Not Your Average Monster: A Bestiary of Horrors

by Pete Kahle

  “Run along to mommy now, and take good care of her,” he orders. I nod softly. He wipes my runny nose on his sleeve and it’s then I realize I’m crying.

  “Go on. Remember to be brave,” he says. I hesitate, swinging my foot back and forth, kicking the sand. His eyes linger on me before he turns his back to me.

  “Daddy!” I scream, but he doesn’t look back. “Daddy!”

  I watch my daddy slowly slip away to the lighthouse, The Shadows consume him.

  That night in my bedroom, The Shadows sit with me, constraining me. I hear my mother around me, but all I feel are the shadows where her arms should be. Mommy’s crying and she can’t find the words to explain what happened. Eventually she lets me go and rolls over. Her tears have stopped. The Shadows flood my room. They watch us like ravens, looming over my bed. Mommy can’t cry anymore. She just curls up, into a tiny ball, knees to her chest, her breathing finally steady. I can’t talk about The Shadows anymore.

  Mommy doesn’t understand.

  Mist rolls in, engulfing us in my cloud of hazy memories.

  “You didn’t,” I gasp, jolting back to reality.

  “I saw everything,” Gage admits, pulling me in for a hug. I sink into his arms and let my pent up emotions free for the first time since that night. “It’s okay,” he comforts, “it’s all okay.”

  “I don’t understand,” I say, pulling away to look into his eyes.

  “You and I share something very special, Deseray. Our paths are not just intertwined, but have joined. This is the start of something written in the stars. We’re connected by The Shadows, and that connection will only deepen. It’s by that connection you were able to let me in, to let me see.”

  “No,” I say, suddenly feeling violated. I push him away and he stumbles backwards, catching himself before falling down. I clutch my hands at my sides. That was my memory. How dare—

  “Des, we need to go to the lighthouse! It’s getting worse out here. Please, can’t we talk when we’re inside? I’ll explain everything. Your father would want-”

  “Just stop!” I hiss, holding out my hand. I need to get a grip.

  “I need you to be safe,” Gage commands.

  My heart pounds. My ears are hot. My body is cold. He sounds possessive. What does he care if I’m safe or not? Why would care about me? This was a mistake. I should’ve never come out with him.

  Turn back, Dessy, The Shadows beg.

  “Fine,” I say and I push past Gage, trudging over to the lighthouse. I face the brutal wind, but I’ll make it.

  The lighthouse’s ominous presence looms over the beach. As we move closer, it appears to grow. The Shadows flood around it, crashing against the worn exterior.

  “Aren’t you coming?” Gage asks.

  “No,” I say boldly.

  “Why not?” he sounds like a disappointed child. Not at all the angry response I’m expecting.

  “I can’t,” I say, turning around. I feel the lighthouse screaming at me to come inside. I’m on the brink of taking my chances with the storm. As if in protest, thunder claps and lightning crackles mere feet away.

  “Remember to be brave.” Gage strikes an inner chord by using my father’s last words.

  I love the numbing cold wind outside. I hold my breath, wishing I didn’t have to feel anything. Wishing I could forget the memories.

  Gage grabs my hand and with a sudden jerk, he pulls me toward him. His eyes piece into mine. Their pale blue only reminiscent of what once was there earlier in the evening. With a short pang in my wrist, I jolt back to reality.

  “I am brave,” I say powerfully.

  “Good. After you,” he says, pulling the door wide open. He pushes me inside before I can change my mind.

  The liquid in my ears pounds out a steady staccato rhythm. I look around the dark tower, making out glimpses of shadowy objects.

  “Here,” Gage says. The sharp switch of a match. I gasp and catch a whiff of a smell that’s been absent for far too long. My father’s tobacco. It fills my lungs and tears of bittersweet memories surge forward. But with my next breath, it vanishes as if it were nothing more than a distant dream.

  The winding stairs circle to my right. How high does it go? What’s at the top?

  “Bigger than it looks,” Gage’s voice echoes in the cobweb-filled stairwell. I follow Gage up the stairs. My fingers trail along the dusty wall, leaving behind a streak of new where the old consumes.

