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    20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy
    20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy
    20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy
    Ebook308 pages7 hours

    20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy

    By Ty Johnston

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    About this ebook

    20 short stories, 10 of horror and 10 of fantasy ...

    HORROR

    Night of the Toys
    Three security guards find themselves confronted with creatures from Hell at a mall.

    The Woman Who Hated Cats
    Everyone hated her and she hated everyone, but especially she hated cats. And the felines would have their revenge.

    SINS
    A rape victim hunts down her rapist and attempts to do worse to him than he did to her.

    Marooned with a Vampire
    This tale of the 19th Century lands an English businessmen on a deserted island with a vampire. Who will survive?

    Hunting Season
    An insane president has bombed America, killing millions, but one survivor thinks he has found a way to vengeance.

    Mercy
    A trip fishing with his grandfather will never be forgotten by a teen boy.

    Dead Cherokee Joe
    In this version of the Old West, not everyone stays dead when they've been shot.

    Neighbors
    The kids pick up some odd items at daycare and the family will pay the ultimate price.

    Second Judas
    What if Jesus came back and it was your job to kill him?

    Country Justice
    A serial killer is caught in a small town, and there will be no escape found.

    FANTASY

    Unicorn Hunt
    A young scholar is forced by his warrior father and brother to hunt the fabled unicorn, but what happens if he refuses to kill the beast?

    Holly's Chamber
    A student of magic falls in love with a village girl, but tragedy ensues as the wizard's teacher comes down hard against the union.

    Thus Saith the Lord
    Some of the gods of Olympus decide to go to war against the God of Israel.

    Animal Story
    Mankind has gone insane, and the animals gather to decide what to do about it, if anything.

    Beneath the Wings of Dragons
    Two boys are grabbed off the street by a pervert, but one of the youths is more than he appears.

    Glory Days
    Two students of magic decide to stay behind in a city about to be attacked by barbarians even though all their wizard professors are fleeing.

    War of the Four Clans
    The warrior Kairn finds himself caught in the middle of a war between vampires and hunters.

    Wizard's Guest
    Kairn is captured by an evil wizard who plans on stealing his body.

    New Sheriff in Town
    A small town needs a new sheriff and the Greek warrior Achilles shows up to fill the job.

    Trouble with an Elf
    A government agent takes on an elf terrorist in a subway.

    Warning: Some of these stories contain strong language and adult situations.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTy Johnston
    Release dateAug 11, 2015
    ISBN9781311952790
    20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy
    Author

    Ty Johnston

    Originally from Kentucky, Ty Johnston is a former newspaper journalist. He lives in North Carolina with loving memories of his late wife.Blog: tyjohnston.blogspot.com

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      Book preview

      20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy - Ty Johnston

      20 Tales of Horror and Fantasy

      by Ty Johnston

      Copyright (c) 2012

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Authors’ note

      None of these stories were supposed to see the light of day. Every single one of them are early works, some better than others but all written in the spirit of a young, inexperienced fiction writing learning his craft. Yes, I admit, they are second-tier stories at best, some maybe not even that good, and originally I published them only under a pen name. So why am I foisting them upon the reading world now? Good question, and the answer is a simple one. A number of my readers are always asking me for new material, or even for old material which had not been published. Some readers have a voracious reading appetite and want more and more. I can only write so fast, and eventually I reached a point in which everything I believed professionally worthy of publication had been published. But still, some readers wanted more. Thus this collection was born. I hope you find something here to enjoy.

      Table of contents

      Horror

      Night of the Toys

      The Woman Who Hated Cats

      SINS

      Marooned with a Vampire

      Hunting Season

      Mercy

      Dead Cherokee Joe

      Neighbors

      Second Judas

      Country Justice

      Fantasy

      Unicorn Hunt

      Holly’s Chamber

      Thus Saith the Lord

      Animal Story

      Beneath the Wings of Dragons

      Glory Days

      War of the Four Clans

      Wizard’s Guest

      New Sheriff in Town

      Trouble with an Elf

      Horror

      Night of the Toys

      Dang, but if that ain’t the biggest toy bear I ever did see! the young security guard said.

      Sitting, the bear was six feet tall and took up most of the toy store’s front window. It looked down on the two guards in the mall’s dim lights as if it were some monster from a ’50s B horror movie.

      ‘Yep, the tall, gray-haired guard said with a grin at his partner’s side, and that’s just what I’m getting my granddaughter for her birthday. Think she’ll like it, Matt?"

      The much younger guard quickly overcame his surprise at seeing the gigantic toy and turned to his friend. I bet she will. I don’t think I’ve ever known a kid who wouldn’t want something like that big ole bear.

      The older guard chuckled as he nodded at the bear. Good. Her birthday’s only a month away and that’s what I’ve decided to get her.

      What’s her name? Matt asked.

      Isabel, after her grandmother.

      Pretty name. Bet she’s cute.

      Like the dickens. She can already just about outrun me, and she’s only seven. I hate to see what happens when she’s twelve ... or sixteen!

      Matt laughed. Feeling old there, Earl?

      The older man grabbed his chest, playing at being hurt. You shouldn’t laugh. You’ll be old and gray like me before you know it.

      Matt chuckled again, then looked back to the toy bear in the window. Good thing that critter’s not real.

      Yep.

      Soon they continued on their way through the quiet and dark of the second floor of the mall, pausing to check that the escalators were working fine before Earl suggested they take a break and go to the security lounge to play a few hands of spades. Matt always preferred poker, but agree anyway. Why not? What else was there to do all night long?

      When they entered the security room, they found the only other person in the mall was present, Tom, another guard in uniform. He was sitting behind a desk while staring at three black-and-white monitors glowing before him.

      How’s everything looking? Earl asked.

