Numerous Narratives
Short Stories by H. Jason Schulz
Copyright © 2010-2012 H. Jason Schulz
All Rights Reserved
Book cover image by Amy Nicole Carter
Individual story covers by H. Jason Schulz
Smashwords Edition
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All characters appearing in the following works by H. Jason Schulz are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
I love writing stories and I hope that you will enjoy reading them!
H. Jason Schulz
Table of Contents
A Fork in the Road
A Ghost named Echo
Caution Pupaphobia
Ghost Hand
Ghost in the Airlock
Ghost in the Top Hat
Journal of an Oobak Cowboy
Muuyaw Taavo: My encounter with the Clarkdale Ghost Rabbit
The Jerome Grand Hotel
Never Ask Your Uncle for a Vampire Story
Santa’s Little Red Spaceship
Sasquatch Auto Service
The Boy Who Designed Robots
The Luna Document
The Mansion House Musicianbots
The Monster in the Box
The Old Lady that Tends the Graveyard
The Princess and the Christmas Tree
The Three Spaceships
The Troll and the Maiden
Why I Slept Through Halloween
This Is Why You Can't Drive!
Thanks For The Ride Kid
Silver Dagger
The Dritzi Fly Incident Aboard the Cargo Ship Andromeda 4272
My Dad is Santa?
Chapter 1
A Fork in the Road
My friend purchased an SUV on eBay! Can you believe it? Anyway, I agreed to go with him to Idaho to pick it up and drive it back to Southern California. However, the very night were supposed to go, he suddenly had something come up and a few hours later, I found myself alone on an airplane to Idaho! The day after I arrived in the gem state, I picked up the big SUV and began what I thought would be a boring trip back to Palm Springs. I got lost in Salt Lake City looking for a gas station. (I didn’t have a GPS at the time.) I found my way back to the Interstate and headed south toward fabulous Las Vegas! I would find adventure there for sure, right? Sure, it was fun… but all by alone… Hum… all I managed to do was lose twenty bucks!
It was dark when I called my friend to let him know where I was and that I was going to finish the drive that night. He decided to give me directions that were going to save me an hour of drive time! I was all ears! All that I had to do was to take a shortcut through the desert…all alone…in the dark. What could happen?
Like I said, I didn’t have a GPS and so I had scribbled down the directions that my friend recited to me on a McDonalds napkin, then I set out into the night - straight into one of the scariest drives of my life! I was freaked out to find that the first turn took me onto a narrow two lane road that wound and dipped for miles through the darkness. This road was washed across with dirt in some places by some long gone thunderstorm. Obviously it wasn’t well traveled. Still it was paved – that gave me a small level of confidence. I was driving along listening to a late night radio program about UFOs when I passed a sign that told me that the road forked ahead. Sure enough, there in front of me was the fork. I didn’t remember a fork being written in my directions, so I pulled over to consult my napkin when I saw some headlights off in the desert. As I stared at them, I saw what appeared to be several people running around in the light. I remember thinking; it looks like they’re being attacked by vampires or the dreaded Chupacabra! I chuckled for a second at the absurdity of the thought of a blood sucking family or a creepy little monster chasing people around a car when I heard a “Thump…Thump…Thump!” at the back of the SUV! I quickly locked the doors and struggled to see through the darkness when I heard it again! “Thump…Thump!” Was someone or thing trying to get in the back door?! The thought quickly turned to panic!
I stomped on the accelerator and shot down the road leaving a cloud of dust behind me! I veered right at the fork and continued down the road without stopping. Luckily it was the right way because before long, I was in Palm Springs. It was really late so I found a hotel room to stay in. In the morning I started the SUV and noticed that the rear wiper was on, Thump…Thump…Thump!
The End
Chapter 2
A Ghost Named Echo
Long ago, in the boom town of Jerome Arizona there lived a small, homely young woman of 17 named Ethel Seiber. She was the only child of a wealthy miner whose name was Alfonse Seiber. Also living in Jerome at the time was a very handsome but poor young man by the name of Jacob MacAdams. Jacob was an avid gambler and not a very good one. As a result he had many debts that he couldn’t pay.
Ethel and Jacob happened to pass by one another one day on Main Street. It was the first time they had met. Ethel was enchanted by the dashing good looks of Jacob; however, Jacob didn’t give her a second look that is until a store keeper happened to greet Ethel by name. At the sound of the homely young woman’s name Jacob’s mind instantly concocted a plan where by he might pay off his debts. Jacob turned and followed Ethel into the store. The store dealt in clothing and Ethel was there to pick up a dress. As Jacob walked into the shop the store keeper; a short pudgy seamstress addressed him.
“Be right with you young man.” She said courteously.
“Take your time, take your time.” Jacob replied nonchalantly and he flashed a very charming smile. He took a seat near the door and began looking around the shop. The two women stole glances at the handsome young man as they conducted their business.
“The alterations you required are finished.” The seamstress said as she pulled a dress from a box. “Would you like to try it on?”
“Oh, no! I couldn’t.” Ethel said stealing another blushing glance at Jacob.
Before the seamstress could insist, Jacob interrupted. “I hope you ladies will excuse my intrusion but pretty miss…” He looked directly at Ethel, “you should always let a seamstress give a dress of that quality a good once over before taking it home.”