  “What would you like to see?” Gage’s daunting voice suddenly raises the hairs on my arms. A flash of light overpowers my vision and I see a fleeting shimmer of a man with my father’s soft eyes.

  “What?” I ask, jolting back to the stairwell all too quickly. I look down and realize I’m easily twenty feet high already.

  “Did you say something?” Gage inquires.

  “No,” I say, doing my best to sound decisive.

  The Shadows follow behind me, methodically covering the stairs as soon as the light wavers away. The squeak of the lantern sets my nerves on edge. My eyes widen as the squeaking abruptly halts. I bump into Gage’s back before realizing that he’s stopped climbing. He turns to me and holds the lantern high to his face. His eyes flood my mind, erasing all consciousness, and I fall helpless to his enigmatic energy.

  A soft red light surrounds me, enveloping the world around me into a bitter, surreal focus. Feet dangle in front of me, kicking violently. My eyes follow the legs and I see two trembling hands grasping at the rope around his neck. The hard grunts in perfect rhythm with the kicks. His entrancing hazel eyes nearly unrecognizable as the red, bloodshot eyeballs threaten to pop from the darkened sockets. His eyes are full of sheer terror. His purple face is swollen and pudgy. Sweat pours from his forehead, dripping onto the floor. His choking falls silent and his body falls limp, drooping and slowly swaying from side to side.

  “Dessy,” Gage’s sing-song voice teases, snapping me back to reality with the harsh sting of a rubber band.

  I drop to my knees. I want to break down. I want to give up. I stare up at Gage’s dead eyes; they mock.

  “What was that?” I demand to know, hoisting myself up.

  “I’m the keeper of secrets.” A wicked smile plays at his lips.

  “I want to go back.” I clutch my stomach.

  “My Shadows aren’t going to let you go now. We’ve come too far.” His Shadows?

  “I’m going to be sick,” I manage, stumbling up the stairs. I can’t fall behind. Fear surges through my veins. I feel the shadows sting and try to pull me down. They grip my ankles, locking me in place, paralyzing me for a mere second.

  The Shadows crawl out from all corners of the darkness. I run in a desperate hope to catch up with Gage. I trip up the stairs, but am quick to my feet. I can’t fall behind…

  “Run, run, run, as fast as you can,” Gage’s playful voice chimes through the lighthouse. My foot crushes the rotten wood and falls through the stair. My weight crashes down….

  C - R - A - C - K

  My wrist buckles. A yelp of pain escapes. There’s no time to get up. The Shadows fill me with an excruciating pain matched by no other. The happiness flees from my soul and the will to live slowly slips away. An ear-piercing scream fills the tall lighthouse and I soon realize it’s my own. Searing pain relentlessly jabs my entire body over and over again. I grit my teeth and clutch the stair above me to pull myself up. Free. But only because The Shadows love the chase. My feet stumble over each other as I strive to catch up with Gage and escape the deadly grasp of The Shadows.

  “You can’t catch me…” Gage’s voice trails off.

  I reach the top and look around. My wrist throbs in sync with my heart. The room is bare, but the vibrant Shadow energy is stronger than ever. The lantern shines in the corner and I jerk my head toward him.

  “Deseray,” he breathes out softly, as if it’s a poem in and of itself.

  I’m debilitated by the powerful scent of my father’s sweet tobacco. I cry out, falling to my knees; i
mages of his mangled and purple face refuse to exit my mind.

  “I’ve waited a long time for this,” Gage’s venomous voice spits. His footsteps near me, rattling against the old rotten wooden floor.

  “Please,” I say like a soft dog-like whimper.

  His low growl reverberates through my body. “I like it when you beg.”

  I feel my flesh creep as if it wants to slowly slink away. Remember to be brave, my father’s voice booms in my mind.

  “Look at me,” Gage demands.

  I don’t want to look, but I feel compelled. His pale, elongated fingers caress my cheek as I look up at him. “Good,” he praises. His fierce eyes light up in their black sockets and that bone-chilling smile appears.

