Summerween: 4 Halloween Horror Stories with Bigfoot, Vampires, Zombies & Demons

Welcome back, my spookies. Tonight, the night shift is open, the mall is closed, and the dead still need groceries. Oh and Hell is hiring. At a remote wind farm, a security guard learns why the previous night watchman was so eager to leave. Inside an empty shopping mall, two young sweethearts discover that the thieves stalking its corridors have interrupted the worst possible anniversary. Across a zombie ravaged city, every delivery is a gamble, and sometimes the only weapon within reach is exactly what the customer ordered. And inside a towering black office building, one desperate applicant is about to learn that certain employers really do expect you to give them your soul.

These are stories about terrible jobs, hungry monsters, and ordinary places that become something very different after closing time. So punch in, lock the doors, and keep your headlights trained on the tree line. It's time to prepare yourself for four terrifying tales of bigfoot, vampires, zombies, and the job interview from Hell. And make sure you're subscribed right here at Weekly Spooky on your favorite podcast app, because every single Wednesday, there's a brand new scary story for you. To enjoy. But now let's get going. I hope you packed a lunch. I guard windmills, and I'm not sure if I'll survive The shift by Michael Kelso.

I used to work as a park ranger and a fire tower. After that went horribly bad, I got a job working in a warehouse that also was a disaster. I just wish I could stop finding jobs that have strange rules. I don't go looking for terrifying supernatural happenings. They just seem to find me. The bad part is I need a job if I want to keep living in my opulent, non alley dweller, begging for food lifestyle. I was looking through the job pages for anything. I was about to apply to a fast food restaurant when my eyes fell on an ad for a night watchman.

I was about to pass it up, thinking about the injuries that were still healing after my last night watchman job, when I noticed it was for a wind farm. I had to look up exactly what a wind farm was and found out it was where they had wind wind turbines that generated electricity. I saw there was a lot of controversy over environmentalists claiming that wind turbines were the worst thing to ever happen to wildlife. I always thought wind turbines were designed to replace dangerous nuclear power plants and polluting coal and oil ones. I guess there's just no pleasing some people.

I called the number and was surprised to receive an answer from an actual person rather than a machine. The man asked if I could start today, not could I interview or fill out a bunch of paperwork? If I could start, he didn't even know me. My spidy sense was telling me to beware. He told me the hourly wage and there was an immediate five hundred dollars signing bonus. Greed and need pushed their way to the front of my thoughts, and I agreed to come to the job site. I told him I had some questions. He hesitated, but agreed.

Twenty five minutes later, I turned down a gravel road past an open gate with a sign beside it that read Larsen Energy Limited. I pulled next to a building that reminded me of the warehouse where I worked for one day and was nearly killed. I shivered at the thought and hoped this job would turn out much better. I walked up to the door and was nearly run over by a short, round balding man who appeared to be in his late forties. His hand was outstretched and shaking mind before the door was completely open. Are you the one I talked to on the phone, he said, smiling.

I believe so good, he said, Come with me, I'll show you around. I followed him to a pickup truck and got in the passenger side. He started it up and headed down a dirt road that was surrounded by trees that were in the general direction of the wind turbine. I stared at them in awe, having never been closer than a few miles away. Impressive, aren't they, he said, following my gaze. Very just wait until you get beside one. He drove slowly, not going over twenty miles per hour, but the road dictated the speed. In general, it had some potholes that were very large.

I could imagine they would be many lakes during a heavy rainstorm. I'm not sure my car would make it through here during bad weather. I said, not to worry. He said, this is a company truck. This is what you'll be driving. And what exactly would my duties be? Exactly what we're doing now, he said, sweeping his arms toward the windshield, doing rounds, making sure no one is, you know, messing with the turbines. I waited for the rest, for the strange rules, for the catch. That's it. That's it, he said. You'll do four rounds a night.

You make sure no one is stealing anything or messing around with the turbines. Other than that, you just chase off trespassers. Do you have a lot of trespassers? He seemed to hesitate for a moment. Once in a while, some environmentalists will lurk around trying to take pictures of birds being hurt by the turbines. They even like to dress up as woodland creatures to scare people. What do I do if I catch one? Take their picture and forward it to the police. That's it. You won't be carrying a gun or anything, if that's what you're asking.

No, I meant, shouldn't I inform you or security? You are security? I stopped and thought about it for a moment. Don't worry, he said, It doesn't happen often. Is there anything that does happen often? What do you mean? Are there any strange rules or anything? Weird that happens that I should know about. His eyes grew wider, but he tried to answer calmly. No, he said, with a nervous chuckle, of course not. My eyes bored into his searching for any lies. He looked away, pretending to pay attention to the road. It's very simple, he said, do your rounds, make sure no one trespasses, and you'll be fine.

You can even bring a portable DVD player if you want, or a book to read, even use the company Wi Fi to watch movies on your phone, as long as you do your rounds. No catch, no catch. We had just arrived back at the main building. He parked in front and led me inside to do paperwork and give me a check for the five hundred dollars bonus. Awesome, I said, When do I start? He looked at his watch. Right now, really. He handed me the keys to the truck. Go get whatever you need out of your car, and you can start your first round.

I looked at my watch as I walked out the door. It was five till seven in the evening. I got my water bottle in lunch box from my car, then headed toward the truck. Another similar pickup pulled into the spot beside me, and a man got out. He was older than me, tall and thin, probably in his fifties. You the new guy, he said, walking over to me. I guess so, I said, shaking his hand. I do the daylight shift, he said. So did he tell you everything? I think so, I said, as the manager came flying out through the doors.

No time for chit chat, he said, chuckling nervously. Time to make that first round. I looked from him to the other guard. I could tell there was a concern on both of their faces, but they seemed to be different. The guard turned back towards his truck. Nice to meet you, he said, getting into his truck and busying himself with something. The manager breathed a sigh of relief and turned away. Oh one last thing, he said. The office is locked after hours, so if you need any facilities, He turned and pointed to a porta potty sitting near the edge of the parking lot.

Understood, I said, who do I contact in case of emergency? He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, then handed it to me. Emergencies only, he said. Then he smiled and walked to his car, started it and drove away. I got in the truck and started it up, nearly having a heart attack when the other guard knocked on the window. Here, he said, handing me a piece of paper. You can call or text if you have any trouble. Thanks, I said, taking the paper. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, then closed it and walked away.

I watched as he drove to the gate, got out of his car, closed and locked it behind him. It didn't have the same feeling of finality as when I was locked in the horrible warehouse, but it was close. Nothing to be afraid of, I told myself, just security measures. I kept telling myself that. As I started down the dirt road toward the wind turbines, I drove slowly, wanting to make sure I kept an eye out for anyone. Even though the sun hadn't set yet, it was darker on the road as the trees blocked the sunlight.

The road was barely a two lane, but I didn't think i'd have to worry about any traffic jams out here. I rolled my window down, and the scent of pine filled the truck. I leaned my arm out the window and took a deep breath. The last time I was in a forest like this was the warehouse job, but I didn't get to enjoy the trees. This was like gliding down a river that cut through the middle of a forest. I felt very relaxed. Two relaxed. I had to make sure I stayed awake and didn't drive into a ditch.

The birds singing in the trees made me smile. This job turned out to be exactly what I needed. My shoulder twinged, reminding me of my injury, and I brought it back to my side. As I drove, the first turbine loomed ahead of me. It was massive. I leaned my head out of the window and craned my neck to see the top. The blades weren't moving for some reason. I would have to look that up on my phone. When I got back to the parking lot, I stopped to avoid a deer that had wandered out in front of me.

It looked at me as though I was intruding on its evening routine. I'm sorry, your majesty, I said to it, but if you would kindly move, I'll be on my way. It looked at me as if considering my proposition, then flicked its tail and trotted off into the woods. I smiled and continued on down the road. The second turbine came up quickly. It lost a little of the amazement of the first, but it was still an awesome sight. By the time I passed the third and fourth, I didn't even look up. I just glanced over at the door at the base of the tower to see if anyone was messing with it.

The next turbine was was missing. I saw a clearing just like all the others, but there was no tower and no turbine. I decided to take a closer look. I put the truck and park and shut it off out of habit I took the keys with me. There was still enough daylight to see without a flashlight, but just barely. I walked up to where the tower should have been, but all that was there was the base. It was black and there was debris around it. It was clear that much more debris had been taken away.

I didn't see the amount of wreckage I would have expected for a four hundred foot tower with a wind turbine on top coming crashing down. As I examined it closer, it seemed like there were a lot of burn marks and melting. I looked around the general area and there were signs of scorching in the trees and on the ground. I wondered why the boss hadn't mentioned this. I've never heard of a wind turbine burning up before. I would have thought this would be something worth mentioning to a new security guard. As I was looking around, I heard something move in the trees.

It startled me because it would have had to be loud for me to hear it over the normal noises of the forest. But then I noticed the normal sounds of the forest were gone. It was eerily quiet. No birds, squirrels, or even insect sounds were audible. I was standing alone in the near dark, surrounded by trees and animals who weren't making any sound. It was like the forest was holding its breath to see what would happen next. My mind was a flurry of thoughts. Are the animals afraid of me? Is this one of those crazy environmentalists?

Should I really be standing here exposed waiting for something to happen? My legs got the message and high tailed it back to the truck as quickly as I could. I rolled up the window, locked the doors, and made a dust cloud from my tires as I left the area a little too quickly. When I got to the next turbine, my adrenaline had bled off and I was feeling silly for letting myself get scared like that. I slowed to my normal speed and finished my round. The parking lot was empty, so I had my pick of spots.

