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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Crime
- Published: 01/07/2022
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I had a lot on my mind this particular day, so I thought a stroll through the woods just before dusk was a good invite. Thinking I was all by myself to reflect on my own thoughts I suddenly hear happy laughter and talking and realized I'm not alone. A girl is giggling off in the distance. Listening closely, I think I recognize the voices though I'm not completely sure. Instinctively I duck behind a century's old oak tree, sliding out of sight so I'm not seen by the approaching couple as they slowly walk in my direction. Soon the laughter abruptly stops. There's total silence except for a caw from a crow in a nearby tree. Do I dare peek? As I think, Ya, maybe just a little peek, I hear a piercing scream. I have to look. I must look. Gripping the deep grooves and ridges of the sturdy oak I crouch down around the trunk of the tree. I squint through the penetrating sunlight to see what caused the shrilling scream. To my surprise I see two people I know very well! I recognize the man as John the preacher of the church I attend. The girl is my dear friend Kathleen who also attends the same church.
I look in time to see John savagely stabbing her. With both hands gripping the handle of a long-bladed knife he stabs her with such intense power. He just keeps stabbing and stabbing. After his rampage he gracefully takes his knife and carefully wipes off her blood on her blouse. He then lets out a loud tremulous sigh and laughs a hideous laugh. Slowly he turns and looks in my direction. I quickly dash behind the tree. Oh, please God don't let him see me. Casually he begins walking toward me but then takes a sharp turn to the left, back in the direction from which they had approached.
I wait until I think it is safe to leave, then I quickly dash back to my car. No one is in sight as I drive off towards the impending sunset. With my body shaking and tears rolling down my face it's difficult to see. I play over and over in my mind what had just happened. Did he really kill Kathleen? Oh my God, Kathleen. I've got to go back. She may still be alive. But will John be in the woods? Did he see me, and will he be waiting for me? I have to go back for Kathleen's sake.
Making a U-turn in the road, I head back to the woods where the tragic incident occurred. Slowly, I pull back down the two tracks, park the car and head back through the forest. Arriving at the area where I sensed death occurred, I expect to see a body. It's gone. Where is the body? Maybe she is still alive. Did she go for cover somewhere? I begin calling her name then hesitate. John may still be here in these woods somewhere.
Cautiously I race back to my car. Reaching for my cell phone, I see that it's dead. Damn, if only I had my phone charger, I could call for help. Don't sweat it now girl, just get to the cops. I begin heading to the police department in hopes of explaining to someone what I had just witnessed. Will they believe me?
Bang, flap, thump, thump. “Dam, you have got to be kidding me. A freakin flat tire. Couldn't have happened at a better time,” I mumble to myself. Hastily I pull over. It's still daylight but dusk is drawing near. After all that has happened, I am acutely aware of my surroundings. Squirrels are scampering across the forest floor. Pheasants are spooked into flying. There are sounds of crunching leaves. Branches bow to the whistling breeze that cuts through the forest foliage. Branches and sticks crack. Hearing all sorts of noises, I will myself to tune out the sounds and concentrate on getting the tire changed. Without delay I open the trunk. A scream escapes my lips. Kathleen's bloody and mangled body is sprawled out on my black rubber trunk mat. I'm so shaky and off balance I feel as though I'm going to faint. An uneasy feeling overcomes me just before I fall to the ground. I'm knocked out cold.
When I regain consciousness, I feel a knot on the side of my head. That must be what's causing my throbbing headache. Oh, shit, John must have hit me with something. Reality starts to come into light. Next thing I know I feel a sense of darkness and dampness. My body rolls up against something. Looking in the darkness I see it is Kathleen. Stifling an impending cry, I sense movement. Oh shit. We are moving. John must be behind the wheel. Where is he taking me? I have got to get out of here. Strategy, I must come up with a strategy to get out of this mess I'm in. Concentrating, I notice I'm not tied up. My hands and feet are free. He must have just thrown me in the trunk when he knocked me out. That's a good thing. Feeling around for something I can use as a weapon, I find nothing. No tire iron, no cans of anything, no jumper cables, nothing. Shit! I must catch him off guard. Run when I get the chance. My thoughts are jumbled. Clear your head girl. You must think straight. Be on your game girl. Plan and execute.
