For Whom The Bell Tolls

Thriller Stories | Sep 11, 2012 | 6 min read
32 Votes, average: 4 out of 5
Thriller Stories

For Whom The Bell Tolls

"Filthy, disgusting, and just wrong!"
"What's so gross about pregnant women, dad?"
"No Rick, you misunderstand me. I meant that I am disgusted by the fact that there are more babies being brought into this world by fifteen year old girls than all the prostitutes in the 1960's put together!" My dad was terribly involved in pop culture; at least for a man with a family that lives in a trailer park.
"Oh Joe, don't be so judgmental! I'm sure those girls were used and abandoned by their so-called boyfriends", added my mother. She was a good woman, or at least tried to be. She acted all self-righteous, but when it came down to it, she was just as much a sinner as the rest of us. Dad glared at mom.
"Helen, just how do you explain all those accidental children with those girls still looking innocent?"
"The same way I explain getting married to you; being young and stupid".

Mom and dad never really had a serious fight. Just bantering and arguments here and there. It still gets pretty annoying though. So, without a word, I walked to my room to escape the yelling. I flopped on my bed and turned the TV on, but couldn't hear a thing due to my parents. Disappointed, I turned it back off and turned my at attention to my cat Rex. Rex was my escape in these situations. He and I could play until one spouse gave up the argument and finally shut up. But there was something wrong with Rex, he wasn't wagging his tail, or meowing like he always does. As I reached out to pet him, he snapped at my hand and bit me. "Ouch!, What the hell Rex?!" I shouted at him. He didn't move, didn't even blink. Confused and angry, I stomped out of my room. Things settled down, now mom and dad were sitting and watching TV together. "We need to get Rex to the vet, he's acting funny", I said.
"He can go next Thursday, I can take him before work", mom replied. And with that, I left the trailer to go to baseball practice.

It was a long hike to the field in the hot August sun. Upon arriving, I sat with my buddy Jeffery on the sidelines bench to chat before practice.
"Parents going at it again?" asked Jeff.
"Yeah, but I was looking forwards to being here anyway. Something to get my mind off things". Just then, Jeff's eyes widened.
"Rick, your....bleeding! What happened?"
"Huh?" I blurted with disbelief. Sure enough, my hand was oozing blood from where Rex bit me. "oh, damn. Rex bit me earlier. He's not feeling well, I guess."
"Wow, he really bit deep."
"Yeah he did, I never seen him do that before." Just then, something caught my eye in the distance. A large figure of a man, like a shadow in broad daylight, standing in front of the woods at the far end of the field. No distinct features were visible. "Jeff, do you see that?" I said as I pointed to it.
"No, see what?"
"That man, or eh..., thing over there."
"Ummmmm, no....."
"Okay, just forget it." I was disappointed, and disturbed. All throughout practice I stared at that figure, wondering what it was. After practice I almost walked over to see what it was, but fear go the better of me, and walked straight home.

With the image of that figure still swimming in my head, I couldn't sleep. I sat up in bed and looked at my alarm clock. 3:30 AM. Wonderful. I'd never get any sleep because of that thing in the field. What had me so frightened? Because I didn't know what it was, or that it was in plain sight, yet Jeff didn't see it? I resolved myself with a shrug of the shoulders and a deep breath. The next day, I woke up to the smell of waffles. Mom was a legendary cook when it came to breakfast. I stumbled to the kitchen like a zombie, totally deprived of sleep.
"Good morning", exclaimed mom in a preppy tone. How she was a morning person, I'll never know. I meant to reply, but all that came out was "ughhhhh". She returned to cooking, then all of a sudden there was a large crackling sound echoing in my room, like a M80 firecracker. Now I was awake. Yet as I was composing myself, mom never flinched.
"Didn't you hear that?!" I cried.
"Hear what Ricky?"
"That noise!, the loud crackle!"
"Couldn't have been that loud sweetie, otherwise I'd have heard it." Her statement shocked me. There was no way she didn't hear it. Without a word, I stood up out of my chair and tip-toed to my room. I only opened the door a crack, and then I saw it. A large man, roughly 10 ft tall, wearing a black hooded robe made of ancient looking silk, standing in my room, looking away from me. His backside was intimidating enough. I mustered enough courage to confront it, so I stepped back, took a deep breath, and swung the door open screaming, "Who the hell are you?!". To my amazement, the man was gone.
"Watch your mouth, Ricky!" mom shouted from the kitchen.

