Green Hill Zone

This story is part 2 of The Final Level, an 8 part series that started in Mushroom Kingdom.


Green Hill Zone

Mark Lopez blinked. He rubbed his eyes and blinked again, but nothing changed. There was no mistaking what he saw before him. The brightly colored tropical setting was familiar, as were the golden rings scattered over the landscape. Somehow, someway, he was in his favorite video game of all time.

It was Green Hill Zone from Sonic The Hedgehog.

Act One if he wasn’t mistaken. He had no idea how he got there. The last thing he remembered was walking out of the theater with Jill. They had been at the movies. The Spiderfall Chronicles. Good movie. Not as good as the books, but still good. Of course they had to cram six books and several months of story into a two-hour movie, so there was a lot of stuff they had to cut out, but in the end, it was good.

As hey walked down the street to a near by coffee shop, the conversation changed to their friend Peter Davidson. Jill was concerned about him. Since Helen’s death he had spent all his time working on that game he was making. She wondered why he didn’t grieve for her like the rest of her friends had. Mark just laughed. He had known Peter for a long time and knew that this is how he deals with things. He buries himself in his work for a while, even the death of his girlfriend. In a week or two he would go through the grieving process just like they all had.

And so they walked in silence for a bit. He remembered walking own the street, seeing people walk by, cars pass, avoiding the piece of gum on the sidewalk. Then he blinked and the next thing he saw was the Green Hill Zone. Mark looked around, wondering where all the enemies were. He remembered there being plenty of Badniks, even in the early levels of the game when it was relatively easy, but he didn’t see anything.

Shrugging, Mark began walking, hoping he could find out what was going on. As he went, he realized he was going faster and faster. Soon he was running faster then he ever had before. He hadn’t made a conscious effort to run, he just was.

The landscape flew by around him, his feet a blur. As he flew through the level, Mark marveled at the speed he was traveling at. He figured he was running at about 150 miles per hour and accelerating. He remembered reading that Sonic’s top speed was over 750 miles per hour and wondered if he would go that fast.

Mark jumped over a pit and continued to run, his feet a blur beneath him. He looked up in time to see the wall and his eyes grew wide with fear as he saw the razor sharp spikes. He didn’t remember anything like that in this level. He tried to slow down but he couldn’t. The spikes grew bigger as the sped closer. They were to high to jump over and no matter what he tried, he couldn’t stop. He once again wondered how he got here as he felt the spikes pierce his skin.



Jill screamed as Mark fell to the ground, several wounds opening up, staining the sidewalk red with blood. Some onlookers stared, others ran for help. If any had tired to help, they would have seen something odd on his forehead. Something that had terrified Pine Creek for over a year. Something carved into his skin.

The Ullrich family crest.

Mushroom Kingdom

This story is part 1 of Final Level, an 8 part series. it is a sequel to Pine Creak Murders


Mushroom Kingdom

Helen Parker opened her eyes and couldn’t believe what she saw. She was in a land she knew well from her childhood. A land she would recognize anywhere. Despite it was in 3D, there was no denying where she was.

She was in the Mushroom Kingdom.

World 1-1 of the first Super Mario Brothers game to be exact. She had played the game so many times when she was younger. She could probably play this level blind folded.

As she looked around the brightly colored 8-bit world, she tried to think of how she got here. The last thing she remembered was being stabbed. As she fell to the ground, holding the wound in her stomach, she recognized the face of her attacker as her boyfriend knocked its hood off. It was Wendy Landis, someone she worked at the bank with. She remembered hearing screams as Peter called 911 and him holding her, telling her to hang in there as everything faded to black.

She didn’t know how she ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom, but figured it must be a dream. And while she didn’t know much about dreams, Helen figured she might as well see where it went. She knew enough to know that even if she fell down a pit, she would wake up before she hit the bottom.

She jumped on top of the first Goomba she saw, feeling it flatten beneath her feet. She jumped up and hit a question mark block with her fist. It hurt a bit, but she heard e familiar “ding” and was rewarded with a coin.

Helen continued through the level, stomping on enemies and gathering coins. She was a bit disappointed that none of the power ups she found had an effect on her, but she was having too much fun to worry about it too much.

About half way through the level, she stopped and looked around. As she did, she felt the ground beneath her Helen looked around and saw why; a giant version of Bowser was heading her way, destroying everything in his path. But what was he doing here? Bowser wasn’t supposed to show up until world 1-4 and he wasn’t nearly this big. This Bowser reminded her of a small Godzilla.

She ran as he gave chase. She saw the flag pole getting closer, knowing that she was close to the end, hoping she could seek shelter in the castle.

At the top of the stairs she jumped for the flagpole but missed, landing between the stairs and a large wall. It was too big to jump out of.

