Short Horror Stories

Family

I've finally made up my mind.

I will bring it up during dinner, even if it will kill me. I need to.

A cold anxiety crawls up as mother and father have finished making food together.

Together with my sister they ready the table and I try to help, though stumbling and almost dropping some of the plates.

Mother takes them from me: "Please let me do this dear." She smiles and pets my head gently.

Her smile hides something uncanny, my mother never smiled like that.

But at least I know the truth now.

Sister helps me sit down: "Is everything alright, brother?"

I nod and thank her.

She never used to be this kind and never called me 'brother', instead just by my name or a slur.

The others sit down as well and my mother takes off the lid of the pan, causing steam to rise up from the ceiling.

I remember when our new neighbour came by, whispering loudly to her husband that we were such a perfect family.

She's still very new and hasn't seen or heard what it was like before at all.

"Son?" Father asks in a kind tone: "Next month is your birthday, have you already thought about what you wanted to have?"

I didn't expect that question: "Ah... um..." I can't seem to be able to form words.

Just what should I answer at that?

"Take your time dear, If you don't know, it's okay." Mother smiles while offering me a piece of meat.

I give her a thankful nod and take a moment to think.

"I think I want to go somewhere together... if that's okay."

"Of course it is okay, but aren't there any other things you would like as well? A new game console or-"

I shake my head: "No father, I prefer to just go somewhere together. I don't really care about presents."

Sister laughs: "Since when did you get this wise?"

The laugh isn't really the type that could come out of a human's body.

I know.

It was a strange night when they arrived.

There were lights, running and other noises I couldn't place.

Not knowing what else to do I just hid, it was only the next morning when I noticed that my family had been replaced.

No one seems to have caught on, except for me and the local dogs.

They don't do anything but bark at the imposters.

They just aren't them.

My sister was always on my case about everything, waltzing in my room whenever she felt like it.

My mother used to yell at me to get out of my room.

And my father? He was always absent even when he was home.

"Mother?" I look at her: "Father? Sister?" I look at them all one at a time.

If I mess this up I might die.

"Would you mind listening to what I have to say for a bit?"

I can feel my heart beat against my rib cage in a rapid speed as if it wants to kill me right here right now.

Today I went down to the basement.

The door was locked, something it only was whenever I was put there in time-out.

I looked through the small window and there I saw them...

My real, biological family, in their complete imperfection.

They had been put in the prison they had built for me.

Luckily they didn't notice me.

My sister caused me to be bullied at school.

My mother was done with me being a nuisance and started making a plan to discipline me better.

My father helped my mother with this plan and made the basement ready for it.

The imposters...

The real reason I noticed that that's what they are was when they didn't come into my room.

There was no yelling that morning, when I finally gathered the courage to go down the stairs. Their eyes rested on me, but didn't look scornful and they tried nothing to make me change my habits.

Thanks to them, though very slowly, I've started to feel ready to go outside again.

Perhaps... I might even go to school again.

There's a strange expression on the faces of the creatures around the table. There's a hint of surprise and a strange, yet frightening worry.

Mother is the first to speak up: "Of course dear, you can tell us anything." Her tone is one of a warmth that my real mother never used.

Father and sister nod in agreement.

I swallow hard, then finally choose my words very carefully: "I know what's in the basement."

Then I burst into tears: "Please don't leave me behind! I will do anything to help you fit in, I swear!"