PROLOGUE
He didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t know how, but the parents knew where he was going to be, and had planned well. He had already denied the accusations of course, but that didn’t stop the rumour mill. Gossip and street-talk were on equal level to the law, or so it seemed in this small town. Yes, he had looked at them but he would never touch them. As if they would listen to that now though.
He was surprised to see law enforcement officers in the mob but then, they were parents too. He could understand their emotion; children going missing and then their dismembered bodies being found was going to ruffle a few feathers.
He chuckled at how blasé he thought about the situation. Ruffle a few feathers was a huge understatement.
The parents’ faces grew ever more enraged as they watched him chuckling.
It didn’t matter anymore, he had a good run but now his time had come. They had him cornered and it sure didn’t look like they were going to let him leave in once piece. He could see the weapons: knives, chains, baseball bats and more. This was going to hurt. Thankfully he had one thing up his sleeve which might, just might, give him a way out.
“If you start this, then I’m damn sure I’ll make you regret it,” he shouted.
“Fuck you! Don’t even try and wiggle your way out of this you scumbag,” a random figure returned.
“You are going to pay for everything!” bellowed another.
A grin creased his face. “OK, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
He got down on his knees, closed his eyes, folded his arms across his chest and began to recite the passage he found, just in case he should find himself in a situation such as this. From what he read, it was a solid plan, but with these kinds of things you just never knew. Still, he had little choice now.
The parents looked at each other in wonderment and confusion until one person tore away from the pack and began the assault.
He heard the quick footsteps closing in on him. The first blow wasn’t long after; it felt like a wooden bat and it smashed into his left arm, cracking the humerus in two. Quickly after, it rattled across his cheek, which sent him to the ground with a solid smack. By then though, the plan was about to bear fruit. He had switched off from the pain and was just about released.
It was working!
He never felt the blows that continued; feet, bats, chains, knives. He couldn’t believe it had actually worked.
The body of Skee-Bo was reduced to little more than pulp. The parents stood round in a circle, catching their breath and staring at the horrible sight before them, basking in the glory of their revenge.
Skee-Bo was gone.
CHAPTER 1
Ten years later…
“Skee-Bo, Skee-Bo…” Kim paused, “Wait, how many times is it again?”
“Jesus Kim, I’ve told you before. Five times,” Lynn said.
“You can count to five, right?” Stefanie said, giggling to herself.
“Fuck you, Stef,” Kim retorted.
Lynn flicked the lights on and laughed at the pair of them.
“What are you both like! Just as well you forgot anyway.”
“Why’s that?” Kim asked.
“Well, I don’t really want to get butchered in the school toilets. Do you?”
“Shit, no!” replied Stef.
“This is a load of bull anyway,” Kim threw in. “Do you know of anyone who has actually summoned this Skee-Bo freak?”
“Woah! I wouldn’t be bad-mouthing him if I were you,” Lynn said.
“Why not? As if any of it is real. It’s just an urban myth.”
“Maybe, Kim, and maybe not. There are loads of stories about this guy. Apparently he killed some kids and the parents decided to dish out their own justice. He just took it as well, didn’t even fight back. He allegedly repeated some mumbo-jumbo shit so that his soul could live on.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard all that, and who knows, maybe that is true, but have you known of anything happening to someone who repeats his name in the mirror?”
“Candles!” Stef chirped up.
“What?”
“Candles. You need to light candles before saying his name.”
“Christ, Stef. Why didn’t you say anything before? Just as well I couldn’t remember how many times to say his name. He would have been mighty pissed off if I got the process wrong.” Kim laughed at the thought of displeasing a spook-story.
Lynn let out a belly laugh.
“Anyway, back to the question at hand, Lynn. Have you heard of anything happening to anyone repeating that name in the mirror?” Kim asked.
Lynn looked at Stef then back to Kim. “Well no, I don’t personally know of anyone, but I have heard stories from kids at other schools. Word has it that some people have actually gone missing.”
“Bullshit! That’s just more stories. The police would be all over it if someone just disappeared or happened to get dismembered,” Kim blurted out.
“The story goes that the police were involved in Skeet Bowman’s death. Maybe not the whole force, but some of them at least.”
Kim stared at Lynn with a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving look on her face. Stef ignored the pair of them, instead concentrating on applying her makeup in the mirror.
RING!
The school bell startled them all, Stef dropping her lipstick in the sink where it rattled around the bowl, echoing all over the room.
