by Lee Jones
FEAR
A COLLECTION OF HORROR SHORT STORIES
BY LEE JONES
2018 © Lee Jones
2018 copyright. All rights reserved. Published by Saturn Publishing.
This is a work of fiction. While as in all fiction, the literary perceptions and insights are based on experience, all names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of all authors imagination or are used fictitiously.
www.saturnpublishing.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SCARECROW REAPING
THE BEGINNING
A NIGHT OF TERROR
ROAD TRIP
SETTLING IN
SUN FALL
CLUES TO THE PAST
RUN FOR SURVIVAL
FINAL CHAPTER
BLOOD ON THE BAYOU
VACATION
STALKER
KIDNAPPED
IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT
SACRIFICE
ESCAPE
THIRST FOR BLOOD
INVESTIGATION
THE GIFT
FLAW
CONNECTING THE DOTS
INTERVIEW
HOME
NEW LEAD
TRAIL
BOAT
SMOKE ON THE WATER
FIRST CONTACT
CLOSE BY
BEAT OF THE DRUM
CULT SECRETS
ESCAPE
CLOSE CALL
FINAL CHAPTER
THE FOREST
PROLUGOE
THE BEGINNING
NO TURNING BACK
DAY ONE
NIGHTFALL
CROSSING OVER
INTO THE ABYSS
DEATH
AFTERMATH
THE UNDEAD
OUTBREAK
ESCAPE
NIGHTFALL
GAME PLANE
HELL ZONE
THE FINAL STAND
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
PAPERBACKS AND EBOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
AFTERWORD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION
Five short horror stories are in these compilation. The first four were previously released and the final one is exclusive to this book. Each story has a unique story and change of setting and theme.
Scarecrow Reaping is set during the 1930’s in rural America on a farm during the great depression. Blood on the Bayou is a modern telling of a cannibalistic cult on the Louisiana Bayou. The Forest is about the haunted spirits that occupy the suicide forest in Japan. The Undead Outbreak is the first in the Outbreak series. It tells of a viral epidemic turning people into zombies and four strangers must band together to make it alive to the safe house. Lastly, The Dark Side of The Moon is about an astronaut who lands on the dark side of the moon only to discover he is not the only life form.
There have been some edits from the previous releases for Scarecrow Reaping, Blood on the Bayou, The Forest and The Undead. This book will be updated with new editions with additional short stories.
SCARECROW REAPING
THE BEGINNING
It's the 1930s during the depression. The Johnson family has lost all their crops on their farm. The soil is dry and dust blows in the wind. A windmill, a barn and a farm house occupy the property but nothing else is seen for miles. What used to be a field of corn, has now all but dried up and welted away. A stretch of dirt road leads to a 2 way highway. Every once and a while cars will pass by but most of the time there is no traffic on the highway.
Bill Johnson is a middle aged farmer with a wife and two children. He is the 3rd generation farmer in his family and the farm has been in the family ever since. He has been working on the farm since a small boy and nothing else. All their fortunes are tied into the business however the past couple of years have proven difficult. Due to a drought, his corn has been dying till this current year there is nothing left to reap.
They have been living off of savings. Bill frustrated with the current conditions of the farm has been seeking a job in town 30 miles away. However, there has been no success. No one is hiring right now. The wife and children help around the farm with the few chickens and cattle grazing on the property. It’s their main source of food and occupies them most of the day.
It’s the early mourning and Bill is reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. He reads and stories tell of the current conditions in the country. The country is in an economic downturn. Melinda Johnson the wife, walks in with a grim look on her face and fresh eggs in her hands. "We're running pretty low on cornmeal to feed the chickens,” says Melinda. "I know," replies Bill. "What do you want me to do?" replies Bill in a stern voice. "Well you can get a job cause these corn ain't growing with this soil!" replies Melinda. "Ain't my fault I've done everything I could!" says Bill.
