Bugs

Bugs

By Bradley Poage

Copyright 2012 Bradley Poage

Jared pulled into the lot of the motel on the edge of town.  It was nearing midnight.  His whole day had been nothing but trouble.  It started with his job ending.  It was one of those moments where he wanted to swear to the end of the world but no one would care to listen.  He was a lone man standing among a group of gutless workers, too fearful to stand for what might have saved his career.  “Worthless maggots,” he mumbled under his breath.

Coming to as stop, he shut the car off and opened the door to get out.  The motel was the last place on Earth he would ever want to stay at.  The outside was completely run down.  It looked as if it hadn’t been occupied in years.  But the sign in the window was blinking open, and he didn’t have the energy to drive another hundred miles to the next town with services.  He had his ex girlfriend to thank for this wonderful stay.  As soon as he arrived home, he broke the news to her and like a lightning bolt she had him sitting outside on the curb.  It should’ve occurred to him months earlier when she started spending time with Eric that something might be happening behind his back.  And as if things couldn’t get worse, he only had the clothes on his back, an old rundown car that loved to breakdown, and he was left to stay at the most rundown motel he could ever imagine.

Shaking his head as he got out of the car, he stood up to find the office directly ahead.  The parking lot was fully deserted.  The feel was eerie. He felt as if something wasn’t right about this place.  It reminded him of one of those old Hollywood films where a person checks in but never escapes.  A creeping chill swept his back as his thoughts refocused on getting a room for the night.  He would be able to sort everything out in the morning.

Proceeding up to the main office door, he felt a deepening hesitation as he reached for the aged, corroded door knob.  The outside looked as if it hadn’t been worked on or maintained in a decade, maybe two or more.  The door screeched as it opened.  A bell chimed overhead as the door struck it, alerting the owner that a guest had arrived.  He was surprised anyone still worked there.  As he entered the office it looked as if it needed a years worth of cleaning.  Dirt and mud were ground into the carpet.  With every step he heard the floor crunch beneath him.  The counters had a mile of dust built up, and a million cigarettes littered the ashtray next to a tiny silver touch bell on the counter that said ring me for help.

Jared frowned.  As if the door wasn’t loud enough, or the bell that rang over him as he opened it.  An annoyed look emerged on his face as he decided he had little patience to wait.  “Hello?” he called out.

There was no answer.  His voice became more irritated as he called out again.  He tried to restrain the tone but he could do little to hold back after the events of the day.  “Hello!” he snapped.  Again, no response.  Annoyance turned to anger.  “Where the hell are you people!” he snipped as he began pinging the bell repeatedly.

“Sir, please calm down.  I am right here,” a voice said from the darkness.  Jared frowned.  “About time!  I have waited, and waited!”

“I understand.  I do apologize.  As you can see, you must ring this bell for service?” the man replied as he pointed to the silver touch bell.

Jared huffed as he tried to ease himself.  “Just give me a room.”

The man looked into his eyes and paused for a moment.  “Do you always treat people this way?”

Jared could feel his blood pressure rising.  “I’m sorry.  I have just had a really bad day.”

The man nodded.  “It would be nice if you apologized?”

Jared just wanted to get to sleep.  He could feel his eyes waning and he didn’t have time to sit and talk with the man.  As he stepped into the light he could see he was older, perhaps in his late seventies.  “Room please,” Jared snapped.

“Room 403.  Just outside, down the way.  Here’s your key.  Sleep tight.  Checkout is in the morning, 11am.”

Jared grabbed the key and stormed out of the office.  He couldn’t believe the old man wanted an apology.  Surely he could see how tired he was and how bad his day had been already?  To make matters worse, he delayed him from getting to his room and getting to sleep.  He just wanted the day to be over.  As he thought about it though, the strange grin on the old man’s face disturbed him.  He was grinning as widely as ever as he left.  He couldn’t be sure why.

As Jared reached his door he slid the key in and twisted it.  The room was actually decent.  He was surprised.  It left him wondering if he should go back and apologize to the old man.  No, he might do so in the morning.  He needed to get his rest now.

