Don’t Scream

Tap tap tap.

This is just a coincidence. It’s not like my story came to life…right? 

_________________________

A knock on the door radiates through my ears, my brain and thoughts already knowing that it’s Bella. Bella is my best friend from school. My parents are on a date night and I invited Bella to come over for sleepover.

Pizza, pillow fort and midnight horror stories. This is the plan for the weekend. 

I migrate to the polished white door and open it as someone on the other side -more than likely Bella- knocks again. 

“Hey there, Kasey!” Bella exclaims dropping her bags to hug me as soon I open the door.

“Hey!” I reply just as enthusiastically, returning the hug politely. 

“I smell popcorn.” Bella soundly spoke, letting go of me and picking up her bags, waving to her mum as she drives off.

I lead the way in, waiting for her to walk in before closing the door.

“In the microwave, it should be done in a few seconds. If you want you can put your bags in the pillow fort, I got bored and put it all together, earlier today.” I laugh walking to the kitchen to set up the popcorn.

“Okay!” Bella yells out as I walk into the kitchen. 

I walk up the microwave and hit ‘stop’ before it starts beeping. I’m not sure if it’s only me but those three seconds it beeps is eating time and they’re taking it away from me. I begin to put popcorn in two separated bowls because I know I can be messy when eating and steal a tonne, so I might as well be fair. 

I enter the lounge room with the bowls in either hand noticing Bella’s bags in the fort. It’s about six in the afternoon, so it’s dark enough to have a light in there. I can see the shadow of Bella in the fort. 

“Kasey, I can hear you out there and it’s quite scary.”  I hear Bella whispering, she actually sounds scared. 

“Sorry, I’m coming. Can you please grab the bowls as I hand them to you?” I ask, getting to the door of the fort. 

“Yeah that’s okay, pass them here.” She replies holding out her hands. 

I hand the bowls to her and get in myself, turning on the portable DVD player.

“Pizza in an hour?” I ask making sure we agree.

“Of course!” Bella replies, no longer scared. 

_________________________________

An hour had  passed and we were finished our popcorn. Bella did the honors in ringing the pizza place and they were going to deliver our cheese pizza in twenty minutes. 

“I’m looking forward to the pizza!” I say my stomach rumbling albeit having finished my popcorn not that long ago. 

“You have a stomach of steel, man. I’m partially full already.” Bella replies probably concerned for my health.

“You don’t say no to pizza! Any time! Any day! It’s illegal! You hear me?” I exclaim getting very passionate over eight slices of pizza that will be attending our sleepover in half an hour. 

I get up quickly with a fist in front of me to prove my point and hear Bella snicker. I exit the fort taking both bowls which were stacked on top of each other and held in one hand. Once I get up I make my way back to the kitchen flipping the light switch and entering. By placing the bowls in the sink I quickly rinse then stack them on the bench.

I tread carefully over to the fridge and pour two glasses of milk. I then bring them over to the fort keeping the light on for the pizza that will be entering our lives soon. 

“Bella take ya’ glass of moo, please.” I ask politely, trying to balance both the glasses as I squat to get in the fort.

“Fine-fine, mum.” Bella replies lengthening the ‘mum’. 

I roll my eyes playfully and she also grabs mine, making it easier for me to re-enter the fort. 

“What should we watch?” I ask, taking out the DVD from the portable DVD player and placing the disk back into it’s case.

“We should watch horror films so we have kindle to add to the fire when we do scary stories at midnight.” Bella explains, holding the two glasses of milk still.

“That’s a great idea, let’s not choke on our pizza when we get jump scared.” I suggest, laughing at myself. 

“We might choke on the milk first, in all honesty.” She replies with a giggle.

“Let’s hope we don’t choke in general, but I vote spooking the pizza guy or gall when they get here.” I add.

“Agreed, I remember last year in seventh grade when we did that…we lost our pizza that night.” Bella replies with a pout.

“We will be more accurate with the landing with the pizza this time.” I laugh, knowing fair well we shouldn’t scare the person away which would lead them to dropping the pizza.

“Let’s just not this time,” Bella replies knowing I was joking anyway. “I actually want the pizza now.”

“Agreed, man.” I laugh, playing the movie.

______________________

Ding-dong.

“I’ll get it!” I exclaim already half out the fort as I talk.

I walk carefully over to the door with six dollars in my hand. I unlock the door at the handle then slide the chain bolt across the metal slate before pulling it off. With that done, I continue to place my hand on the door knob and turn, successfully opening it.

“Hello. Here’s you’re cheese pizza. It will be five ninety nine, thanks.” The blonde female pizza deliver explains, holding the pizza towards me with one hand leaving the other hand out for the money.

