Short Scary Stories by Bruce Savage by Bruce Savage

Short Scary stories

Bruce Savage

About Bruce Savage Bruce Savage was born in Lewiston, Maine in 1967, the youngest son of 16 brother’s and sister’s to Winfield Strout and Blanche Strout. He published his first successful work when he was 10 years old in Boy’s Life magazine. The publication paid him $1 for a joke he wrote. So excited about his accomplishment and seeing his name published he pursued the art of writing for the next 40 years. In 1984 he enlisted in the United States Army and served his country in Germany. In 1999 he graduated from Columbia Southern University with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Information Systems. He held several positions with several fortune 500 companies until 2002 when he dove head first and full time into the world of writing and publishing. Since then he has produced 11 novels and counting. Casualties of War was his first novel followed by Psycho. He is currently working on many other novels that will be available soon as well as the screenplay for Russian Games. He currently lives in Florida and the Philippines with his wife Julie and his daughter. He frequently enjoys making donations and contributions to ending poverty and supporting those less fortunate and he is an avid animal rights supporter. Bruce Savage – SHORT SCARY STORIES

Books by Bruce Savage The Novels: GODS ASSASSIN NO MERCY FOR THE DEAD EUROPA'S CHILD RUSSIAN GAMES QUEST FOR THE TABLET ORIGIN SHORT SCARY STORIES PSYCHO CASUALTIES OF WAR MORE SHORT SCARY STORIES For previews and information about the author: Visit www.brucesavage.com.

Table of Contents

ABOUT BRUCE SAVAGE BOOKS BY BRUCE SAVAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS DISCLAIMER COPYRIGHT DEDICATION THE HUNGER THE GLASS CASKET A MISERABLE DEATH FOR SIMON SMALL THE DEATH NOTE THE MIRROR EFFECT 7 DAYS IN HELL CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 WAIT! FROM THE AUTHOR

1 9 32 32 38 44 58 58 64 68 74 78 80 86 88

Disclaimer Short Scary Stories By Bruce Savage Copyright © 2015 Short Scary Stories Paperback Edition This paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite paperback retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without the express permission in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. First Edition 1.0 Bruce Savage – Short Scary Stories

Copyright Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1517789230 ISBN-13: 978-1517789237 Bruce Savage – Short Scary Stories Visit: or your favorite book seller to order additional copies. Short Scary Stories – BRUCE SAVAGE

Dedication This novel is dedicated all the fans of classic horror and things that go bump in the night.

Short Scary Stories

Bruce Savage

SHORT SCARY STORIES The Hunger James Westinghouse stood silently on the sidewalk of 26th Street in front of Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Butcher shop staring at the display window and all the delicious meats that were on display. He licked his lips as he perused an assortment of steaks and sausages that was making his mouth water. His stomach started to growl and he knew he must have one. Just one was a lie to tell the truth. Just one was just a tease for his appetite. James was a rather large man standing at six feet two inches tall and weighing in at just over six hundred and fifty pounds. He could easily put away a seven course meal and still want more. Food was his weakness. He loved to eat and eat he did. From morning till night the hunger possessed him, owned him, controlled him, indulged him and taunted him. He had to have food. Delicious tasty food! James turned to the door of the butcher shop and reached for the door knob and tried to enter, only to realize he was much too wide to fit through the door of the butcher shop. He tried as best he could to push his way in through the doorway but with each attempt failure was the only outcome. He began to panic. He needed to satisfy his craving. It could wait not a minute longer. He needed those steaks! He stepped away from the door of the shop and looked up and down the street in hopes to find a kind heart that would go into the butcher shop and purchase the steaks for him. None could be found. James' anxiety grew. What could he do he pondered as he stood staring into the window of the shop at the delicious juicy steaks he so desired?