“I do agree.” The seamstress said to Ethel and then turning to Jacob with a smile, “Thank you for your suggestion young man.”
“Besides…” Jacob continued after returning a smile to the seamstress, “I’d just love to see how lovely you’d look in it.” Jacob again smiled his most charming smile, and both women blushed.
After a little more encouragement from both the seamstress and Jacob, Ethel agreed to wear the dress. It fit as well as could be expected on a young woman without much of a figure but Jacob was all compliments.
Jacob walked Ethel home that day and asked to see her again. Before long Jacob and Ethel were regularly taking walks through town and picnicking together. The busy bodies of Jerome considered these two to be quite a miss match and there was a lot of talk concerning them. Ethel’s father, being a prominent member of the community, sent for the handsome young man to discuss with him his intentions concerning Ethel.
It was a warm Sunday evening when Jacob arrived at the Sieber home. He was shown into the library where Mr. Siebert was waiting behind a large oak desk.
“Come in.” Mr. Siebert said as Jacob stood restlessly in the doorway. “I want to have a look at you.”
Mr. Siebert was an older man having fathered Ethel later in life. Ethel’s mother was much younger than her husband when she gave birth to Ethel and sadly died the same day. Jacob strode nervously into the room looking around at the many shelves of books as he went. He stopped and stood next to a high back chair.
“How do you do sir.” Jacob said nervously.
“Very well, thank you. Have a seat. I want to have a look at you.” Mr. Siebert said as he motioned to the chair by which Jacob stood and then placed a small pair of glasses onto his nose and surveyed the young man.
Jacob sat and glanced around. “Did you read all these books?” He asked.
“No.” Mr. Siebert said in reply and also looked around. “I have read a lot of them though.” Mr. Siebert then turned back to Jacob and removed his glasses. He considered Jacob for a moment and then asked, “Why are you courting my daughter? But think carefully before you answer. I can see that you are a handsome young man and I also know that my daughter is…prone to fits of unexplainable behavior.” Mr. Siebert paused for a moment then continued. “Usually this kind of match does not happen.”
“Well sir.” Jacob started. “I have not seen any of that kind of behavior…”
“That is because you have only been around her for a brief time.” Mr. Seibert interrupted. “Her mother had seasons of strange behavior and would, at times, disappear for days after been upset by something. Ethel is the same way.”
There was an awkward pause and Jacob took that to mean that it was his turn to speak. “I think your daughter is beautiful and I only have her best interest in mind…” He stopped immediately when he saw the brows of Mr. Siebert knit together in disapproval.
“Son, if there’s one thing I deplore, it’s a liar!” Mr. Siebert said sternly.
Jacob thought for a moment more and began again in a low tone. “Okay sir. I admit that I began spending time with your daughter just for the sake of her money but I have grown to know her and I think I can get past her outward appearance and odd behavior if the money comes along with her.” Jacob said and regretted the words as soon as the left his mouth. He leaned back in the chair wondering why he had said what he did, when Mr. Siebert began to talk.
“That may well be the first truthful thing that you have said since you arrived at my home.” He remarked. “I knew this day would come. I knew I would have to buy a husband for my daughter. You see Jacob; I too was in your position. My wife’s father paid me to marry her and that marriage made me quite wealthy. In time I grew to love my wife and I think you will do the same in Ethel’s case. I know that you have debt, but if you’re only vice is gambling…Let’s just say that it could be worse.”
Jacob sat up straight in the chair and looked at Mr. Siebert in shock. “What do you propose?” He stammered.
Mr. Siebert said in reply. “Here are my terms. You will marry my daughter. You will provide her with at least one child. You will be faithful to her and her alone…” Jacob nodded his head in assent. “In return I will pay off your gambling debts, provide you with a home, land, a job with a generous salary, and upon my death, if you are still married to my daughter; the two of you together will receive my full estate.”
“Agreed!” Jacob hastily said and he stood and vigorously shook Mr. Siebert’s hand.
Just then Ethel burst into the room. Her eyes were wild and she began to shout. “So! I have to have a man purchased for me?” She snatched a book that was on a nearby table and threw it at the two men. “Neither of you will ever see me again until I have my revenge!” She screamed as she turned and fled from the room.
“Go on after her!” Mr. Siebert said to Jacob and Jacob left in pursuit of Ethel calling out her name.
Jacob followed Ethel out of the house and through Jerome where he lost sight of her. He spent several minutes inquiring of passersby’s as where she went. Some indicated a nearby mine shaft the sloped deep into the side of the mountain.
Beneath the town there were a labyrinth of mineshafts, some actively being worked and some abandoned. Ethel had plunged into the darkness. Jacob, being the compulsive gambler, had bet on Ethel solving his money problems and it now seemed to be just another one of his bad bets. Jacob determined to break his string of bad luck. He ran headlong into the mine after Ethel. Hours past and neither Ethel nor Jacob emerged from the tunnels.
Mr. Siebert grew impatient and organized a search party. He offered a hefty reward for his daughter’s safe return. After three days of searching only one of the twelve men returned and he relayed this story:
“We had begun to search for the girl sending teams of twos down any side tunnel that we encountered and all the while calling out to her -‘Ethel!’ We had walked deep into the darkness, narrowly avoiding falls into abandoned vertical shafts, when suddenly we heard an answer to our calls. ‘This way Jacob!’ Ethel’s voice said some distance ahead. Shortly after we heard Ethel’s voice we heard a man scream out of the darkness, ‘Aaaaah!’ We rushed left, right and center following the sound of Ethel’s voice and the scream, each one of us wanting to be the first to find her.