Suddenly, I feel the car slow to stop. Mind don't fail me now. Plan. Execute. My heart is racing as I hear the slam of a car door. Footsteps propel down the side of the car toward the back of the trunk. Get ready. I hear a key being placed in the keyhole. Abruptly the truck opens. I lurch at him with both feet as hard as I can. He stumbles to the ground, blood spewing from his face. My body falters from the trunk, crashing to the ground. Standing up quickly and gaining back control I run toward the woods.
Turning around I see that he is close on my tail. His voice echos through the condensed forest. “Sarah, I'm coming for you. You cannot hide from me!” I gasp as those words beat in my head. Not watching where I'm going, I trip over a fallen log. A piece of stick embeds in my leg. I cry out in agony. Blood spurts from the wound.
In the sunlight I see something glistening. I look to see John standing over me with his knife in hand. I roll away just in time to see the shiny silver blade strike the log. He screams out in anger. “I will kill you!”
As he struggles with the knife, I find the opportunity to grab a large sturdy branch and strike him over the back of his head. This causes him to stumble sideways and become unsteady, but not for long. Running deeper into the woods I find an area which is deeply overgrown with lots of trees and brush. A good place to rest and catch my breath.
He continues to run after me, but without the knife. “I can kill you with my bare hands. Don't need that damn knife to do the job!” he shouts. I head into the deep thicket and out of sight temporarily. I'm in such excruciating pain from the stick in my leg that I'm not sure how much further I can run. Deciding that it must come out, I grit my teeth and hold my breath. Grasping the twig, I pull as hard as I can. It slowly releases from its flesh. Blood gushes from the deep hole. Quickly tearing off my shirt I tightly wrap it around my leg. Got to stop the bleeding, therefore stopping my trail of blood so the human bloodhound can't smell it.
“Sarah?” I hear him call. His voice is drifting off further into the woods. Somehow his sense of direction is hampered as he heads further out of my reach. I begin navigating back through the woods. Retracing my steps back to that old dead chunk of timber. Oh my God, I see it. Slowly I make my way to the log, ducking in and out behind trees as not to be spotted. Shit, it's embedded deep within the meat of the log. Gripping the knife firmly I pull with all the strength I can conjure up. It doesn't budge. I place a foot of my good leg against the log and jerk harder. “Please God give me strength.” I mumble as the blade slowly slides from the bowels of the log.
Not wasting any time, I head back into the woods. Death is my mission. John will not walk out of these woods. He will die a terrible death as he killed my friend. I know these woods. A small creek flows through this part of the wilderness. Maybe he went towards the water for a drink or to rinse his wounds. It's worth a look.
The rage within me is spiking out of control. I must keep my composure. He has to die before he has a chance to get to me. I must not fail.
When I reach the riverbank, he is knelt down by the water's edge. As I approach him, I see that he's splashing his face with cool water and babbling about how he's going to kill me. Sneaking up behind him, I am his element of surprise. Like a deadly killer, I raise my arms with the knife clutched tightly within my hands. With a strong downward thrust, I drive the blade deep into his back. His flesh tears open. He screams out in what I assume is intense pain. With no success, he reaches up and around his body with both hands trying to grip the object of his pain. He twists three times then falls to the ground. I lie on the ground next to him. Gripping a hand full of his hair, I jerk his head toward me. Looking into his eyes I whisper, “You killed my friend Kathleen. You tried to kill me. The tables have turned. You sealed your own fate. Now you die.”
He tried to say something but couldn't. He tried to reach for my neck but couldn't. He took his last breath as I stayed glared into his eyes.
Murder Times Two(Shelly Garrod)
I had a lot on my mind this particular day, so I thought a stroll through the woods just before dusk was a good invite. Thinking I was all by myself to reflect on my own thoughts I suddenly hear happy laughter and talking and realized I'm not alone. A girl is giggling off in the distance. Listening closely, I think I recognize the voices though I'm not completely sure. Instinctively I duck behind a century's old oak tree, sliding out of sight so I'm not seen by the approaching couple as they slowly walk in my direction. Soon the laughter abruptly stops. There's total silence except for a caw from a crow in a nearby tree. Do I dare peek? As I think, Ya, maybe just a little peek, I hear a piercing scream. I have to look. I must look. Gripping the deep grooves and ridges of the sturdy oak I crouch down around the trunk of the tree. I squint through the penetrating sunlight to see what caused the shrilling scream. To my surprise I see two people I know very well! I recognize the man as John the preacher of the church I attend. The girl is my dear friend Kathleen who also attends the same church.