BRUCE SAVAGE Just then a long black limousine pulled up to the curb outside the butcher shop. James turned his attention away from the steaks for a moment to look at it. Perhaps someone would get out and maybe they would assist him with his dilemma he thought to himself. The window of the limousine rolled down and an old man with grey hair and wearing bifocal glasses poked his head out the window and looked at James. He looked him up and down as if he was inspecting him. After an awkward moment of study, a smile came across the man’s face and he began to speak. “Excuse me, Sir? But you look like the kind of fellow that would be able to answer my question. I'm not from around here you see. Only recently moved here from Eastern Europe and I'm a bit lost. Would you be kind enough to point me in the direction of a good market with fresh vegetables?” The old man asked. James moved towards the man to get closer in case he was hard of hearing. “There's a very good vegetable market only two blocks down and to the left. You can't miss it.” James replied as he pointed in the direction the man should go. “Thank you kind sir, I'm sure you can understand how difficult it is being new in a place and not knowing where things are?” The old man said. “Yes, I certainly can. It must be truly frustrating for you.” “Say...I'm going to be having dinner in about an hour. What do you say I repay your kindness to a stranger by having you for dinner?” “Well, I would be inclined to except. I can honestly say I do enjoy a good meal.” James replied as he patted his stomach and giving out a chuckle. “It's settled. I live uptown. Do you know where

SHORT SCARY STORIES Brennan Towers is?” The old man asked. “Why yes! It's only a few blocks in that direction. There is a very good bakery right down the street from it.” “I live in the Penthouse suite. Just tell the doorman you're my guest and he'll let you in. The name is Boris Drago. Come as you are. There's no need to fuss over a suit and such. I'll see you in about an hour my friend. Thank you for the assistance.” The old man replied and popped his head back into the limousine and rolled up the window. The limousine pulled away from the curb and out of James' site to disappear around the corner that he had pointed out earlier. What luck was this? James thought to himself. A free meal! And he just happened to be hungry. He was always hungry. That was something that never changed. He decided that in order to get to the old man’s home on time he would have to leave immediately. Due to the nature of his size it would take James some time to walk the distance to Brennan Towers. Almost an hour of walking had passed and James finally reached the old man’s home. He had stopped for a moment at the bakery down the street to take a rest and to pick up desert for the dinner. What kind of guest would he be if he didn't bring something? He approached the doorman and presented himself as a guest of Boris Drago. And with quick haste the doorman escorted James to the Penthouse apartment and the waiting room where James sat and waited for Mr. Drago to show. After a moment a familiar voice greeted him. “It's so good to see you again my new friend. Welcome, welcome!” The old man said as he greeted James. “I brought desert.” James said as he presented a box

BRUCE SAVAGE of fresh baked pastries to the old man. “Wonderful! They shall be delightful with coffee after the meal. Please follow me. My butler will take your coat. Please feel right at home.” “This is a lovely home you have here. You must be very wealthy.” James said as he looked around the penthouse at the marble floors and teak-wood walls decorated with what appeared to be very expensive paintings. “I'm glad you like the place. I'm still trying to adjust and decorate. You understand of course. It's always a challenge to put things right and make it feel like home when you move to a new place.” The old man replied. “Yes it must be difficult.” James replied. His stomach started to growl. How long would it be before dinner? What would be the meal he thought to himself? Considering a man like this is quite wealthy I'm certain it will be something delicious and fancy. Whatever the meal James was certain he would enjoy it. Just as James was about to ask what was on the menu for the evening the butler appeared again. This time carrying two glasses of wine. “Ah yes, exactly what I need! I nice glass of wine from my private stock.” The old man said as he took one of the glasses. James did the same and without realizing it put the glass to his lips and finished the fine wine in one gulp. “I say...you seem a bit thirsty.” The old man commented. “I apologize. Yes, I believe I am a bit thirsty. It must have been the walk here.” “Well, my friend drink up! Have another glass.” The old man said and snapped his fingers. The butler returned with the bottle of wine and refilled James glass.

SHORT SCARY STORIES Once again James put the glass to his lips but this time showed a little restraint. Just as James was about to ask about the menu again a bell rang. “I believe that would be dinner. Shall we?” The old man said as he reached out his arm to guide James to the dining room. “We certainly shall.” James replied and started to follow the old man’s guide. But something began to feel strange to James. Something was not right. He started to get a tingling sensation in his feet that began to climb to his legs and then the rest of his body. His vision started to blur and it was difficult to breath. With each step he took he felt worse and worse until finally he blacked out and collapsed to the floor. What had happened? What seemed like quite some time but had only been one hour James started to regain consciousness. His hands were tied as well as his feet and he was lying on the dining room table covered with an assortment of sauces and vegetables. He could feel a strange numbness all throughout his body. “What is the meaning of this?” James asked as his vision cleared and he could see the old man standing over him. He had a huge grin on his face. A truly sinister smile to be exact. “What is the meaning of this you ask? Don't you remember I invited you over to have you for dinner...not to dinner?” The old man said as he raised up a knife and began to carve out a piece of James' chest. He picked up the freshly carved piece of flesh from James’ chest with his fork and dipped it in a bowl of sauce and shoved it into his mouth. “You Sir…are quite delicious!” The old man said as he swallowed. James just laid there on the table screaming unable to free himself and run away.

