Original Short Horror Stories: Vol. 1

He's There...

"Miss... Jules? Is it?" The heavily built officer asked, beginning the investigation. I nodded my head and pulled at the thin blanket I had wrapped around my slender frame. It's terrifying to think that such a nice night could be overcome with calamity in a split second. Oh, right. Please let me introduce myself. My name is Sabrina Jules and I turned twenty five a few days ago. I've held a steady hobby of night jogging for about three years now. Of course I'm going to have to put an end to it. I just loved the pure exhilaration of stepping into the darkness, the unknown engulfing me in the short stretches of darkness between street lights. Unfortunately the adrenaline rush I had received tonight could have quite easily been my last. "Alright. Do you mind explaining what happened, Miss Jules?" I took a deep breath. "Okay..." I stalled, attempting to retrieve my composure. "Yes. Of course. It was about 9:30 pm when I headed out. The street was quiet as usual other than what I can only assume to be some stray animals. I live only a few blocks away from the main square, so I took my usual path along the sidewalk. It's a straight route which is well lit for the most part." I sighed as I began to feel anxious once again. "Everything... everything seemed fine. I started jogging and about three alleys into my routine I started hearing shuffling behind me. There was a man. He was tall and if he was just a step closer he would've been in the reach of the streetlight. I assumed he was just passing through and kept going. I started getting winded so I slowed down and started walking. After a few more minutes I stopped for a water break. He-... he was there. Except he was an entire streetlight closer. I began to feel like it wasn't a coincidence and walked to the next apartment building. Again. He was there. I started to walk backwards and keep and eye on him when I noticed every step I took... he took along with me." I bit my lip and took in a shaky breath. God this was all so terrifying. "I took a few more steps to test my theory and that's exactly what was going on. I turned around and ran. That's all I could do. I made it to the square after a few more streets. It was shut down of course, there wasn't anyone there. I turned on a small alleyway that would've led me on my route home but a few of his friends..." I lost my voice as my sentence was coming to a close. I choked back my tears and forced my voice past the knot in my throat. "They were standing there, blocking my way. I turned back around and tripped over a trashcan. The man never stopped running. He didn't care that I stopped. He treated me like- he treated me like I was prey... just an animal. I attempted to get away but he caught up and grabbed my shoulders. I was thrown and pinned against a brick wall. I couldn't leave. He leaned down and began to whisper things... horrible, horrible things. There were endless obscenities coming from that man. I can still feel his hot breath on my skin." My voice was merely a whisper now. "His friends. His friends came out of the alley and he kept me pinned with one of his arms while he gave unspeakable orders to the others. I elbowed him in the middle of his chest and slipped out of his grasp. I could've died. I almost died!" I began to cry while receiving nothing but a sympathetic look and the sound of l pen and paper scratching against one another. I was hardly comforted by the fact they were writing this down. "Then I ran. I ran until I couldn't and called the authorities." The officer sighed and set down the notepad. "M'am, I'm truly sorry you had to experience such a terrible scenario. We are searching for the subjects at this moment, but all you can do is wait." My eyes widened from a concoction of fear and anger. "Are you telling me those people are still put there?! Do you expect me to be a sitting duck waiting for them to find me?" I felt the warm tears fall down my face while my anger boiled up inside of me. "They'll kill me!" The officer gave their best attempt to calm me down. When they had finally found it wasn't working, they sent me home. "We'll send a squad car out to search your street every half hour. You'll be safe." They stated before sending me home... alone. Half an hour. Every thirty minutes. That gives them several windows of time to find me and finish the job. I guess all I am is a sitting duck. I really am just prey to them. When I finally made it home I unlocked my door and stopped in my tracks. He's there... and ready to finish what he started.