I decided to park close to the porta potty just in case. I settled in and pulled out my phone. Normally i'd go to YouTube and watch creepy pastas, but darkness had finally settled in for the night, and I didn't feel like scaring myself any more than I already had. There were a few security lights in the parking lot near the building and at the far corners, but once I started around, the only light I had was what I took with me. Maybe I could convince the boss to mount one of those strips of LED lights on the front of the truck.

This would be one of the few legit reasons to have those. Every time I pass a car or truck on the highway with those lights blinding me, I have the strong urge to get a million candle power spotlight and shine it in their eyes. At least that's what it feels like they're doing to me. I scrolled through Netflix looking for a show to watch. Creatures in the Dark, Nope, places you thought were safe, No way, Cryptids of Appalachia not even. What is Netflix trying to do to me? If I watch Black Mirror, will it go straight to an episode where a security guard gets horribly mangled in the forest?

Comedies? I'll watch The Office. It's not on Netflix, of course. As soon as I want to watch something, it's gone. Sometimes I wish Blockbuster would have bought Netflix when they had the chance. I'll open up my kindle and I'll read a book. This one looks good. One on One by Michael Kelso, the crime fiction set in a prison. An how we're into my book? The alarm on my phone goes off. Time for another round? Wow, that went fast. I set the phone aside and checked the glove compartment for a flashlight. Fortunately one was there. It was one of those fancy ones that very bright and had a Strobe flash mode on it.

I wondered if I could borrow it to show some of those idiots with the bright led lights mounted on the front of their trucks. I found myself more on guard this round. The noises of the forest had returned. Thankfully. I opened my window a few inches, just enough to let some fresh air, and the nightly noises in the darkness seemed depressive after the first round. Being nearly daylight, this time the world was confined to the two beams of light fighting the overwhelming shadows of the menacing forest. I found myself going a little faster than last time.

It wasn't really a conscious choice, just my subconscious asserting itself once again. When I got to the burned out ruins of the wind turbine, the noises ceased. I went a little faster through that area, I thought I I saw a movement in the tree line heading toward me, but I refused to stop. I justified it by telling myself there was no working turbine here to vandalize. A little rattled, I finished my round quickly, nearly bumping my head on the ceiling of the truck a couple of times from bouncing down the dirt road much faster than I should have.

When I came out of the forest, I welcomed the bright lights and relative safety of the parking lot. This time, I parked at the end, farthest away from the trees, under a security light, just for good measure. As I read my book, my eyes kept darting toward the trees, as if I expected something to jump out at me. I continued to tell myself I was being foolish, but I also kept shooting glances at the trees. When my alarm went off for the next round, it took extra effort to make myself start the truck and aim the headlights toward the trees.

The forest had gotten darker and more oppressive. It had also gotten quieter. There were still a few creatures making sounds, but not as many, I told myself, most of them had gone to sleep. I only wished i'd believed it. Even the scent of pine had diminished, it had another scent to it, now, the tinge of fear. My eyes darted from one side of the road to the other, taking in as much of my surroundings as possible, which wasn't much with the headlights barely able to cut a path through the suffocating darkness. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a deer walked in front of the truck.

I slammed on my brakes, making a dust cloud hover in front of me. The deer glanced at me, then got spooked and ran off. I chuckled to myself at the little bit of revenge the deer being scared of me, but my chuckles soon turned to chills. As the dust cleared, I saw something coming out of the trees. It was big, dark and covered in fur. Sweat formed on my brow. As my mind kicked into gear and my foot mashed the gas pedal, a cloud of dust flew from my rear tires As the truck galloped away.

I glanced in my rear view mirror, and to my horror, the creature was running behind me. Even worse, it was gaining. I stepped on the gas, making my speedometer jump and making me ride the seat like a bucking bronco. Thankfully I had my seatbelt on, or I would have been knocked unconscious by the bigger bumps and ruts, sending my head toward the ceiling. I refused to look back for a long time, and when I did, the creature was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed a little. I was never so happy to see the parking lot.

I parked in the same spot at the far end under a light and thought back to my encounter, trying to make sense of it. The creature was huge. It was easily over seven feet tall and walked on two legs. No, it ran on two legs. It was going nearly thirty five miles an hour chasing me. That was the other thing. Why was it chasing me? What did I do to annoy it? Or was it just looking for a midnight snack? Time to get some answers, I got the piece of paper the other guard had given me and typed in the number.

Then I sent him a text. I checked my watch. It was two thirty in the month. I didn't really expect an answer, but to my surprise, my phone dinged. I was expecting a message sooner. It said, why. Let's just say, I don't think the boss told you everything, such as you tell me why you messaged first? Okay? Have you ever been chased by anything during a round? Define anything? Oh? I don't know, like a deer, a bear, A big hairy creature over seven feet tall walking on its hind legs. Are you gonna quit if I tell you the truth.

That depends on what the truth is. Nope, you have to promise me not to quit before I tell you why, because if you quit, I have to go back on night shift, and that's a bad thing. Promise you won't quit. I was having flashbacks to my last two jobs, being tricked into a horrible situation, and then being told what was really going on. I can't promise. I've been burned in my last two jobs by strange rules, strange rules. You don't want to know, sounds like I do. Then you tell me what's going on here, and I'll tell you what happened in my last two jobs.

If you promise you won't quit, I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you about my last two jobs. Then after that, you tell me if what's happening here is worse. All right? I told them about my jobs as a park ranger and a fire tower and a warehouse guard, about the strange and supernatural things that happened, and how they damaged me mentally and physically. When I was done, he didn't answer right away. That was some story. Is it true? Those things happened to me? Wow? Okay, what's happening here is you're being chased by Bigfoot? All right?

If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to lie. I'm not lying. Think about the way you described the creature to me, seven feet tall, covered in hair, walking on hind legs. I thought about it for a long moment. Then why is he after me? He's not exactly, He's after whoever patrols the roads. But why go to a site called reddit and read the story. I used to be a night watchman at a wind farm. What I saw there still haunts me. After you've read that, if you have more questions, text me. Okay.

I went to the site and read the story. When I was done, I slowly lowered my phone, eyes wide. I texted. I'd read stories on Reddit before. I always thought they were just made up. That's what I thought, too. But if this thing burned up, how is it chasing me? It's not. I'm confused. I helped bury the thing. It's dead. What's chasing you is its mate brother cousin? Who knows? But some creature with ties to that one, and it's not happy. And let me guess it only comes out at night. Yep, I quit U soob you promised, so you'd rather have me die than quit.

You won't die if you stay in the truck. How do you know, because I've been the one doing night shift. Thought about it for a long moment. Okay, I've got one round left to go. If I make it without dying, we'll talk about my continued employment and whatever we agree on. You have to back me with the boss deal. I started towards the forest. No time like the present if I'm going to die. Right as I pulled into the trees, it felt like I was passing through the gates of Jurassic Park. I hoped I would fare better than they did.

The darkness was complete. Only the truck's headlights fought a losing battle, enabling me to see it all. When I came near a turbine, I used the flashlight to illuminate the base of the tower and see if anyone was there. Once I was past the turbine, I quickly shut off the light. I had no desire to see anything else. I rolled the window down just enough to hear the nightly noises. When I got to the second turbine, they went silent. I clutched the wheel with white knuckles, waiting to see what would happen. I was so busy looking around for something in the woods I almost ran into a huge boulder sitting in the middle of the road that wasn't there before.

Was my first thought, followed quickly by it's barricading the road, so I can't speed away. The second thought jarred me into action. I turned the wheel hard and swerved around the rock. Fortunately, it hadn't rained in a few days and there wasn't any soft ground along the side of the road. I stepped on the gas as I rounded the boulder, just in time to see another boulder heading straight toward me. I swerved and floored it, feeling the impact of the rock as it hit the ground beside the truck, missing it by a mere foot. I fish tailed, spewing dirt as the tires fought to gain traction.

Once I straightened out, I got as much speed as I could, bumping around so much. I worried about the suspension and the tires. Anything that stopped this truck would be the death of me. I felt pretty good about out running the creature when I saw something terrible in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop in front of two boulders sitting in the middle of the road. They were spaced far enough apart that I couldn't just swerve around. I had to pick a side with more room and go slowly around, nearly scraping trees as I went.

I had just made it around when something crashed into the back of the truck, sending it flying forward. I looked back and the tailgate was crumpled. There was a boulder lying on the ground beside the other two that hadn't been there a minute ago. I jumped on the gas pedal as a boulder landed right in front of me. I wrenched the wheel to the right, feeling metal scrape against the side of the truck, but I refused to take my foot off the gas. The scraping got louder. I knew this was it. He would catch up to me and I would die a horrible death.

And then the scraping stopped. The truck lurched forward. I was free. I built up a little speed and then started swerving back and forth in the road in case he tried to throw another boulder. I counted to twenty before letting off the gas sweat dripped from my forehead. I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants. My hands were stiff from holding the wheel so tight. I kept my speed up, not wanting to give him any chance to catch up to me. As I bounced down the road, I turned a corner and slammed on the brakes.

It was impossible. He was standing in the middle of the road in front of me. How could he have I'd gotten here first. He stared at me and bared his teeth. For an instant, I thought about turning around, but I was almost to the end of my round, and going back meant guiding my truck back through a deadly obstacle course. With nothing left to do, I floored it and drove straight at him. If I was going to die, I was going to do my best to take him with me. He stood motionless as I gained speed.

Just before I got there, he jumped. I watched as he landed behind the truck and turned on a dime to follow behind. I was gaining speed, but it wasn't enough. He grabbed my tailgate and pulled against it. For a moment, I felt the truck slow, but then the tailgate broke free. And left him holding the figurative bag. He ran behind, throwing the tailgate at me. I ducked just in time as it smashed through the rear window and kept going through the front windshield. I peeked back, only to see him chasing again. I tried to gain more speed.