  “I want to show you something.” He opens his coat to reveal tiny little pockets. Some of them glow… reds… blues… a purple. Some are pitch black.

  “Oh yes, I have lots of goodies to offer.”

  He runs his hands to the side as if to demonstrate his full inventory. He pulls a tiny vial from one of the radiant blue pockets, the light follows it. He opens the other side of his coat and again streams his hand from top to bottom. This time, it’s full of dangling shrunken heads, spinning slightly as they’re hooked by the gray straws of their withered hair.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  The heads glint at me, shriveled and worthless. I look away, forcing the bile back down my throat.

  “It’s not often I get to show off my…” he pauses to flaunt a sinister smile, “collection. Your father’s essence is in here somewhere,” he says, feeling all his pockets.

  “My-my,” I blubber over my words.

  “Your… your…” he mocks. His eyes glower.

  His eyes pierce mine and I can’t look away no matter how hard I try.

  “You’re so young and innocent, so sweet and savory. But you were far too young when I first discovered you.” He shakes his head, clicking his tongue. “I’ve been waiting for you to ripen. And now…”

  “Leave me alone!” I demand, pushing him away. He smacks the wall with a hard thud. He smiles and shakes it off.

  “I’m not cruel,” he says, looking at me. His eyes soften just a bit as he inches closer. “Just because I’m soulless doesn’t mean I’m evil.”

  My chest constricts my heart, locking it in place.

  “At least My Shadows warned you about your father. Surely you’re grateful for such things?” I bite my lip. As if he did some great favor by sending his Shadows to warn me. Anger swells inside.

  “Oh, but Dessy, you were so little… You deserved a bit of warning.”

  His eyes penetrate my innermost thoughts. I feel his own Shadow slink into my body. My flesh creeps like little bugs are crawling under my skin.

  “I’m The Keeper. I keep the Shadows… the Souls… the Essence.”

  I’m silent.

  “They do exactly as I say… hurt who I say… kill who I say… I hold their essence. I am their Keeper. And soon, I will be your Keeper too. Are you ready?”

  “Never,” I spit.

  “Very well. Let’s talk until you are. You didn’t know your father very well, did you?”

  “I knew him well enough,” I grunt. I go to take a swing at Gage. I have to escape. I have to get out of here. He dodges and shakes his head.

  “Hold her,” he says calmly, and The Shadows swarm, paralyzing me.

  “Your father could see The Shadows too, did you know that?”

  I struggle to get free, but The Shadows are too strong.

  “Your father actually thought he could take me out. He wanted to protect you. You’re so strong, Dessy. Well, at least I thought you were. You would think as the supposed Chosen One you would be a little more charismatic.”

  I grit my teeth and ask, “Chosen One?”

  “Oh yes. You’re to free The Shadows. But if you ask me, you were always destined to become one. I loved killing your father. He put up a fight for a good long while. Much better than what you’re doing. Honestly, Des, he would be so disappointed.” Gage shakes his head slowly.

  I ball my fists, allowing the energy of The Shadows to consume me. I beg them to let me use the energy. Something from deep within shoots out and casts a bright light around me, knocking the shadows back.

  “Impressive,” Gage compliments with a smile. “But not good enough. You should be excited, Des. A fresh start to a new decade. Happy Birthday, by the way. Oh! Your present!” he exclaims.

  He pulls one of the tiny heads from his pocket. Its mouth is stitched shut with giant black string. Its eyes are sewed shut. The tuft of blonde hair is pulled back into the finest ponytail he uses to dangle the head in front of me. The skin is stretched and old, deep leathery wrinkles consume the eye lines. Bony cheeks prominently stand out.

  Gage drips a single drop of the illuminating blue potion on the top of the head. My father’s mangled remains contort to a twisted knot. His mouth moves and a deep moan fills the air. His eyelids twitch but stand no chance against the stitches.

  “Deseray…” the muffled voice of my father resounds in my ears.

  “No!” I scream, knocking Gage to the ground… with my raging anger, with my energy gathered from the shadows, I’m not quite sure which.

  “Ooh, look at you, all empowered,” Gage teases.

