Monsters Ghost & Zombies: Volume III

by Rich, Mark

  “Bill! Bill! Where are you?”

  There was no answer, just an eerie silence. Sarah looked around for a moment and then jumped back into the van and locked the doors. “Bill I am going to give you another minute or two and I am gone. If this is some kind of joke it, isn't funny!” Sarah yelled out, but there was no answer.

  “That's it Bill, I am out of here!” Sarah turn the ignition switch when suddenly she heard movement behind her in the back seat of the van. “What the ????!”

  Sarah heard a loud growl that sounded like it came from a wild animal. And before she could turn around A sharp claw ripped her throat open from ear to ear.

  The van began to move from the commotion and then The sounds of Sarah's screams, filled the night air and then her blood stained and streaked the van windows.

  Monsters

  Off the Florida Keys, commodity trader Luther Winthorp, was planning his annual fishing trip. This year he was taking two long time friends along. John Asbury and Tim Fink. “So Luther. What is it exactly, you need me to do for you?”

  Luther and Tim were driving up to the pier, where Luther had rented a boat for two weeks. Tim had a small island off the coast, he used as a vacation home.

  “I'll give you all the details!” Luther replied. By the time they arrived at the pier.

  “I don't know! You'll give me fifty thousand if I help?”

  “Yeah Tim, fifty big ones!” Tim nodded yes, as Luther parked his vintage Silver Spur Rolls Royce. John was already in the parking lot waiting.

  “Alright Boys! Ready to catch some Marlins!” John greeted the two with a smile.

  “Where is Amy and Sharon?” John asked about Luther's wife and daughter.

  “They are coming down next week!” Luther replied as he began unpacking his bags from the trunk of his car. Later that day the three were on Luther's boat only a few miles off of his vacation island. “We have been out here for hours! Not one bite!”

  Tim complained. “I know a spot near that patch of land dead ahead. I always have good luck in that area!” Luther instructed as turned his boat toward the patch of land.

  “But Luther there are alligators in that area!” John stated with a concerned look on his face. “Were in the boat! What are you worried about?”

  An hour later. The three were still fishing and talking about their families, all three men were married. “And what about you and Amy, Luther!” John asked.

  Before Luther could answer. “Wow! Those are some big crocs.” Tim interjected

  All three looked over at the patch of land, there where 4 large crocodiles were bathing in the sun. “Me and Amy were doing well! That was until she started having an affair!”

  “An affair! What?” John turned and and looked at Luther while holding his fishing rod.

  “Yeah she is having an affair! And John let me ask you, What should I do to the person, that's cheating with my wife?”

  “I...I don't know!” John answered nervously, while he continued to fish from the back of the boat. Luther went inside the cabin of the boat and returned with a .45 caliber handgun. “Good you brought that, those large crocs are unnerving!”

  John stated, as he observed Luther loading the gun.

  “Yeah John! I have thought about it a long time now. And I have finally decided what to do about my wife cheating!”

  “That's good Luther, I hope everything works out between you two!”

  There was silence for a moment, then John glanced behind him.

  “No Luther! Don't....!” John threw his hands up in self defense, but to no avail.

  The .45 slugs ripped through his chest, as Luther unloaded his weapon on his long time friend. “That grimey son of a b!#tch! Thought I wouldn't find out!”

  “You did it Luther, you did it!” Tim looked on, scared by the unfolding events.

  “Here, help me feed this piece of sh!#t, to the crocs!” The two tossed John over the side of the boat, moments later the two watched, as the large crocodiles ripped John apart limb by limb. “Let's head back!”

  Luther went up to the top of the large boat to turn it around.

  “Wow we were out here all day and not one bite!”

  “Wait a minute Luther, it looks like John's pole got something.”

  The two stared at John's pole, it was secured to the boat's deck. They could tell something big was on the line, by the way the pole was bending.

  “This must be a big one!” Tim grabbed the fishing pole and began trying to reel the large fish in. “This must be one huge marlin, I need some help Luther!”

  The two struggled and fought with their catch for over an hour.

