...Nick was driving while drunk and the raindrops were beating on his car. When he looked out his window, he saw a beautiful woman wearing a long white dress and a large brimmed hat. He stopped his car and asked her why she was walking in the rain. She responded “Come with me” and she cast her spells on him causing him to follow her into the forest. While following her, she suddenly disappeared...

Excerpt: A. Wallace (2)

...That night she shapeshifted and shed her old, wrinkled skin and put it in the grey mortar behind the bush and transformed into her true form as a fireball and flew over the houses under the dark sky. She entered Flora’s house through the creak on the wall eager for Flora’s grand-daughter, Selena’s blood...

Excerpt: A. Rampersad (2)

...My chest feels as though it’s caving into itself, my heartbeat jumping into my ear to cause me a headache in an attempt to slow me down. I have to ignore it, ALL of it. The chains. The chains. They are approaching. Ever so sooner. The chains are coming. To hang me. To feed on me. To kill me. To skin me alive, leaving me just a pile of muscles. The chains. The chains. The chains. The rattling is making me go insane...

Excerpt: E. Richards (2)

...“In the dead of night, when everyone is asleep, skin is shed, and a ball of flames emerge from underneath. In a mortar, the skin stays, until the Soucouyant returns from feeding off its prey. To kill it, is not impossible. Sprinkle salt on its skin, or throw rice on your floor, it’s destined to die by morn’ for sure.”  John closed the book and turned his head towards his fear-stricken brothers...

Excerpt: K. Thomas (2)

...I felt a tug on my sleeve I knew it was Olivia and I looked around and she was pale white and pointing above us. And that’s when I saw it. A white figure that seemed to touch the heavens towered over us. I stood planted to the path, I tried to scream but I couldn’t. Long slender fingers and colossal legs that were taller that a tree...

Excerpt: K. Steele (2)

 ...The Bookman is a different form of the devil. The Bookman wore Tudor-style pants, or a richly embroidered gown made of velvet and satin, a  fluted bodice, and a flowing cape with biblical scenes. On his head is an oversized head mask which contained small horns and carried a demonic expression...

Excerpt: N. Uliem (2)

...As they approached the river, he kept hearing her chuckle and laugh wickedly. Nervously, he turned around and noticed that she vanished! “Excuse me, excuse me ma’am. Where are you?” he asked. Her laugh grew louder and echoed into the atmosphere while Rajesh sprinted to get out but couldn’t find a way...

Excerpt: P. Siew (2)

...“Eeeroooollll…” a voice emanated from the trees. Errol looked up with recognition splashed across his face. His father had come to look for him! He was about to get up and rush to the source of the voice when he froze. A huge feeling of foreboding weighed on his shoulders...

Excerpt: S. Ramdass (2)

...She seemed soulless, yet she bore a burden that obviously afflicted her at her core. Her eyes of coal represented her lost spirit. Someone that was once amazed with the wonders of life now forced to only see a grey monotone; the innocent and the guilty. Both of her faces held their truth, an irrefutable femme fatale and a girl whose light was stripped away...

Excerpt: JM. Pierre (3)

...This “workman” knew all the steps and specific measures taken to set him free and retrieve his shadow permanently. Now, he must head over to a special river to address the waters, pleading for the utter restoration of his missing shadow. Once this is done, the man must take his leave immediately, and, do like the stereotypical horror stories and movies, not look back...

Excerpt: K. Ali (3)

...He wanted something new with his life. Buckley’s father always reprimanded him during training. He never enjoyed the sessions. Besides, Buckley already mastered the art of “serving” at a ripe age. He could kill anyone with his bare hands with such elegance and poise but it wasn’t his dream. He thought that he could be a dancer or a performer but his appearance was quite hideous so he nipped it in the bud...

Excerpt: A. Alexander (4)

...I took out my cigarettes finally deciding to smoke as I watched her coming toward me in awe. That’s when I noticed something strange. As soon as I opened the cigarette packet, I saw her stop to gasp then quickly start running toward me. Something was off with the way she was running, but I was unable to put a finger on what was disturbing about it...

Excerpt: C. Pollard (4)

...In all his life, Derek had never seen a more beautiful woman and was instantly drawn by her beauty. He placed his basket of mangoes on the ground and proceeded to cross the road since he thought to himself that he had to get a closer look. Because her dress was very long, he didn’t notice that she had only one human foot and the other was a hoof...

Excerpt: J. Pierre (4)

...With greed and thirst on his mind, the lagahoo heeded to the squeam, feeble whimpers. Little did he know it was a trap set by another soul-devourer. This other group of soul feeders were called douens, souls of children who died before being baptized. They would come at night crying and whimpering near the villagers’ houses and it happened that night that their cries fascinated the lagahoo. By the time he had caught on it was too late, he was already stuck in the patch of torture...

Excerpt: K. Paiplal (4)

...A cracking sound was heard as he struggled and gasped for air and not too long after, released a cry of pain. Sweat dripped from his face followed by a coughing fit of blood as it rolled down his chin and stained the gravel carpet beneath him. The phantom released him and he began wavering towards us before tripping on his own feet, face-first onto the road...

Excerpt: S. Panchoo (4)

KHALIYAH SEALEY “Mama Dlo”

The wind coming off the cold, moon-lit river turned my thoughts inward and the stench as the water bubbled and churned reminded me of dead and decaying things. The trees surrounding the river swayed from left to right in the late evening breeze and I could hear the soothing hoot of the owls that lived in the trees beyond the river. Normally, these sounds would lull me to sleep but tonight I was eager to hear Granddad’s story again. I turned to him and smiled at his half closed eyes. He looked as if he were reliving his old days.

 “Yes my little one?” he asked

I begged him to unfold his tale once more. Then polishing his spectacles, he nodded.