It was more difficult covered in glass, each bounce in the road now making pieces cut into me. It was also difficult seeing with no windshield to protect my eyes and pieces of glass flying toward me from the remains of the windshield. I held up my hand to try to shield my eyes. As I did, I noticed I was slowing down. I pressed the gas pedal harder, but seemed to slow even more. I turned to find the creature holding the bed of the truck and digging its feet into the road to slow me down. I got my phone and recorded him holding the truck back for a few moments.

At least whoever found the destroyed truck would know what happened to me. I resigned myself to my fate. I let off the gas and allowed the truck to stop. He released the back and started climbing into the bed. I was moments from death. I looked down at my phone and pressed record, then grabbed the flashlight, switched to strobe, and showed it in his face. He put his arms up to shield his eyes. I slammed the truck and drive and jumped on the gas. The creature rolled head over heels out of the bed as I sped away.

I hit the parking lot doing forty five and nearly crashed into the boss as he drove up to the building. I skidded to a stop and put the truck in park. Right behind the boss was the other guard. What the hell do you think you're doing, the boss said, glaring at me. Surviving, I said, as I turned the engine off and tossed him the keys through the missing windshield. For the first time, he noticed the condition of the ruined truck. What happened to my truck? He said? I don't know, I said, sarcastically. Maybe it was the giant creature chasing me that you neglected to mention.

His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped open. I have no idea what you're talking about, he said, regaining his composure. I figured you wouldn't, I said, as the other guard walked up to us. Take a look at this, I opened my phone and played the video of the creature pulling the truck to a stop. They both watched and shock until the video ended. I put my phone in my pocket and looked at each of them. Both of you want me to keep working here, correct, I said? They nodded. Here's my terms. A double in pey, taser, pepper spray, heavy firearms, upgraded trucks.

And is that it? The boss said sarcastically. No, I want you to hire a cryptid hunter to come in today and capture or kill that thing. I have no idea how to get a hold of the boss said, those are my terms. Give it to him or I'll quit. Two, the other guard said. The boss looked back and forth between us like he was watching a tennis match. Fine, I'll get you what you want, he said, throwing his hands in the air. I smiled and shook his hand, then walked to my car. Oh, one more thing, I said.

You might want to have a bulldozer clear the road. The Boss looked toward the trees as I drove away. I prayed he would do all I asked. I couldn't go back there, knowing that that thing was waiting for me. A night at the Galleria by Rob Fields. As May Harker stood up outside the galleria, enjoying the many lights that illuminated it. She couldn't wait to go inside, but she was waiting for someone. As she sat on the bench just outside the main entrance, she looked through the doors and saw the outsides of some of the nearby shops.

To her, there was always so much life inside the galleria. She had only been there on a few select occasions, but she remembered how it had lifted her heart and soul each time. Soon she saw Theodore Holloway walking towards her. When he finally reached her, he sat down beside her. I'm terribly sorry for us having to meet here, as May, he said, I wish I could have been able to bring you here in style, but none of the limo services would consider renting to a twelve year old. He took her hand. You deserve so much better than us meeting here like this, as May smiled.

It's quite all right, Theodore. You know you don't always have to try so hard. All you really had to do you suggest we come here, She gestured to the mall itself. Shall we go in delighted Theodore stood up, then helped Esme to her feet. Esme's eyes brightened as Theodore led her closer and closer to the main doors. Soon he was opening one of them for her. After you, he said. Esme entered and felt her excitement rising as she gazed upon the bright lights of the many stores and entertainment venues that filled the galleria. She could see some of the food court stands on the second floor.

I don't get it, es May. How come you don't come in here on your own, Theodore asked. There's nothing keeping you from doing that. You know you can come here anytime you wish. I know I can, Theodore. She glanced at him. It's just not the same without you here. This is our special place. We've had so much fun and excitement here, you and I. I wouldn't feel right coming in here without you. You introduced me to the galleria, you know, Theodore shrugged. Well, as may, we have to do something to enrich our lives. After all, there aren't too many places available for a twelve year old boy and a thirteen year old girl.

That's not true, Esmey replied. We have a whole world right here. As long as You're happy. That's all that matters to me. Oh, I am Theodore. Believe me when I say that I am. The two of them continued walking around the galleria and taking in more of the sights. Theodore could see the sparkle in Esme's eyes. It pleased him to know that Esme was pleased. However, the time seemed to go by faster than they realized. They had entered the galleria at around seven pm. Now it was nearing nine pm, closing time. The two of them sat on a bench near one of the big anchored apartment stores.

Theodore saw that Esme looked a little sad. You all right, he asked her. She sighed and turned to face him. It seems like we just arrived, Theodore. I know we can always come here or whenever we want to, but tonight was special and just so much fun. I really don't want to go. Theodore gave her a gentle smile. I know you appreciate this place so much that we mainly keep it for our special date nights. I never knew it held such a special place in your heart, she smiled a little. When you first brought me here, I was amazed by its beauty.

It's a beautiful work of art. I just I want to stay a little longer. Then Theodore suddenly had an idea, Why don't we just spend the night here? Esme's eyes and mouth opened wide. What you heard me? Why don't we just spend the night here? Then Theodore explained, we can have the whole mall to ourselves. We can do whatever we want here, and without care, no one would even know that we were ever here. Date night doesn't have to end as may. As May didn't need any further convincing and nodded her head. Theodore took her hand and they both got up.

They managed to get out of sight of the security guards that patrolled the mall. They hid in the big department store nearby and waited until the lights were turned off and the gate was down. Theodore and Esmey came out of their hiding places. Then es May asked, how will we ever get out into the mall itself if we're locked in this one store? Theodore grinned and produced keys to the Kingdom. Esme's eyes and mouth opened wide again. Where did you get those from the security guard's office when we were on our way here to hide.

Theodore answered, Wow, you're you're pretty sneaky. Esmey complimented anything to keep you pleased as May, es May gave him a gentle hug. Then Theodore unlocked the gate. When they were on the other side, Theodore locked the gate back up. From there, they started walking around on the second floor. Sorry, as May, I know, the bright lights and the crowds of people aren't here now. But it's okay, Theodore. The galleria is still a beautiful place, even darkened as it is. We'll be just fine here. So, now that we've got the whole place to ourselves, what would you like to do first?

Theodore asked. Esme turned to face him, stopping them in their tracks. You have the keys to all the stores, right right, Esme smiled from ear to ear. We've got the entire galleria to ourselves now. I think the real question is what wouldn't we want to do? Theodore smiled at knowing that esme was again pleased. The two of them ran together throughout the mall. Whenever they came by a store that either of them wanted to go into, Theodore would locate the key and unlock the gate. They went into anything from clothing stores, to entertainment stores, to even a Teddy Bear shop.

As Esmey was relishing the plush new stuffed animal that Theodore had picked out for her, they came across a video game arcade. I can't believe these are even still around, with all those consoles people have in their homes, Theodore said, as May laughed a little. If you want to go in and play the games, open it up and let's play. Once Theodore found the key, he unlocked the gate and in they went. They turned on all of the games and started playing, one right after another. Every now and then Theodore would look over his shoulder to make sure that no security guards were approaching.

None did. They got to play all of the games they wanted to play. When they finished, they turned off the games and Theodore locked the arcade back up. Before long, the two of them were in the food court and drinking frozen soft drinks at a cookie stand. Then Theodore looked to see if any security guards were around. When he still didn't see any, he noticed something else and tapped Esmey's shoulder. You want to take in a movie, he asked her. Her eyes sparkled, I would love to so they went to the mall's cinema. They sat through a romantic drama while eating buttery popcorn and drinking frozen sodas.

They had no problem getting through the movie. Again, Theodore smiled and felt high spirits Whenever Esme was pleased, he was pleased. After the movie, the two of them went back into the big department store where they had waited until the galleria was well closed. This time, both of them tried on different clothes. When they were dressed, they would present themselves to each other. Theodore laughed whenever Esmy laughed. He loved to see her happy and laughing. They changed into different outfits and came out of their dressing rooms again. You should keep that dress, Theodore told her, It makes you look like a princess.

Esme did a curtsey for him. Thank you, kind sir, And perhaps you should keep your suit. You would certainly compliment me in it. Theodore bowed to her, You're too kind, my lady. After a while, the two of them were in the bedding department and lying on beds across from each other as they both looked up at the ceiling. As May said to Theodore, thank you for tonight This was so much fun, I know it. Then Theodore sat up. Esmey noticed and also sat up. Is something wrong? Doesn't it strike you odd that we haven't seen a single security guard since the mall closed, He replied, you'd think they'd be making regular rounds.

Es May looked serious. Why, yes, you're right, We can go and see where they are. He nodded once. Thank you for humoring me. She smiled, Well, you certainly humor me. They got off the beds and exited back into the main mall itself. Theodore knew where the security office was located and led esme there. When they were close enough, they slowed down cautiously. They walked until they heard a voice. Yeah, it took a while, but I finally got the other guards out of the way. They heard a man say. They peeked in and saw a tall man dressed in a security guard uniform talking on a smartphone.

Just get over here, the man snapped. I'll let you both in through the loading docks. Then we can make our way to the main office on the third floor and get what we came for. Esmey and Theodore looked at each other briefly, then they returned their attention back to the guard ten minutes. The guard asked, don't be late. We planned this for far too long to let things go wrong. The kids quickly turned and scurried out of the corridor. They moved behind a kiosk and sat. You were right to wonder, Theodore, as May said, no, wonder.

