sunset Park

Suspense Stories | Feb 5, 2013 | 6 min read
36 Votes, average: 3 out of 5
"In other news, the search for 33 year old Monique Dawson is ongoing today. The beloved elementary school teacher and mother of 3 was last seen Tuesday at a nearby park….."
Damn, another missing persons report. This is why I don't watch the news, always something bad going on. Why can't they ever report happy things? Like my win on the courts last night! I was clowning players left and right! It's there fault! They should have known better that to take me on, and now they running home to momma with their tails tucked between their legs. All but one at least, talking about he wants a rematch tonight, oh well might as well give em what they want, he'll know soon enough that challenging me was a mistake.
"Man I told you you wasn't gonna win! Go ahead and admit I spanked that ass all up and down this court!" my opponent gives me this look of irritation as he slumps away. "Whatever man, my game was off... next time-" "Nah, no next time" I tell him "Now get off my court! You aint worthy to touch a basketball." I didn't mean to hurt his pride but man that felt good! I don't know why I get so much pleasure from others failures but I just can't help it he brought it on himself anyways. Making me stay at this gym longer than I usually do, trying to make an example outta me. Bet he wasn't expecting to get schooled today. Damn its past nine, the city isn't the safest place when it comes to walking home at night; I'll just take the short cut.
Shit its chilly out, I should have brought a jacket. Night air has crispiness to it, the type of air that makes you want to burry your face beneath your shoulders. It's not my first time taking this route home but I've never done it at night. "Sunset Park" The Park that I've crossed through many times before now has an ominous feel to it. The trees that I would be so attracted to during the day because of the refreshing shade, now have an eerie sort of "don't come any closer" type atmosphere. "Park hours: 6am to 7pm. PLEASE DON'T ENTER AFTER DARK." The sign caught my attention but it's mostly meant for teenagers trying to make adults out of themselves. I'll just stay on the lighted sidewalk and pick up the pace, besides I'm only passing through and if I've learned anything from horror movies it's to always stay on the lighted path.
Almost out of the park thank god! Just a few more quick strides and I'll be on the, "help me!"… The sound is faint but I hear it, it makes me stop dead in my tracks. I turn and look behind me but see nothing. Nothing but the dimly lit path I was just on and the ominous sway of the trees in the night air. Maybe I'm hearing shit, my mind playing tricks on me. I turn and begin walking in the direction home, until I hear it again. "Please help me!" it's a woman's voice. I know I should turn and run but I was always taught me to help any woman in need. "Hello? Where are you?" I call out to her. "Please! Please help me!" the voice is more prominent now but still I see nothing. Every bone in my body is screaming at me to retreat, I ignore every one of them and take a tentative step in the direction of the voice.
Can't believe I'm doing this, I'm going to be just like those stupid people that go looking in places they shouldn't and end up getting their throats sliced open. "Are you hurt? I can't see you" I yell out to her as I take a couple slow and shaky steps further into the park, "please… HES COMING!" the phrase makes me choke on my own spit. That's it! I'm done! Fuck it! I know better than to get myself caught up, ill book it home and call the police from there. I begin walking backwards for fear that something may grab me if I turn around, then strangely everything goes silent. I can no longer hear the voice or the wind in the trees, not even the sound of cars on the distant highway. I look to my right and see a dense fog rolling out from under the trees. Before I could even react the fog engulfs me, so thick I can barely see the shoes on my feet! I panic and bolt in the opposite direction but the fog makes it impossible to know what direction I'm going, "He's coming…. HES COMING!" I hear her as if she's right alongside me, tears pool in my eyes as I struggle to run as fast as I can out of this nightmare, the substance under my feet change and I realize I'm running on grass, knowing I've left the comport of the paved lighted path sends dread through my entire being. I run faster than my body can comprehend, pain shoots through my lungs as I struggle to breathe, my legs begin to feel weak as if they will give out at any second, fearing I can no longer hold my stride, I begin to hear the sound of footsteps rushing up behind me. The fog still so heavy I can't tell my left from my right, I run as hard as my body will allow in a direction unknown. The footsteps getting louder now and a low growl follows it, not an animal type growl but a dying old man type groan. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream as my feet suddenly loose traction and I tumble and fall down a gorge, face first onto a pile of what I think are leaves until I see a pair of blue eyes staring back at me!
"Ahhhh!" I retreat quickly away from that frozen face, breathing heavily I try to comprehend what I've just seen. I lean closer, the fog dissipating just enough for me to see it, to see her, not moving and pale. "Run! GET UP AND RUN!" I hear her voice but her lips don't move. I don't bother to try and understand, I get to my feet and poise my body to make a break for it until I feel this intense pain, pain like I've never felt before, piercing through my right shoulder. It makes me topple to the ground; I try to make sense of it until I feel another blow through my lower back. I let out a low agonizing moan; I begin to taste something warm and metallic pooling in my mouth. I struggle to get to my feet only to be brought down by another intense hit to the back of my neck. The cold hard object leaves me crippled and struggling for air. I attempt to turn around and see my attacker, with my vision fading all I make out is a shadow. I lay down face first with my head turned next to that frozen face, her features become more distinguishable, I realize that I recognize this woman. "I know you…" I say, "Dawson, Monique Dawson." I close my eyes knowing that my name will now replace hers on the 5 o'clock news. Vision fading further, everything becomes blurry. I can feel my chest getting heavier as my breathing becomes more labored. As I can feel myself drifting away I hear another voice, not female and strangely familiar, I listen with my last breath. "Guess my game was on tonight." He says, "Told you I'd get you next time."

Tags:

  
Report This Story
Notice (8): Undefined index: User [APP/View/stories/story.ctp, line 227]
Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/stories/story.ctp, line 227]

Recommendations

Reviews

Download the Short Story Lovers App

Read and write stories anytime, anywhere with the Short Story Lovers app