They all laughed at the fright they got and headed towards the door.
“Are you all set for the sleepover at Debbie’s tonight?” Lynn asked.
“Hell yeah!” both Kim and Stef replied at the same time.
“Jinx!” Stef quickly added, and giggled.
They opened the door and continued on to their classes.
As the door closed behind them, the lights flickered and the mirror darkened as a cloud of black smoke roiled within the glass.
CHAPTER 2
“Are you sure you girls will be OK?” Debbie’s mum asked.
“Yes Mum, we’re sure. You have been out before and they’ve stayed over,” Debbie replied.
“I know, but this time we might be a touch later than normal. Definitely not by much though.”
“Mum its cool, take your time”
“Well, you have our numbers if you need us and try not to wreck the place while we are gone,” Debbie’s dad chipped in.
“Sure Dad, I’ll cancel the party now,” Debbie jested.
Her dad narrowed his eyes with suspicion, then laughed out loud.
Debbie loved her parents, they were cooler than most and trusted her in situations where other parents wouldn’t. Having her friends sleep over was only a small thing but each time it happened she gained a little bit more street cred. Plus, her friends thought her parents were pretty cool.
She watched as her parents made their way down the drive towards the car. She turned and closed the door. Three faces peered round the arch that led to the living room. They jumped out and joined Debbie; squealing in delight, all four of them dancing round in a circle.
“OK, so where’s your dad’s drinks cabinet?” Stef said with a sly look upon her face.
Debbie frowned. “Don’t even think about it Stef.”
“Chills Debs, I’m joking!”
Debbie relaxed and smiled at her three friends.
“Don’t worry, we wouldn’t do anything to piss off your parents. They are cool. I just wish mine were like that,” Lynn said.
Kim and Stef nodded their agreement in a slow, sarcastic fashion.
They soon settled down and headed along the hall towards the kitchen to break open the snacks.
The kitchen was huge compared to the other girls’ houses and each time they came over they would always look around in amazement. Debbie always smiled when she watched them; it never failed to fill her with pride that her friends envied her. She felt lucky to have three close friends, practically sisters really, the way they carried on. They would bicker and fight like all friends do but they always made up, quicker than most.
Debbie tore her gaze away, opened the fridge and took out the cans of lemonade while the others rummaged through the cupboards searching for the crisps and popcorn. It didn’t take them long to stock up on supplies, ready to indulge in some films. They had decided to bring one each; Kim brought a romance, Lynn, a comedy and Stef, a horror. A good selection for any sleepover. Debbie herself, had a huge assortment of DVDs and her taste differed on a daily basis. Overall though, she was happy with what was brought.
They walked through to the living room where they put all the snacks on the coffee table in the middle of the room. The TV and DVD were already set up and ready to go. Debbie didn’t want anyone nosing in on their girly night in, so she closed the blinds and curtains, cutting them all off from the fading sunlight of the late evening.
The four girls arranged themselves around the living room and started in on the snacks.
CHAPTER 3
“Well, what a pile of shit that was.” Stef huffed.
“Jesus Stef, you are never happy,” Kim replied, rolling her eyes.
“Sure I am, I just prefer it when people are getting their faces ripped off rather than kissed off.”
“Well, you’ll get your wish when it’s your turn to put your film on,” Debbie joined in.
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway I’m going to the bathroom then I need to get some fresh air. Back in a tick.”
__________________
“She’s been in there a while, I’ll go and see where she is,” Debbie said.
She left the others as they joked about and continued to stuff their faces with popcorn and crisps. She headed up the stairs and along the corridor towards the bathroom. She noticed the door was slightly ajar and the light was on. As she got closer she called out.
“Stef?”
No answer.
She continued to the door and stuck her head around the corner expecting to see Stef doing her hair or makeup.
There was no-one in there though.
She walked down the stairs, shaking her head towards the girls in the living room, who turned her way upon hearing her approaching footsteps. She continued on towards the kitchen. The light was off as she stared at the wide window on the opposite side to her. The window was black with a faint reflection from the living room light. She strained her eyes, trying to focus on some movement that caught her eye. It looked like wisps of smoke drifting up, disappearing into the sky.
“What the….”
She lunged for the back door, reached out, grabbed the handle and took a deep breath. She yanked the door open.
“FUCK!” Stef shouted, jumping up in the air and dropping her half smoked cigarette.