Before long we were separated and hopelessly lost in the tunnels. We slowly began finding each other but still no Ethel. We decided to try to make our way back to the surface but it was slow going, we made frequent wrong turns and found many dead ends. Once in a while we would hear Ethel’s voice calling out Jacob’s name and at the sound of it, some men would rush back down after her in hopes of the reward, but they would never rejoin the group and we heard many more screams from the lost men. I can only assume they fell to their deaths somewhere in those vertical shafts. Before long I was alone. I began to ignore Ethel’s voice and finally made it out.” The man said and turning to Ethel’s father he said. “You can keep your reward Mr. Siebert. Your daughter is crazy!”
When the man had finished, Mr. Siebert struck him and announced a greater reward for the safe return of his daughter. Several other men entered the shaft, but have never been seen again.
Ever since that fateful incident with Ethel, many miners have reported hearing the voice of Ethel calling out in the darkness, especially after the miners had happened to yell the so frequently used call of “ECHO!” Occasionally, these men would venture into the darkness hoping to find Ethel and claim the reward. But sooner or later they would either be found dead after a fall or disappear entirely. Soon it was agreed that Ethel must be mad and no one again ventured down into the darkness after her voice.
What exactly happened in the mine shafts that fateful night and so many times since is still a mystery. Some believe that Ethel’s ghost is still there to this day, deep in the darkness and mistakes the word “Echo” for Jacob calling out her name “Ethel”.
So the next time you decide to yell “ECHO” down a mine shaft, listen hard and you might hear Ethel’s ghost calling back to you and beckoning you down into her darkness.
The End
Chapter 3
Caution! Pupaphobia
Note to the reader. While this story is based on actual events, it is a work of fiction. Thanks DK!
It all started last year, on my daughter’s birthday. She wanted a battery powered, toy vacuum cleaner. You know the toy, when you pushed it, it would make a humming sound and say a few different phrases like, “Let’s get to work!” or “Time to clean house!” So we got her one.
She played with it constantly, especially after seeing an animated movie about toys that came to life after everyone was asleep. She even started talking to it - which I didn’t like by the way. I thought it was a little disturbing. She would drag the toy vacuum cleaner around everywhere; sit it on a chair next to her at dinner time and even tried to pull it into bed with her one night. I explained to her that the vacuum would be more comfortable in the closet with the other toys, and finally she agreed let it “sleep” there.
After about a week of watching my daughter treating this toy like an actual person, I felt we had to have a talk. I sat her down and explained to her that it was all right to pretend that the vacuum was alive, but really it’s not. (Here’s where it got really creepy for me.) As soon as I said that the toy was not really alive, my daughter started to say something but instead turned to look at the vacuum, as if it had interrupted her.
“Did you hear me?” I asked my daughter, who was silent, still looking at the toy as if she were listening to it. “Honey!” I said. Then she turned to me with a look of impatience.
“Daddy! It’s rude to interrupt!” She scolded.
Well, to say the least, I was taken aback. “I didn’t interrupt you.” I protested.
“No. You interrupted Rocco!” She said.
“Rocco?” I questioned. “Who’s Rocco?”
My daughter turned to the vacuum and said, “He didn’t mean to.”
“You’ve named your toy Rocco?” I asked.
“Daddy. I didn’t name him. He told me his name.” She replied. She promptly got up and pushed Rocco out of the room.
Later that evening I expressed my concerns to my wife about how our daughter had named the toy and also how she was treating the thing like it was alive. My wife dismissed it saying, “Let her pretend if she wants.” But every now and then I could swear that the thing’s eyes turned to look at me.
One night I was startled awake by the creepy vacuum toy turning on and making the vacuum sound. I looked at the clock; it was 4:00AM.
“What the heck!” I said as I flung off the covers and got out of bed.
(I have to explain that the toy had several sensors in it that allowed it to make the vacuum sound when you pushed it, and if you released the handle it would say one of its clever cleaning phrases. I know this because I called the manufacturer and spoke with one of the engineers.)
Anyway, I walked to my daughter’s room fully expecting to see her pushing it around. But instead I saw her fast asleep with “Rocco” in the middle of the room…looking at me!
I know I put that thing in the closet. I thought. I have to admit that I was totally freaked out at that point. But being the brave man that I am I picked up a stuffed animal from off of the floor and hurled it at the demon toy…I threw three more before one connected and “Rocco” went down.
“Ha!” I quietly said, as I cautiously put the toy back into the closet and then I went back to bed.
The next morning I was awakened by my daughter who was upset that Rocco wouldn’t talk. At first I thought HA! Bye, bye creepy vacuum! But then my heart melted as she pleaded for me to fix it. I consented to change the batteries - Grudgingly it’s true, but never the less I did it, and Rocco was back to his constant staring at me with that creepy grin.
A few days later my daughter took Rocco outside and left him there when I called her in to eat lunch.
“Just leave him!” I said when my daughter tried to pull him from the wagon that he had been riding in. “You can go get him after you eat.”
