The storm raged. It knocked the power out hours ago. The windows creaked against the wind and rain. Glow from the gas stove warmed the kitchen. They all huddled around, pretending they weren’t afraid of the dark. The #kettle shrieked as the lightning lit up a dark figure in the living room. #vss365

The light flickered above him as he lathered his hands with the #soap meant for guests. He dried his hands using the good towel. He found bleach, a mop and rags in the hall closet. Knowing how to cover his tracks, he grabbed the towel on his way out. He loved nothing more than a nice trophy. #vss365

The smell of rot fills the damp air. Dust particles dance in the sliver of light coming in through the cracked window. The bed springs creak as she stirs. Sweat #clings to her forehead. The door groans on its hinges as it opens. His giant figure invades the room as he enters hatchet in hand. #vss365

Her roses were lush with blooms. Her dahlias were vibrant with color. Her grass was so verdant the neighbors needed to pull their shades. Her #garden was the talk of the town. People came from other cities to gawk in awe at its beauty. Her secret? Decaying bodies made the best fertilizer. #vss365

He hit pause. “I don’t know why the remote is magic, Jen. It just is.” Levi pulls a knife. She can’t move or scream. “I’ve killed you so many times. You don’t know.” He lifts her chin with a cold blade. “I hit rewind. Like it never happened. It’ll be fine.” #vss #sff

He was charming and smart and funny. His eyes though — those were dead and black. Nothing but pure #evil. You could see it flicker when he looked at you. Once you saw it, you couldn’t look away. You couldn’t run. You couldn’t scream. You were his now. He had no mercy and a lust for blood. #vss365

She remembered the first time like it was yesterday. It hadn’t been planned or she would have been better prepared. He was a monster she didn’t see coming. She #toiled all night, digging far enough that his body wouldn’t be found. Now she knew better, planning around burials at the cemetery. #vss365

He brought her #roses, drove her out to a field and put a blanket in the bed of the truck. They watched the stars twinkle. They drank wine and laughed all night. As the sun rose he clutched at his throat. His eyes bulged and his lips were purple. She leaned in and whispered, I prefer daises. #vss365

She watched from the kitchen window as the children #frolicked in the yard. They knew better than to go into the forest. They’d heard plenty of stories about the boogeyman that might get them. Little did they know, she was the boogeyman, with the pile of rotting bodies hidden in those trees. #vss365

They taunted her in the hallways. Called her a freak and shoved her against the wall. The bullying fed the growing #defiance of playing nice. She was anything but weak and with Carrie playing in theaters, when she showed up with a bucket of blood and a lighter, they knew they’d gone too far. #vss365

Broken glass littered the floor. He hadn’t been quiet about getting into the house. They stood staring at each other in the kitchen. Her trembling, him stoic. His presence stole the air from the room. Moonlight poured in the window, #revealing the bloodied blade of the knife she was holding. #vss365

The night was full of wine and laughter among friends. They all complimented her cooking, raving how they’d never had meat so #tender. As the night wound down, someone mentioned that her husband wasn’t there. He must be out of town. She smiled. He had been there and he’d been quite tasty. #vss365

Their fight #lingered heavy in the air. He mumbled profanities under his breath as he packed his bags. She knew she was the villain in his story, though he’d started it all. He howled as she stuck the knife in his spine. “You’ll always be mine now,” she whispered as he crumpled to the floor. #vss365

She read by candlelight as the storm raged outside. #Lightning lit the sky and thunder crashed. This weather stirred something carnal in her. She knew the storm was coming and she’d found him at a bar. She was beautiful and he was predictable. They all were. Easy targets for a killing spree. #vss365

Her childhood was volatile. She was often lonely and scared. A #tactician by lack of nurturing, she graduated with her masters in psychology. With this, she gained an innate ability to rid the world of those from her past, the ones with sharp nails and lurid tongues, without getting caught. #vss365

She rushed upstairs to find the tub filled to the brim with piping hot #water, dripping into a puddle on the floor. Her skin flushed pink from the heat as she waded towards the tub. As she slid her fingers around the knob, a slender hand reached from the depths, violently pulling her under. #vss365

The house moaned and settled as the storm outside calmed. The screaming winds had knocked out the power, leaving her #blind in the damp, windowless cellar. Terrified, she shook the knob violently to no end. She knew she wasn’t alone in the dark. She could feel it’s putrid breath on her neck. #vss365

The morning air was crisp and misty. The sand was soft underfoot and her steps sunk gently as she moved away from the shore. Birds chirped from high in the trees. The sky blazed a gentle shade of pink, matching the color of the water, diluted by his bloody corpse lapping against the #bank. #vss365

They stood outside with their torches yelling atrocities. They dared call her a witch. She knew the words to summon her ancestors. With a quivering hand, she dipped the quill into the #ink. The sky opened and rain poured. She stepped across the threshold, and they scattered like scared mice. #vss365

He crouched in the corner of the empty room, save for the disembodied #arm lying in a pool of blood. He’d been hiding in the closet and heard them cut her up. He prayed. For what he wasn’t sure. Though it was not for the arm to start creep towards him, pulling itself forward by its fingers. #vss365

The house was silent. She could feel it, somewhere. She knew it was watching her. It wouldn’t let her go. A breeze pushed at her, cold and pungent. She reached for his #hand, trembling. As his fingers tightly laced through hers, she realized his body was no longer attached at the other end. #vss365

The farmhouse stood dull and weathered against the blooming fields of lavender. The #man was old and stubborn. His neighbors begged he tear it down. He sobbed a story that below it laid the bones of his dog. He failed to mention the heap of human remains he’d laid there in his younger years. #vss365

He knew all too well how to #conduct himself in public. He’d spent his entire adolescence watching, learning to blend in, to hide. Slowly, neighbors went missing. One by one. Methodically. Everyone was so focused on themselves, they didn’t noticed the blood-stained curbs and empty houses. #vss365

His sideshow always managed to #fascinate all who saw it Despite what people said, everyone seemed to enjoy Freak Shows Gilliam was proud of what it all, especially since the attractions were homemade Without many mutations to be found, he had to make them himself, by force #vss365 #vsshorror

She was charming, witty, stunning and humble. People were #fascinated by her. She was a pure enigma. Coming from a long line of witches - those that didn’t burn - she knew how to keep people unaware of what she she did in the dark, and the best spells that required the use of blood from men. #vss365

She hit 40 and a #tempest began to stir. All her prior trauma was bubbling up, staring back at her in a harsh light. Reality felt dizzying and unstable. She felt utterly untethered. She stared at her blood soaked hands and the conference room full of slaughtered men and smiled, finally free. #vss365

Glass shattered as the lamp smashed against the wall. She was #frustrated and full of rage. He glared at her from across the room, stunned and bitter. As he moved toward her, she lunged, plunging the knife deep into his gut. She slept with it under her pillow, knowing she’d need it someday. #vss365

The town, once lush and vibrant, reeked with the smell of rot. They walked around town like normal, the stench so strong they covered their faces but still, they never said a word. They simply ignored the pile of rotting bodies filling the town square. Their silenced #endorsed his actions. #vss365

The morning came with #overcast skies and the sweet scent of lilacs. Birdsong filled the air as she tumbled from bed. She loved spring mornings. The fresh dawn of the world waking up again. It was the perfect time to dig up the soil in her garden. Decaying bodies made the perfect fertilizer. #vss365

One for the short story writing folk - 👇👀👇 Great opportunity to submit to a very exciting new imprint devoted to short stories and the uncanny... www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/...

Open submission call: Uncertain Stories

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