Pulling off his clothes as he tried to dismiss everything that happened to him, he moved to the bed and pulled the covers back.  He then settled in under the sheets.  He scanned the room once more.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  It was a very relaxing room.  He had a nightstand, lamp, tv, bed, bathroom, and even a tiny coffee maker.  “Maybe this will be the night everything gets better,” he added.

Turning off the light, he snuggled under the linens and pulled them close.  He could remember how his ex-girlfriend Ashley used to pull him close to him when they were in bed.  He missed being close to her.  Now, she was probably in another man’s arms.  It was painful to think about.  He loved her.

As he drifted to sleep, he let his mind go.  Soon he was dreaming about his life, change, and what he wanted in his future.  It was a calming, soothing sleep.  Suddenly however he felt a burning sensation along his legs and chest.  At first he thought it was part of the dream.  But the pain quickly followed with pulsating fury.  Again he felt burning.  It was a large, tight pinch.  Several actually.  He suddenly awoke and jumped up, turning on the light.  He then screamed in horror as he caught a glimpse of the linen sheets.  They were drenched in blood.  And they were moving!

Grabbing the sheets, he flung them over and screamed in horror again. Scores of oversized bed bugs were crawling along his legs, chewing away his tissue.  Parts of his bones were exposed as well.  He suddenly choked and rolled out of the bed.  He tried to stand but the pain was too incredible.  He struggled to brush off the attackers.  The pain was so agonizing he screamed with every brush.  His skin and muscle tissue had been shredded and gnawed away.  His hands  were coated with blood and ground, dangling flesh.

He suddenly stopped and gazed down at his stomach as it seemed that something was moving around inside.  “What the…”

His stomach suddenly burst.  He quickly choked and spit up blood.  He dropped to the floor there, limp, unable to move.  His final glimpse before his eyes closed were of bugs, hundreds of them, coming to feast on him…

Night Terror

Night Terror

By Bradley Poage

Copyright 2012 Bradley Poage

Getting ready for bed, Jake gazed over at Sarah, his girlfriend.  She was beautiful, with makeup or not.  It was their first night together.  He had been waiting patiently but anxiously for her to finally agree to stay over.

Pausing for a moment as he gazed down at his pillow, he was reminded of the nightmares he used to have growing up.  Those were nights he would never forget.  It was as if he had truly lived those dreams.  Each one was truly horrific.  In one such dream, he could remember every detail, including the person’s face.  He had always heard faces should never be known from dreams unless it was a real person, but this left him very unsettled.  The face of each person from those dreams was one he had burned into his mind.

Drawing in a deep breath he tried to dismiss the sudden thoughts of his nightmares and moved for the bed.  The images were ones he couldn’t wipe away.  The blood smeared on his hands, the scream, the tears, the feeling of intense adrenaline he felt when he had plunged the knife into the person’s gut…  Shivers crept across his skin as he remembered each dream as vivid as if it were the very day he awoke.

Dismissing the thoughts, he crawled into bed.  “Good night baby,” Sarah whispered as she reached up and snapped off the light.  It was relaxing having Sarah there with him.  She had an easing affect on him, one he could never fully describe.  But all the same she also excited something in him deep down.  There was something about her he couldn’t describe, but he could feel it the moment his eyes caught a glimpse of her.  it was almost a hunger, one he surely knew but feared as much as it excited him.  She was unlike any girl he had dated in recent months.  She was the kind of girl that he wanted to have there with him every second of every day.  She was the kinds of girl he wanted to be in his life forever, a part of him.

Quickly drifting into darkness, he drew a deep breath.  “Good night Sarah.”

Dreams came quickly as they always did for him.  But as soon as he was conscious,  he suddenly felt a raging fear come over him.  Moving quickly, he leaped up only to find Sarah, a knife angled at his chest.  “I’m going to kill you.”

A strange rush of excitement flooded his veins as he smiled at her.  He then took a step closer.  “Not if I kill you first.”

Sarah stared into his eyes as he suddenly pulled a knife from behind his back and shoved it straight into her stomach.  She gasped and fell to the floor.  Grinding the blade into her, rage flared in his eyes as he pinned her down.  Blood poured from the torn flesh as he twisted the knife.

Sarah stopped breathing and went limp.  He grinned and rose.  “I told you I would kill you first.”