She obeyed and soon we were enjoying lunch and watching the rain outside.
“Oh!” She cried. “Rocco!” Running to the back door and looking through the glass.
“Don’t go out there!” I stopped her. “I’ll go get him.” I Said. So I did, out in the rain. I rushed out and pulled the toy from the puddle of water it had been sitting in.
When I got it inside we found that it wouldn’t turn on. The lights didn’t light up, the vacuum hum didn’t work and it wouldn’t talk. This made my daughter very sad but then, as I held the toy, she again looked at the toy in silence for a moment as if it were talking.
After a moment my daughter looked at me and said, “Rocco’s mad at you for leaving him in the rain.”
“Now honey, Rocco isn’t capable of being mad. He is just a toy, but, are you mad at me?” I asked.
“Not as mad as he is.” She said and the toy made a chirping sound.
As I looked at the toy, its smile seemed to turn from cocky arrogance to vindictive plotting. I quickly put it down where it slowly created a puddle of water on the floor all the while looking at me.
The next day I started to feel bad about having left it in the rain. So while my daughter was at school, I took the toy apart and cleaned it. I replaced the batteries and reassembled the thing. I released the handle and it started to talk, but the recorded voice was really distorted. I pushed it and again, instead of a hum, it let out a deep distorted growl that sent a shiver up my spine and made me drop the handle. You are definitely out of here! I thought as I looked at the horrible toy.
I determined that I would discard this creepy toy and then go and buy her a new “Rocco.” I took the toy out and put it into the trash can by the driveway and went back inside feeling relieved to be rid of the thing.
Shortly after I disposed of the hideous toy, I was called out to work and left the house before my wife and daughter returned that day. It was almost midnight by the time I returned home. I pulled into the garage and went inside. I decided to leave the lights off so as not to wake anyone. I pulled off my shoes and carried them as I crept down the hall. I stopped to look into my daughter’s room. She was fast asleep.
Suddenly I heard a growl from down the hallway. My head snapped toward the noise as a chill spread all over my body. Terror welled up inside of me so that I was so frightened that I couldn’t scream except in my head. I saw the eyes of the toy vacuum dimly light up and then Rocco spoke in a deep distorted voice.
“Time to clean house!” The toy slowly said in a terribly distorted voice.
I’m man enough to admit that the scream that was inside my head finally made it out at full volume! But by then my fight or flight impulse kicked in. I threw my shoes at the toy vacuum cleaner knocking it over and ultimately silencing it.
This of course woke my wife and my daughter who came quickly out of their rooms. They found me leaning against the wall for support and shaking with adrenaline and pointing at the downed toy- embarrassing to say the least.
To make a long story short, this is how that toy made it back into my house. When my wife came home, my daughter saw the toy in the trash and insisted that it be brought back inside. Like I said, the toy worked but the sounds were so distorted that my daughter didn’t want to play with it and she put it in front of my room so that I could try to fix it. I, of course, was completely unaware that they had brought the toy back inside.
To them this was very funny and will be a story that will follow me forever. To me, well… I think I need therapy.
The End
Chapter 4
Ghost Hand
As embarrassing as it is to admit, this story is based on actual events…
I arrived to work as usual, just before ten o’clock at night. I work the night shift at an exclusive, gated, golf community in the mountains of Arizona. I am a security guard. I know, not exactly glamorous, but it pays the bills. My shift is from ten PM to six AM and my job consists mainly of alternating every two hours between sitting at the gate house and patrolling the property.
Tonight it was business as usual. I attended the daily shift change meeting like always, but what I failed to notice was that one of the guys had drawn a small stick figure at the top of my building checklist. (This was one of the main events that lead to one of the most frightening experiences of my life.) Tonight it was my turn to man the gatehouse for the first two hours and I took my spot behind the desk as my coworker left to patrol the property.
To say that the nightshift is boring is truly an understatement. As I had mentioned before, the property was located in a small, forest town more than hour away from the nearest metropolis, this small town seemed to roll up the sidewalks after eight PM and apart from the occasional raccoon, no visitors. It was truly dull in the gatehouse; however, the patrols could be a little exciting. I had encountered bull elk, bears, and once I found a mountain lion track in the soft ground.
Mountain nights are very dark; especially on moonless nights it could truly be pitch black. Luckily, we had one large flashlight that sent a thin yellow beam slicing through the darkness as protection. That’s all, just one measly flashlight, nothing else. Weapons are prohibited on property.
Another thing I think you should know is that I love horror movies. Sometimes on the darkest nights, I really let my mind wonder and, well… I get a little freaked out. I know, I know. Not too bright given my job, but there you have it.
Okay back to my story. I made it through the first two hours in the gatehouse and it was now my turn to go out on patrol and check the buildings. I climbed into the small pickup that served as the patrol vehicle and set out onto the property. I had several buildings and areas to stop at and check.
Checking an area or building is basically just walking around, rattling the doors and shining my flashlight in the windows and around the area. The first area that I was to check was called the pump houses. It was a series of small buildings and ponds that supplied water to the golf course. The pump houses were located off of the main property and down a small, single lane dirt road. The road that led to the pump houses wound through the forest a short distance and then along the side of a small hill. To get to the pump houses themselves, I had to stop and unlock an aluminum ranch gate.
