Short Horror Stories and Urban Legends

Segment Three- Just Beth

It was one night, that the paranoia and awareness of Beth changed forever. She wasn't one for being shy, although she tends to hide behind her slightly off-cut fringe. That was all. She wasn't one for being lonely, either. She had a nice little group of friends. Always there when they needed each other. Like normal friends should. I could go on but there's not much time.

However, never judge people by what  they appear to be in first glance. It was poor Beth that found out what miss-judgement had in store. Or was it just stupidity? The non-realisation? 

Let's get to the story.

"Don't go to bed without checking everything's locked and away first, love, ok?" beth's Mum called out from the downstairs landing. 

"Yes mum! Have a nice time, what time will you be back again sorry?"

"Well, we're leaving now, so we'll probably be back from the picnic at, say 8:30?"

"Yeah that's cool beans. See ya later!"

"By princess!" Called out her Mother again.

"By love!" Called out her father. 

Beth was now alone in the house. No siblings to comfort her.Just her. Just Beth. 

"Right I'm gonna watch a movie." She proceeded to walk upstairs. Beth lay on her bed and rested the laptop across her stomach as her good, family dog Sniff, lay down at the foot of her bed and began to lick her feet, undoubtedly tickling ticklish Beth while doing so. Sniff was the 'family guard dog' always there and here to reassure the people of the house that everything's going to be ok. "Good dog. Now, how does Rec. sound, Sniff?" Beth asked her dog as she slid in the disk. However, she wasn't even close to playing it through the 'play' button as a window popped up. Adverts, probably. Beth waited for it to load but nothing appeared, just a black screen with that all-too familiar swirling-loading sign. So Beth closed the screen, and waited for the movie to load, Sniff still licking and tickling her feet. However just a few seconds afterwards, the same screen popped up, this time it had a picture, but it was very blurry and pixel-like. "Friggin' adverts, stupid.", Beth sighed. This time Sniff was half way under the bed, with Beth's feet gently resting on top of his head, his messy golden brown fur felt so soft beneath her sore feet. But yet again, the same window popped up, but this time the picture was more clear. It was, or looked like, the bottom of something? Maybe an object to the side? Well whatever it was it was starting to piss her off. 

At last the movie began to play, Beth got comfortable and snuggled down into her cover's on-top, cushions and all sorts at the ready. She felt...safe...to know that she had a lovely animal to comfort her. 

But , once again the window popped up. Just as Beth was about to click the red x, or the 'close' button, the phone rang, making her jump. Beth got up to answer it. It was her mother. "Oh mum hey thank goodess. I think my laptop may have some sort of virus? This strange little window keeps popping up."

"Oh honey just ignore it, just close it down it'll be fine. I just wanted to check you're ok?"

"Hahaha, yes mum I'm fine! You haven't even been gone 20 minutes! "

"I know darling baby I know, I just wanted to check my lil' princess is not hurt!"

"I'm fine mum, really. I've got Sniff to keep me company anyway so it's all good!"

The next thing Beth heard, was the signal she knew that tomorrow her life would be non-exist-ant.

"Erm....Beth, darling.....we've taken the dog with us..." Her mother sounded slightly concerned.  

"...w..what...did you just say?"

"We've...taken Sniff with us. Darling are you ok?"

"Mum I have to call you back!" 

"Ok well darling if there's somethi-" her mother was cut off. 

Beth's heart-rate was going through the roof. Her body became dunked in sweat. Her breath and touch became chilled with fear, even more so as she walked slowly towards her room. 'Sniff' was still there. It hadn't moved. Beth became so still you could mistake her for an actual statue. She froze, completely. Not wanting to move, but she also couldn't. If she did move, whoever was under her bed, might get her. Whatever was under her bed. But she had to move. No really, because a 'bing' noise appeared on her laptop. From where she was standing she dived onto her bed, but then regretting it as she may have disturbed the being(s) from below. The window had fully buffered, and the screen was plain black, with all but a 'play' symbol in the middle. Looking all around her room, she didn't hesitate to click it. The video buffered for 5 seconds before playing, and when it did play, her heart sunk. She wouldn't be seeing anyone tomorrow. Or the day after, or the day after that. 

The video was a recording of the end of her bed, her feet were dangling off. The video was dated for today's date.

There was another video, but this one was even worse. It was the phone call Beth had with her mother a mnute ago.

There was another video after that, and Beth didn't care what it was now. She was going to die as soon as this video ended. She knew that because of the face peeping over the foot of her bed. This video, was of when her parents left her house earlier.

Beth froze and closed her eyes, as it started to lick her feet.