Mark Taylor's "Shutter Speed" Review

Hello again, ghosts and ghouls!
Yes, you read that title right. Last week, I reviewed another work by author Mark Taylor ("Strange", his anthology of short stories), but this week I had the opportunity to read his personal favorite novel he's written, Shutter Speed.

I'm going to be incredibly honest, I had no idea what to expect from this novel because the back of the book explains a handful of different stories all coming together. I don't do well with American Horror Story doing the same thing, so I was concerned I was going to lose sight of the story and be too focused on staying on track memorizing which character was which.
It turns out that the characters were much easier to keep track of than I thought, because they're all very memorable, especially Steve. Steve's the man.

Here's the synopsis from Amazon: "Jimmy Tasker is an ordinary child. He loves to take pictures: has an eye for it. When some common bullies take things too far, Jimmy ends up burned… and different. It starts when his father is killed in a mysterious house fire. Him and his mother move away… change names… disappear. Some years later a group of friends are finding it tough. They are unemployed, short of cash, and one of them comes up with a great idea. A robbery. But they are a rag-tag bunch, and Steve declines, leaving the other three, a misogynist, an addict, and poor, easily led Peter, to pull off the ‘robbery of the century’. But Jimmy is still in there, somewhere… … and he’s killing for fun."


...You guys. I have to be honest with you all, the beginning of the book was strong and it had a moment just before the middle of the book where I wasn't sure how it was going to, and then all of a sudden BAM. I finished three quarters of the book in two hours. I couldn't put it down. My heart was racing, I felt so connected to the characters (Jimmy is a crazy badass! Steve is the coolest! The Boys are insane!) and there really wasn't much that I disliked after that.

I have been reading indie horror for some time now, and I am always so grateful that these authors send me their work because they pour their heart and soul into these works and more often than not, they're awesome. Shutter Speed is no exception to this observation.

At times, the story seems a little "woah, what the heck is going on?" but once the flow is back, you're hooked. Like I said, I finished most of this book in a day. What an awesome way to spend my night. Really.

The death scenes are really, really graphic, you guys. I handle blood, gore and gross things REALLY well, and at times I was flinching. There are copious amounts of graphic imagery. It's wonderfully and grossly written. If you're looking for some major gross-outs, go with this one. I've never really felt so empathetic towards characters that are being slaughtered. 

Thank you again, Mark, for sending me your work (and signing it!!!). I can't wait to put Shutter Speed on my bookshelf to show off!

If you'd like to purchase Shutter Speed, find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-Speed-Mark-Taylor/dp/1496190246

Without authors submitting me their wonderful books, I often miss out on some awesome indie horror. Feel free to email me any time to review horror novels at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com! I love creepy things and I love reading!

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

V/H/S Review

Hello again, ghosts and ghouls!

I feel like it's been a hot second since I've really had time to sit down and watch a horror movie these days. HOWEVER, I figured I'd review and oldie but goodie that I've watched a few times now. If you have any films in particular you'd like to see me review, shoot me an email! I'd love suggestions! You can do that at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com. We can even just talk horror and be best friends. Cool? Cool.

V/H/S was given a limited release here in the US, but that didn’t stop it from taking the horror scene by storm. It’s an anthology of short horror films, so basically, you’re getting a handful of horror films all in one two-hour period. What horror fan is opposed to that?

Essentially, the film opens up with a group of jerks who want to steal a VHS from a house, in which they find that there is more than just one tape. They begin to check out the footage, only to realize that there’s some really fucked up shit on there that they probably didn’t expect.

I’m not exactly sympathetic if you haven’t seen V/H/S, because you’re kind of three years behind. It’s been talked about endlessly for being a truly original film, and each of the short films within this one weird, twisted story has its own strengths. 

Before i give too much away, I’m going to limit myself to telling you guys about just one of the films. It’s called “Second Honeymoon”; while most of you, I’m sure, will disagree that this is the scariest one of all of them, I was really freaked out. It’s so uncomfortable…anyway, let me tell you about it!

A couple goes on their second honeymoon (hence the name) where they encounter a stranger asking for a ride for the next day. That night, someone takes Sam's (the husband) camcorder that he’s been filming pieces of the honeymoon on, and films the couple sleeping. The camera shoots the intruder sticking Sam’s toothbrush in the toilet and stealing $100 from his wallet before whipping out A KNIFE and holding it up to Stephanie. (At this point I was hyperventilating a little).