The last few nights Bill hasn't slept. He has been thinking so much about his current situation and it worries him
deeply. Bill and Melinda have been at odds bickering with each other the past few days. Melinda knows the crops are not growing but feels like Bill he could be doing more to help. So much is weighing heavy on his mind. He feels depressed. He looks over to the bottle of shine on the night stand and starts drinking. The first sip burns and taste like crap but washes away his worries.
The next mourning Melinda and the children are outside in the chicken coop collecting fresh eggs for breakfast. They also milk the cow for fresh milk and come back to the house. They find Bill drunk has a skunk passed out on the kitchen table. " Go outside and play I need to speak with your father" Melinda tells the kids. The kids run outside while Melinda places the eggs and milk on the counter. "Bill wake up!" Bill looks up in with one eye red. His face is sobering and grim. He hasn't shaved. His hair is uncombed. Their is a bottle in one hand with just a few sips of shine left. Other bottles liquor on the floor beneath him.
"Your not going to help us by drinking!" Melinda says. "Melinda I can’t do this anymore," replies Bill. "We have nothing and there is nothing we can do about it.” In a slurred speech Bill raises his head and says, "This farm has been in the family since my great grandfather and I let it go.” Melinda reaches for the bottle of shine in Bill's hand but Bill quickly swipes away at her. "Leave me alone!" as Bill yells in anger! Melinda is quickly startled and moves quickly out of the house. Bill slams the table and throws the bottle at the wall and smashes it.
A few days have past. A scarecrow over looks an empty cornfield. The wind blows dust. The situation has gotten worst. Bill has been drinking everyday. His fits have grown more often and Melinda become increasingly worried. She has tried to intervene but Bill has gotten physically abusive. Last night she received a shiner to her left eye.
A NIGHT OF TERROR
It's nighttime. Cooler then it has been so far this fall. It's October. There's a calm in the air. Crickets are heard all around. A gentle breeze blows. The
children are in bed upstairs and Melinda is asleep. Bill was not able to sleep and is in the barn. A small candle lights the interior. His breath is seen in the cold as he coughs. He is drinking more shine.
Bill has an anger growing inside of him. Why him? Why now? What did I do to deserve this? Bill thinks to himself. Bill stands up and throws the bottle of shine against the wall and smashes it. That anger has now turned to rage. He picks up a sickle and walks outside from the barn into the house. He slowly creeps upstairs. Each step careful not to wake anyone. When Bill gets to the top of the stairs he walks straight down the hallway into the children’s room. He stands in the doorway with the sickle in his hand. He watches the children sleeping soundly. His face i
n rage. His breathing is heavy. He slowly walks towards the bed.
As he slowly approaches the little girl in bed she turns over on her side facing him half awake. "Daddy?" shes whispers. Bill quickly lunges forward and with the sickle slashes her throat deep across. Blood quickly gushes out. Bill quickly spins around and slashes the his son's throat. Slices deeply across and blood rushes quickly from the boys throat. Both are dead instantly. Not a noise is heard outside of the room except for the blade of sickle slicing into flesh. Bill turns around and blood drips to the floor from the sickle. Some blood has splattered to his face and the rest of his body.
He turns and faces looking outside of the room into the hallway again. He slowly walks out towards the master bedroom at the end of the hall past the stairwell. He takes a right turning into the door opening and stands in the doorway. He is watching his wife sleep in bed. His body is shaking sweat and blood drip from his brow. His eyes are laser focused on his wife sleeping in bed. He walks even slower this time focusing on each step careful not to wake her. He walks right up to the bed and looms directly over
her body. He raises the sickle and quickly with no warning slashes her throat. Blood spurts into his face.
Bill walks downstairs and grabs the two barrel shotgun in the living room. He walks back into the barn with it. He standing in the middle of the barn the single candle still burning flickering with the wind. He raises the gun to his chin. The end of the barrel touching the whiskers of his beard. He pulls the trigger and his head immediately explodes and splatters the walls inside the barn. His body falls into a pile of hay. The flame flickering on the single candle burns out with a strong gust of wind. The barn is dark and the smoke dissipates into the wind.
