The Book (Horror) Ch 1

Chapter One1

“Hey, Mom? My car broke down, can I get you to pick me up?”2

“No, sorry, I’m busy right now.”3

Busy?, she thought. How could she be too busy to pick me up?4

She reluctantly hung up the cell phone, not knowing what else to say to her mother’s refusal to help her out. The rain poured and it felt too cold on her naked arms. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, she strolled over to her car, staring at it, as if the idea of a running car would magically make it work again. 5

Giving up the attempt to get the car started on her own, she found it in herself to walk the distance to get someone who would help her. Nearing a set of concrete stairs, she looked back over her shoulder, as if a sixth sense had instructed her to do so. As she turned, she saw a hideous monster, though small, was still menacingly horrible in its own way. It walked on legs so long she wondered why they didn’t break when they bent. Its arms were equally long in that they swayed by its sides, inches from dragging on the ground. 6

Those eyes, she thought, they’re so familiar. Its eyes were the size of teacup saucers, round and dark. She realized they looked like the eyes of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. Though this monster was far from seemingly harmless. 7

With its razor sharp teeth lashing at her, it spoke in a guttural voice.8

“ There’s no where to hide.”9

Her mind tried to rationalize with what she was seeing. A burst of fear went through her as she suddenly felt herself running from the thing. 10

Hurdling down the concrete steps two at a time, she looked ahead to see if there was anywhere she could hide. To her dismay, there were only trees, everywhere. A forest as thick as cold molasses. The only place she could see was a crevice where the steps met the lawn. It was small, incredibly small, and certainly not a hiding place, but her mind told her it was the only place to go. 11

Crouching beside the cold stone on the stairs, she felt the rain falling like ice and the blades of grass that rose above her scratched at her, as if with lives and minds of their own. There was something strange about that grass. It seemed much too tall. 12

What the hell is going on here? She thought.13

The monster-thing was pacing after her, as if knowing she would not run, but try to hide. 14

She sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She put her head down between her arms as if to do so would make shelter to protect herself.15

“There’s no where to hide. You can’t hide from us,” it said.16

She suddenly flipped her head back and stared directly into the face of the thing that had pursued her. With its face inches from her own she realized something that profoundly changed the situation.17

She was dreaming.18

“This is just a dream,” she muttered to herself, watching as the plumes of breath mixed with the cold air. 19

She quickly scanned her mind for ways that people had awakened themselves in dreams. She knew she had heard it somewhere. Then it came to her. 20

Gawking at the backside of her hand as if it were not her own but instead belonged to the thing that stared at her intently, she instantaneously pinched it and with the blink of an eye…21

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~22

She awoke with start, her breathing so rapid she had to use all her control in order to calm herself. 23

“That was so real,” she said aloud, shuddering at the vividness to which she remembered the nightmare. 24

Janice Foley was an avid believer that dreams held meaning for the waking world. She pushed her head into the pillow, wondering what it meant to be chased by a monster. 25

“And what did he mean, ‘There’s no where to hide from us’? Who’s “us”?” 26

Stretching her taught arms and legs in order to wake up, she yawned and folded the bed sheets over. 27

“I don’t want to get up today,” she said to no one at all. “Do I have to? Ugh..”28

No. She didn’t have to but the better part of her that said that it was a beautiful summer day wanted her to get up and enjoy it. She glanced out her window, wincing at the brightness of the sun that felt warm on her face. 29

Getting out of bed, she stepped in front of the full-length mirror, gazing at her naked body. She always slept nude. It was much more comfortable without clothes. Her breasts were firm and round. She looked down at her nipples and realized for the first time since she woke up that she was cold. 30

Squinting at her hair, which cascaded down the small of her back in natural black ringlets, she picked a woolly out of it and stepped back.  31

“Yeah. Shower. Now.”32

Grabbing her bathrobe, Janice walked towards the bathroom door and suddenly stopped. The birds outside were singing in the early morning sunshine. She closed her eyes to listen. Silence, accept for the bird’s morning song. She loved the sounds of nature. Taking a deep breath she continued to the bathroom, anticipating a wonderful day of nature and sun. 33

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“What do you mean, it’s not finished? You’re telling me you’ve been working on that piece of ** for two days and it’s not finished? Listen man, ** you. It’s my car and I need it to get around. Other people have to work too, you know. Yea, okay. Alright. Just, hurry it up a little alright and maybe I’ll throw in a little bonus. Yea. Bye.”35

“What’s going on?” Janice said. 36

“Oh nothing. Jimmy’s got my car and he’s trying to fix it up. He’s been screwin’ around with it for days now. Probably just doin’ it cause he wants the money.”37

Derrick Sutherland had been Janice’s best friend since they were kids. With his dark brown hair and green eyes, she often felt attracted to him. He stood a foot taller than her, which was probably about six one, and he had a medium build. Although not exactly the best looking guy around, she knew him on the inside enough to feel some sort of attraction to him. But he was like her brother. The idea of a relationship like that, it just didn’t seem right.38

“Oh, yea? I bet he’s trying to scam you like he did to that guy a couple months ago. How much did it cost him to get his muffler fixed? Three hundred dollars?”39

Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she looked at Derrick and noticed his face seemed to change from calm to angry. 40

“Yea, I remember that. And it was two seventy-five. There actually was a lot more wrong with it than the muffler. But the job I’ve got with my car should take three hours, tops. Not two days. Jimmy’s just dragging it out.” He grunted at the idea of having to wait any longer for his car. He felt stranded without it.41

