Short Story Thriller Thursdays #6 - An extract from RABID, the yet-to-be-released novel.

Short Story Thriller Thursdays #6 - An extract from RABID, my current novel in progress.


The two of them tiptoed over to room fifteen. The banging on the door behind them was an incredibly frightening sound. The loud 'BANG' followed by an echo through the hospital and then another 'BANG, BANG, THUD' and finally the screaming 'WOEAAAAAAEHHH!' Craig was trying his hardest not to wimp out and leave. He was scared, but a nineteen year old boy was calmer than him. He knew he would never hear the end of it if he wimped out. Besides, the noise makers were locked in after all.
"This one?" Craig asked.
"Look up." Joe snorted.
"Fifteen I'm guessing. It could easily be mistaken for a five."
"Why?"
"Look up." he mocked. Joe looked up with his torch at the number above the door. Blood was stained all over the white numbers.
"How did they get blood all the way up there?" he chuckled.
"You got a really sick sense of humour, you know that?" Craig shook his head.
"Are we going in or what?"
"Yeah."
Craig opened the door carefully. He shone his torch through the gap between the door and the frame and sighed with relief that it was empty. Vaccines were stocked heavily all over the shelving. There were so many vaccines that Craig actually burst out laughing and raised his arms to hug the boy, who stood there confused. Joe strolled in and shut the door behind him.
"What?" he asked.
"Joe, m'boy. We just hit the jackpot!"
"I found it." he mumbled.
"Wait..." Craig cupped his hand to his ear.
"Whatcha hear?" Joe frowned. Craig immediately put his finger to his lips as if to say shh and crouched down, waving Joe to do the same. Joe crouched. He looked at the panicked man for an answer on his face. Craig pointed towards the door and gestured a walking movement with his fingers. Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out another screwdriver. Craig looked at it and wanted to laugh at the fact that Joe had stolen another one from his tool kit, but his mouth remained a thin line. He looked down at his torch, and silently switched it off. He pointed to Joe to do the same, which he did, and they stayed crouched in the darkness. Joe finally heard the panting outside the door which Craig had noticed far earlier. He was grateful for his carefulness. He certainly wouldn't have noticed.

Short Story Thriller Thursdays- #5 Happiness

Short Story Thriller Thursdays- #5 Happiness

Sun shone bright through the trees, but you couldn't see it much. The leaves absorbed most of the light before the sun could warm the damp earthy ground, riddled with roots and scattered with old leaves. The day was warm though. The Birds were happy, and there was even the occasional insomniac Owl that made a twit and a twoo every now and again.

Most trees were recovering from a recent storm. Especially the Beech trees, with their huge trunks and branches, without much keeping them together when the wind caught them off guard. Some of the branches were merely attached by light, milky colored needles of broken wood. Others stayed strong. The Oak trees were always strong, but the leaves seemed to have a mind to travel, as they were still floating around in the light breeze.

Above the woods, on a hill with a wild field, was an old Elm tree. It was the oldest tree of them all. Struck by lightening twice, it was now no longer a tree of rarity, it was a tree of memories, where the farmers' mothers and fathers used to spend their time having picnics beneath it and listening to the sound the branches made when the wind passed through them. Occasionally the children would try to climb the tree, but it usually resulted in tears and a sore elbow. It was those children who later owned the entire woods. But you would never see a No trespassing sign or a Private no entry sign nailed into a tree.

Back in the woods, a Deer grazed on an old antler, gnawing at the tips and edges for calcium. It was surprisingly peaceful, considering the recent storm. But the Birds were peacefully loud and the Owls were wide awake, what reason did the Deer have to be nervous when the day was so beautiful? The wind picked up slightly. It wasn't enough to be an uncomfortable wind that blew your hair onto your face uncontrollably, but it was enough to part the branches briefly and allow the sunlight to fall onto the Deer, making it look very vulnerable.

The Deer eventually scampered away. Something had disturbed it, but it was a peaceful flee, not the type where she was truly threatened, but the type where it didn't want to be seen eating an antler. A child emerged from the overgrown pathway, skipping and humming. Short moments later, two proud parents emerged behind her, smiling to each other. The Dad held a blanket and the child's coat. The mother held a picnic basket and a doll with strange features.

The clouds gathered their rain, and traveled through the sky, bringing a daunting shadow over the woods. The Birds fell silent, and the Owl fell asleep.