BRUCE SAVAGE “Judging on your size, I believe I'll be having you for dinner for quite some time. You must forgive me of course…the hunger...it possesses me, indulges me, controls me and taunts me. I must eat you see.” The old man said as he carved another piece from James chest.

SHORT SCARY STORIES The Glass Casket Donna Beacon went to her mailbox to check the mail to discover that a letter was waiting for her. She reached inside and took it out and read the address on the envelope to find that it was from a lawyer in Boston. “Great…what’s this about?” Donna grumbled to herself as she flipped the envelope over and slid her finger across the flap to open it. To her surprise the letter contained good news. The letter read: Dear Ms. Beacon, My name is Samuel Cleminski and I represent a client that has recently passed away. In my clients Last Will and Testament, you have been named the sole beneficiary of their estate including real estate located just outside Salem, Massachusetts. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss the terms of claiming your inheritance as well as the conditions set forth in my clients will. Sincerely, Samuel Cleminski Attorney at Law. Donna took the letter and hurried back upstairs to her apartment to tell her fiancé the good news. What luck this is. She had never inherited anything before in her life. She wondered to herself how much real estate could

BRUCE SAVAGE it be? Was there a house? She had always dreamed of owning a house one day. For most of her life she had lived in low rent apartments on the east side of town. She worked as a secretary at an accounting firm for the past ten years and hardly made enough at times to get buy. Between her and her fiancés' income who was a mechanic they still lived just below the poverty line. But now that was going to change. She had somehow magically inherited good fortune she thought to herself. She rushed into the apartment almost out of breath and quickly gave the letter to her fiancé Bill who was sitting on the couch watching a football game on the television. His eyes opened wide with surprise as he read the letter and got up from the couch and threw his arms around Donna. “Oh my God! This is great! This is great! I didn't know you had a rich relative?” Bill said. “I didn't either. I had no clue. I'll call the lawyer and find out more about what this is about.” Donna replied as she headed to the phone with the letter. She dialed the number of the lawyer and waited for an answer as the phone rang. After several rings a man’s voice came on the line. “Samuel Cleminski, how can I help you?” The man asked. “Mr. Cleminski, this is Donna Beacon. I believe you sent me a letter stating that I had inherited some real estate.” “Ah yes, Ms. Beacon. I had been hoping you would reply quickly. When would be a good time to get together and go over the formalities of the matter?” Mr. Cleminski asked. “Anytime would be good. I'm free right now.” Donna replied.

SHORT SCARY STORIES “hmmm...let me look at my appointment schedule...I believe I'm free this afternoon. How about if I stop by and we can discuss the matter at your place. Say about one o'clock this afternoon?” “Sounds good to me. I'm looking forward to finding out what this is all about.” Donna said. “Very well, I'll see you at one. I have your address. Until then.” Mr. Cleminski said as he hung up the phone. Donna hung up the phone and looked at the clock and realized it was almost noon time. “He said he'll be here at one o'clock honey. Help me tidy up the place before he gets here.” Donna said to her fiancé Bill and went about straighten out the tiny apartment. In what seemed like only moments due to Donna and Bills excitement about their good fortune the hour had passed and it was now one o'clock. There was a knock at the door and Donna went quickly to answer it. She stopped for a moment to straighten her clothes and tie her hair back before opening the door. Before her stood a middle aged man in a gray suit holding a briefcase. “I'm looking for Donna Beacon.” The man said as the door opened. “You have found her. Mr. Cleminski I believe?” “Yes. We spoke earlier.” Mr. Cleminski said as Donna welcomed him into her home. “This is my fiancé Bill Gendron. We plan on getting married in a couple of months.” Donna said as she introduced her soon to be husband. “It's a pleasure to meet you both. Shall we get down to business? I have another appointment at two on the other side of town.” “Well yes...yes of course. Can I get you something to drink? Tea, Coffee?” Donna asked.

