Short Horror Stories

The Shadow

Ok, so I've never done anything like this before... Never told anyone about the... events. The thing is I'm still not sure if I should. I mean if I were to type it out like this and someone were to find it I would be locked up in an institutIon for not being of sane mind, but I have this horrible feeling in my gut telling me I need to get this out somehow. Typing it is the safest way I could think of since no one feels like using my old beat up computer due to the fact that everyone now a days has iPhones that already have extraordinarily fast internet so I'm sure if I were to write, I'm sorry, type this out I would be ok, be safe because no one would ever want to use this old beat up computer, no one.

So... Here I go. It started about 2 months ago, the suicides that is, and no one knew why. But over the past 2 months I noticed something strange about them stranger than a string of 10 suicides in the same state in 2 months I mean. Something horrific about them. They were all happening to people that I knew personally. The first was on December 25, yes Christmas day, and it was my friend Mike. I knew Mike mainly through work, but occasionally we'd go out for some drinks on weekends.

He never showed any signs, not one sign that he was going to do it. In fact the day of he was as cheerful as ever happy to get a day off happy to be home with his family, so naturally it came as a complete shock for his wife to come home from work and find her husband dead in their bedroom. I know it came as a shock to me.

Not a week after came another one. This time it was this guy I knew that worked at my favorite restaurant. Everyday after work I'd go there and everyday he would zoom to my table ask me what I'd like and chat with me about local sports. Not only was it unexpected and sad when his daughter found him it was near to impossible. He was just sitting at the kitchen table when she came home, and right as she walked in his body just fell to the floor all of a sudden for absolutely no reason. The autopsy showed absolutely nothing, nothing at all it was almost as if that was planned.

The others run together all in a horrific terrifying haze except the last one.The most recent one which was also the worst because the last one, at least I hope to death it's the last one, was my brother. My best friend in the entire world. I was the one to find him and it was the worst thing ...ever. He was 20 minutes from home after going to pick up some movies for us to watch. I sat at my computer messing around, waiting. 30 minutes passed I thought it might just be a traffic hold up. Another 30 minutes passed and I started to freak out. I jumped into my car and started to head down the road he always takes to the city. It should only take an hour to run to the store and back he'd been gone for 2.

I was halfway there when I saw a semi on the side of the road it looked pretty beat up, but what was in front of it was much worse. In front of it was an unidentifiable car that was in such horrible shape it made you cringe to think someone might have been in it. Right as I was passing I almost looked away, but something caught my eye. I saw the car's license plate and realized that it was my brother's. I slammed on the brakes, jumped out of my car and sprinted toward the wreck.

What I saw was horrifying. My brother laying sprawled out in front of his car with a pool of blood surrounding his head. I just sat there screaming and crying it was hours before anyone even found us and by then the blood was dry and both drivers were found dead. It hadn't even occurred to me to check the other car to see if the other driver was still alive. Instead I sat laying my head on my brother and sobbing. The next few days passed in a blur leading up to this day, 5 days after the crash, the day I decide to actually do something about it because the thing that I've not yet mentioned is the thing that is as crazy as I'm sure it is true.

There is someone behind all of the suicides and not just the people who actually do it. There is one person telling them to do it, and I know this because I've felt them trying to make me do it. I feel someone moving around in my head trying to find the right wire to cut that will make me kill myself without a second thought, but for a reason beyond me I can block them out not listen to the voice inside my head telling me to do it, I can just completely shut them out and keep on living whatever kind of messed up life this is. The thing is I'm having a hard time doing it. I have this horrible feeling the longer I defy him the longer all the people I know and love will be killed by some freakshow out to get me.

I know he's messing with their heads just like he's trying to mess with mine, but for some reason they are so much easier than me. He got my brother on a moments notice having him go headfirst into an oncoming semi. He also got Mike on the best day of the year one of the only days he ever got off of work. I know though that really the only reason he's doing any of it is to get to me and boy is he succeeding. I can't sleep I can hardly eat and I'm so afraid of everything I no longer trust anyone just my girlfriend and myself.

I've not mentioned her yet, but I'm pretty sure that's because I now believe he sees everything I do so I've been playing it safe until now. But I have got to tell you about her and how absolutely perfect she is. She is my soulmate. The person I was born to be with if I had to live without her it wouldn't be living at all, and I'm afraid. I'm afraid to get to me he will harm her, and I would just never get over it. I don't know what he wants from me, but I do realize he keeps building in importance in the people he makes his next victims. From my work friend to my brother and I have no doubt in my mind if it drives me over the edge he'll go for her too. I just cannot let that happen, but until I figure out what exactly it is that I am going to do I'm going to try to sleep so goodnight.

HE LEFT A NOTE. I walk into the kitchen right when I wake up so I can grab some quick breakfast. As I reach to pull my usual cereal down off the shelf a small piece of delicate looking paper flutters to the floor. I set the cereal back down and bend to pick it up.

As I touch it I feel this moist warm substance on my fingertips when I pull my hand up I see what looks like... blood. By this point I am already thoroughly terrified, but I bend down once more to retrieve the paper which is apparently covered in blood. I realize then the blood is smeared into letters. I sit at the table and read. What you fear most is right around the corner. Give me your life or I'll take hers. It's a note from him, and I have no doubt he is talking about June, my girlfriend.

I am scared senseless and have no idea what to do. I'm typing this downstairs and I see the shadow of my bed on the wall and I realize it looks sort of like a disgusting mangled man. And I know what I'll call him... The Shadow. I come to this realization and it almost seems laughable that I have come up with a name for my innermost demon, but it's almost comforting that I can call out right before I do it.

"Are you happy now.... Have you had enough fun?" then I will end my life as quickly and painlessly as I can think of.

By hanging, I researched hanging not long ago for a paper in college. The paper was about the most common ways of committing suicide and how it can also be prevented and now I realize that that is also something laughable because nothing could prevent me from doing what I am about to do.

So right now as I look at my little makeshift rope attached to my ceiling and the chair positioned directly underneath it I feel good. Not because I am taking my own life to save my soulmate's, but because I know this is the only way to end this unbearable situation. And I know that after this morning I shall no longer have to be tortured with the undying hate of the Shadow because after this morning I'll end my life with pride knowing that I've saved the one I love the most. And won his twisted game.