A Harry by D.A.

David Aspil

A Harry…

Last year on Halloween in Mystery Town something very strange and unexpected happened. A group of children decided to go for an adventure in the Deep Deep woods were there was big house .It was thought that the house was abandoned and it had been for eight years since the incident..

A well known friendly couple used to live there, until one day the suddenly vanished. Their car and all of their belongings were left behind and there was no trace of anyone leaving. Since then no one dares enter the Deep Deep woods.

As the children approached the big house there was complete silence apart from the crack of a branch breaking a howling wolf. The frightened children gently knocked on the front door twice anxiously awaiting for an answer. Nobody was home...

They gently poked the front door with a stick.

Suddenly for no reason at all, the door blew up. The children were extremely frightened but refused to show fear in front of their friends.

There was a small stream of smoke coming from the broken door. The children were brave. They slowly and cautiously tip toed into the big house. There was no furniture in the house. There were really high ceilings with cob webs drooping from them. The children lightly approached the hall. The hall was long and dark. At the end of the hall there was a tiny door as if midgets had lived here, it was only about a metre high but still the children crawled through, scared to death.

The room it leads into was pitch black so the children couldn’t see anything. They turned on their mobile phone to use as lights.

There was a high pitched loud scream from the corner. The children shrieked and jumped when they saw it standing in the corner.

There was a tiny midget with spiky hair and foam was coming from his mouth. He screamed ‘‘my name is Harry’’ and then he suddenly pounced on the biggest child. He grabbed him by the shoulders and bit into his neck. The child just stood there with a wild look in his eye and he too had foam coming from his mouth now. The three other children sprinted out of the big house afraid for their lives.  They jumped behind a large tree. Then Harry ran out onto the porch mumbling and grunting to himself as he scanned the landscape looking for the other children. He ran down the road back towards the town passing by the children without realising.

The children slowly followed him, keeping a long distance between them.

They slyly creeped their way back to the town without being cited by Harry.  They immediately ran back to the town square only to find that Harry had been caught by a group of escaping prison inmates. The police had heard about this deranged creature and decided there would be no one better to handle the situation than some ‘hard’ inmates.  The inmates weren’t afraid of Harry. They grabbed by his spiky hair and tied him to a lamp post. As a crowd gathered they burnt him alive.  

In The Dark

It was winter, each day just got shorter and shorter and it was dark for longer and longer. I live in the small town of Bouginard. Everyone knows everyone in this town and gossip travels fast so you can imagine how difficult it is for me, a rebellious teenager to do the things I want to do without getting caught by my stuck up parents. Every year I got older and yet every year my parents would treat me as if I was a year younger. This was the most boring town in all of America, nothing exciting ever happened here or at least not yet.


It was a few days until Halloween when it happened. Little Molly Gilbert was on her daily walk home from school. She had stayed late in school for football practice and by the time she was walking home it was already getting dark. I crawled through the bushes watching her. I had done this so many times before that I could tell what move she would make long before she made it. She crossed the motionless road onto the other side and turned into the alley. It didn’t cross her mind that it wouldn’t be safe for her. She had done this so many times before, what could happen?


I slowly stood up and started to walk behind her. She didn’t notice me she was too busy listening to the music playing through her head. As I got closer my heart started racing, I had wanted to do this for such a long time and now finally here was my chance. I grabbed her, with one hand I covered her mouth muffling her girlish screams, and with the other I got my knife out of my pocket and did what I was meant to do. Her blood slowly covered the path of the alley way. The falling leaves from the trees rustled onto the ground. It was beautiful, all the colours of the leaves mixing with her innocent blood.


I arrived home late and my mother wasn’t happy. She gave me the same lecture as she always gives me telling me that at night there could be bad people around and it wasn’t safe, I had nothing to worry about though because I was that bad person. When the town found out about the murder of Molly there was complete chaos. Nothing like this had ever happened here before and everyone could not help but realise that the murderer was most likely somebody they knew or were friends with. I could see it in their eyes the once happy care free townspeople were now afraid and uneasy.