There weren't any guards around that other one must have done something to them. As big of a place as the galleria is, they're not just going to have one security guard here. What are we going to do? Theodore took her hand. It's going to be okay. He's not going to be after us, not unless he sees us, as May corrected him, and remember, he's got friends coming. We've got to find those other guards. We've got to save this beautiful mall. At first, Theodore wanted to tell her that this incident wasn't their problem. However, Esmy had spoken once more.

He wanted to please her. All right, but we need to be careful. Es May nodded, you have an idea. Theodore thought for a moment. There could be a number of places where the other guards might be held at. Then he snapped his fingers and pointed to a nearby electronics store. We need to go in here first, let's go. They got up and went to the gate. Theodore unlocked it and they went in. It didn't take long for Theodore to find what he was looking for. Here we are. Esmey gasped with delight when he pulled a set of walky talkies off the shelf.

I'll get some batteries. Once the radios were set up and tested, they left the store and split up. The plan was for Theodore to keep an eye on the loading docks while Esme looked for the guards. Theodora told her where she might look. They would keep in contact with their walkie talkies. Theodore crept into the loading docks and saw the bent security guard waiting impatiently. It wasn't long before he heard the squealing halt of a vehicle just outside. The guard raised one of the loading dock doors and allowed two other men to come in. It's about time you idiots got here, the guard snapped and started lowering the door back down.

Hey, traffic's bad for a Friday night, the first guy replied. The second guy held up a large duffel bag. We got the stuff. Good. Let's check on the other guards. Before we get started, the bent guard suggested. Theodore followed them stealthily as they walked over to the far end of the loading docks. The bent guard opened what appeared to be a storage room door. Theodore gasped to himself when he saw the other guards inside, tied, gagged and unconscious. He went to a safe distance and radioed, esme, the guards are down here in the loading docks.

He said quietly. That guard has two more men with him. Now I'm coming, as May replied. The crooks looked as though they were ready to leave. Theodore would soon have plenty of time to get the trapped security guards. Then an unexpected thing happened. One of the crooks pulled a flashlight out and turned it on. He ended up dropping it in the process. The light just happened to flash where Theodore was hiding. Boss look. The crook who dropped the flashlight cried, there's a kid in here. He pointed to Theodore. Get him. The guard yelled, oh no.

Theodore shrieked as he shot out of his hiding place and took off running. Theodore ran out of the loading docks and eventually back out into the mall. He had all three crooks racing after him. Eventually he made his way back up to the second floor and to the food court. He quickly dived over the counter at the cookie stand and got out of sight. A few minutes later, Where did that kid go? He heard one of them mutter, he's around here somewhere that the bent guard. Well, he's got to be hiding in one of these stands, the third one stated.

But Theodore's hiding place was short lived when he heard Esme on his walkie talkie, Theodore, are you all right? Where are you? Theodore didn't wait around. As soon as he popped up, the men were trying to grab for him. He quickly turned around and moved to the back. He was out the back entrance and into a corridor that led back to the main mall. He still had the men chasing after him. Theodore raised his walkie talkie and told Esme where he was and what was going on. He told her where the other guards were. Don't you worry about me, You just take care of those guards.

I'm not going to leave you. Theodore, as May radioed back, Never mind me, I'll be all right, he insisted. Just get to those guards. He felt a hand grab him, causing him to lose his walkie talkie. It fell over a railing and down to the first floor, where Theodore could hear it shatter on impact. Gotcha, kid, The guard wrapped his arms around Theodore and lifted him up. No, Theodore cried, but when Theodore came back down, his foot landed on the guard's foot. The guard cried out, inadvertently releasing him. Theodore took off running again. Get him, get him, the guard yelled.

Theodore had a bit more of a head start on them and ran back to the big department store. The gate was open enough to where he could slide underneath it. When he stopped sliding, he turned and moved the gate. He slammed it down and locked it with his keys. But his sense of safety would be very short lived, as the guard produced his own set of the Kingdom Keys. Yeah you better run, kid. Theodore turned and moved through the department store and soon came to the escalator. He hopped up onto the rail and slid down to the first floor.

He turned and sprinted to the gate. When he reached it, he opened it and lifted it up. He ran to find esme and make sure she and the other guards were okay. Suddenly arms wrapped themselves around Theodore got you. The Bent guard had snatched him up and was taking him down to the floor. The other two crooks were quick to assist. The guard mocked Theodore. Yeah, you thought you were clever. Huh. Didn't think we caught on to your little plan? Huh? Let me go, Theodore shouted. The next thing he knew, he had his arms being handcuffed behind him.

Now we're gonna take you back and leave you with the other guards. Not sure how you got in here, kid, another crook said, but you can be sure you ain't leaving any time soon. You and the guards all starved to death before anyone finds you. The Bent guard spoke up again. There's somebody else in here with him. He was on a walky talking to someone. He grabbed Theodore's hair. Who you with? Kid? Speak up? Theodore wouldn't answer him. The guard persisted, but to no avail. The guard lifted him to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the loading docks.

Theodore kept dragging his feet before the guard's helpers lifted him up and carried him. We'll lock him up with the other guards. Then we do what we're here to do. The bent guard told the others, we'll rob this place and get what's comin to us. Why would you do this, Theodore asked, why not? The guard sneered, You work as a security guard in a mall. You think you're gonna get any kind of good money? No way. You get it by learning the mall and knowing what place is to hit. Plenty of stores here that sell expensive diamonds and jewelry.

There's also the big safe in the owner's office on the third floor, where the payroll and probably other valuable things are kept. The security cameras are all off. All we gotta do is make our clean sweep, be out of here by morning, and nobody will be any wiser. Theodore continued to struggle, but the crooks had careful hold of him. Just then, the crooks stopped when they saw a lone girl standing several feet ahead of them. She looked very angry. Let go of him. As May yelled at them, drop the boy and get the girl. The guard ordered them, I'll keep the boy with me.

The men obeyed their leader and moved to circle Esme. But Esme didn't seem the least bit intimidated. She looked from one man to the other. When the man on her left came at her, she leaped up and caught him in the chest with her foot to knock him on his back. When the second one tried to grab her, she turned around and pushed him. The guard couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the second man flew back into the nearby music store gate. He bounced off the gate and fell forward in a daze. Now, esme turned to the guard.

It's okay, Theodore, do it. The guard heard the handcuff snap. Suddenly, Theodore snatched the guard and lifted him up. As he got back to his feet. What the the guard yelled when he realized that Theodore was lifting him over his head as May approached them. Are you all right? Theodore? I think so, yes, Esmey gave the guard an angry scowl. Then she hit him on the forehead and knocked him unconscious. Later the three men awoke and found themselves tied up in the loading docks. The first things they saw were Theodore and esme Only now they were wearing what seemed like formal evening whear.

Theodore wore a tux and esme wore an evening gown. I'm so glad you're awake, as May told them, what is this. One of the robbers muttered, this is a very special occasion that you get to be a part of, Esmey said softly. Theodore turned to Esmey. I was planning to make you that steak dinner you've been wanting at that fancy restaurant. You know I can still do that for you, darling, Esmey smiled brightly. They're always so sweet to me, my soulmate, soulmate. The guard asked, you're both just kids. Es May turned back to the guards.

That's right, Theodore is my soulmate. We've known each other since the Middle Ages. Es May saved my life, you know, Theodore said. As May explained how she and Theodore had known each other since they were children of six and seven. In Europe. Back in thirteen forty eight, when the Black Death came and was destroying half the population of Europe, Esmey had become infected and was on her deathbed. Our housekeeper was very kind to me as a child, esme said. She was wise and compassionate. She was also one of the undead. I didn't want to die, so she offered me am mortality.

All I would have to do is let her sire me, and I would die for just a short time. Months later, Theodore was about to be taken by the plague as well. He was a very close and dear friend to me, and I couldn't bear to lose him. I sired him myself and saved his life. Esme and Theodore both smiled and showed their robbers their long glistening fangs. Their eyes were also red. Now that's right, we're both vampires, Theodore said, and you three ruined our anniversary date. Everything was supposed to be perfect for my beloved Esme.

We came here to the Galleria to celebrate nearly six hundred and eighty years together. You see, Esme gave me my life back when I was about to die of the Black death, back in thirteen forty eight. I only want to give her her heart's desire. She doesn't ask for much except to travel, so we may see many different sights and places. And let me tell you, she really loves this mall. We don't get here much, but it really puts a smile in her face. And I love to see her smile. Esme blushed. Oh honey, Theodore took her hand.

I know this isn't the wonderful steak dinner I promised you for our celebration. It's still not too late for it. Esme licked her lips and fangs. But I'm really thirsty, Theodore. You can make me that steak dinner when we return here for another special occasion. Right now, I want them for dinner, and I want you to join me. Theodore sighed, and who am I to say no to you? Esmey? They both turned to the robbers. Don't worry, we won't kill you, Esme promised. You'll all wake up with a bad headache and be a few pints low.

Theodore raised his finger, and you'll likely be behind bars. The security cameras will have all the footage of you three admitting everything. Not to mention what the guards will say once we untie them and let them out after we've eaten. I turned off the cameras. The bent guard grumbled, there's nothing to see. When I got my keys, I turned them back on, Theodore corrected him. It's always fun to be able to run around knowing that the cameras can't pick us up. Since we don't reflect in mirrors, we don't show up on cameras neither, as May added, And now shall we dine Theodore, Yes, my love, let's enjoy our special anniversary dinner.