I look in time to see John savagely stabbing her. With both hands gripping the handle of a long-bladed knife he stabs her with such intense power. He just keeps stabbing and stabbing. After his rampage he gracefully takes his knife and carefully wipes off her blood on her blouse. He then lets out a loud tremulous sigh and laughs a hideous laugh. Slowly he turns and looks in my direction. I quickly dash behind the tree. Oh, please God don't let him see me. Casually he begins walking toward me but then takes a sharp turn to the left, back in the direction from which they had approached.
I wait until I think it is safe to leave, then I quickly dash back to my car. No one is in sight as I drive off towards the impending sunset. With my body shaking and tears rolling down my face it's difficult to see. I play over and over in my mind what had just happened. Did he really kill Kathleen? Oh my God, Kathleen. I've got to go back. She may still be alive. But will John be in the woods? Did he see me, and will he be waiting for me? I have to go back for Kathleen's sake.
Making a U-turn in the road, I head back to the woods where the tragic incident occurred. Slowly, I pull back down the two tracks, park the car and head back through the forest. Arriving at the area where I sensed death occurred, I expect to see a body. It's gone. Where is the body? Maybe she is still alive. Did she go for cover somewhere? I begin calling her name then hesitate. John may still be here in these woods somewhere.
Cautiously I race back to my car. Reaching for my cell phone, I see that it's dead. Damn, if only I had my phone charger, I could call for help. Don't sweat it now girl, just get to the cops. I begin heading to the police department in hopes of explaining to someone what I had just witnessed. Will they believe me?
Bang, flap, thump, thump. “Dam, you have got to be kidding me. A freakin flat tire. Couldn't have happened at a better time,” I mumble to myself. Hastily I pull over. It's still daylight but dusk is drawing near. After all that has happened, I am acutely aware of my surroundings. Squirrels are scampering across the forest floor. Pheasants are spooked into flying. There are sounds of crunching leaves. Branches bow to the whistling breeze that cuts through the forest foliage. Branches and sticks crack. Hearing all sorts of noises, I will myself to tune out the sounds and concentrate on getting the tire changed. Without delay I open the trunk. A scream escapes my lips. Kathleen's bloody and mangled body is sprawled out on my black rubber trunk mat. I'm so shaky and off balance I feel as though I'm going to faint. An uneasy feeling overcomes me just before I fall to the ground. I'm knocked out cold.
When I regain consciousness, I feel a knot on the side of my head. That must be what's causing my throbbing headache. Oh, shit, John must have hit me with something. Reality starts to come into light. Next thing I know I feel a sense of darkness and dampness. My body rolls up against something. Looking in the darkness I see it is Kathleen. Stifling an impending cry, I sense movement. Oh shit. We are moving. John must be behind the wheel. Where is he taking me? I have got to get out of here. Strategy, I must come up with a strategy to get out of this mess I'm in. Concentrating, I notice I'm not tied up. My hands and feet are free. He must have just thrown me in the trunk when he knocked me out. That's a good thing. Feeling around for something I can use as a weapon, I find nothing. No tire iron, no cans of anything, no jumper cables, nothing. Shit! I must catch him off guard. Run when I get the chance. My thoughts are jumbled. Clear your head girl. You must think straight. Be on your game girl. Plan and execute.
Suddenly, I feel the car slow to stop. Mind don't fail me now. Plan. Execute. My heart is racing as I hear the slam of a car door. Footsteps propel down the side of the car toward the back of the trunk. Get ready. I hear a key being placed in the keyhole. Abruptly the truck opens. I lurch at him with both feet as hard as I can. He stumbles to the ground, blood spewing from his face. My body falters from the trunk, crashing to the ground. Standing up quickly and gaining back control I run toward the woods.
Turning around I see that he is close on my tail. His voice echos through the condensed forest. “Sarah, I'm coming for you. You cannot hide from me!” I gasp as those words beat in my head. Not watching where I'm going, I trip over a fallen log. A piece of stick embeds in my leg. I cry out in agony. Blood spurts from the wound.
In the sunlight I see something glistening. I look to see John standing over me with his knife in hand. I roll away just in time to see the shiny silver blade strike the log. He screams out in anger. “I will kill you!”
As he struggles with the knife, I find the opportunity to grab a large sturdy branch and strike him over the back of his head. This causes him to stumble sideways and become unsteady, but not for long. Running deeper into the woods I find an area which is deeply overgrown with lots of trees and brush. A good place to rest and catch my breath.
