NO TRICK BUT TWO GREAT TREATS
As a special Hallowe’en gift - Elly Grant is giving you a FREE scary short story (printed in full below) AND the chance to buy her novel Palm Trees in the Pyrenees (first of her Death in the Pyrenees) series for only 99c /99p (a massive discount on list price).
To take advantage of the discount, link to
to read about more about Elly Grant, her thrillers, crime novels and other publications ,visit
Now for your FREE scary short story
Dark Night
“Hi, Gracie. It’s me. How are you? How are the kids? Good, that’s great news. Yeah, yeah, I’ve had an okay day. All three of my calls have given me orders. Only bad news is that my sodding sat nav’s given up the ghost and I’m in the middle of nowhere. The road I usually take to cut across country was closed because of a landslip. Must have been all the rain we’ve had up here. I’m trying to find a main road so I can look for a hotel to check into for the night, then I’ll drive home tomorrow, so don’t expect me back till then. Kiss the kids for me. Yes, I love you too. By, Darling.”
It’s so dark and the mist rising from the fields is making it impossible to see the road ahead. I’m only doing thirty, but I feel half blind. Bloody Hell, there’s something in the road. I’m skidding. Oh, shit!
It’s dark. Where am I? I can hardly move. Something liquid is running down my face. Where the Hell am I? Oh, yes, I remember now; I was in the car. I’m still in the car, but everything is on its side. I must have crashed. I’ve got to get out of here and get some help, but I can hardly move. I’m trapped. The phone, where’s my phone? There’s moonlight, but I can’t see my phone. God it’s cold. I’m shivering. Can’t stop shaking. I think there’s blood on my face, running into my eyes. I could bleed to death here. Maybe that’s why I’m cold. Maybe I’m bleeding to death. I’ve got to get help. Gracie and the kids need me. I’ve got to get out of this car.
Stop panicking, keep calm, think, think what to do. Look around. What can you see? Is anybody out there? Any lights, any other cars?
It’s dark. Where am I? I’m in the car. I must have passed out. So cold. I’m so cold. I can see light flickering, across the fields. A bonfire maybe. Yes, there’s a house in the distance. It’s lit up. I can’t move dammit. I’m stuck fast. I’ll lay my head on the steering wheel, on the horn. Maybe they’ll hear me. I feel dizzy. Oh, no, I’m passing out again. Don’t let me die here.
***
“Great party Adam.”
“Yeah, Adam, and your girl’s gorgeous. She making amazing food on the barbie. Of course she’ll be well practiced, being from Oz. You’ve got it made mate. Oh, oh, Andrea’s heading this way, better hide that cigarette, Paul.”
“Can any of you guys hear a car horn. Turn the music down for a minute, Paul. I’m sure I can hear something.”
“Too much booze Andrea. Your ears are ringing.”
“Shut up, Johnny. I hear it too. She’s right. There’s nothing out here but my cottage. Maybe someone’s in trouble. Maybe someone’s come off the road. I’ll grab a couple of flashlights from the porch and we’ll go and have a look. The ground is very uneven. You stay here Andrea keep everyone fed and watered, Johnny and Paul can come with me. We’ll be back in no time.”
“I heard the horn, Adam, so I’m coming with you. Let Paul or your girlfriend look after your guests. I’m not a servant.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll all go, but don’t moan if you break a heel.”
***
Can hardly see. Blood in my eyes. Can’t wipe it away. Lights. I see lights. Someone’s coming. Put my head on the horn again. They’re coming. Thank God. Someone’s coming.
***
“If you hadn’t heard that horn Andrea, nobody would know he’s here. Can you hear me mate? Can you move? Are you in pain.”
“Lift his head off the steering wheel, Johnny. God, there’s a lot of blood. I can smell petrol. We have to get him out of this car.”
***
Monsters, I’m surrounded by monsters. They’re not human. I think I’m in Hell. God help me.
***
“Run back to the house, Andrea, quickly. Get Dr. Moreau. He’s the guy in the suit wearing a cravat. He’s a butcher. Tell him to bring the big carving knife from the kitchen drawer. We’ve got to cut this leg off if we’re ever going to get him out.”
“What a magnificent beast he is Adam. Look at the meat on that big boy. We can cook the leg on the barbecue and butcher the rest for the freezer. You’ll have meat for the next six months.”
***
The monsters are going to kill me. They’re going to eat me. I love you Gracie, I love you kids. Too weak to open my eyes. Everything is going black again. I don’t want to die.
I’m on a table, bright lights, moving fast, people running, shouting. Where am I? Is this the end.
***
“Hello, I’m Sergeant Wilson. May I come in? Lovely cottage you have here. Now Adam, can tell me what happened.”
“Of course Sergeant, but first have you heard anything? Is the guy going to be okay?”
“Thanks to you lot he’ll recover. It was a stroke of genius to cut the leg off that deer he’d hit so you could move it and then get him out of the car. And from what the fire chief said it was just in the nick of time. The car went up like a rocket. He’ll have some story to tell when he recovers. Saved by a group of zombies and film monsters.”
“Well, Sergeant, it is Halloween and we were having a party.”
end