Alright, I’ll stop there so I don’t give away any of the good stuff. There are also paranormal shorts that went into this film, so if you’re not looking for a thriller about someone breaking into someone’s personal space, you’ve got some sci-fi, some zombie action, the works.

It truly is a film for everyone, and is worth watching at least once. Never again will you want to hear someone say “I like you”.

I'll be using the rating system that we use over on Nightmarish Conjurings (another horror site I write for)!

Story/Concept: 2

Direction/Style: 1 (I only give this a 1 because I’m not the biggest fan of found-footage…if you enjoy it, this is 500% a 2)

Scares: 1

Atmosphere: 2

Rewatchability: 1.5

TOTAL: 7.5

It truly is a film for everyone, and is worth watching at least once. Never again will you want to hear someone say “I like you”.

With that being said…I like you all…a lot.

Until next time, stay spooky!

Taylor Terrible <3

Top 5 Horror Movies to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

If you're anything like me, ghosts and ghouls, the months of September through December are some of the most exciting for us horror fans.
September rolls in with the anticipation of Halloween (and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and crunchy leaves...no? That's just me that gets excited about pencils?).
October comes and IT'S THE MONTH WE LIVE FOR. SKULLS AND GHOSTS AND SPOOKY THINGS EVERYWHERE. PURE HAPPINESS. You also feel the unrelenting urge to wear a costume 24/7 and pretend to be Sam from Trick 'r Treat.
November arrives and we're kind of depressed, but...food. So much food. Also Thankskilling makes its way back into your head.
And then we receive December. It rolls in like a giant snowball (get it? Because sometimes it snows in December?) and us horror fans are excited because it's the second time this year that we get to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas and we get to eat cookies and be around trees that smell delicious. However, Tim Burton films aside, we also get some pretty cool Christmas-themed horror.
I'm here today to give you a quick list of some horror films you should be watching this holiday season!

5) Jack Frost (1997)

After an accident in which serial killer Jack Frost is genetically melted into the snow on the ground, he returns as a killer snowman.
Yes, it is as cheesy as it sounds, and yes, it's a horror comedy, but it's absolutely worth watching. It's hilarious.

4) Black Christmas (1974)

A sorority house has been receiving threatening phone calls over Christmas break from a killer on the loose. Turns out he may be closer than they think...
Black Christmas is one of the earliest slasher films, which makes it a fun watch. The name probably sounds familiar as the film got a remake in 2006, but I say watch the original first!

3) Gremlins (1984)

At Christmastime, a man goes searching for the perfect gift for his son. He finds a Mogwai in Chinatown, and when his son forgets to follow the three most important rules to keeping it happy and healthy, all hell breaks loose.
If you've never seen Gremlins, we're done. Also, Howie Mandel voices Gizmo, and that makes me love this film even more.

2) Silent Night (2012)

One of the crazier films on the list- a killer Santa is on the loose, conveniently, amidst his small town's annual Santa parade on Christmas Eve. You can only imagine where it goes from there.
Starring Malcom McDowell as Sheriff Cooper. Need I say more?

1) Krampus

Come on, you all knew I was going to say this. If you're in need of plans this holiday season, get your butt to the theater and see this film. It's fun, hilarious, slightly horrifying at times, and it's everything you could possibly want in a holiday film. Family togetherness, and killer cookies.

Alright, there you have it! I hope this list helped you choose what to watch this holiday season- there are just a few weeks left until Christmas so make sure you squeeze these in before it's over!

Do you have a favorite holiday horror film?

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

The Hallow (2015) Review

Just when I thought that the found-footage film was going to take over the horror industry and we'd be left with a bunch of awful films that made our favorite genre look like a joke, director Corin Hardy brought us The Hallow, and I want to kiss him on the mouth for it.

For those of you that were getting so tired of found-footage, this film is going to rock your world. Adam and Claire Hitchens are a couple moving to rural Ireland with their infant son. Adam is a geologist looking to do some research in the surrounding woods...though the locals are telling him to stay away. The creatures in the forest don't take well to visitors...and if you have a baby they'll probably want it.