As I arrived at the aluminum ranch gate, my head lights shown onto a large bull that was standing directly in front of it. I honked the horn a few times and finally, rolling down the window I yelled a loud, Hee-Yaw! And a, “Get on outta here!”
The bull stood for a moment considering me and then slowly moved off to the right and up the hill. I drove the vehicle up close to the gate and stepped out to unlock the padlock, all the while looking into the darkness where the bull had disappeared.
“That’s right!” I called after the bull. “Get on now!” I began feeling pretty pleased with myself after scaring off such a large and dangerous animal. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me! I wheeled around and found that I was face to face with a cow! (Only at the time I didn’t realize that it was a cow. All I remember is that it was big and way too close!)
So that you might understand my situation, I will explain that I had parked the pickup about three feet from the gate and had left the driver’s side door open and the engine running. So there was just enough room for the cow to squeeze between the gate and the front bumper, nothing else. So in my panicked mind…I was trapped!
Needless to say I screamed when I saw the cow…and yes, it was similar to that of an eleven year old girl... When I let out my wail, the sound startled the cow, and it tried to turn, but only managed to smash its head against the gate. Now, when the cow hit the gate, it made a tremendous crash! This loud noise combined with the large… thing in front of me now threshing around, caused my scream to raise a full octave and I shook uncontrollably!
I liked to think I’m relatively brave but, when that panic set in, I experienced a whole new sensation. Looking back it’s embarrassing to say the least.
Back to the story…The cow couldn’t turn because of the confined area between my pickup and the gate, and due to some cows behind it, it couldn’t back up. Thinking back on the experience, I think the cow could have run me down… I’m glad it didn’t. It just continued to struggle to get away from me, banging into the gate and the truck, and all I could think of was that I must get back to the safety of the open driver side door! But this…thing was blocking me!
Finally, I came to my senses enough to move off to the passenger side of the truck allowing six or so cows to hurry by in front of the pickup, obviously following the bull that I had thought that I had scared away. I stood there clutching my chest and allowing the adrenaline in my blood to dissipate, and watching the cows pass by. As they did, they all seemed to look at me with annoyed expressions. I quickly finished checking the area and continued on my way a little jumpier than before.
The next area I went to check was the clubhouse. It was situated next to the ninth fairway along with several other buildings including the sales office that was directly across the fairway from the clubhouse. There is a large parking lot in front of the clubhouse and this is where I parked my pickup.
I pulled into the parking lot still a little on edge from the cow attack, and as I turned off the headlights, I was plunged into thick and complete darkness. For those of you who have been outside of the city, you will know just how dark a moonless night can be. And as it happened, this was one of those nights. As I said, I was in total darkness and as my eyes struggled to adjust to the dark, I heard a knock or a bump outside somewhere. It sounded like it came from near the clubhouse which was directly in front of the pickup. I felt the panic begin to well up inside as thoughts came to my mind of hideous monsters and zombies from all of those horror films. I fumbled for the headlight switch all the while panic growing inside my mind and adrenaline beginning to shoot through my veins. Finally my fingers found the knob and I pulled. The lights turned on and I again could see! Oh light! You grand dispeller of fear! My heart was pounding as I fully expected to see hordes of the undead slowly marching to my doom.
I surveyed the building for a long while as once again the adrenaline began to subside. Then I began to laugh at myself. “As if!” I said out loud. But I decided to leave the headlights on and I grabbed my flashlight from the passenger seat as I stepped out of the little pickup. I switched on the little yellow light which, compared to the headlights, and seemed to be so insignificant. I passed the light from the flashlight over the buildings around me as I strolled through the area still chuckling now and then at my obviously irrational panic. I pulled on doors as I circled the buildings and was soon returned to the pickup.
I opened the door to the pickup to retrieve the building check list. (This was a single piece of paper that we used to write down the times that we checked various buildings) I jotted down the time and then something caught my eye. At first I thought that it was a bug that had landed on the paper. But my attempt to wipe it off proved that it was something else. I shined my flashlight on it and saw that it was a small stick figure that someone had drawn. I began to think. That’s odd; I don’t remember that being there. Suddenly it hit me – someone had just put it there! I’m not alone!
I quickly looked around, shining my meager light in all directions. No one in sight! I thought. Of course not – they are obviously hiding and watching you! I answered myself. For a third time I felt the panic building up inside. Still looking all around I leaped into the little pickup and slammed the door. Then I hit the door lock and noticed that the window was down. I scrambled to roll it up as I felt the unseen beast closing in on me! Finally! The doors were locked and the windows up. I checked again, and yes, all locked! I frantically dug through my pockets for the keys and jerking them out of my pocket, almost dropped them. “No!” I yelled as I managed to hang onto them. Fumbling around frantically with the keys I located the ignition key and inserted it! I turned the key and saw the headlights dim as I heard a clicking noise. The engine didn’t start! I tried again – same dimming of the headlights, same clicking. I slammed off the headlights and tried a third time – only clicking! This was straight out of a slasher film I had just seen!
It took me a several minutes to calm down to the point that I was able to think clearly. My eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness and as I looked around I saw – nothing, nothing at all. No army of the walking dead. No ghouls closing in, no ghosts.
