Read Online Fan Fears: A collection of fear based stories by Michael Bray - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael Bray
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clock on the wall read 6:23 pm.
"Maybe they'll put light rigs up outside to help with the rescue operation," Frank said to nobody in particular. Neither Becky nor Kevin responded.
She tried not to think about how the night would be. To be shrouded in absolute black of night, to not be able to hear or see anything. It would be total sensory deprivation. Something caught her eye, and she looked towards the edge of the chamber. The rat that had visited them earlier had returned, only, this time, it wasn't alone. Two other rats were with it, their gray bodies plump, fur grimy. They stood in a line, black eyes watching, noses twitching.
"Look who came back," she whispered. Kevin didn't respond. He was still staring at the roof. Frank saw, though. He looked at them, then looked up at Becky. He wasn't smiling anymore.
"Like I said, this is an old building. Rats are part of it. I don't like them being in here with us, not when we're so...vulnerable."
"They wouldn't attack us. We're too big."
"The rats here are used to people. They're not afraid," Frank said. He picked up a loose stone from the debris field around him and threw it at the rats. His aim was wide and the stone bounced harmlessly off the wall. The rats didn't move. He repeated the process, this time, the stone landing just above the watching trio. The rats skittered away, then regrouped, retaking their initial positions. Three sets of black eyes watched, and two sets of human eyes returned the stare. Even from the relative safety of the upper ledge, Becky was afraid. She glanced at Kevin, his face lost in shadows. He seemed to be paying no attention. He was staring blankly at the ceiling, his lips moving in silent language. She wondered what he was saying, then turned back towards the rats. One of them scampered forward a few steps, testing the waters.
"Get the fuck back," Frank said, tossing another stone of rubble. This time, his aim was good, and it hit the rat on its side. It squealed and ran for the hole where it had come from, its kin following.
Becky and Frank exchanged glances.
"Hopefully, that should scare them off," Becky said.
Frank looked back towards the hole. "I hope so. Either way, I'd feel better if that damn hole was blocked up."
With nothing else to say, silence filled the chamber. They watched and waited. By 7:05, it was too dark to see the clock anymore. Half an hour later, complete darkness filled the chamber.
THREE
It was every bit as awful as she had expected. Sensory deprivation was the word she had in her head for how it would feel, but having never experienced it before, couldn't imagine just how terrifying it was. The dark was total, the silence heavy like a living thing. She held her hand up to her nose and focused as best she could, but could see nothing. She was fighting the urge to call out and check that the others were still there but didn't want to start a panic. She thought about Kevin and how he might be coping. He hadn't spoken since he lost it earlier, and the last thing she saw of him as the light faded away was him staring at the ceiling and mouthing whatever it was that was in his head. She wondered what was taking so long, how it could be that nobody had made contact with them yet or tried to rescue them. She realized how bad it must be on the surface for them not to have come to their aid yet. Another thought entered her head that she didn't want to acknowledge. Maybe they weren't even looking. The notion of anyone surviving a building collapse was implausible at best. The very real thought of them dying there one by one, slowly fading away as life ebbed from them wasn't one she was comfortable with. It frightened her. Up until that point, she had always assumed escape was coming; it was just a case of waiting. Now, the idea that it might not be was consuming her. It was all she could think about. She heard a sound, a sound she identified and utterly terrified her. It was the vocalization of a rat. A low
"Maybe they'll put light rigs up outside to help with the rescue operation," Frank said to nobody in particular. Neither Becky nor Kevin responded.
She tried not to think about how the night would be. To be shrouded in absolute black of night, to not be able to hear or see anything. It would be total sensory deprivation. Something caught her eye, and she looked towards the edge of the chamber. The rat that had visited them earlier had returned, only, this time, it wasn't alone. Two other rats were with it, their gray bodies plump, fur grimy. They stood in a line, black eyes watching, noses twitching.
"Look who came back," she whispered. Kevin didn't respond. He was still staring at the roof. Frank saw, though. He looked at them, then looked up at Becky. He wasn't smiling anymore.
"Like I said, this is an old building. Rats are part of it. I don't like them being in here with us, not when we're so...vulnerable."
"They wouldn't attack us. We're too big."
"The rats here are used to people. They're not afraid," Frank said. He picked up a loose stone from the debris field around him and threw it at the rats. His aim was wide and the stone bounced harmlessly off the wall. The rats didn't move. He repeated the process, this time, the stone landing just above the watching trio. The rats skittered away, then regrouped, retaking their initial positions. Three sets of black eyes watched, and two sets of human eyes returned the stare. Even from the relative safety of the upper ledge, Becky was afraid. She glanced at Kevin, his face lost in shadows. He seemed to be paying no attention. He was staring blankly at the ceiling, his lips moving in silent language. She wondered what he was saying, then turned back towards the rats. One of them scampered forward a few steps, testing the waters.
"Get the fuck back," Frank said, tossing another stone of rubble. This time, his aim was good, and it hit the rat on its side. It squealed and ran for the hole where it had come from, its kin following.
Becky and Frank exchanged glances.
"Hopefully, that should scare them off," Becky said.
Frank looked back towards the hole. "I hope so. Either way, I'd feel better if that damn hole was blocked up."
With nothing else to say, silence filled the chamber. They watched and waited. By 7:05, it was too dark to see the clock anymore. Half an hour later, complete darkness filled the chamber.
THREE
It was every bit as awful as she had expected. Sensory deprivation was the word she had in her head for how it would feel, but having never experienced it before, couldn't imagine just how terrifying it was. The dark was total, the silence heavy like a living thing. She held her hand up to her nose and focused as best she could, but could see nothing. She was fighting the urge to call out and check that the others were still there but didn't want to start a panic. She thought about Kevin and how he might be coping. He hadn't spoken since he lost it earlier, and the last thing she saw of him as the light faded away was him staring at the ceiling and mouthing whatever it was that was in his head. She wondered what was taking so long, how it could be that nobody had made contact with them yet or tried to rescue them. She realized how bad it must be on the surface for them not to have come to their aid yet. Another thought entered her head that she didn't want to acknowledge. Maybe they weren't even looking. The notion of anyone surviving a building collapse was implausible at best. The very real thought of them dying there one by one, slowly fading away as life ebbed from them wasn't one she was comfortable with. It frightened her. Up until that point, she had always assumed escape was coming; it was just a case of waiting. Now, the idea that it might not be was consuming her. It was all she could think about. She heard a sound, a sound she identified and utterly terrified her. It was the vocalization of a rat. A low
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