This film has a little bit of everything for all types of horror fans. If you prefer a slow-burn horror film, you're in for a treat. My only real frustration with this film stemmed from the fact that it took almost an hour for it to pick up and get exciting (I'm an instant-gratification kind of person), but other than that, there's no found-footage (can you tell I hate found-footage?), there's some body horror (one of my favorite types of horror...it freaks me out so bad!) and it's abundant on freaky creatures living in the woods.

When I tell you guys...these creatures are awesome. They were all done with very practical VFX because Hardy didn't want to make them look fake, and trust me, they don't. The sounds they make are awful, too...I was hearing them in my sleep.

While it's not making its way into my top 10 horror films, I do appreciate the film for what it is and I definitely think it's worth a watch if you're feeling tired of the norm in horror (which is lately pretty awful). The Hallow is on VOD now, so I would definitely give it a watch! It's fun, it's stressful, and it's such a breath of fresh air.

Until next time, my creepy people, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

Burnt Scrolls: A Review

Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of coming in contact with some really incredible people in horror. I won a giveaway and met Zach Bohannon who is now one of my good friends, and through him, I was put in touch with Shannon of Nightmarish Conjurings. Afterwards, I followed someone on Instagram, and it turns out he's a really, really amazing writer...Mr. Jeremy Megargee.
Now, I've reviewed Jeremy's work here before. You may remember me reviewing his novel Dirt Lullabies and totally fangirling over it. His descriptive language is impeccable. His storytelling is beautiful. So when I got a message asking if I'd like a copy of his newest creation, Burnt Scrolls, I almost fell out of my chair, but "calmly" responded "oh yeah sure cool thanks!"
I just recently moved out of my house (a little over a week, when you all read this) so I ran home to pick up a few things (a Harley Quinn costume, a tea infuser...the essentials), and I had a package! I shredded the thing apart when I saw who it was from. I held the book up to the ceiling Lion King-style, and smiled. My book of short stories and poetry was here!! And it had the sweetest note inside!
I took Burnt Scrolls to work with me. I hoped it would be slow. It was. So I sat and I read, and as usual, I blew through another one of Megargee's books in 48 hours.

There's something about the way he writes; it's like a fine wine. You marvel in its beauty with each sip you take, and eventually you're so consumed by its delectable flavor that you drink and drink and drink until you're incoherently drunk. That's the best description I can give of what happens when I read his work- I become drunk on literature, and I can't consume enough.
This book is a little different than anything he's written before- it's much more personal. "Cathartic", as he puts it. It's a book of short stories and poems, and for those of you that have read his other works, you're in for a treat! The short stories (3 of the 4) are "prequels" and stories of characters from his other novels. The poems are a journey; some are horrific and creepy and others are personal and sweet.

Let's talk about a few of my favorites:
All of the short stories are totally consuming, but I'll talk about my top 2 as to not give away much more than I need to.
Welcome to Rust Valley takes place ten years after the events in Dirt Lullabies. As always, it's beautifully written, and the descriptions of the cave that Benjamin travels into...it practically had my mouth watering, it was so stunning. The characters, as usual, are fun to connect with and although the story is short, you find yourself rooting for them.
Black Rose Petals tells the story of my girl Thorny Rose from Dirt Lullabies. Before I go any further talking about this story, let me tell you a little something about myself: I have the tendency to fall in love with certain characters, specifically the underdog of most stories. Now, when I read Dirt Lullabies and I learned about Thorny Rose, I started doing my makeup the way she was described, I wanted to be her friend, I wanted her to come over and drink tea with me. SO when I saw that she got her own short story, I nearly fainted. Okay, maybe not literally, but I was way too excited. Her story is sad, believable, and tragic. She's every Halloween-lover's dream. I can't get enough of her. She's amazing and this story is amazing. Yes.

As far as the poetry goes, it's all very personal. You can tell that the topics are from a deep place within Jeremy's soul, so reading it is like sitting down across a table from him while he tells you about the deepest, darkest places of his mind. It's really an experience that I wasn't expecting, but I was deeply thrilled by the end of the book.
A specific poem in particular really touched me: The Stray. I wont' tell you what it's about, but what I will tell you is that I messaged Jeremy to let him know that I was sitting at work crying like a fool because of it.