I liked how it felt. I liked hearing her scream with fear, I liked seeing here blood slowly spill from her body, I liked it all and for the first time in a long time I felt content. I needed to do it again, I needed that feeling.


Two days had passed and I felt like my body and mind was seriously skagged. I was on withdrawal; I needed to do it again now!


It was two days before Halloween and I was in school. I skipped my first two classes and sneaked my way into the girls’ bathrooms. I hid in the first cubicle and waited for my chance. I heard the door swing open and some peppy girl walked in. she didn’t go into any of the cubicles she was obviously just looking at her vain self in the mirror and texting her 15 boyfriends. I slowly and silently unlocked the cubicle door and as I slowly walked out she was oblivious to what was about to happen. I stood behind her looking at her, I felt so casual like what I was about to do was ok.


She slowly looked up and smiled at me. It wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. She grabbed my tie and smirked at me flirtatiously, she must of thought this was some fun teen fantasy, now it was her time to die, a half an hour of screaming bloody murder and I was home smiling uncontrollably.


I felt like Peter Parker wearing venom minus that cheesy strut. Halloween was going to be perfect. Alice De Forge had planned the biggest house party since her last one two years back. Half of the people who went to that one ended up either in jail or sleeping in her bathtub. I was going to terrify them all and not with my amazing Freddie Krueger costume.


Nobody suspected me of anything. I walked into that house as if I was welcomed guest, as if everybody who was there wanted me to be there. Sometimes I smiled just because I remembered what I was about to do and how happy and exhilarated I would feel once I did it.


The bathtub was wet; my back would have a stain once I got out! Would people notice this minor detail? But before I was finished worrying over this silly mistake my first victim came in and because of the mass amount of alcohol in her system she was vomiting her insides out. I stood up and stood behind her and she still didn’t notice I was there. After just a minute I was holding her decapitated temple and there was still the look of fear in her eyes. Now it was time to start the panic. I tied a rope around her neck and hung her head from the ceiling fan while everyone was outside watching Decko do his suicide shots.


There is no doubt I will be caught now but fuck it YOLO it was well worth it to hear those terrified screams of the vigilant youth I once called my friends....






By Alexandra Da Silva Talaia

One night by R. C.

A cat scraping on a window, at least that’s what I think I heard, it’s the only reasonable explanation... The estate has been abandoned for decades of course there’s going to be animals and insects moving around the house like their always quiet habitat. That’s right; I had temporarily assured myself I was safe.

I lay in the four poster-bed, the noise had woken me. There was no getting to sleep now as my heart slammed against my rib-cage. James and his girlfriend Samantha were sleeping across the hall; they’d laugh in my face if I knocked on their door. They always laugh it doesn't really matter if it’s a demon or gust wind. I hate James really, his curly messy hair, his moral high road, his skinny body and his trendy clothes. But most of all I hate his luck. Everything goes right for him. I mean come on that evil little guy even has his retirement fund sorted already.

Not to mention the two face, dog-stealing man-eater. Samantha chewed me up and spit me out like everyone else she’s dated but apparently James is different, except the exact same as me, 8 grinding months not a fight, for some reason it made me furious. Plus she wasn't nearly as attractive when I was with her. Sam had dragged me here, probably told James I couldn't handle the apartment by myself for one weekend. She knows I'm easily scared like the coward I am. With every fibre in myself I hated the couple of –

An Ominous wind blow through the sheets and a vile sense flowed through my bones, the feeling stayed for a moment, crawling through my skin of the motionless body. I had forgotten why I said those things.

“Sam?” I called trying to sound as least terrified as possible. Minutes passed.

“Yes bub?” calmly replied Samantha. I could barely remember the last time she called me that.

“Was that noise you?”

Immediately a croaky voice replied “Attic”

To be frank I was terrified for my life. I was sitting on the springy bed, a cold bead of sweat slid down my back and in my crack, that smell, I can only describe it as the complete opposite to morning bacon, but just as meaty. Sudden a small ray of light shone through the door, Sam was walking ever so slowly to the stairs.