BRUCE SAVAGE “No thank you. That won't be necessary. This won't take long.” Mr. Cleminski said as he sat down on the couch and placed his briefcase on the coffee table and opened it up and took out a set of papers. “Where shall I begin? Ah yes, my clients name is Jeffery Beacon. Does this name ring a bell to you Ms. Beacon?” Mr. Cleminksi asked. “No... Not really. Was he a relative of mine?” “Apparently he was your cousin on your father's side. He passed away not too long ago due to injuries from an unfortunate series of accidents. What you have inherited from him is fifty acres of land and the house that stands on it. The house has been in the family for a very long time and there are stipulations to the inheritance that you must agree to before it can be signed over to you.” Mr. Cleminski said. “Stipulations? What do you mean?” Donna asked. “You must sign this contract agreeing that you will never sell the house and that in the unfortunate event of your death must pass the house and land onto your next of kin. You must also agree that at no time will you enter into the basement of the house for any reason. It is quite clear as to that. For some reason Mr. Beacon didn't like anyone going into the basement. He was a very peculiar man.” “So you’re saying that in order for me to collect my inheritance I have to agree to never sell the place or go into the basement? That's seems a little strange don't you thinks so Mr. Cleminski?” Donna replied. “Yes well, in my line of work this is border line strange. You wouldn't believe some of the conditions some clients put down for beneficiaries. I had a husband once stipulate that his wife can never marry again in order for her to collect a million-dollar fortune he left

SHORT SCARY STORIES behind. People are people. I only handle the legalities of things.” Donna looked at her fiancé' hoping for some advice on what to do? What if she didn't like the house? She couldn't sell it. She would be stuck with it and the bill for the property tax. But then she looked around her tiny apartment and realized this may be the only chance in her life that she would ever own a house of her own. “Very well…I'll agree to the conditions.” She eagerly said to Mr. Cleminski. “There's just one more condition. You must immediately begin occupation of the house as soon as the contract is signed.” “Immediately? You mean right now? Today?” Donna asked as she took the pen from Mr. Cleminski and paused before signing the contract. She looked over at her fiancé' hoping for some sign of what to do. Bill just shook his head gesturing yes. He knew how much having a house meant to Donna and wasn't about to disagree. “Occupation must begin before sundown Ms. Beacon. The will is very clear about that.” Mr. Cleminski said. 'Very well, looks like I have no choice but to agree to the conditions. We'll pack up some things and move the rest of our belongings over as soon as we can.” Donna said and signed the contract. “Very good, these are the keys and directions to the property. I hope you enjoy your new home. I'll be in touch with you in one week to finalize everything.” Mr. Cleminski said as he closed his briefcase and stood up. “I'll see you in one week then. Thank you for everything Mr. Cleminski.” Donna said as she showed him to the door and closed it. She then turned to Bill with

BRUCE SAVAGE a big smile on her face. “I can't believe we have a house of our own! This is unbelievable! Unbelievable!” Donna said ecstatically. “I can't believe it either. Let's get packed and go see this place.” Bill said as he wrapped his arms around Donna. Within a few hours Donna and Bill successfully packed up their car with what they thought they would need for their stay at the house and with directions in hand headed for Salem and their new property. Salem was only an hour away and without attention to the excessive speed they were traveling at, due to their excitement, arrived just before sunset. Bill pulled the car up to the gates and put the car in park. “Looks like we're here honey. Would you look at these gates? Wow! It's like out of some old movie or something.” Bill said to Donna. “Yeah, our gates! Our very own gates!” Donna said. Just as she finished speaking the gates to the estate began to open. “Would you look at that?” Bill said. “hmm...do you think they opened up automatically or maybe someone opened them for us?” Donna asked. “I don't know. Only way to find out is to drive in and see.” Bill replied. He put the car back in gear and drove onward up the driveway until the house came into view. Before them stood an impressive three story Colonial house that seemed to had seen better days. The house itself had fallen into disrepair over the years due to the limited staff on hand to perform the necessary repairs. “Looks like a fixer upper to me honey.” Bill said. “Yeah it does, doesn't it? That shouldn't be a