The three robbers struggled and screamed as the two team vampires closed in on them. Send Beer by Michelle Antisocial. You know how sometimes a squirrel would just grab an unripened tomato right off the plant, take one bite, and then throw the rest right on the ground to rot. That's exactly the way I found Lucy on the sidewalk, surrounded by flies, A long line of ants marching into the missing chunk of flesh and feathers on the left side of her neck. I touched my own neck in empathy. The area is still slightly tender after all this time.

Shaking the ants away, I picked up her rigid body. I removed the note that was still somehow tied to her leg. Send beer. Fuck, there was no beer. Those frat boys at seventeenth and Oak must have been well aware of that fact, And yet they sent Lucy to her death for what a joke? Or did they really think I could find them alcohol. Did they think I hadn't looked. I mean, maybe if I broke into every empty house in the area, I could find some. No. No, they wanted it so badly they could do that themselves.

This, of course meant that even though I didn't have anything to deliver, I still had to stop over there and politely ask them to please please stop asking for alcoholic beverages. I wrapped Lucy in the remnants of a plastic bag that I'd been keeping for this kind of occasion and carefully placed her into the empty side pocket of my backpack. I was as excited at the prospect of barbecued pigeon for dinner as I was nauseous over the idea of chewing on her potentially bacteria ridden rotting flesh. And I still had a long evening of oppressive, early autumn heated humidity before I could get home to cook.

I cursed the useless gas generator as I loaded my supplies and homing pigeons into the rickety cart attached to the back of my bicycle to get ready for the ride around town. Friday means that instead of just working a nine to five delivering floral arrangements to mostly funeral homes. I pull a grocery delivery shift afterwards, which is exactly what it sounds like. Everyone has a week to send their birds back with a list of everything they need, and then I go get those things and deliver it to them, as well as return the pigeon for next time.

Given the situation, It's not a job I would choose if I actually had the choice, but for reasons I won't and frankly do not want to get into. I have qualities that make me significantly more capable of being around the no longer people people than your average weirdo does. So it's either me getting food to people or it just doesn't happen, at least not without terrible, terrible consequences for the delivery person. And it seems wrong to make others suffer like that, so I suffer instead, just markedly less so. Or at least that's what i'd tell my parents to make them feel better about my recklessness if I thought they actually cared about me.

Not that they can care anymore. They're dead, after all, But enough about my dead family. I was headed to the supermarket. The supermarket used to be favorite part of the entire experience until recently it was still open to the public in more or less a functional business. Some guy, maybe the guy who owned it, was always there and would make small talk with me when I shopped, or at least he would attempt to. He was nice enough and remembered my name from the one time I told him, though I think I was his only customer most days.

I even caught him making attempts to use gender neutral pronouns when referring to me. All of that was a problem because I couldn't, for the life of me, remember his name. I wanted so badly to respond to his cheery Hia Felix with something other than hey, but I couldn't, and it killed me more than any zombie ever, could you know, metaphorically speaking? At least I tried everything I could to figure it out. Could I have just asked him? Fuck no? So you can imagine the position I was in. Anyway, all problems are temporary, right at least this one was because one day the store was just closed.

Maybe he just got tired of seeing me and only me, the kid who didn't remember his name, and decided it was finally time to end this charade. It would make me so happy to hear that that was the reason, and it's not that he died, but you know how that goes. The supermarket was only a few blocks from the flower shop. The building was partially boarded, and in the beginning stages of decay, tall weeds sprung up from once minuscule sidewalk cracks, and the dirty green striped awning that hung over the entrance had partially detached from its brackets.

It swayed slightly in the sweltering breeze. I ducked through the shattered glass door, ready to get to work. Despite its exterior, the market was quite pleasant now. It's cool, musty decor and shelves of decaying food were almost homey to me. At that point, there wasn't much desirable product left, but I always did my best to accommodate. I do like a good challenge. No box spaghetti left. Replaced that sucker with a can of spaghetti O's. You want ingredients to make chicken parmesan, Well, we don't have chicken anymore, but let me introduce you to these here spaghettios green beans.

Spaghettio's got you covered. Fam looking for those individually wrapped brownies to give your kids, so they stopped crying about the zombies. Uh, canned ravioli. They're sort of the same shape, and just put sprinkles on them and you're all set. The whole shopping experience took about an hour, and then I headed out on my mission to deliver the goods. Unfortunately, Lucy's demise left the Frat Bros Without a pigeon, which meant that I had to do something I'd been putting off a welfare check. It had been two weeks since I'd gotten in order from one of my oldest customers, the Patel's, a family of three on the East Side.

They had never taken even a week off from ordering before, and while I was hoping that they just decided to switch to one of my competitors and forgotten to return my bird, I was also aware that I didn't have any I was the only person on this side of the city stupid enough to do this, which meant something happened to my pigeon or worse. The Ptels lived at the very edge of the suburbs. It was a little bit out of the way where the roads were less predictable with cars and dead things. So I waited until close to the end of my room, when I was carrying less food and pigeons to swing by.

Also, I was really dreading it. While there was still plenty of time before sunset, you'd never have known. Due to the densely wooded streets that encompassed the area, all was silent on my approach. Besides the crickets, nothing lives here anymore, lives here anymore, lives here anymore. The phrase welled up from somewhere deep within my subconscious and gave me pause. I gulped, gripping my handlebars a little harder than necessary, as I turned down the Betel's driveway. Their house was one of those mid century types, one story, flat roof, no basement, many many windows, exactly the kind of place you'd pray you didn't have to ride out the apocalypse in.

They'd done their best to board up most of the windows, but I always wondered why, with the majority of this city available, they'd chosen to stay in that particular place. It's the kind of ridiculous sentimentality that'll get you killed. I scoffed and hopped off my bike at the curve of the driveway by the front door. The place looked secure, But as my breathing calmed, I noticed an unusual sound intermixed with the drone of crickets, tap tap tap, the unmistakable sound of a fingernail hitting plexiglass radiated out from the building in an unpredictable, somewhat frantic pattern.

Were they trapped inside and trying to get my attention? I wondered? Maybe someone was just practicing their drumming technique against the window. I sighed, If so, they had no sense of rhythm. Now, in context, that makes next to zero sense. But since I'd conjured the possibility into existence, I took a moment to wonder what I'd do if mister Prattel answered the door and asked what I thought, I'd say. It sounded delightful. They were doing their best, after all, and a little encouragement can go a long way. Sweating more over the possibility of an awkward conversation than someone needing my help escaping, I knocked timidly on the door.

Nothing. I tried a bit harder, missus Battel, It's Felix, I fumbled. You know the grocery person you uh sometimes get grocery deliveries from no response, just consistent light tapping. Are are you okay in there? I gingerly tested the doorknob. It was locked. Mister Bateel, Do you still have my pigeon? Maybe they were just in the bathroom or something. Yeah, all three of them in the bathroom, just hanging out. I'd hate to think that I rushed their bathroom family time. So I just silently stood there for a full five minutes, trying to be polite and panicking about what to do next.

All the while the tapping persisted. I sighed it was time to get serious and investigate the source. I carefully and quietly began to walk the perimeter of the sprawling reds, weirdly afraid that someone would see me and think I was trying to break in, like there were people. As I made my way around the left side of the home, I was able to pinpoint its general location to a window directly behind a row of overgrown barberry bushes, which, as you probably don't know, are my number one least favorite type of shrub, and yes I do have a list.

I pushed myself between the vegetation and siding, trying to avoid the plant's thorns and failing miserably. The area behind the bush wasn't completely boarded, but it was too dark for me to see inside. I pressed my hand against the glass. It reverberated in tandem with the taps. I was in the right place. I fought with the thorns and my pants pocket to retrieve my flashlight, and then, shaking, lifted it towards the window and slid the switch to the on position. A tiny face was staring back at me. Bisura. I gasped. My pigeon cocked her head, possibly equally as surprised to see my face.

Her beak and feathers were soaked in blood, smeared specks of blood clung to the window where she'd been pecking. Adrenaline shot through my small frame, and I tore out of the bushes and back to the front door. And then I kicked that fucker until the jam snapped and the door burst open and slammed deafeningly against the wall. Sorry, I called out, sheepishly, but it was silent. Streaks of daylight from the gaps between the boarded windows criss crossed the lime green carpet, illuminating the interior just enough for me to see without a flashlight. Once my eyes adjusted from the four yer where I stood, everything looked pristine.

I was beginning to consider the possibility that they'd simply packed up and moved to a safer, less windowy house, or headed west in a desperate attempt to cross state lines, just leaving my pigeon intentionally or unintentionally. Convinced I was at least momentarily alone, I crossed the living room and started down the hallway in the direction of the window that had my bleeding bird in it. Four doorways loomed ahead of me. The first two were empty bedrooms, then the third was a bathroom with no family time happening in it. However, the last door, unlike the others, was shut and locked.

I thought maybe I could hear a faint rustling inside Bissurah, I called out. I was so relieved to hear her coup from within the room that I jimmied the door open and took several steps into the space without much thought. My only goal was to grab her and get the hell home. There was no way I trusted the frat brose with an injured pigeon, or really anything. At this point, they'd have to wait Basurah flew right over to me and perched on my hand. Good girl, I assured her quietly as I examined her body, trying to locate a cut or a wound of any kind.

But while she was caked in what was most certainly blood, she wasn't actually bleeding, not anywhere. My heart sank. What have you been eating, sweetheart? Bissurrah bobbed her head at me quizzically, as if to say, no oblo English an espanol porfoifour You know I don't speak Spanish, I said aloud, Let's just get out of here, okay. As I turned around to leave the bedroom, I caught something big and dark in my peripheral vision. I froze. There. Hanging from one of those decorative exposed ceiling beams was a very dead missus Pattel, And to make matters more uncomfortable, she was just covered in peck marks.