I waited contemplating the consequences of leaving my room, but I really didn’t want to stay either. First attempt at standing up I puked over my slippers, my body had a point though, dying in slippers doesn't look very manly.

Before I knew it I was standing half-naked in the corridor, what stopped me was the ooze bubbling from under the door, the dark red blood flowed across the hardwood floor and met with my pinkie toe first. In that moment my adrenaline kicked in, about time, it felt like it wasn't me controlling me body, like someone smarter, stronger, swifter.

I kicked the door down to reveal a gruesome sight. James dangled from the ceiling like a yo-yo from a child’s hand but much less innocent. The smell, Oh God the smell as foul as winter it blew down my lungs and made me vomit last night’s dinner it wasn't even good first time round. James’ body was torn-out from the inside. I couldn't look any more in the reflection of the window my face looked like a five-year old who just walked in on his parents.

“Bubby come up to the attic” called Sam. She sounded blissful. I knew I couldn't summon a reply in such a carefree tone. I really shouldn't have but I went. Maybe I thought it was just a nightmare and it would end sooner if continued.

The attic was dark, grimy and damp. Rain pattered against the roof and leaked into the corner. In the middle of the room stood Samantha in her nightgown, even now she looked hot; a twisted evil expression lay on her face. In her hand were two short nooses. “This is what you wanted, I heard you dreaming.”

“Not this way Sam, this is just wrong. You loved him!”

“I love you and now we can die together”It was horrible but I made my way to the second step stool. It was wobbly and sweat ran down my face, the rope itched my neck. She held my hand and suddenly we dropped. With our last whisper “Yolo.”

The Mansion House by O. K

Near the outskirts of the little village of Avon was a small hill and on top of this hill towering over was a giant mansion that was over half a century old. It was now a desolate place and the villagers feared to go near it as they still believed the tale of the dead bundle.......


It was the year 1934 and the mansion house was a thing of beauty and not the ivy infested broken ruins that it is today. The wooded front was painted a navy colour with a beautiful deep mahogany door, the windows glistened in the early morning sun and the front garden bloomed with summer flowers making everything vibrant and cheerful. Inside however things were not as peaceful.


Mary and John were very ordinary people apart from the fact that they were the most argumentative people you could ever meet but this time their topic of conversation was a rather dire and serious one.


“Mary get down here there’s a letter for you”. John hollered from the drawing room downstairs. Mary rolled over onto the other side of the mattress and groaned. It’s 8 o'clock in the morning how on earth can anyone be up at this hour let alone awake enough to get the post. Mary thought grumpily she decided that she was going to have to get up sooner or later What with John yelling like a mad man downstairs. “ I'm coming I'm coming”. She cried as she grudgingly threw on her slippers and steadily made her way down stairs. As she walked into the drawing room she could see the figure of her husband flicking through the post with a bored expression on his face. “What is it?” She snapped at him annoyed that he had interrupted her only lie in of the week. “A letter came for you”. He snapped back aggravated that she had already begun her tirade of whining and complaining today. "Give it here" . she said snatching the wad of post and begging to look through it for her letter. She froze when she found it. No it couldn't be she thought. Not again not now. She cautiously opened the letter with shaking hands discarding the others on the table. It was him the mistake she had made only 6 months ago. He was coming back tonight, oh god what was she going to do she could feel her stomach drop and her heart clench in her chest. " What is it? " John asked his voice for the first time in a while laced with concern instead of irritation. He grabbed the letter from her trembling fingers and began skimming through it. His head snapped up from the letter. " Mary what is this. Who is this man do you know him? What does he mean by ' I'll leave it here tonight but you won't see me again'. " John I... I... " . Her voice shook. " I had a baby with another man 6 months ago I never told you because the man was a psychopathic and threatened to kill me if I told anyone about it." The whole story came pouring out before she could even stop herself. John starred at her his cold eyes full of doubt and disbelief. Without saying a word he turned around and left the house slamming the door behind him. " No John please don't leave " She whispered through her tears but it was to late he was already down the hill and out of sight as she fell to the ground too weak from shock and despair to stay standing and that is where she stayed until exhaustion won and she fell asleep unable to move even to crawl into her bed.