“Thank you!” I say, kindly placing the money in her hand and smiling.

“No problem. Have a nice night.” The woman replies, turning on her heal and walking to her car.

Without a second thought, I close the front door and lock it again. I head to the kitchen to get two paper plates and napkins, then head to the fort.

I enter with come struggle, pushing the pizza towards Bella so she can grab and hold it.

“Here hold this, please…I can’t get in with no hands.” I laugh at myself because it’s true.

Bella shakes her head and retrieves the napkins and plates as well, making it easier for me.

“I think we’re all set. Time for more of this horror film and eating pizza! By the time we finish a few more movies, it will be midnight!” I exclaim, excited.

Horror stories always gave me a rush of adrenalin and fear. Knowing they weren’t real helped, but the creativity of ones story is interesting. Plus, I enjoy creating my own.

“Yes, yes! How can I forget. Not only am I excited, but you keep reminding me.” Bella replies, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Whoops.” I mumble, excepting the truth.

“Now play the movie, woman!” Bella proclaims, shoving a slice of pizza into her mouth.

“Aye-aye.” I say, pressing the play button and eating my own pizza.

______________________

“I’ll go first.” Bella says, pulling a torch to rest under her chin, most of her face illuminated other than the few shadows.

“Great! Gives me more time to come up with a great story!” I say, smiling triumphantly.

“Once upon a time a family of four were at a beach. A mother, father, daughter and son. This was supposed to be an ordinary family except for one child being evil. The little boy at age seven seemed to be innocent, but wasn’t. He lured his sister who was younger than him by a year, to the ocean.” Bella spoke, her voice in a reading tone as she spoke enthusiastically about her spooky story.

Goosebumps already began to arise upon my skin, falling victim already to the fear. I was uncomfortable around the ocean, sharks were a great fear of mine. So this made me quite unsettled.

“The mother of the two children had gone into town for groceries for their barbeque while the father had his head stuck in a newspaper as he read the news headlines of ‘killer on the loose’. That killer was the reason for the boy being evil. The boy was being possessed by said killer.” Bella continued to speak as I contently listened, my stomach clenching in fear.

“The boy went in the water with a demonic smirk etched onto his features. The little girl hadn’t given a care towards his expression due to the excitement radiating off her. The girl loved the beach and enjoyed playing within the shore. The boy stood in front of the girl, hiding the view of what he was going to do next. The little girl tried to scream in fear as the boy’s smile grew larger. The boy placed his hand over her mouth and forcefully pushed her head under the water. Keeping her their hostage until she began to choke on the water. The boy’s smile kept on growing in an inhuman way, happy with his achievement.” Bella stops, ending her story there.

Letting out a breath, I begin to feel sick from the story and drink some of my glass of water I had gotten a little while back.

“Holy heck, Bella…that was scary.” I say with full truth.

“Thanks! Last time I told my sister that story, her face went so pale!” Bella said with almost proudness.

I shake my head and laugh, getting ready with my story.

“One upon a time…” I began.

________________________

Just like Bella had, I hold the torch under my chin and make my face illuminated as I speak.

“One upon a time…” I spoke, ready to say my scary story.

“There was a boy at home. His baby sitter was fast asleep, dead to the world on the couch. Not even a bomb could have woken her up. The boy was drawing with his crayons at the dining room table when he heard a ‘tap, tap, tap’.” As I said ‘tap, tap, tap’ I gently created the noise on the ground to make my story more scary.

“Thinking none of it then just a creak of the floor boards, the boy went for another coloured crayon and drew a bright yellow sun. ‘Tap, tap, tap’ was heard again, this time the young boy got down from his seat to walk over to his baby sitter. As assumed, the slightly obese woman was snoring away like she was an hour ago. Shrugging thinking nothing of it, the boy walked over to the dining room again. He stopped short of his tracks when he realized his chair was moved to the corner.” I speak, I go a tad quieter to add a horror story effect.

“The boy’s eyes widened to the size of watermelons as he ran over to his baby sitter. She was quiet, not a peep heard from her scarily still body. To the kids curiosity, he regretted looking at the back of the couch. Shot into the back of the couch was a bullet hole. The boy being although young of age was still confused over the fact of not hearing a noise.”

“It was heard again. The taps. ‘Tap, tap, tap’. The boy looked at the baby sitter again and gasped in fear. Written in blood over the females shirt was the words ‘don’t scream’. Although it was an act he knew was hard to hold back, he bit his tongue to not make any noise. He rushed to the phone in the kitchen when he stopped in his tracks again.”

“A guy was occupying the boy’s seat in the corner.  He slowly turned on his heal towards the guy and screamed. ‘I told you not to scream’ the guy spoke. The last thing the boy saw was the guys gun held directly pointed in the middle of the boy’s eyes. Next minute the trigger was pulled and a loud bang was heard.”