I began to laugh and then I let out a loud “Whoa! Holy crap!” and again began to laugh out loud at myself as the adrenaline, yet again, slowly subsided. I couldn’t believe how jumpy I was tonight. I reached for the keys and turned them, the engine started. I sat there for a moment still chuckling and shaking my head at latest my freak out. I then picked up my building check list and looked at the list of buildings. There was only the sales office left unchecked. I glanced up and across the ninth fairway at the building. Suddenly it seemed to be really, really far away.
Just write down the time and get out of here! I thought to myself. Then I remembered that one other guard had been fired for doing that very thing. He had apparently never actually checked a building, he only drove by them. He was caught when a salesman had been working late and had locked his keys inside the sales office. This salesman had waited for the guard to show up, who never did, and finally the salesman had to call the security director. The next night guard who didn’t show up to the sales office had been followed by his supervisor, secretly. Who saw first hand that the guard had never physically gotten out of the vehicle and walked around the buildings. Long story short, he was let go.
Perhaps they are doing the same to me? Maybe my boss is out there watching and is playing a trick on me by drawing the little stick figure? Well I need my job! As I thought more about this I decided that this must be the explanation and I determined to check that last building even if it killed me!
I turned off the engine, snatched up my little flashlight and exited the pickup. I stood there in silence for a while just listening. I heard something! It was off in the distance but it sounded like someone was shushing another someone or was it hissing…My mind conjured up a giant snake. Stop that! I told myself and I set out across the parking lot toward the ninth fairway. I paused at the edge of the grass and looked across the fairway at the sales office. Once again I listened intently…Silence. The hissing, or what ever it was had stopped. See! I told myself. It’s all in your head! Get over there and get this over with!
I took a few steps across the fairway when suddenly I clearly heard something in the darkness! “Hiss, tick, tick, tick!” That was close! My head and the yellow beam of my flashlight whipped toward the sound but I could see nothing in that narrow beam of light that needled through the shadows. I stood rooted to the spot trying desperately to peer through the night. As I struggled to see in the dark, that little stick figure popped into my mind. Combating the rising panic I managed to convince myself that the little hand drawn stick figure was just someone trying to scare me. I collected myself and took another few more steps toward the sales office. Again, but even closer now the eerie sound emerged from the gloom! “Hiss, tick, tick, tick!” Again my body snapped toward the noise but I saw nothing except empty lawn illuminated by my pathetic beam of light. Panic was welling up inside of me! I looked over at the sales office and then back at the pickup. The distances seemed equal and I stood in confusion looking from one location of safety to the other trying to decide in which direction I should flee! Suddenly, and directly in front of me I heard it! It started as a low gurgling sound and when my tiny light fell upon the spot from where the sound emerged. I saw that it was coming up, right out of the ground!
I was frozen in place as I watched a ghostly, white hand reach up from the grass covered earth and reach for my head! I remember screaming, “Ahhh!” as the cold fingers seemed to take hold of my face. At any rate, I’m sure that I was screaming as I hit the grass and began to frantically belly crawl away! I had crawled quite a distance across the fairway when, for unknown reasons, I flipped over onto my back to face my ghostly attacker – nothing! But the hissing and ticking noise was all around me, “Hiss, tick, tick, tick!” That’s when I noticed that my face was wet, and also the front of my clothes. As a spray of water crossed over me I recognized the now familiar hissing and ticking of lawn sprinklers!
The End
Chapter 5
Ghost in the Airlock
On a large freighter ship named the “Deep Space” in the center of the Nebulak system, there once was a beautiful woman who was the wife of the ship’s commander. This beautiful woman was injured in a surprise attack by the Frederiods. Frederoids are space pirates that often attack freighters in deep space. She had tragically lost her hand to a stray laser blast. This freighter’s commander was once very rich and owned many freight ships, the Deep Space being his flagship and his home. During this time of plenty, he replaced his wife’s hand with an artificial one made from hydrogen fiber. Hydrogen fiber was, and is still, the most expensive and beautiful substance in the galaxy. The commander’s wife loved her new hand and thanked her husband often for spending the exorbitant amount of money to get it for her.
Time passed and the once rich freighter commander had made a series of bad business deals thus becoming quite poor. His once beautiful freighter and home became old and worn out. The commander had wasted his little remaining money on gambling in a vain effort to win back his fortune. His wife, even though they had gone from wealth to poverty, was still grateful for the money her husband had sacrificed to restore her hand, and continued to thank him frequently. She did not want to give up her hand, but soon realized that there could be no other way of improving their situation.
They had few if any cargo jobs and the commander was hard pressed to repay his gambling debts; he felt that he was running out of options. The commander often thought of removing his wife’s hand at night when she slept, but somehow couldn’t bring him self to do it. The threats became more and more severe for the commander to repay his gambling debts. I must get that hand. The commander thought. It’s the only way!
The next day the commander’s wife went into an airlock to clean it. She had to assume all of the janitorial duties on the ship now that they couldn’t afford a crew. As she used the beautiful hand to wipe away the space dust, she gazed admiringly at it. She loved her new hand, but she determined to tell her husband that she wanted to sell the hand and use the money to repair the ship. She would do this as soon as she finished the cleaning. After all, he would replace it as soon as they had regained their fortune. She thought.
The commander noticed that his wife was in the airlock. He could see her on the display from his seat on the bridge. He looked at the hydrogen fiber hand and thought of the money that he simply had to get for it and he also thought of his wife’s refusal to sell it. Before he knew what he had done, he had raced down to the airlock, and struck his wife from behind, pulling hand from her body as she fell to the cold metal floor.