He came as quickly and silently as he had left. The house was silent in the pitch black night just as he had hoped it would he walked on the little stone-way path to the front window oft the house he hauled it up and he slid through with ease holding tightly to the small little sleeping bundle in his arms he laid it down on the cold wooden floor as he reached into his pockets for the kerosene and matches he'd been saving for this very moment he poured the entire bottle all around the room and struck the match he through it to the floor and leaped back out the window slamming it shut so the fumes would remain inside. It wasn't long before the entire house was aflame, burning bright in the inky blackness of the night. He watched the rising flames as he stood at the bottom of the hill a maniacal glint in his eyes he soon hear the loud siren nearing but with a swish of his long coat he was already gone striding into the night never to be seen again.......

Red by L. D.

It was cold, the kind of cold that crept under your skin and refused to leave. The moonbeams shone with an eerie glow as they passed through the blanket of mist shrouding the countryside. A single creature sat perched in a tree. It’s chest gently moving up and down. His eyes looked wearily at the ploughed land below him. There he saw something moving steadily over the crumbled earth. He narrowed his small, hazel eyes guardedly. The creature seemed large. A predator? It seemed too large to be one that he was familiar with. As the shape drew closer he could just make out the figure of a person through the darkness. It was, in fact, the old farmer making his way home. He was relieved. The weathered old man was no threat to him, he could rest at ease. He adjusted himself on his perch and his eyelids began to droop. He couldn't sleep though, it was too dangerous here and there wasn't enough leaf cover to hide him properly. His eyes lifted up to the horizon, where the black night had long ago swallowed up the blood red sunset.


It was then that he heard a branch snap behind him. He turned is head and was met with his worst fear of all; a pair fierce, golden eyes. The huge black figure lunged at him. He cried out in terror as he tried to escape. In the commotion he was thrown from the branch. He somersaulted through the air, flapping desperately. He managed to turn in time to soften his fall, but he still crashed into the dry soil below with force. He took in a sharp breath as he felt pain shoot up his tiny frame. He got to his feet and frantically looked for cover. Out of the corner of his eye saw the enormous monster leap down from the tree. It started to move sleekly towards him. It’s lip curled up showing two rows of razor sharp teeth. Most would think he was snarling, but the small creature knew better. He knew the monster was not snarling, it was in fact smirking slyly at the him, knowing that it would soon have his prey. The monster stepped forward purposely causing the tiny creature to step back as he shuddered uncontrollably.


Time seemed to slow down as he gazed at the huge crouching figure, fear-stricken. Its smooth black fur glowed in the moon light and the pointed silver knives on its paws pierced the ground beneath them. Its tail twitched from side to side eagerly as it shifted its weight to its hind legs. Finally regaining his senses, the tiny creature began to turn and try to take flight, despite his pain. The monster bounded around him, blocking his exit. This time it didn’t give him time to think about escaping. With one long stride it reached him. It lifted up its massive paw and roughly pinned its prey to the ground. The small creature could feel the warm breath of the monster on his face. He looked hesitantly up and once again was met with bright eyes and a toothy grin. The monster started to slowly dig its claws into the creature’s chest, causing him to flinch in pain. Blood spilled from the newly inflicted wound turning his usually bright red breast into a dark maroon. He began to squirm desperately trying to ignore the sharp stinging. When that didn't work he frantically started to peck at the predators paw. The monster dug its claws even further into his body, giving him no choice but to stop. He took one last look at the sky above the monster’s head, knowing it would be the last time he ever saw the open space he had come to love so much. He then closed his eyes and awaited his fate.