  I won’t let him get to me. I feel the electric energy buzzing in palms and when I look I see light filling them. What’s happening to me? I force the energy from my palms. I watch Gage twitch as the lightning energy zaps him. His body convulses and twists. I smile to myself. I love watching him writhe in pain… but it feels so wrong.

  I stand there, captivated by his body trapped in the lightning. My palms still buzz with energy. I can see the light stronger than ever. I deliver more shock and watch as his body pulses in pain. His lips are withered and dry. His face is old and worn. I’m sucking the life from him.

  I hear a sharp pop and bolts of lights fill the room… reds… purples… blues… it’s the essence. It’s all breaking free. As the essence breaks, The Shadows fly off… escaping his clutches once and for all.

  Kill him, quickly! The Shadows beg. They’re free now. Their bond was broken long ago and now I’m just… torturing.

  “Deseray… you’ve freed them. Now let me go,” he begs. His eyes are no longer empty… they hold a soul… his soul… My heart tears. I can’t do this. The crackle of the lightening stops and the buzzing returns to my fists.

  He slowly climbs to his feet, his body shaky.

  “Look at what you’ve done,” he says. My heart lurches and tears surface as I see the burn marks across his face.

  “I may have lost my collection tonight, but I will not lose you,” he vows. He takes in a deep breath and I feel my soul start to go with it. I lose my breath and my body freezes. I beg for the energy to return to me, but it doesn’t listen. I had my chance. I was too weak. My body feels cold, empty… my eyes will soon be blank like his. I can’t go on… I don’t want to. He’s taken everything from me.

  “Daddy,” I say, running toward him. I fall into his arms and hold him close.

  “I am so proud of you, my sweet Deseray,” he says, kissing me on the forehead.

  “Why can I see you?” I ask after a minute.

  “You’re different now, Des. You’re The Keeper. You were too strong for Gage.”

  “But.”

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he promises, “You can protect those who see the shadows. You’re better than Gage. You will set things right. You’re the chosen one.”

  “Daddy...” but I can’t find the words to continue. I close my eyes but am unable to stop the tears. I know what’s coming. I don’t know how, but I just know. My arms tighten around him and I feel him slowly slip away.

  I awake the next night, just in time to catch the bright green flash as the sun slips beneath the waves. My father has found peace. He’s entered the next world.

  I meander into town. I feel the flesh sacks hurry past me
, eager to get back to the warmth of their houses. I see one of my shadows trailing behind and I smile. He once told me his name was Gage. That was eons ago. Now, I am his keeper. One day I will send him to find peace… but not tonight.

  Kya wrote her first novel at thirteen and didn't stop there. Now, nine novels later at twenty years old, she's turned her reading and writing addiction into a career she loves. She self-published five books in her teen years, and is now branching out and exploring more traditional publication opportunities. She is a full time writer living with her husband in the beautiful Virginia area. Writing is her greatest passion in life; she's found her calling in the horror world. Ever since she read her first Stephen King novel, she's been hooked.

  Always eager to learn, Kya Aliana will be the first to spark up a conversation with a fellow author. She always strives to improve with each story as she steadily masters the several dark layers of horror.

  She has dedicated this story to Taylor Grant.

  TEETH

  by Mark Carroll

  P.J. woke from the nightmare about her Alec; she'd heard something wrong. Naturally, that meant checking on the stuffed spiders under her bed; stuffed, because the monster that used to live there didn't know the difference. She sniffled, remembering the night she and Alec had driven it from under her bed and into the closet.

  How brave he'd been, all fury and claws and teeth, covered in blood - his and the other's. She remembered what he'd whispered to her as he grew cold in her arms. The monster in the closet hissed at her from its perch atop the clothes rack, but the red ribbon and the sachet Gramma taught her to make still dangled from the closet doorknob, and that was all it could do. She gritted her teeth and got to work.

  She dug her flashlight out from beneath her pillow and swept the room with the circle of light. She heard the strange sound again. The flashlight flickered, so she turned it off, biting her lower lip like Mother told her not to. Everything was fine in her cold little room, so the sound must have come from outside.