Horror Stories

The Fifth Floor by Gia P.

I just finished my annual checkup at the doctor’s office. Thankfully, nothing is wrong. I successfully schedule my next appointment at the front desk: July 21st is my next appointment-- only two days from my birthday. I step into the elevator and press the “G1” button (for the ground floor) and the “close doors” button when I notice an old man who is scrambling for his things trying to get to the elevator. I place my hand in between the doors which makes them open up once more. 

“Thank you,” the old man coughs, “I was almost late to my granddaughter's birthday and these rickety old elevators tend to stop on the fifth floor, the building had to call the firefighters to come help open the elevator doors once.”

“No problem, I’m glad to be of service.” I smile.

Sure enough, exactly what the old man had been trying to avoid just happens-- and it happens right on the fifth floor too. I follow my first instinct and pull out my phone, just as I’m punching out the numbers 9-1-1, my phone screen goes black. Worst. Luck. Ever.  

“Do you have your phone on you?” I questioned.

“Phone.” The old man simply stated.

“Yes, do you have your phone?” I repeated. “So I can call 9-1-1.”

He pauses, almost like he doesn’t know what to say. I’m not usually this impatient but I am starting to feel a bit anxious in this broken elevator. He is the one who told me that he had to go to his granddaughter’s birthday party and he seems to have the audacity not to cooperate. Whatever, he’s old and must be hard of hearing. I reason with myself. 

Slowly he adds, “What’s that?”

Baffled. I could almost hear the steam coming out of my ears. What kind of person doesn’t have a phone in the 21st century? I decide patience will be my saving grace.

“Well,” I pause, “Do you have any other device on you?”

“I have a watch.” The old man said. 

I look down at the old man’s right wrist… nothing. I look down to the left, being sure that there would be some kind of calling feature on this man’s watch… nothing. I am mad now. First, he tells me that he doesn’t know what a phone is. Then, he tells me that he has a watch, but his wrists bear nothing. 

“Is your smart watch in your pocket?” I implored.

“No,” The old man replied, “Why would my watch be smart?”

“Um…” I returned.

I’m not even sure what to say to this man right now. I’m pretty sure this is all one giant prank, but if someone with a camera doesn’t pop into this elevator in the next few seconds, I’m going to lose it. He seriously asked me Why would my watch be smart? I’m so done with this. 

I turned to see the old man but he was nowhere to be found. It’s like he disappeared into thin air. That’s so odd. I think to myself. I turn to look at the elevator doors to see if they opened and the old man had simply left. Nothing… Everything was just how it was before, except the old man was gone. How odd.

“Any minute now…” I said to no one. 

The minutes turned into hours as I was impatiently pacing the elevator length. How did the old man get out? I use my better judgment and conclude that he is not in the elevator and there is no possible way that he could have escaped. Then how did he get out? My brain asks.

I feel a shift in the elevator as it wobbles a little bit and then starts heading up. I pressed the down button to get to the ground level of the building so I could leave. Whatever, maybe someone on the top floor called for the elevator. I am so happy that someone has finally called for the elevator.

“About time.” I sigh to myself.

The elevator doors open at the eighth floor of the building-- which was where I got my check-up. I see an old man who has his head down gathering his things and making his way toward the elevator. Another woman, young, comes into the elevator. I wait for the old man to get inside the elevator before closing its doors. The old man lifts his head finally and I catch a good look at his face. That was the old man who was with me in the elevator before-- when it stopped on the fifth floor! 

“Remember me?” He chuckles.

“How did you get out before?” I ask him eagerly. 

He ignores my question and turns to the other woman in the elevator.

“Just a warning,” he paused, “these rickety old elevators sometimes stop on the fifth floor.”

He turns to me with a creepy smile on his face. 

Alone By Eden S.

“Wendy Grace Mitchell, come down here immediately,” yelled Wendy’s mom.

“I’m coming,” exclaimed Wendy, tears rolling down her cheek.

Wendy’s mom continued, “I was looking through your room this morning and I found a dead animal in your closet. Honestly, I don’t know how your father or I can help you. We have decided to send you to a young girls boarding school to teach you how to be a respectable young lady.”

“Please,  Mom, don’t make me go. I promise,” Wendy cried hysterically.

“You will be leaving in two days.  Sorry, sweetie, we don't know what else to do,” her mom uttered softly.

