Drowning in Gore Read online

  Drowning in Gore

  Edited by Amanda M. Lyons and John Ledger

  Cover Art by: David McGlumphy

  http://jellingtonashton.com/

  Copyright.

  Toneye Eyenot, Essel Pratt, Kevin Candela, Richard D. Ramsey, Amanda M. Lyons, Donald Armfield, Tina Piney, Charie D. La Marr, Brian Barr, Justin Hunter, Kent Hill, Dona Fox, Jim Goforth

  ©2016 Authors

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book, including the cover and photos, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher. All rights reserved.

  Any resemblance to persons, places living, dead, or undead is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Take the Plunge -Toneye Eyenot

  Murky Waters - Essel Pratt

  The Vanishing Pool - Kevin Candela

  Lake Bowie - Richard D. Ramsey

  Fog and the Sea Witch -Amanda M. Lyons

  The Feeding Pond - Donald Armfield

  The Keepers of the Knowledge - Tina Piney

  Red - Charie D. La Marr

  Hell on the High Seas - Brian Barr

  The Killing Floor - Justin Hunter

  Old Dave Dies at the End - Kent Hill

  The Ghost in the Oyster Bed - Dona Fox

  Marshlands Malice - Jim Goforth

  TAKE THE PLUNGE

  Toneye Eyenot

  Eternal torment and infinite agony. That’s what awaits if you put this book down.

  Yet, you’ve opened the bleed, and you’ve started to read. There can be no turning back now.

  The tales told within these pages, by sinister scribes and demonic sages, will churn your guts and twist your minds, to blind you from reality outside your brittle shell. Here, inside with us, you see, there is no place to which you can flee. We have you now, and wish to show you the many malevolent faces of Hell.

  At the turn of each leaf, as the body count grows, the stench from the pages overwhelms. Death seeps out around you, and swallows your room. You’re here with us now for your infinite doom. But before you throw down this book out of fear, there are still a few things we think you need to hear.

  You’ve taken the plunge and have broken the seal. You must now read on, as the horror reveals. To cast aside now will ensure your demise. The beasts from the darkest depths will continue to rise. To rise inside your soul on a tide of dismemberment, plasma, and gore. This is but a cautious lick of what you have in store.

  You have but one choice now, my hesitant friend. You must see this nightmare right through to the end. If you should falter, or try to break free, these sages and scribes have the presence of mind, to drag you back under this gods’ forsaken sea. Here, you will spend a dark and terrible eternity.

  There is no guarantee you will emerge from this, with your senses intact; in control of your wits. The monsters you summon from the depths of our minds will gnaw at your psyche with talons and claws, barbed razor horns, and slavering jaws. They will stay with you through your waking hours, and trouble you as you sleep.

  Embrace your fear now and read on. You must hear our stories as each one unfolds. The deeper you move through this ocean of gore, the stifling thoughts intensify and the terror sinks into your pores. Don’t stop to ponder. Don’t halt to give yourself pause. If you do make it through, then, more power to you. As a kind gesture, may your fears be expunged. You know what you must do. There is but one way through, now you have taken the plunge.

  MURKY WATERS

  Essel Pratt

  Crickets serenaded nature’s presence within a tree-lined oasis. The moon hid behind a veil of silver clouds, darkening the starless night; only a few bright stars penetrated the darkness, reflecting their brilliance atop the placid lake below.

  From within the woods, the rumble of a misfiring engine disrupts the serenity of nature as it roars down the dusty dirt access road, kicking debris into the air. Under the bellows of the engine’s stress, a woman’s scream beckoned for help, only to be obscured by the crying baby clutched to her hip. She tried to cover the young girl’s mouth to muffle the banshee-like exhalations, but it only seemed to add more stress to her discomfort.

  In the front seat, two large men stared intently at the turbulent dirt road in front of them. A recent lack of rain left the soil dry and loose, resulting in a cloud of dust exploding around them.

  “We about there,” said the passenger as he spit chewing tobacco into an empty beer bottle.

  “Jesus, Carl, you know this damned lake as well as I do. We should be there in a few minutes. It isn’t far.”

  “I can’t see shit out here,” said Carl. “That bitch in back is pissing me off too. If you don’t get her to fuckin’ shut the hell up, I swear to god I am gonna go nuts. Jim, you better drive faster, before I go insane.”

  “Christ, it is just up ahead. Shut your goddamn mouth or I’ll shut it for you.” said Jim.

  Carl was quiet for the rest of the drive, but his facial features showed his anger. He continued to fidget in his seat, huffing and puffing as each bump in the road rocked him from side to side. The baby’s cries never subsided, even she inhaled large growling breathes, readying herself for another round of wailing loudly. Her mother tried to muffle the vocal fright, but it did little to suppress the noise. Her own sobs expressing the distress in her cognizance.

  It wasn’t long until the narrow road opened up to reveal the small hidden lake. The grimy air obscured the view as Jim slammed on the brakes and kicked up more dirt.

  “God damn, the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Carl as he slapped his knee and spit into the beer bottle.

