Demented (Sinister Tales Book 1) Read online

  “I’m—I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do.” She put her head down in shame. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “How are you going to make it up now?” School was done for us, there was no way we could magically go into the past and change things.

  With her head still slightly down, she reached her hands out for a hug. No hesitation went through my mind as I went in for the hug. I could hear her faint sniffling as we hugged. In a way, I felt bad for what I said to her but it still felt good to get those grievances out.

  “I always knew there was some incest thing going on between you two.” A familiar voice interrupted our hug. I knew the owner of that voice, but it was a deeper, huskier than what I remember. “I’m guessing you’re into demons now?” he remarked. Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I knew he was staring at me when he said that.

  “Shut the fuck up, Mark.” My sister blurted out. She got up and walked over to him. I turned to see him, he was by himself. Mark was the leader of all of my tormentors. I was surprised he didn’t have his old posse with him.

  “Don’t be like that. We did have some good times, didn’t we?” he looked at my sister but his statement only seemed to make her angry.

  She curled her hands into fists as if she were getting ready to pummel him, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. It would be funny to tell everyone how Mark got beaten up by a girl. But I didn’t want him to put his hands on her, so I had to step in.

  As I made my way over to them, Carilyn whispered something into his ear. I wasn’t close enough to hear what she said. Then again, I did consider my sister the queen of whispers. It’s like she practiced her whole life how to whisper to someone.

  She backed up, looked him up and down and then smiled. Mark swung at her, making her plant her ass on the ground. Anger flashed through me like a lightning bolt. I could feel myself going through a change. My fingers twitched and shook. If I could see myself, I was pretty sure I looked demented.

  “What the fuck…What’s wrong with your eyes?” Mark looked confused and scared at the same time. I grabbed him by the throat, picking him off the ground. He kicked me while also pulling my hands, trying to break free of my grasp.

  “Jeff!” I could hear my sister’s voice from behind me. I let go of Mark and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. I turned around to see my sister walking towards me. Her hands were still in fists but blood was now dripping from them. It confused me until she began to uncurl her fists. Her fingers had turned into claws and they had dug into the palms of her hand because of her anger. Her eyes looked lifeless, like she had been dead for weeks. “It’s my turn.”

  I turned around to see Mark trying to run away. To his misfortune, Carilyn stopped him and dragged him to where she was standing without laying a finger on him. A playful smile showed on her face before she went in for the attack.

  She clawed and ate his flesh until bones began to show and blood poured out of his body. She smiled while I was in a state of complete shock. What was my sister?

  “Carilyn?” I called over to her, not entirely sure if it was a good idea to talk to her while she was feasting on a guy she just killed.

  “Yes?” She looked over at me. She didn’t have rage in her eyes anymore.

  “Are you a…” I couldn’t even bring myself to say it.

  “A demon? Yes.” she said it so calmly.

  “Well, I was going to say vampire, but never mind.” I paused to let things process through my head, my sister is exactly like me. “Then why did you keep telling me I wasn’t one? You tried so hard to convince me I was just acting out for attention.”

  “I didn’t want you to know until you were old enough to understand.” She sounded like she was in mother-mode at the moment.

  “What did you whisper to him?” I was curious, it was what started this whole thing.

  “I asked him if he was always mean because he couldn’t face his own insecurities.” I wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth, but I guess I’d have to believe it for now.

  “Come on, let’s go to the reunion. We have business to take care of.” A sinister laugh came from my innocent-looking sister. Well, semi-innocent. With blood dripping all over her, Carilyn looked as guilty as a child caught taking cookies from the cookie jar.

  We began to walk towards the school, and I knew it was going to be one hell of a night.

  Help Me

  It was a quiet night and Miranda was about to go to bed. But then she heard someone pleading for help out on her doorstep.

  Miranda lounged on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through her TV guide. She let out a groan of frustration and pressed the power button on her remote. “Why isn’t anything good ever on?” she asked herself as she ran her fingers through her brown hair.

  She listened to the sounds coming from outside. She could hear the wind picking up, causing tree limbs to bang against her house. Then there were the occasional noise of stray cats fighting in the street. .

  Before long, Miranda started feeling really tired. Her eyelids grew heavy, slowly closing and opening until she finally let them droop down over her eyes. A few minutes into her slumber, her phone starts to go off and startles her awake.

  After realizing her phone was what woke her up, she grabbed it to see that a friend of hers was calling. “What do you want, Stephanie?”

  “Why do you sound like an ogre?” her friend questioned.

  “Your call woke me up,” Miranda answered, her face somewhat buried in the pillow.

  “What are you doing sleeping before midnight?”

  “I actually have a job, you know.” The more the conversation dragged on, the more she got irritated.

  “Jeez. I’m sorry…” Stephanie sounded like a teenager who’s just gotten into trouble with her parents.

  Miranda sat up on the couch, wiping the drool near the corner of her lips. “I’m just tired, Steph. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a complete bitch.”

  “So, I’m guessing that’s a ‘No’ to going out with me tonight?” There was a hint of hope in her voice.

  “I think I’m gonna stay in tonight.”

