-The best stories on the web-
Read or link to over 1000 stories listed under Stories to the left.
Submit your short stories for review as a Word document attached to an email to: Read@Short-Story.Me

Latest Stories

March 19, 2024
Fantasy Stories Wondering Monk

Just My Imagination

The alarm clock went off and started playing an awful tune. Tom opened his eyes and closed them back, squinting. He reopened one eye and stood up to stop the torture. The phone was on the desk, in the furthest spot from the bed. Although he changed his way of…
March 19, 2024
Science Fiction Stories Ocelotlzin

Earth Is Dead

Recording… It doesn't matter who I was; I probably lived a long time ago, and I am now just a voice someone added to the audio-visual records. What is essential is the recollection of events that lead to the current state. So, a little history needs to be…
March 08, 2024
Flash Fiction Benoit

Some Enchanted Evening

It was a rugby tackle with tears: Chrissy burst in, sobbing and babbling, hugging James. Her face was all wet, eyes wild. What…? My parents split up, Dad has moved in with his boyfriend and I cannot join them. I am shut out. I have lost my dad. Torrent of…
March 08, 2024
Horror Stories Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

In The Hands Of My Legs

The car pulled up in front of the large salon. The neon sign, that sexy broad thing, on the salon'sroof read "Mr. Gil's All-night Salon". The exhaust pipe of the car was pumping solid smoke, theswirls moving from the car and towards the salon.…
March 07, 2024
Mystery Stories Vanessa Leigh Giles

Casualty of Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Chapter 1 Until Death do us Part ‘Ring, ring!’. I answered the telephone and asked, “Hello, good evening. Who’s this? “Hello.” This is Dr. Smith from Red Cross hospital. “Is this Mr. Locke, John?”, he asked, hesitantly scratching his bald head. “Yes, doctor.…
March 07, 2024
Crime Stories Robert Pook

Bar Room Trigger

Another return journey on footpaths so familiar. He strides across each crack in each paving stone. Regular loose drain covers sidestepped. Mapping long ago mapped in Richard’s desolate mind. His pace hastened by the sight of the oncoming storm. Quickening…
March 04, 2024
Horror Stories Ano Chinemerem

Sanctity

Where should I begin? I could begin by telling you about this comely boy, whom every notable person around the streets agrees his smile could charm the bills off one. Between one smile, there was his goodness, his dreams and humanity—a little far ahead?— but…
March 04, 2024
Flash Fiction Emanuel Diaz

Et Mortui Partium

As Rafael stepped out into the rain, it wasn't the ordinary drops that fell from the sky. Instead, it was a storm of souls, each one taking the form of shimmering jewelry as it cascaded toward the ground. Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires twinkled amidst the…
February 29, 2024
Poetry Jing Li Ava

London

‘Am I in London?’ "I am." Where is Elizabeth? Happy living story All of your chapter Bounlance joy Please my heart Power hand Wise mind Our baby Vow vow Love all love Miss I miss Endless wonder Bring us together Love all love Miss I miss For everything My…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Rob Pook

Life Sentence of The Smith

Born nine months after his country won the World Cup.A child prodigy.Cast off at age twenty-four.Husband, father, emigree, away on the other side of the world.The blue-collar life.The dreams of success.The search for fulfillment.The long years of empty…
February 29, 2024
Mystery Stories Joshua Lowther

The Operator

Jason looked over to his right, his eyes barely able to focus themselves on the subject of his attention. His neck ached terribly from the strenuous movement. He was tired. The captain’s gaze came to rest on the rookie sonar operator sitting tense at his…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Salvatore Difalco

The Chute

At dusk, we left our unit with a soft pink bundle. I carried it through the wet streets and into the black woods. I said I’d take it all the way, the bundle, but that we had to drop it in together. My wife’s green eyes flashed. “Don’t make me do that.” I…

“Come on Tommy.  You’re such a slowpoke.”

11 year old Jerry McCutchen grabbed the arm of his friend Tommy O’Brien and pulled him toward the woods.  The two boys were standing in the backyard of the O’Brien house on a Saturday morning in mid-July.  The backyard was long, almost 60 yards in length, and ended at a small hill that dropped off into the Jenkins County woods in southern Louisiana.  The boys had explored the woods in the past and had enjoyed a number of youthful adventures while growing up in this rural community.  But for some reason, Tommy O’Brien seemed hesitant to go on another exploration of the woods.