Panicked she tried desperately to find some way out. This wasn’t part of the level. She had played this level millions of times and there was nothing like this here.
Before she could do anything else, she saw a shadow fall over her. Helen looked up ad saw Bowser standing at the top of the stairs. He fell down towards her and she barely avoided him. He was smaller now, but just as fearsome.

Bowser swatted at her, knocking Helen against the stairs. As she lay on the ground she saw him jump into the air, flames escaping from his closed mouth. The last thing she saw was him plummeting towards her.



The nurse checking on Helen screamed as her body shook as if a heavy weight had been dropped on her. As her head hit the pillow, blood sprayed out of her mouth and she flat lined.

Other nurses ran into the room and the three were horrified as they watched a symbol appear to be burned onto Helen’s forehead.

The symbol was one they all recognized.

It was the Ullrich family crest.

Justice At Dusk

This story is part 6 of The Pine Creek Murders, a 6 part series that started in The Girl In The House



Justice At Dusk

Peter Davidson and Helen Parker walked nervously down the road. Not because the dieing light of the setting sun was made darker by the overcast sky. Not because of the numerous murders that had occurred over the past year. Because of the house in front of them.

The Ullrich house.

Like everyone else in Pine Creek, they knew the history of this house. They knew about the murders that Erik Ullrich had committed fifty years ago. They knew about how Lance Landis had died here two years ago. And of course they knew about the curse of Lyne Ullrich. Which is why they were there tonight.

The night before they had been at a party with some friends, and after a large amount of drinking, they had accepted a dare. Since Landis had died a year ago, then maybe tonight was the anniversary of Lyne’s death, and they were going to find out. To try to see if the house was really haunted, or at least if the curse was real.

So as the sun set in the west, they walked towards the house, the long shadows making it look even eerier. Both slowed their pace, slowly walking towards the house. When they were with in a hundred feet, they stopped. Someone, or something, was kneeling in the doorway.

Peter motioned that they should turn around, that they should leave, but before they could Helen sneezed. The black mass in the doorway turned, stood, and began to walk towards them.

It was a humanoid figure. In the dieing light, they couldn’t tell if the face was hidden some how, or if it had no face. It reminded Helen of the Nazgul from Lord Of The Rings, and she stood motionless with fright.

The figure walked closer. In the distance she could hear Peter yelling for her to run, but she couldn’t. All that ran through her mind was the thought that this was Lyne Ullrich, and that she was going to die. She was so terrified that she didn’t even cry out as she felt the cold metal of a knife blade plunge into her stomach.
She fell as the figure pulled its knife free. Her hands moved to the wound and she saw blood on them. As she stared at her hand, Peter ran towards her, tackling the figure, knocking the knife from its hand. They wrestled on the ground, trying to gain an advantage, trying to get their hands n the knife to end the battle. As they fought the figure’s hood fell back, and long red hair poured out as Peter found himself looking into the crazed face of Wendy Landis.

They stared at each other for several moments. After a moment she stood, stating that she knew him, her voice deeper then normal and distant sounding, almost like it wasn’t her’s. As Peter move towards the knife, she turned and looked towards the door, calling Lance’s name. As Peter watched, she moved towards the door and he appeared in the doorway, walking onto the porch.

Wendy walked towards him, crying, saying that she had done it all for him. And as she walked onto the porch, he stepped aside. Behind him was a young woman wearing a red dress in an older style. Wendy looked at her in shock as the woman grabbed her, pulling her into the house, the door closing behind them. Peter could hear her screaming in terror from inside the house as he took out his cell phone and dialed 911.



Three years later

A black 1972 ford Mustang pulled to a stop and Alex Jager stepped out, looking up at the house. Who knew five years ago the terror, the bloodshed, the sadness this place would cause. At first it was all blamed on Wendy Landis, who’s broken body was found near where her husbands had been found a year earlier. The cause of death was the same; internal injuries sustained by falling down the steps.

Why she had killed seven people, no one knew. Psychologists said that it was out of grief over her husband’s death, and pointed to the fact that all but one of her victims had been couples in love.

But Alex knew better. He knew that there was more to why she had killed, and he had spent the last three years trying to stop it. But at last it was over.

He got into his car and drove away. If he had looked into the rearview mirror, he would have seen a woman screaming for help. Beside him was a man, smiling, and behind them both, was a woman in a red dress.

The Caller Part 2

The Caller

Part 2

“Peter Marko, you have been found guilty of the intentional murders of four people two weeks ago, and are being held on the suspicion that you were responsible for as many as ten additional deaths in the this area over the past year. You have also been accused of the deaths of six others in three different states, for which you will stand trial at a future date. For the crimes you have committed here in Pine Creek, you will spend at least the next three months in Darkmoore Asylum For The Criminally Insane before being transferred to the federal penitentiary on Lawhead Island, where you will spend at least four consecutive life sentences with out the possibility of parole. Do you have anything to say before court is adjourned?”

Marko thought for a moment before answering, his face baring the same smile it had through out his trial. “Yeah. It was fun.”

