It Was Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie

I recently had one of the most disturbing and freaky dreams that I can only describe as being 'like something out of a horror movie' and when I told my friends about it their responses were, 'had you been eating cheese?', 'what did you watch before you went to bed?' and 'that would make a great short story!'.

As I always eat cheese and hadn't watched anything too weird before bed I decided that the third exclamation was probably quite a wise idea. So here it is readers, my first attempt at a short story! Go easy on me!

Oh and you might want to have a listen to this song whilst you're reading!

It Was Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie

By Kath Lambert

Lena and her best friend Grace were walking back to Lena's house one summer evening. They always walked through the park as it was the quickest way. Grace's mum used to tell them off whenever they slipped up and mentioned it in passing. "You don't know what's in that place at night" she'd say.

They always rolled their eyes and laughed. Firstly because the park was a vast open space. No trees or bushes for creeps to hide behind. Secondly it was in between two built up suburban areas. Thirdly it was summer so it wasn't even dark until really late and they never went through the park when it was really late. And fourth, well there wasn't really a fourth but they just thought Grace's mum was paranoid!

This night was just like all others. Lena had been round at Grace's house watching horror movies. Their favourite genre. Grace got easily scared but still enjoyed the fright, whereas Lena was much tougher and it took a lot to scare her. She always looked at things logically and so would point out where the people in the movie were going wrong. "No, don't go in there, the killer is waiting for you", she'd shout in a matter-of-fact sort of way. All the while making Grace more scared with all the impending doom.

The only time Lena was scared, and in a totally illogical way, was if there was a spider in the room. She had an irrational fear of the pesky creatures and Grace thought this was funny. How could someone be so logical when it came to psychopaths but so afraid of a little eight legged creature. 

The girls used to alternate nights during the summer, Lena would spend the day at Grace's house and then Grace would spend the night at Lena's house. The following day they'd spend it at Lena's house and go back to Grace's to sleep. It gave their mum's a short break as both were single parents.

That night they'd set off from Grace's house after dinner and were happily walking through the park when they happened upon Becky on the roundabout in the play area. Ah Becky. Not a friend and not a foe. Becky was the girl they loved to hate but when all was said and done they really had no reason to. 

Becky's only curse was that she was lucky in life. She'd been born with flowing golden hair and long legs. Pretty but not over the top beautiful. Wealthy parents who catered to her every desire. Lena and Grace knew that they had no real reason to hate Becky. But hate her they did. 

Not to her face though. That would be pointless and mean as they had nothing to back up the hatred. So whenever they saw her they smiled their fake smiles and asked how she was. But not tonight. 

Becky was lying across the roundabout. It was still spinning but she was not moving. And her golden hair was all matted with blood. Maybe she wasn't so lucky after all.

Lena and Grace looked at Becky and then at each other, and then they screamed. There was no-one in sight that could have done this. No culprit to run from. And having never been in this situation before - for real - they didn't know what to do. Not even the logical Lena.

So they ran. Lena in the direction of her home and Grace towards her house. They ran like this for a few moments when they realised they were no longer together. They stopped and ran back towards each other but soon realised this put them back within short distance of the body. 

The skies had started to darken now and as the girls stood within a few feet of poor Becky they thought they saw someone approaching from Lena's side of the park. 

Needing the assistance only an adult could provide they instinctively ran towards the shadowy figure and immediately started to shout at the person and talk over one another to the extent that neither of them was understandable.

"Calm down" said the man as he put his hands out to let the girls know he was not a threat to them.

"Over there, our friend, she's dead!" Lena managed to blurt through breathlessness and fright. Grace just managed a nod and some tears.

"Show me" said the man, wondering if this was some kind of prank.

As they reached the play area the man noted there was indeed a still figure on the roundabout. He told the girls to wait on the edge of the play area whilst he went to check on the girl. In truth he just didn't want to be jumped by the girls if this was all a prank. He checked for the girl's pulse but there was none. She was really dead.

The man looked up to see someone else approaching from Grace's side of the park. Another man, walking his dogs. He felt relieved to have some back up.

Suddenly one of the dogs leapt high into the air and seemed to come out of the black night and land on the man. Before he knew what had happened he was a meal.

But while the man thought he'd seen two dogs in the distance, Lena knew what she'd seen. She was just too scared to move or speak.

The thing that leapt into the air and ate the man was no dog. It was a giant spider. It's body was relatively small, perhaps the same size as a small dog. But it's legs were long and spindly. Big enough to wrap around a man twice. 

Lena was frozen and while Grace couldn't make out what it was that had attacked their helper, she knew from Lena's reaction that it had to be bad.

She grabbed Lena's hand and tugged as hard as she could but Lena did not move. She knew they didn't have long to get away so Grace grabbed the slight and petite Lena and threw her over her shoulder. Huffing and puffing as she ran. 

When they got to the hill Grace set Lena down with her back to the feast that was still going on in the playground, and she slapped her friend hard in the face. Lena looked up at Grace with a wild, unrestrained terror in her eyes.

There was a whistle as the man and his dog reached the playground and the feast seemed to stop. The creature returned to the man's side and he petted it. He petted it like it was a dog who'd retrieved a bone. 

Grace witnessed the whole thing. Although the light was almost gone and she still wasn't sure that she'd seen what she'd seen, Grace could not believe that this man was treating this creature like a pet. She pulled again on Lena's hand, knowing she couldn't carry them both up the hill and this time Lena moved. 

They didn't stop running until they reached Lena's house. They ran in the house and up to Lena's room. They stood in the darkness and watched as the man carried the giant spider back across the park as though it were a baby in a sling. It's eight legs folded around the man as he carried it and it's eight eyes glistening in the moonlight.

*Image from Google Images - National Geographic photography photo of the day - Photograph by Yi Hsien Lee*