A low hum. The voice bounced throughout the space, despite the sound of metal screeching against a hard surface. Like it was sharpened. Footsteps shuffled and a bucket was picked up. Water splashed in the bucket and hurled towards the person in the chair.
He coughed violently. His senses slowly returned to him. He gagged. The smell in the room was putrid. His blurred vision cleared up…
…and before him was a masked person so close to his face.
“GAH!!”
He threw himself back but was immobilized by the binds on his wrists and legs to the chair. He fiddled with them, trying to yank his arms and legs but the bonds were tight. He turned to the masked person who was standing motionless. The sewn mouth and a cross for their left eye creeped him out.
“W, w, what do you want?! I didn’t do anything to you!” He cried.
That person, or whatever it was, remained silent. Their breaths were heavy, muffled by the mask but he can almost feel the glare behind it. They move towards the table. The scraping of metal on wood startled him. He watched. That was the only thing he could do as the masked person picked up a saw.
His blood ran cold when they trail their fingers on the blade.
His breath hitched when they turned to him.
His heart thumped at each step they took towards him.
“H, h, hey, hey, get away from me…!”
He squirmed, flailed, kicked and grunted as he tried to get the ropes off his wrists.
It only tightened the more he struggled.
He caught his breath in his throat when the masked person leaned into him. Their foot was on the chair between his legs.
He could almost see them grin…
“Don’t fight.”
Their strong hand pushed his head aside, revealing his neck to the person as they lowered the saw blade on his flesh.
He screamed. Screamed as the sudden sharp pain went through him. He choked and gurgled as blood flowed out of his mouth. His neck sprayed out blood onto him and the masked person. The cracks of his neck echoed in the room as he was sawn.
They lift his dismembered head. Blood dropped, more like flowing to the ground. The body went limp on the chair. Now anyone would gag at the sight or smell, but not this masked person. Of course, they wouldn’t.
They place the head on a table.
Among other heads that they’ve accumulated.
Displayed like a trophy.
Under the mask, they smiled.
Then the door behind them creaked open…
“...w-what are you doing…?”
----------------------------------------
“Noooooooo!”
Dice rattled on the table as it was tossed on the table. The twenty-sided dice slowly rolled and stopped on the number ‘1’.
Jane melted in her chair and slowly slid down. The dice had spoken. She had no choice…
“Well, you made the loudest sound possible and the guards saw you,” Callum spoke before gesturing, “Roll initiative, Jane.”
She groaned as she adjusted herself to sit properly and grabbed the dice. She pursed her lips while shaking her fist.
“It was a perfect setup too…” She muttered.
“Too bad your role sucks.”
Jane grumbled and tossed the dice while Callum grinned.
Amy sits on an armchair reading quietly near the bookshelves in the corner of the club room. It had been a routine; Amy would wait in the Werewolves & Witches Club room after school for her older sister Jane, who is a member of the club. It baffled her that Jane would want to join something as, what people affectionately call it, nerdy as Werewolves & Witches, but she didn’t complain. The club members were friendly, constantly updated their reading materials and their club room was air-conditioned.
“Holy shit I survived!!” Jane exclaimed and sagged on the chair. Other players at the table laughed and Callum patted her back. He was Jane’s best friend and the club president for Werewolves & Witches. He was also the one that welcomed Amy even though she wasn’t registered for it.
The bell of Woodsbury High echoed and Callum clapped his hands. “That’s it for today’s session!” He announced. All the players, especially Jane, groaned. He grinned as he continued, “Don’t forget to update your character sheet. All of you levelled up and some of you… ahem, picked up some stuff too.”
Jane did just that while the rest packed up and dismissed themselves. Then she packed up her stuff; maps, sheets, minis and dice into her case. Amy was already by her side by the time she finished packing. Jane looked up with a smile, “Got everything?” she asked. Amy nodded.
The brunette stood and swung her briefcase over her shoulder but not before calling out, “Good game, Callum! See ya!”
Callum waved as the two girls left the club room.
Other students were leaving their club rooms so the hallways were cramped from so many of them rushing to get home. Amy moved closer to Jane who, at the same time, wrapped her arm around her waist. They squeezed themselves through the crowd until they managed to get out of the building.
