Horrors from Around the World

Night 009 - The Toad Man of Eldridge Village

In the forsaken heart of Eldridge Village, where the fog curled like spectral fingers around decaying houses, night school was a reluctant gathering for those too weary to confront their fears alone. The flickering chandeliers cast erratic shadows, and the walls seemed to lean in, listening to the hushed whispers of villagers who dared to share their burdens. But as the clock struck eight, an unsettling chill settled in, reminding them of the true terror that haunted their nights: the Toad Man.

The Toad Man was no mere figment of the imagination; he was a grotesque reality that fed on fear. With mottled skin resembling decayed tree bark and eyes that glowed like dying embers, he was said to snatch away those who strayed too close to the woods, dragging them into an inescapable darkness. Parents warned their children to never venture near the trees after sunset, lest they vanish into the maw of the creature that lurked beyond the veil of night.

On one particularly bleak evening, Sarah, a restless soul with an insatiable curiosity, brushed off the uneasy feeling gnawing at her gut as she entered the night school. The weight of dread hung heavily in the air, thick enough to choke on. As the lesson unfolded, the wind howled outside, rattling the windows with a sinister rhythm.

Midway through the lecture, a blood-curdling scream shattered the stillness, freezing the class in horror. They rushed to the windows, hearts pounding, as a woman stumbled through the dense fog, her voice a desperate wail. It was Mrs. Thompson, her face twisted in anguish, her eyes wild with terror.

"Help! Please, help!" she cried, collapsing to her knees. "My son... he's gone!"

The villagers rushed to her side, panic swirling like a storm. "Tommy! Where is he?" Sarah gasped, the name clinging to her tongue like ash. She had known young Tommy Thompson, a boy with boundless energy and an infectious laugh. The thought of him lost in the suffocating darkness sent a chill coursing through her veins.

"He was playing near the woods! He didn't listen! He must have gone too far!" Mrs. Thompson's voice cracked, and the villagers exchanged frightened glances. The Toad Man had taken another.

A group of men armed with lanterns and pitchforks gathered, ready to scour the ominous woods. Sarah felt an urge to join them, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. As they entered the forest, the air turned cold, heavy with the weight of unspoken horrors. Shadows loomed like monstrous silhouettes, and the twisted trees creaked and groaned, as if warning them to turn back.

"Tommy!" they called out, but the forest swallowed their cries, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Each step felt like an echo of a heartbeat, growing louder with dread.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Sarah's eye. "Over there!" she shouted, pointing into the darkness. The group turned, torches raised, revealing a small clearing where something grotesque crouched.

The Toad Man sat on a gnarled stump, his grotesque body blending with the darkness. His skin glistened with a sickly sheen, and his eyes, those malevolent green orbs, locked onto the villagers with a hunger that made their skin crawl. In his twisted claws, he cradled something small and struggling.

"Tommy!" Mrs. Thompson shrieked, breaking free from the others, but the men pulled her back. "Don't approach him!" one shouted, panic lacing his voice.

The Toad Man's laughter echoed through the trees, a sound that sent ice through their veins. "You seek the boy? He's mine now," he croaked, his voice a low rumble filled with malice. "He's learning the ways of the night."

Fear gripped the villagers, but Sarah felt a surge of defiance. "You can't keep him!" she shouted, stepping forward. "Release him!"

The Toad Man's grin widened, revealing rows of jagged teeth. "Foolish girl," he taunted. "You think you can challenge me? This forest is my dominion, and I claim all who dare trespass."

As the Toad Man's words hung in the air, darkness thickened around them, as if the very shadows conspired to swallow them whole. The villagers huddled together, their torches flickering, and Sarah's heart raced as she felt the weight of despair closing in.

Just then, a figure emerged from the suffocating darkness—Officer Harris, the village's reluctant hero, his badge glinting in the feeble light. "Step away from the boy!" he commanded, voice steady but eyes betraying his own fear.

The Toad Man hesitated, eyes narrowing. "This is not your business, mortal," he hissed.

Officer Harris stepped forward, determination etched across his face. "It is my business when a child is in danger. Release him, or I will make you."

The Toad Man's laughter rose again, ringing out like a death knell. "You think you can save him? I offer him a place in my realm—a true master of the night."

"Your realm is nothing but death and despair," Harris shot back, his voice firm. "You will not claim this boy."

In that moment of confrontation, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The Toad Man's form flickered, his grotesque visage warping in the shadows. "You are brave, officer, but bravery has its price."

Then, in a heartbeat, he lunged forward, a grotesque blur of motion. The villagers gasped as Mrs. Thompson screamed, and Tommy was yanked from the Toad Man's grasp, falling to the ground.

"Run!" Officer Harris shouted, urging the boy back toward his mother. The darkness surged forward, the Toad Man's claws grazing the air as he lunged at the retreating figures.

But the villagers rallied together, their lanterns illuminating the grotesque creature. "You will not take him!" Sarah yelled, brandishing her torch like a weapon. The light cut through the shadows, causing the Toad Man to recoil, a guttural screech escaping his lips.

"Light burns," he hissed, rage filling his voice. "But the night will always prevail!"

With that, the Toad Man retreated, melting back into the darkness, his laughter echoing like a curse. The villagers, hearts racing, stood breathless in the clearing, disbelief washing over them like cold water.

But the night was not done with them yet. As the adrenaline faded, the realization of what had just transpired settled in. The woods whispered ominously, the shadows creeping closer as the air grew thick with the scent of decay.

"Tommy!" Mrs. Thompson gasped, rushing to her son, but as she knelt to embrace him, the Toad Man's laughter echoed through the trees once more, chilling their bones. "You may have escaped me tonight, but the night is eternal."

With those words, a suffocating darkness enveloped the clearing, and the villagers found themselves back at the edge of the woods, the warmth of the lanterns flickering uncertainly. But as they turned to leave, they realized with horror that Tommy was no longer with them.

"Where is he?" Mrs. Thompson cried, panic rising in her voice. The villagers searched frantically, but the woods remained silent, shadows closing in like hungry wolves.

In the depths of the forest, the Toad Man watched, his grin stretching wider as he clutched a small, squirming figure in his claws—Tommy, who had been claimed by the night.

From that day forth, Eldridge Village would forever live in the shadow of the Toad Man, a cautionary tale whispered through the fog. And every night, as the moon hung high and the fog rolled in, the cries of a child echoed through the trees, a reminder of the terror that lurked just beyond the light—a dark invitation to the lost.