The Darkest Tales: A Series of Short Horror Stories

Keep Walking

She sighed as she shut her laptop. She rubbed the crud out of the corner of her eyes at the bridge of her nose with the thumb and index finger of her right hand. A pulsing headache had her rubbing at her temples. She scooted back from her desk in her rolling chair and picked up the wine glass to the right of her laptop. She made it quietly down the carpeted steps and into the kitchen. She placed it on the counter beside the sink with a loud clink. She found her eyes drawn to the scenery outside and contemplated getting some fresh air. Before she did she decided to take some ibuprofen for the shooting pain through her skull. She unlocked the back door and opened it. She stood there silently letting the fresh air blow past her before walking out the door and closed it behind her. She put on her sandals which had been sitting on the porch beside the steps. She began her trek along the gravel path that led into the woods. She listened attentively to the sounds of birds chirping and other wildlife. Than something interrupted the tranquil sounds, a branch snapping. She didn't think anything of it because it could have just been one of many animals that lived in these woods but when the sounds seemed to near closer she couldn't help but feel a pinch of anxiety. So, she picked up the pace until the gravel path ended at the lake. The sunset reflected across the water in a beautiful array of colors. She took the time to enjoy it and completely ignored earlier.  She began skipping rocks across the lake and even searched for geodes or fossils she could find just lying around. When she realized it was getting darker she began walking back home. That's when the forest really began to bustle with hums, chirps, and even croaks. She walked at a leisurely pace for most of the walk until she heard the sounds of leaves raking across the ground and crunching from the pressure of every step. That's when her brisk pace turned into a panicked jog. By the time her home was in view the sun had fully set and lights were pouring through the windows since she'd forget to turn all of the lights off. When she made it to her actual back yard the lights in her home began to flicker and shutter. Clearly a disturbance caused by the unwanted appearance of the stranger on her heels. When she made it into the house she slammed the door shut with her back. She heaved air in and out of her lungs at a pace that gave her a headache. She looked outside the kitchen window and couldn't see a thing. So she turned on the porch light and ran back to the window. She could see the outside better now but there was no sight of whatever could have been following her. That was when she heard the footsteps within her own home. She began to panic and grabbed the keys off their hook. She looked around panicked unsure of where the footsteps were coming from. She couldn't take it anymore and ran out the front door. Nearly tripping on the last step she regained her balance and headed towards her car. When she got in she drove as fast as she could. Nearly missing her mail box. The footsteps seemed to still be following her. She questioned if someone were really following her. Or if the sounds in the woods were those of her own, the flickering lights a power surge, and the footsteps she's hearing now just her pulsating headache? She wasn't sure.