Hey everyone! As some of you may know I am a horror writer. I write short stories, novellas and even have a couple of novel length pieces under my belt. I am striving to get better and better with my writing, and the ultimate goal is to be published someday. I would love for my career to be solely writing; to earn a living from my original stories and my storytelling ability! That’s not where I am on this journey right this moment, but I’m not going to stop trying either.
So with that in mind, I figured I would post up part of one of my original short stories. This is the first half of one of my shorts, it’s called The Dogs Come Out At Night. I hope you enjoy it!
October 27, 1996
Silas runs, practically flying out of the house. He runs with the speed and excitement that only a nine year old can have. The screen door thumps hard behind him. His mother stands at the sink, washing dishes. Her son’s deep chestnut hair catches her attention through the little window above that sink, she can’t help but giggle at her little boy as he sprints into the cold autumn afternoon. The wind is quick and brisk; whipping at his face and hair. He knows there’s only a little time left to enjoy the outdoors until it gets dark. It’s that time of year every little kid hates, when the sky begins to darken around 5. It turns children into stir-crazy little monsters that bounce around their house and drive their parents up the wall.
Silas runs through the yard, he pauses to squint up into the sky; at the bright, deceiving sun. The air is so crisp; it almost stings his chubby flushed cheeks. His eyes dart to the tree line that sits in the back yard. It’s by far his favorite part of the property. This tree line, it separates their home from the next property for miles. He once heard his dad talking about square mileage. He doesn’t know what that means, but he is happy to have the space. He is happy for the unlimited adventures he gets to enjoy in the woods. It’s such a secluded, wonderfully private piece of property. If you are looking north or south, there isn’t another home in sight. On either side of them, if you squint, you might make out a neighbor’s home. Silas loves those woods. He likes the paths, and the seemingly endless pillars of trees. He loves to dig and play in the water of the numerous creeks and streams throughout the woods. On most days he runs along their trails and forges his own adventure. His mother ALWAYS tells him to stay on the paths, but dad is more realistic. His dad is more familiar with the temptations and nature of little boys. His advice to Silas is to keep the trail in eye’s sight, and not to wander off too far. Silas jogs into the tree line, with his parents instructions barely a thought. As he enters into the trees, he spins and begins to walk backwards. He watches his home be gradually eaten by the rapidly baring branches until it is consumed.
The viscous wind whips through branches, continually knocking off autumnal leaves. It creates a cascading of reds, oranges and yellows. Silas watches the waterfall of colors, taking the vibrancy in with his wide doe- like blue eyes. There is a shuffle, something making abrupt movements in the foliage. It makes a noise that doesn’t align with his steps in the fallen leaves. To the left, there sits a cat. It’s a grey tabby and his grey and black markings clash against the bright leaf flooring of the woods. He sits up straight, attentive, the way curious cats do. The cat watches Silas with wide, weary green eyes. Silas smiles, he knows this fur ball. He starts to take small, slow tip-toe like steps towards his grey friend. Silas doesn’t take four steps and that cat runs like a bat out of hell. Nine year old Silas chases after, leaving the trails behind.
Silas shuffles along, pouting about the cat he wasn’t able to catch. He almost had him, twice! That damn Tom was just a little too fast, as he always was. While the boy walks along he kicks at the fallen leaves and twigs that crowd the wood’s floor. Silas looks up through bare branches and his eye brows scrunch together. The sun is setting, and branches are being flooded with the dimming shades of dusk; the purples, oranges and pinks. That damn cat got the best of him, and he can no longer see the trails; any of them. There are miles of woods that sit behind his parent’s home. Silas rolls his eyes at the thought about the many, MANY lectures he has received about the woods and the trails.
This is no big deal…I have been off the paths before, LOTS of times.
In his defense, he has been off the trails before. Not often, and it had always been bright, sunny and in the middle of the day. Silas is putting on a brave face.
All the coolest shit isn’t on the paths anyway.
Silas always found the best stuff, in his opinion; off the beaten path…There were little creeks and streams that were full of tadpoles and crawfish. Sometimes he would see baby animals. Oddities that intrigue a little boy, like fallen bird’s nests and bee hives.