“Fun?” Judge Banks asked in shock.

“Yeah. Fun. The thrill of the hunt, the feeling you get following the kill. Better do the world a favor and have me executed, because otherwise I’m going to get out and do it all over again.”

Banks looked at Marko with contempt in his eyes. “Peter Marko, I hope you like black and white, because you are going to be wearing prison stripes for a very long time. Court is adjourned, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Terror In The Night

This story is part 5 of The Pine Creek Murders, a 6 part series that started in The Girl In The House



Terror In The Night

David Webb swore to himself. They were lost. Their romantic weekend getaway ha started out bad, and it had only gotten worse. After a late start, He tried to make up some time by taking a back road through the Pine Barrens. Then his car broke down. With no cell phone signal, their only choice was to walk back to town. And the fastest way to do that was through the Barrens.

Although she complained a bit first, Ashley Morgan quietly followed him. There was no point in arguing over how he should have gotten his leaking radiator fixed before they left, or how they shouldn’t have taken a “shortcut.” They could do that later. As much as she hated being in the Barrens late at night, it made sense to walk through them instead of following the road. The shortest path between two points was a straight line, and this was the quickest way to get back to Pine Creek.

David smiled as they entered a clearing. They still had a ways to go, but at least he knew were they were. They had reached Lovers Lookout. He could tell Ashley was afraid, and he didn’t blame her. After all, it was here that two people had been brutally killed eight months ago.

Officially, the cause of death was mauling by a wild animal. Back in the day, the locals would have blamed it on the Jersey Devil, a creature that supposedly lived in the Barrens. But that was before six other people had been killed, and the rumors started spreading that Old Man Ullrich had returned from the dead to kill. Even though most of the murders had been in or near the city, the deaths of Will Tennet and Carole Piper nine months ago, as well as the death of Johnny Hendrix three and a half weeks ago were blamed on Ullrich. The fact that Ullrich’s first victims were killed near Hendrix’s house didn’t help any either.

The legend said that Ullrich had killed his family in their home, but the truth was that his oldest son, Jason, as well as his brother-in-law Lars Hetfield had been killed near Hetfield’s cabin in the Barrens. They had been spending the day hunting and were relaxing when Ullrich snapped. He grabbed his shotgun and shot Hetfield in the stomach at point blank range. Jason ran, and Ullrich chassed him through he Barrens. His first shot wounded Jason, hitting him in the leg. The second one was to the back. Jason fell, and his father stood over him before finishing off his son. After he killed Jason, he took the boy’s knife and carved the family crest, the same symbol he would later brand the rest of his family with, into their foreheads. No one knows how much time passed between their deaths and the deaths of the rest of the Ullrich family. The cabin would eventually be demolished and a house built on the sight, a house that was eventually purchased by Johny Hendrix.

David shook his head, clearing his mind. The Ulrich murders had been a source of fascination for him for years, but walking through the Barrens this late at night was a bad time to think about it. If both of them were scared, they would ever get out of here.

Ashley grabbed David’s arm as they heard a twig snap somewhere behind them. He laughed, hoping she wouldn’t realize that it scared him too. He said it was just a rabbit or something, but he wondered if it was he Jersey Devil, or Old Man Ulrich.

As they walked, pushing branches out of their way, they saw the moonlight reflecting off something metallic. He knelt down to see what it was and found a knife. A hunting knife.

Its blade was covered in rust. It was amazing that the moonlight had found some space that wasn’t covered.  He picked it up and saw that etched into the blade, just above the hilt, were initials.

J.U.

David let the knife fall. Urban legend said that they had never found the knife that Old Man Ullrich had used to carve the family crest into the foreheads of his son and brother-in-law. That if this was it. What if, Twenty-Five years ago, Erik Ullrich may have been holding this knife.

He heard Ashley gasp as he stood. David turned towards her and saw an expression of shock on her face as she looked down. He followed her gaze and watched as her white shirt turned red

David caught her as she fell, his hand hitting the knife sticking out of her back. He looked into her eyes as the life slipped from her body, not noticing the black shape behind him as it knelt to pick up the knife he had found. Not feeling it when the knife, still surprisingly sharp, sliced into his neck, severing his jugular.

David fell to the ground as his blood flowed out of him. As he lay dieing, the last thing he saw before everything went black was Ashley looking back at him.

The Caller Part 1

The Caller

Part 1

Peter Marko smiled as he looked out the window, seeing the cop cars covering the lawn. It was about time they caught him. He was actually surprised it took them this long. He had been a murderous rampage through out New England, and the police had chassed him into New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, near Pine Creek, a city that had had it’s share of tragedy over the last year. He had been here several times over the past year, and he thought that if he could get into the Barrens, he might be able to escape. But when he couldn’t lose the local cops, he figured he might as well go out with a bang.

Literally.