I unconsciously dropped my hand, prompting Mesura to fly off of it and over to missus Pateel's shoulder and begin lunching on her face. Basurah, get down from there for this instant, you're embarrassing me, I said, in an unnecessarily hushed tone. My bird continued to not understand English and attempted to rip some of the skin off of missus Ptel's cheek, but Sir I, something stirred further off in the darkness. Hello. I switched on my flashlight and began to search the far side of the bedroom, careful to aim around Missus Pateel to spare my psyche any further gory details.

Something was hunched down behind one of the chairs in the small sitting area near the ensweet bathroom. For my position, all I could see was long, dark hair. Hey, are you a zombie or The thing continued to sit quietly, So I made the regrettable decision to find out for myself and slowly close the distance between us. If you're not dead and you could respond to me, it did help a lot, I coaxed, realizing in my panic to save my injured pigeon, i'd left my weapon outside. This was bad. The thing that I could by that point more accurately categorize as a little girl, probably the Patel's daughter, was still not moving.

Her head was down, body slumped, and I could make out several partially scabbed, partially infected human bitemarks around her ankles. So yeah, this was probably a zombie, but I needed to confirm before I made any decisions about how to dispose of it, prepare to pull away in case of an attack. I carefully pushed back her hair as I did, her body tense. Fuck. Sorry, I mean, but I couldn't think of another word to replace it with. Not that she was listening, not really. After a moment of awareness, her eyes had fixed on something very far away.

If this was literally any other place or time in modern history, i'd have called nine one one the ambulance, and the police would have been dispatched, and I would have sat outside with her until they came. They'd wrap us in blankets and i'd give a statement to the cops. Then they'd take her to the hospital and treat her injuries, and CPS would handle things from there. But none of those things existed anymore. So I was going to have to handle it, and I don't mean handle it in a good way. A sudden wave of anger course through my body.

You don't go about this the same way as when the oxygen mask drops on a plane. You do not take care of yourself before your child missus Bettel. Child first, always, child first. Murder suicides don't make me do it. Based on her limited reaction to stimuli, it wasn't too difficult to estimate that the girl whose name I'd forgotten was on day five or six of a grueling seven day slock between exposure and full infection, which consisted of increasing confusion, loss of awareness, antisocial behavior, and well, who really knows what else until at the end you're just some violent human husk.

There was, of course, a point five percent chance that she'd just die instead, but that death always looked incredibly painful, so I can't say it would be much of an upgrade. I sat there for a long time, trying to convince myself of the importance of committing the act. That her mother would rather end her life than see come to pass. You have to, you know, I told myself. Straightening my back, I reached out towards her and wrapped my hands around her throat without a gun. No bullets left, bet dubs. It was the nicest way I could think of.

Once her body was dead, I'd have to use more violence to make sure she didn't come back. I'd made the decision. All I had to do was squeeze. As my grip increased, her eyes suddenly locked with mine. They were filled with fear, A lot of fear, like way too much fear I'd been wrong about the timeline. Her fingernails sunk into my forearms, desperately trying to pull me off as I choked her. The awareness of her reaction completely caught me off guard. Had she even been bitten? I mean, I was almost positive that those were human bitemarks on her ankles.

But the very real and increasing possibility that what I was really dealing with was just a very traumatized seven year old, not a monster, made my extremities go cold, and before I realized what I was doing, I'd grabbed Bassurah and bolted out of the room. I could hear her coughing and gasping for air as I rushed down the hallway. Fuck this, Fuck all of this. In the kitchen, the Patels had a large stock pile of bottled water. I sat my pigeon in the sink, and as carefully as was possible with my trembling hand, washed the blood from her feathers.

There was absolutely no reason I needed to add this one to the long list of things plaguing my conscience. I wasn't even sure I agreed with the premise of mercy killings anyway sparkly clean, or at least clean enough. I toweled Basura off in my shirt and headed for the front door. I was gonna drop Bassura off at the frat and go home, and suddenly a desperate scream crashed through the building and sent me running right back down that Saint damn hallway. Oh it was mister Brettel. I've been wondering about him, but there he was now in the bedroom, pinning his already almost strangled daughter to the ground and like eating her small intestines, large intestines.

I don't know. I'm really not that good an anatomy. Well, at least that's what he was doing until my rapid approach distracted him and he lunged at me. I wasn't able to dodge quite as nimbly as I'd liked, and he flat out tackled me, knocking me into the bedside table before I hit the ground. I was trying to keep his teeth away for everything and simultaneously punch him hard enough to get him off of me. But I'm not that great at close combat. Granted he was like twice my size, but I feel like I should have been able to manage better all things considered.

So I was laying there, using every answ of my strength to keep from being chewed on, excepting that everything I'd done that day was very stupid. When a dark blur streaked across the room, landed on mister Rattel's face and started pecking his eyes. It was Bisurah, my attacker. Momentarily distracted, I was able to reach behind me, hoping that there'd be something in the knocked over table that I could use to end this. I fumbled around until I felt something cold, hard and substantial, and then I brought it down over his skull. And then I hit him over and over and over again.

And then I continued to hit him until I was sure that no part of him would ever be able to move again. I then took a moment to catch my breath and waited patiently for his daughter to stop breathing, and you know, proceeded to do the same thing to her too. Afterwards, I washed my hands really really well. It was only then that I realized what the object I'd been using to crush my attackers. Was he somehow still intact three quarters full bottle of vodka? The frat was only about a fifteen minute bike ride away, so I made it there before eight thirty.

I don't know why I keep calling it that. By the way, the university had been made inaccessible, as it was on the other side of the now blown up bridge, and also it hadn't held classes in over a year, so it was a little less like a frat and more like a gang, like a really boring gang. The house was one of those opulent nineteen twenties Johns that had been falling apart for at least a decade before the bad stuff happened, surrounded by a fifteen foot tall fence made of an amalgamation of just about every building material that you can think of.

A guy dressed in two for the Apocalypse gear pointing his gun in my direction from a makeshift watch tower as I approached, only to lower it again. I tried and failed to speak so that I could explain myself, but it didn't seem to matter. I know, just going already, He motioned to the gate with his rifle. Earlier on my route, I'd come up with the most perfect soap boxy speech to shame these guys. I was going to tell them about Lucy and how they were putting me and my birds in a necessary danger, but I'd give them one more chance, because I didn't think they were being malicious.

But by the time I stood on that dry rotted porch staring at Stefan, the only guy whose name I'd actually remembered, I was having trouble keeping any sort of mental narrative running. I was really just trying not to throw up. I don't know how I looked at that point, but I can only assume it was kind of off putting because instead of saying hello, Stefan just stared at me. I parted my lips to speak first, but I could only manage a nonsensical squeak, so instead, I did the bottle of vodka out of my backpack and shoved it into his chest, then turned to leave.

Oh oh, the beer thing. That was really just supposed to be a joke, he said, staring at the bottle. I stopped, turned back, and made a spur of the moment decision. Instead of Besserah, I retrieved the plastic bag wrapped dead Lucy from the pouch i'd stored her in and shoved her into his hands. He fumbled to hold onto both her and the vodka. Thanks. I shrugged and again turned to leave. I could hear the plastic crinkle behind me as he opened the Lucy package. Hey, it was really supposed to be a joke, Stefan called out.

I stopped good one. I managed to eke out good one. Fucking good one, I berated myself as I rode through the mostly empty streets, zigzagging to avoid the occasional zombie. How on earth was that a good one? Felix? And to make matters worse, I'd hand it that my food. I was clearly never going to be able to face that gang again. Luckily for me, I was no longer even a little bit hungry, So instead of having barbecued pigeon as planned, I went to sleep for dinner, feeling like I'd played the ultimate prank on myself. Gotta make the joke funny somehow, I guess.

Torture and other job skills by Killian Crane. Have you ever been laid off? I had my dream job in management, good benefits, great pay, small company, room to grow every day at work was a genuine pleasure. Most people say that to kiss their boss's ass, but not me. I loved my job. When Deborah left me, the job was all I had. I poured my soul into it. Those under me, they didn't understand. They whispered behind me my back, called me pushy and tight ass, nut job. Some of them even called hr on me. They couldn't understand.

I demand nothing but the best from my team. Do your job to the best of your ability and we'll have no problem. Do sloppy work and I'll make sure you face the consequences. And as for all the whispers behind my back, what they failed to realize was that my methods worked. I was by far the best manager at my job, punctual, organized, efficient. Those under me knew my expectations. You see, people are like coal. If you put enough heat and pressure on coal, it becomes a diamond. Diamonds are the standard we should all strive to achieve.

One thing I cannot stand is failure. I punished those that failed me. There are far too many weaklings in the workforce. The answer, of course, isn't to fire them on the spot. That is a waste of coal, but punishment. That's the answer. More heat, more pressure. There's a diamond in there somewhere. I was the best at making diamonds until this fucking COVID nineteen virus. I'll never forget the day my boss Ryan called me into his office. The first words out of his mouth were I'm sorry, I have to do this. He was flat, formal and precise.

I sank into my chair. He said some more things about the virus and uncertain times, cutbacks in every department across the board. He said. I didn't listen to all that. I was too busy. Looking into his eyes, they said everything I needed to hear. He wasn't sorry, not at all. He wanted me gone. I couldn't help but cry. It was unsightly and unprofessional. But the job was my everything, my only thing, and he took it from me. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, it came from corporate. Nothing I can do. Years of service up in smoke.