Am I going the right direction? I forgot how much woods are here. What the hell is a square mile? Have I seen all our woods? Dad must have showed me everything by now.
There is a fast heavy rustle. Silas comes to a screeching halt, his feet practically stuck to the ground.
What was that?
He hears it again; the heavy, quick rush of foliage crunching into the ground.
That’s way bigger than that cat.
He hears the crushing of leaves and the snapping of fallen branches. He still stands, frozen to the floor of the rapidly darkening wood. Night was falling fast.
Is…is it a bear? Do we have bears? What else lives in the woods? Hill lions? No, we don’t have those…I don’t think. Mom and dad are going to be so mad; they probably already have Evee out here.
Silas is right. His mom is mad. He is still out at dark, and it is dinner time. His mom, old fashioned as she is scowls out the kitchen window impatiently tapping her toes. Dinner time is sacred in her house, a time for everyone to stop what they’re doing and to meet as a family around their kitchen table. On most nights she prepared a wonderful home cooked dinner for her family. If no one had important commitments, she fully expected everyone’s butt at her table as soon as it was done. His mother did exactly what he thought she would do.
She had summoned her teenage daughter from the depths of her room to go and fetch her brother. Evelyn is 17; she’s slender with a tan Italian complexion. She has curly, long chestnut hair with big blue eyes; a trait that runs in the family. As far as teenagers go, she is fairly well behaved. The most trouble she gets into is occasionally drinking and smoking. She keeps good grades; she is a good sister to Silas (aside from the teasing).Now, Evelyn is tromping along the trails, flashlight in hand. She calls out his name, waits a few seconds for some kind of response. Every time there isn’t a return to her call, she walks for a minute and calls out again.
Silas has only taken a couple of steps, still stuck in the same area he has been in for some time now. Every time he makes a move, or takes a few steps he hears that intimidating bustling. The wind has become angry; whipping and biting at his face, stinging his tear-stained cheeks. He cries quietly, occasionally letting out a whine or a few quick breaths that he can’t control. Something is hunting him. Every time he moves – it moves. It is close enough to be startling, but it stays at enough distance that the night keeps it hidden. Silas is just hoping it stays that way.
“SILAS!”
Silas stops whimpering. He turns his head in the direction where he thought he had heard his name.
That was my name, I think…Evee!
Silas is holding his breath listening for that beautiful voice again. After what feels like a lifetime, Evelyn calls out for her brother again. He hears it clearly this time. He turns his head in the direction he now knows it is coming from and he knows where to go now. He takes a slow, deep steady breath in and starts to run; his little legs pushing him as fast as they can go. After a couple of running steps he hears something else following along with him. Leaves and branches are crunching behind him in a quickening cadence. He starts to breath heavily again, not being able to control it, hyperventilating. He closes his eyes briefly, afraid that whatever is chasing him is close enough that shadows aren’t hiding it anymore. After almost a full minute of running, silence accompanies his tiny rushing steps. He opens his eyes and focuses very hard. The noises are gone.
He sees his sister come into view. She’s on the trails with her hands on her hips looking off in other direction. Silas has never been so happy to see his sister.
“Evee!”
She turns around just in time to see him running at her full speed. He smashes into her and wraps his arms around her crying. Evelyn hugs her little brother tight.
“What’s wrong? Did you get lost?… Are you crying?”
He nods yes while he still has his face buried into her stomach; appreciating the warmth of her fleece coat against his wind chapped face.
“There was…something following me…”
She laughs at the idea
“The only thing that’d be following you ‘round out here is that ole tom cat! It’s freezing, let’s get back.”
I will post up the other half of the story for my next blog. You can follow my blog to find the ending or to watch out for other posts with my original stories. Also, please follow me on Twitter. It’s horror themed and I post what I am watching and reading on there all the time. I also keep up to date on my reading list via my goodreads account. You can keep track of what books I am reading at any given time and also see my reviews on stuff I read on that account. I do book reviews here sometimes, but not always. Going onto goodreads with me ensures you’ll see my opinion on anything I am reading or have read recently.
As always, thank you so much for reading and checking out my blog. Stay spooky my friends.