  “Hey! let's just forget it and head back.” Tim stated tired after wrestling with the fishing pole for so long. “It feels like I am going to be able to bring it in!”

  Luther could feel the tension in the line loosening, “Get a net Tim, hurry!”

  Once they had reeled in their catch. The two stood at the back of the boat in shock. Tim rubbed his eyes, he had to blink several times, for his mind to grasp what he was seeing. “Unbelievable!” Luther exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing as well.

  They both were stunned at the sight of a real life mermaid.

  “Help me get her on the boat!” They pulled what looked like a sleeping young lady, from the ocean. “Wow she is beautiful!” Luther beamed, as he saw the woman with long brown hair, up close. “She is still breathing! She must be exhausted, after fighting with us. I'll get her a blanket!” Tim rushed into the cabin and returned with a blanket.

  “We need to get her to the island! Tim you steer the boat, I'll stay with her to make sure, she is alright!” Tim went up to the top of the boat, to direct it back to Luther's island port. But Tim couldn't help but notice Luther's look of admiration for the strange sea creature. By the time the boat made it to shore.

  “Snap out of it man, you look like you're in love!” Luther was wiping the long brown locks from the girl's face. He finally looked up at Tim dazed.

  Once they had her in Luther's beach side condo. “Look, it looks like she is coming too!”

  The freak of nature blinked several times, as she looked around.

  “Wow, it would be crazy if she could talk!”

  “Where am I?” The freak of nature asked, as her eyes opened.

  “Amazing! Go and get her some water Tim!”

  Tim amazed that the sea creature could speak, rushed to get it some water. Once the mermaid was fully woke, it began to pant and cough, It was obviously struggling with breathing. “It needs to be in water Luther! Lets take her to the pool.”

  The two picked her up and rushed to put her into Luther's Olympic size swimming pool.

  In the back of his island mansion. Once they had the sea creature in Luther's heated pool.

  “Look the water is doing her good!” Tim acknowledge as he watched her begin to swim back and forth in the pool. “Luther!”

  Luther seemed to be in daze watching the brown haired mermaid wade in the water.

  “Its just that she is so beautiful!” Luther responded looking like a lovesick puppy.

  After the mermaid seemed to be okay, they took her back into the house.

  “Tim I have a fruit salad in the refrigerator, get it for her!”

  She took one bite of the grapes and watermelon Tim had put on the dining room table and then. “Yuk!” She spit out the fruit with a frown on her face.

  “Well! Your mermaid friend doesn't like fruit!” Tim chuckled.

  “It's OK!” Luther attempted to soothe the creature.

  “Tim I have some microwavable steaks in the freezer. Make some of those, she may like that.” Tim nodded and went into the kitchen. After 30 minutes of cooking and a beer, Tim returned to the dining room to see, Luther holding a conversation with the weird sea creature as if he were on a date. “The steaks are ready.”

  “Here try this!” Luther gave the Mermaid a cut of the prime rib steak. He fed her with a fork. The mermaid began to
grunt and smack on the red meat. Tim looked on in disgust at the creature. It made him sick to his stomach watching the jagged edge teeth of the creature tear through the bloody meat. “I need a drink!”

  Tim got up and went to the dinning room bar. “You want a shot Luther!”

  “Yeah! Get me and Holly one!”

  “Holly?” Tim replied, with a puzzled look.

  “That's her name, you know how much I like Holly Berry!”

  Tim shook his head, as he made martini's, for all three of them. The three drank and talked for a few hours and then the mermaid, needed to get back in the water. So they took her back to the pool, for the night. The next morning, Tim had slept late, when he finally got up, he looked around the house, for Luther. He was nowhere to be found in the house. As soon as he stepped out into the back yard, he could hear water splashing and laughter.

  “Come on Luther! Lets race!” Luther was in the pool with the mermaid acting like a teenager. “On your mark, get set, go!” Luther giggled as he raced the sea creature across the Olympic sized pool. “I see you guys started early!”

