PHOTO PROMPT © Mary Shipman
Clutter pressed in from all sides. Claustrophobia gripped Andrea’s lungs as she pushed further into the room.
“I’m looking for Jonathan,” she said, barely above a whisper, to the shabby man on the stool beside the door at the back of the room.
“Ain’t in there,” the man replied and slid his boot to block the door.
“Please, move,” she said, only slightly louder.
He shrugged and pulled back his foot. She slipped through the battered old door.
“Told you he weren’t in there,” the man said as he slipped off the stool and followed her in, unfastening his belt.
—
Most monsters, the real ones anyway, tend to be human. This guy certainly falls into that category.
I wrote two stories this week, both that went to far darker places than I had originally envisioned. I actually preferred the other story, but decided to save it for the next edition of 100 Tiny Tales of Terror, which will likely be out in the next couple months if I get my butt in gear and get back to the writing I’ve been shrugging off in favor of warm weather and sunshine.
Written for Friday Fictioneers.
Click here to read stories from the other Fictioneers.
Adam Ickes 
April 28th, 2016 at 6:25 PM
This is cool
April 30th, 2016 at 8:29 PM
Thanks, John.
April 28th, 2016 at 6:31 PM
Dear Adam,
Now that just made my skin crawl. Thanks. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
April 30th, 2016 at 8:30 PM
I’ll take that as the compliment I hope it was meant to be. Glad I had time and energy to join in this week as I missed the last couple.
May 1st, 2016 at 5:42 AM
It was meant as a compliment. 😉
April 28th, 2016 at 6:36 PM
Grisly, dude. You are scaring me more and more. I hope she has a gun!
April 30th, 2016 at 8:31 PM
Even if she does have a gun I doubt she’d be willing or able to use it.
April 28th, 2016 at 7:09 PM
You’re right. Sometimes the monsters ARE the most human.
Thanks for this, Adam!
April 30th, 2016 at 8:33 PM
Humans terrify me. I’d take a toothy monster under my bed over a human under my bed any day of the week.
April 28th, 2016 at 7:20 PM
I shared Rochelle’s flesh-crawling
April 30th, 2016 at 8:33 PM
Glad to be of service.
April 28th, 2016 at 8:00 PM
Dark, scary and atmospheric. The ending is open to multiple evil scenarios. But that could just our hyperactive imaginations. It could well be “he slipped off the stool and followed her in, unfastening his belt. He let out a loud belch and rubbed his tummy while silently making a note to avoid greasy lunches”.
April 30th, 2016 at 8:34 PM
Ha, I love your possible ending. Sadly, I don’t see that being the case.
April 29th, 2016 at 4:59 AM
Chilling to think what’s going to happen next…
April 30th, 2016 at 8:35 PM
Indeed. There likely will be no happy ending here.
April 29th, 2016 at 6:21 AM
Yep, the sign of a good piece of writing, what comes next, depends on imagination. This was more dark than dark. Well written
April 30th, 2016 at 8:36 PM
I enjoy leaving things up to the imagination. I think reading is more fun when all the cards aren’t laid out on the table.
April 29th, 2016 at 6:28 AM
That is nasty. Creepy stuff.
April 30th, 2016 at 8:37 PM
Thanks, Patrick.
April 29th, 2016 at 11:17 AM
I don’t want to know – but yet, I do. Well spun darkness, with a sprinkling of incipient horror
April 30th, 2016 at 8:38 PM
it’s like driving past an accident. You can’t help but look, even if you don’t want to see what might be waiting for your eyes to drink in.
April 29th, 2016 at 4:17 PM
Horrible fellow.
April 30th, 2016 at 8:39 PM
No argument there. He is an awful person.
May 3rd, 2016 at 3:15 PM
A monster for sure. She took a big chance and it seems she’s losing. I hope she knows some self-defence. Well done and dark as usual, All the best on finishing your new book. Adam. —– Suzanne