“Fresh air, eh Stef?” Debbie said as she crushed the cancer stick under her shoe. “Fucking hell.”
“I shit myself there!” Stef continued.
“Serves you right. What are you doing bringing cigarettes here?”
“I just fancied a little smoke, that’s all.”
“Well make sure you pick that up and get rid of it where my parents won’t find it. They may be cool but they would have a shit fit if they found that anywhere.”
Debbie slammed the door closed before Stef could answer back. She joined the rest of the girls in the living room.
“Did you find her, then?” Kim said, turning as Debbie entered the room.
“Yeah she was outside….” Debbie brought her thumb and fore finger to her mouth mimicking the universal smoking sign- and rolled her eyes.
“Ha ha, might have known,” Lynn chirped.
“I told her to ditch it where my parents won’t find it.”
Two minutes later, Stef strolled into the room, chest puffed out and a smug look on her face. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and sat down. Debbie, Lynn and Kim stared at her with raised eyebrows.
“What?” Stef said as she shrugged her shoulders and turned towards the TV.
CHAPTER 4
The credits rolled on the second film at the exact same time as Stef rolled her eyes and let out a big, obvious sigh of boredom.
“Thank fuck that is over” she said in a drawn out, bored tone of voice.
“Fine Stef, it’s your turn now so you can quit your complaining,” Debbie said.
“Woah, woah! You can’t just rush into a good horror film,” Stef replied. “You need to set the mood first.”
“Riiiight…. and that consists of what, exactly?”
Stef turned her eyes towards Kim with a sly smile on her face. Kim returned her gaze and let out a feeble chuckle.
“Would someone tell me what is going on?” Debbie asked.
“You’ve heard of Skeet Bowman, right?” Lynn said.
Debbie’s blank face told everyone the answer.
“Otherwise known as Skee-Bo….”
“Pffft, yeah. Who hasn’t heard the stories?” Debbie returned.
All the girls raised their eyebrows in unison and stared at Debbie, waiting for the penny to drop.
“Oh no, really?” Debbie finally clicked.
“Yeah!” they all replied together.
“Come on, it will be a laugh. Anyway, it will put us in the mood, as Stef puts it, for her probably shit horror film.”
Stef gave her dagger-eyes and jabbed her in the ribs.
“Yeah, I’m sure it will be a right laugh,” Debbie said.
____________________
The four girls set up the bathroom according to the legends. Not that there was much to do, the huge mirror above the sink was ideal for their purpose and two candles burned, positioned at either side of the sink.
“Have you been practising your counting, Kim? You know how to get to 5?” Stef asked, raising her perfectly plucked eyebrows, assuming a patronising tone and expression as she spoke.
“Very good Stef, it’s a shame you haven’t been practising your jokes,” Kim returned.
“So, Kim I take it you’re doing this?” Debbie asked.
“Unless you want to?” Kim replied.
“Erm, no thanks. I don’t fancy messing about with this kind of thing.”
“Come on Debs, it’s a load of bull anyway. Just stories to scare everyone. And I’m about to prove it, ” Kim said with confidence in her voice.
“OK, on your head be it. We’ll be waiting just outside the door so if anything, and I mean anything, gets weird then just shout and we will be right in.”
Stef laughed “Jeez Debs, what do you think is going to happen?”
“You just never know when you mess with this kind of thing.”
“Whatever.”
Kim placed her hand on Debbie’s arm. “Stop worrying Debs.”
The girls left Kim in the bathroom and shut the door, sitting down and resting their heads against the wall.
CHAPTER 5
Kim’s bullishness left her the same time as the bathroom door closed. Even though she firmly believed this kind of thing was utter rubbish, standing there in the dark, staring at the mirror, her heartbeat increased and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Letting out a deep breath to try and control her increased panting, she flicked the lighter on to release the small flame. The dancing fire had a hypnotic effect in the pitch black. She leaned forward and lit the candles.
Light always helped steady a person’s bravery and that time was no different, Kim’s courage slowly returned. She stared at each candle and was amazed at how steady the flames stood. She let out two more deep breaths before staring straight into the mirror.
She closed her eyes.
“Skee-Bo.”
“Skee-Bo.”
“Skee-Bo.”
The closer she got to the fifth time of saying the name, the more her boldness seeped from her body.
“Skee-Bo.”
Another deep breath.
“Skee…….. Bo.”
