Musings From A Demented Mind

by Ailes, Derek

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “So we can be together like a loving couple.”

  “It’s not real.”

  “It is to me and that’s all that matters.”

  “Don’t you care about my well-being?”

  “Julianne, be a good girl and I promise I won’t hurt you. You’re safe here.” He offered her a peanut butter sandwich and she bit into it. “Small bites. I don’t want you to choke.”

  After she had finished the whole sandwich and drank the rest of the juice box, Jason grabbed a book off of the wooden desk and sat down next to her. He read the book aloud to her for thirty minutes while she tried not to cry. He put the book on the desk and then kissed her on the top of her head.

  “I have to go to work now. Unfortunately, I think one of their baggers will be a no show.”

  “They’ll know I’m missing. My car’s still in the parking lot.”

  “They’ll never suspect me.” He walked out of the garage. A few seconds later she heard his car drive away.

  She wept for several minutes. She looked down and spotted a bee sitting on her dress. She tried staying completely still hoping it would fly away. She turned her head to the right and saw several bees crawling through the hole in the wall. She could feel something crawling on her head. She didn’t know if her mind was playing tricks on her or if a bee was actually crawling through her hair. More bees crawled through the hole. Within minutes, the whole wall was covered in a swarm of bees. She watched in horror as hundreds of bees crawled through the hole. Within half an hour she was completely covered with them. She was paralyzed in fear. She could feel them crawling all over her face. She tried not to open her mouth. She could feel a tingling sensation in both her ears as they crawled inside. She could feel her skin swell from being stung. Within seconds she could no longer see through the bees covering her eyes. She was in complete agony from the pain from the swelling until she felt a complete numbness going through her body and then unconsciousness.

  Jason parked his car in front of the garage of the abandoned house long forgotten in the woods near I-80/94. He and his friends discovered it when they were kids and used it as a hideout for several years. As he got out of his car, a bee landed on his arm. He looked at it. He never saw a bee out this late before. Normally at this time of night, they were inactive. He flicked it away with his finger and walked toward the garage. He walked in and dropped the bag of tacos in shock. Julianne was standing in front of him completely naked. The handcuffs were sitting on the bed ripped in half and the ropes looked completely chewed through.

  “Julianne, how did you get free?”

  “Jason, does it matter?” She walked over to him seductively. “Does this body turn you on?”

  “Yes,” he said, stuttering.

  “You will do perfectly.”

  “Perfectly for what?”

  “A new hive.” She opened her mouth and a thousand bees flew out of it and straight into Jason’s. He fell to the ground as the swarm completely engulfed him.

  Julianne laughed as she watched Jason become a hive for the bees. “I have four hundred more hives to relocate.”

  She grabbed the keys from his pocket. She grabbed the red dress and put it back on and walked out of the garage. She got into his car and drove toward the exit ramp leading to I-80/94 where the rest of the bees were waiting for her to rescue them.

  A Horror Story

  “Everybody, I need your ideas on what the next great horror franchise will be,” Art Kollins, the head of Tigerfence movie studios, said. He sat at the front of the conference table staring at the group of screenplay writers and production staff.

  “How about a story about a ghost haunting an orphanage? Ninety minutes where nothing happens with a budget less than a million,” Leo Maziky suggested.

  “Brilliant. Sounds like a blockbuster in the making,” Art said excitedly.

  “Using lighting and sound effects, we wouldn’t have to unveil what the ghost looks like until the last ten minutes,” Leo continued.

  “People will eat it up.” Art wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth. He loved what he was hearing.

  “We can also have a cat jump out of a closet to put a cheap scare into the viewers,” Helena Smith, another script writer, added.

  “Audiences love cat scares,” Leo agreed.

  “And the plot?” Art asked.

  “Doesn’t need one. As long as we can every twenty minutes throw out a cheap scare, we have a hit,” Helena said.

  “Have scary looking dolls in the background in every scene. I love seeing those in the background. The camera man can occasionally do close-ups. They wouldn’t be relevant to the story at all,” Art said while everybody nodded in agreement. “Leo and Helena can quickly write the script while Tamara and Stephen can work on the set designs. Make it as eerie as possible.”

  Leo and Helena sat at the back table of the diner across from the movie studio throwing story ideas back and forth. Helena was reading from her tablet a story about a supposed haunted orphanage that had been abandoned since the fifties. Leo watched her closely as she read. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Her long raven-black hair ran down past her shoulders. She was very short and petite. She was originally from Romania, but moved to California with her parents when she was a teenager. He had been in love with her for years, but their relationship never moved past the friendship stage.

  “Leo, the orphanage is only a five hour drive from here. Let’s spend the night there.”

  “In a haunted orphanage?”

  “Yes, imagine how authentic our script will be if we stay there. If we’re lucky, we may encounter a ghost.”

  “Don’t you mean unlucky?”

  “Maybe Stephen and Tamara will want to join us.”

  Before he could say anything, she was on her phone talking to Tamara. “Cool. Meet us at the diner.”

  “I take it they’re on board.”

  She nodded.

  “We’ll need to pick up some flashlights.”