  “You sure? I haven’t left the house yet, so I could swing by and pick you up.”

  Miranda chuckled. Her friend was really holding on to such little hope that she would go out tonight on the town with her. “I admire your persistence, I really do. But I just need sleep right now.”

  “Fine.” She let out a sigh. “Next time there’s no bailing on me. I don’t care if you have an hour left to live, you’ll be spending those last moments with me.”

  “Alright, pushy.”

  “You know it.” Stephanie let out a little laugh. “I guess I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

  “Sleeping,” Miranda informed her.

  “Yeah, that…Goodnight. I hope the bed bugs bite you in the ass.”

  “Night.” Miranda hung up, dragging herself off the couch.

  She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and then walked over to the sink to get some water. She looked out of the window above the sink and saw her front yard. It was so dark outside that even if she squinted, she still wouldn’t be able to see much. Her house was far from other houses, the closest one had to be at least fifteen minutes away by car. She enjoyed the quiet nights, though. It was nice not having to hear loud parties going on or couples arguing like she did at her previous place.

  She scratched the back of her head and began to head down the hall to her bedroom.

  Thump!

  Miranda turned around, looking at where she thought the noise came from—the front door. She stared at it for a few seconds, expecting to hear the sound again. When nothing happened, she started to walk to her bedroom again.

  As she touched the doorknob to her bedroom, an ear-piercing scream made Miranda jump. The scream was followed by more desperate cries for help.

  “Help me! Someone help me! He’s going to kill me!” A girl’s voice cried ou
t. She banged on Miranda’s front door. “Please! Help me!” She began to sound more helpless. By the fifth time the girl banged on the door, Miranda was already fumbling with the lock, trying to get it open.

  As soon as she opened the door, the girl ran in and Miranda quickly locked it again..

  “What’s going on? Are you okay? That’s a stupid question, of course you’re not okay. What’s your name, sweetie?” Miranda rambled on, both shocked and scared by the fact that the girl was covered in blood.

  “My name…My name i-is Angela. My boy-boyfriend tried to kill me with a machete,” she answered, trying her best to stop crying.

  “I’m Miranda. Let me call the police, and we’ll get you cleaned up, okay?” Miranda went to reach for her phone when she suddenly realized something. “Where’s your boyfriend?” she asked, eyes wide with fear.

  Angela’s eyes mimicked Miranda’s eyes. “He was behind me. I never turned around.” The words made Miranda’s heart stop.

  She ran to the kitchen, grabbing two knives from one of the drawers. It wasn’t as good as a machete, but it would do. She peeked outside, but it was so dark that she couldn’t make out anything in her yard. She let out a shiver and made her way back to Angela.

  “Go clean yourself up in the bathroom. It’s the second door on the right.” She pointed down the hall. “Take my phone, call the police. Here’s my address.” Miranda handed her an old piece of mail that had her address on it. “Take this.” Miranda gave her the second knife she grabbed from the kitchen.

  Screech!

  The horrid sound echoed throughout Miranda’s house. It sounded as if someone were pressing a nail down on a chalkboard and dragging it down, creating a noise that made her grit her teeth.

  “Go lock yourself in my bathroom, and do as I said,” Miranda said, the urgency clear in her voice. “Now!”

  Angela ran down the hallway and into the bathroom, locking herself in.

  “Angela, I know you’re in there!” A deep, husky voice yelled from outside. The awful, screeching noise grew louder. “Baby, I was joking. Come on out.” His words made Miranda feel sick to her stomach.

  She stood a few feet back from the door, ready to attack this man if he managed to get in.

  Thump! Thump! Thump!

  It sounded like he was throwing something at her house. “Get the fuck out of here!”

  Glass shattered all over the floor as an object went through the kitchen window. Miranda slowly walked over to investigate what he was throwing, making sure to stay out of the view from the window. On the kitchen floor lay a big rock.

  Again, he made the screeching noises against her house.

  “I’m coming in Angela!” he roared. He sounded like a madman.

  He began to beat against the door. Miranda knew it wouldn’t be able to take so much pounding. Before long, the door would give in and the man would be inside her house. Her heartbeat increased and her breathing became shorter at the thought. She didn’t know who she was up against. All she knew was that he was a very pissed-off boyfriend.

  Miranda’s nightmares turned into reality as she watched the door fly off its hinges. In walked a tall, buff, trucker-looking guy. He had madness in his eyes. In his hand was the machete Angela told her about. He looked around and smiled. “Angelaaaa” he sang her name in a voice that gave Miranda chills.

  “Leave her alone!” Miranda stepped out from where she was hiding so he could see her. He looked over at her and laughed.

  “What are you gonna do? Poke me with that puny little thing?” He mocked her knife.

  “I’m sure you think you’re some big tough guy, huh? You’re not a man.” Miranda heard the bathroom door opening. She wasn’t sure if the crazy guy standing in her living room heard it yet because he hadn’t turned around. “You’re a sick prick who gets off on hurting girls who can’t protect themselves.”

  Anger took over him, and it showed on his face. He lunged at Miranda, throwing her to the ground. In all the chaos, she lost her knife. She grabbed the machete with both hands, trying to keep the blade away from her as best as she could. It began to digging through her skin, making blood drip from her hands.

