Skeletons in the Closet

Mia Lyttle Twysted

Description

A collection of frightening tales reveal the hidden monsters behind innocent eyes and a sly welcoming smile as a group of characters resolves their challenges in ways never imagined.
Skeletons in the Closet is a collection of short stories with unexpected twists and turns. It reveals the hidden monsters behind innocent eyes and a sly welcoming smile. Buried secrets reveal a history that ruins lives. Unfortunate missteps lead to devastating and surprising endings. Demons are born from the ashes of those decimated, creating nightmares and monsters beyond imagination.

Sujets

• Monsters
• Monstruo (desambiguación)
• Demonios (película)
• Suspenso
• Horror
• Demon
• Hurlements 2
• Short Stories
• Skeleton
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 17 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665572040
• Langue: English

Extrait

Skeletons in the Closet
 
39 CHILLING AND DISTURBING STORIES
 
 
 
MIA LYTTLE TWYSTED
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: [phone]
 
 
 
 
© 2022 Mia Lyttle Twysted. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
Published by AuthorHouse 10/07/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-7205-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-7206-4 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-7204-0 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022917843
 
 
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Mindy and Michael
Beth’s Question
In the Mirror
Teddy
The Knot
Complicated Choices
A Windy Night
Mountaintop
John Johnson
Mystery Song
Movie Date
Fulfilled Desires
Teaching Trust
Leaky Pipes
Jack-in-the-Box
Father/Son Outing
Quicksand
Death Bus
Respond in Kind
Getaway
The Note
Twenty-Twenty
Party of the Year
Seeing Double
Night Terrors
The Cigarette
Dance Recital
Grandma’s Hair Stick
Family Outing
Helpless
Hidden Secret
Holiday Hell
Unholy Union
Never Have I Ever
182 Blinker Street
House for Rent
How Murderers Are Born
The Silent Woman
Consequences
Acknowledgments
Many thanks go out to my several families who encourage me, support me, and accept that I am not your average woman. A shout out to my nieces, nephews, and grandson, who have endured and will continue to endure my various experiments on them so I can test how a character might react. A special thank you to my children for reading, conferring, and discussing with me their viewpoints until I found the answers I needed to continue a story. Finally, respect and love to my husband, who is not a fan of my genre yet allows me to hang severed heads and bizarre possessions on the walls and ceiling so I might get inspired. I’d never trade any of the monkeys in my circus. I love you all.
Mindy and Michael
“Mindy and Michael sitting in a tree,” Pete teased his little sister.
“Stop it,” Mindy protested.
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Pete continued.
“Knock it off!”
“First comes love.”
“I’m warning you.” Mindy’s face turned deep red.
“Second comes marriage.” Pete danced around the room.
“Stop it!”
“Then here comes Mindy with a baby—”
“I said stop it!” Mindy roared.
Charging like a raging bull, Mindy plowed her body into her older brother, throwing him out the third-story window to the pavement below.
Beth’s Question
“Mommy!” Beth called out for her mother.
“I’m coming.” Linda yawned, throwing her covers aside.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Beth called out again.
Linda walked down the hall, stopping abruptly in front of her daughter’s door, suddenly remembering the devastating reality that her daughter was dead.
“Mommy.” She heard the whisper of her little girl’s voice, coming from the other side of the door.
“Beth?” Linda pushed it open.
Gasping, Linda stepped back at the sight of her five-year-old daughter lying in bed, covered in dirt. Rotting flesh hung off the child’s face as she tilted her head to look at her mother.
“Mommy,” Beth said. “Did I do something wrong? Was I bad?”
“Bad?” Linda said. “No, you weren’t bad.”
“Then why did you bury me in the ground, Mommy?”
In the Mirror
Wrapping the towel around herself, Amanda stepped out of the shower. Every horrifying minute of the night before ran through her troubled mind as she leaned against the bathroom sink. Letting out a mournful sigh, she ran her hand across the misty glass.
“What!” She gasped, seeing two of herself in the mirror.
Spinning around, the frightened woman clung to her towel, only to find there was no one there.
“Come on, Amanda,” she said to herself, taking a deep breath. “Get your shit together.”
Running her hand through her wet brown hair, she turned back around.
“Still here, honey,” the duplicate said.
Whirling back around, Amanda came face-to-face with her doppelgänger.