Kim wasn’t sure what she expected once the ritual was complete but the fact nothing happened slightly pleased her. She was looking forward to wiping the smug looks off her friends’ faces.
She smiled with satisfaction.
As she turned to head towards the door, one of the candles flickered and went out, plunging half of the bathroom back into darkness.
“What the hell……” Kim turned to investigate.
Stepping over to the flameless candle, she watched as the grey tendril of smoke rose to the ceiling and faded away.
“Very good guys! Don’t know how you did, it but very good!” she shouted towards the door.
She strode over to the door, placed her hand on the doorknob and turned to open it but was met with resistance. She checked the lock and confirmed it was definitely set to unlocked. She pulled it again, putting her second hand on it as well, but it still wouldn’t open.
Before she could open her mouth to chastise her friends for such a childish prank, the second candle spluttered and the flame died. She knew there had to be an explanation for it, possibly a draught from under the door, but standing alone in the dark, it was hard to convince herself.
She reached over to the light switch and flicked it ON.
Nothing happened.
She flipped the switch back and forward rapidly but there was still no reaction from the light. She decided to try the door again, still locked. She turned, wondering what the hell was going on. She would kill her friends when they decided to end this joke and let her out.
Something caught her eye, something in the mirror.
She turned to face it full on. Her heart began to slam against her chest, as if trying to escape and her breathing had become short and sharp as she gazed at the shadow in the mirror.
Her reflection looked different- larger. Not just in width but height as well. There were no features, just a big dark shape. She raised her right arm to see if her reflection did the same.
It did.
She slowly returned her arm to its original position and watched in horror as the arm in the mirror stayed where it was. Fear had her frozen to the spot, she could not even scream out against this unnatural event. She was fixated.
The mirror shimmered as if someone had thrown water at it and the large shape’s head grew blood red orbs. Kim thought her heart was going to stop right there on the spot, just give up and switch off as she finally accepted that this was not some prank her friends had conjured up. The red eyes seemed to burrow into her own, looking deep into her soul. She couldn’t look away.
In fact, she found her body moving closer to the mirror, even though she willed herself not to. She had control of her mind but her body was definitely not her own. Suddenly she was struck with the lightning flashes of a terrible migraine, unlike any she had felt before. Her body gradually returned to her control. She moved her hands up to her head and pressed her palms against her temples, rubbing furiously to try and ease the pain. It didn’t help, she thought her brain was about to explode. Stars appeared in her eyesight.
A second later, Kim collapsed in a heap on the floor.
________________
Kim slowly opened her eyes and was instantly disorientated.
“Where…?” she gasped.
She looked around for her phone to see what time it was, momentarily forgetting the moments prior to her blacking out, but couldn’t find it.
Steadying herself on the sink and pulling her lethargic body to its feet, she glanced at the candles frowning and fixed her eyes upon the mirror.
She stared at her reflection, looking deep into her own eyes.
Minutes passed.
Kim smiled wickedly to herself and turned towards the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and pulled it open.
CHAPTER 6
“Girls?” Kim hollered down the empty hall.
She wondered, for a moment, where her friends were but guessed they would be hiding, planning on jumping out at her to give her a scare. She grinned.
She crept slowly down the hall towards the corner at the top of the stairs, anticipating them hiding around the corner. As she reached it, she paused and pressed her back against the wall, holding her breath.
1, 2, 3.
BOO!
Kim jumped around the corner and was taken aback by the high pitched scream that the girls unleashed as one.
“Fuck! Kim! You scared us half to death. We never even heard you along the hall,” Lynn said.
“Come on, as if you were going to be anywhere else. This was the obvious place to hide,” Kim replied, straight-faced, eyeing each of the girls in turn.
“So…what happened?” Debbie enquired.
“Nothing, the whole thing was a washout. Told you it was a load of bull.”
“Hmpf,” Stef sighed. “That was disappointing.”
“Oh well, at least it’s set the mood for your cheesy horror film, Stef,” Lynn jibed.
“There’s nothing cheesy about it, but you can expect a bucket load of blood.”
Kim grinned at Stef. “Can’t wait.”
“Let’s grab a refill of goodies before putting it on,” Lynn suggested.
The girls returned to the kitchen with Kim trailing at the end of the line, staring vacantly at her friends’ backs.
With the popcorn bowls re-filled and the drinks replenished, the girls hustled back in to the living room to settle down for the next film. Kim kneeled on the floor in front of the DVD player and looked at the DVD cover; some blonde girl running through a field while a dark scarecrow image lurked in the background.
