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Horror d'Oeuvres - Bite-Sized Tales of Terror
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Contents
Title Page
Legal Page
Acknowledgements
Quotes
The Twins
Introduction
Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth
Rachel and the Snowflake
In the Trees
The Things Beneath the Ice
Zombies
Tiny Teeth
I Was Dying
Riding the Gamut
Saint Gaul
Suitcase
Fearing the Unseen
Curfew
Father Brad
Static Man
Another Saturday Night in an Oil Patch Town
Unknown Pleasures
Raw Meats Are Such a Delicacy
Pure of Heart
An Answer to Her Prayers
Let's Play Pretend!
Let's Go Someplace Else
For the Good of Our Species
The Voyeur Evolves
In the Dark
I Lit a Candle in Your Honor Today
Born Killing Machines
An Intuitive Step-By-Step Guide to Finding YouTube Black
Siren Song
Over the Edge
The Nightmare
Streetlight
As the Light of The World Went Out
Ghosts of Ourselves
The Pagorian Sleep Cycle
Fair Game
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The Mire
The Tickle Monster
Click
Seventh-Inning Stretch
Sound Shadow
My Parents Are Hiding Something
The Lost Boy
Accidents Will Happen
Deprivation
The Higher You Fly
Stare
Medusa
Raised by Wolves
Chesty
Henry's Eyes
The Deep Hell
The Canyon Cave
My Daughter’s Necklaces
There's No Such Thing
Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple
A Long Night Drive
Welcome to the Club
Sapper
The Test
Bonus Stories
Island (Bonus)
Four Peaks Spring (Bonus)
Spirit of the Party (Bonus)
About the Authors
Horror d’Oeuvres
Bite-Sized Tales of Terror
Edited by Rafael Marmol and Amber Whelpley
Kindle Edition
All rights are owned by the authors. This is a work of fiction. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Interior design by Rafael Marmol
Edited by Rafael Marmol and Amber Whelpley
“The Twins” Copyright © 2016. K.J. Williams and Nicholas Ong
“Left a Bad Taste in my Mouth” © 2016. Crimson Clubs
“Rachel and the Snowflake” © 2016. Jonas Lefkowitch
“In the Trees” © 2016. J.A. Marshall
“The Things Beneath the Ice” © 2016. D.G. Collins
“Zombies” © 2016. Micheal Sundberg
“Tiny Teeth” © 2016. Dan Hilliard
“I Was Dying” © 2016. Kristopher J. Patten
“Riding the Gamut” © 2016. Jonas Lefkowitch
“Saint Gaul” © 2016. Ashley Franz Holzmann
“Suitcase” © 2016. Eskild Thomsen
“Fearing the Unseen” © 2016. Claudia Winters
“Curfew” © 2016. Edwin Crowe
“Father Brad” © 2016. Marc Kinsville
“Static Man” © 2016. J.L. Knight
“Another Saturday Night in an Oil Patch Town” © 2016. Michael Parrish
“Unknown Pleasures” © 2016. Kristopher J. Patten
“Raw Meats Are Such A Delicacy” © 2016. Jordan Accinelli
“Pure of Heart” © 2016. Kathryne H.
“An Answer to Her Prayers” © 2016. Jonas Lefkowitch
“Let’s Play Pretend” © 2016. Dieben
“Let’s Go Someplace Else” © 2016. Nicholas Ong
“For the Good of Our Species” © 2016. Michael Lee Brown
“In the Dark” © 2016. Grace Bowland
“I Lit a Candle in Your Honor Today” © 2016. Michael Parrish
“Born Killing Machines” © 2016. K.J. Williams
“An Intuitive Step-By-Step Guide to Finding YouTube Black” © 2016. Jordan Accinelli and Jonas Lefkowitch
“Siren Song” © 2016. Tony Johnson
“Over the Edge” © 2016. Crimson Clubs
“The Nightmare” © 2016. John Andreini
“Streetlight” © 2016. J.L. Knight
“As the Light of the World Went Out” © 2016. Matthew Jeffrey
“Ghosts of Ourselves” © 2016. Ashley Franz Holzmann
“The Pagorian Sleep Cycle” © 2016. Nicholas Ong
“Fair Game” © 2016. Kathryne H.
“Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” © 2016. Michael Lee Brown
“The Mire” © 2016. Michael Parrish
“The Tickle Monster” © 2016. Marty Hoefkes
“*Click*” © 2016. Marc Kinsville
“Seventh-Inning Stretch” © 2016. Jonas Lefkowitch
“Sound Shadow” © 2016. Kristopher J. Patten
“My Parents Are Hiding Something” © 2016. Marty Hoefkes
“The Lost Boy” © 2016. Nicholas Ong
“Accidents Will Happen” © 2016. Dieben
“Deprivation” © 2016. Marty Hoefkes
“The Higher You Fly” © 2016. Jordan Accinelli
“Stare” © 2016. Grace Bowland
“Medusa” © 2016. Dieben
“Raised by Wolves” © 2016. Bill Leeson
“Chesty” © 2016. Ashley Franz Holzmann
“Henry’s Eyes” © 2016. Jonas Lefkowitch
“The Deep Hell” © 2016. Nicholas Ong
“The Canyon Cave” © 2016. Kristopher J. Patten
“My Daughter’s Necklaces” © 2016. Marc Kinsville
“There’s No Such Thing” © 2016. J.A. Marshall
“Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple” © 2016. Michael Parrish
“A Long Night Drive” © 2016. Tony Johnson
“Welcome to the Club” © 2016. Michael Parrish
“Sapper” © 2016. Mike Sundberg
“The Test” © 2016. Dieben and Jonas Lefkowitch
“Island” © 2016. Tony Johnson
“Four Peaks Spring” © 2016. Kristopher J. Patten
“Spirit of the Party” © 2016. Crimson Clubs
/r/ShortScaryStories
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thanks to all the authors who volunteered their time and effort into bringing Horror d’Oeuvres to life. Without their hard work, dedication, and goodwill, this story collection would have crashed and burned like many of the other good intentioned projects which never see the light of the day. While putting together this project, someone (my apologies for not remembering who) told me putting together an anthology with so many writers would be like corralling a clowder of cats. Luckily, this wasn’t the case. Everyone involved has been incredibly understanding and cooperative. Thank you for donating your talents and sticking it out with me for nearly a
year of stumbling over myself, making stupid mistakes, and otherwise learning how to do all of this as the process went along. You guys and gals made this experience much better than I could have imagined.
Tons and tons of thanks to Amber Whelpley for volunteering her time and energy into proofreading and editing Horror d’Oeuvres. I’d also like to thank the rest of the supporting team in Mr_Halloween, Mx-yz-pt-lk, and KMilliron. I apologize for the super long rambling messages and for all the idiotic ideas!
More thanks goes to MrCreepyPasta for volunteering his talent and voice to the audio book narration of this anthology. Thank you for supporting the horror authors of ShortScaryStories, NoSleep, and the Creepypasta community in general.
Further thanks goes out to my -30- Press business partners, Ashley Franz Holzmann and Kristopher J. Patten, for their support, advice, and listening to me whine through all the behind the scenes work. Looking forward to working together with you guys in all our future endeavors. Without their help, this would have been much more difficult to have accomplished.
Special thanks goes out to all the authors of Anecdotes in Ashes known as The Assembly. I’ve often cited Anecdotes in Ashes as a source of inspiration and guide for Horror d’Oeuvres. I hope Horror d’Oeuvres is seen as the spiritual successor to Anecdotes.
A shout out goes to all the supportive souls from /r/ShortScaryStories and /r/NoSleepOOC. Both these online communities serve as sources of inspiration, places to meet other aspiring horror authors, and allow otherwise unknown authors to reach an audience of nearly one million unique readers per month. Despite the massive growth within the last few years, authors and readers alike remain as warm and welcoming as ever.
Last but certainly not least, thank you to all the readers who purchased this anthology. Your purchase not only supports the authors who’ve worked extremely hard on this anthology, it also helps support the Scares That Care!, and the families suffering from the financial hardships due to childhood illnesses, burns, and breast cancer.
“Go on… but trick us again child, and your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!” - Pinhead, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
Embrace this moment, remember, we are eternal
All this pain is an illusion
- Tool - Parabola
“I’m not going to tell you about this.
I refuse to.
There are things you know you’ll die before telling, things you know you should have died before ever having seen. I watched and saw.”
- Jack Ketchum, “The Girl Next Door”
Mountains to sand,
Sand to dust.
Planets unto land,
Steel to rust.
'Tis not a disaster,
Just an eternal grave.
Time takes no master,
And admits no slave.
Time and death,
Twins from birth.
Nary a breath,
Nor iota of mirth.
Death awaits, to take you all
Into its dark, eternal hall.
The Twins
- K.J. Williams and Nicholas Ong
Foreword
The terrifying tales contained within this tome certainly do not fit within the realm of the ordinary set of courses. If we were to think of novels as entrèes and short stories as appetizers, the stories you are about to read - often called micro-fiction, sudden fiction, or flash fiction - should be considered the hors d’oeuvres of literary realm. These Horror d’oeuvres are spicy little morsels meant to unnerve and unsettle within the confines of a claustrophobic word limit. While these stories may be short, none of them are sweet. Each tale packs its own flavorful punch, ensuring these stories will stay within the reader’s mind long after they’ve read them--like the finish of a fine wine resting on your palette.
This anthology was born from a rogues gallery of the best authors from Reddit’s premier horror flash fiction community, /r/ShortScaryStories. These authors have proven more than capable of crafting some of the most hard-hitting slap fiction on the internet. Many have had their work narrated on popular podcasts, featured on YouTube channels racking up hundreds of thousands in views, and have crossed into other mediums such as video games, artwork, and short films. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill amateur writers; these are some extremely talented folks who’ve donated their time, effort, and stories to this delectable collection. Without them, this charity anthology wouldn’t have been possible.