Jake suddenly awoke in a cold sweat.  It was one of those dreams again.  He had killed Sarah.  “Sarah?” he uttered as he rolled over to her.  There was no answer.  In the darkness he couldn’t see anything.  The room was pitch black.  “Sarah?” he uttered again.  Nothing.

He suddenly felt a warm, wet fluid running along his chest.  He snapped up to turn on the light.  “Oh God no!” he screamed as his eyes caught a glimpse of her.  Sarah was lying in bed, a knife impaled deep into her chest.  Blood was all over the sheets.  “What have I done?”

Her Greatest Fear

Her Greatest Fear

By

Bradley Poage

Sarah started folding the next pair of jeans that mounded the top of the heaping pile of clothes.  It was a typical Wednesday for her being an at home mother.  Her son Jeremy was out front playing with the rest of the kids from the neighborhood.  She usually let him run off with the others since they were all around the age of ten and it was during the summer.

Taking a moment to let out a sigh of relief,she grabbed the tv wand and flipped to the afternoon news.  A message was scrolling across the bottom of the screen.  At first she didn’t think anything of it.  Te new channel always posted notices and warnings, but this time one word caught her eye.  The word was Haven.  She immediately snapped back and focused on the message. Their neighborhood was named Haven.

“Oh my God!” she blurted out as she bolted for the door.  She just caught glimpse of part of the message, but it was enough to send shivers down her back.

As she reached the front door she grabbed the handle and yanked it open.  She then snapped left and then right, desperately looking for her son.

The message continued to scroll across the screen.  She could feel panic spur from deep within herself.  She rushed back in and grabbed her cell phone.  She immediately began dialing the number to her son’s cell phone.  As she pressed send she only received a fast dial tone.  It was busy.  “Oh please Jeremy,” she uttered in desperation, hoping he would pick up.  She abruptly ended the call and then pressed redial.  Again she just received a fast dial.

Her heart raced deep within her chest as she could feel the anxiety building within herself.  Her son was unareachable and the message scrolling across the bottom of the screen only made her more sick.  She couldn’t bear to keep watching it scroll along the bottom.  She reached for the wand to turn it off as a new reporter came on.  “We’re on scene in Haven Neighborhood where…”

Sarah suddenly choked and dropped the wand.  She fell to the floor as the words uttered out of the reporter’s mouth.  “Seven boys were found just minutes ago trapped beneath a collapsed tree.  Their names have not been identified, but sources say they are from the neighborhood.”

All the possible scenarios ran through her mind just then.  Was her son one of them?

She bit her lip and swallowed the trickling blood as it ran into her mouth.  The taste of bitter metal was nothing compared to the fear that now raged through her veins.  She could taste the pain she now felt spiraling towards her.  Memories, feelings…her baby was gone.  It was the most horrible end she could’ve ever asked for.  It was her greatest fear…

It’s Your Time to Die

It’s Your Time to Die

By

Bradley Poage

Sunlight glistened through the glass panes as Julia rushed into the coffee shop.  It was a perfect spring morning.  The fresh smell of dew was inviting and soothing.  She loved the smell as she geared up for her day.

Rushing through the doors, Garrett smiled at her.  “Morning Julia!” he uttered.

Julia smiled and continued on her way to place her order.  On this particular morning she was running behind.  She needed to get her coffee and bolt off to the office.  As she reached the register, the young girl behind the counter smiled and asked for her order.  “The usual this morning?” she inquired.

Julia nodded.  “The usual would be great, thanks,” she replied.  The girl nodded quickly and turned to pour the drink.  It was a plain bold coffee.

Eying the coffee, Julia began running through the list of items she had to address.  It was going to be a typical morning in the office, one she wasn’t going to be easily prepared for.  But she felt relieved that the coffee would help make it through the day.

The fresh smell of brewed coffee tickled her taste buds as she eagerly awaited the coffee.  The girl set the paper cup filled with coffee down on the counter and waited for Julia to pull out the two dollars.  “Anything else this morning?”

Julia shook her head, grabbed the coffee and began for the door.  “Thanks,” she called back.