SHORT SCARY STORIES problem. In time you'll see it will be back to its old self. You'll see. A little paint and elbow grease and it will look like it was just built.” Donna said. “Let's hope all it needs is a little paint and elbow grease.” Bill parked the car in the driveway and noticed a man standing on the front porch of the house. The man was thin and tall wearing a black suit resembling that of a butler. Bill and Donna got out of the car and began walking towards the front porch to talk to the man. “I wonder who this is.” Donna whispered to Bill. “He looks kind of creepy if you ask me.” “Be polite Bill.” Donna whispered. “Hello! Can I help you?” Bill said to the man. “You must be the new occupants. My name is Winston Burke. I'm the caretaker of the estate.” Mr. Burke said introducing himself. “Oh, the caretaker.” Donna said. “Yes. Would you like help with your things or should I give you a tour of the estate first?” Mr. Burke asked. “A tour would be nice. We can unpack later.” Bill said. “Very well, follow me please.” Mr. Burke said. “Yes of course.” Bill replied as they walked up the front stairs of the house and followed Mr. Burke inside. “Let me begin with the history of the estate. The estate was first established in 1690 by James Beacon the first of Salem Massachusetts. He was a local magistrate in Salem. The land originally belonged to an unknown woman that rumored to have been involved in witchcraft at the time. As you may know witchcraft during that time period was deemed and abomination to God and the accused witch was tried and sentenced to death.

BRUCE SAVAGE Whether this happened to the woman that originally owned the land is unknown. No record of the trial exists to determine that. Only a rumor. Some say she was an innocent woman and Mr. Beacon accused her of witchcraft in order to steal the land from her. That too is just a rumor. Not fact.” Mr. Burke said. “How interesting. So this house is some type of historical landmark you would say?” bill asked. “Yes. It is. It's one of the oldest homes in Salem. The other house on the property is actual older and belonged to the woman. Only ruins exist of the house. It was burned to the ground upon the woman’s trial as a witch.” Mr. Burke said as he escorted the couple into the living room of the house. “As you can see the previous owner of the house was not very concerned with the upkeep of the house and property. He suffered from a measure of mental illness that unfortunately ended his life.” Mr. Burke said. “What happened to him?” Donna asked. “He was found hanging in the dining room. The official report from the police is that it was an accident. But if you ask me it was suicide. He wasn't well at all.” Mr. Burke said as he escorted the couple to the hallway. “The master bedroom is upstairs. I've taken the liberty to prepare it for you and also clean the bathroom and kitchen area. I'm sure you'll see the rest of the house on your own. It's quite an interesting place.” Mr. Burke said. “The lawyer said that we were not allowed to go into the basement. Why is that?” Donna asked. “Your guess is as good as mine. The previous owner had the door to the basement seal and covered over. I have no clue as to where it could be.” Mr. Burke said. “Isn't that strange?” Bill asked.

SHORT SCARY STORIES said.

“I repeat...he was a rather peculiar man.” Mr. Burke

“But what if something happens and we need to get into the basement? What if a pipe burst or the fuse blows?” Bill asked. “That was already thought of by the previous owner. He had all the electrical and plumbing rerouted to a utility room in the back of the house. There shouldn't be any reason to go down there. If you can find the entrance that is.” Mr. Burkes said. “How strange.” Donna said. “Yes. Strange is a good description of it.” Mr. burke responded. “Well if there isn't anything else I can help you with here's my card. You may get in touch with me at any time. My number is on it. It's getting dark and I have a distance to travel to get home. I wish you the best of luck. Please enjoy your new home.” Mr. Burke said as he found his way to the front door. “Yes. Well thanks for the info and showing us around. We appreciate it.” Donna said as she watched Mr. Burke make his way down the front steps and to his car. She closed the door and turned to Bill. “What do you think honey?” Donna asked. “I think this place is creepy. It's going to need a little more than paint.” Bill said as he wrapped his arms around his soon to be wife. “Yeah, but think of it honey. We have our own house now. In no time together we can make it a home sweet home.” Donna said as she kissed her fiancé'. Just as they embraced the front door flew open wildly and a gust of wind filled the house. Bill rushed to close the door and struggled for a moment before closing it and