A devilish smile crossed her face as she inserted the DVD into the player.
______________________
“I’ve seen worse,” Debbie said as the credits rolled.
“Yeah but I’ve also seen a lot better,” Lynn added.
“Screw you guys, that was a classic,” Stef huffed, trying to defend her choice.
“Classic, my arse!” Lynn laughed.
Stef flipped up her middle finger at Lynn and stormed into the kitchen.
The girls laughed at Stefanie’s pettiness. She could always give it out, but never take it.
“I’ll go and check on her,” Kim said.
“She’s probably having another smoke,” Debbie suggested.
Kim was already on her way and didn’t so much as glance back as Debbie spoke.
She stopped in the kitchen and surveyed the room. Heading towards the window, she leaned over the sink to look outside, where she managed to catch a glimpse of Stef, crouched down puffing away angrily at a cigarette.
Jesus Stef, slow down. It’s not the captain of the football team’s dick you’re sucking.
Kim giggled at her own internal monologue. Luckily no-one could hear the thoughts bouncing around her head. It’s like she was a new person.
She spotted the ideal item on the worktop before slipping it down the inside of her jeans and heading outside. The metal felt cool pressed up against her bare skin as she closed the door. She stood beside Stef.
“Hey Kim, what are you doing out here?” Stef queried.
“Just checking you’re okay,” Kim replied, eyeing the glowing red spot hovering above Stef’s fingers.
“You got another one of those?” she added, nodding at the cigarette.
Stef look puzzled. “What? You don’t smoke though.”
“It’s time to start living,” Kim laughed, but somehow, the laughter next reached her eyes.
“Er…sure, here you go.” Stef got the pack from her back pocket and held it out towards her.
Kim stared at the box offered before her, then lifted her eyes to meet Stef’s.
“What?” Stef asked, feeling slightly confused.
“You’ve always been a little slut Stef, you know that?”
“Wha-.”
Before the word was fully formed, Kim’s hand drew out the sharp carving knife. The tip of the blade glinted in the kitchen light as it flashed horizontally across Stef’s throat. A red line appeared across her windpipe.
A strange gargling noise emerged from Stef’s mouth as her face turned from confusion to sheer panic. The cigarette fell from her hand and landed on the patio. Stef’s hands immediately went up to her neck to stem the bleeding but it was already too late, blood seeped between her fingers and dripped onto the ground. She tried to speak, call for help, but failed pathetically. Small air bubbles escaped her lips as a thick line of blood ran down her chin.
Kim tilted her head and stared into Stef’s eyes as her life ebbed away. She smiled as the dying girl crumpled to the floor. A pool of deep red liquid grew underneath her slumped body. Kim took a step back so as not to dirty her trainers and crouched close to Stef’s ear.
“What do you know! It wasn’t bullshit at all. It actually worked!”
She took another step back from the ever-growing puddle and chuckled as the clouds parted and moonlight illuminated Stef’s body like a macabre spotlight.
CHAPTER 7
“Surely she’s not still in the huff?” Lynn asked, looking towards the archway leading to the kitchen.
“Shit, we better check. You know what she’s like,” Debbie replied.
Just as they got up to investigate, they heard a door close.
“About time! Quit your sulking about; get through here!” Debbie shouted through.
Kim stepped slowly into the living room and stopped close to the door.
“Kim, where’s Stef?” Debbie asked.
Kim looked at each of the girls in turn.
“Kim?” Lynn said, trying to nap her friend out of the apparent trance she was under.
Kim’s eyes widened and a strange, crooked smile spread across her lips.
“She had to head off,” Kim finally answered, her voice much deeper than normal.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” asked Debbie. She frowned as she thought she noticed a strange change in Kim’s eyes. They seemed to glow a deep, dark red colour.
“Kim?” Debbie repeated, louder this time.
She took a reluctant step back, further into the living room. Lynn turned to look at her, frowning with confusion.
“Debs, what is it?”
The look on Kim’s face twisted from a smile to a look of hatred.
Debbie noticed, but before she could open her mouth to voice her horror to Lynn, Kim rushed forward, plunging the knife through Lynn’s throat. The momentum of her rush forced the tip of the blade out through the other side of Lynn’s neck.