After a few long insufferable moments the creature began to wonder why it was the monster hadn't struck the finale blow yet. He opened one eye. He was no longer met with the cruel golden eyes he feared. What he saw instead was the monster not looking at him but looking up. Its ears were pricked and its expression was apprehensive. He followed the monsters gaze to the long grass beside them. There something was moving slowly but purposely. The monster let at a long hiss. There was no reply. It released its injured prey and faced the grass. Said prey tried to scramble away but was brought to a stop by the searing pain in his chest. The monster furrowed its eyebrows and bared its teeth again but not in a sneer, in genuine aggression. The rustling in the grass stopped, much to the small creatures sorrow. The monster slowly and wearily turned his attention back to him.


Just as the monster’s signature smirk returned to its features, what appeared to be blazing ball of fire leapt from the grass tackling the monster to the ground. There was a loud screech as the fire ball knocked the monster clean off its feet. The small creature looked up in astonishment at the beast that stood in front of him. It was tall and slender. Its fiery coat was such a dark orange it appeared red, except for the tip of its tail, which was as white as snow and its paws, which were a black as night. The tail was a huge tangled, sweeping, brush that appeared rough and wiry. The orange beast lowered its head and a deep growl came from the back of its throat. The black monster got to its feet hastily. It arched its back and hissed at its opponent. They seemed to size each other up for a moment before the black monster launched himself at the other beast, claws out ready to fight for his meal. The bright orange beast also leapt into the air, prepared for battle. They seemed to be suspended in air for a while before they met but when they did the air was filled muffled screeches as they began to tare each other apart. The black monster wrapped his paws around the fiery beast’s neck, driving its claws into the tangerine fur. The orange beast shrieked and trashed around wildly. It twisted its head and managed to sink its teeth into the black monster’s shoulder. The beast wrenched the monster from its hold and flung it against the tree. The black figure hit the tree with a loud thud. It lay there silently for a few seconds as the flaming beast stood nearby. Slowly the monster lifted its head and limply picked itself up. It took a shaky step before looking up to meet the other beasts gaze. Its eyes surveyed the scene. They looked at the injured creature and then moved to the snarling beast. It let out one frustrated hiss before scampering past the tree and down the field.


The injured creature let out a sigh of relief, drawing the attention of the beast that was only a few steps away. He pushed himself up of the ground and slowly got to his feet. He looked defiantly at the beast. He was not going to simply accept his fate as he had done before. The beast looked back at him, its eyes burned the same colour as his fur. It took a stepped forward. The injured creature’s confidence wavered. He had slipped from one predator’s jaws into another’s. As the beast came closer the creature stood his ground, what had he to loose? He was already injured and flightless. The beast came so close that the creature couldn't take in its whole face at once. Its eyes weren't as cruel as the black monster’s, they held a sort of wild intensity. Unlike the monster, who was worshipped by the humans, this beast was independent. It did what it needed to survive. That scared the creature. However, there was something else in the beast’s eyes, something that resembled respect. Respect for the fact that the injured creature was also just trying to survive. It wasn't smirking either. Its face was cold, de thatched and held a hint of pity for the creature’s experience. Just as the beast lifted his paw towards the creature there was a crack somewhere in the distance. The beast looked up and then back at the creature. Its mouth twitched up into to a smile. With that last action it silently leapt back into the grass.


The small creature stared after it, confused and exhausted. His legs gave out from under him and he collapsed helplessly to the ground. He stared up at the sky lovingly, wondering what on earth he would do next. He most certainly couldn't fly and he couldn't survive walking everywhere. Suddenly he heard footsteps. Without warning another large creature loomed over him. He became fear stricken for the third time that night. When the blurred figure came into focus the reason the fox had fled became apparent. Standing over him was the old farmer.


“My, oh, my! A robin red breast! Why it’s been a while since I've seen one of you up close,” he thought aloud. He bent down with a great effort and gently picked the trembling bird up. His hands were course from years of farming but were never the less warm. His comforting tone relaxed the bird. “Has that cat been after you little birdies again? I really must get her a bell. Come on! Let’s see if we can fix you up. A few days rest and some porridge should do the trick” he said as he stroked the bird’s feathers. With that he lay down the last of his last fox traps and turned to leave. “Foxes, they’re such cold, vicious creatures. Lucky you met Boots and not one of them.”