BRUCE SAVAGE locking it. “What the hell was that?” Donna said looking at Bill. “I don't know. But like I said...this place is a little creepy.” Bill replied. The couple took a moment to explore the old house then decided to start bringing some of their things in from the car. In no time they had unloaded the car and were exhausted from the long day. Donna decided it was time to turn in for the evening and start unpacking and cleaning and making their new house a home in the morning. They changed into their night clothes and climbed into bed and found falling asleep would not be a problem. In fact it came quickly. It is now midnight and Donna began to toss and turn as she slept. She awakens and sits up in the bed panting desperately. She has had a bad dream. Bill remains asleep next to her. She looks over at the alarm clock on the side table and see's that it is just after midnight. She decides to get up and go to the bathroom and takes the covers off, puts on her slippers and gets out of bed. The house is cold despite the fact that it is close to seventy degrees’ outside. As she walks slowly through the darkness towards the master bathroom she thinks she hears something. As if someone is talking. “Dooonnnnaaa”, A voice whispers. She turns to her fiancé' Bill who is still in bed and fast asleep. It is not him calling her name. Is there someone in the house? “Dooonnnnaaa”, Again a voice whispers Donna's name. Donna begins to be afraid and decides to wake Bill up to investigate. She goes back to the bed and shakes Bills arm to wake him. “Bill, Bill...wake up! Someone is in the house! Wake

SHORT SCARY STORIES up!” Bill does not wake he remains sound asleep. Donna tries again this time shaking bill more violently. “BILL! WAKE UP! Someone is in the house!” Donna says raising her voice above a whisper this time. Bill still remains unmoved and asleep. She decides to call the police and reaches for her cell phone on the night stand and dials 911 only to find no connection. There is no cellphone tower nearby to transmit her call. She begins to panic and climbs into bed and covers up hoping that there is no one there and it is only her imagination. After all this is her first night in a new house. Anyone could imagine such things in an old house like this. Just as she begins to calm down the voice calls to her again. “Doooonnnaaa!” The voice speaks this time much louder. “What do you want? Who's there?” Donna says in a panic. There is no response. She pulls the covers closer and decides to confront whoever is there and climbs out of bed. She looks around in the dark to find a weapon of some sort. She finds a poker resting by the fireplace. “The police are on the way! You should leave!” Donna says as she walks to the doorway and turns on the light. There is no one there she can see as she grips the poker tightly in her hand ready to strike at anyone that may appear. Once again she hears the voice. But this time it is coming from downstairs. She quietly walks to the stairs and looks down into the reception area to see if someone has broken in the front door. The door is closed. There is no one there. “Who's there? Answer me!” Donna says loudly as she slowly descends down to the stairs. “The police are almost here! You should leave now or you'll be in trouble!” Donna warns the intruder. The

BRUCE SAVAGE reply is different this time. “Heeeerrrreee” The voice whispers. This time the voice is coming from the kitchen. Donna completes her descent of the stairs and finds her way to the light switch and turns on the light to find no one. “I said leave! Do you hear me! Leave!” Donna screams at the top of her voice this time. She decides to head now for the kitchen with poker firmly in her hand. The voice speaks again. “Dooonnnnaaa heeerrreee” The voice echoes from the kitchen. Donna reaches the kitchen and turns on the light to a find a woman standing in the kitchen next to a wall. “What are you doing in my house?” Donna screams at the woman. The woman does not reply. She just stands there staring at Donna. She is dressed in very old clothes as if she was dressed for a play about the pilgrims. “Who are you? What do you want?” Donna screams again at the woman. The woman this time raises her arm and points at the wall and speaks. “Heeerrreeeee!” The woman says in an eerie voice that sends shivers down Donna's spine. The woman then moves towards the wall and then through it. Donna witnesses it and faints. The morning comes and Donna slowly wakes to the sound of her fiancé' Bill who is standing over her shaking her. “Donna! Donna!” Bill repeats over and over again hoping to get her to gain consciousness. “I…I” Donna begins to speak as she wakes. “Are you ok? Take it easy honey. What happened? Why are you in the kitchen on the floor?” Bill asks. “The woman...there was a woman.” Donna slowly says as she points to the wall that the woman disappeared into.

