“What better way to enjoy Halloween than to share scary stories.” – Bryce Ward 10/31/2020

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful day of spooks and scares! As for myself, I have a little story to share with you. A tale of a monster that bends your very thoughts and makes you question if what you see is truly real or just a figment of your imagination.

Song of The False Hydra

“Ah, ha! And we are in!” Exclaimed the Gnome as the lock on the door clicked open. “Bout time! Let’s get inside. This town is giving me the creeps.” Said the Dwarf as he pushed the Gnome into the small townhouse slamming the door closed behind him. “Careful, Beldrick! I don’t like it any more than you do, but we still need to be careful. Someone could still be here,” said the Gnome. “Quit worrying so much, Thea. The place looks like no one has been here in ages,” remarked Beldrick as he brushed off a thick layer of dust off the nearby bookshelf. The pair walked carefully through the short hallway into a small dining room. The room could comfortably fit a family of four; however, it looked as though no one had eaten here in some time. On the table were bits of scrap wood and something bonded in leather.

“Hey, look a journal!” Observed Thea as she jumped onto a chair to grab the book off the dinner table. “What’s it say, Thea? Perhaps a clue as to what happened to here?” Asked Beldrick. Thea begins to read aloud. “I went out to the shop to cover for Nickson today, and I noticed something rather strange. Our neighbor from across the street Bella, seemed to trip over thin air! She hit the cobblestone rather badly, but she just got up and walked off as if nothing happened! I will have to tell Pia that when she gets home from the stables today. Also, I keep hearing a weird noise everywhere I go. Good thing I keep my journal on me all the time. Helps me keep track of things. Side note on the way home, I should pick up some flowers from the market for Pia.” “What a kind lad,” remarks Beldrick. Thea rolls her eyes and continues reading aloud. “Something odd is going on. Pia came home from work today, saying something’s got all the animals down in the stables spooked. A few horses got loose and sprinted out of town! Pia said it’s a wonder that she and the owner have managed to keep the place under wraps with just the two of them. I could have sworn that the old man had a crew of five helping him. Thea included. P.s. that noise I keep hearing is still going on. It sounds like singing. It’s faint, but I can barely hear it. I asked Pia about it, but she said that I am imagining things.”

“Any idea as to what could have frightened off them horses?” Asks Beldrick. “No, Beldrick. I have no idea. Let me keep reading,” replied Thea. “That dam singing is getting louder, and it’s keeping me awake at night! At this rate, I am going to have to plug my ears before going to sleep. Pia is getting concerned. I asked her this morning if she was going to visit Bella today for tea, but she gave me this confused look as if I was going mad. Pia said she didn’t know Bella, and when I pointed out that Bella lived right across the street, Pia told me that no one has lived in that house for years. She thinks I am losing it, and I fear she may be right, but my gut says something is very wrong. Maybe I am just not getting enough sleep. I plan to plug my ears tonight to see if that helps with the singing I keep hearing.”

“I wonder what is making that singing. Perhaps its source may have something to do with what happened here? What do you think, Thea?” “I think you may be right, Beldrick,” answered Thea. Thea turns the page and reads the last entry. “She’s gone. Pia is gone. Last night I put those plugs in my ears. As I left the washroom to join Pia in bed, I froze. I saw a large head looking at me from outside the bedroom. Pia got out of bed and went to open the window. I couldn’t stop her in time. The beast swallowed her whole. Now she is gone. I dare not leave my home. I can see the monster everywhere. Its heads reach all over town. There are no people outside. Just that creature, and it’s looking at me. I fear I may be the last one left, and it knows that I know where I am.”

“That seems to be the last of it,” says Thea looking up from the book to where her partner stood only moments ago. Blood drops down onto her forehead. Thea looks up towards the roof and lets out a scream as the Hydra’s head consumes her whole.

Thank You!

Hey, thank you for reading this week’s post. I had a lot of fun writing this short story and I plan on creating more short stories in the coming months. Let me know if there is any way that I can improve upon in my story telling. Happy Halloween and if you have any scary stories you would like to share please put them down in the comments!

Thank you again for your time and for reading this post!

Have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,

-Bryce Ward