Short Horror Stories

The other in the shadows

Laughter.

Why did it have to be this way?

I hate it.

A door opens behind me, well more like slammed open.

More laughter.

"How about we teach you a lesson, huh?" A tedious sounding voice asks me.

I don't respond, they don't deserve to get an answer out of me.

I don't want to be here.

I don't want to know them.

I don't want them to know me.

They won't let me leave, with the wild waving of their arms they make sure I can't even try to escape.

Closer. Closer.

Then with a sudden harsh shove, I'm pushed into the dark room.

I'm in the dark, they're in the light.

I'm scared, they don't have a care in the world.

I'm the one who will be punished, they will go free.

That's how it is.

That is how it's always been.

Still laughing they close the door and to my horror I hear it lock.

Finally I make a sound, although without really wanting to.

Panic has taken control over my actions.

I yell for them to open it, to open the door and let me go free.

And just for them to stop.

I scream and curse at them and soon I plead with them, but their evil snickering seems to fade into the distance.

They're leaving me.

The horrible realization hits me like a brick.

No loud thumping on the door can get them back here, nor can the screams from my sorer growing throat.

I'm scared.

I don't like the dark.

As I finally declare it useless, I give in and sit down, somewhere I don't know, against objects unfamiliar to me.

"Hey" I suddenly hear.

It's not coming from outside...

IT's coming from right next to me.

Someone else is inside this dark room.

Or perhaps I just imagined it?

"Hey, are you okay?" They ask again.

Frightened I want to yell, or at least make some noise, but doing so only makes my throat ache even more than before.

A weakly "Who.." is the only thing I can bring myself to say, the word seems to burn me.

It hurts.

"It's okay, you don't have to force yourself to speak." The other says in a kind tone.

A tone I have long missed, maybe even forgotten.

I can hear them move closer to me.

Why would someone else besides me be in here?

Could it be that they came here by choice?

The reason for the other seems like a mystery to me.

"Hmmm..." They seem to be thinking deeply.

"Let's play a game, how about... oh, maybe I can ask you some questions and then you knock as an answer. Once could be 'yes' and twice could be 'no'... or if you don't want to, you don't respond at all." The last part they added a bit embarrassed.