Meg shot up at the howling sound and peeled her eyes into the dark gelid air.
With urgency, she straightened to her full height– hands outstretched, fluttering,
heartbeat pounding in her ears; quick, shallow breathing– and hurried closer toward
the wall.
“Ouch,” she moaned, dropping on her buttocks, and to the pain, for a moment, she
surrendered. Overcome by vertigo and feeling too nauseous to get on her feet again,
she stretched out her arms. With fingers indiscriminate and searching, she dragged her
bottom on the floor. By and by, her cold fingertips informed her she was probing into
the ether.
“Where’s. The. Wall,” she quaked. “No, no, no, this can’t be happening!”
Her eyes searched into the fear in the darkness as the howling reverberated, louder
and nearer once again.
Slumped on the floor, she caved into her trembling body as her hands grasped at the
side of her head to tame the heartbeats oozing from her ears.
Seconds later, she applied pressure to the rip on her foot, changed directions, and
started limping toward what she sensed was the middle of the room– treading softly
to prevent another tear to the sole of her feet.
“Help me, someone,” Meg yelled into the void.
“Help me, someone,” an overhead echo mimicked.
“This can’t be happening. I must be dreaming.”
Still nauseous, Meg slumped down to lessen the tingling in her chest, but that only
made the pain in her foot unbearable, so inhaling loudly, she crawled.
Suddenly, the thread hairs on the back of her neck stood: someone else was in the
room. But, no sooner had she sensed that when Meg heard a buzzing of wings that
soon smacked her in the face.
“Tut!” She rose to swat flies, but the exertion sent her tumbling close to a prostrate
burlap sack on the floor.
But that sack — it was not empty. Meg slapped her hands to her face and let out a
shriek.
The eyes in her mind flooded a reel of surreal private pictures, stopping at the one of
that big bulk in the sack.
Burying her head in the collar of her patched-up T-shirt– for she imagined there had to
be a stench– she limped around the rotting Oogie Boogie on the floor, almost tripping
on her feet.
No walls, no help to expect from an unwieldy sack on the floor. No clue how she landed
in this open space– for sure, she would die!
Meg dropped her limp body on the floor and, latching on to hallucinations and spasms,
extracted all the horror she had inside– out came dried leaves and cotton stuffing.
The clamor that arose next sent shivers down to her toes, and with eyes the size of baby
rat skulls, Meg reached over to mute the alarm clock. A stream of the moon’s ashen
glow tore into the darkness that had enveloped her nightmare, and she took a good
long look at her tightly stitched self.
A big smile bloomed on her face, and then she exhaled a loud sigh, content to be just
another humanoid ragdoll.
“But not just any ragdoll!” Meg puffed her cheeks and turned to look at her reflection
in the mirror.
“I’m Meg, the substitute for the deuteragonist, Sally from that Nightmare Movie that
haunted children not too long ago,” she told the mirror.
Patting her forehead with vigor, she sent the terrible dream that had made her tremble
into the universe: for someone else to catch.
Then, Meg, the substitute ragdoll, smoothed her dress and set out into the night on her
way to their cast reunion on All Hallows’ Eve.
I’m not good at inciting fear, as even stories like this one make my toes curl in fear, but
I wanted to polish this Halloween story I wrote two years ago and give it an audience. If that is you, I hope it gave you the creepies (though I’d much readily send you happy
thoughts.) Let me know how this one sounded to you in the comments, please.
Photo: Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Image by Here and now, unfortunately, ends my journey on Pixabay from Pixabay
Thanks so much for reading. Happy Halloween, and I wish you miracles.
- Day 28: NaPoWriMo 2024– - April 28, 2024
- Day 27: NaPoWriMo 2024–Opt Out of An American Sonnet - April 27, 2024
- Day 26: NaPoWriMo 2024 Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance - April 26, 2024
WOWW, that was one spooky story (to put it lightly) “She exhaled a loud sigh, content to be just another humanoid ragdoll.” Didn’t see that coming at all haha. I’m honestly so in love with this story! The plot took me right in and the revelation that she was not alone in the room made me examine my own surroundings for a while 😅 So so enjoyed it! Wonderful Halloween story.
If I have a nightmare tonight, I know whom to blame 😉
Just saying… 😜
Haha. Try not to catch Meg’s nightmare. Let it roam forever. Haha. Good night.
So glad you read, Sam. Have sweet dreams. Always.
Dearest Selma, I don’t even know where to start. As a great lover of horrors and thrillers this one had me hooked, I could feel her fear and chills, I even felt suffocated while reading it thats how good it was for me. Do keep on writing as I think you are awesome and I’d really love to read more, don’t catch Meg’s nightmares though 😅 A beautiful and perfect one for Halloween.
Horror lover? Oh my… Well, I’m just so thrilled you found this one to your liking. “Where to start…” this made me smile. And that you were part of it all, even suffocating for a while. Oh jeez, you made my day. But I’m afraid you will not see more horror from me. I don’t know how to do it. This little piece was inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas Movie. Did you happen to watch that? It’s a take from there. Well, anyway, so glad you came, read and enjoyed. Couldn’t ask for a better audience. Thanks for reading. xo
I was wishing you’d write more of it, hopefully you’ll be inspired to write it again 😁
I think I’ve watched it but I can’t recall it, will watch it again 🙂
It was my pleasure reading it 🤗💖
Loved it Selma and it was spooky. Would love to read more of your short stories!! 🧟
Spooky. Yes. Aww, you are sweet for reading. Thanks so much, my friend. Stay sweet. Kiss the little ones for me. xo
Wow! What a beautiful story! Loved to read it! Well written 💕❤🎉
Thanks for making time to read it, Priti. And that it pleases you so well. I loved reading your words of encouragement. Thanks so very much.
Definitely gave me the creeps, Selma! Pleased I read it during daytime and not before bed 😅
This was a fun read for sure, Selma. It had that creepy feeling that caught me. I loved all the chilling words and images the story conjured up. Keep writing. 🙂
Judy, my sweets. So glad you came to read this. And glad this one was fun for you to conjure all the feelings I hoped leapt off the page. Be well, dear Judy. So glad for your visit. Come again, please. xoxo