By Lori Wilson (Short Story Prompt: Window / Spiral / Ooze)
Tom’s car shuddered to a halt, the scream of overtaxed brake pads echoing into the night.
Other than the collective sound of pounding heartbeats, the car was quiet for a long moment.
“What was that?” Meredith asked, her voice as shaky as a rickety foot bridge.
“I, I don’t know. No freaking clue. Syd, did you see it?” Tom asked, his eyes going to the rearview mirror, catching his friend’s shell shocked face in the reflection.
“I saw something, man, but I don’t know what.”
The three of them sat quietly, their minds in shock, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Meredith cleared her throat, “maybe we should check outside—make sure you didn’t hit it.”
Tom’s head snapped in her direction. “oh, yeah, Mer, that’s a genius idea. I din’t hit anything. I drove through it.” He said the words as if he could barely believe them. “No bump, no sound, nothin’. I mean when I looked back, there was nothin’ there!”
“Let’s just go, then. This place is really creeping me out man.” Sydney suggested, looking back behind the car again through the rear window.
“Yeah, I like that idea.” Tom turned the key—nothing. He tried several more times, but to no avail. “What the hell?” He hit the steering wheel with his palm, accidentally blaring the horn making all three of them jump and shriek in surprise.
“Dude, we’ve gotta get out of here. This is shaping up to be one of those B horror movie scenes.” Sydney pointed to the thick fog spiraling toward the car.
Meredith reached for the door, her eyes never leaving the approaching fog. She found the lock and depressed the button. “Lock your doors, guys.” She whispered. Both did so without argument.
“Now, what?” Tom asked as he expelled a long breath.
They were stopped on a narrow shoulder, and Tom hoped that if someone else came along, they would be far enough off of the road to not get hit. The lack of visibility, however, made him feel like a sitting duck.
The dim light of the digital clock read 3:10. It seemed to be getting harder to see with each passing minute.
“Should we call someone?” Meredith asked, scooping her phone up off of the floor board where it had landed. She let out a steady stream of creative expletives, “Its dead. It won’t even power up.” She knew it had been fully charged when they had left not more than an hour ago.
“Here, let’s try mine.” Sydney dug in his back pants pocket and looked at the dark screen. “Mine too, crap.”
Tom didn’t have his phone on him, so he knew they were screwed. It was getting colder in the car with the sudden loss of the heater. He tried the car again and was rewarded with the metallic tic that meant they wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.
“What’s tha—at?” Meredith asked, leaning forward, her tone clearly frightened.
“What? I don’t see anything, Mer.”
“RIGHT THERE!” She yelled, pointing.
A flicker in the fog jumped around, so fast it was hard to track.
“What on earth is that?” Sydney screeched.
Suddenly, the form materialized on the hood; its burned out eyes blankly staring through the window. Its white face, smudged with blood, mouth oozing a clumpy dark substance stretched unbelievable wide. An ear piercing scream emanated from the form, breaking the windows. All three of the car’s occupants screamed with it, their hands covering their ears.
Meredith scrambled to open her door, fumbling with the lock.
“Get me out! Get me out!” Sydney screamed, pulling up on his door lock without any luck.
Tom sat stunned. His eyes were wide, nose bleeding, mouth slack.
Suddenly laughter, loud and hysterical broke through the night.
“Cut,” the Director said over the laughter. “We almost nailed it! What is so flipping funny?” He asked, eyes searching for the culprit.
The laughter stopped as suddenly as it had started.
The actors and crew looked confused. The laughter hadn’t come from any of them.
THE END
Tom’s car shuddered to a halt, the scream of overtaxed brake pads echoing into the night.
Other than the collective sound of pounding heartbeats, the car was quiet for a long moment.
“What was that?” Meredith asked, her voice as shaky as a rickety foot bridge.
“I, I don’t know. No freaking clue. Syd, did you see it?” Tom asked, his eyes going to the rearview mirror, catching his friend’s shell shocked face in the reflection.
“I saw something, man, but I don’t know what.”
The three of them sat quietly, their minds in shock, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Meredith cleared her throat, “maybe we should check outside—make sure you didn’t hit it.”
Tom’s head snapped in her direction. “oh, yeah, Mer, that’s a genius idea. I din’t hit anything. I drove through it.” He said the words as if he could barely believe them. “No bump, no sound, nothin’. I mean when I looked back, there was nothin’ there!”
“Let’s just go, then. This place is really creeping me out man.” Sydney suggested, looking back behind the car again through the rear window.
“Yeah, I like that idea.” Tom turned the key—nothing. He tried several more times, but to no avail. “What the hell?” He hit the steering wheel with his palm, accidentally blaring the horn making all three of them jump and shriek in surprise.
“Dude, we’ve gotta get out of here. This is shaping up to be one of those B horror movie scenes.” Sydney pointed to the thick fog spiraling toward the car.
Meredith reached for the door, her eyes never leaving the approaching fog. She found the lock and depressed the button. “Lock your doors, guys.” She whispered. Both did so without argument.
“Now, what?” Tom asked as he expelled a long breath.
They were stopped on a narrow shoulder, and Tom hoped that if someone else came along, they would be far enough off of the road to not get hit. The lack of visibility, however, made him feel like a sitting duck.
The dim light of the digital clock read 3:10. It seemed to be getting harder to see with each passing minute.
“Should we call someone?” Meredith asked, scooping her phone up off of the floor board where it had landed. She let out a steady stream of creative expletives, “Its dead. It won’t even power up.” She knew it had been fully charged when they had left not more than an hour ago.
“Here, let’s try mine.” Sydney dug in his back pants pocket and looked at the dark screen. “Mine too, crap.”
Tom didn’t have his phone on him, so he knew they were screwed. It was getting colder in the car with the sudden loss of the heater. He tried the car again and was rewarded with the metallic tic that meant they wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.
“What’s tha—at?” Meredith asked, leaning forward, her tone clearly frightened.
“What? I don’t see anything, Mer.”
“RIGHT THERE!” She yelled, pointing.
A flicker in the fog jumped around, so fast it was hard to track.
“What on earth is that?” Sydney screeched.
Suddenly, the form materialized on the hood; its burned out eyes blankly staring through the window. Its white face, smudged with blood, mouth oozing a clumpy dark substance stretched unbelievable wide. An ear piercing scream emanated from the form, breaking the windows. All three of the car’s occupants screamed with it, their hands covering their ears.
Meredith scrambled to open her door, fumbling with the lock.
“Get me out! Get me out!” Sydney screamed, pulling up on his door lock without any luck.
Tom sat stunned. His eyes were wide, nose bleeding, mouth slack.
Suddenly laughter, loud and hysterical broke through the night.
“Cut,” the Director said over the laughter. “We almost nailed it! What is so flipping funny?” He asked, eyes searching for the culprit.
The laughter stopped as suddenly as it had started.
The actors and crew looked confused. The laughter hadn’t come from any of them.
THE END