Lynn had so little time to register the movement that she couldn’t even react to the sudden assault. She was frozen in place with the knife lodged in her neck. Blood had begun to dribble down her flesh, but the weapon plugged the entry and exit wounds, preventing a profuse flow. Lynn’s eyes bulged and her healthy complexion faded to grey as shock took her body.
Kim cruelly yanked the blade from Lynn’s throat, unleashing a spray of bright red arterial blood across the walls, furniture and carpet. She ran her tongue along the serrated edge of the knife, nicking her tongue, letting the blood mix with Lynn’s. All whilst staring deep into Debbie’s eyes.
Debbie screamed as Lynn keeled over and landed face first on the lounge chair, blood still pumping from her doomed body.
“Jesus! What the fuck, Kim?” Debbie screamed, tears streaming down her face.
“Come on, Debs,” Kim teased, waving the knife in front of her face, and blood running down her lips. “Haven’t you figured it out, yet?”
Debbie look horrified, her head shaking from side to side. “No…no!”
“Oh yes, Debs,” Kim said, smiling as she pointed the bloodied blade at Lynn’s body. “Of course, I always did prefer to kill girls, something just felt better. If it wasn’t for those parents then I would, no doubt, still be at it. The bastards! How dare they ruin my fun. I never did figure out how they knew where I was going to be. I was very careful.”
“What? What the fuck did you say?”
No response.
“Kim? Kim?”
“Oh Debs, tsk tsk, poor old Kim has taken a back seat for this ride. Such a shame, since she is missing all the fun”
“Skee…Bo?” Debbie said in a drawn out voice. “No, no…this can’t be happening.”
“Bingo! Give the girl a prize. And here I am, in flesh and blood.” Laugher emanated from Kim’s mouth, but it was not her usual giggle – her vocal chords seemed to rasp at a pitch they were not accustomed.
“You don’t think Kim could manage this all by herself, do you?”
Debbie’s breaths came in short, sharp blasts, her chest and shoulders rising and falling with each gasp. She looked around but there was nothing to help her, no weapons, and the only exit was behind this abomination. She had to at least try. She thought of her parents and let out a whimper. In that instant, she glanced at the clock on the fireplace.
They will be home soon.
Possessed Kim noticed the eye movement and followed her line of sight to the clock.
“Oooh…Tick, Tock”
That split-second was the distraction Debbie needed. She dashed forward as Kim’s eyes were still on the clock, dodging off centre to avoid her and headed towards the stairs. Kim’s arm flashed out instinctively and her nails slashed across Debbie’s upper arm. Debbie took a sharp breath at the burning pain from the wound, but pressed on. She slammed into the railings, turned and lunged for the stairs. Kim was already on the move, only feet away. Debbie could hear what sounded like childish giggling, as if they were playing an innocent game of tag. Her heart thumped in her chest as though it was an animal in its own right, desperate to escape. Her plan was to reach the bathroom, lock the door and barricade herself in until help arrived.
Her feet pounded as she propelled herself up the stairs. Biting pain shot up her left leg and she stumbled when, upon the next step, she put pressure on it. Her foot would not respond properly. Clinging to the railings, she glanced down to see blood gushing where her Achilles tendon had been slashed and her manic ex-friend closing in three steps behind. Dread coursed through her veins at breakneck speed. Debbie pulled her good leg in and shot it back out, catching Kim in the stomach, causing her to stumble back down a couple of steps. Her arm injury was ignored in favour of saving her own life as she furiously tried to haul herself up the rest of the steps. The top wasn’t far away, and even though she was moving slower, a glimmer of hope, sparked in her body that the bathroom, her sanctuary, wouldn’t be far away.
She reached the top step and pressed her good leg on the end of the banister to give herself a good push in the belief that it would drive her some way along the corridor. Before she managed to launch herself, a sentence was spoken that made her realise it was all in vain. She wasn’t leaving this house alive.
“So close Debs…ten out of ten for effort.”
Debbie didn’t even bother turning to look at her aggressor. She already knew this was the end of the line.
Kim plunged the blade through her back, right through her body and the carpet embedding the tip in a floorboard. Blood gathered in Debbie’s mouth and trickled out over her lips and down her chin. She coughed a mist of blood droplets across the carpet. Kim jerked the knife upwards, pulling Debbie upwards a few inches. One hard stomp on Debbie’s back helped to break the vacuum within her chest cavity, releasing the blade. Debbie’s head thumped back down onto the carpet, her face tilted to the side, eyes staring at her safe haven so close by. Her last breath whispered past her lips, over the pool of blood gathering just under her chin.
