Noelle - Day 363 (Two of My New Short Stories)

Hello everybody!
So I'm happy to say that I've written 1.5 new short stories (one of them is REALLY short, which is why I only counted it as 0.5 as a story)  Um, they're a little creepy...when I was writing them I was fine but I found that turning the light off in my room last night proved difficult....  So that's your warning (looking at you, Elena and Anna) but I think you'll like them.

(Note: the longer one is unnamed.  Anna suggested 'The Light' but I think that's a little cliché sounding...any suggestions would be appreciated)

(Another side note: I totally didn't steal anybody's names in this story...sorry Anna.  :P )

“People go in and the lights come out.”

Erik and I were standing on either side of the sinkhole, autumn leaves drifting to the ground around use.  It was a huge pit, gaping at us like an open mouth about to eat it's prey.  A pleasant thought.

“What?”  I said, nervously looking at him through my bangs.  He had a shock of red- dyed hair almost falling in his eyes, but he was otherwise your normal, brown-haired, blue-eyed kid.

“You heard me.”  Erik sounded tough, like he was challenging me.   I didn't like it.  “People disappear after falling in here.  They say that this is where the lights come from.”

“The lights aren't real,” I said.

“Sez you.”

“Sez everybody.”

“That's not true,” he insisted.  “Charlie Decker’s seen two!”

I scowled at him.  “Charlie's missing his marbles.  There aren't any ‘orbs’ floating around the city.  There's no lights, and no disappearing people, and I bet this sink hole isn't even that deep!”

“Really?”  He said.  His voice was cunning and sly; I suddenly wished he would go back to challenging me.

“Really!”

“Then jump!!”

I swallowed as dread flooded through me.  Erik was always daring and challenging people, but he had never done it to me before.  “Wh-what?”

“You heard me.  Jump.  What, you a scaredy cat?”

“You jump!”  I said.

“You are a scaredy cat!  Hey everybody!  She's a scaredy cat!  She's a big, whoppin’ scaredy cat!”  He started gesturing, acting like he was talking to a crowd assembled where the hole was.

“Erik,” I said quietly.

“Step right up folks! One wimp, right here, straight from your own home town!  Dollar a ticket!!

“Erik!”

He finally stopped talked and sneered, “What, wimp?”

“Look.”

I pointed, unable to do anything else I was so horror-struck.

Between two of the trees surrounding us, a glowing sphere hovered.  One of the lights.  The forest turned oppressively silent.

I could see a corner of Erik’s face as he turned, saw his lips part in surprise.

“Sorry, scaredy cat, you're on your own!”  He said, scrambling away.  I wanted to grab his shirt and tell him, ‘you dragged me here, you're staying,’ but I was frozen with fear, locked in a staring contest with something that didn't even have eyes.

“I can leave,” I finally managed.  “I know this is the light’s territory.”  No response.  “Are you going to kill me?”  Nothing.  “Charlie Decker says that lights kill people.”  Nada.

“Please don’t kill me,” I said.  The light flickered and approached me.

“I- I'm sorry for intruding.  I'll leave now.”  I turned to run.

My vision flashed red and white.

My neck burned.

Then everything burned, my veins were on fire, everything was on fire.  The blurry trees blazed, the red and orange swirl of leaves encompassing me.  The sphere was the last thing I remember seeing before I fell into the sinkhole.

***

I came back slowly.

Light filtered into my eyes, waking me up.  Am I dead?

I was in the same forest, in the same clearing, and the black hole was still there, but now steam rose from the bottom like a cauldron or something.

Before I could wonder why, two figures appeared across from me.  This is it.  The lights came back for me.

“I would swear it, Charlie, she was right here!  And the light too!”  Erik.  I have never been so happy to hear his voice, however frightened it may be.

“I believe you, boy, but where is she now?”  Charlie asked, patient.

“I- I don't know.  Do you think she fell in?”

Wait, what?

“It's impossible to say.  You said you heard screaming.”  Charlie glanced up and locked eyes with me.  There was no relief or recognition in his weathered face, only fear, as he pointed a gnarly finger at me and screeched, “THE LIGHT!!”

Erik yelled incoherently and fled.

“IT'S ME!”  I screamed.  “IT’S JUST ME!!!”  They both were long gone, and I had no way of moving.  My legs were not working.

Does it pain you?  The voice floated into my head unbidden.  To see the fear written on their faces?

“Y-yes,” I whispered, starting to cry.

This is your eternal punishment for your disbelief, the voice chided.  Don't cry child.  We are not cruel.

“You killed me.  You made me so they can't see me.”

The voice chuckled.  Well.  We can't have you escaping, can we?

And the lights started crowding in, wanting to greet their newest member.

§§§



So yeah, that's the first one. Unlike my usual short stories, there was no writing prompt that I found online or anything, I was just driving to dinner with my parents (hi Mom!) and randomly thought, "People go in and the orbs come out." 'The orbs' eventually became 'the lights' and it all went down hill from there. Anyway, here's the much shorter second one.



§§§

Never Wonder

A sorta-story by Noelle Matherne

Ever wonder who keeps you on your side of the mirror and out of the horrors of mine?  Don't worry. It's me.

Ever wonder who you see in the corner of your eye like a wisp of wind as you walk down the street?  Don't worry. It's me.

Ever wonder why your shadow grows tall and strong at night when you feel small and weak?  Don't worry. It's me.

Ever wonder about where the intriguing but horrible ideas you get when the daytime grows dim and the night grows stronger come from?  Don't worry. It's me.

Ever wonder who turns off the light in the refrigerator, who walks up the stairs in the middle of the night, who the stranger that you've seen twice is?  Don't worry. It's me.

Ever had a new person come over to your house to hang out?  Oh you're having one soon?!  Be worried.  It's me.

§§§

*cackles evilly* good luck sleeping tonight.

*Jay Blank is unimpressed*

*Anna Leah is impressed because the scariest story she wrote was about popcorn*

Whatever I'm new to writing anything close to the vicinity of horror.  I hope you enjoyed these 1.5 stories and I'll see you tomorrow for another 365 Days post!  Have a great day!  And have a daily, cuz I'm sure you missed those.

BECAUSE FINDING DORY IS OUT!!!