  “Shut the fuck up, we ain’t done yet,” said Jim as opened the driver’s door and jumped out of the rusty SUV.

  “Don’t tell me what I already know,” retorted Carl. “I know why we are here. Now, help me get the shit out of the trunk. And tell that bitch to shut the fuck up.”

  Jim ignored Carl and fumbled with the lock on the trunk, nearly snapping his key in frustration. After a few tries, it finally popped. Jim lifted the trunk and fumbled in the dark for something inside.

  “Hurry the fuck up, god damn.” Carl was getting impatient.

  “Hold on, I think I have it,” said Jim. “Those damn divots in the road sloshed all this shit around in the trunk.”

  Jim slammed the trunk shut with his elbow and carried a length of nylon rope, a roll of duct tape, and a concrete block to the front of the car. The woman inside began to scream for help. The shrill in her voice told that she knew no one could hear her in the remote spot, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

  “God damn, when will she stop screaming. My head can’t take much more of it,” said Carl. “Tell me again, why we are doing this?”

  ***

  A rambunctious troop of children danced and sang in the back yard of a two story home, nestled snuggly in the cul-de-sac of a posh neighborhood. The manicured lawn cushioned their feet as they played, protecting them from the dirt hidden below. The karaoke machine was turned up load, at least to eleven, and popular hit songs belted out through the prepubescent voices of the nine and ten year olds.

  Watching from under the shaded wrap around deck, a young mother – in her late twenties- cradled a young baby in her arms, breastfeeding the little girl as she prepared for a nap. The noise didn’t seem to bother the baby much as she suckled on her mother’s bosom. The woman angled her arm, the one hold
ing the baby, and looked at her watch. She noticed that it was almost 3:00 already, and glanced out to the children playing in the yard.

  “All right, everyone, pizza will be here shortly, get cleaned up,” she said as she stuffed her left breast back into her bra and covered up. “I’m going to go lay Carrie in her play pen, and then bring out some plates and drinks. Clear off the table for me.”

  Two of the children remained on the make shift stage, singing a song from some high school opera, while the others rushed to the picnic tables and removed their toys. The plastic tablecloth fluttered under the light breeze, but did not blow away. A young boy passed out pointy birthday hats to each of the children, his was taller than the rest and said ‘birthday boy’ across the bottom.

  Each of the kids settled down and patiently awaited the slices of pepperoni heaven they were promised. It was only a couple minutes before the woman emerged from the house with plates, cups, and bottles of soda balanced precariously in her arms.

  “Okay, Timothy, you pass out the plates, and I will pour the drinks,” she said with a smile.

  “All right, mom,” he responded. “Do you think Dad will make it home in time to open presents?”

  “Not tonight,” she said. “He is out of town, for work, until at least Monday. But, he did say that he will call tomorrow and he has a special gift for you.”

  The smell of baked cheese and pepperoni filled the air. The woman turned to see a gangly man standing behind her with five boxes of pizza perched in his arms. His long gray hair, bald on the top, danced on the breeze, and his nearly toothless smile revealed a view to the back of his throat.

  “I’ve brought your pizza, ma’am,” he said, spitting through his missing teeth.

  “Thank you, here, I’ll take those from you,” she didn’t give him time to respond, instead taking the boxes from his hands immediately and sat them in front of the kids. “Dig in, don’t be shy.”

  The feeding frenzy began immediately as the children mimicked a school of piranhas as they snatched away at the tastiest slices first, laughing and joking as they began to eat.

  “That will be $84.73 before tip,” said the man.

  “Sure, let me get my wallet from my purse,” she said, starting to walk toward the house. “Hey, wasn’t this supposed to be delivered by a clown or two?”

  “Yeah, they will be here in a minute. They were running late, so I decided to bring the pizzas ahead, so they would still be warm,” he said while following her toward the house.

  “Oh, thank you. Although, I don’t think the kids would have minded at all,” she said.

  The man stared at her ass the entire walk toward the house. Saliva dripped from the gaps in his teeth with every bounce of her plump cheeks. She was very fit with small breasts, but her ass was to die for. The delivery man adjusted his cock as it stiffened in his loose jeans.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said turning to him as she opened the back door.

  She could see the small bulge in his pants and immediately felt as though she could puke. Just his mere presence disgusted her. She was almost tempted to take the pizzas away from the kids, since his filthy hands had touched them, and order from another delivery place. She wasn’t one to complain to a business, but she knew that her husband would when he returned home from his business trip, after she told him of the atrocity they sent out to deliver the food to a children’s party.

  The baby began to cry, waking from her nap, as the screen door screeched open.

  “Oh, you have a baby in there, can I see it?” the man said with a whistle through his teeth.

  “No, I will be right out. I have cash for you. Please stay outside, I don’t want you to be bitten by the dog,” she said.

  She did not have a dog; she just wanted the man as far away from her as possible. She was in the pantry, just off of the kitchen, where her purse hung from a hook on the door. She was flustered and struggled with the latch as she hurried to retrieve the cash. She pulled out four twenties and a five, not intending to give a tip, and threw the purse to the ground.