SHORT SCARY STORIES “Woman? What are you talking about honey? There's nobody here but us.” Bill says. Donna begins to sit up and regain her composure. “There was a woman here last night. She walked into that wall. I saw it with my own two eyes.” Donna said. “A woman walked through that wall? Come on I'm taking you back upstairs. You need to rest. You’re not going to work today.” Bill says to Donna. “But it's true. I saw it. She called to me. I tried to wake you.” Donna said as Bill picked her up in his arms and began walking back to the bedroom upstairs. “You probably just had a bad dream honey. That's all. Stay home today and get some rest and everything will be fine. You were sleep walking that's all.” Bill said. “Maybe you're right. Maybe it was just a bad dream.” Donna said as Bill placed her on the bed. She climbs under the covers and laid her head on the pillow. “I'm working a half day today. I'll close the garage early and get back here as soon as I can. In the meantime, get some rest.” Bill said as he headed to a suitcase that was on the floor. He took out some clothes and got dressed and then headed for the door. “Get some rest! Understand!” Bill said as he headed out the door. “Yes Boss! I'll rest!” Donna said as she rested her head and fell off to sleep again. It wasn't long after Bill left that Donna started to toss and turn once again in her sleep. She awoke again to hear the voice calling to her. “Doooonnnnaaaa” The voice whispered. Donna sat up in bed and began to shiver. Was she having another bad dream? Was this real? She ignored the voice and laid back down only to be called to again.

BRUCE SAVAGE “Donnnnnnaaaaa!” The voice whispered louder. Donna sat back up again and responded to the voice angrily. “You're not real! Do you hear me?” Donna said and then laid back down. The voice responded by picking up the lamp on the night stand and throwing it across the room. “Doooonnnnaaaa heeerrrreee” The voice whispered to Donna. Donna sat up in bed and screamed as the lamp smashed against the wall. “What do you want? Go away! Go away!” Donna screamed at the voice. She got out of bed and went downstairs and followed the voice that was calling her. The voice continued to call over and over again. “Doooonnnnaaaa” Donna went into the kitchen just as she had done the night before to find the woman again dressed in old clothes standing by the wall. “Heerrrreeee” The woman said as she pointed to the wall and then once again walked through it. “Here? What is here? It's a wall!” Donnas said to the woman as she passed through the wall. Donna walked to the wall. “It's a wall. A wall! What do you want from me?” Donna said into an empty kitchen. “Heeeerrreee” The voice whispered to Donna. Donna stood for a moment and looked at the wall and then remembered what Mr. Burke had told her. That the previous owner had covered up the entrance of the basement so that nobody would be able to go down there. Was this the entrance to the basement? Did the previous owner who had gone insane put a wall here to keep anyone from going down to the basement? There was only one way to find out. She went

SHORT SCARY STORIES through the cupboard to find something that she could use to open up the wall with and found a hammer underneath the sink. She went to the wall and began swinging at it with the hammer. A chunk of the plaster fell and began to reveal what was behind. It was a door. Donna continued to swing the hammer feverishly to uncover what was hidden until the entire doorway was revealed. She stepped back and rested for a moment. To her surprise she had been at it for some time and lost track of time. Here fiancé' Bill had returned home to find her standing in the kitchen hammer in hand and a pile of plaster on the floor. “What on earth have you been doing?” Bill asked. “The voice was calling me to this spot. This is the door that leads down to the basement.” Donna said. “What?” Bills replied in disbelief. “I don't understand.” “The woman I saw go into the wall was pointing to this spot. This is the basement door. Remember what Mr. Burke said.” Donna replied. “Yes I do. I also remember instructions that we are not to go into the basement for any reason. Any reason!” Bill said as he approached Donna. “Aren't you a bit curious as to what's down there? Why cover it up? Why keep people out? What's down there?” Donna said. “I don't know and I don't care. Come on your going back to bed.” Bill said and put his arm around Donna and began to escort her back to the bedroom. Donna pulled away from Bill and moved back to the door of the basement. “I want to know. I need to know what's down there.” Donna screamed at Bill as she moved closer to the door.

