Horror One-Shots Collection

The Curious Stranger

 Each night, Helen watched as the curious stranger left his home in the dark. She longed to know what he was doing in the darkness of New Orleans. She peered out her window, wondering who he was. Slowly, she began to develop such feelings for him as well as longing for him to look up and speak to her.

One cool breezy night as she sat at the window with her hand resting on her cheek, he opened his door with his gentleman-like attire on and stepped out into the brisk, dark night. She smiled to herself, imagining that she was going with him. She stood at the window, fidgeting with her necklace that her mother gave her as a child. Suddenly, the silver chain snapped, falling down onto the sidewalk right in front of the curious stranger's feet. He looked up as the chain hit the ground, seeing Helen standing in her window with the look of pure unmitigable embarrassment and fear. "Is this yours Ms?", he called to her as he picked up her necklace and held it up towards the window. "Yes, it is. I'm very sorry. I did not mean for it to break and interrupt your evening, Sir". He smirked as he tilted his head up at her, revealing to her the most perfidious blue eyes, "Come down here and get it... that's if you still want it". She waved her hand out the window, "Wait for me. I'll be right there". She crept down the stairs, holding her candlelight to lead her through the dark house. She opened the front door, and there he was holding her silver rose necklace. "Thank you... really", she told him. He chided her, "It is alright, you do not need to fret over it. It can be easily fixed, Ms... ". "It is Helen... and you are?". "Claude Basque. It is very nice to meet you Helen. How long have you been peering at me from your bedroom window? It must be at least a year, am I correct?", he pried her. She blushed with humiliation, "I'm sorry, I did not think you noticed me even just the slightest bit". He smiled at her, giving her a rush of prescience. She felt as if she should back away, but he was so handsome. His shining blue eyes and amber locks were a match uncommon among men. "If you are wondering, I'm going out to a prestigious party. There will be many affluent people there and it seems as if you are one of them, will you join me Helen?", he beckoned her with a look of compassion. Her stomach sank for a moment, mother told me to use prudence with prestigious men in the dark. Helen's mother always warned her since she was due to her own precedent matter that occured when she was young. "I really do not want to have to importune you about this, you must come with me", he said again. His voice shook the thought from her mind, "Yes, I will come with you". He smiled at her as he reached out to take her hand and stroll through the foggy night.

As they approached the house, it was magnificent. The plantation house was a gem hidden by the trees covered in Spanish moss. They entered the house as the room filled with voices. There was a soft, whispering din that filled the room as her and Claude entered the room. People were giving them both insolent looks. Helen was already nervous but it seemed as if people knew something about Claude that she did not. She became besieged with stares and whispers. She ran out of the main room, upstairs into a bedroom. Sitting in the room, she felt as if she wasn't meant to be in a room with such promient figures of high class society. She sat on the bed and looked at herself in the mirror, a face full of woe. As she was observing her face, the door to the room opened and there was another man. He was different yet so similar to Claude. He gave her the same energy as he did. His eyes were a stunning green and his hair was black as the night was. He sat on the bed beside her, "My child, why do you flee from the face of credulous men and women? Rumours are but rumours, not facts". As he spoke, she heard a soft Italian accent peeking through his false French accent. "You are Italian?", she questioned. "Italian, yes. I am Archangelo. You are Helen, as Claude tells me", he said with a look of a sulfurous evil. "Whenever Claude enters an extravagant event with a young woman, it is always a contentious act. He was meant to marry midsummer of last year. Yet, his bride went missing suddenly. No one knows where she went but Claude has stayed the same Claude since", he spoke with such eerie pleasure. "I just really dislike being here with these people. It has vexed me to no end since I stepped through this door", Helen sighed as she twisted her light blonde hair. The door crept open as Claude stepped through into the room. "I'm very sorry for this. This is my dearest companion, Archangelo. I'm sure he informed you that every time I bring a beautiful young woman to a party, it revives these inveterate feelings of hatred towards me. They have a burning desire to just do away with me, to extirpate me and everything I have ever owned; leaving the earth with no memory of myself. Yet, I must tell you. I brought you into this night sky because by the way you've looked at me, you have given me these auspicious feelings about the future." Claude said to Helen with such a calm look on his face. She felt a strong desire to leave the room immediately. "Please Helen, you shouldn't be afraid. Claude is a paragon for you to worship.", spoke Archangelo as he stepped closer towards her. Claude and Archangelo stepped closer to Helen, "Please just relax. You trust me, don't you?", questioned Claude. She was frozen with fear, unsure of what was to come next. "Take my hand, Helen. I'm saving you from the end", Claude grinned. "What end? What are you talking about?", Helen said with fear racing through her body. "The final end, my child", Archangelo responded. Claude usurped her will to fight back by gripping her wrist. "This will hurt for just a second", he warned. He opened his mouth, revealing fangs. Archangelo smirked, revealing he was one of the abominable ones as well. Claude pressed into her neck, feasting on her life. He stopped, reached into his pocket pulling out a jagged knife. He cut into his own arm, "Drink". She pushed his arm back, "No, I abhor you now". "You will die if you don't do it, child", Archangelo warned her. Claude put his arm against her mouth and she did as she was told. After she was finished, she walked into the darkness, gripping onto Claude as Archangelo was by their side.