All in all, this book is a solid read. Like I said, you can blow through it with the intensity of the stories- they reel you in and don't let go until you hit the poetry, which then takes you on such an intense roller coaster ride that you may end up crying. I don't know, maybe it's just me.
However, I highly suggest it! If any of you guys pick it up and read it, let me know! I'll link the page where you can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Scrolls-Collection-Tales-Poems/dp/1515352250/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

You can follow Jeremy on Facebook and on instagram at @xbadmoonrising!

Until next time, ghosts and ghouls, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

The Hole (2009) Review

I’ve been looking around and I’ve found that there are about a million movies with the name “The Hole”. I got the one that I watched confused with the Kiera Knightley version from 2001, in which the story is completely different from the version I watched. (Oops!)

            So here is the synopsis of the correct film that I watched:

“A pair of brothers stumbles upon a mysterious hole in their basement that leads to the darkest corridors of their fears and nightmares.”

With the help of their new next-door neighbor, the boys decide to investigate the weird happenings in their new home, such as ghostly girls and creepy clowns (my favorite). The hole in their basement is the source of all of their fears once they open it, and they soon find out why it was sealed shut. Essentially, the hole creates everything that you are afraid of and sends it after you. Uh oh.

           

            This story is surprisingly deeper than it lets on. It’s lighthearted and fun, more of a thriller than a horror, however it’s definitely worth the watch. The story is almost sad once you find out what’s going on at the end, so it makes it worth watching all of the way through. I went in to watch the film honestly thinking that it was going to be ridiculous and childish, but, like I said, it’s fun, it’s deep, and you know what? For a much younger cast, the acting was wonderful.

            If you’re looking for a fun, kind of creepy film to watch on a rainy day, this is a good one. It’s not over-the-top classic, but if you have Netflix and need a good suggestion, start here! It’s a quick watch, so at 92 minutes long, it’s easy to get through.

I know this was a super quick review, but it's a short film! I'll be writing a post for next week about my experience at Haunt Faire this weekend.

Until next time, stay spooky,

Taylor Terrible

Grave Encounters (2011) Review

As someone who has been into the paranormal from a young age, I’m always interested in watching horror films that showcase paranormal activity (well). After some experiences that I consider to be potentially paranormal, I wanted to be able to prove or disprove the existence of a life apart from what we have here in the “mortal” realm.While I still have yet to be able to prove or disprove this theory, I’ve spent lots and lots of time brushing up on my share of mediocre ghost hunting, as well as watching all of the shows I can get my hands on that are about paranormal investigation (my guilty pleasure is watching marathons of Ghost Adventures, eating popcorn and giggling at Zak Bagans).So with that being said, when it comes to films about paranormal investigation, I tend to have my reservations. I worry that they won’t do the field the justice it deserves (it’s not easy!) but I try to keep myself current in terms of horror films, so I watch all of the cheesy ones, and I also try to watch all of the good ones.Therefore, today, I’ll be reviewing Grave Encounters. 

The synopsis of Grave Encounters from IMDB:“For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and it might prove to be all too true.”I wish there was more to it than this, so I’m going to give you the synopsis I think you all deserve:“For their hilariously realistic, slightly cheesy ghost hunting reality show, a production crew full of cocky jerks lock themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and shit gets real.”
Basically, this group of “paranormal investigators” (I put it in quotes because they don’t actually truly believe in the paranormal, as far as they let on in the film) decides to go to one of the most haunted places they can find, assuming it’s a hoax as they’ve found it normally is, and starts to find that maybe they’ve been wrong about the paranormal this whole time.The building moves around within itself, doors disappear, they find ghosts of the people that died in the hospital.
As far as how scary the film is, I never really felt terrified per say, however I did experience a few moments when I was really freaked out. I have to say, one of my biggest fears in the world is hospitals (abandoned or not). There’s something about the smell of functioning hospitals, the way the fluorescent lights make everyone look sick, the sounds of the beeping monitors…it all makes me so uncomfortable. So seeing this group in a sad, dilapidated, abandoned hospital made me feelexceptionally uncomfortable.
There really weren’t many jump scares, which I very much appreciated. Lately I’ve been on a real hate-streak of films that rely on jump scares for the “horror” of the film, and this one was more about the horror of the situation. I like that. That’s a very good thing.
I’ve also been very against found-footage-style films, and this one absolutely is. I don’t really know what it is about this one, to be honest, that makes it seem so much more real than all the others. I think they don’t play so much off of the fact that they’re filming through one entity and they make an effort to change shots every once in a while so you aren’t watching exclusively through one camera. I don’t know, all I can say is that this one looks better than all the others and I didn’t despise it.