___________________

I finish the story with a sly smile when I notice Bella hugging her knees and eyes widened.

“How dare you tell a scarier story than mine?” Bella speaks, pointing her finger at me jokingly

“My bad?” I reply, moving the torch to the side to light up the pillow fort.

“I’m tired now…” Bella says, her voice going quieter near the end.

“Let’s go to sleep then. I’m honestly tired too.” I respond truthfully, moving the pizza box to the side as well with everything such as plates, napkins, glasses and such.

By the time I’m done setting up I turn around to see Bella in bed, wrapped in multiple blankets.

“Comfortable?” I ask and laugh, getting into my bed as well.

“Most definitely!” Bella exclaims with a laugh as well.

I roll over and close my eyes, trying to get comfortable.

Tap, tap, tap.

_________________________

“Did you here that?” Bella whispers.

I turn over onto my side to see Bella looking directly at me with widened eyes.

“This isn’t funny, Kasey…I am actually scared after you told me your story.” Bella adds.

“Yes I heard it, and I’m not pranking you. But it was probably just a tree tapping against the roof. My story isn’t coming to life and it never will. It’s just a made up story.” I mention in a whisper, feeling the need to be quiet due to it being so silent around us.

“Can we at least check? For like a moving chair, or a dead baby sitter? I have my phone to call the cops.” Bella says, still nervous.

“Fine.” I say, getting out from under the covers and leaving the fort. I bring the torch with us and point it around the room.

“I can’t actually see anything. The only chairs in here are the lounge room recliners. The chairs are in the dining room.” I say, walking to the lounge room.

Before we even take a step, another round of taps were heard.

Tap, tap, tap.

“This is a coincidence…it’s not like my story came to life…right?”

_____________________________________

Bella runs back to the fort in fear and I continue to push forward towards the dining room. There is a chair in the corner and my assumption I had said, was just made true.

“Well crap…” I mutter, turning back to Bella. She has her phone, and my phone is near her so we should call the cops. Honestly once we do, what’s there to say? ‘My story came to life and we are going to get killed if we scream’. Worth a try at least, I guess.

“Bella?” I speak, the silence almost deafening.

I get to the foot of the fort when I see a bloodied leg hanging out the entrance. There are small cut marks up Bella’s leg and I resist the urge to gag.

“B-Bella?” I stutter holding back a scream, tears rushing down my cheeks.

The toxic smell of metallic blood floods my nostrils as I crouch down to look at her properly. There is a dark red blood stain, seeping into Bella’s white pajama shirt, a hole in her chest where her heart is.

I regrettably look up at Bella’s face to see a bullet hole between her eyes. Her eyes are open wide, fresh tears that stopped running, down her cheeks in streams. Her mouth is agape as if she was going to scream.

My eyes then land on her hand. A phone is held in Bella’s hand; a note app is up. It say’s ‘don’t scream’.

Tap, tap, tap.

Of-flippen-course.

________________

I reach for my phone and turn it on. As soon as the screen is on, notes are up on it. ‘Don’t call the cops or die’ is typed.

I begin to cry in fear and run to the front door. The locks are my last obstacle before running free into safe territory. I crash against the polished door and begin to unlock it.

“New rule, no leaving.” A raspy voice spoke.

I turn around, fear radiating throughout me and see the face of death. The murderer from my scary story was exactly how I pictured him. He has dark lifeless grey eyes, stubble on his chin, grey hair and a hair line further back on his head.

He almost looks as if he’s just skin and bones. Completely dirty pale skin. His arms are toothpick thin. My eyes then wonder to what he’s holding in his arms.

A large shotgun.

A scream has already left my body before I could stop it.

“I said don’t scream.” The male says, raising his shot gun to be inline with my chest.

With that small amount of time I turn and run for the back door.

Bang.

I fall to the ground, hyperventilating and looking for the bullet wound on my body. I find it in an instant as I see half my leg completely blasted to the bone, basically though it. Blood pools up under me and I scream out in pain, knowing I’m taking my last breaths.

“I SAID DON’T SCREAM!” The male yells, shooting one more time and everything goes black.

____________________

*Neighbour’s point of view*

I hear screams in the back ground of my television even with my old granny ears as I call them.

I get up with a small groan and get my walker. That is the second scream I’ve heard now, and it does not sound like fun.

I leave the house with not an ounce of regret, leaving the door unlocked. As I walk across the porch slowly, I stop in my tracks.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Darrel are you awake?” I yell as loud as I can. I reenter the house, my mental condition already forgetting about the screams.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Don’t scream.”

Credit: Rooie

Quotev