As soon as they were out in the courtyard…
“Look out!!”
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The sisters failed to see a coming basketball and hit Amy’s arm when she instinctively raised her arms. She yelped and collapsed to her knees. Jane dropped her case and knelt beside her. Concern painted on her face and she didn’t bother the coming footsteps towards them as she took Amy’s arm.
“O-oh shit, Jane, I’m so sorry!” Lucas stammered. His heart thumped harder when he saw the bruise on Amy’s arm. Jane either didn’t hear him or ignored him as she fussed over her little sister.
“Does it hurt?” Jane asked softly. Amy shook her head. Lucas was torn between helping or just letting Jane do her work. Clearly, she knew better what to do in this situation than him.
The brunette looked up at him. For a split second, he saw the faintest of glare from her eyes. Then, as quick as it came, the glare softened and she smiled politely.
“It’s not your fault. You tried to warn us but we didn’t see.”
Lucas wasn’t good at reading people’s emotions, but from Jane’s tone, he knew enough that the brunette wasn’t fuming at him. He sighed shakily.
“A-anything I can help? I can–...”
“Ewww, look at her skin!”
Amy froze. She quickly pulled her sleeve down to cover her bruised arm. Her face flushed red and tears formed at the corners of her eyes as the voices of those girls continued.
“Poor little Amy got bruised again!”
“Why don’t you help her, Charlotte?”
“Ewww, I’m not gonna touch her! I’ll get rabies!”
Amy wasn’t the confrontational type. She didn’t like to argue even if to defend herself. So she covered her ears so she wouldn't hear them. Her body wouldn’t move and her voice stuck in her throat. Meanwhile, the girls continued to throw insults, but it was short-lived when a dark-haired girl jumped out of the bushes they were passing by and startled them.
“I’ll give you fucking rabies if you won’t shut up!!”
It happened so fast in that short span of time. Jane was glaring daggers at the girls while holding Amy but immediately changed to shock when the dark-haired girl jumped. Lucas had to pause from picking up the basketball as he watched as well. The dark-haired girl huffed and then turned towards them and approached.
She gently held Amy’s shoulder, startled the pink-haired girl but her eyes softened.
“S-Skye…?” Amy muttered.
“I chased those mean girls away, Amy!” Skye exclaimed proudly. Jane loosened her hold around her younger sister. A smile stretched on her lips.
“Thanks, Skye. I’m so glad you’re Amy’s friend,” Jane said. Skye sheepishly grinned as she scratched her head. Her cheeks flushed red from the compliment. She then snapped back to hold Amy’s hand, gently pulling her back to her feet. Amy’s knees were shaking but the pink-haired girl mustered a grateful smile.
“Let’s go to my house! My mom’s making chicken noodle soup,” Skye said.
Amy glanced at Jane who gave her a nod. Amy immediately lit up and let herself be dragged by Skye. Jane watches them leave the school courtyard until she can’t see them. She sighed softly.
“S-sorry that your sister had to go through that, Jane…” Lucas spoke up after a long silence.
The brunette sighed.
“She didn’t deserve all that…” She muttered as she picked up her case. Lucas watched her leave as well.
----------------------------------------
Beware, beware,
The Stitched-Mouth Man
Coming to take the bad teens away
Beware, beware,
Annoying little shits,
You do some sin,
Beg on your chin.
Beg you will live.
Maybe the Stitched-Mouth Man,
Would give you a lift.
“What a shitty song,” Charlotte commented.
“Well you have to admit it has some sort of catchy rhyme to it,” Dana chimed in.
“Whoever came up with it has a shitty taste then,” Charlotte said. “Why are we talking about it, anyway?”
“W-well…” Naomi stammered, “Do you think… the Stitched-Mouth Man will come after us? W-we picked on Amy earlier…”
“Oh grow up, Naomi!” Charlotte exclaimed. She was pretty loud so everyone in the cafe glanced at them, “It’s just a stupid myth! There’s no such thing as Stitched-Mouth Man. Besides, those kinds of things go after kids if it’s real anyway. They won’t go after teenagers!”