As Marko ran through the Barrens, he found a clearing in the trees, and this house. On the outside porch he saw Tim and Jill making out. One carefully placed shot killed both of them as they kissed. As Marko walked into the house, he took a moment to admire his work. He was quite proud of that shot. He had killed a lot of people, some with guns, some with knives, some other ways. But this was the first time he was actually proud of the kill.

Walking into the house, he saw George and Angie sitting on the couch, watching a movie with the volume turned up. The first shot killed George, but the second missed Angie, who moved to the floor when he fired.  But she couldn’t get away. He hit her in the back of the head, knocking her out.

After barricading the back door, he tied her to a chair in front of the picture window, facing the front of the house as the first cop car pulled into the driveway. Soon, four more showed up.

After opening the window so he could hear what they were saying, Marko walked over to Angie, pressing his gun against her head. As the police did their normal hostage negotiation speech, he smiled. And after a moment, he yelled that he was coming out.

As three officers walked to the door to arrest him, Marko pulled the trigger, covering the window with blood before he dropped the gun. He walked out the door, his hands held high, smiling as the cops tackled him before slapping on a pair of handcuffs.

Legend Of The Watchajambe

Legend Of The Wachajambe

Johnny was a chemist’s son
Johnny is no more.
But what killed Johnny was not
H2SO4.

Johnny drove into the yard
Crept into the house.
Moving silent, not a noise
Quite as a mouse.

He walked into the living room
Saw a fearful sight.
Standing there, plain as day
A creature of the night.

With pointy ears, pointy teeth
And sharp pointy claws,
He knew the thing by the tree
Was not Santa Clause.

It looked up, an evil grin
Spread across its snout.
His blood froze, mouth open
In a silent shout.

It turned towards him, eyes grew wide
As it licked its teeth
Seeing him as just a meal
Just some food to eat.

He turned and ran, it gave chase
Slashing at the air.
Running all throughout the house
Knocking over chairs.

It cornered him in a hall,
Slowly it advanced.
Johnny stood there, shook with fear
As he breathed his last.

When they found him the next day,
Torn limb from limb,
There was barely body left
Sent to next of kin.

And still it roams, prowling nights
Seeking you and me.
Heed my tale, fear the legend
Of the Wachajambe.

The Boy In The Box

This story is part 4 of The Pine Creek Murders, a 6 part series that started in The Girl In The House



The Boy In The Box

Brooke Mirra stood outside her sister’s house, the police tape still hanging from the doorframe. It and been almost four months since the investigation into her sister and brother in law’s death, with no new clues uncovered. As leads dried up, the investigation died down as well. The death of Levi Basso a week later, as well as Will Tennant and Carole Piper soon after hurt as well, drawing officers away from the investigation. While the case was still listed as ongoing, it was no longer considered active. The police had given up any hope of finding their killer.

She took a breath and opened the door, entering the house for the first time. Except for the items classified as evidence, everything was as it had been found.

Brook climbed the stairs, avoiding the living room. Taylor’s chair was gone, but his blood covered the floor.  They had torn up the carpet, but it had soaked into the plywood below, and that was considerably harder to remove.

She entered the master bedroom. The blankets and mattress had been taken as evidence, as had a large part of the carpet. Brooke choked back tears as she looked at a picture of Mary and Taylor on the bedside table.

Her mind filled with memories. Of snowball fights growing up in Thunder Falls. Of summers spent at Grandma’s beach house in Bayside. Of serving as maid of honor at each other’s weddings.

Movement at the foot of the bed brought her back to the present. Sitting there was a wooden chest, supposedly something from the Ullrich House. According to local legend, Bradley Ullrich hid in there as his father went on a murderous rampage. It was in that box that he had been killed.

Of course that was the legend. She had heard a lot of them since Mary’s death, including the one about Old Man Ullrich returning from the dead to kill. But no one with half a brain believed them. It was an old wives tale, told around the campfire and to scare little kids. “If you don’t behave, Old Man Ullrich might come and get you in your sleep.”

She bent down and saw a small boy on the other side of the chest. She figured it must have been some local kid that had wondered in. The doors were locked, and she had the only key, but he might have found some other way inside the house. An open window or something.

She tried to talk to him, to tell him it was ok. That she wasn’t here to hurt him. But he his on the other side, fear in his eyes.

After a few minutes, his eyes grew wide with terror and pointed at something behind her. Brooke started to turn and felt something hit her in the back of the head.

Stars filled her vision, and the last thing she saw before darkness overtook her was a black mass beside her, and the boy trying to hide in the box.

By The Light Of The Moon

By The Light Of The Moon

Will Tennant squinted, following the nearly nonexistent trail in the moonlight. He looked back with a smile, holding Carole’s hand in his. They had spent a lot of time hiking in the Barrens, and as Will patted his pocket, he hoped that this wouldn’t be the last time they did this together.

