Read Online The Tooth Collector (and Other Tales of Terror) by Lindsey Goddard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lindsey Goddard
Tags: thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, supernatural, Monster, Ghosts, Anthology, collection, scary
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silent.
The morning of November 1st dawned bright and
sunny. Daylight shined through the wispy clouds. Birds chirped as
they poked their beaks through the dirt, searching for food.
Daniel paced back and forth. He had arrived
at the bus stop fifteen minutes early, something he hadn't
accomplished in the history of his school days. But after a
sleepless night of watching the clock and waiting for morning to
arrive, he was up before his alarm clock that day.
Daniel's eyes scanned the row of neatly mowed
lawns, the trimmed hedges that lined the curb. A paper boy peddled
a bicycle down the street. A small dog yelped from behind a picket
fence.
Daniel tried not to stare, but his vision
kept settling on one house: Jimmy's. He paced a straight line,
gazing up at Jimmy's front door every time he spun around. One
thought repeated in his mind: He is dead. My best friend is
dead.
Jimmy's front door opened, and Daniel caught
a glimpse of his ginger hair. Jimmy stepped from the patio, his
freckled skin looking pale in the sunlight. He plodded down the
length of his driveway with a spring in his step, his portly body
bouncing toward the street. Daniel had never seen Jimmy walk that
way before, like a small child with too much energy.
Daniel waved as Jimmy stepped onto the
sidewalk and headed toward the bus stop. He knew Jimmy wouldn't
return the gesture, probably even make fun of him for waving like a
little kid, but he was so relieved to see his friend alive, he
didn't care. Jimmy smiled at him—a closed lip, timid smile. Not his
usual shit-eating grin. Then he extended his chubby hand into the
air and waved.
Daniel waited for his friend to reach the
street corner. "Uh... hey. How's it goin'?" he asked.
"Hi!" Jimmy opened his hand and wiggled his
fingers in the air, waving a second time. He smiled with his mouth
closed and shoved his hands into his pockets. This wasn't like
Jimmy, whose grin often reminded Daniel of the Mad Hatter, who
tossed pebbles and drew invisible pictures on the pavement with
sticks, anything to keep his hands busy. It was odd to see him
standing there: quietly, patiently.
"So about last night..." Daniel began.
"Oh, I know. I regret my actions, Daniel.
Vandalizing property like that.... and taking candy from those
children. It was terrible of me, and I apologize."
Daniel's mouth hung open as he attempted to
respond. He blinked his eyes and slowly shook his head. "No...
uh... the other part of the night. That house."
"Ah, yes. It was wonderful! I'm so sorry you
couldn't stay."
Daniel's skin crawled with unease as he
studied his friend. By every physical law, Jimmy Hannigan stood
before him. The same voice. The same hazel eyes and rotund,
freckled face. But something had changed. Those eyes lacked a
certain twinkle that made Jimmy so very... Jimmy .
"It's a beautiful day, Daniel. I think I'll
walk to school." Jimmy turned and began to walk away, and that's
when Daniel knew. This wasn't Jimmy. He never walked to school
instead of taking the bus. He never did anything the hard way. And
the apologies. Two apologies in one morning. Jimmy never said
sorry... for anything. Not once in the entirety of their
friendship.
Daniel watched Jimmy disappear down the
sidewalk, and he felt as though his best friend had died. The bus
rolled up, filling the air with exhaust fumes. A set of yellow
doors swung open. Daniel shook his head and boarded the bus,
feeling more alone than ever. He knew, the evil eaters had changed
Jimmy. They had sucked the Jimmy right out of his soul.
A tear rolled down Daniel's cheek. He wiped
it with the back of his hand. Thirty-six years later it still
bothered him to remember that strange Halloween. Jimmy Hannigan had
disappeared that night, replaced by a shell of a boy.
Daniel stood at the foot of his mother's bed.
He stared blankly at the red card that looked so much like Jimmy
Hannigan's invitation. It was
The morning of November 1st dawned bright and
sunny. Daylight shined through the wispy clouds. Birds chirped as
they poked their beaks through the dirt, searching for food.
Daniel paced back and forth. He had arrived
at the bus stop fifteen minutes early, something he hadn't
accomplished in the history of his school days. But after a
sleepless night of watching the clock and waiting for morning to
arrive, he was up before his alarm clock that day.
Daniel's eyes scanned the row of neatly mowed
lawns, the trimmed hedges that lined the curb. A paper boy peddled
a bicycle down the street. A small dog yelped from behind a picket
fence.
Daniel tried not to stare, but his vision
kept settling on one house: Jimmy's. He paced a straight line,
gazing up at Jimmy's front door every time he spun around. One
thought repeated in his mind: He is dead. My best friend is
dead.
Jimmy's front door opened, and Daniel caught
a glimpse of his ginger hair. Jimmy stepped from the patio, his
freckled skin looking pale in the sunlight. He plodded down the
length of his driveway with a spring in his step, his portly body
bouncing toward the street. Daniel had never seen Jimmy walk that
way before, like a small child with too much energy.
Daniel waved as Jimmy stepped onto the
sidewalk and headed toward the bus stop. He knew Jimmy wouldn't
return the gesture, probably even make fun of him for waving like a
little kid, but he was so relieved to see his friend alive, he
didn't care. Jimmy smiled at him—a closed lip, timid smile. Not his
usual shit-eating grin. Then he extended his chubby hand into the
air and waved.
Daniel waited for his friend to reach the
street corner. "Uh... hey. How's it goin'?" he asked.
"Hi!" Jimmy opened his hand and wiggled his
fingers in the air, waving a second time. He smiled with his mouth
closed and shoved his hands into his pockets. This wasn't like
Jimmy, whose grin often reminded Daniel of the Mad Hatter, who
tossed pebbles and drew invisible pictures on the pavement with
sticks, anything to keep his hands busy. It was odd to see him
standing there: quietly, patiently.
"So about last night..." Daniel began.
"Oh, I know. I regret my actions, Daniel.
Vandalizing property like that.... and taking candy from those
children. It was terrible of me, and I apologize."
Daniel's mouth hung open as he attempted to
respond. He blinked his eyes and slowly shook his head. "No...
uh... the other part of the night. That house."
"Ah, yes. It was wonderful! I'm so sorry you
couldn't stay."
Daniel's skin crawled with unease as he
studied his friend. By every physical law, Jimmy Hannigan stood
before him. The same voice. The same hazel eyes and rotund,
freckled face. But something had changed. Those eyes lacked a
certain twinkle that made Jimmy so very... Jimmy .
"It's a beautiful day, Daniel. I think I'll
walk to school." Jimmy turned and began to walk away, and that's
when Daniel knew. This wasn't Jimmy. He never walked to school
instead of taking the bus. He never did anything the hard way. And
the apologies. Two apologies in one morning. Jimmy never said
sorry... for anything. Not once in the entirety of their
friendship.
Daniel watched Jimmy disappear down the
sidewalk, and he felt as though his best friend had died. The bus
rolled up, filling the air with exhaust fumes. A set of yellow
doors swung open. Daniel shook his head and boarded the bus,
feeling more alone than ever. He knew, the evil eaters had changed
Jimmy. They had sucked the Jimmy right out of his soul.
A tear rolled down Daniel's cheek. He wiped
it with the back of his hand. Thirty-six years later it still
bothered him to remember that strange Halloween. Jimmy Hannigan had
disappeared that night, replaced by a shell of a boy.
Daniel stood at the foot of his mother's bed.
He stared blankly at the red card that looked so much like Jimmy
Hannigan's invitation. It was
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