As COVID made a killing, so did delivery services. I had everything delivered to my apartment, food, basic supplies, alcohol, Not that I was afraid of the virus. I just didn't have the strength to go outside. I was a failure. Me, the best employee in my division, possibly in the entire company, had been laid off. Let go. I knew it had nothing to do with the virus. That was just an excuse from the higher ups to trim the fat. I never thought of myself as fat before then. Fat was something gross to be discarded. I hated myself, but more I hated everything else.

I started the search for a new job immediately. I updated my already outstanding resume, surfed the appropriate websites. Someone would have me. My bed became my new office. As I searched, my laptop laid on my right next to the television remote. The pretzels, the two leaders, the whiskey, the boxed wine. I used the same cup for everything. Saved time during the search. Every time I went to the door for a delivery, I had to kick the daily paper out of the way. Despite the pandemic, the paper never stopped coming. Over time. They began to pile next to the door.

They had their own ozone, their smell of ink and paper so much more pleasant than the rest of the place. It was funny the world shut down, but not the mail. Should have been a mailman, I thought, definite job security. Of course, there were no mail jobs available. There were almost no jobs available, and the ones that were disappeared fast. The market was more dog eat dog than ever. I'd send in my resume and check back the next day to find the position no longer available, and I hadn't gotten a call their loss, I thought, But then more and more listings disappeared, blinking out like stars in the night sky.

When the check from the government came in, that was the worst. I'm sure it thrilled some people to receive one, but not me. I felt like a leech more than anything. I wanted to work to earn my way, but the night sky had grown dark, and so at my apartment in the darkness, I fantasized about hurting Ryan a lot. I wished it was just me and him in a fucking pipe wrench. Those weeks were hard on my ex, Debra. She called me often. I remember standing in my bathroom at the window talking to her. The view was nothing spectacular, but it was nice to stand in the sun and listened to her voice.

Too bad I couldn't see her in person. She'd caught the damn virus. I'm worried about you. She said weakly between wheezes. I held my phone in the crook of my neck, checking my robe for smells. I'd flipped it inside out a few times in the past week. It itched, but I had a fix for that, a sort of numb all recipe i'd perfected me, I asked. On my way to concoct the recipe, I accidentally stepped in a puddle. Liquid seeped through my sock and in between my toes. Don't worry about me. Hey, this might cheer you up.

I found out to day they shut down my entire department. Even Ryan, the ass had that fired me, lost his job, and I think he has COVID. You shouldn't laugh at that, she said. COVID's no joke. I'm not liking it so far. Well, I hope it fucking kills him. Hang on, let me put you on speaker. I put the phone down on the table. It was tough to find free space, so I knocked a takeout container to the floor. Globs of congealed rice spilled onto the hardwood. I know you loved your job, but you shouldn't say things like that.

My old job. It was why she left me to begin with. Late work hours, dates canceled, time missed, and all that. As she droned on about what the fuck ever? I poured myself the perfect numb all. Three fingers of red wine, two fingers of bottom shelf whiskey, pour over ice, and slosh until mixed. Only one more ingredient. No, I'm not, I said, holding a little orange bottle. I wasn't sure if that was the right response or not. Based on her silence, it wasn't. Deborah had left the bottle here at our apart after a surgery on her knee.

My supply of the last ingredient was low. The pills rattled as I popped the top and fished one out. Deborah snorted, you're being strange today, eh. Is there any way I could maybe see you, you know, after I get better. I'm just tired of being cooped up. I put the pill on my tongue and washed it down with a sip of my drink. Numb all coming right up. We'll have to see. I'm just so busy these days. Busy. Yeah, sorry, can't talk right now, I'm at work. She went silent for a while before finally saying something terrible.

Take care of yourself. Okay, hey, I said, ice clinking as I downed the rest of my drink. Who's my pretty Girl? I licked my lips and tasted the world slowing down. Deborah had a tattoo on the small of her back, a purple butterfly. Thinking about it made me the numb all version of hard stop. She said, you know it's not like that any more. Come on, I slurred, touching myself. I tried to hide the slur, but that hadn't been my first drink of the day or my first pill. Who's my pretty girl? Smile for me?

Call me some time, will you fucking bitch? I thought, before hanging up. Oh how I wanted to fuck her brains out, and maybe more if only, Oh well, I thought, eyes bobbing listlessly upon the fucking wreck that was my apartment. Before I kept things spotless and sanitary. I did my laundry the second the hamper filled up, wash, dry, fold, iron, put away. Now there were dirty clothes on every piece of furniture, empty bottles and containers on every flat surface. The floor was a minefield of trash and puddles. The smell of household cleaners and soap was gone, replaced by something sad.

The only agreeable smell came from the pile of papers near the front door. Its ozone of pressed ink smelled so nice. I blacked out, then, not sure for how long, I woke up lying on the ground in a half dried puddle of piss. My head nestled against the help wanted section. And then it came to me, the help wanted section. Why hadn't I thought of it before? How stupid had I been? Of course, all the job positions would be online. But what if I tore into the pile That ozone of ink and paper stained my fingers as I flipped and tore and read loose sheets crumpled and flew away.

I didn't care about the news. Everyone knew the world was going to hell already. I devoured the job ads, holding them in the light pouring through the window, and I was right. Every single paper had the same offer, every single one of them. Management position. Job is challenging in a test of dedication and skill, nothing but excellence will be accepted. I danced with joy, kicking trash and splashing in puddles. As I spun around and around. I tripped over my couch and busted my lip on the arm rest, but stood with not a care in the world.

The answer had been in front of me all along. Everyone had missed it because no one reads the paper anymore. There wasn't a phone number to call, only an address. I had no time to shower. Some other desperate fuck might find the ad too. I laughed at his misfortune. Sorry, pal, I screamed at the top of my lungs. I'm gonna beat you to it. I tried calling Deborah. She didn't answer. I found that she'd called me in my blacked out state. But I'd call her later after I gave her the good news, because things were about to change.

I would get that job. I would. I peeled my wet underwear off, splashed water on my pits and junk, put on deodorant, and scrounged around and put on my cleanest work clothes. Slapped a mask over my face. I felt the blood of my busted lip leaking onto it. I grabbed another mask off the floor so I could change them when I got to the interview. And then I filled my flask four fingers of whiskey, topped to the brim with red wine. I mixed them together and took one good pool of liquid courage to calm my thudding heart.

I pocketed the flask, my phone, wallet and keys. One good slap to the face, and I was on my way. I barely remember the bus ride there. I worked through what I needed to say at the interview, but I was nervous, like my first date with Deborah, only worse. This was my chance out of the hole, my only chance. I lowered my mask and took another pull. The bus came to a halt at my stop. I paid as I got off, and was stunned by what I saw. The building was beautiful, a perfect square of black glass, like an onyx finger pointing accusingly at the sky above.

I smelled the thread of rain through my mask. A good rain was just what the world needed. The filth could drown in it, but not before I got inside. I hurried across the street as the thunder echoed in the distance. I stopped, shy of the door, checking my dark reflection. I fixed my tie, checked my mask. Yep, there was blood. I threw it out, licked until there was no more red, and put on a new mask, but not before another pool of liquid courage. The whisky wine burned my busted lip as well as a fresh pain I hadn't noticed before.

In my fall, I had apparently knocked one of my teeth loose. I wished i'd brought a pill or two, and then I remembered something else I should have brought my resume. I'd come empty handed. Lightning arched in the sky. Too late, I couldn't go back. The flask loosened my nerves. The pain in my tooth made me sharp. It was time to prove I wasn't fat to be discarded. I was excellence. I was perfection. I walked to the door like I owned the place and hit the buzzer. The sun was low in the sky. I thought maybe I was too late, but someone buzzed me in.

The place was dark, no receptionist, no activity. An open elevator cab was the only source of light in the place. I stepped in and knew that something was wrong. This building was immense, but there were only two buttons, no floor numbers, just an up and a down. The boss had to be upstairs. Downstairs was probably a parking garage or something. I pressed up. I worked my loose tooth with my tongue as I ascended. The weight was zagonizing when I thought it would never end. The doors opened to either side where the offices, but straight ahead I saw a man in a massive office, standing behind a desk.

He stared down at the world through a great window. Someone must have buzzed me in, and I hadn't seen another soul in the entire damned place. I tread towards his office, scared for reasons I didn't understand at the time. Even from behind, this man exuded power. He spoke without turning come in. His voice was velvet ice. I couldn't help but follow his command. I stepped into his office like I'd stepped on a puppy dog. He turned with a smile. His hair was neat blonde, slicked back on his head. His face was clean shaven. I realized with broiling anxiety, I hadn't shaved before I left.

I reached to shake his hand. Hello, I'm I know who you are, he said, gesturing to a chair. Sit my stomach turned, you know who I am. I did as he commanded and sat down. Though I was scared, I couldn't help but admire him. He was beautiful and terrible. All my preparations flew out the window if I'd had any to begin with. I sat crossing my legs and then uncrossing them. I didn't want to seem disrespectful. He walked to a small cabinet drink a test. He wanted to see how professional I was. He poured himself two fingers of scotch.

It was my chance to impress him. I pulled my flask from my pocket. Thank you, but I brought my own. He laughed, a practiced, unreadable laugh. Maybe I'd passed his test. Maybe I'd failed spectacularly. I noticed there was no name placard on his desk. I didn't know what to call him. What do I call you, sir? His coal eyes went to my mask. You don't have to wear that around me. I took it off, noticing this mask was also soaked in blood. It was odd he'd said nothing about it. I began to spiral whatever this was.