“B-but Carson–...”
“He’s. Not. Real.”
Naomi fell silent while Charlotte rolled her eyes and sipped on her soda. She noticed Dana shifting in her seat, glancing back and forth from… something then to the table. She groaned and placed the cup she was holding on the table.
“What is it, Dana?” She hissed.
Dana didn’t respond. She kept glancing back and forth and Naomi looked towards what her friend was seeing. She froze. This irked Charlotte more.
“What?” Charlotte growled, growing frustrated and afraid of their behavior. Without warning, both Dana and Naomi gathered their things and fled from the cafe. They just booked it. Charlotte groaned but then she paused. Her eyes focused outside the cafe.
A person with a stitched mouth and a cross on one eye was standing outside.
Charlotte watched a customer walk out of the cafe. When she turned to look at the person again…
There was no one.
Her blood ran cold.
She scrambled for her purse and keys and scurried out of the cafe.
It was night. Darkness already crept over the town. The lights from the lamp posts were dim. “They really need to do something about the lights,” she grumbled under her breath.
The bus stop wasn’t that far but the dim streets made it look like that. She had to squint her eyes to see it. No signs of Naomi and Dana waiting for her there. She grumbled again and started walking towards the bus stop.
Charlotte had walked this street many days, many nights. With her friends and by herself, and never once she felt the looming dread over her. Cold wind began to blow and she swore she heard whispers along with it. She brushed it off, thinking that it was her own feelings and fears that were playing with her. She quickened her footsteps towards the bus stop–...
Thud, thud, thud…
Heavy footsteps followed the rhythm of her steps. She halted and turned around. Half of her expected someone familiar would be behind her.
There was no one.
Her heart thumped as she turned forward and began to run.
Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud!
The heavy footsteps got louder.
Charlotte panted. She was sprinting. She and whoever it was were in sync. The bus stop was in view now and Charlotte scrambled for her phone in her pocket, tapping on Naomi and Dana’s contact numbers and calling for them.
Neither of them answered.
“Come on! Pick up!”
Both calls entered their voicemails and Charlotte was already shedding tears. The footsteps were getting close now. Almost directly behind her.
But then finally, finally, she reached the bus stop.
She looked behind her.
No one.
Shivers ran down her spine.
She called Naomi and Dana again.
“You reached little ol’ Naomi! Leave a message and I’ll call you back!”
“Heeeyyy, I’m a little busy but if you say please, maybe I’ll answer you~!”
“Come on! Pick up!”
She tried a couple of times and every try ended in voicemails.
Thud, thud, thud…
The same heavy footsteps were drawing closer.
She looked up.
The Stitched-Mouth Man was marching towards her.
Closer…
Closer.
Closer.
Her voice stuck in her throat. She can’t even scream.
She broke into a sprint.
Charlotte never ran so fast in her life. Not even in tracks, where she often avoids running.
He was real.
The Stitched-Mouth Man was real.
She tried to type ‘9-1-1’ but she tripped and typed ‘9-1-2’ instead. The footsteps behind her were approaching. She could almost feel the man breathing down her neck.
Charlotte skidded into an alley. Her back was against the wall and she collapsed on the ground. With shaky fingers, she typed in ‘9-1-1’ again. Tears were falling and her breaths shallowed as she attempted to calm herself down while waiting for the beeps to change.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
Relief washed over her.
“H-help me… Someone’s following me!” She whispered. She tucked her legs to her chest. She didn’t care if her voice was trembling when she spoke. She just needs the police to come to save her.
“Stay calm, miss. Tell me what happened.”
“S-someone… someone’s following me… A-a man! H-he was wearing a mask w-with its mouth stitched and o-one eye has an X mark…”
She peeked out of her hiding place. Her eyes rapidly scanned the empty streets.
No one.
She breathed out a sigh.
But as she leaned back in relief…
A shadow loomed over her.
She froze.
The Stitched-Mouth Man was towering over her.
Not even a scream was heard from Charlotte.
Her phone lay forgotten on the ground as the 911 operator continued to call for her.
“Hello? Miss, are you still there?”