Heading for the door, she paused, swallowed a large gulp of her coffee, but she suddenly stopped as she noticed a familiar face in the corner of the shop.  He was a man she almost didn’t recognize.  But looking on him, he seemed like someone she once knew.  She wondered where she knew him from?

Pausing, Julia turned to say hello.  “Um hi, do I know you from somewhere?”

The man grinned.  “I was thinking you would’ve forgotten about me by now.”

Julia was confused how she knew him.  He wasn’t a plain man, and dressed well with a trim goatee and mustache, paired with a dark blue dress shirt, black tie and regular black dress pants.  “So how do I know you again?”

The man quietly grinned again.  “It was nice to see you again Julia.  I’ve missed seeing you.  It’s just a shame we can’t talk more.”

Julia was at a loss as to what he was talking about.  His responses didn’t make…she suddenly and very abruptly clenched her stomach.  Pain began emanating from deep down.  It felt as if pins and needles had been dropped into her stomach.  Everyone suddenly keeled over then.  The only person left was him, with a wide smile.  “What’s going on?” she struggled to blurt out.  The pain was intense, so intense that her eyes watered and every centimeter of her body quivered.

The man stood over her, knelt down and ran his fingers along her cheek, wiping the tears away.  “It’s your time to die…”

The Tale of Spirits

The Tale of Spirits

By

Bradley Poage

Rays of sun pierced the heavy overhanging leaves as Greg and Adam continued along the mountainside ridge.  The woods were dark and cold this time of year, just before winter.  But it was the perfect time to be exploring the ridge, an area where few hikers dared venture.  On this particular exploration venture, the two had their eyes set on discovering the lost Yangpee Mine.  It was said to be at the end of a long ridge.  Greg figured it was a good bet that this was the very ridge where it was nestled.  If it was, the opportunity would be far more worth their wild than anything else.

As the two rounded the corner and began to venture deeper into the canyon, the light began to fade.  It was almost as if they were beginning to enter another world.  Greg pressed onward knowing they must be getting close.  It seemed that this canyon and the ridge were the perfect place to conceal an old mine that dated back to the beginning of the twentieth century.  “Can you believe it Adam, this place is amazing!”

Adam frowned and continued following Greg.  “This  wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said we should go exploring up here?”

Greg frowned and continued to press on, pushing branches of leaves by as they pressed along the ridge.  “COme on Adam.  This is so beautiful.  Seriously?”

Adam huffed under his breath.  “So whatever happened to the miners?”

Greg shrugged.  “Who knows.  People say one day they just stopped coming into town.”

“So they just vanished?”

“Yep,” Greg returned.  “Anyway, it’s a legend that is as believable as the rest.”

“What legend?” Adam pressed.

“Oh nothing, really!”

Adam abruptly stopped, holding his ground.  Greg could tell he made his stance and stopped to face his friend.  “Fine Adam.  Rumor has it that some forest fairies killed them when they discovered they were taking their gold.”

“Really?  Who believed that?”

Greg chuckled and turned to continue.  “Everyone.  That’s why no one comes up here anymore.”

Adam pulled his canteen out.  “Unbelieve…” A high pitch whistle wailed through the trees, catching Greg’s ears.  He suddenly stopped and turned to face Adam.  “Adam?” he called out as he turned around.

Adam’s face was frozen as blood spewed down from the arrow tip piercing his mouth.  Greg choked as he heard another high pitched wail.  He suddenly felt something pelt him in his lower section of his back.  He gazed down, only to find a black obsidian tip arrowhead, dripping with blood.  It was his blood.

Spitting up blood that was beginning to well up in his mouth, Greg bolted back down the ridge.  He could feel the arrow tearing his insides apart.  He grasped the arrow, trying to hold it delicately in place.

As he emerged from the trees he gazed back for a moment to see three figures emerge from the trees.  He closed his eyes as he continued running.  Another high pitched whistle sliced the air.  Again he felt a heavy thud into his back, followed by a severe stinging sensation.  He wanted to stop but out of fear knew he could not.  He had to get to the river.