[12 hours later]

“Redrum…Redrum,” the TV whispers, which startled Wendy a bit. She was pleasantly seated on the red couch on the main floor of her house. ALONE. Wendy was used to being alone because her parents were constantly working but she never had gotten comfortable with being ALONE. Most 9-year-olds would cry if they were home alone but she just sat there watching The Shining, a questionable decision. Something about horror movies comforted Wendy in a way that concerned her parents. She knew it was peculiar but she liked being on the edge of her couch. She liked her breath slowly getting faster as the movie came on..until she reached her favorite part: jump scares. Wendy always felt them coming but they never stopped her from springing up as her heart rate doubled in a matter of seconds. 

The problem, she eventually realized, with watching scary films…was you never really felt safe. No matter how unrealistic the movie looked, there was always a voice in Wendy’s brain telling her she was going to get murdered by a guy in a mask like Michael Myers or she was going to get trapped in a house with a psychopath like Jack Torrence. But the worst feeling she got was when she imagined herself as the killer, chills creeping up her spine. 

When people looked at Wendy all they saw was pure innocence. Her short blonde hair curled gently at her shoulders, her soft green eyes, and her tiny figure made her look like an angel. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she could take advantage of her innocent appearance.

Wendy finished her movie and turned off the blaring TV to hear an unfamiliar Tap…Tap…Tap coming from directly above. “It’s all in my mind, it's not real, there is nothing there,” Wendy whispered to comfort herself. 

She took a substantial deep breath and the only thing that could get her mind off the strange sounds was food. Slowly she walked into the kitchen, making sure no one was lurking in the shadows. Since apples were her favorite food she grabbed the biggest one she saw. Crunccccchhhhhhhhh she bit into it, but her satisfaction faded away because of the pain her teeth felt. To fully enjoy it, Wendy opened a drawer to get a knife and shuffled through the drawer but was unable to locate the knife that was always there.

At this point, Wendy started to get tired so she threw out the apple and decided to walk upstairs. She was so tired she almost forgot about the odd sounds from before. She took one unsteady step upstairs to make sure the coast was clear. Instead of hearing more steps and mumbles, she heard radio silence. It was quiet which calmed her and she proceeded to climb upstairs.

As she walked towards her parents' room she noticed a spill on the floor. “It’s probably something I spilled as I was rushing to watch the movie,” she remarked confidently. She walked into her parents' room with caution to lie on their bed and sleep. Jump! Wendy laid in bed and got under the covers comfortably. 

As she got settled she felt something near her leg. It was warm and as soft as a baby. She mumbled, “close your eyes” but it didn't work. An aching feeling crept into her stomach that told her to look under the sheets. Eventually, she gave in and threw the sheets to the side to see what was going on. 

“Is that a body?” she exclaimed in disbelief.  She screamed as she started to hyperventilate. “My parents?” Wendy burst into tears as she stared at her parents' lifeless bodies lying in a cold pool of blood. “HOW? They weren’t supposed to be home. I was the only one home.” Then she remembered the footsteps she heard before; the dreadful realization fell upon her. They were murdered…Wendy trembled while she said, “they’re dead. I’m never going to get to hug, kiss, or tell them I love them again.” 

In an uneasy state, she ran out of the room. She couldn’t breathe or think..all she felt was dull inside. As she walked out she noticed what she thought had been a random spill was actual blood. There was no escape. She was trapped in her worst nightmare, which she’d always feared. 

Wendy went to get her phone from her pocket to call 911 but instead of the phone she felt a sharp sting and saw blood trailing down her finger. She effortlessly took it out and realized it was the missing kitchen knife stained with blood, “What… did I do?”

Red Snow by Akshara K.

The floor was freezing as Elizabeth stepped out of bed. She felt around for the light switch and flicked it on.  Light burst into the room, but it was different.  Instead of the chandelier, a white lantern hung from the ceiling, looking  remarkably like snow.  Instead of a floor, actual ice was shaped into tiles. Where her carpet used to be, there was a blanket of snow. The only thing that stayed the same was her bed, draped with snowflake patterns and blue pillows. 

Her silk nightgown was not meant for such chilling temperatures, but that was the weirdest part. She felt the numbness of the room, but it did not bother her. In fact, it felt normal. This is all a dream, she told herself. How could it not be? Even though it was frigid and icy and wet and it all felt so real, there was no way it could be.

Elizabeth looked out her window. She shrieked. A hooded thing, a large thing, a dark thing, came towards her. And suddenly, Elizabeth vanished from the world. 