For the next few minutes, they walked until the trees parted, revealing a clearing over looking Pine Creek. They walked across the clearing, enjoying the view as the full moon shown down upon them.

Carol commented on the beautiful view, and Will replied that it wasn’t as beautiful as her. He turned to face her, looking into her eyes and telling her how much he loved her as he took a box from his pocket. Will fell to his knee and held the box open before him, asking Carole to marry him.
She held her hand to her mouth as she gasped with surprise, tears welling up in her eyes as she said yes. Will smiled and placed the ring on her finger as he stood, kissing her. They held each other close, looking into each other’s eyes, swaying as if they were dancing to music only they could hear.

After several minutes they were startled by a low growl coming from the trees. The couple turned, making their way towards the car as a creature jumped from the trees. It landed on Will, knocking him to the ground. He struggled with it, yelling for Carole to run, reaching out to her as it ripped out his throat.

Carole screamed in horror as the creature turned towards her, blood running from it’s mouth. She ran, branches scratching her as she ran through the forest, not caring if she was going in the right direction, just wanting to get away from the creature. She could hear it growling as it tore through the trees behind her.

She ran for what seemed like an eternity as she returned to the clearing, Carole ran to the center of the clearing kneeling over Will’s body, weeping as a shadow covered her. She looked up and saw nothing as the creature entered the clearing.

Carole turned to run as the creature leapt at her, knocking her down as it had Will. She cried for mercy as it stood over her. Carole saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring down from the trees as she reached for will’s lifeless hand. The creature tore her throat out as it had his.

As Carole lay there, blood flowing from her neck, she saw what looked like a winged creature dive from the trees, attacking the creature that had killed her.



Rose Hartnell walked through the Barrens as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. She took out her Mag-Lite, illuminating the ground in front of her as she made her way towards the car. She had been out on a hike and sat down to rest, falling asleep. Now she hurried to return to her car, to get back home. No one wanted to be this deep in the Barrens at night. Not after what happened to Will Tennet and Carole Piper six months ago. No one know what had killed them, but until it was caught or killed. The authorities had advised that no one enter the Barrens at night.

Rose entered a clearing and realized that it was where they had died. She started to make her way across, knowing that her car was beyond the clearing. As she reached the center of the clearing she realized that she was not alone. She looked over towards the edge of the clearing, where it looked out upon Pine City. Standing there were two people, holding each other, looking into each other’s eyes as they swayed as if to music that only they could hear. Dancing by the light of the moon.

The Woman In White

This story is part 3 of The Pine Creek Murders, a 6 part series that started in The Girl In The House



The Woman In White

Levi Basso walked along the cliff side. It had been one week since his sister’s body had been found, battered and broken at the bottom of the cliff. The police didn’t even know what killed her; the fall, or the knife wound in her chest.

What they did know was that her death was not an isolated incident. Her’s was the fourth body found, a week after the search began.

No one had been worried when she didn’t show up for work, but after five days with no call, her co-workers became concerned. Floyd Hamilton volunteered to check on her, and that is when they found Thor

After calling the police, who could find no trace of Katie, Floyd decided to check on his sister, who had seemingly disappeared. Upon entering her house, he was greeted by a horrific sight. His brother in law was sitting in his favorite chair, his chest cut open and his entrails covered the room.

The sight when they found Mary was just as gruesome. She had been gutted on her bed, killing not just her, but also her unborn child. More then one officer had gotten sick at the sight.

The police had searched the entire town until they found her body at the bottom of the cliff. Like Thor, she had been stabbed. How she ended up at the bottom of the cliff, no one knew.

There was one thing that connected all the murders; the mark on their foreheads. Each of them had the same mark branded on them, a cross with the cross beam connected to the bottom by a curving beam on each side.

The same brand that Erik Ullrich placed on the foreheads of his family as he killed them.

The police investigation had been inconclusive. They knew that the victims had been murdered, but all efforts to find clues to the killer’s identity had failed. As the police struggled to find the killer, rumors had all ready started spreading.

That Old Man Ullrich had returned from the grave to continue his murderous rampage. That for some reason he had return to kill again, joining his daughter Lyne in terrorizing the village of Pine Creek.

With the police investigation stalled, Levi decided to start an investigation of his own. He started in the bathroom where Thor had been killed. While his death hadn’t been nearly as gruesome as the Armstrong’s it had been no less brutal. The killer had severed several major arteries, and Thor’s blood sprayed against the walls as he bled to death.

Levi’s past as a crime scene photographer, the first job he had gotten out of college, had been enough to convince the police to allow him to see the pictures taken at the scene. He had spent three days studying all of them, except those of his sister. As much as he wanted to find the killer, he couldn’t bring himself to look at the pictures of her body. They had always been close, and he knew that it would be hard enough for him to see her in a casket tomorrow at the funeral. He wanted the last time he saw her to be there, with her laying peacefully in a coffin, not of her broken and twisted body.

