The small town of Evans had never seen such a time of fear and mistrust. But during the warm months of spring in 1998, the horrors of the outside world finally made their way past the wall of isolation around the area. Seven different residents, of all ages and genders, were found deceased in the woods surrounding an abandoned house. A single cause of death between each victim revealed the acts of a serial killer. A murderer whom the papers would go on to name The Eye Snatcher.
Allen McCarver was a smart man, but he was also a stubborn man. He was determined to investigate the deaths of his neighbors. That unfortunate trait was exactly what lead him into the backyard of the decrepit building, and straight into the path of the killer.
Blood rushed to Allen's ears, deafening him with his own panic. The world tilted like a ship in a storm. Colors melded into each other, brightening and dimming in quick succession. Everything went black before flashing back into focus, twice as blinding.
The man - no - the creature before him grinned a toothy smile. Its lips stretched further and further across the plains of its fiery face. Before Allen could stumble back, two impossibly long arms shot out with a mechanical click and latched onto his shoulders. Vast, bloodied claws dug into his skin.
"Why..." the creature purred, "What lovely eyes!"
A scream caught in Allen's throat as he stared into the eternal abyss that was the creature's gaze. Two piercing eyes watched him with an indescribable, sick hunger. He wriggled in an attempt to free himself from its robotic clutches, but the creature only tightened its grip and pulled him closer.
It smelled of metal and oil. And, for a brief moment, Allen was shocked to realized that some human must have made this monster.
It laughed as it leaned down, down, down, until it was nose to nose with Allen. "Don't be a stranger, my dear boy!" It said in that warbled, electronic voice. "Your eyes will make a beautiful addition to my display."
Tears pooled and spilled over Allen's cheeks as he was pulled inside the deteriorating house. He tried desperately to scream, only for a muffled wheeze to force its way out of his mouth. The creature giggled heartily, seemingly overjoyed by Allen's terror.
"Maybe I'll even wear one!" It hissed.
Several weeks later, an avid camper by the name of Jenny Darren stared in horror at a grinning beast with three piercing eyes.
YOU ARE READING
The Eye Snatcher
Short StoryThis is an assignment for my Art Major class in high school. We received art pieces of heroes and/or monsters from our school district second graders and were tasked with the job of reimagining the characters, redrawing them, and giving them a story...