“It’s my turn now.” Her double smiled smugly as Amanda’s body decomposed into ash.
Teddy
Teddy lurked unnoticed in the corner, watching Kelly. His tongue rolled over his thick upper lip as saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. Reaching up and under his mask, he wiped his jaw dry, transferring the spittle to his hand and then his jeans.
He loved this new world, where people were all but mandated to cover their faces. It gave him a freedom previously denied. It helped to hide his wicked intentions. It allowed him to build up anticipation for the kill, making it so much more satisfying.
Kelly jiggled her coat to loosen it from the folding chair. Saying her goodbyes, she swung it around her shoulders and headed to her car. Pushing off the wall, Teddy moaned. It was time. This was going to be a night he would never forget.
The Knot
John wandered over to the large rock, away from his troop. He fiddled around with the rope in his hands, wondering if he was ever going to get his new badge. Small rocks flew out over the cliff as he kicked the loose stones.
Throwing his rope around a nearby tree, John worked the timber hitch. Each time he failed, he felt embarrassed and ashamed. Telling himself, one more time, he began to work the knot again. Finishing, he closed his eyes and tugged.
“It worked!” he shouted. “I did it.”
Leaning into his groove, John preceded to do his victory dance. His fellow troop members ran to his side. As he spun around to hit his final pose for his adoring audience, John’s foot slipped on the loosened stones beneath him, knocking him off balance and over the edge.
Complicated Choices
“Ben needs a doctor,” Kim said, holding her lover in her arms. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”
“We go out there now, and we’re all dead,” Randy said. Peeking through the blinds, Randy let out a heavy sigh.
“There’s a window in the bathroom,” Kurt said, halting to a stop in front of Kim and Ben. “Oh, God,” he gasped.
“Kurt!” Randy shouted.
“What?”
“Window?”
“Oh, yeah,” Kurt said, shaking the daze away. “There’s a window in the bathroom that we can all fit through. If we go out now, by the time they find out what room we’re in, we’ll be gone.”
“What about Ben?” Kim’s voice cracked.
“Even if we could get him out the window …” Kurt’s voice faded with each word.
“He can’t run,” Randy said, stepping away from the window. “He’d only slow us down.”
“We have to do something,” Kim sobbed. “We can’t just leave him here to die.”
“Sorry, toots,” Randy sighed. “It’s him or us.” He paused. “Are you coming or not? Cause we’re going out that window.”
A Windy Night
The wind nipped at Melody’s ankles like an angry Chihuahua as she neared the street corner. Her bones tightened with anticipation. She could feel something was wrong. The moment she rounded onto Mascot Ave.; her eyes locked with his. The beast’s youthful glow consumed her, making her nothing more than a shy, lovesick schoolgirl. She couldn’t yet see his true face. That was his power. That was how he stalked his prey. She giggled, waiting on the corner as he strutted to her.
“Melody.” Bethany’s voice broke the spell. “Run!”
Shocked, Melody gasped. Her eyes widened at the sight of Bethany, lying torn and bleeding on the sidewalk. Reaching forward, Bethany grabbed the beast’s foot. He shook her off and then stomped on her head. Brain matter poured out, staining the cream-colored sidewalk. The eerie squishing sound echoed in the wind.
Melody stepped back, bracing herself against the brick wall of the clothing store behind her. Time slowed down. She prayed the vision in front of her was a nightmare.
“Bethany,” she cried. “No!”
Trembling, the terrified woman’s knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. The beast let out a low growl. His warm breath billowed out from his large nostrils.
All light was cast out, as the beast towered over Melody. Tears streamed from her eyes. His blood-covered paw reached down. Grabbing his prey by the throat, he lifted her. His lips curled, exposing his stained, crooked teeth. With a quick, sharp snap, he took a bite. Melody’s screams faded into the wind, as the best gorged her flesh.
Mountaintop
“It’s so beautiful,” Kelly said, looking out over the mountains.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Ben said.
“You did. I’m glad we all came.”
“Yeah, me too.” Ben put his arm around Kelly, pulling her in for a kiss.
“What are you doing?” She pushed him away.
“Come on.” He sighed. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel the connection between us.”
“The only thing between us is friendship.”
“Then why did you come here with me?” Ben growled.
“I came here with Mike,” Kelly said, “and you’re here with Carol.”
“Yes, yes, we had to bring them along, or they would have gotten suspicious.”