November
15
“Loyal” by Emily Hickey (3rd Year) – Horror Short Story
It was a day where it felt like nothing could go wrong. Her birthday. She was turning fourteen. The sun was shining its brightest and the temperature was its warmest. The girl was carrying out errands for her aunt alongside her Jack Russel terrier, while her brother was setting up a surprise party at home. Although her parents weren’t around anymore she didn’t let it get in the way of ruining her big day. She was dropping off a delivery just outside of town to an elderly man’s house. Many rumors were spread about this man but the girl didn’t listen to them.
When she made it to the house, she knocked on the old, rusted door which led to dozens of dogs to bark and howl, almost like they were asking for help. This triggered her terrier to bark back at them. An old man stared through a small hole as if he was hiding from something. He slowly opened the door an little by little, revealing himself. He was a tall, slender man with a hunched back. He stared at the girl with his steel grey eyes, like there was no human part of him. He slowly held out his hand with money in it. The girl cautiously went to take the money. Once she touched the notes, the man suddenly grabbed the girl by her wrist and held her mouth to block out her screaming. The dog began to bark louder and louder and the man hit the dog hard which led it to become unconscious. The girl tried so hard to fight away from the man but he just gripped tighter and dragged her roughly into the house.
The man chained up the girl in a small, dark, isolated room. He lay her barely conscious dog in front of her. A tear streamed down her cheek as she attempted to reach for her dog and failed. She was powerless. She didn’t know what to do.
A few minutes felt so long and the girl’s face was red and painful to touch after crying so harshly. She didn’t understand how such a good day could go bad so quickly. She placed her hand on the ground and felt something sharp. Like a long shard of glass. She then quickly picked it up and hid it behind her back in her clothes.
The elderly, heartless, old man then emerged out of the dark and started to unchain her from the wall, but still kept the chains on her. He dragged her up the stairs and into another room. He dragged her so awkwardly, that she fell to her knees, leaving scratches. This room was also dark but smelled of excess cigarettes and lager. It was strong enough to make you pass out. He once again chained her up to the wall, but this time with a smaller, tighter leash.
The man spoke…..
“You know, I had a daughter that looked a lot like you and a beautiful wife. We also had a dog. The dog was the same age as my daughter. Born and died on the same day”
“Why are you telling me this?” The girl said with an almost shaking voice “why do you want me?”
The man continued as if the girl said nothing…
“There was only one difference between the two…. the dog was loyal but my wife and daughter were not. They chose to go against me and I refused…. one day we all had a fight and I went too far…. that same night I burned the house down with everyone in it. But it was filed as an accident… Then I moved here.” The man’s voice became a mumble.
“But h-how is this to do with me?”
The man began to rhythmically tap his heavy boot on the ground.
“I found out how to make people loyal to their owners.”
“Wh-wh-what do you mean?!”
The girl started getting smaller….
“You and your dog were born and raised for the exact same amount of time with is perfect…..”
Smaller and smaller…
“I will be your new owner… you father…. and you will be loyal…..you will stay with me and your brothers and sisters….”
The girl shrank into non-existence…. she became speechless with confusion….. what did he mean?
He walked out of the room and shortly re-entered with the girl’s dog.
Her dog was conscious now and squirming in pain from the way the man held it’s skin.
The man pressed her dog against the table. Dozens of dogs began to howl and bark dangerously. The man then took out small, sharp knife and ended the dog’s life in front of her. He glared at the puny girl and said, you’re next.
The man removed the chains and grabbed a hold of the girl and held onto a slightly bigger knife. He said “you know what I did to your dog? I’m gonna do that to you!. You’ll be loyal and you’ll never leave! Just like the rest of them,”
The man raised his hand with the knife with a psychotic look. However, just before he plunged for her chest, she took the glass shard and stabbed him into the stomach. She ran as fast as she could. Her heart was thumping out of her chest and she began to hyperventilate. The door was locked and the man was stumbling close behind her. She smashed straight through the window without hesitation and ran straight towards the police station. She immediately told them what happened and a number of policemen made their way to the old, crumbling house. But it was too late. The man was gone.
She knew she would never be the same again and that he may come back for her. But for now, she is alive and well and knows she will hunt him down and make sure he gets what he deserves.
mes cast eerie shadows on the rag dolls on the shelves which made them appear alive and huddled behind a small table sat Madame Eliza, fortune teller. She wore a black veil, covering long white hair and her face was wrinkled with age. Her eyes were black beads in her head and they had a piercing effect on Jim. “What did you come for?” she croaked. Jim shivered and replied in a stammer, “It-It was a dare”. She looked at Jim and said,” I see……. take a seat.” She invited him to select five cards from the deck of tarot cards and told him to place them face down in front of her.