His investigation had failed as well, and he found himself retracing her final steps. The rain the day before had washed away her footprints, but he had followed them from Katie’s house so many times since they had found her body that he knew the route by heart.

As he walked in the failing light of day, Levi couldn’t help wondering what Katie’s final moments had been like. What had she felt as the killer plunged the knife into her chest? What she had been thinking of as she fell, and if she felt anything at all when she crashed into the jagged rocks below. The police said that she may have been alive on impact, and survived for several minutes before dying from her wounds.
Levi wondered if she had died a painful death, or if she felt anything at all as the life slipped from her body.

As he approached the site of her death, Levi saw a woman wearing a white dress. Her hair pulled back, Levi instantly recognized the earrings she wore.

They were the earrings that Grandma had given Katie on her twelfth birthday.

Levi shook his head. They couldn’t be the same earrings. Katie was wearing them now, as she lay in her casket at the Church. It was obviously the dieing light playing tricks on him.

Levi walked up to the woman, intent on finding out why she was there. As he got closer, she looked more and more like Katie. He stood beside her and was about to ask why she was there when she turned towards him.

From the side she looked perfectly normal. When he saw her face, Levi took a step back in horror. Her nose had been shattered, her jaw hung open on one side, as it had been nearly ripped off her head. An eye hung out of its socket, thanks to a shattered orbital bone. A nasty gash had opened on her forehead, and blood flowed down her face, staining her cloths. What was left of her once beautiful face, as well as the blood covering her chest, confirmed his suspicion.

It was Katie.

An unearthly moan emanated from her useless mouth as she reached towards him for help, one of her hands crushed beyond recognition. Levi continued to move away from the horrifying specter as she stumbled towards him, dragging a shattered leg behind her.

Katie reached out to him and Levi stepped backwards once more

Before falling into the void.



Few people venture hear the Basso cliffs, least of all at night. But the few who do always come back saying they heard screams bouncing off the Barrens, and tell tales of the woman in white.

The Man In The Mirror

This story is part 2 of The Pine Creek Murders, a 6 part series that started in The Girl In The House

Remember when I said that The Girl In the House was a stand alone story, and that I had no way to continue it? Well, as usually happens when I say something like that, I figured out a way, because here is part 2, The Man In The Mirror.




The Man In The Mirror

Thor Leipheimer had to admit, he had been wrong. When his fiancée had asked him to move to Pine Creek, he was hesitant. He had lived his whole life in New York. He loved the city, and enjoyed his job at the Times. He had never thought of leaving New York, and never thought he would. In the end, his love for Katie won out, and after accepting a job at the Pine Creek Gazette he moved out of the city.

It didn't take him too long to fall in love with Pine Creek. As a photographer, Thor felt like he had died and gone to heaven when he saw the trees, rivers, and other sights that had made Pine Creek famous. He especially liked walking through the Pine Barrens, snapping picks of everything he saw. It was rare that he left the house without a camera, even if it was just a little point and shoot, and he was thankful for the development of high quality digital cameras. Without them, he would have spent a fortune on film in the three months since he moved here.

Luring away a photographer had been a big deal at the Gazette, and they used Thor as much as the could, asking him to do a story about the Ullrich Murder House to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the murders just days after he started. Thor loved the assignment, delving into the Ullrich family history, learning about the murders, and of course the ghost stories that followed. Unlike Katie, Thor believed the stories were true, that Lyne Ullrich did in fact still haunt the house where she died. Of course he would never tell her that. She would just laugh at him.

On of the best resources Thor could find while doing his research had been Wendy Landis, the widow of the man who had died in the house a year ago, and his next-door neighbor. A life long resident of Pine Creek, she knew a lot about the murders, and was more then willing to help him as he wrote the article. With her permission, he had even started writing a book on the murders, including a chapter speculating that Lance's death had been connected to the curse placed on Lyne Ullrich by her father before she died.

Today however was a day to rest and relax. The book had been sent off the editor the day before, and now Thor, Katie, and their friends Mary and Taylor Armstrong were walking through the woods surrounding Pine Creek. They had asked Wendy to join them, but she said no. It was her anniversary, and she wanted to spend it remembering her late husband and by visiting his graveside. They understood.

Thor of course had his camera out, snapping pictures of everything; a bird here, a pinecone there. He even had a picture of Lance's headstone. Mary and Taylor had known Wendy and Lance for a long time and they decided to pay their respects as well.

As they walked along the cliff side over looking Leed’s Lake, Thor saw what he had been looking for since he first became interested in photography. The perfect shot. Leed’s Lake in the foreground, disappearing into the fog as the Barrens closed in from the side. He knew that none of the others could appreciate the view as he did. In fact he knew on only one other person who could; Levi Basso, Katie’s brother.