ROAD TRIP
It's modern day. A group of young college kids, 20 somethings are on a road trip. Most of
them have never really been anywhere far away from their parents from the exception of college. It's a bright sunny day and things are looking great. They have been driving for hours. They don't have much money and usually park the car and sleep on the side of the road setting up a tent and sleeping bags.
It's late afternoon and the drive has been long everyone is getting weary and tired from the drive. Time to find a place to rest for the night. On a long stretch of road there is nothing but cornfields and farmland for miles to see.
Blue Skies and puffy white clouds.
"Lets find a spot to sleep tonight", says Tony. Tony dark haired, tall, handsome and charismatic. He's the one behind the wheel. Jamie, Tony's best friend. Melissa and Janice retrospectively their girlfriends all crammed into a 4 door sedan. "I gotta go", says Jamie. "Alright I'll pull over somewhere", replies Tony. Jamie gets out walks a little into the cornfield. He unzips his pants and takes a piss. He can see not far in the distance a scarecrow. A few black crows land on the arms of the scarecrow. Croaking and making noise. 2 crows are swirling flying in the air above the scarecrow. "Come on hurry up!" says Tony. Still peeing he looks over his shoulder and says, "shut up". A wind blows. When he turns to look back around in front the crows are gone. Jamie looks in confusion as to how the crows disappeared so fast out of view. He zips up his pants and walks back to the car. The girls are talking and laughing amongst each other. Tony is grinning sitting on the hood of the car. "Come on lets find a place to sleep tonight", says Tony.
As they drive further down the road they see an abandoned old farmhouse, barn and windmill spinning in the wind. A dirt road leads up from the main highway to the farm house. Tony slows the car to a halt. "Hey check this place out",
says Tony. "Do you think anyone lives there?" says Tony. "I don't think so", Jamie replies. "This place looks abandoned a long time ago", Jamie replies. "Alright lets have a vote, who says we check this place out and sleep here tonight?" says Tony. Tony, Jamie and Melissa raise their hands but Janice is shaking her head. "This place gives me the creeps", says Janice.
"Haha don't worry it's just old", says Tony. " Well it looks like three to one in favor of going to the farm for the night. They drive turn the car left into the dirt road. Its bumpy and weeds and other foliage are overgrown. They drive down and an old metal sign reads "Johnson Family Farm".
SETTLING IN
The car has pulled up to the farmhouse and everyone gets out and stretches. It's clear this place has been abandoned for a long time ago. The wood is decayed,
some windows are smashed out, overgrown with weeds and foliage. "Well no one lives here anymore lets check it out", says Jamie. The farmhouse is on the left side of the car and the barn is on the right. "Why don’t you girls go check out the barn we'll check out the house", say Tony.
The girls walk over to the barn giggling and talking amongst each other. Tony and Jamie walk up to the porch of the old farmhouse. A white rocking chair is swaying back in forth with the wind. The door is cracked open. "The door is open", says Tony. Tony opens the door and they both walk in. Inside cob webs, dust, and dirt. In the living room a coach, chairs and fireplace. Old pictures line the top of the bookshelf.
Meanwhile the girls get to the barn and open the door. It's dark and cob webs are everywhere. Old farm tools are on floor. A scarecrow still adorned with clothes sits upon a post on the back of the barn. "Well there's nothing in here,” says Melissa.
Back in the house the boys head up stairs. Each step creaking in the old house. They get to the top and see a hallway that leads to two rooms. "Whats in here?" says Jamie. Jamie goes into the master bedroom while Tony heads into the other bedroom. Inside the master bedroom all the furniture is gone. The same goes for the other bedroom Tony sees there is nothing inside. “Nothing in here,” says Tony. "Nothing in here too,” says Jamie. "This would be good to setup the sleeping bags in here,” says Tony. "You and Melissa take that room we got this room,” says Jamie pointing the bedroom. They both head back downstairs and regroup with the girls by the car. "What did you find?" says Melissa. "Well both rooms upstairs are empty, looks like a good place to setup our sleeping bags for the night," says Tony. "This place is still so freaking creepy!" says Janice.