The commander was horrified at what he had done, but when he looked at the hydrogen fiber hand; his horror was replaced by greed. He hurriedly exited the airlock and closed the inner door. Taking one last look at his wife lying motionless on the floor, he opened the outer door which launched his wife’s body out into the cold emptiness of space.
Time passed and the commander had sold the hand, paid his debts and repaired his ship. With the ship in good repair he soon had plenty of work, and once again he had plenty of money. He even remarried and took on a small crew. But sometimes on long flights through deep space he could actually hear the sweet laugh of his first wife. That sweet laugh soon became a terrifying reminder of his black deed. When he heard the laugh he would immediately pour himself a stiff drink and try to drown it away. Soon he would pass out and would no longer have to hear the laugh.
One night as his cargo ship passed by the very spot where, years ago, he had murdered his wife, he heard the sweet laugh that now made his blood run cold. The commander was lying awake in his bunk listening. The laugh was so real, so close that he suddenly decided to follow it; he couldn’t seem to restrain himself from following the sound. He left his cabin and walked into the darkened corridor. Then he heard her call his name! It came from far away, down in the ship. This couldn’t be…Is she alive? He thought. He quickly followed the sound of her voice through the ship until he arrived in the very airlock where he had, years ago, killed his wife.
Suddenly he saw her! She was in a pressure suit and had just stepped into the airlock. The commander rushed in after her! There she was! She looked at him and said, “Thank you for the new hand.” The commander looked at the hydrogen fiber hand that she held out in front of her. He watched in disbelief as the hand slowly floated in mid air and moved past him and out of the airlock. It floated toward the button that would close the airlock’s inner door, Swoosh! The inner door closed! The commander watched in horror as the hydrogen fiber hand passed through the inner door and moved toward the button that would open the outer door to the vacuum of space.
“No!” The commander screamed and lunged to stop his wife’s hand from pressing the button. But as he made the attempt to seize the hand, he felt his own hand connect with the button that opened the door and sent him floating into off into space.
The End
Chapter 6
The Ghost in the Top Hat
This is an account of an actual encounter with a phantom as it was related to me by some friends. The appearance of the ghost in the top hat happened only the one time and so far, it has never been seen again…
My account of the event takes place on a winter evening in late October. My friends, we’ll call them Nancy, Jeff and their daughter, Susan enjoyed dinner together, as usual. After dinner Jeff got ready to leave for work– he worked nights at a near by power plant. He kissed his wife and daughter good bye and left for work. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
After Jeff had gone, Nancy and Susan watched television and ate some ice cream, again, nothing odd; Nothing to indicate that they would soon be visited by an incorporeal being.
At nine o’clock, the usual time that Susan got ready for bed, Nancy asked her daughter to go up stairs, put on some pajamas and then to brush her teeth. The little girl went up stairs for a moment and then came directly back down.
“Someone’s in my room.” Susan said to her mother.
Nancy asked, “Who is it?”
Susan answered, “A grandpa.”
This is the term Susan used for all men with grey hair. Nancy thought she must just be frightened to be upstairs alone.
“A grandpa?” Nancy repeated. “What would a grandpa be doing in your room?”
“I don’t know?” Susan replied.
“Looking back, that was odd,” Nancy later told me, “Susan never made things up. Come to think of it, she didn’t seem a bit afraid at the time, and she has never been afraid to be upstairs alone before or since that night.”
Nancy decided to accompany her daughter up stairs and to help her put on some pajamas. They raced up the stairs, Nancy tickling Susan as they went. They burst into Susan’s room, and stopped at the doorway looking all around. They found it completely void of grandpas.
“What a shock.” Nancy said looking down at Susan and smiling. “No grandpas here.”
Susan determinedly looked in the closet, behind her dresser and under the bed as if she really expected to find the grandpa. This was a little unnerving for Nancy as her daughter had never done anything of the kind before.
After Susan had satisfied herself that the grandpa must have gone away, she dressed in her pajamas and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Meanwhile, Nancy had gone down stairs and was in the kitchen finishing up the nights dishes. Suddenly Susan came into the kitchen with her tooth brush in hand, saying that the grandpa was back and was in the bathroom. She went on to complain that he was in front of the sink and she couldn’t rinse the toothpaste out of her mouth. Nancy helped her rinse out her mouth in the kitchen sink, and then the two walked back upstairs to put the tooth brush back into the bathroom and also to tell that grandpa to stay out of the way when people are brushing their teeth.
As they topped the stairs, Nancy saw that the door to the bathroom was closed. This was very unusual as her daughter never, ever closed the bathroom door. Nancy began to grow apprehensive as she walked to the bathroom door. She found herself stopped in front of the door, unable to open it. Suddenly her daughter flung the door open!
Nancy jumped as the door banged against the stop, but the bathroom was entirely void of anyone. Nancy breathed a sigh of relief. They put the tooth brush back in its spot and soon Nancy was tucking Susan into bed. She kissed her daughter on the forehead and went back down stairs to finish the dishes.