  As she turned to exit the room, the man was standing in the doorway, smiling creepily at her. She screamed and jumped; surprised he snuck up on her.

  “God damn it, I told you to stay outside,” she yelled.

  The man reached out and grabbed her breast with his right hand, pulling her close with his left. She struggled to get away, but his grip was much stronger than expected.

  “Come on, baby,” he said. “Just a little feel and kiss, I promise to be gentle. Don’t you get lonely when your husband is away?”

  She wanted to scream for help, but didn’t want to scare the children. The man had moved his hand from her breast down into her loose fitting shorts, trying to push them down with one hand. She was scared, angry, and willing to do anything necessary to stop his advances.

  “Please, stop,” she pleaded.

  “I’ll stop when finished, unless you want some more,” he said with spittle shooting from his mouth.

  The man’s finger found her baby cave and the bulge in his pants became more prominent, signaling he was ready for action. He let go of her so he could unbutton his jeans and show her what he had to work with, giving her an opportunity to react.

  Disgusted that his filthy hands had touched the most private of spots, she grabbed a can of creamed corn and smashed it into his head. He fell to the floor, off balance since his pants had fallen to his ankles. She threw the can at him, along with some green beans, fruit cocktail, and beets.

  The man struggled to pull up his pants as he was being bombarded by the cans. As soon as he did, he managed to scoot his way out of the doorway, slipping on the waxed tile, and made his way to his feet. He ran from the house and disappeared out of sight quicker than she could chase after him.

  She ran back inside and checked on the baby.

  “Oh, Carrie,” she said picking her up. “Are you okay?”

  The baby cooed, signaling that she was fine and the woman took her outside. Just as she stepped off the back deck, the two clowns she had ordered arrived with boxes of pizza in their arms, dancing in a klutzy manner, and pretend fighting with one another.

  “Are you Mrs. Jacobs?” asked the larger clown with red hair and a green nose.

  “I am, please, call me Linda,” she said confused. “One of your guys just brought the pizza, since you were running late.”

  “I’m sorry,” said the smaller clown, in height not size, his blue hair fluttering in the wind.

  “The older man with no teeth, he already delivered the pizzas,” she was confused and scared.

  “Mrs. Jacobs, I mean Linda; we are the only two that work at Pizza Circus. We make our pizzas specific to the party specifications. I’m not sure who was here, but he isn’t working with us.”

  “Oh God,” Linda gasped. “Please, entertain the children. I will be back in a moment.”

  Linda ran inside and grabbed the phone. She dialed her husband, knowing he was probably in a meeting and couldn’t answer. After six rings, the voicemail picked up. His message was short and sweet, leave a message and I’ll return your call.

  “Daniel, call me when you get this. Someone just delivered pizza and tried to assault me. I thought he was from the clown pizza place, but they say he wasn’t. I’m going to call the police when the children leave, I don’t want to scare them, but I’m scared. Jesus, he nearly raped me!”

  She hung up the phone and headed to the bathroom. Immediately, she removed her shorts and panties, while heating up the water in the faucet. Grabbing a wash cloth form the cabinet next to the sink, she ran it under the hot water. Satisfied it was wet enough; she washed her crotch and rubbed it until her skin was raw. She had no idea what filth he had on his fingers and felt filthy just thinking about it.

  After about ten minutes of cleaning, she put on a new pair of panties and shorts, and spent some time washing the redness from her puffy eyes, hoping to hide that she was crying. She tried to be brave for the ki
ds, especially her son; she didn’t want to ruin the party.

  She walked to play pen and lifted Carrie into her arms, holding her tightly. Outside, she could see the clowns playing with the children. She wasn’t sure who was having more fun, but it brought a smile to her face. She sat on the deck, in her favorite chair, glancing at her phone every now and then, hoping for a call from her husband. As always, she did not expect a call back, not while he was working at least.

  Time flew by, before she know it, parents were there to pick up the kids and the clowns were saying their goodbyes. She was happy the day was a success, despite the horrible ordeal that occurred earlier. She was content that it didn’t ruin the day for the kids.

  “Mrs. Linda,” said the bigger clown. “We’ll be going now. The party was a blast, one of the best we have put on.”

  She smiled at him, “Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?”

  “Oh, your husband prepaid, nothing is owed,” he said.

  “Really? At least let me give you a tip,” she responded.

  “Nope, can’t do it. He prepaid the tip as well,” he said with a little dance.

  “Well, thank you. You made the day a success,” she said with a fake smile.

  The clown danced down the stairs of the deck and grabbed his counterpart by the neck, fake fighting all the way out of sight. She did manage to giggle at their silliness as she stood from her chair and walked toward her son and the last boy at the party.

  “Mom, what a blast,” her son shouted.

  “I’m glad you had fun,” she said as she hugged him.

  “Can I spend the night at Jerry’s house?” he asked with puppy dog eyes.

  “I think that is up to his mom, but if she says yes, then I say yes,” she said, not wanting to let go.

  “I asked her before I came, Mrs. Jacobs, she said yes,” said Jerry.