Read Online Fan Fears: A collection of fear based stories by Michael Bray - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Bray
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him, or just be there to comfort him, but all she could do was watch him go through his private torture.
"I'll be fine, we'll be fine," he said, the words convincing nobody in the chamber. Once again, silence filled the chamber.
Becky looked at Frank, her eyes drawn to his mangled legs. He was obviously in shock, and she supposed the fact that he couldn't feel the extent of the damage couldn't be a good sign. He caught her looking and she smiled.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Fine, just....thinking."
"You know, I know I'm in a bad way. I can't feel a thing. I know that's not good." Frank said. He seemed close to the edge of panic, and Becky couldn't decide if it was best to lie to him or tell the truth.
"I'm sorry," she said, cutting him off. "I didn't mean to be dishonest with you."
"My legs, they're in a bad way, aren't they?"
She nodded.
"Then why can't I feel them?"
"Could be the pressure of the rubble on you, it could be depressing your veins and arteries, keeping the area numb."
"Oh," he said, calming a little.
Becky didn't tell him that the pressure of the rubble could also cause problems if and when rescue came. The build-up of pressure in his lower limbs could cause the blood to rush up his system when the rubble was removed and stop his heart. She saw no sense in worrying him any more than necessary. He was close to panic, though, and she wanted to do something to distract him.
"Hey, Frank, you got any family? Kids?" she asked.
He looked up at her, his eyes tired and heavy. "I have two ex-wives and three kids. They're all grown up now, though. I don't see them anymore."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, wishing she had never raised the subject.
"It was amicable, and it was never love. Both of us counted it as a lucky escape."
She was struggling to think of a response when he spoke again.
"Hey look at that. It looks like we're not alone in here after all."
She looked at Frank who was grinning, then to where he was looking. At the furthest end of the chamber, a medium sized rat had appeared. It was by a hole in the natural foundations of the basement. It was watching them, black eyes staring at them, nose twitching. Becky looked at Kevin, who was staring at it, eyes wide. She knew he hated rats and mice. He was afraid of them.
He looked at her, then at Frank. With male pride taking over, he managed a smile. "It's just a rat."
She understood his reasons. He didn't want to acknowledge his fear in front of a stranger. The three of them stared at the rat. It seemed uncertain. It inched forward, paused, then turned and went back the way it had come, squeezing its body back through the hole.
"Then there were three," Frank muttered.
It was meant as a joke, but nobody responded. Instead, they settled back to wait for help to come.
Four more hours passed and the dim light of their chamber was starting to wane as daylight in the outside world gave way to night. It was this absence of light that tipped Kevin over the edge. He started to rock back and forth and pull himself free.
"I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here. I can't stand it," he repeated over and over again.
"Hey, take it easy, buddy. Try to relax," Frank said, but if Kevin heard he made no effort to respond. Even Becky couldn't get through to him.
"Kevin, Kevin, relax, calm down. Help is coming. They must have been clearing the site for some time now. Just try to hold it together.
"I can’t breathe, I can’t move. I need to be able to move my arms. I need to get out of here." he said, his voice shrill.
She knew there was nothing she could do to help him. If she could, she would go to him and comfort him, but she was as trapped as he was, although she at least still had the use of her arms.
Either through exhaustion or knowledge that nobody could do anything to help, Kevin grew silent. He lay in place, staring at the roof of their tomb as the shadows deepened ever darker, snatching away the little light they had. The
"I'll be fine, we'll be fine," he said, the words convincing nobody in the chamber. Once again, silence filled the chamber.
Becky looked at Frank, her eyes drawn to his mangled legs. He was obviously in shock, and she supposed the fact that he couldn't feel the extent of the damage couldn't be a good sign. He caught her looking and she smiled.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Fine, just....thinking."
"You know, I know I'm in a bad way. I can't feel a thing. I know that's not good." Frank said. He seemed close to the edge of panic, and Becky couldn't decide if it was best to lie to him or tell the truth.
"I'm sorry," she said, cutting him off. "I didn't mean to be dishonest with you."
"My legs, they're in a bad way, aren't they?"
She nodded.
"Then why can't I feel them?"
"Could be the pressure of the rubble on you, it could be depressing your veins and arteries, keeping the area numb."
"Oh," he said, calming a little.
Becky didn't tell him that the pressure of the rubble could also cause problems if and when rescue came. The build-up of pressure in his lower limbs could cause the blood to rush up his system when the rubble was removed and stop his heart. She saw no sense in worrying him any more than necessary. He was close to panic, though, and she wanted to do something to distract him.
"Hey, Frank, you got any family? Kids?" she asked.
He looked up at her, his eyes tired and heavy. "I have two ex-wives and three kids. They're all grown up now, though. I don't see them anymore."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, wishing she had never raised the subject.
"It was amicable, and it was never love. Both of us counted it as a lucky escape."
She was struggling to think of a response when he spoke again.
"Hey look at that. It looks like we're not alone in here after all."
She looked at Frank who was grinning, then to where he was looking. At the furthest end of the chamber, a medium sized rat had appeared. It was by a hole in the natural foundations of the basement. It was watching them, black eyes staring at them, nose twitching. Becky looked at Kevin, who was staring at it, eyes wide. She knew he hated rats and mice. He was afraid of them.
He looked at her, then at Frank. With male pride taking over, he managed a smile. "It's just a rat."
She understood his reasons. He didn't want to acknowledge his fear in front of a stranger. The three of them stared at the rat. It seemed uncertain. It inched forward, paused, then turned and went back the way it had come, squeezing its body back through the hole.
"Then there were three," Frank muttered.
It was meant as a joke, but nobody responded. Instead, they settled back to wait for help to come.
Four more hours passed and the dim light of their chamber was starting to wane as daylight in the outside world gave way to night. It was this absence of light that tipped Kevin over the edge. He started to rock back and forth and pull himself free.
"I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here. I can't stand it," he repeated over and over again.
"Hey, take it easy, buddy. Try to relax," Frank said, but if Kevin heard he made no effort to respond. Even Becky couldn't get through to him.
"Kevin, Kevin, relax, calm down. Help is coming. They must have been clearing the site for some time now. Just try to hold it together.
"I can’t breathe, I can’t move. I need to be able to move my arms. I need to get out of here." he said, his voice shrill.
She knew there was nothing she could do to help him. If she could, she would go to him and comfort him, but she was as trapped as he was, although she at least still had the use of her arms.
Either through exhaustion or knowledge that nobody could do anything to help, Kevin grew silent. He lay in place, staring at the roof of their tomb as the shadows deepened ever darker, snatching away the little light they had. The
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