Read Online The Tooth Collector (and Other Tales of Terror) by Lindsey Goddard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lindsey Goddard
Tags: thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, supernatural, Monster, Ghosts, Anthology, collection, scary
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identical in every way, except for
the words:
"Do you have a troubled child? Do you pray
they will change their incorrigible ways? Look no further. We are a
group of mystery men who guarantee results within the week. 100%
pain free. Your child will not be harmed. We work swiftly and
discreetly. Enjoy your family life. Have a loving child again. Sign
the dotted line and return to the nearest mailbox. (No postage is
required.)"
Jimmy's parents had received the same card as
his mother. In that moment, Daniel knew it was true. All the
parents of the “bad kids” were offered an easy fix. Teddy, Sally,
Dennis, Johnny: they never stood a chance.
Jimmy Hannigan had graduated with honors and
went on to college. He had started a family and made his parents
proud. He probably sat in an office somewhere, making good money
but lacking a soul. And that is the most valuable thing of
all , thought Daniel. Just ask the evil eaters.
Daniel walked the card over to the box marked
"keep". It would serve as an important reminder. His mother had
protected him, accepted him, even when offered an easy
solution.
He hadn't failed her. She had always been
proud.
The Patch
Steve rolled to a stop at a fork in the road
and turned to Aiyana. She blinked her warm, mahogany eyes, lips
painted a glossy red. He couldn't fathom why she wanted to spend
their first date out here in the middle of nowhere, but he was
grateful that she did.
“Which way?” he asked. She nodded to the
right, and he eased the old truck around the bend.
A legion of crickets chirped as they passed
haphazard rows of pumpkins. The Autumn breeze was crisp. It carried
the ripe, earthy scent of crops and rustled the leaves on their
vines. The pumpkins seemed to grow taller and fatter the deeper
into the patch they drove.
His gaze drifted once again to Aiyana. She
was dressed as a Native American princess, and she looked every bit
the part. Her high cheek bones and sable hair, stunning eyebrows
and dark olive skin really tied the costume together. She sat with
her feet propped up on the dash, wiggling her toes, and Steve
fought the urge to trace the curves of her legs with his eyes.
“Great costume.”
“Thanks. Real original, huh?” She giggled. “I
never celebrated Halloween as a kid, so when it comes to dressing
up, I guess I decided to stick with what's familiar.” She looked
down at her toes. “It's sad, really, if you think about it. To see
the bead-work, the beautiful fringed pelts and handwoven garments
of my people reduced to this... a cheap cotton miniskirt with
knotted tassels and an elastic headband with artificial feathers
glued to the front.” She rolled her eyes. “The package even said
'Sexy Indian'.”
Steve wasn't sure how to respond, so he
watched the pumpkins roll by outside his window. They looked
plumper and rounder as they traveled. He'd seen a photo of a
2,000-pound pumpkin once, and he thought some of these looked just
as big, if not bigger.
He wondered how much further they had to go.
Aiyana had insisted on coming here. She said the stars shined
brighter in the middle of this field than anywhere else in
Michigan. Yet, something about being alone with these gourds, which
were five and even ten times his size... it unnerved him.
“So—uh—what tribe did your family belong
to?”
“Not 'did'. We are Wyandot.
Grandfather reminds me every day. Most of my ancestors were forced
to move during the Indian Removal Act of 1830, but those of us who
remain strive to honor our heritage.”
He shook his head. “I'm sorry to hear that.
About your family moving away.”
She looked at him, the side of her mouth
forming a half-smirk. She leaned close and put a hand on his thigh.
“I like you,” she whispered in his ear.
Lightning flickered, illuminating the clouds.
Steve recognized it as heat lightning, because it wasn't
accompanied by rain or thunder. The night sky
the words:
"Do you have a troubled child? Do you pray
they will change their incorrigible ways? Look no further. We are a
group of mystery men who guarantee results within the week. 100%
pain free. Your child will not be harmed. We work swiftly and
discreetly. Enjoy your family life. Have a loving child again. Sign
the dotted line and return to the nearest mailbox. (No postage is
required.)"
Jimmy's parents had received the same card as
his mother. In that moment, Daniel knew it was true. All the
parents of the “bad kids” were offered an easy fix. Teddy, Sally,
Dennis, Johnny: they never stood a chance.
Jimmy Hannigan had graduated with honors and
went on to college. He had started a family and made his parents
proud. He probably sat in an office somewhere, making good money
but lacking a soul. And that is the most valuable thing of
all , thought Daniel. Just ask the evil eaters.
Daniel walked the card over to the box marked
"keep". It would serve as an important reminder. His mother had
protected him, accepted him, even when offered an easy
solution.
He hadn't failed her. She had always been
proud.
The Patch
Steve rolled to a stop at a fork in the road
and turned to Aiyana. She blinked her warm, mahogany eyes, lips
painted a glossy red. He couldn't fathom why she wanted to spend
their first date out here in the middle of nowhere, but he was
grateful that she did.
“Which way?” he asked. She nodded to the
right, and he eased the old truck around the bend.
A legion of crickets chirped as they passed
haphazard rows of pumpkins. The Autumn breeze was crisp. It carried
the ripe, earthy scent of crops and rustled the leaves on their
vines. The pumpkins seemed to grow taller and fatter the deeper
into the patch they drove.
His gaze drifted once again to Aiyana. She
was dressed as a Native American princess, and she looked every bit
the part. Her high cheek bones and sable hair, stunning eyebrows
and dark olive skin really tied the costume together. She sat with
her feet propped up on the dash, wiggling her toes, and Steve
fought the urge to trace the curves of her legs with his eyes.
“Great costume.”
“Thanks. Real original, huh?” She giggled. “I
never celebrated Halloween as a kid, so when it comes to dressing
up, I guess I decided to stick with what's familiar.” She looked
down at her toes. “It's sad, really, if you think about it. To see
the bead-work, the beautiful fringed pelts and handwoven garments
of my people reduced to this... a cheap cotton miniskirt with
knotted tassels and an elastic headband with artificial feathers
glued to the front.” She rolled her eyes. “The package even said
'Sexy Indian'.”
Steve wasn't sure how to respond, so he
watched the pumpkins roll by outside his window. They looked
plumper and rounder as they traveled. He'd seen a photo of a
2,000-pound pumpkin once, and he thought some of these looked just
as big, if not bigger.
He wondered how much further they had to go.
Aiyana had insisted on coming here. She said the stars shined
brighter in the middle of this field than anywhere else in
Michigan. Yet, something about being alone with these gourds, which
were five and even ten times his size... it unnerved him.
“So—uh—what tribe did your family belong
to?”
“Not 'did'. We are Wyandot.
Grandfather reminds me every day. Most of my ancestors were forced
to move during the Indian Removal Act of 1830, but those of us who
remain strive to honor our heritage.”
He shook his head. “I'm sorry to hear that.
About your family moving away.”
She looked at him, the side of her mouth
forming a half-smirk. She leaned close and put a hand on his thigh.
“I like you,” she whispered in his ear.
Lightning flickered, illuminating the clouds.
Steve recognized it as heat lightning, because it wasn't
accompanied by rain or thunder. The night sky
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