer glowing and the spikes are gone, all that remains is an array of body parts and blood covering everything. I climb down and hesitantly head to the open door. When I reach it I can see a bright bright white room, with a single item. I step into the white room, and stare at the small black table in the middle of the room, on it there was just one thing.
A bottle of water.

© 2017 Mj Gale

Pt.1     Pt.2     Pt.3

The Platform Pt.2

I feel the people around me yet no one is making a noise, all of us anxious for what comes next.

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As we are all pushed forward we step onto another platform, it’s still complete darkness. No one is saying a word. I’m pushed forward even more as we hear the doors of the tram close and feel the gust of wind as it leaves us all standing on the platform in the darkness. I feel the people around me yet no one is making a noise, all of us anxious for what comes next. It feels like an eternity, the quietness, the darkness, the unspoken energy in the room increasing to a level where it feels like you could choke on it. As we continues to wait, we finally see a glimmer of a red light far away.

It flickers almost as if it was toying with us, getting bigger and then flickering away, brighter and then darker and then gone again. When I try to focus on it, the light seems to disappear and then reappear as soon as I avert my eyes. It was then I realized that the room was hot, and getting hotter. I still couldn’t see anything besides the flickering red light in the distance but I can tell the people were starting to take off their coats and clothes. It is so hot I can feel the heat come through my shoes, I’m sweating and I feel my ear start dripping blood again. The light has gotten closer and appears to be constant now even when I stare directly at it, it keeps changing from a red to an orange to a darker red color. I’m almost transfixed by the transformations of it when suddenly I feel myself get pushed to the ground.

The ground is so hot it burns my hands as I began to push myself up. In the commotion someone steps on my hand and I yell out as I feel my finger snap backwards. As soon as I yell out everyone started screaming at once. It happens so quickly that it’s disorienting. I’m trying to get off the burning hot ground while trying to ignore my finger throbbing and everyone is screaming. It is still so dark and I can’t see the flicker anymore. The screams are so loud, I just curl into a fetal position to avoid being crushed again and put my hands over my ears.

I am thankful now, that I didn’t take off my coat even though it was so hot, because now it was protecting me, a little bit at least, from the heat radiating from the floor. I am sweating so much and it is so loud. I am completely disoriented and barely even notice a sudden whooshing sensation, until the deafening silence that followed, and then there is a second whoosh. I stay curled up but try to get a glimpse of something, anything, but it’s still so dark. I hear a thump and then another thump, and then so many thumps and I yell out when something falls on me. I reached to move it off me and scream when I realize it is a head.

Continued in Pt.3 of 4

© 2017 Mj Gale

The Platform – Pt.1

There’s nothing except darkness in the tunnel as we enter it, pure and utter darkness…

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We are standing outside on a platform, all of us jammed together like sardines waiting for the next tram. Everyone is anxious, restless and obviously wants to get on this next one. We feel it in our feet before we see it and everyone simultaneously inches forward. As it rounds the bend we see it come into view, and They are on the roof of it as usual. Everyone hunkers down as the beams start shooting from their guns. The blasts come quick and hot, the person next to me no longer has a face and someone is using his body as a shield. The tram is closer now, coming to a stop in front of us.

The shots are still coming, quick and plentiful. It’s so eerily quiet no one is making any noise. I’m crouching as low as I can, trying not to look at the lady near me who is looking for her arm on the platform underneath everyone’s feet. The doors open and there’s a massive rush of pressure from behind as everyone tries to make it inside. I’m pretty much pushed into the tram as a beam shoots near me. I stumble in and feel blood on me, I put my hand up to my head and feel the bottom part of my ear is missing and bleeding profusely. The doors close and I stare at what’s left on the platform, probably at least 15 bodies laying still, I see the ladies arm but not her, I see a foot lying sideways. I feel the blood dripping down my body from my ear as the tram leaves this platform.

I look around inside and everyone appears dazed, no one really looking at anyone or meeting anyone’s eyes. I look forward towards where the tram is heading and begin to feel nervous again as we get closer to the large mountain ahead. There’s nothing except darkness in the tunnel as we enter it, pure and utter darkness. I glance around again as the last of the light fades and everyone is staring at the floor, blood dripping everywhere, still no noise other than the sound of the tram on the tracks. It feels as if we go on for a really long time in the darkness, long enough for the blood to start to dry on me, when I finally feel the tram start to slow down and then come to a stop. I hear the doors open, there are no lights anywhere, no noise to be heard, just the urgency to move.

Continued in Pt.2 of 4…

© 2017 Mj Gale

The Shrieking Room

Waiting and waiting. I see something flicker at the edge of the fireplace.

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As I am introduced to the husband I take a look around the living room. I ask him to show me the rest of the house, and I take notes as he leads me room to room. He’s rambling on about the various trim and details that they have updated. He leads me to a small door, about half the size of a normal door with a lock on the outside. He opens it and motions for me to go in, alarm bells start going off in my head, but he says the other three bedrooms are this direction. I follow him in, he turns on lights as we go.