But, all in all, if you’re interested in movies about ghosts, found-footage films, films about paranormal investigation…I really like this one! I didn’t expect much going in, and I was pleasantly surprised when it ended and I wasn’t miserable!
Let me know what you thought of Grave Encounters, creepies!

Until next time,

Taylor Terrible
PS: I just found out there’s a sequel! I’m going to have to look into that soon! 

My Own Writing!

Hi ghosts and ghouls!
This is going to be a special kind of post, because I'll be letting you read some of my own writing. Not a review, not a quick post, this is a full-blown short story that I wrote a few years ago but never had the courage to share.
So now, here it is, my very own short story that I wrote all by myself like a real writing adult!

Hard Candy

Allison swung her feet to the beat of the rock music she had blaring through the speakers of her computer. Her bed vibrated with the bass, and she bobbed her head mindlessly as her legs kicked. The sound of knocking on her window jolted her out of her stupor, causing her to jump out of her skin.

“I told you not to fucking do that, asshole! I could have had a heart attack!” She looked to her window and saw Jack, who was climbing the siding as usual. His warm eyes and sparkling smile stopped her heart on their own, calming the thumping in her chest and helped her breathing return to normal.

“Sorry, babe, I couldn’t get your attention. Your music was too loud.” He yelled over the music, but his voice poured out of his mouth like silk, causing Allison’s heart to skip again. She sighed deeply and slid across her bed to her window. He grabbed her by her hair and kissed her. Smiling into her mouth, he whispered her name.

“Are you finally ready to do this, Jack?” Allison pulled away and smoothed her hair away from her face, blushing fiercely. He shook his head at her and pressed his index finger to his lips, then pointed to her door. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, then stopped outside Allison’s door.

“Hon? Who are you talking to?” Her mother. The bane of her existence. The woman had stifled Allison’s creativity from the time she was a child, constantly giving her candy to keep her quiet. She distinctly remembered the odd taste- it was medicinal and melted in her mouth, then she felt nothing. Allison rolled her eyes and punched Jack in the arm. “I’m talking to you, answer me,” she said from outside the door.

“I’m not, mom, I’m doing homework. I think it’s just my music you’re hearing.” She lifted the remote from her mattress and pressed pause. The room went silent, and Jack giggled. She elbowed him hard in the ribs. He gasped and let the laughs come in waves. “Shut up!” she hissed, holding a hand over her mouth. He stuck his tongue through her fingers, and she pulled them away in disgust.

“I can hear you whispering, I’m going to get the skeleton key to open the door.” Her mother’s footsteps scurried away, and Allison looked to Jack, then to the window, then back to Jack. She motioned with her head. He shook his, smiling. He crawled across the bed towards the window, threw his legs over, and dropped down onto the roof just as the lock popped open. The door swung, and Allison’s mother stood in the doorway.

The woman was disheveled. She was tired-looking, with horrible bags under her eyes. Her once auburn hair was now streaked with white, and her roots had grown in since her last dye-job, leaving her looking old and worn. She was a rag doll standing in the hall, ungroomed, slippers hanging off, her robe old and covered in holes. She brought a hard hand to her wrinkled forehead and sighed.

“Was Jack here again?” She asked abruptly, like she smelled him in the room. She inspected the furniture, checked under the bed, even checked the garbage can next to the desk. “Oh good, no cigarettes this time.”

“Mom, I’m all by myself, I don’t know why you would think Jack was here,” Allison started. Her breath hitched when she realized his jacket was draped over her desk chair. She desperately hoped her mother would think it was hers. After all, it was a leather jacket…very similar to one she already had. She was misunderstood and dressed that way, with fire-engine-red hair that hung in her face, thick liner around glittering green eyes, and combat boots that clicked when she walked. She liked drawing attention to herself, but would never say it out loud.