  “And candles. To get us in the horror mood,” she said with a smile.

  “Let me guess – Ouija board.”

  “No, silly. That’s been done to death,” Helena said with a smile. She always smiled at his sarcastic remarks.

  “Clichés are the best part of a horror film. The fans are expecting the norm.”

  “Don’t you want to be original? Write a script you can be proud of?”

  “I guess I can conjure up a great idea.”

  She raised her left eyebrow at him. “Conjure? Resorting to horror puns now?”

  “This whole project is going to be one big pun,” he said, trying not to yawn.

  “Not if we put our heart,” she waited a few seconds before continuing, “and soul into it.”

  The door to the diner opened and Stephen and Tamara walked in. Tamara had her blonde hair tied in a bun and wore a t-shirt from her favorite zombie television series. Stephen was wearing camping gear and carried a large duffle bag.

  “Stephen, we are only spending the night,” Helena said.

  “I brought plenty of munchies. I’m also prepared for any dangers.” He unzipped the duffel bag exposing a rifle.

  “Expecting a ghost of a killer deer?” Leo asked.

  “You never know what may be lurking around there,” Stephen said in a deep scary voice.

  “We better get going while there is still daylight left,” Tamara advised.

  “I just checked my weather app. There are thunderstorms in the forecast,” Helena said.

  “Mother Nature, bring it on!” Leo shouted as he exited the diner.

  “Yep, he’ll be the first to die,” Tamara chuckled.

  The group debated what was the greatest horror film of all time during the five hour drive. Each one of them had their favorite pick and did their best to try to prove it to each other. They drove off the main road and followed a narrow dirt road leading to the orphanage. The road led them through a wo
oded area that appeared to have been undisturbed for a long time. The sky was darkening as it was filled with storm clouds. Leo slammed on his breaks to avoid hitting a deer that jumped out from the trees to the right.

  “Leo, are you all right?” Helena asked as she watched him trying to regain his composure.

  “It came out of nowhere.”

  “Leo, maybe it was the killer ghost deer.”

  “Stephen, that’s not funny,” Tamara said as she punched his arm.

  “Are we going to continue or are you too scared now?” Helena asked.

  “I’m fine,” he said and drove forward.

  A mile up the road they could see the orphanage. It was a large building all boarded up. The grass was almost five feet tall, being neglected for many years, making it hard for them to see the orphanage from the road. As they drew closer, they could see an old playground with what was left standing of a swing set and a slide. They pulled into the dirt driveway leading to the front of the orphanage. As they exited the vehicle, they were hit by the stench of decay. They couldn’t figure out what was causing the smell, but it was the worst thing either of them had ever smelled in their life.

  “Check to see if there is any tools in the trunk. The front door is boarded up,” Helena said.

  “Helena, judging by the look of the wood, it will probably crumble in our hands,” Leo said as he touched the wood. Stephen brought over a hammer and Leo used it to pry off the wood nailed to the front door. After a couple of minutes, he had them all removed.

  “Who wants to go first?” Stephen asked. He waited a few minutes for someone to volunteer. “Fine, I’ll go first.” He grabbed the rusted door knob and pulled on the door. At first it didn’t want to budge, but then he was able to slowly open it. It made a loud screeching sound as it hadn’t been opened in decades. They were instantly hit with a sour smell worse than the one they were smelling outside.

  Leo shined his flashlight into the foyer. Inside was a long corridor with hallways leading to the left and the right. There was a large staircase toward the back next to a door marked admittance office. There was a tall statue adjacent to the staircase. As he shined the flashlight on the floor, mice scattered in every direction.

  “Forget designing sets. This place is perfect for filming a movie,” Stephen said excitedly. “And this is just the foyer. Imagine what the rest of the place looks like. I wonder what’s upstairs.”

  “Let’s investigate down here first before venturing upward. Be careful. We don’t know what the condition of this place might be. The steps on the staircase could be rotted through as well as the upstairs flooring. We don’t want one of us accidentally falling to our deaths,” Leo warned.

  Helena and Tamara both jumped as they heard the loud sound of thunder outside. The front door slammed violently behind them. They all jumped backward.

  “The wind?” Tamara asked

  “Probably from the storm,” Stephen suggested.

  Helena pulled out her smart phone to check the weather forecast, but she couldn’t connect to the internet.

  “We are in the middle of nowhere. I doubt there is any signal out here,” Leo said.

  They followed the hallway to the right which led to what used to be the dining room. There were scratches on the floor where the dining table and chairs once stood. The room brightened briefly from the flash of lightning outside.

  “This is going to be a long night,” Tamara said nervously.

  “But a fun one,” Stephen said, nudging her.

  “Stephen, stop it.”

  “I’m assuming the kitchen is this way,” Helena guessed as she pushed the swinging door forward which fell off its hinges and landed on the floor. “Time hasn’t been good to this place.”

  The window behind them burst inward as a large branch from the tree outside crashed through. They could hear the roar of a tornado nearby.

  “I hope it’s not heading in our direction.” Leo walked over to the window and looked out. “I can see it in the distance. It looks massive.”