BRUCE SAVAGE “Honey, you’re not yourself. You’re not feeling well. You need to get some rest. Go back to bed. We agreed to not go down there remember?” Bill said as he moved towards Donna. Donna began to become angry and moved closer to the door of the basement and raised the hammer up at Bill. “I'm going down there and finding out what is there!” Donna said angrily to Bill. “What the hell is going on with you? This isn't you? Can't you see? I'm taking you to the hospital. Something is not right. You need a doctor to take a look at you.” Bill said as he moved closer to Donna. Donna swung the hammer down catching Bill in the center of his head and crushing his skull. He fell to the floor and began to twitch as blood flowed out onto the kitchen floor. Within moments he was dead. “I said I was going down there.” Donna said as she reached for the hammer that was buried in her fiancé’s head and pulled it out. Blood and brain matter dripped from the hammer as Donna turned her attention back to the door of the basement. “Heeeerrreeee” The voice spoke again to Donna. She moved closer to the door and reached for the door handle and turned it. The door to her surprise was not locked and creaked as she opened it. She opened the door all the way up to find it covered with spider webs. She brushed them aside and felt a cold breeze coming from down below. “Hello?” Donna said as he began her decent down into the basement. What was down here? What could be so important to cover up the door? She found her way in the darkness down to the bottom of the stairs and turned to look up at the door of the basement when suddenly it slammed shut. It was dark now. Pitch dark.

SHORT SCARY STORIES “Hello!” Donna called out again into the dark. And like before again a voice called to her. “Doooonnnaaa Beeeaaacccooon heeerreee” The voice called out to her from a somewhere in the dark. Donna looked around only to find there was no light of any kind to guide her way. Suddenly in the distance a light appeared in a room as if someone had lit a torch. The light flooded the basement of the house and Donna slowly moved towards it. “Who's there? Who are you?” Donna asked as she moved closer to the room the light was coming from. With each step it got colder and colder as she moved towards the light. The voice continued to call to her as she reached the room the light was coming from. She looked inside to find a casket made of glass and a body inside. She moved to it get a closer look. It was the woman that she had seen dressed in old clothes. It was the woman that had been calling to her. She moved closer to the casket. The woman looked as if she had not aged a day. She was perfectly preserved inside the casket. Who was she? Why was she here and not in a grave? The voice once again called to her. “Frrrreeeee mmmmeeeee” The voice whispered. Donna felt a cold hand touch her arm and she felt as if something was in control of her. She raised the hammer that she had in her hand and swung it at the glass casket shattering the glass. The air rushed in and the body of the woman inside quickly reacted to the oxygen and disintegrated and turned to dust. The flame from the torch that was lit began to flicker and increase in size almost reaching the ceiling. Donna regained control over her senses and realized where she was and what she had done. She began to become terrified and started backing away from

BRUCE SAVAGE the now shattered casket and pile of dust that had replaced the body. A wind started to blow in the basement making the light and flame from the torch dance. The dust from the casket of the former occupant was picked up by the wind and blown about and danced about the basement. A laughter could be heard that became louder and louder. Donna began to move back towards the stairway hoping to escape whatever was happening. As she turned to make her escape from the basement the dust that had been blowing around the basement gathered in front of her. “Who are you? What do you want with me?” Donna screams at the cloud of dust that was forming in front of her. Before her eyes a shape started to form. It was the shape of the woman. The woman that had called to her. The dust settled and now before Donna was the woman complete. “Revenge! That is what I want.” The woman said to her as she stood before Donna. “I haven't done anything to you?” Donna said to the woman. “Your ancestors have! And for what they have done to me they shall be cursed for all eternity!” The woman replied as she raised her hand. Donna flew across the basement and slammed into a wall and collapsed to the floor unconscious. She slowly awoke to discover that she was inside the glass coffin and it was assembled again and sealed. The woman that was inside and had called to her was standing over her chanting a spell and then turned to dust and disappeared. The basement became dark and silent. Except for the screams from the casket made of glass and its new occupant that could not be heard by anyone.

SHORT SCARY STORIES The wall concealing the basement had somehow repaired itself. The body of Donna's fiancĂŠ' was found by Mr. Burke and the house once again was passed on to the next Beacon in line to inherit the curse. A curse placed on the family of Joseph Beacon and his descendant for the crime of lying about a woman that was not a witch in order to steal her land. A woman that was innocent. Or was she?