“Okay,” her mother sighed. “I believe you. Listen, I need to give you your candy, okay? It’s 2 o’clock.”

“I don’t want it,” she argued.

“Well I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.” Her mother reached for the end-table in the hall and produced two pieces of the dreaded “candy” that was so often the source of Allison’s disdain. The two round white candies sat in her mother’s palm. She cupped a glass of water in the other hand. She approached her daughter cautiously, almost sluggishly slow.

Allison shook her head and slapped a hand to her mouth. She slid under the covers and pulled them up over her head, and the struggle began. She tugged one way, her mother tugged the other. Eventually, she felt chilled air hit her cheeks as her mother tugged the blanket free. She removed the hand from her mouth, groaned loudly, and dropped her jaw. She closed her eyes and felt the candies hit her tongue. She knocked them back with a sip of water, then sat. And sat. And waited.

She waited for Jack, but he didn’t come. She waited for the angel and devil that usually took their places on her shoulders to give her the solution, but they didn’t let her know they were listening. She let the tears roll down her face in hot streams, then made the decision to put her head down and go to sleep. Her thoughts were quiet that night.

The next morning, sun streamed in through the window…which was flung wide open. Allison stirred and rubbed her eyes, then shrieked when she felt the pressure of someone pressed against her. A hand flew to her mouth and covered it quickly to quiet her scream. “It’s just me, baby, it’s okay. It’s just me.” Jack’s strong arms wrapped around her, and she felt the soft heat of  his body.

Like clockwork, a knock came to her door. “What are you screaming about? Are you okay?” Her nervous mother banged on the door relentlessly. She heard the shuffling of those awful, tattered slippers against the wood flooring.

“Fine, mom, I just had a nightmare,” she called. Her breathing returned to normal as Jack sat up next to her. She shook her head and stood. Walking to her closet, she swung her hips seductively at her boyfriend. He whistled at her, and she turned quickly to throw her index finger to her lips to motion for him to silence herself. She stopped at her computer and turned on the most awe-inspiring song she could think of…Pussy Liquor by Rob Zombie.

She undressed slowly, pulling her oversized t-shirt over her head. It got caught on her chin and she giggled uncomfortably as she pulled it off quickly. She let it drop to the floor, gyrating her hips as she reached for the elastic band of her pants next. She pulled them taut and let them drop at her feet.

Yeah, I like to get fucked up too.

Yeah, I bet you do.

Her eyes met Jack’s as he raised them from her perky breasts. His jaw was to his knees, but the corners of his mouth were curled up in a ravenous grin. She walked to him, wearing nothing but her silky boy-shorts. She grabbed him by his face and kissed him hard. He pulled her onto the bed.

“Allison! Turn that damn music down!” Her mother banged on the door. “Those lyrics are disgusting!” her heart lurched as she stared down at the bed- Jack was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran to her clothing pile that sat in a heap of plaid and cotton fabric. She dressed quickly, pulling her shirt over her face so quickly that her hair came loose from its tight bun on the back of her head. It fell around her eyes messily. She glared through the strands- was she seeing red, or was that just the color it was dyed? She yanked her pajama pants back up.

The song switched to Superbeast. Her heart rate accelerated as she reached for her doorknob. She swung it open to see her mother holding the usual glass of water in one hand, and two pieces of the sugary candy in her other palm. Meg started at her nervously. She smiled and tilted her head to the side, like an innocent puppy. “Honey, I brought you your candy, you have to go to school and I know you can’t go without it.”

“I’m not taking that shit ever again!” She wailed and knocked the pills from her mother’s outstretched palm. “You scared Jack away again! I don’t need them now, I don’t need them ever! He’s never coming back anyway!”

“Allison, please, we’ve talked about this. Jack isn’t real. You see him when you don’t take your medi-“ she stopped abruptly. “Your candy.”

“Have you been telling him to be afraid of me? He’s been acting strange, you probably hurt his feelings! Why do you have to be such a bitch, mother?” She snatched the glass from her mother’s other hand, and slammed it on the ground. Water splashed in a wave around their feet, soaking her mother’s slippers and sending shards of glass bouncing around the floor.

“Are you kidding me? Allison, you are grounded!”