  “Yeah Tim! Holly here is a great swimmer!”

  “I thought we were going fishing this morning!”

  Luther gazed at the mermaid like an infatuated kid.

  “No! I am going to stay here with Holly!”

  Tim paused for a moment, astonished at what he was hearing and seeing.

  “Fine I'll take the boat myself. I came here to get some fishing in!”

  Tim walked away with a disgusted look on his face. Tim looked out of the picture glass window facing the pool, once he was back inside the house. And he could not believe what his eyes were seeing. Luther had the mermaid in a strong embrace and he was kissing the creature. His first thought was to go out and interrupt them. Then he decided to go fishing to think about what was going on.

  Hours later Tim returned to find Luther instructing Holly the mermaid in the fine details of commodity trading. “Look! You see this point on this line. This is where I am short oil futures!” Luther and the mermaid were sitting at his home office desk, with their eyes glued, to his desktop computer screen.

  “Just showing Holly here, how the commodities markets work! Did you have any luck fishing!” Tim stared at the two dumfounded. “No! It's almost like the whole ocean around here has been drained of all the fish. Luther we need to talk!”

  Luther turned from his computer screen. “What is it Tim?”

  “I need to talk to you in private!”

  “You can say whatever it is in front of Holly!”

  “What has gotten into you?”

  Tim grabbed Luther by his arm and directed him to another room.

  “Have you lost it! Kissing that thing that...that...creature!”

  “Hey now watch it Tim! Holly is a person, she has feelings. She may hear you!”

  The rest of the day, Tim watched in shock, as Luther courted the sea creature, like it was his first high school crush. Later that night once again Tim had to endure watching, the mermaid devouring a bloody steak. This time he couldn't stand to watch her jagged teeth gnawing on the red meat and her grunting sounds. So he excused himself from the dinner table. By midnight Luther returned from a late night swim with Holly.

  “Luther you did it again. I saw you kissing that thing!”

  Luther sat silent for a moment, while he dried himself off with a large beach towel.

  “I don't know Tim. I think I am falling in love!”

  “What! Are you crazy? Have you lost your freaking mind!”

  Luther sat at his home office desk and started checking the commodity quotes that flashed across the screen. “What about Amy? And your daughter!”

  “I know! I know! What am I going to tell them?”

  “You have totally lost it. You need to throw that thing, t back into the ocean where it came from!”

  “I have had enough of you bad mouthing Holly!” Luther stated with a angry glare at Tim. “That's it I have had enough! First thing tomorrow morning, I am out of here. And I want my pay for helping you with John!'

  “Fine! I'll pay you in the morning!” Luther stormed out of the room.

  Tim looked on shaking his head. He couldn't believe how strung out Luther had become over that monster, he thought to himself while he began to pack his things. Early the next morning before sunrise. Tim felt like someone was in the room with him. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark room.

  “Holly! What is it? What do you want?”

  Moments later, Luther woke up to the sound of Tim's screams of agony.

  “What in the devil!” Luther ran to Tim's room and he stopped in the open doorway terrified by what he was witnessing. Holly had latched onto Tim's throat. She made loud grunting sounds as she chewed on his flesh. After the initial shock of what Holly was doing wore off. Luther smiled. She had killed two birds with one stone.

  All night he was thinking of how to deal with Tim. He was scared he might he might tell someone what happened and he didn't want to pay him. Holly had took care of his concerns. At first he thought to stop the bloody feeding. But then he just turned around and went back to his room. Later that morning he went back to Tim's room. He immediately threw up, at the sight of Tim's mangled and chewed body. The mermaid had ate all of Tim's insides. Were his stomach once should have been, there was now just a large bloody hole. Holly was no where to be found. Luther went and retrieved a pistol, from his home office desk. He found Holly outside in the pool. His first thought, was to unload his revolver into the vicious creature. But then as soon as she saw him.

  “Luther darling! Come in for a swim, the water feels great!”

  He knew after seeing the sea creature brutally kill and eat Tim. That he should kill the creature. But her long brown hair and sparkling green eyes, had him mesmerized. “Let me go and change into my swimming trunks!”

