Read Online The Tooth Collector (and Other Tales of Terror) by Lindsey Goddard - Free Book Online
Authors: Lindsey Goddard
Tags: thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, supernatural, Monster, Ghosts, Anthology, collection, scary
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safe.
The man who had delivered the invitations
stood dead center, in a ring of candlelight. Flames danced in the
dark, sunken sockets above his jagged cheek bones, mirroring the
fire from the candles. He wasn't wearing his top hat, and his white
hair hung in thinning patches from his sickly, pale scalp. Blue
veins showed through his nearly translucent skin as he pressed a
hand to his abdomen and bowed.
The man stepped forward. His black suit
reminded Daniel of the shadow people.
He could see them, dark figures huddled
together in the inky blackness of the hallway. The man's voice was
a low growl as he spoke. "Sally," he said, nodding in her
direction. "Teddy, Danny..." His pale face studied the children,
thin lips pulled taut over his ghoulish, pointed teeth. "Johnny and
Jimmy..." His dark eyes settled on Daniel. "and... who do we have
here?" He clasped his spindly fingers together in a steeple-like
formation and slanted his thin eyebrows at Daniel.
The shadows deep within the house, past the
ring of candlelight and hiding in the darkness, seemed to pulsate
and stir. Their collective breathing rose higher in volume, yet it
was still barely audible, like a gust of wind whistling through the
old mansion. Human forms stirred in the hallways, writhed in the
nothingness of the staircase. Daniel was positive he saw a pair of
red eyes staring at him from the abyss.
"What's your name?" the strange white-haired
man asked.
"D-Daniel," he replied.
"I'm afraid, Daniel, you must go back the way
you came. This party is invitation only." He leaned over, and his
sour breath made Daniel's skin crawl. "No exceptions."
Blackness spilled from the halls, from the
vaulted archway of the staircase. Darkness crept into the light and
extinguished candle flames as it moved. A shadowy fog enveloped the
room. Red eyes opened inside the massive shadow that rolled in, an
ominous wave of contorted human figures. A thousand eyes stared at
Daniel, like rubies shining in the blackest of nights.
The shadows rushed at Daniel. Hundreds of
fingers and dozens of palms shot out from the hazy black mist,
pushing him. Their collective force caused him to sway and trip
over his own foot, toppling backwards onto the moonlit patio. He
felt a gust of air as the heavy door slammed, and a chorus of
screams erupted from his friends.
Daniel scrambled to his feet. He cleared the
stairs in five steps, avoiding the broken plank and leaping onto
the leafy stone path. He dashed into the tunnel of gnarled
branches. He didn't look around as he ran. If he did, he might see
more of those things lurking in the shadows. And he never wanted to
see one again. So he kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, focusing
on the beam of moonlight at the end of the tunnel.
He emerged from the canopy of twisted tree
limbs, falling to his knees in the grass. He could see the gravel
road leading into town. Small buildings in the distance, at the
foot of Pennington Hill, were beginning to turn out their lights.
The moonlight was dimming, swallowed by a layer of clouds.
Daniel dug around in his jacket. He pulled
the walkie talkie from his pocket. His shaky fingers fumbled,
almost dropping the device as he flipped the power switch to
"on".
A scream rattled through the speakers. One of
the boys was crying, hysterical, coughing and wheezing in fear. A
blood curdling yelp poured from the walkie talkie, closer than
before. Daniel thought it sounded like Sally.
Someone yelled, "Let me go!" It was a distant
echo on the staticy air waves.
Then another boy spoke. This one was closer,
louder. "Why are you doing this?" Jimmy pleaded.
The man's answer rumbled over the air waves
like a crack of thunder. His bassy growl shook the device. It
rattled in Daniel's hand, and he dropped it to the grass. "We are
the evil eaters. We feed on evil souls." The children all screamed
in unison. There was a loud thud. The walkie talkie squealed, then
fell
The man who had delivered the invitations
stood dead center, in a ring of candlelight. Flames danced in the
dark, sunken sockets above his jagged cheek bones, mirroring the
fire from the candles. He wasn't wearing his top hat, and his white
hair hung in thinning patches from his sickly, pale scalp. Blue
veins showed through his nearly translucent skin as he pressed a
hand to his abdomen and bowed.
The man stepped forward. His black suit
reminded Daniel of the shadow people.
He could see them, dark figures huddled
together in the inky blackness of the hallway. The man's voice was
a low growl as he spoke. "Sally," he said, nodding in her
direction. "Teddy, Danny..." His pale face studied the children,
thin lips pulled taut over his ghoulish, pointed teeth. "Johnny and
Jimmy..." His dark eyes settled on Daniel. "and... who do we have
here?" He clasped his spindly fingers together in a steeple-like
formation and slanted his thin eyebrows at Daniel.
The shadows deep within the house, past the
ring of candlelight and hiding in the darkness, seemed to pulsate
and stir. Their collective breathing rose higher in volume, yet it
was still barely audible, like a gust of wind whistling through the
old mansion. Human forms stirred in the hallways, writhed in the
nothingness of the staircase. Daniel was positive he saw a pair of
red eyes staring at him from the abyss.
"What's your name?" the strange white-haired
man asked.
"D-Daniel," he replied.
"I'm afraid, Daniel, you must go back the way
you came. This party is invitation only." He leaned over, and his
sour breath made Daniel's skin crawl. "No exceptions."
Blackness spilled from the halls, from the
vaulted archway of the staircase. Darkness crept into the light and
extinguished candle flames as it moved. A shadowy fog enveloped the
room. Red eyes opened inside the massive shadow that rolled in, an
ominous wave of contorted human figures. A thousand eyes stared at
Daniel, like rubies shining in the blackest of nights.
The shadows rushed at Daniel. Hundreds of
fingers and dozens of palms shot out from the hazy black mist,
pushing him. Their collective force caused him to sway and trip
over his own foot, toppling backwards onto the moonlit patio. He
felt a gust of air as the heavy door slammed, and a chorus of
screams erupted from his friends.
Daniel scrambled to his feet. He cleared the
stairs in five steps, avoiding the broken plank and leaping onto
the leafy stone path. He dashed into the tunnel of gnarled
branches. He didn't look around as he ran. If he did, he might see
more of those things lurking in the shadows. And he never wanted to
see one again. So he kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, focusing
on the beam of moonlight at the end of the tunnel.
He emerged from the canopy of twisted tree
limbs, falling to his knees in the grass. He could see the gravel
road leading into town. Small buildings in the distance, at the
foot of Pennington Hill, were beginning to turn out their lights.
The moonlight was dimming, swallowed by a layer of clouds.
Daniel dug around in his jacket. He pulled
the walkie talkie from his pocket. His shaky fingers fumbled,
almost dropping the device as he flipped the power switch to
"on".
A scream rattled through the speakers. One of
the boys was crying, hysterical, coughing and wheezing in fear. A
blood curdling yelp poured from the walkie talkie, closer than
before. Daniel thought it sounded like Sally.
Someone yelled, "Let me go!" It was a distant
echo on the staticy air waves.
Then another boy spoke. This one was closer,
louder. "Why are you doing this?" Jimmy pleaded.
The man's answer rumbled over the air waves
like a crack of thunder. His bassy growl shook the device. It
rattled in Daniel's hand, and he dropped it to the grass. "We are
the evil eaters. We feed on evil souls." The children all screamed
in unison. There was a loud thud. The walkie talkie squealed, then
fell
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