“Good! Maybe while you’re not bothering me, he’ll finally fuck me!”

“You watch your mouth, missy, or you’re going to be in a world of trouble.” Her mother backed out of the doorway and into the hall. Her hands were shaking, and she held them out in front of her timid frame. Her expression said I love you, please don’t hurt me, this isn’t you.

Allison reached to the floor and picked one of the larger shards of glass. The red blurring her vision only allowed her to see her mother grab the telephone off the cradle. She was going to try to send her away again. But she was so much better…why did mother want to send her back to her other room? She would never see Jack again. She would only know mediocre meals on a metal tray, ping-pong tables and moaning from down the hall. She wouldn’t let that happen. Not this time. She wanted Jack.

Her mother shrieked as Allison’s feet seemingly floated off the ground. The balls of her daughter’s feet smashed against the shards of broken glass, but she didn’t notice. Her feet bled onto the floor, leaving misshapen footprints. She finally dove at her mother, tackling her to the ground. She heard the muffled voice of someone on the other end of the phone before her mother began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Baby! Baby, please, listen to me, I’m trying to help you. Please, let me get downstairs to get your bottle of medicine, okay? Please, I’m begging you!” Allison reveled in her mother’s discomfort. The guttural laugh that escaped her throat was that of Jack. Dark, eerie and unhuman. Her mother squirmed helplessly under her daughter’s weight.

She rose the shard of glass into the air, and brought it down swiftly into her mother’s exposed neck. She tried to cry out, but all that escaped her was a bubble of blood from her mouth. It seeped out of the corner of her mouth and trickled down onto the floor. Her eyes began to glaze over as she struggled under Allison. Her irises shifted back and forth, trying to seek some last inkling of salvation. She could see her daughter’s maniacal face staring down at her before everything began fading.

“You took Jack from me. You’ll never be able to do it again.” Allison released the glass as her mother’s body went limp. She saw a shadow move from the doorway behind her. She stood up, stared down at the lifeless body beneath her, kicked it, and walked away.

She returned to her room, where Jack was sitting on their bed, applauding. “I told you that you could do it! How long have I been in your head telling you to do this,” he exclaimed. He jumped up and hugged her as tight as he could. “Look at what a great job you did! Just like how I told you!”

“Jack…what did I do…” Allison’s face went pale as she stared at her mother’s lifeless body in the hall. She turned a shade of green and vomited on her floor. She could see the lights flashing outside the window. “It’s over, Jack. I’m never going to see you again.”

She heard the bang of the door being kicked in downstairs. Her hearing was muffled- all she could hear was a loud ringing, and the slight sound of footsteps climbing the stairs. Jack was retreating towards the window, slowly fading as he reached the windowsill before vanishing into thin air. “Jack! Please don’t leave me!” the girl howled. He didn’t answer. 

The men she knew as her fathers stopped in the hall, taking a moment to look down at Allison’s handiwork. One of them let his hand fly to his mouth, the other two stepped cautiously around. One pulled what looked like a lollipop from his back pocket, the other produced a syringe.

“Allison? Honey, are you okay?” One of them spoke to her slowly and quietly. She shook her head gravely. She stared down at the ground, her hair hanging in her face. The tips of her layers were coated in vomit. She shook her head again. She sat down on her floor, crossed her legs, and put her head in her hands.

“It’s okay, we’re here to take you home,” the one with the syringe assured. He stroked her hair as he plunged the needle into her arm. The nurse that had stopped in the hall wheeled the stretcher around the gruesome scene. Allison slowly began fading, losing consciousness. She nodded solemnly as the world started going black.

She awoke in a bright room. A woman with red lipstick, wearing all white, was hovering over her with a sponge coated in what smelled like rubbing alcohol. “You’re quite the mess down here, little lady,” she said. She walked down to Allison’s feet and pressed the sponge to her wounds. The helpless girl tried to writhe, but she was strapped down to the bed. “Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you here, just like last time.”

Allison never saw Jack, or anyone else, again.

Thanks for reading, guys. If you stuck it out and got through the whole thing, I don't think you know how much it means to me to have you here, reading my work. You're all amazing, and I love each and every one of you creepy little weirdos more than you'll ever know.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.

Love always,

Taylor Terrible <3