Short Scary Stories

Tick Tock Goes The Clock.

"Can you send me the outline over email? That would be way easier," said Jack, already searching for a taxi as he pushed his way out of the City University of New York's doors.

"Sure bud, I'll do that as soon as I get home," said Abraham, walking beside Jack.

"Cool, I'll catch you later," said Jack. Abraham nodded and they parted ways.

Jack waved down a taxi after a few minutes and climbed into the back seat. The musky smell of the taxi made Jack question why he would take his car into the shop in the first place. He hated taxis. Nonetheless, he told the driver his address, then turned on his music and relaxed back in the seat.

"How's school, son?'

"Sorry?" said Jack, taking out an earphone.

"How's school going for you?" the taxi driver asked gruffly. He scratched his moustache with the hand he wasn't using to steer with.

"Uh, good I guess. School is school you know?" Jack said.

The man chuckled, "What classes are you taking?"

Jack desperately wanted to forget about school for at least a few minutes and just listen to his music, but he replied politely anyways. "I'm just taking a few classes for accounting."

"Accounting eh?" said the man. Jack didn't say anything. "Are you from here by chance?"

Jack sighed, "No, I'm from Milwaukee."

"I knew you didn't look like the usual 'Yorker. So, you came here to earn a degree in accounting?"

Jack ruffled his brown hair with his fingers. "Yes sir."

"Huh, that's something different. Let me tell you a story about one of my accountant friends, he ..."

Jack had already tuned out, both of his earphones back in place and the beats of the song playing vibrating in his head. He stared out the window and watched the grey clouds in the sky roll over the city. A few drops of rain were already falling, splattering along the pavement and running down the taxi's window that Jack stared out of. In the nearly stand-still traffic, Jack watched all the people of New York City bustling along the sidewalks in a mad rush to get home.

Before he'd officially decided to come to the city that never sleeps, Jack had considered riding a bike to and from his classes when he got there. After all, it was environmentally friendly and might even get him from point A to point B faster than anything else would. Now, as he sat in the stuffiness of the taxi with the driver droning on, Jack watched the business men and women on their bicycles groan in frustration as they attempted to weave around the clumps of people walking. In that moment he was grateful for not buying a bike. Anyway, he would get his car back in a few days and then he could be a part of the traffic problem again.

Moving to a new city, especially one as large and crammed with people as New York City, was a daunting task. Jack had always wanted to live there at some point in his life, but it had surprised him when his parents had allowed him to go so soon. It wasn't like he was totally alone, since an old family friend had let him stay in his apartment for free. No rent meant Jack had the ability to save up for his car, even if it was a little beat up. The family friend had decided to stay in Phoenix at his vacation home until Jack had finished his stay in the apartment, but promised he would continue to pay the bills, which Jack would be forever grateful for.

Jack blinked and shook his head, the fog of daydreaming fading away. He pulled out his earphones as the taxi driver pulled over to the street outside of the apartment building he lived in.

"There you go, have a nice night now," said the driver as Jack paid him and climbed out of the taxi.

"You too," Jack mumbled, distracted by keeping his textbooks dry from the rain. He scrambled into the building, hair dripping and shirt slightly hugging his torso. After finally getting into the apartment, Jack slung his overstuffed backpack off of his shoulder and tossed it onto the floor along with the other books that he held in his arms.