  Luther passed by the room where Tim’s half eaten body lay, on his way to change. I will dispose of his body later, he thought as he changed into his swimwear. It wasn’t long before Luther had Holly in a passionate embrace in the backyard swimming pool. “Holly I have something I want to tell you!” Luther gazed into the eyes, of the half woman half fish. “What is it? My darling!”

  “I think I am falling in love with you!”

  Holly gave an evil smirk, but Luther filled with lust and infatuation, paid it no mind. He began to kiss on Holly’s cheeks and then he began to lick on her neck.

  Finally he began kissing her passionately. Moments later the sound of Luther’s screams of agony echoed throughout the small island. Holly’s razor sharp teeth had bitten Luther’s bottom and top lip clean off. Luther’s screams were muffled by the blood squirting from his torn lips. Later that afternoon a small ferry boat approached Luther’s island. The boat docked next to Luther’s fishing boat and then Luther’s wife and daughter stepped onto the pier. “Here you go! Thanks for your services!” Amy handed the boat operator a one hundred dollar bill.

  “Your dad is going to be surprised! He thought we were coming next week!”

  Suddenly there was a big splash of water. “Mommy! Mommy! Did you see it? Did you see it?” The twelve year girl stated excitedly.

  “See what dear?”

  “The mermaid! I saw a mermaid!” The girl ran to the edge of the pier.

  “Carefull! Come back from the edge! And that's ridiculous, there is no such thing as a mermaid.”

  Ghost

  I never believed in ghost, I always thought of it as old superstitions and wise tales. That was until early one spring, Monday morning. I had been practicing as a psychiatrist for over ten years, in Houston Texas. I was at my office desk getting ready to begin my weekly routine, when my phone rang.

  “Robert Baxter speaking, how can I help you?”

  On the other end was my sister Theresa, from North Carolina. I hadn’t heard from her since the funeral. Her 15 year old son, had been killed in a car accident.

  She had called about her twelve year
old daughter, Lenora. I knew she had taken her brother’s death badly. But now my sister wanted me to fly out to Greensboro

  Immediately. It seems she had gotten worse.

  “OK! I’ll try and get a flight out this evening.”

  The next day I found myself driving up to her countryside home in a rental car from the airport. My sister appeared right away on her house’s porch as I drove up. “Robert! I am so glad you came!” My sister hugged me and then her husband Larry came out of the front door as well. “How is she?” I asked Theresa’s face turned into a sad look and then she shook her head. Once inside their two story home. Theresa described to me what type of problems Lenora was having.

  “We got her the cat and it seemed to help her alot. She stopped crying everyday and then about a month ago the accident occurred!”

  “I see and now that the cat is gone, it sounds like she is having difficulty coping with another death?” I asked Theresa and her husband, both became silent with blank stares on their faces in reply. “Uncle Robert!”

  Lenora coming from her upstairs bedroom ran to me and gave me a hug.

  “How is my little precious niece?”

  “I am doing great Uncle! Wait a minute I forgot to feed Fluffy!”

  Lenora went and got a bowl for cat food and then filled it up and put it on the living room table. “There you go Fluffy! You must not be hungry!”

  The twelve year old girl motioned her hand as if she was rubbing a cat.

  Me, Theresa and her husband stood there watching in shock. While Lenora patted and rubbed on thin air. Tears rolled down Theresa’s cheek at the display.

  “I’ll see you later uncle Robert! I have piano lessons!” Lenora rushed out of the door leaving the bowl of cat food on the table. “I thought getting that cat would help her!” Theresa began to sob and cry. “Robert! You are a doctor. Can you help her? Larry hugged his wife to console her.

  “I’ll try Theresa! I’ll try!” Later that evening we left to get some chinese food and then after dinner. “Fluffy finally ate her food!” We were all sitting at the dinner table. We looked over to a corner in the kitchen and sure enough the cat food bowl was empty. “What had gotten into you? Lenora eating that cat food!”