 As he reached the falls he could hear heavy ground footsteps in his wake close behind him.  He knew he couldn’t stop.  He reached the edge of the river, just above the waterfall, and jumped.  The water around him was cold and icy as he tumbled down the fall into the pool beneath him.  He survived.  But as the water calmed he pulled himself up onto a nearby rock.  He could feel his strength slipping.  He gazed up only to his horror to find a village of spirits…

The Pack

“The Pack”

By

Bradley Poage

The ocean water was crystal blue.  The sky was clear with just the occasional cloud adrift among the quick but gentle breeze.  It was a perfect morning to be out at the beach.  Not many people were occupying the fresh powdery sandbanks, and the peace was unlike anything Jeremy had ever experienced before in the city, even during the quietest night.

Bobbing up and down in the gentle wave as the water swished around him, the peace was serene.  He just let himself drift, open to where the water wished to carry him.  “This is so nice,” he uttered.

A sudden but violent swishing came up from beneath the glassy surface.  Jeremy swallowed as he felt the rippling strike.  His flesh tore away as if it was butter being sliced by a knife.  His life suddenly stopped before him.  Feeling the warmth of his blood and a strange grimy slime along his open wound, the pain flowed through his body as though a dam had been opened to a gushing water flow.

Amber screamed from the bank as she watched her boyfriend go under by a giant fish-like creature.  “Oh my God!  Jeremy!” she shouted as she ran to his aid.

Jeremy felt complacent as the pain washed over all of his senses.  He quickly slipped under the waves as the creature struck him again, this time devouring his remaining body.

Amber stroked hard through the water as she made a mad rush save him.  She didn’t know if she loved him, but he was a man she had come to want in her life as much as her life would allow.

As she reached the spot where he was last seen, she scanned the water for him.  “Jeremy?  Jeremy!” she cried out.

A black figure suddenly emerged from beneath the crystal blue water.  Amber gazed on the animal and watched as it raced in her direction.  She immediately turned and struggled to stroke back to shore out of instinct.  Suddenly beneath the blue darkness another form emerged, and then another.  She was surrounded on all sides.  The creatures had to be sharks, but she couldn’t identify them.  The body didn’t look normal.  There was something different about them.  They acted as though they were studying her as an invader to their territory.

Amber swallowed as she prepared to be killed.  The figures acted as a cat preparing to pounce on its prey.  Being a biologist, she never wanted to be on this side of the glass.

Shots suddenly exploded overhead.  Gazing up, she saw a black helicopter swoop in, and a man hanging out of the side door firing at her attackers.

Amber turned back to capture one last glimpse of the creatures, but they bolted as soon as they were fired on.

The helicopter dropped down  to the water and lowered a harness.  Amber could feel her adrenaline rushing and the shadow of shock coming over her.  She pulled her body into the harness and held on as the helicopter pulled her out and away.  She couldn’t save Jeremy, and the pack was out there, waiting…

The Craving

The Craving

By

Bradley Poage

A cool swift breeze blew through the partly cracked bedroom window as the sun began to rise, showering the room with rays of sunlight.  The air was sweet, moist, refreshing; it could remind anyone just how amazing the spring day could be as the dawn awoke from night.

Stirring from under the covers, Jake drew a long, deep breath.  The sensation was overwhelming.  It was exactly what he was looking for.  But stirring under the covers he suddenly felt a tiwst in his stomach.  Swallowing hard, he immediately felt the urge to rush into the kitchen to the refrigerator.  Something had come over him, an intense sensation driving his taste palette.  The draw to food was beyond anything he had ever felt before.

Rushing to the door, he yanked open the fridge and began grabbing at whatever he could to satisfy his appetite.  He started with bagels, then all of the fruit and vegetables.  “What is wrong with me?” he uttered as he couldn’t seem to bring himself to stop.

Grabbing the last apple from the shelf, he felt as if the items he just finished were gone.  His stomach was empty.  He looked thorugh every shelf, scavenging for anything.  He quickly grabbed the bottle of milk, twisted the cap off, and guzzled the contents down his throat.  The taste was savouring, but his hunger was unanswered.  “I am so hungry!” he shouted.

Looking around, He couldn’t see anything else he could eat.  He suddenly focused on his fingers.  Looking at them he paused and began to think how juicy and tender they appeared…

To be continued……