Levi and Thor had been roommates in college, had taken the same photography classes, and were the best of friends. In fact, it was Levi’s fault that Thor and Katie were engaged. When a snowstorm kept Thor from joining his family in Florida for Christmas one year, Levi invited him to join his family. When Thor first laid eyes on Katie, he knew that she would some day become his wife, and the feeling was mutual. They began dating soon afterwards, and shortly after he accepted the job at the Pine Creek Gazette, Thor proposed. They were to be wed in three months, and Thor eagerly awaited the day when they would become man and wife.

He snapped picture after picture, but there was always something missing; people. Carefully posing the others near the edge of the cliff, Thor prepared to take the shot when he saw something shining between Taylor’s legs. He looked up in time to see a person in black plunge a knife into the base of Taylor’s neck. Blood sprayed everywhere as the killer turned and slashed Mary’s throat with a single stroke. Blood sprayed from between her fingers as she collapsed to the ground. The killer turned to Taylor and finished him off, driving the knife through his throat.

Katie and Thor ran, but the killer followed, with seemingly superhuman speed. As the light faded and the shadows grew longer with the setting of the sun, Katie and Thor thought they had lost him, until he wrapped his arms around Katie’s shoulders and drove the knife up under her rib cage and into her heart. The killer again disappeared as Thor ran back to help Katie, but it was too late. As she lay in his arms bleeding to death, she pointed. Thor looked in time to see the killed, his knife raised, ready for the kill.



Thor awoke with a start, cold sweat running down his chest. It had been a dream. Or a nightmare. He looked at Katie, lying beside him and was glad that he hadn’t woken her up.

He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake her, and went into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and saw the face of a man who had, seconds ago, been in mortal peril. Thor smiled. It was only a dream. No need to get worked up about it. He bent down to splash some water on his face, and didn’t see the man in the mirror, his knife ready to strike.

The Girl In The House

After getting three reviews that had the word creepy in the first sentance, I think my latest story is a success.  I can't take full credit. It was inspired by a short story I read called Girl In The Attic. The story is different, but concept of a girl who died in her family home and is now haunting it is the same.

I am proud of this story, because it is my first stand alone short story (the other stories I have posted here are technicaly short-short, or flash stories) Every other story I have writen I have come up with ways to continue or they were part of a larger project to begin with. While I have some ideas for more stories taking place in the same town as this one, they have nothing to do with this story :)

Warning, this is a long story. it is 6 pages double spaced in Microsoft Word. just thought I would warn you.

Enjoy.





The Girl In The House

Lance Landis enjoyed his evening run. Every day he would eat supper, put on his running cloths, kiss his wife good-bye and run for a few miles. He felt good keeping in shape, and while he would never even try to enter something like the New York Marathon, he had been in a few local ones. He even did reasonably good, placing second in last year’s 10K.

More then anything, he enjoyed the isolation. It was just himself. No telemarketers calling to try and sell him stuff he never wanted in the first place. No co-workers trying to talk him into joining the company softball team, no wife asking him what he thought of the latest decorating idea she saw in Better Homes. Just him. A chance to be alone, think about the day, think about the future. Sometimes think about nothing and just clear his mind.

Lance had chosen this route for that exact reason. True there were better paths then this nearly non-existent animal trail, but none were as isolated. He had tried running in the park, but the sound of passing cars and the people walking past annoyed him. Out here, there was nothing except the sound of the wind and an occasional animal to keep him company.

The only real down side he could think of was the fact that it gets dark, and with no streetlights to light the path, it some times became hard to follow. Several times, as the days grew shorter, he had come home in darkness, barely able to see the trail and guided only by the porch light as he exited the trail and found himself in his own back yard.

That and the house.

Lance shivered as he drew closer to it. Having lived his entire life in this town, he had heard the story. Twenty-Five years ago, this house was the site of tragedy. He had only been five then, but he vaguely remembered his parents discussing it at the dinner table the night after the police issued a statement.

The house belonged to the Ullrich’s. Fifty years ago, Old Man Ullrich went crazy and killed his wife and two sons before going after his daughter, Lyne. She managed to get away and locked herself in the attic, barricading the door so he couldn’t break it down. As he beat on the door, she realized she was trapped. She could jump, but the fall would probably kill her. In the end, as her father beat on the door trying to get in, she broke a window and used a shard of glass to slash her wrists. As she lay dieing, she wrote on the floor with her own blood what had happened. She knew that her father would never let her out of the house alive, and choose to end her life rather then die slowly of dehydration or starvation.

As her life left her, she wrote that her father had broken in. Seeing his daughter close to death, he dipped his finger in her blood and wrote a curse. Because she had been selfish and chosen to die apart form her family, she would haunt the attic for all eternity. After he was done, he put the barrel of his shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, splattering his brains against the ceiling. The officer that found them threw up as he entered the room.