SUN FALL
The sun is beginning to fall. The group has pretty much setup camp for the night in the upstairs
bedrooms. Their is no light inside so the guys look around collecting dead branches to start a bonfire. They get a bonfire started just by the car. Jamie and Janice romantically hold each other watching the sunset on the porch. Tony is preparing to make smores over the fire. Melissa grabs her acoustic guitar. The sun finally dips below the horizon.
Tony looks at his phone. It's so far out rural there is no cell signal but he has a paper map. He shows Jamie, "I am guessing we are here and we have about 50 miles to we get to the next town" says Tony. "We will head out first thing in the mourning,” says Tony.
The group settle around the fire. Melissa sings and strums a few songs on her guitar. Jamie and Janice are making out. It’s very dark and Melissa puts down her guitar. Tony points out a few stars in the sky. "That’s the Orion Constellation", says tony. "No that's not how do you know that? huh?" says Melissa. "I took Astronomy class 2nd semester."No you didn't you liar.” says Melissa.
Janice and Jamie are being playful and she gets up and runs a little bit. Jamie is still sitting by the fire but Janice walks towards the barn. She is curious. She pulls out a cigarette and lights it just standing outside of the barn. She hears a whispers and a small freezing gust of wind chills her body. "Hello?" Janice says. Nothing is heard back but the crickets chirping in the background. Janice walks inside the barn. Its very dark. She hears another whisper but cannot discern what it's saying.
"Hello is someone here?" says Janice. In the meanwhile the bonfire is almost dead and they have no plans of keeping it going. The group heads inside in good spirits. In the living room Tony has pulls out a few bottles of liquor. "Lets get the party started!" says Tony. Jamie passes around red solo
cups to everyone. "Where's Janice?" ask Jamie. "I don’t know she went to smoke or somethin
g,” says Melissa. Tony starts pouring liquor into the bottles and pouring it for everyone.
Janice steps on something and its make a loud sound. "Ugh I thought something was off with this place,” she says. Two dots suddenly glow in the back of the barn. They look like the eyes of animal glowing in the moonlight. Janice walks a little slow towards the eyes trying to see what it actually is. She can pick out the silhouette of a person and a face. She gasps.
The scarecrow becomes animated slowly moving its feet. A sickle in its hand. Janice becomes frightened and tries to run out but the door suddenly closes on its own. She can't seem to open the door she tries pulling and pulling nothing will give. She screams "help! help! help!” A loud ringing is onset in her ears. Her feet suddenly become locked in place.
The scarecrow is slowly moving towards Janice and now it’s body is fully visible. It finally looms over her body.
FIRST BLOOD
The group is inside having a drinking game. Tony and Jamie are almost pretty buzzed. Melissa
had two drinks but remembered its been a while since she had seen Janice.
"hey have you seen Janice?" says Melissa. The boys are playing beer pong. Melissa gets up and walks outside. Its cold. "Janice!" Janice!” Nothing is heard back. Melissa notices the door of the barn is open and walks towards the barn. Its dark so she grabs her phone and puts on the flashlight. The light at first shines a spot of blood on the grass. She gasps as she hold her hand to her mouth and moves the light further up. She shes a mutilated body covered in blood decapitated. It's Janice, she is dead.
Melissa screams "ohh my god!" ohh my god!" She turns around runs back towards the farmhouse. She bust through the front door and screams. Tony and Jamie stop their game and turn around. "Whats wrong?" says Tony. "It's Janice I think shes dead!” screams Melissa. "In the barn! There's blood everywhere!" says Melissa in fright. The boys quickly get up and Tony grabs a bat. Jamie grabs a flashlight and pulls out his Swiss army knife. The run out then slowly approach the barn.