  Helena walked over to him and looked for herself. “I don’t think this place could withstand somebody outside sneezing on it. It looks like it’s heading in the opposite direction.”

  “Can we resume the tour?” Stephen asked.

  “Until the severe storm passes we should stay on the lower level,” Leo suggested, moving away from the window.

  They continued through the kitchen and back down the hallway to the foyer. Leo shined his flashlight upward toward a large chandelier covered in spider webs. “I didn’t notice that when we entered. It could be worth a fortune.”

  “What about the statue over there?” Stephen shined his flashlight at the statue’s head. It depicted an elderly man with a mustache and a monocle on his left eye. The name plate on the bottom of the statue read: Lord William Acland. He looked back up and jumped back when he thought the statue’s eyes had moved.

  “Getting jittery?” Tamara asked, nudging him.

  “His eyes moved.”

  “It’s just your mind playing tricks on you. You’re in a haunted house,” Leo reminded him.

  “Just my mind playing tricks,” he repeated to himself.

  “Let’s see where the hallway to the left leads,” Leo suggested.

  The group followed him down the hallway into a large room filled with empty bookshelves. They could hear the sound of heavy rain falling from outside with continuous loud thunder. The room instantly went dark as all four of their flashlights went out. Tamara screamed as she felt something large brush against her leg.

  “Tamara!” Stephen tried to feel his way toward her in the pitch dark. “I can’t find you.”

  “I’m over here,” she cried.

  Leo repeatedly pressed the button on his flashlight. “I think the battery is dead.”

  “How can all of our flashlight batteries go dead at the same time?” Helena asked.

  “Not sure.” Leo answered.

  Tamara jumped as Stephen put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just me.”

  “I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” Tamara said, trying not to go into a panic attack.

  All of their flashlights suddenly came back on. In the corner of the room was a large raccoon staring at them. It ran away as Leo shined his flashlight at it.

  “At least it wasn’t a cat,” Stephen said.

  “Not funny,” Tamara said softly.

  Stephen could tell she was becoming annoyed with him. “Sorry, that was insensitive. I’m sort of scared myself.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” She punched him in the shoulder signifying she was all right.

  “All of our flashlights went off and back on at the same time. It’s too area 51ish,” Helena said puzzled.

  “Guys, we’re here for inspiration for a horror movie not a sci-fi one,” Stephen pointed out.

  “Why can’t it be a little of both?” Leo asked.

  “Budgetary reasons. Good horror movies can be done with little or no money. Sci-fi can’t.”

  “Stephen has a point,” Helena said.

  “The rain has stopped. I can see the moon poking out behind the storm clouds,” Leo said as he stared out the window. “I think it may be safe enough to venture upstairs now.”

  “You first.”

  “Wow, Stephen. Maybe you are a little bit scared,” Tamara teased.

  “No. He’s older and wiser than us which makes him a natural born leader.”

  “Keep rationalizing and maybe you will be convinced you’re brave.” Tamara nudged him forward. They all followed behind Leo in a single file.

  They slowly walked up the stairs each step squeaking under their feet. The more steps they climbed, the worse the smell was getting. Tamara had to stop herself from throwing up all over Stephen’s back. They reached the second floor and there were six doors along the hallway. Leo opened the first one on the left. Inside the room were six beds along with a large book case filled with a vast doll collection covered in
dust and spider webs. He touched one of the dolls and its brittle dress crumbled in his hand. He shined his flashlight on the dolls and felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized all the dolls were missing their eyes.

  “Now that’s creepy,” Helena said, inspecting the dolls closely. “Who would do that to them?”

  “Maybe it happened over time from being neglected in this place.” Leo shined his flashlight toward the beds. All the mattresses were ripped apart probably from all the mice they had been seeing throughout the place.

  “Still, it’s creepy looking. I’m getting a lot of ideas for a great script,” Helena said with a smile.

  Tamara dropped her flashlight when she heard the screams from what sounded like a little child.

  “Sounds like it’s coming from across the hall,” Leo said.

  “We’re the only ones here, right?” Tamara asked.

  The screams were getting louder and now it sounded like a whole group of children were screaming. They could also hear what sounded like a whip being cracked repeatedly as the screams continued.

  “Somebody’s being tortured!” Tamara shouted frantically.

  The screams suddenly stopped, and they heard loud footprints heading toward them. A large glowing green specter slowly floated into the room and stared at them with glowing red eyes. It tightly held a large whip in its hands. It opened its mouth wide, and they could hear the loud screaming again emanating from it. It closed its mouth and the screaming stopped. It cracked the whip toward them causing them to jump backward. Satisfied they were afraid of it, it floated out of the room. Again they heard the sounds of the screaming children and the whip cracking repeatedly.

  “That’s our cue to leave,” Leo said.

  Stephen put his duffel bag on the ground and grabbed the shotgun. “Just in case.”

  They slowly crept down the stairway to avoid alerting the specter. The foyer was filled with several specters of children being led down the left hallway by a female specter wearing clothing which looked like they were from the Civil War era. The living room was filled with vintage furniture. A specter which looked similar to the statue of Lord William Acland stood by the front door holding a Springfield rifle shouting: “Damn Confederates!”