“Back then we were avid hunters.” he began. “Jonesy and I were tracking the blue tailed wild parrot and what we saw that day would stay with me until the day I die.”

As Granddad drew breath,  a gust of wind blew and the oil lamp above us fell. In shock, I leapt out of my chair. Granddad  sat on as if nothing had happened. After I set the lamp upright, he continued.

“While tracking the bird we came upon the clearest pond we had ever seen. Jonesy was ahead in the gloomy distance. I followed cautiously. Suddenly he called softly to me,

     “Come here quick, look at this!” “When I came into the clearing I could see a neon green shimmer emanating from the depths of a pool in the middle of the forest.” All around the pool tendrils hung like a curtain and cast eerie shadows on the pool. 

“I cautiously inched towards Jonesy. We both leaned over the pond and…..”        

“Whoosh!! Out came the most beautiful woman we had ever seen!”  

She was achingly beautiful. Her eyes, glowing with sensual intent were as green as the surrounding forest. She wore a bikini top but her bottom half was hidden under the misty water. The water ran off her exposed flesh as though she was oiled and her long, dark hair was tangled with debris from the pond.” 

“Jonesy, breathless, stood transfixed and I was rooted to the spot.”

“Then Jonesy took a few steps closer to the mysterious ‘pond lady’. A flash of green and Jonesy was gone…My heart galloped in my chest. I couldn't believe what had happened. Where once she stood was now a few ever widening ripples. I felt a quiver run through my sweat drenched body.

My mind was frazzled. I backed frantically away from the pool, looking left to right. Then I remembered the story of another hunter. I took off my left shoe, placed it upside down on the ground and immediately started walking backwards all the way home.”

Grand-dad paused. I shifted. The wind had risen. I could hear the distant sounds of wild dogs beyond the river.

“We should go inside,” Grand-dad said but neither of us moved.

“So Granddad?” I quietly asked, “Why didn’t anyone look for Mr.Jonesy?” He replied, “My dear child, no one believed my story.” 

That didn’t satisfy my curiosity. So I asked another question.  

“Granddaddy, why do we live by a river?”  

He pretended not to hear my question so I repeated it, but he did not reply. I decided to ask one final question. 

  “Grandpa why have I never met Grandma?” 

His eyes filled with fright as he frantically searched my green ones. He sighed deeply. The wind had risen and my long dark hair whipped about my face and neck as I stood up. But he never answered. 

HAILEY JONES “The Douens”

My parents were never the richest, but they still tried their best to provide for my family. With 3 children, a baby and my frail grandmother, it was hard for them to provide for everyone. Despite this, there was never a dull moment in my family. After lunch, my grandmother would always tell my siblings and I stories about the things she saw and did as a child. We looked forward to hearing these stories everyday. We would sit around her as she sat in her rocking chair and listen intently to what she had to say.

Today, she was telling us a story about something called douens. “A legendary little creature, the douen is the spirit of a child who died before it was baptized and it now wanders in the forest, with its feet turned backwards, its big head covered with a large mushroom-shaped hat so that its face is not seen. Its main goal, luring children who aren’t baptized into the forest until they are led astray” she explained “In order to entice them, they change their voices into loved ones and carry you deeper in the forest, but listen carefully because they also make a hooting between calls. If you hear that, don’t follow their voices, turn around and run.”  

          “How do you get away from them?” I asked her, intrigued but scared, “It is said that you should never call a child's name in open places for the douens will then, in turn, call the child's name to attract them away into the forest, never to return,” she responded. I began shaking and covered my ears not wanting to hear anymore. “OHHHH ALLEN IS SCARED,” my twin sister, Alice laughed. I just shook my head aggressively, not trusting my voice but this only caused her to laugh even louder. How could I not be scared?? We lived in a small house surrounded by forests and we were all not baptized. “Come on guys, it’s been a while since we ate, let’s go outside and play hide and seek,” my elder brother, Nick said trying to distract me from the story. Alice agreed but I was hesitant, not wanting to be left out, or made fun of later, I reluctantly agreed telling myself that I’ll hide with one of my siblings. We all ran to hide while Nick counted. I immediately ran after Alice but she realized what I was doing and screamed my name telling me to hide on my own. After a few rounds of the game, I forgot all about the story and it was my turn to count.

“Allen,” I heard a faint voice, which sounded like my sister’s, call. “Allen,” the voice called again but this time louder so I ran towards it. “This was going to be such an easy catch,” I laughed to myself. “Don’t follow their voices if you hear them calling,” my grandma’s voice chimed, reminding me of her words, but I shook my head and ignored it. Nearing the voices, I suddenly heard a small “hooting” sound. I stopped at a clearing, with only a body of water next to me, I heard the voices all around me now. “Alice this isn’t funny,” I called, beginning to feel my heart accelerate.

As I looked around I saw them. Not my siblings but children with large hats on their heads. Smiling, they raised their heads, giving me a clearer view of the face, except, there wasn’t anything there, just a mouth, with sharp teeth grinning at me as they stared. I looked down, hoping I was wrong about these creatures but sure enough, their feet were facing backward and in that moment I knew, they were douens. I tried to run, shout, scream but I was paralyzed by fear. Then suddenly, they lunged at me, holding my head underwater. I trashed against them, screaming as I struggled to breathe. I could feel water slowly filling my lungs and trashed harder but it was no use. They started attacking, pulling at my chest as I struggled. My body was slowly being ripped apart and I could only scream until I blanked out.

Waking up, I felt…. new. I was surrounded by the creatures again but this time I felt happy to be with them. I didn’t care about family. I have a new family. But I want more. No, I NEED more. Come play, you can find me and my friends in the forest, join us, forever.