Short Tales

Whispering Death

                          The music made the house move with it, a living organism with its little things working to keep it alive. It's only the sum of its parts though, nothing more nothing less. Children making memories they'll either regret or never remember.

                          I was one of them.

                          Whoever was under me was one of them, obviously drunk or high or whatever, not my problem. She pushed me off and ran to the bathroom, the night's debauchery getting to her finally. I could hear her spewing up everything and anything left and decided to leave.

                           No way I was kissing her again.

                           My friends were all either drunk and stumbling or unconscious, signifying the organism's end. Someone suddenly shot up and grabbed my shirt, eyes bloodshot and mouth crusty with vomit. Apparently, our host got too much into it.

                           "Tanner, you gotta help me clean, man" he groaned. He wasn't wrong. I did encourage him to throw a party. To let loose. Make the organism come alive.

                             The organism is dying, though, and I never stick around for that part. I shrugged him off and got to walking. Its been a long night. The waning moon's light was blended out by street lights and the occasional passing of cars but never touching the dark alleys and looming buildings. College campuses looked scary as shit at night. My car was on the other side of it, an admittedly stupid decision by yours truly, but it seemed decent at the time. Wind rustled through Weeping Willows, screaming into the night, almost transforming into strange whispers.

                              I stepped a little quicker, the fine hairs on my neck standing on end as the wind picked up, the whispers growing louder as I rounded a corner, then stopping. There was a statue in the street, haunting and beautiful at the same time, staring into the depths of my soul with sad and tormented eyes. I stepped back, making a mad dash for the parking lot on the other side of the campus. Another scream tore through the night laced with rage and a...hunger.

                              A different voice chuckled, the warm breath dancing behind my ear. Nonononononono. No! This isn't happening, its just a fever dream, I'll wake up soon, right?

                              The wind stopped as soon as I got to the parking lot, the lights flickering and some going out. One beside me exploded and I jumped, reflexively covering my face, only to feel like a dumbass afterwards. There was nothing there. All the light bulbs were on, no wind was blowing and no statues were out to get me. The adrenaline dissipated and I cleared my thoughts. Just a fever dream. Too much to drink. Too much smoked.

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                               I kept the radio off, trying to wind down from the party and my...hallucination. I mean seriously, how did I think there was a stone angel whispering to me? I ran my hand through and pulled myself together. By the time I get home, I'll forget all about this.

                                The overhead light flickered, along with all the visible streetlights. The night went dark and my car shut off, only rolling along before I pressed the breaks.

                                  "What the hell?"

                                  The lights all came back with the hum of my engine, bathing the statue in front of my car with an unearthly light. It's once beautiful face was now twisted and morphed into a pained grimace, smiling with fangs and on the verge of a laugh.

                                   Tanner never did hear that laugh. 

                                    He heard a whisper.

                                    Felt a sharp pain in his neck.

                                    Saw darkness.