Short Horror Stories

The Carpet

I'm so sorry for the long wait, I can't think of any excuses now so uh...give me a minute to think of a good one *sheepish face*. This one isn't my best work, so I'm sorry again. But I felt I had to do one because this book just reached 1000 reads!! I can't believe it, thank you all so much. 

7/10

__________________________________________________

A young man was walking down the streets late one night as he made his way home. He decided to take a shortcut through a small, empty alley way to save time, and as he did he noticed something lying against the wall. As he inspected it closer, he realised it was a rolled up carpet propped up against the wall. He noted that it was a rather new, expensive looking carpet and it would go well in his new flat. He picked it up and tucked it under one arm and walked the rest of the way home.

He left the carpet in the hallway of his flat and decided to open it up and sort it out in the morning, as he was very tired. The carpet had been surprisingly heavy to carry and it had exhausted him. He went to bed and fell asleep, happy that he had managed to find such a fine carpet for free.

The next morning, the man decided to check out his new bargin-carpet. He picked up one end of it and shook it out across the hallway - it unrolled slowly, unraveling and revealing beautiful, exotic patterns and it spread out across the floor of the hall. The last fold finally unravelled, and the man, who had previously been delighted at how exquisite the carpet had been, froze in shock, staring at it. The stiff, rigid body of an old man had falled out of the carpet. His skin was pale and tinged with grey, and a terrible, musty rotten scent filled the room. Horrified, he ran over to the body, praying it was still alive, but he knew as soon as he set eyes on the old mans face that he had been long dead.

The man rushed over to the phone, frantically trying to push the buttons right to call the police, but his fumbling fingers kept messing up. He was trying again when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He froze, the phone falling out of his hand and falling to the floor with a crash. Slowly, very slowly he turned, his heart thundering in his chest. The old man was standing in front of him, grinning widely, his yellow and brown teeth gleaming and his putrid breath waving over his face. His greasy grey hair stuck up around his head in oily tendrils, and his skin had turned cakey and brown with dirt. The young man opened his mouth to scream, but a gritty, ice cold hand was slapped over his face to keep him quiet. The man nearly gagged at the stinking stench washing up his nostrils.

Another grimy hand came to clench over his throat an the man started yelling, he voice muffled. He scrabbled at the hand that was tightening around his throat and gasped for air as his windpipe was cut off. The old man started cackling as his face screwed up in pain and tears fell down his face. The man finally collapsed to the floor, still and lifeless.

_______________________________________________

When the police arrived a week later, they found the carpet rolled up neatly and propped against the wall. They were shocked and horrified to find the young mans body placed in the middle of it, his skin grey and dark bruises around his neck. They scoured the house and searched for any clues or traces from the murderer, leaving him lying on a stretcher ready for the morgue. The young mans lips twitched.

His eyes snapped open and he smiled.