7 Elements of Horror

The Real Monster

Something thumped against the side of the house and Cassidy whipped around in alarm.

"What? What?!" Matthew also looked alarmed, having not expected Cassidy to move so suddenly.

"I... I don't know... It just... sounded like something... moving," Cassidy sounded uncertain. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but...

"Well, did it sound like a human? Or an animal? Or...?" Matthew turned around to peer out the window behind the couch. He didn't see anything...

"I... couldn't tell..." Cassidy felt embarrassed, certain that Matthew would tell her she was just hearing things, but he didn't. Instead, even though he couldn't find anything either, he also looked uncertain. Cassidy wasn't sure if that comforted or concerned her.

"I'm going to go get my gun," Matthew decided a moment later, rising from the couch.

"Wait!" Cassidy cried, a wave of fear suddenly washing over her. She didn't want Matthew to leave her side, not right now! But the moment Matthew paused to look at her again, she tried to cover up her nervousness. "I mean, do you really think the gun is necessary?"

"I... don't know," Matthew admitted, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. "I'd just feel safer with it, silly as that sounds."

"No, no, I get it," Cassidy laughed weakly. I feel the same way... Why were they both so on edge tonight? What was out there...?

Five minutes later, they were back on the couch and chatting again, but the mood was ruined. The gun sat on the table between them and they both couldn't stop stealing glances at it. Although they'd heard no more noise from outside, there was still something in the air that felt vaguely... wrong, and ominous, and threatening. What was causing this unusual level of paranoia? What was watching them...?

Something scraped against the side of the house.

"What was that?!" Cassidy jumped. At the same time, Matthew grabbed the gun.

"Alright, that's it, I'm going outside to see what it is," he narrowed his eyes in determination.

"Wait, what?!" Cassidy turned her wild, frightened eyes back on Matthew, but Matthew was already moving towards the door.

For a moment, he hesitated, hand lingering on the knob. He and Cassidy both held their breath, waiting for something, anything. It felt like an eternity, just waiting in silence, too scared to even breathe, but then Matthew finally, slowly, carefully, opened the door. He stuck his head out. He couldn't see very far through the darkness, but he took a brave step forward. Cassidy cautiously followed him, staying a few feet behind.

"Do you see anything?" she whispered.

"No, not yet," Matthew tightened his grip on his gun. He took another step out, then another, then another, then another. Still nothing.

"MATTHEW, LOOK OUT!" Matthew barely had time to look before he hit the ground, hard. He hissed in pain as hands were crushed under the weight of his body and gun. Then, for a second time, he barely had time to look up before he was slammed against the side of his own house. He gave another cry of pain as his back collided with the stone wall. He heard Cassidy shout his name again from the distance, but it felt muffled, his ears were ringing from the impact of the blow and, for a moment, he couldn't even breathe.

"What the hell was that?" he panted, struggling to get up, trying to ignore the agony.

"It was some... thing! A creature! It... it... looked like... a human, except, badly emaciated, and it ran on all fours and it was so fast!" Cassidy sounded nearly hysteric as she helped Matthew up. "We need to get inside, now!"