Kim let out a huge belly laugh in the odd, rasping voice that had replaced her normal tones, amused by the failed escape attempt. She grabbed one of Debbie’s legs and hauled her roughly back down the stairs, letting her head smack off each step in turn.
CHAPTER 8
It was pitch black when Debbie’s parents arrived home, the headlights from the car lit up the whole front of the house. They were amazed to see the place in darkness, fully expecting the girls to be up watching films. They weren’t home that late.
Stepping in through the front door, the place looked deserted, except that they could see a faint glow emanating from the living room. Thinking that the lights were off to create the right atmosphere for watching films, they decided to leave them off.
“Hey girls!” Debbie’s dad shouted.
No response.
They both moved forward and stuck their heads through the arch to find three of the girls sitting on the sofa, staring at the TV and Kim, sat on the floor with her legs crossed and arms resting on her knees, doing the same thing.
Their gaze left the girls and focused on the TV to see what was so fascinating. They noticed it was a crime documentary about a child killer from a decade ago.
They frowned and looked back to the girls.
They hadn’t moved at all.
“Debbie?” her mum called.
Still no response.
It was only as the screen projected brighter colours that illuminated the girls that Debbie’s parents noticed something was wrong.
Two of the girls had dark marks on their necks.
Debbie’s dad reached for the light switch and flicked it on.
He instantly regretted it.
Blood was splattered all over the living room. Stefanie and Lynn sat with horrific wounds to their necks while Debbie sat glassy eyed with a crimson mark on her chest, a bloody arm, and blood pooling at her feet.
Debbie’s mum let out a gut-wrenching scream that shook the walls. She stumbled backwards to the wall below the stairs. Her hands reached out to steady herself and she felt something sticky. She turned around and was met with another scene from a nightmare. Across the wall was a name written in blood over and over again.
Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo.
She let out another scream and passed out.
Her second scream broke her husband’s trance. To see his one and only child and her friends butchered but set out in such a normal setting had frozen his blood and he found he had no reaction at all but to focus on the unbelievable scene before him.
He turned his head in time to see his wife fall, smacking her head on the solid floor. Behind her, the ghoulish graffiti was obvious and he looked on, gaping mouth, in another state of shock.
He reached for his mobile and called the police.
EPILOGUE
It took the police and paramedics a long time to get a response from Kim but when they did she was hysterical. The police concluded that she killed her friends, but were struggling to find a motive. They suspected it was something to do with an unfaithful boyfriend and had no doubt something like that would emerge once they canvassed their schoolmates. Kim’s exhausted mind shutdown in a state of denial and disbelief, forcing her to slump into unconsciousness. When she woke again, they explained the situation once more and she was so distraught that the paramedics had to sedate her. They placed her on a stretcher and wheeled her out the door. A nearby policeman cuffed one wrist to the side of it whilst she was taken to the back of an ambulance with an accompanying female officer.
Kim rolled her head to the side and gazed at the officer who sat watching her. The woman returned her gaze without expression. She lifted her head slightly to look out to the scene she was taken away from; watching despondently at Debbie’s distressed parents who seemed to wither in the strobing lights of the emergency vehicles. The ambulance doors quickly closed and Kim returned her head to the pillow.
A single tear ran down her face and her lips moved almost imperceptibly as she repeated two syllables over and over again.
Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo. Skee-Bo…
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
This is a new journey for me so I thank you very much for taking the time to read my work. I hope you enjoyed it. Whether you did or didn’t, I would like to thank you anyway. I really do appreciate you allowing me to try and entertain/scare you.
Feel free to contact me on Facebook or e-mail (dezmond02@hotmail.com) as I would love to hear your thoughts.
It would be a great help if you could leave a review (whether you liked the book or not – constructive criticism is always welcomed) on Amazon, Goodreads or any other website readers’ visit. Thank you in advance to anyone who does.
[bctt tweet=”OCTOBER TERROR 2018 Short Story Award – Entry #24 ‘SKEE-BO’ by Dale Robertson – Enjoy all this terrific, disturbing material you have in your hands, lots of horror stories at your disposal for your dark delight and vote!” username=”theboldmom”]
On October 23rd we’ll close submissions and open a poll for the readers to choose their favourite one! You’ll have a week to make your choice and on October 31st we’ll announce the winner!!!