Completely confused, I ran out of the trailer to look for footprints around my window. None. As I turned, I saw it again. This time, he was five feet in front of me, and looking directly at me. He had no face, no skin even, his skull was showing from under the lip of the hood. His hands were all bone, and in his right hand was a 12ft tall scythe. A black fog constantly rolled out from under his long robe, and he pointed the head of his scythe to me. I was unprepared for his words.
"Richard....", he uttered in a low, bellowing voice, "Your fate has found you...."
"W-w-what?" I stammered.
"Come, traverse to the other side."

I didn't wait for him to finish, I bolted across the trailer park, running faster than I had ever before. I continued to sprint ahead, right into the neighboring town. I didn't care where I was going, just as long as it wasn't to the "Other side". Frantically looking for someplace to hide, I saw him again. Down the road among the walking civilians. No one saw him. He didn't move, only pointed to me. I was certain that either he would kill me, or I'd have a heart attack first. I once again began to sprint around the town, just hoping an idea would arise to protect myself. Then, I noticed a church. "Hope Catholic Church" the sign out front read. I rushed inside and looked about. No one was in the benches, no mass was in session. Trotting towards the altar, I recognized the priest of the church. "Please! Please help me!" I cried in fear.
"What is the matter, my son?" the priest replied.
"It's death! He's after me! Please help me!"
"Death?", he chuckled, "Now why would death case after you child?"
"I don't know! First he was at my baseball practice, then he chased-...." My attention was diverted from the conversation to the low, dark voice that interrupted me.
" Why seek refuge in a chapel? Do you think I am unholy? Do you believe me to be a demon?! Foolish child, I am the angel of death!"

The statement shook my to my very core. I was so frightened, I began to cry hysterically. I turned from the priest towards the door, and there was Death again, blocking the only exit. "The act of running from me is not original. Many have tried, all have failed!" he howled. "You are mine....".
"Why? Why me? Why now?!"
"For whom the bell tolls, I decide. Your destination, that is out of my judgement."

He floated closer, almost gliding along the ebony floor. The black fog trailed behind him. As he got closer, I grabbed his robe at the torso and ripped a small chunk off. Now angered, He lifted his blade far above me. I dropped to the floor, on my back, gazing at the wicked scythe.
"What do you see child, what is wrong?!" the priest yelled as he knelt to my side. At the moment, I closed my eyes, and like an oversized guillotine, the blade swooped down at me.

Joe and Helen stood in the morgue of the hospital, weeping on each other's shoulders. The mortician walked out with a chart. "Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Colton, I have the results of the autopsy." Joe looked upon the corpse of his son, laying on a metal table and covered with a large cloth, tears pouring from his eyes
"What the hell happened to our son doc?" he said.
"Well from the reports of the autopsy, your son was very sick."
"From what?" Joe murmured.
"Rabies." the mortician replied. "You son was bitten from an infected animal."
"Rex..." Helen whispered into Joe's ear.
The mortician continued his report. "Your son was infected within a two day period, in which he never ate or drank."
"My son was seen at a church screaming at the air when he died, why?" asked Joe.
"Dehydration. Infected individuals have no desire to drink fluids. Your son was most likely hallucinating from the lack of water." Joe nodded his head in acceptance, and kissed his boy's forehead gently.
"Oh, I almost forgot", said the mortician. "When your son died, he was holding this in his fist." He then held up a scrap of old looking black silk. "Is it of any relation to you?"
Joe shook his head. "No".

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Reviews

Andreea Sep 13, 2012

Thank you, Michael! I can'twait to read it!!! :D

Velma golden Sep 12, 2012

I may have just read the story wrong, read it again, now the end made sense, yes good story please forgive?? Will wait with abated breath for the vampire story, love them, well like anyways keep going,keep writing, good luck.

Michael Sep 14, 2012

lol, no need to apologize. Thanks for the support.

Velma golden Sep 11, 2012

Any more to this story, or was that it, starts out great, but kind of fell at the end. A sequal maybe ?

Michael Sep 12, 2012

Nope, that was it. The torn silk at the end was to say it wasn'treally a hallucination.

Andreea Sep 11, 2012

The end seemed the most interesting to me, but everyone has their own opinions. I would gladly say that it was a really interesting and nice story, and keep writing. ;)

Michael Sep 12, 2012

Thanks, by the way, a vampire story is in and soon to be posted!

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