***

Maya woke up to her parents screaming. She got out of bed and ran towards them. 

“What? What happened?” Her mom turned, bolted towards her, and wrapped Maya in a huge hug. 

“Oh thank god you’re safe!” she cried. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” But then, Maya turned to see what her father was staring at somberly. Her sister was on the floor, eyes widened. Her pupils had vanished, and her limbs were contorted.  Maya didn’t want to be here. She tore away from her mother and went back to her room, slamming the door shut. 

“Wait!” Her mom cried. “Please, don’t stay there alone!” 

Maya didn’t care. Why would she need to stay safe, when her sister was gone?  When Elizabeth, who she had just been angry at, had died? When she could think of nothing except the fact that it was her fault.  Elizabeth wanted to stay awake all night with her, but Maya wouldn’t listen. If she had, could she have prevented it? The guilt tore her apart, and she didn’t want to leave. Then everything went dark. 

She blinked. Had she fallen asleep?  Maybe.  Probably.  Then she noticed something rather odd. The floor was covered in a white powdery substance.  She touched it.  Snow. How had snow gotten into her room?  It was summer.  Was this a dream?  She walked a few steps before retreating back to her bed, shivering. It felt so real! 

Maya turned suddenly. She heard something. She crept towards the window. Something was staring back at her.  She opened her mouth to scream, “MOM—”. Before she could finish speaking, the thing had somehow gotten into her room. It clamped its hand over her mouth.  It felt surprisingly like a tiny child’s hand.  Then she felt nothing. 

***

“Dad? Mom?” The house was deathly quiet, and this disturbed Brandon. It usually was a chaotic mess of Maya, Elizabeth, Mom, and Dad screaming at each other. This annoyed him so much.  He was never wanted.

He started to wander around. Brandon found his parents in Maya’s room, quietly staring at something inside. He gasped as he saw Maya’s unmoving figure lying on the ground, blood pooling out of her chest. His parents turned at the sound of him, then rushed towards him and embraced Brandon. 

“W-we called the police,” his mom stuttered. “I have no idea h-how this c-could have happened.” 

His dad was quietly sobbing beside her, and he could see both of them shaking.  “We should all stay in the same room,” his dad muttered. “It’ll be safer that way.”

“I just have to go to the bathroom,” Brandon replied. “Then I’ll be right there.”

 In the two minutes that Brandon had taken to go to the bathroom and come back, many things had happened. The police arrived, and they busted down the door when no one responded. They walked into Brandon’s parents’ room to find both of them dead. 

Brandon had gotten out of the bathroom to find the police officers staring at the door with guns ready. “Oh my gosh! Please don’t kill me,” Brandon cried. 

“We’re police officers,” one of the women explained, lowering her gun. “What happened?”

“I had just woken up a few minutes ago. My parents were crying in  Maya’s room. Then they told me both Elizabeth and Maya had died,” Brandon was crying now, huge, fat, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Oh, my. And how did your parents die?”

“My-my parents?” Brandon’s voice shook. 

“Oh, you didn’t see them?” the police officer reached out her hand to comfort Brandon. At that moment, Brandon had sheathed a bloody knife and slipped it into Maya’s pocket. 

The Coat Hanger Man

“I am going to head to bed now,” I exclaimed to my mom.  I quickly got my room ready and fluffed my pillows to my liking. I tiptoed into the bathroom (trying not to disturb my parents.) I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and started my night time routine. SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!  The sound of the faucet turning on.  Shortly after I was done, I changed into my silk pajamas and put on fluffy socks. I turned off my bedroom light and bolted to my bed. I began to gaze at the stars through the window beside my bed.

I started to get super sleepy, so I shut my eyes and tried to rest. A flicker awoke me and I glanced at my old neighbors house. It was extremely outdated. Something didn’t feel quite right.  A sudden bell rang in my head.  Didn’t they move out 5 years ago?  I questioned myself.  How is their bedroom light on? 

“No one has moved in since they moved out.” I stated quietly.  I shuffled down my stairs and quickly alerted my parents. I zoomed out my front door, heading to my neighbors driveway.  I reluctantly knocked on their front door, one knock after another.  KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. 

“Anybody in there?” I yelled.

“What do you want?” I heard from an unfamiliar voice. They didn’t sound very friendly. 