“I don’t know Jerry.  Maybe not today.”

“What??  Come on.  You ain’t scared, are you?  Kind of worried that some monster might be in the bayou?”

“I ain’t scared,” replied Tommy.  “I turn 11 this Friday and I am plenty brave.  Just think maybe we should throw ball today instead of going down in the woods.”

Jerry McCutchen rubbed his right shoe in a bare spot in the grass, making a small hole while he thought.

“Well, I think you’re scared.  Mandy told me that you nearly pissed in your pants when watching that horror movie last Saturday.”  Mandy Richards was a school mate of the two boys that Tommy secretly liked.  He had attended a birthday party at her house last weekend when the movie had been shown.  A “B grade” flick about zombies.  In truth, it had scared Tommy a little but he didn’t want anyone to know that.  Jerry hadn’t been there so why did he think Tommy was scared when watching the movie?

“Not true.  Wasn’t anything that scary in the movie.  Zombies aren’t real so leave me alone.”

“The ones in them woods are!” replied Jerry, pointing at the woods and speaking in a spooky voice right next to Tommy’s left ear.  “And they’ll eat your guts.”

“Stop being a jerk.  If you are so hot to go into the woods then let’s go.  I just don’t need you giving me a hard time about some girl.”

Jerry McCutchen laughed as he pulled Tommy along toward the woods.   The two had been friends since kindergarten and were always on adventures together.  Jerry was the pushy one, generally looking for some challenge for the two boys to do.  The woods behind the O’Brien home were the latest activity for them.

The Jenkins County woods were an undeveloped public land classified as “forever wild” by the county.  46 acres in all, the woods encompassed some treed bogs in an area that some called the Louisiana bayou.  The McCutchen and O’Brien parents had specifically told both boys to not travel into the woods out of concern that wild animals could be present.  But the boys had disobeyed their parent’s orders and had a thrill at seeing an alligator in one of the bogs.  What else lived there was anyone’s guess.  The boys were off again to see what they could find.

At the bottom of the O’Brien hill, the boys found the remnants of a wood fort that they had built earlier in the summer.  Using pieces of lumber from the O’Brien garage plus an old window, a closet door and pieces from an old crib, the boys had nailed together a sorry looking structure that they called “Fort Apache”.  The fact that Apache Indians never lived in this area didn’t dawn on the boys when naming their fort.

A worn footpath started about 30 feet behind the fort and led into the belly of the woods.  The path snaked through a fairly open treed area before finally reaching the first of many small bogs in the woods.  The boys had already explored this area extensively so Jerry pushed for them to move on.  As the footpath ended, the boys started to make their way through a thicker treed area of the woods that no one had appeared to enter.  Animal sounds present all around them stopped as the passed through the area, giving the boys an eerie feeling that someone, or something, might be watching them.

“The zombies want to get you,” whispered Jerry as the boys looked around.   “They want your guts for dinner.”

“Stop being a jerk,” replied Tommy as he looked behind Jerry, just to make sure that nothing was lurking in the shadows.  “Are you always an idiot?”

“Me not as smart as you,” hissed McCutchen as he intentionally stepped on a dry stick in an effort to make a snapping sound.  “What, what was that???”

Tommy flinched and shuffled quickly away from the noise as Jerry laughed.  “Stop that.  I mean it.  You jerk.”

“Yep, you’re brave and strong alright,” said Jerry with a strong laugh.  “Just like a wet noodle.”

Tommy regained his composure and moved on as Jerry continued to laugh.  “You coming, clown ??”

“Yes sir, Captain Braveheart.  Lead the way.”

The woods became darker and even more isolated as the boys continued heading west.  Finally, there was a break in the treed area as a large bog came into view.  Tall weeds were all around the swamp and decaying logs were present near the one end of the wetland.  Animal sounds present when they entered the bog stopped as the boys moved into the area.

“Cool.  Look at the swamp.  It’s just like that movie ‘The African Queen’,” stated Jerry as he looked around.  “This could be a really cool movie set.”

“Hope that isn’t a ‘gator over there,” pointed Tommy as he spied movement in the water.  “We don’t need that.”

“Oh, come on.” replied Jerry.  “Gators don’t scare real men.”

As they moved on cautiously toward the rippled water area in the swamp, something caught Jerry’s eye in the tall weeds.

“What’s this??”

“Hey, don’t pick those up,” called out Tommy as he saw Jerry grabbing what appeared to be a large egg from the weeds.  “That’s some animal’s nest.”