Since then the legend had grown. Anyone caught in the attic on the anniversary of the murders would join Lyne in the attic. Lights would be seen in the house, as well as shouting and the sounds of gunfire. People believed the legends, and every year some kids would try their luck, entering the house for a good scare.

Of course Lance didn’t believe the legends. Just superstition and nonsense. He was a well-educated, intelligent man. The only time he had for local folklore was while sitting around the campfire, passing a bottle of Jack around.

Still, the house gave him chills every time he saw it. Maybe it was his subconscious buying into the stories. Maybe it was just the fact that it was an abandoned house on an isolated trail. Whatever the reason, Lance tried to be past the house long before night fell. Unfortunately this night he was not so lucky. A conversation with his brother Ivan had kept him inside longer then he wanted and now he was running faster in the hopes of making up time.

As Lance drew closer, he glanced up at the attic window and stopped. In the window he could make out a girl, pounding against the glass. No doubt some stupid kid who was freaking out after her friends abandoned her. Gathering his courage Lance entered the house to help.

The house was dark and Lance cursed beneath his breath. His Mag-Light had been growing dim for some time, but he kept forgetting to change the batteries. Now, as he entered the house he turned it on to find the batteries completely dead. Slowly he made his way towards the stair and walked up them, yelling to the girl that he was there to help. The old boards creaked underneath him, adding to the creepiness of the house. In the dieing light of the setting sun, Lance thought he saw undisturbed dust on the stairs, but he ignored it. Obviously just his mind playing tricks on him.

He reached the top of the stairs and could see a broken door; it’s hinges barely hanging onto the doorframe, at the end of the hallway. Past the door he could just make out the form of a girl in a dress.

He walked towards the room, calling to the girl, the floorboards continuing to creak underneath him. For some reason she didn’t seem to hear him. As he entered the room, he could see the blood stains on the floor.  Due to the growing shadows, he could see, but not read the words she had written as she slowly bled to death.
As he drew closer to the girl, he saw that she was wearing a red dress, in an older style. Ignoring it, he reached out to her, gently putting his hand on her shoulder so as not to startle her. She turned, reaching up and touching his hand. Her touch was ice cold. What little light there was fell on her and he drew back in horror. On her wrist was a gaping wound, jagged, with dried blood.

Lance ran out of the room, with gruesome specter following him. He looked back to see her drawing closer as he reached the top of the stairs. Still looking back, he missed the top step and fell.

He landed at the bottom of the stairs and heard something snap. He tried to stand, but couldn’t feel anything below his legs. Lance began to slowly drag himself towards the door. He was almost there. He looked back and saw the spirit drawing closer. Lance reached towards the door, as everything faded to black.



One Year Later

Katie Basso enjoyed her evening run. Every day she would eat supper, put on her running cloths, kiss her dog good-bye and run for a few miles. She felt good keeping in shape, and while she hadn’t done too well in the New York Marathon, she had done better in a few smaller ones. She even did reasonably good, placing second in last year’s 12K.

She couldn’t help but smile as she ran. When her company told her that she was being transferred to Pine Creek, she had been mad. After spending all her life in New York, she didn’t think she could adjust to life in a smaller city. But after a few weeks, she had learned about this isolated animal trail and fallen in love. Nothing in NYC could match this. Everywhere she had tried running she had encountered cars or other people. Here, she was isolated; alone. And she liked it that way.

As much as she had hated Pine Creek when she first moved here, she had fallen in love with the small town. She had made friends, and for the first in her life could see herself settling own and raising a family here. She had thought about asking Thor to move here so that they could be closer. Their long distance relationship could only last so long, but at the moment he was happy working for the Times. Until something opened up in the Pine Creek Gazette, she would have to be happy with seeing him on weekends.

Probably the best friend she had made was her neighbor, Wendy Landis. She had been the one who told her about this trail. Her husband used to love running, and had taken this trail almost every day. After finishing her runs in Wendy’s back yard, they would sit on the porch, drink a few glasses of wine, and talk about life.

Katie knew that Wendy missed her husband; they had known each other since grade school and had been married for about three years when he died. According to Wendy, he had been found in an abandoned house along the trail. Why he was in there, no one knew. Apparently he had fallen down the stairs leading to the top floor and broken his back. He had also broken several ribs, which punctured his internal organs. He had tried to get outside, and had died half way through the door. The official cause: internal bleeding.

Of course Wendy had told her the stories about the house, and how some people thought that it had been Lyne Ullrich that had killed her husband. Neither of them believed the stories. They were intelligent, well educated women. They had no time for folk tales and local legends.

Still, as she ran past the house, a cold chill ran down Katie’s spine. She had run past the house before, but never this late in the day, with shadows this long. The house looked creepy, and she could understand why people thought it was haunted. The fact that Lance had died a year ago today didn’t help any either.

As she ran past, Katie looked up. In the attic window, she thought she saw a man, screaming for help. Behind him was a woman in a red dress.