I banged on the door once more, as It effortlessly swung open.  As I walked into the house, I looked around, but didn’t see anything.  Where did that voice come from? I thought to myself.  Down the front hallway, there was a flickering light. It looked like a person was standing in the shadow.  “HELLO?” I shouted as I inched closer to the flickering light.  My palms were sweating as my heart was pounding through my chest.  As I got closer, I realized that it was just a hat, coat, pants, and shoes hanging on a coat hanger. Still feeling petrified, I  immediately began to walk out of the front door. The moment I stepped on the front porch, I felt as if I was being watched. I looked over my left shoulder and saw a man standing where the coat hanger was. I froze as I heard the elderly man yell, “I hope your visit was worth it” as the door instantly slammed shut in my face. The outside lights began to flicker as I sprinted back into my house, jumped into my bed, and got under the covers and closed my eyes. I didn’t sleep at all that night. Till this day, I have never spoken about this with anyone. Every year on the same day, at the same time, I look out my bedroom window and the lights flicker as if the “coat hanger man” is speaking to me. 

Lights Off = Free Candy by Max F.

I’ve always wondered how to get the most candy on Halloween.  The simple answer is going out before everyone else and only going to the people who don't want to go outside and leave a bowl of candy on their porch. Some people will check on you from the inside of their homes to make sure you are only taking one piece of candy. But who really follows that rule?  Usually, people just take the whole bowl, but–trust me–that is not the most efficient way to get candy. For example, the owners of the home might have cameras or be watching you.  That's why you have to go to the houses where the lights are off. When the lights are off, this means that nobody is in the place. Nobody in the house = free candy. 

 Some trick-or-treaters are most gullible when they see candy on a table. If the candy is on the table, that means someone is watching you when you take the candy, even if the lights are off. I have fallen for this trick so many times. Next time you go trick or treating, make sure you watch out for the tricks before you get to the treats.

“Be careful!” my mom said.

“I will,” I said.

My friends were waiting for me, and as soon as I came outside, I felt the crisp air of Halloween night. I absolutely couldn't wait to go trick or treating, the excitement was unbearable. I sprinted out the door and ran to my friends. 

“Hey man, what's up?” Josh said. 

Josh is a spontaneous type of guy. He would just dive into anything without caring about the consequences. This one time, he jumped off a 10-foot high gap between two buildings. Josh didn’t care if he got hurt while pulling these stunts. He was absolutely reckless with his life.

“Nothing much, I'm just excited,” I said.

I had two other friends there, Fred and Patrick. Fred is the most caring out of all of us. He’s the mom of the group.  For instance, he tried to stop Josh from fighting a rabid coyote. He was definitely the most persistent in stopping him. Of course, Patrick and I tried to stop him.  We didn't want our friend to die, but Fred was persistent in protecting Josh from the coyote. Patrick is extremely shy; he won't talk to anyone unless they talk to him multiple times and they seem interested to have a conversation. He also has to trust the person that wants to be friends with him. He gets bullied often in school because of this.

“Want to race to that house near the pole?” I said.

“Obviously,” Josh said.

“Of course,” Patrick said.

“Why not?” Fred said.

“Three, two, one!” I screamed.

I dashed off the pavement. It felt like I was flying. I watched as all my friends faded behind me.  They couldn’t maintain the same speed. It was as if my feet came off the ground. 

“HA HA, you guys lost,” I said.

“It's ok guys. We will probably not catch him next time,” Patrick said.

When I first reached the house, I felt an ominous feeling, like someone was watching me.  I started to walk on the long pathway to the house. The decorations really creeped me out.

“Hey, guys.” I tried to whisper.  “All of the lights are out… free candy!”

We slowly walked up to the door, it read,   ”TAKE ONE PLEASE.”

Clearly, we didn't listen. We immediately took the whole bucket. As soon as we lifted the bucket off the ground, the door opened. Three hulk-like men came out, their bodies bulging at us. Just their presence scared us, of course, we were only 13 and highly intimidated. My initial reaction was to try and talk to them nicely.

“It's not what it looks like,” I said with a shaky voice. All they did was just grunt in a ferocious way. I knew that they could easily break every bone in my body, and tear me from limb to limb. Instead of breaking every bone in my body, one of the men pulled out a remote. The remote had a long antenna and a big red button. As soon as he pushed the red button, there was a green and black portal that opened behind us. They pushed us all into the portal. As I was floating through what looked like a green and black tunnel, I thought about where I would go, or what would happen to me. Would I die? Would I go to another dimension? What would happen?