“Yeah, these are real cool.  About the size of a softball.”  Jerry tossed the egg lightly into the air and caught it.

“Hey, don’t play with them.  If the mother is around, she’ll get real mad.”

“They’re abandoned.  Nothing is around.”

“Jerry, just leave them alone.  Please.”  Tommy had a feeling that Jerry was tempting fate by playing with the eggs.

“Stop worrying so much.  Everything is….”  Jerry froze as he looked behind Tommy at the creature coming out of the swamp.  Covered with mud, the creature looked like an alligator walking on its hind legs.  But much larger in size.  It was almost human in the way it walked toward them.  And now, the creature was bearing sharp teeth as it growled in objection to the boys.

“Tommy, watch out!”  McCutchen cried out his warning but it was too late.  The creature had O’Brien in its grip and was starting to tear at the young boy.  Blood spurted from Tommy’s neck and arms as the creature torn at him.  His cry for help was short as the limp boy fell to the ground right in front of Jerry.

 

Jerry McCutchen didn’t wait around to find out if Tommy was still alive.  He dropped the egg and bolted back toward the entrance to the swamp.  The trees scrapped at his body and tore his clothes as he fled.  McCutchen didn’t care.  All he wanted to do was to place distance between him and the creature.  Lots of distance.

Jerry’s head became light as he continued to run toward the O’Brien house.  Was he following the correct paths?  Was he lost?  He really didn’t know.  Finally, after what seemed like forever, Jerry saw the familiar path that led back to the fort.  He keep running, past the fort, up the hill and out of the O’Brien backyard.  He didn’t stop until he was back at his own home, leaning against his garage.  What had just happened?

 

Epilogue

 

Mary O’Brien called the McCutchen’s around 5 PM looking for her son.  Jerry explained that he had not seen Tommy all day and that he had in fact been playing with some other friends at Tower Field Park for most of the day.  Jerry could not help her with where Tommy might be.

Ultimately, the O’Brien’s called the police to report their son as missing.  The police looked for the boy for days before finally classifying Tommy as a missing youth.  Did he run away?  Was he abducted?  Years went by without any news on Tommy O’Brien.

Jerry McCutchen grew up and went on to high school and then college.  During this time, his mood became somber for reasons his parents never understood.  And he never returned to those woods.  That is, until age 41 when for some unapparent reason, Jerry McCutchen walked back into the Jenkins County Woods.  It was mid-July, the 30th anniversary of his previous visit to the woods.  He felt compelled to return.

McCutchen walked down the backyard of the old O’Brien house (it had long since been sold with the O’Briens moving away from the area).  He gingerly walked down the hill to the area where “Fort Apache” had once stood.  All that remained of the old fort was a few decaying boards that the boys had nailed to a group of trees that formed the perimeter of the structure.  McCutchen walked on, travelling down a now overgrown path, heading west toward the swamps and bogs.  In time he found it.  The large swamp that Tommy and he had explored 30 years earlier.  He stood there and sighed.  Could it have really been so long ago?

The movement in the swamp didn’t catch McCutchen’s attention until the creature once again emerged from the mud.  Jerry looked over at it, no longer fearful as he once had been as a young boy.

“I know you have come for retribution,” he said in a soft voice.  “I didn’t realize what I was doing back then.  But I’m sure that doesn’t matter to you.”

The creature moved toward McCutchen as he continued to speak.  The creature’s sharp teeth were exposed as it growled once again at the intruder.

“I’m the one you want.  Not Tommy.  He was innocent.  So take me.”  McCutchen reached out as if offering himself to the creature.

The creature growled one last time as it bit into McCutchen’s neck and tore at his arms.  Blood once again spurted out onto the tall weeds ringing the swamp.

McCutchen didn’t cry out in pain.  He simply slumped over and fell to the ground.

Then the creature moved back to the swamp and descended once again into the mud.

 

The End

Author’s Bio: Tom Schmidt is a Chemical Engineer working in medical diagnostics in upstate New York.  He enjoys creative writing and is currently working on the “Paul Garigan Crime Mysteries”, a collection of short stories centered around a Malibu based police detective which he hopes to publish in the future.

0
0
0
s2sdefault

Donate a little?

Use PayPal to support our efforts:

Amount

Genre Poll

Your Favorite Genre?

Sign Up for info from Short-Story.Me!

Stories Tips And Advice