We are in a room that is all cedar, nothing sheet-rocked or finished yet. The height is seems to be almost 5 feet total, I’m slouching down as he is. It reminds me of an attic space. I question if this is a bedroom and he looks at me as if I’m crazy. Of course it is. The room is also very narrow, I cannot see where it ends, we continue forward. It seems as if we are going down, in a circular motion. Everything is still bare and empty, no furniture nothing at all. He leads me farther, and it seems by now we are under ground, I’m getting increasingly uncomfortable. I again question him, he gets angry and asks if I even want to see the other rooms or what I’m doing there then. I hesitantly agree and we keep going. I do ask if we are under ground and he says of course.

We finally get to the “bottom”  for the room, or what I’m assuming is the bottom; it’s the end, we can go no farther. On the end wall there is a giant fireplace. It’s hug and extremely ornate, the details are fantastic. It is obviously hand made by someone with exquisite attention to detail. I mention that and he grunts something. I ask what he said and he repeated, I’ll just leave it to you then. He turns around and leaves me. I’m standing there stunned, looking around me and wondering what was happening. I start to walk back when I hear the door at the end lock and then the lights turn off. I scramble for my phone to get the flashlight on and try to figure out what I’m going to do. I’ve dropped my notepad and am starting to panic. I hear a noise from the fireplace and I step closer.

Maybe there’s a way out through there…. As I edge closer I hear the noise get louder. It’s a scratching sound, with a slight screeching noise behind the scratching. I edge closer and closer, the noise is getting louder. I hesitate when my head is right by the opening in the fireplace, I feel a cold musty air coming out of there. The noise is much louder now. My light barely seems to penetrate the darkness from within the fireplace. The scratching is so loud it sounds as if it’s coming closer. Then it stopped. It’s so quiet I can’t hear anything other than my breathing. I’m not moving. Waiting and waiting. I see something flicker at the edge of the fireplace.

What was that….it came out again. And crawled over the edge. It was a giant, humongous spider. bigger than anything I had ever seen or imagined in my life. Easily the size of a football. It’s crawled out and was resting on the mantel of the fireplace, just staring at me, it was so large and so close I could see it’s eyes, just staring. I want to scream but nothing is coming out, I want to run but can’t seem to move. Then I hear more scratching, all of a sudden hundreds more come out of the fireplace, they’re all about the size of a softball.

There are so many of them, just coming out and out of the fireplace, until the entire fireplace is covered with them. The whole wall is covered with them, all just sitting at staring at me, their eyes reflecting in my light, it’s so quiet again. I don’t know what to do. I feel if I move or make a noise something is going to happen, but I’m so terrified I am shaking, my light is shaking which is making their eyes seem even more evil. Then I hear one long continuous shrieking noise…they all seem as though they are one giant being, rocking back and forth to this noise.

I know it is time to move, I’m afraid of making any sudden movements but I start stepping back, step by step. The noise is getting louder and louder, I’m almost far enough away I think, maybe I can turn around and run, but just then the noise gets so loud my ears ring, it’s so loud. They are still there just staring at me, hundreds of eyes reflected in my light… the noise stops, simultaneously just as it stops, they all jump at me. I’m over 10 feet away but they are all on me in that instant. I’m screaming and screaming as I drop my phone and it all goes black…

© 2017 Mj Gale

The Voice Within The Wind

I still couldn’t know for sure what it said but I thought I heard “don’t”.

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It’s dusk. I appear to be in a desert, with one or two trees in the horizon. But it’s windy, I have fabric covering my entire face and body, just my eyes are exposed. I can see a dark shadowy figure in the distance, out by the trees, but when I try to focus on the figure it seems to disappear. It’s very windy and it’s getting darker and darker, instinct tells me I shouldn’t be out here when it becomes fully night.

I try to walk towards the trees but I’m struggling to even stay upright in this wind. I think I can hear something in the wind but I can’t make it out. With each step the distant figure seems closer, it’s not moving but still appears to fade in and out of my sight. I’m finally making progress forward, yet the trees seem to be getting farther, and it’s getting even darker. Somehow the figure appears to be getting closer, it seems almost statue like; Tall, probably well over 7 feet, I think I’m facing its side as it seems extremely narrow.

I’m still struggling with the wind but making better strides. As I’m almost within arm reach of the figure I hear the voice through the wind again. I still couldn’t know for sure what it said but I thought I heard “don’t”.
As my arm is reaching out towards the figure, I feel a vibration through the wind, and I hesitate within an inch of touching it. I can’t see what it’s made out of, but I can feel the icy cold radiating from it before I even touch it. The vibration is getting stronger, and the wind is blowing even harder; it’s almost completely dark now and I’m struggling to stand upright.