“Listen, Dee,” Her nickname for him had been Dee since they were thirteen. It stuck with him even after almost ten years. “I can give you a ride any time you want. Really, it’s no problem.” 42

She gestured towards her dark burgundy 2002 Acura. Rims shining in the sun, it sparkled like it just came off the lot. Janice took pride in keeping her car up to par. Her job allowed her to get a new car every couple years.43

Jan’s job??44

Derrick looked Janice in the eyes, marveling, still, at the blueness of them. For years he wondered why he wasn’t with her, but then realized they had a better relationship as friends than as lovers. Still, he wondered. 45

“Thanks, but I hate depending on other people. Only if I absolutely have to will I resort to asking for rides. Makes me feel like I’m sixteen again and with no license, ya know?”46

“Yea, I know what you mean.”47

They were sitting on Derrick’s patio in front of his house. The old maple trees surrounded the entire lawn. It seemed cozy and secluded. Janice always felt comfortable at Derrick’s place. Since his parents died when he was nineteen, Derrick had inherited the house. There wasn’t much money for him though because his family had not been well off. They left him the house, though, and he seems content with just that. Janice wondered if Derrick wished they had had more, because he probably wouldn’t be in this predicament now if he could afford a better car. 48

Stretching her legs out, she felt the heat of the sun on her bare legs and wondered if she might be able to get a bit of a tan. As soon as the thought came to mind, she stopped herself. 49

How womanly to think that, she thought to herself. There’s more to life than tans for Chri’sake. 50

“What are you thinking about, Jan? You look like you’re in “the zone.” You alright?” Derrick stared at her. 51

“Yea, I’m alright. Just girl stuff. Hey, you wanna go at somethin’ I was hoping to go for a walk around Signal Hill. Wha’da ya say?”52

Derrick nodded, then said, “Yea, okay. Just let me go in and get changed first. Be right back.”53

“Okay,” she said.54

Staring out at the tall trees, Janice felt a cool breeze and watched as the leaves swayed. She closed her eyes, listening as the sound of the wind through the thousands of leaves reminded her of rain showers. Feeling wonderful in the moment of peacefulness, Janice was interrupted by a terrible thought.55

What if something lived in those trees that no one knew existed? Something that was deadly and horrible. Something that liked to feed on human flesh. 56

“What?” she whispered to herself. Sitting bolt upright, she wondered where such a thought would come from. After all, she was looking at perfectly ordinary maple trees. Beautiful maple trees at that. 57

Unnerved, she took out her cigarettes and lit one up, dragging deep on the smoke as if were her last. 58

“God, I love being surrounded by nature. It’s so nice up here. A bit chilly cause we’re next to the ocean, but nice,” Janice said. 59

“Burn baby burn, aoww!” Derrick chimed. The sun was now directly above them. They felt the coolness from the ocean, but the humidity and seething heat could not be ignored. “C’mon, Jan! Get your smoking ** down here. You’re so slow. You really gotta quit that habit of yours.”60

Janice scowled at Derrick and snubbed out her cigarette with the bottom of her sneaker. It was always a pain when someone told you that you had to quit smoking. All the lectures about how bad it was for your health from all those people who probably never smoked before. ‘It makes you breathless’, they’d say. Even though they were right, it pissed her off. She knew Derrick was only joking, so she forgave him for the time being.61

“I’m coming. Wait up!”62

They stood atop a large mound of dirt, moss and rock. The oceans strong currents had formed it hundreds of years ago. Standing on the most easterly point in North America, Janice felt rejuvenated. A part of her wished she had someone special to share it with. Not that Derrick wasn’t special, but she wanted someone more than a friend. 63

For some time now, Janice felt there was something inside her that kept her from falling in love or finding a special someone. There was a potential for true happiness deep within her. At times she would fantasize about what it would be like to be embraced by a man who loved her entirely. She would imagine him as being someone who understood her mind and her love for life and nature and adventure. There was also a part of her that was unhappy, though she did not yet focus on that aspect of herself. She refused to believe that she could be unhappy in such a beautiful and caring world.64

Scuffing her sneakers in the dirt, she turned to look at Derrick, “ Hate to be corny, Dee, but do you think we’ll ever find someone to be happy with? You know, like a companion?” 65

“First of all, I don’t think it’s corny at all that you ask that. Secondly, I believe focusing on being happy with yourself should be the first priority in anyone’s life. Besides, having you around scares all the other girls away. I’ll bet they think you’re my girlfriend. Not that I’d mind and all…” he snickers, “ but you are kinda scaring the chicks away, what with your evil stares and all.” He laughs aloud, holding his hand to his stomach. 66

Janice grinned but pretended to shove Derrick over the side of the cliff that hung only inches from where they stood. He suddenly stopped laughing and, flailing his arms forward, caught himself before tripping over his own feet.67

“What the hell? Was there any need for that, Jan? Christ, you coulda killed me.” He backed away from her, wary of where he was walking. 68

“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you so hard. It was a joke, really.” She shrugged, but felt uneasy at what could have happened to her best friend. 69

“Christ,” Derrick muttered under his breath.70

“Let’s head back, Dee. I’m not feeling so good suddenly.” In truth she felt fine. Uneasy, yes, but otherwise fine. 71

What came next was what made her stop in her tracks. She could only faintly see Derrick on the trail ahead of her, for her mind had gone elsewhere.72

I wanted him to fall. For a fraction of a second there, a part of me had wanted him to fall, with me watching as he screamed…all the way to the bottom.73

Before she could think another thought, she blacked out.74