All revenue generated from the sales of eBooks, physical books, and audiobooks will be donated to Scares That Care!, an approved 501(c)(3) charity which fights the REAL MONSTERS of childhood illness, burns, and breast cancer by helping families that are experiencing these extraordinary hardships cope with the financial burden. It’s a 100% volunteer charity; meaning all donations are given to those who are in need; no CEO salaries, no overheads. Donations will be made on a quarterly basis for one year following the publication date of this collection. All information on the donations, sales numbers, and all other pertinent information will be available on /r/Human_Gravy.
Like hors d’oeuvres, Horror d’Oeuvres: Bite-Sized Tales of Terror contains a veritable cornucopia of offerings, so not all stories will be to taste. You can expect to read stories with a variety of settings, subject matters, and content. Please assume all stories are NSFW (Not Safe for Work) and may or may not contain offensive material. Read at your own discretion. Add salt if necessary.
Bon appètite!
Rafael Marmol(Human_Gravy)
Editor
December 7th, 2016
Left a Bad Taste in my Mouth
Crimson Clubs
They left a bad taste in my mouth…the pancakes, that is. They were missing whatever makes pancakes… cake. The texture seemed too oily, and it had a peculiar tang which still lingers on my tongue. The menu advertised “Food from the Soul,” more like 'food from my ass'. Maybe the butter was expired? I wouldn't be surprised if they fucked up that badly; this place is filthy. Cracking stucco roof, discolored tile floors, mystery stains on my table and seat. This place is as disgusting as the nasty stale-cheese aftertaste haunting my tongue.
When I finally finish buying up the land around here and tear down this awful restaurant, it won't be soon enough.
They call these types of establishments 'greasy spoons' but I thought that was more of a metaphor than guideline; my spoon was so greasy. I was honestly worried it would leave an oil slick in my coffee. But anything to wash that pungent taste out of my mouth.
I take a sip.
Immediately I spit it back out. The taste in my mouth is akin to licking the inside of a truck's wheel well after it had driven through rancid cream.
I wave over the proprietor and primary server, Theresa Spears, a hideous beast of a woman who would look more at home chopping down trees and wrestling grizzly bears than pouring my – terrible – coffee. “Top ya coffee up, shugga?” Urgh! Such annoying cloying affectation. Even when I was ordering, she was uncouth enough to use her fat thumb to wipe my cheek before rudely plucking an errant hair from my shoulder.
“Just some actual sugar, thanks.” I answer with barely masked derision. A herculean feat considering I'm still choking back that vile taste.
“Mmmm-hmmm,” she hums pityingly, emptying out the sugar packets she has tucked in her apron.
Peeling them all open, I dump the heap into my mug which I quickly knock back. I cough at the saccharine sweet bouquet of moldering fruit.
“E'rythin' all right there, shugga?”
No. I need you to learn how to cook and brew a simple pot of coffee, you dumb bitch.
“Water, please.”
“Mmmm-hmmm.” Theresa strides off to fetch some water while I struggle not to wretch. But the murk only festers on my tongue until my stomach threatens open revolt. My mouth waters with nausea amplifying the fermenting sourness.
I race off to the bathroom before Theresa returns. Bu
ckling over the toilet, my body ejects all the half-digested chunks of pancake batter. The taste curdles like congealed milk. It burns like an uncontrolled chemical fire. It belches like a fetid bog. It blisters like sun-baked roadkill. It squirms like maggots writhing in a pile of their own shit.
I spy Theresa standing at the door. “Mmmm-hmmm, that's 'bout right.”
“You bitch! What did you put in in me!?” I shriek, words rotting flaccid on my tongue.
“I din' put nothin' in that I din' take out.” Crossing her arms, she stares into my core. “It ain't my fault if'n ya don' care fer the taste of y'own soul.”
Rachel and the Snowflake
Jonas Lefkowitch
Rachel's breaths were shallow and rapid, as if she were intent on taking as many as she could before the end came. The wind carried away each steaming exhalation and cut through her threadbare shift, chilling her gaunt frame to the bone as she knelt shivering in ankle-high snow. Five women were at her side, lined up on their knees in the forest a mile from the camp. Kindly Iris, good-humored Norah, brilliant Genessa, indomitable Lisabet, and soft-spoken Hanna. They'd endured unimaginable horrors together, and Rachel called each of them sister now. They were the only family she had left. The trio of soldiers who'd marched them there was passing around a flask of schnapps, reminiscing about night-time visits with their prisoners. They were lovely girls, the threesome agreed, despite being lowly vermin. Rachel was seething. Their affection sickened her worse than their hatred.
"Let's get this over with," the slovenly, piggish sergeant told the young infantrymen in his charge. A moment later, a rifle fired, scarlet stained the forest floor's pure white carpet, and Iris fell dead. The sisters screamed, none louder than Genessa, closer than even a sister to her beloved Iris. Genessa flung herself upon the twitching corpse, cradling it while she wept, but the sergeant yanked her away. "Keep your place!" he barked, throwing Genessa back in line. "There's an order to these things!"