Only a few minutes had passed when Nancy suddenly felt a tug at her blouse! She jumped, let out a scream and whirled around to see Susan, laughing at her, obviously amused at her mother’s reaction. When Nancy had caught her breath, she asked her daughter why she was out of bed. Susan replied that the grandpa was looking at her and that it’s hard to sleep with someone looking at you.
“Right now?” Nancy asked.
“Yes. In my room.” Susan replied.
Nancy rushed up stairs only to find an empty bedroom. This time though, she methodically searched the entire house and found that she and her daughter were the only people in the house and that the doors and windows were securely locked. She reassured her daughter that she was only dreaming about grandpas, and again, Nancy tucked her daughter into bed.
Again Nancy went back to the dishes, and again, her daughter came down to report that the grandpa was looking at her. Once again Nancy took Susan upstairs and tucked her in. Yet again Susan came down the stairs; she asked if she could sleep on the sofa. Nancy said no, that she needed to sleep in her bed and again took Susan up to her room. Susan came down once more before Nancy finally allowed her to sleep on the sofa where she could easily keep an eye on her daughter from the kitchen.
By this time Nancy was feeling pretty freaked out and as it was only ten o’clock, she called her friend, Laura and asked her to come by to talk about it. Laura lived only two houses away and across the street, so she was there within a few minutes.
The two women sat and talked the matter over at the kitchen table that faced the sofa on which Susan was asleep. Suddenly, a semi-transparent, old man, dressed in a black suit and vest with a white shirt, top hat, cloak and cane, came slowly down the stairs. As he finished descending the flight of stairs he turned toward the two women and graciously smiled, inclining his head and removing his top hat. This ghostly apparition then walked over to the sleeping girl and looked at her for a moment. Finally, he placed the ghostly top hat back onto his head and with a flourish, turned back to face the women who sat rooted to their seats in terror. The specter then tipped his top hat as he proceeded to walk right through the door and into the night!
Happy Halloween!
Chapter 7
Journal Of An Oobak Cowboy
Prologue:
The year is 4011. Earth has been in communication with thousands of planets throughout our arm of the Milky Way galaxy. Many centuries ago The United States passed a law that allowed only two cities per state. They did this to make room for the ranches. The ranches needed to be gigantic to accommodate the oobak. On the planet we called Suptrak, which orbits the star Proxima Centauri we found a planet very similar to our own. Among the life forms that we discovered were the oobak, an animal the size of a brontosaurus but with a stubby neck and small tail. We imported this animal to earth because of the many uses it afforded us. The most important was the fact that its skin, silvery in color, is incredibly strong and blocked 100% of cosmic radiation. At one eighth of an inch think, its hide was equivalent to sixteen feet of steel. Its bones are full of a new kind of element, a metal called latem. Latem a yellow metal and is a better electrical conductor than gold. Finally, one pound of oobak meat contained 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. Most people said that oobak tasted similar to beef.
The events in this journal take place in northern Arizona. The cowboys that handle the oobak are required to attend a University and gain a four year degree in Ranch Science. They learn the oobak inside and out, they train on the winged thays from the planet of Yarmoth. Thays are the best animal for use in herding oobak. Similar to horses in size, they have wings that allow them to fly for short distances. Graduating cowboys are also required to be proficient in the photon lasso, used to capture the oobak. Upon completion of a year long internship, an oobak cowboy can earn up to 5000 US gold claims per year. Recently the United States of America has returned to the use of gold as its main currency.
Journal
April 8 4011
My name is Curt; it’s the spring of 4011. I just got my ranch degree from Northern Arizona University and I’m headed down to the great range to start work on the Demming ranch as an intern.
April 10 4011
I arrived at the ranch and got partnered up with older cowboy named Lankey for training. He’s an old cowboy and I hope to learn a lot.
April 23 4011
I had my first run in with a gleen. They are the birds that came with the oobak. No one knows how the gleens got to earth with oobak or why we can’t get rid of them. I guess they don’t do nothing but be a nuisance, so the government quit worrying them.
Anyway, I had the best scores in the use of the photon lasso and all the other cowboys knew it and they always would razz me some about it. Today one of the boys bet me 5 gold claims that I couldn’t lasso a gleen off the back of an oobak. I thought it was a stupid thing that he was betting and easy money for me. That should have tipped me off that it was a trick. Lankey said it was a bad idea, but I told him I didn’t mind taking these boys money, so he just backed his thay away from me to give me some room and watched.
I was getting ready and they started hounding me pretty good so I hauled off and snatched a gleen right off the back of a nearby oobak. I tell you what! I’m going to message my professors and tell them to teach the student cowboys more about dang gleen, cause as soon as I had that devil bird wrapped in light, it came straight at me and began flogging me like mad! I tried and tried to release the lasso but I guess the gleen does something to the beam that makes it hard to release. After it finished flogging me a while it flew back to the oobak but before it could get there it hit the end of the beam and turned around madder than before! Straight at me it came again! It spooked my thay and knocked me to the dirt. All that I could do was to cover my head and take the flogging. I didn’t want to lose my lasso so I hung on to it. Finally the beam released and I sat there in the dirt while those cowboys laughed and laughed. Lankey came by with my thay and helped me up. I wasn’t hurt, just my pride. That cowboy tossed me the gold claims and said that was the best show so far, and it was worth the money. All Lankey said was this; if you ever decide to give a critter a lesson in mean, don’t be surprised if he learns it!