I hear the voice again within the wind, crystal clear “DON’T”. I hesitate again, but alas I close my eyes, turn my head and touch the figure. The moment I do the wind stops, the vibration stops, it becomes so pitch black that I can’t see anything, not the trees or even the figure in front of me. It’s eerily quiet. My hand is still touching the figure, the coldness is starting to spread throughout my fingers and up my arm. I try to remove it but I can’t, I try harder, even harder. I scream out In pain as my skin starts to tear from the statuesque figure.

I rip it off all the way, holding my ripped-open, bleeding hand as the wind is suddenly back, instantly I start running towards the trees as fast as I can. I look behind me and see the figure has moved, and is now even bigger than it was. It’s moving towards me fast, and appears to be growing as it comes after me. I hear a different voice now, almost as if its speaking within my head, harsh and ominous, it says “you’re mine now”. I pump my legs as hard as I can but I’m running against the wind, it’s so hard. I look behind me and it’s there. Looming over me. Well over 10 feet tall now, as wide as a four men. I try to turn back around and keep running when I feel it take me over, then everything goes black.

© 2017 Mj Gale

Distress

There was a malevolence in the air, whatever was in that stairwell with me was causing the baby to cry…

Mj Gale8 Comments

I can hear crying, I can’t tell what is crying, I can barely hear it. I realize I am in a stairwell, a dark and winding stairwell made of stone. I cant decide if I should be going up or down the stairs, but something is telling me to get to the crying, and quickly. It seems to be fading and I know that time is of the essence. I’m looking all around me to try to find a clue or a hint telling me where I am or if I should be going up or down. The entire stairwell is made of stone, no railing of any sort and parts of the steps are crumbling on the stairs. There are no windows or any openings along the walls, and no lighting other than some flickering from a candle right around the corner above me. I take that as my hint and start up the stairs, figuring light is better than the darkness.

However before I’m even a full turn around the stairwell from where I was, I hear the crying intensify, while simultaneously getting harder to hear. I turn around and head back down the stairs, around the next bend, and then another turn around. There’s almost no light now, and the crying does not appear to get any louder, but still intense. I can feel the urgency to get to the crying. I start going a little quicker down the stairs, hoping for some sign that this is the right way to be going. There is almost no light left now, I’ve lost count of how many turns I’ve made. The crying still doesn’t seem any louder yet sounds even more pained now.

Still hesitant as I don’t know if this is the right way or not, I continue making strides down and down. It’s pitch black now, and My hands are running along the sides guiding me down. The crying is at the point of screaming now, it sounds as if it’s in pain, and i am almost sure now that it is a baby. Which makes me want to move faster but it’s just so dark. It still doesn’t sound any closer though. What if this isn’t the right way? I keep going down, because now it would be too far to go back up. I can’t get any sense of what way I should be going other than that I KNOW I have to get to the screaming baby.

I keep going down and down. Hands guiding me on both sides of the dark stairwell. All of a sudden I know I am in the wrong place, I sense it instantly. I freeze, still hearing the baby screaming, but no louder and no quieter.I feel a rush of ice cold air blow onto my body, strong enough to push me back a step. I turned around in the dark, ready to run back up, I take one step and run directly into a wall. I put my hands all around me and realize the stairwell back up was no longer there. I had no option except to continue downward. The baby’s screaming was still happening, so tiny, so pained, and so far away.

I hesitantly start to move back downward, hands along the sides again. It felt as if I was walking into a freezer, it was so cold and so dark. The screaming ongoing. Step by step I head downward. The urgency stronger with each step. I quicken my pace, and keep going down and down, around and around this stairwell in complete darkness. I was shivering it was so cold, just hoping that the screaming would get closer, hoping I was almost there. There was a malevolence in the air, whatever was in that stairwell with me was causing the baby to cry, that much I knew. If only I could reach it!!

It seemed endless, dark, freezing, down and down. Suddenly everything was quiet. No screaming. I couldn’t even hear my breath. I stopped. Hands out on the sides of the stairwell. Everything was so black. I could feel this intense pressure In the air mixed with the freezing temperature, I tried to inch forward and walked into something. It felt different than the sides of the stairwell, my hands were trying to figure out what I was feeling in the darkness, it felt like nothing I had ever touched before. Suddenly I hear a faint whisper, it was so quiet I doubted myself, had actually heard it? Then it came again, just one word whispered so close it seemed to be in my face…”now”

© 2017 Mj Gale

Transmogrified

She suddenly turns around to face us and has transformed…

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I need to rescue my friend.
She’s trapped in a dark medical facility. Me and a group of faceless others, all wearing scrubs, get in to the facility. We make it down the hall and into her room with no problem.

Once we are in the room we start unhooking her from all kinds of machines. We move her into a wheelchair and start heading back out. She suddenly turns around to face us and has transformed into a bleeding horrific clown.

There is no mask, her face has actually contorted to the features a clown has. Except it’s bleeding; out of her forehead, cheeks, and chin….
a slow dripping blood. The faceless others freak out and run away.
I’m frozen there, as I hear her deadpan voice say “help me or become me” and then,   everything goes black.

© 2017 Mj Gale