It was feeling less and less like an interview. I recognized the look in his eyes. It was the one I gave my employees when I had them right where I wanted them. At my old job. I constantly tested those under me, prodded them like a shepherd. Herded them in the direction I wanted them to go. Now I was being herded, but towards what So, sir, what are your expectations? He took a sip of his bourbon. I took a sip from my flask. It helped even me out Nervously. I pressed on my loose tooth, grimacing at the pain.

The man studied me with that look. I expect excellence, nothing more, nothing less, And I think you have what it takes you do. Yes, I think you have all of the qualifications. At this point, I was at a cross. I wanted this job, even though I didn't really know what it was. But everything in me told me to run, so I tried to take it out. I pretended to pat myself down, looking for something. I'm sorry, I said, but I forgot my resume at home on my desk. The man smiled. He saw what I was trying to do.

You don't need it, you see, I've been waiting for you. The urge to down the rest of my flask was strong. I tried to hide the tremble in my hand, but couldn't. Taking his interview had been a mistake, but I was compelled and desperate. He knew that waiting for me. Yes, you finally saw my ad in the paper. The room spun. I thought for sure I had lost my mind. It's a shame, he said, no one reads the paper anymore. I stopped fighting the urge to down my flask and just did it. It poured over my loose tooth, and the world stopped spinning.

The man finished his drink as well, Are you ready to begin the interview? I could barely control my breathing. This, Uh, isn't it? No, the interview is downstairs. Come. He stood and walked out of the office. I hurried to my feet and followed. We got in the elevator cabin. He pressed the down button. We went down and down, and down and down, far longer than it took me to go up. It got hot, maybe actual heat or maybe my nerves. Questions buzzed in my head. I realized I never even asked what the position was for.

Yet here I was in a box, descending the depths with this stranger. So, uh, what do you do here? The ad was vague. It's best if you see for yourself. The elevator didn't open to a parking garage like I thought it would. It opened on a pristine hallway lit by fluorescent lights. At the end was a large metal door. The man walked ahead. He looked over his shoulder and called to me. Here boy. He clicked his tongue, and I was out of the elevator. As we walked, he pulled a key card from his inner suit pocket.

He waved it in front of a reader, and the door popped open with a hiss. Beyond was pure darkness. Someone was in there crying. The man smiled at me, Are you ready to begin the interview? He stepped inside, and the fluorescent lights illuminated the room. Ryan, my old boss, rested on his knees, sobbing. His arms were clasped in chains that hung from the ceiling. Every part of me screamed to run, but I stepped inside anyway. Ryan looked up at me. There was recognition in his face. Thank God, it's you. You have to help me. On a rolling table.

Next to him lay a red pipe wrench. I couldn't believe what I saw. What is this? The man held his chin in one hand, studying me. This is what you wanted, isn't it? How did you know? He gestured at the wrench. This is the job. This is what you'll be doing. He gave me a wink, show me your excellence. My heart thundered in my chest. As I approached, Ryan forced a smile on his face. Hey man, it's good to see you. Jesus Christ help me. I've been here for days now. I lifted the wrench in my hand.

The weight felt good, really good. Ryan shook his head. What are you doing? Rest so hard on my loose tooth it popped out of its socket. I grinned at Ryan, blood seeping out of my mouth. As I spit my tooth out, it jangled on the floor like an ivory marble. I'm sorry, I have to do this. I was flat, formal, precise. No, he cried, eyes bulging like a pig at the slaughterhouse. Please No. I swung hard. The wrench sank into his temple. His eye popped from its socket. He sputtered a bit, then went limp in his chains.

I grabbed him by the hair, hauling him up. No, I said, he can't die. He can't fucking die. The man grabbed my shoulder, surprising me. Why can't he die? Because I want more? The man's eyes went from twin black coals to shimmering diamonds. He touched Ryan on the ear and he came back to life, screaming, it hurts. The little piggy squealed, Oh, cut, it hurts. I hauled his face to mine. No, God, not here, I'm your God. Now. I pulled the dangling eye from his head and popped it into my mouth. I tasted his sorrow as I chewed.

It came from corporate. I shouted over his screams, nothing I can do. We played with Ryan for a very long time. I struck him, and the man brought him back. All that anger and fantasy released with unholy zeal. God, damn it, I was in heaven. I fell to my ass, heaving. Ryan hung from his chains in an unrecognizable slump. His ozone was salty but sweet. Tears stung my face. Thank you, I told the beautiful man. Did did I do good? He nodded. I smiled and wiped the tears away. Does that mean I get the job?

Not quite. There's one more test. He snapped. The lights went out, and Ryan's ozone disappeared with him. The man snapped again, and the lights came back on. When my eyes adjusted to the sudden illumination. My heart stopped where Ryan once was shackled sat Deborah, bound by chains dangling from the ceiling. She screeched, trying to stand, but was unable. W W W wh what? She stammered, too shocked to speak. The man put his hand on her shoulder. His eyes were black coals that sucked her in. Relax, my dear, he cooed, stroking her cheek. Take a deep breath, She calmed at his touch.

Where am I your home? Where you belong? No, I'm not, But I was in my apartment, on my couch. How did I get here? You'd be surprised. What lends you here? Where the hell is here? The man pointed at me. Isn't it obvious? She fell silent as she looked me up and down. I looked down at myself. Ryan's blood still soaked my everything. The man ran his fingers through her hair. She shrank from his touch. I want to go home now, the man laughed. I told you you are home. This is where people like you go, people like me, people that deserve to be punished.

She winced at me. As I stood, wrench in hand, I found the man staring at me. His gaze was piercing, but I found the words, Do I do I have to? The man's eyes glowed like diamonds. Do you want this job? I remembered being in my apartment, dirty and all alone. All Deborah had left me was a broken heart and a little orange bottle of pain pills. I'd never admit it, but sometimes I would fantasize about fucking her, hurting her, and sometimes both. But I never dreamed I would have the chance. Now I wasn't so sure.

It didn't feel right. The man backed away as I approached her, eyes pleaded for help. I remembered all the good things, cuddling with her, as we watched television walks to the park on late nights, drunken cab ride's home. Thinking about those things, I almost wanted to set her free. I tried calling you, she said, I know. I was going to call you back. I was in so much pain, and then I blacked out. I cradled her face in my hand. She flinched from me as ryan blood stained her jawline. Good news, I said, I'm having an interview.

I think I'm doing really well too. Her lip trembled. Get me out of here, please, our time together had been sweet, and I was mostly to blame for why things fell apart. But I needed this job. She looked, confused, what are you waiting for? Let me go? I felt something in my heart rot as I fondled the edge of her chin. Who's my pretty girl? Tears ran down her face and over my hand. Please, she begged, let me go. I gripped her face tight, scrunching her lips together. Who's my pretty girl? Her mouth worked like a fish out of water.

I am just please. I thought things weren't like that anymore. I swear to God, No God, not here, only me. I'm your God. Now, she burst into sobs. I almost felt bad, but I just had to rub it in. Still feeling sorry for me, she whined as she looked away. I choked her, forcing her to look at me. Heat and pressure. I would have my diamond. As her face changed colors, I let go. She collapsed, coughing. What do you want? She screamed, I want you to smile? What smile for me? Please? Don't do this. Smile for me, pretty girl.

She looked me in the eye, still crying. A forced, agonized smile split across her face. I gripped my wrench tight. I remembered how pretty her smile was, those candid moments at a restaurant in bed after a date in the morning over breakfast. Those thoughts drowned as I remembered all the things she said to me. When she left. She mewed, like a bad little kittens. Things can go back to how they were. Would you like that? I grinned back at her, Sorry, can't talk right now, I'm at work. Her smile evaporated into a shriek, and my wrench found her teeth.

We played for a very, very long time. When I finished punishing her, I collapsed in a heap and passed out. I woke up in my apartment, head resting against the mostly shredded pile of newspapers. Lying next to me was a sheet of paper. Only it wasn't a sheet of paper. It felt wrong under my fingers, too soft to be paper and too thick. I instantly dropped it to the ground. When I realized it was human skin, it suctioned to the floor. The flowery scripts aired up at me. I peered down and saw it was a contract, a job offer.

I'd done it. I was a contributing member of society again. I found a knife and pricked my thumb. It burned as I pressed on the dotted line, right next to a very familiar purple butterfly. Have you ever been laid off? I thought I had my dream job, good benefits, great pay. The company was small, family oriented. I genuinely enjoyed coming to work every single day. Most people just say that to appease the boss. Now I'm the boss. Now I have my dream job, my nightmare job. Every day i'm at work, I feel myself changing. When I look in the mirror, I see my eyes are now as black as coal.

Maybe one day you'll get let go from your dream job. You'll find yourself numb, alone and lost. Maybe you'll see a special ad only found in the paper. After all, no one reads the paper anymore. That ad will lead you to a tall building made of black glass. Come on in. We're always hiring well, my spookies. We survived the wind farm, escaped from the mall, completed the delivery route, and wisely declined the management position. Tonight proved that enormous signing bonuses usually conceal something dark. Every empty mall has a night life of its own homing pigeons may be better apocalypse partners than most people, and the words we're always hiring should never come from a man with coal black eyes.

For more terrifying fiction, make sure you subscribe to Weekly Spooky right here on your favorite podcasting app, with a brand new scary story every single Wednesday, over four hundred in counting, and leaving us a rating, a review, or sharing this with a friend really helps us out and helps other spookies discover our dark little corner of the world we've cultivated till next time. Stay inside the truck when Bigfoot starts chasing you. Never disturb a vampire couple's anniversary, keep one sturdy bottle of vodka nearby during the zombie apocalypse, and never sign a contract printed on anything that feels suspense viciously like human skin.

I've been Henrique Couto. Stay creepy, your spookies.