He continues to run after me, but without the knife. “I can kill you with my bare hands. Don't need that damn knife to do the job!” he shouts. I head into the deep thicket and out of sight temporarily. I'm in such excruciating pain from the stick in my leg that I'm not sure how much further I can run. Deciding that it must come out, I grit my teeth and hold my breath. Grasping the twig, I pull as hard as I can. It slowly releases from its flesh. Blood gushes from the deep hole. Quickly tearing off my shirt I tightly wrap it around my leg. Got to stop the bleeding, therefore stopping my trail of blood so the human bloodhound can't smell it.
“Sarah?” I hear him call. His voice is drifting off further into the woods. Somehow his sense of direction is hampered as he heads further out of my reach. I begin navigating back through the woods. Retracing my steps back to that old dead chunk of timber. Oh my God, I see it. Slowly I make my way to the log, ducking in and out behind trees as not to be spotted. Shit, it's embedded deep within the meat of the log. Gripping the knife firmly I pull with all the strength I can conjure up. It doesn't budge. I place a foot of my good leg against the log and jerk harder. “Please God give me strength.” I mumble as the blade slowly slides from the bowels of the log.
Not wasting any time, I head back into the woods. Death is my mission. John will not walk out of these woods. He will die a terrible death as he killed my friend. I know these woods. A small creek flows through this part of the wilderness. Maybe he went towards the water for a drink or to rinse his wounds. It's worth a look.
The rage within me is spiking out of control. I must keep my composure. He has to die before he has a chance to get to me. I must not fail.
When I reach the riverbank, he is knelt down by the water's edge. As I approach him, I see that he's splashing his face with cool water and babbling about how he's going to kill me. Sneaking up behind him, I am his element of surprise. Like a deadly killer, I raise my arms with the knife clutched tightly within my hands. With a strong downward thrust, I drive the blade deep into his back. His flesh tears open. He screams out in what I assume is intense pain. With no success, he reaches up and around his body with both hands trying to grip the object of his pain. He twists three times then falls to the ground. I lie on the ground next to him. Gripping a hand full of his hair, I jerk his head toward me. Looking into his eyes I whisper, “You killed my friend Kathleen. You tried to kill me. The tables have turned. You sealed your own fate. Now you die.”
He tried to say something but couldn't. He tried to reach for my neck but couldn't. He took his last breath as I stayed glared into his eyes.
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Lillian Kazmierczak
01/15/2022Wow, that was intense. I was riveted, engaged until the last slice. That was really good. Congratulations on short story star of the day!
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Shelly Garrod
01/16/2022Oh, that you so very much Lillian. I'm glad you liked the story. My goal for this story was to try to throw in suspense as much as I could.
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Gerald R Gioglio
01/15/2022Wow, scary and intense. Composure under 'mad minutes.' Yikes. Nice work, Jerry
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Kevin Hughes
01/15/2022Yikes! Shelly I agree with the rest of the thread on this one...and I don't like violence! But that bastard got what he deserved...and I am glad she stared at him to his last breath.
Congratulations on a well earned StoryStar of the Day.Smiles, Kevin
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Shelly Garrod
01/15/2022Oh wow Kevin thank you for your awesome comments. I know by reading your stories this is not up your alley but I am really glad you enjoyed the story.
I was very surprised my story was chosen for Story Star of the Day. I'm very grateful and thankful. Thank you Kevin.
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Shirley Smothers
01/15/2022Intense and scarry. I probably would have died in these woods. Did feel like I was there.
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Shelly Garrod
01/15/2022Thank you for your kind comments, Shirley. Glad you enjoyed the story. I agree. If I were in those woods I would have very well died to!
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Shelly Garrod
01/15/2022Thank you so much Christopher. I enjoyed writing this story. Glad you liked it. This was a fun one to write. I wanted to dig in a little deeper and bring out some suspense!
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JD
01/14/2022That was a wild ride! Thanks for sharing this action-crime-horror story on Storystar, Shelly. Happy short story STAR of the day! :-)
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JD
01/15/2022I think you achieved your goal, Shelly! And the other writers who read and commented on your story all seem to agree, too! Well done! :-)
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Shelly Garrod
01/15/2022Oh, thank you so much JD for choosing my story for short story Star of the day. It was a wonderful surprise, which I didn't expect. This was a fun story to write. My goal was for it to be filled with plenty of suspense. Happy you enjoyed reading the story.
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COMMENTS (9)