  Angela came up from behind him with the knife that Miranda gave her.

  “Help me, Angela,” Miranda cried out.

  “Why would I help you?” A sinister smile grew across her face. Miranda’s eyes widened. She had been tricked!

  “I’ll let you do the honors, babe,” the guy told Angela. He held Miranda down as she kicked and screamed. At one point, she tried to reach for the knife but Angela kicked it farther away from her. She got down on the floor, kneeling next to Miranda.

  “You guys are sick fucks. You’ll burn in hell!” Miranda spit insults at them, trying to fight for her life but she couldn’t get away.

  Angela brought the knife down on Miranda. She coughed up blood, staring into the soulless eyes of her cold-blooded killers. Her vision faded, as did her heartbeat.

  Angela reached down, cupping blood into her hands and poured it all over herself. “Let’s go, we have more work to do.”

  Together they left, preparing themselves for their next victim.

  Knock

  (Part Two to Help Me)

  When Hank and his family heard a knock on their door, they’re unaware of the horror to come.

  Lucy, Hank’s and Patricia’s sixteen-year-old daughter, sat in front of the computer in the living room while her parents watched television. Hank’s arm rested around Patricia as she snuggled up close to him, her head on his shoulder.

  A couple of low beeps came from the computer. Lucy stared intently at the screen before she ran her fingers on the keyboard, typing quickly.

  “Who are you chatting with?” Hank asked his daughter.

  She turned around to see both of her parents looking at her from the couch. “Jessie,” she said.

  “How’s she doing? I haven’t seen her around here in a couple weeks.” Patricia said, joining in on the conversation.

  “Exams. She’s been busy studying, so her mom hasn’t let her come over here until exams are over,” Lucy said as she scooted the chair away from the computer desk. “I’m going to my room.” She began to walk away.

  “You okay?” Hank asked, causing his daughter to stop in her tracks.

  “Yeah, why?” she replied.

  “Nothing. You just don’t normally go to sleep so early.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “I’m just really tired. Coach made us do laps during the whole class.” And with that, her parents waved off the subject and let her head to her room.

  “Goodnight, sweetie,” her mom called out to her, hoping she was still in earshot.

  “Night,” she yelled back and walked down the hall to her bedroom. As she stepped in, a big smile appeared on her lips. She locked the door behind her and looked directly at the person in her room—Jessie. “Hey, babe.” Her hands rested on her girlfriend’s waist. “My parents were just asking about you.” She pulled her close so that their bodies were pressed up against each other and then, she planted a kiss right on her girl’s lips.

  “Do they suspect anything about us?” Jessie asked.

  Lucy shook her head, strands of her hair brushing against Jessie’s face. “Nope, they’re still clueless, and I’d like to keep it that way. If they knew about us, they’d kill me. Or even worse.”

  “What’s worse than dying?” she asked, her head slightly tilted to the side.

  “Not being able to see you.” Lucy’s remark made Jessie’s cheeks turn a bright pink. She smiled broadly, showing her perfect white teeth.

  “You’re so good to me.” Jessie squeezed her tightly into a hug.

  Lucy hugged her back just as tightly, the smell of her girlfriend’s sweet perfume invading her nostrils. “I know,” she said with confidence. “I thought you were studying for exams.”

  The both of them sat on Lucy’s bed, chatting away.

  “I finished studying for today, so I thought to d
rop by.” She ran her fingers through Lucy’s blonde hair and stared into her hazel eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you t—” Lucy was cut off by the sound of a knock. Jessie quickly let go of Lucy and went to hide but her girlfriend stopped her, gripping her wrist. “That wasn’t a knock on my door.”

  “Where did it come from?” Jessie asked, looking out Lucy’s window. She couldn’t see any new cars in the driveway.

  “The front door,” Lucy responded as she opened the bedroom door. “Stay here,” she whispered, then she tiptoed down the hallway and listened in on her parents.

  Hank pushed himself off the couch with a grunt. “Who the hell could be here?” he cursed. “I swear if it’s that woman next door asking for eggs again, I’m going to scream. She needs to get a damn chicken coop or something,” he ranted on his way to the front door.

  Lucy peered out the hallway, watching her dad. Before he opened the door, screams came from the other side of the door. They sounded like they came from a female.

  Hank looked through the peephole to see a petite woman standing outside, looking distraught. She pounded on the door with clenched fists, her knocks growing more frantic by the second. “What the hell?” he said to himself as he opened the door.

  Before anyone could say anything, the woman ran inside, her eyes red from tears. “Please. You have to help me, my boyfriend is trying to kill me!” She sounded desperate.

  Hank looked at her suspiciously. “Sit outside and I’ll call the cops.”

  “Are you kidding me? My boyfriend is out there trying to find me so he can kill me!” she exclaimed. “If I go out there, I’ll be dead.”

  “I don’t want you bringing him into this house. If he’s willing to hurt you, he’s willing to hurt my family. I’m not going to have that.” Hank opened the door, and she looked pleadingly at his wife.

  “What’s your name?” Patricia asked her.