Little Kid's Horror Stories

Chapter 3

His eye hurt with excruciating pain each time he strained against the door, and he had to keep stopping to dab at it with his finger. The thought of the four children so close made him roar aloud, and he banged against the door with renewed effort, staggering back and screaming, as another jolt of pain scorched through his head.

**********

"Don't be afraid, Justin, Heddy and Dill will catch you." She lowered him by his arms until she felt his weight disappear, and then eased herself headfirst down the wall. A tangle of arms and hands grappled at her body and finally she was out, falling in heap on the others.

"Ooooph! You weigh a lot," Dillard said, getting up and rubbing his stomach.

"Is everyone okay?" Penny touched each of them for reassurance then glanced about the room. "At least we can see a little better. This must be where they show the pictures." The red light on the wall cast an eerie glow over the silent projection machine. Two huge reels were turning very slowly, the strip of film slapping loosely against the frame. "I wonder where the operator is," Penny said, curiously scanning the room.

"There's a man over here." Justin's voice sounded small and scared. The others hurried over to where he stood looking down at the crumpled figure of a grey haired man next to an overturned stool.

"Is he dead?" Heddy and Dillard were clutching Penny and each other.

"I think he is," she said, bending down for a closer look. "He looks like he's as old as grampa, maybe older."

"Why did he die?" Justin asked.

"Maybe his heart stopped," Dillard offered.

"Well of course his heart stopped," Heddy sighed with disgust, "that's what happens when you die."

"So I guess that's what happened then." Dillard gave her a smug look.

The sudden crash from the other room made them jump, and they heard a loud cursing roar and the sound of the bucket crashing across the room. "He's inside!" Penny cried. "We've got to put the screen back." With the screen jammed in place by a long mop handle that Dillard had found, they cast about for yet another escape.

"Where's the door?" Heddy asked, puzzled.

"Here's a door." Justin pointed to the wall in the corner behind the body. They all stood still looking at the door and the man crumpled up against it.

"How do we get past. . . him?" Dillard asked, standing behind the girls.

"We'll have to pull him out of the way."

"Not me."

"Well I can't move him alone."

"Not me."

"C'mon Heddy, give me a hand."

"Not me either. I'm not touching a dead person."

The screen on the wall banged loudly, and they heard the crack of wood as the mop handle split. In a flash, eight hands were yanking and dragging at the feet of the dead man.

"Push it open! Push it open!"

"I can't, it opens in. There's not enough room." They scrambled around again, dragging the body further away, then clambered past, yanking the door open and tumbling out into a narrow hallway. The sound of the screen rattling to the floor started them running again.

"Which way?"

"Down there, quick." Leaping and tripping down the dimly lit stairs, they pushed through the heavy velvet drapes and found themselves back in the theatre auditorium. Daylight, shining through from the lobby doors allowed them to see where they were going, and they rushed out, pulling and pushing at the big glass doors.