      Tom looked up with blear eyes. Seems pretty quiet. Sheriff Banner called again to check on things.

      Earl smirked. Damn mall’s only been open a week and he’s already thinking we’re going to be getting some big city crime. Hell, this is Richwood, not Louisville or Cincinnati.

      Well, it is a college town, Tom said, stretching his arms above his head.

      Pah! from Earl. Nothing big ever happens around here.

      Matt reached for a coffee thermos atop a shelf, then grabbed a deck of cards along with a pencil and pad of paper. He wondered if Earl was right. Richwood wasn’t a booming town, but it had grown since Matt’s childhood, not so many years earlier. A few years back the new college had settled in and now this big mall had gone up by the interstate. Richwood might still be small, but it wasn’t quite the little nowhere town it been only a decade in the past. People had actually heard of it now.

      Earl sat first at a small folding table behind the door. Matt quickly followed, sitting across from him and dealing out the cards.

      What y’all playing? Tom asked.

      Spades, Earl said as he reached for his twenty-six cards.

      Tom guffawed and turned to Matt. Son, you can’t beat him. I used to play Earl every night when we watched that warehouse downtown, and he’d beat me every time.

      Earl grinned. Come on, Tom, give the boy a chance to lose to me first.

      Cards were thrown and a few minutes later Matt found himself sixty points to the negative.

      Tom laughed so hard, he started sneezing. Eventually he got hold of himself, but couldn’t help from a few more chuckles. I told you, boy, he said over and over again to Matt.

      After a few more hands were played, Earl asked Matt what he had gotten for his mother’s birthday, which had only been two weeks before.

      Watch him, Matt, Tom said with a wicked glint in his eyes. He’s trying to distract you, talk you into giving away your hand.

      Shut up, Tom, Earl said, but he also wore a grin.

      Seeming to ignore the other two, Matt’s eyes remained steady on his cards, but then he said, I bought her that flashy diamond necklace that used to sit in the jewelry shop downstairs.

      Having forgotten the security monitors, Tom let out a whistle as he watched the game. So that’s what happened to that necklace. How’d you afford that thing?

      I’d been saving for a while, Matt said. Plus my other job at the college cafeteria helped. He threw down another card, which Earl quickly picked up.

      Shoot, son, Tom said, almost laughing again, I bet when your ma’s eyes set on that necklace, it was the happiest day of her life since she threw out that drunken daddy of yours.

      Hey! Anger was all over Earl’s face as he looked up from behind his cards. We don’t need none of that. Tom, you just mind your own business and let others tend to theirs.

      Matt’s eyes went glassy for a moment and he stared down at the floor between his shoes.

      Don’t mind him, Matt, Earl said, obviously trying to console the youth. Sometimes Tom opens his big mouth too much.

      That’s ... okay, Matt said.

      Sorry, Tom said.

      The mood temporarily soured, Earl got the game going again to take their minds away.

      Soon another round of cards was finished, and Matt was still thirty points behind.

      Tom drank coffee from a paper cup and watched Earl deal another hand out. They sat quietly for some little while. The only time anyone talked was when their words had to do with the game.

      Eventually Tom glanced back at the three screens for the first time in nearly half an hour.

      Then he did a double take.

      Mother Mary of God!

      What? Earl threw down his cards and jumped out of his seat.

      The window’s been busted! Tom yelled as he pushed away from the monitors’ table.

      Earl sprang forward and shoved Tom aside to look at the three security screens. He stared intently at the middle screen until Matt came around next to him and asked what was going on.

      It’s the toy store’s front window, Earl said. It’s been smashed.

      We were just down there, Matt said, his eyes growing big as he stared at the image on the center monitor.

      Tom chuckled. Gentlemen, it looks like we’ve got a bonafide disturbance on our hands.

      Matt remained nervous as his eyes stayed locked on the screen. How come no alarm went off?

      Don’t know, Earl said. We’ll have to take care of that after you and me go downstairs to get us some thieves.

      You ain’t leaving me by myself! Tom nearly shouted.

      Earl moved away from the security desk and approached the door. Opening it, he looked back over a shoulder to Tom. Lock the door after we’re gone, and keep a watch on the screens.

      Tom’s mouth fell open.

      Come on, boy, Earl said to Matt, then exited the room.

      Matt’s nerves remained sharp. He glanced to Tom, shrugged, then followed Earl.

      The two were walking down the hall which lead to the shops when Matt turned to Earl. Is he always so nervous when you guys catch a thief?

      Don’t know, Earl said and came to a halt before the green metal door at the end of the hall. We’ve never had anything like this happen before.

      Matt stopped, too, and saw that Earl was drawing out his .38 revolver. We won’t need that, will we? he asked as he pulled out his own gun.

      Not sure, Earl said softly as he slowly eased open the metal doors. Now quiet.

      The door was open only a crack, but they could see over half of the top level of the mall. Everything seemed nice and quiet. Earl eased the door open a little more until he could lean out and see the entire top level.

      All appeared normal.

      A silent couple of seconds passed before they got up the nerve to leave the safety of the enclosed hall for the open of the mall proper. Lot of places to hide out here, Matt thought.

      The younger man followed closely behind Earl as they silently walked to the left where the unmoving escalators were located. Both sets of eyes darted from one place to another, seeking any sign of danger.

      Maybe it’s just some kid who got locked inside and is just scared, Matt whispered.

      Yeah, or it could be a gang of hoodlums, Earl whispered back.

      They slowly pressed on. After a few minutes they reached the bottom of the escalators. From there they could see the huge wound in the toy store’s window.

      It’s too quiet, Matt whispered.

      Earl nodded agreement.

      They crossed to the smashed window and Earl peered inside the darkened store. It was obvious to both the giant bear was gone.

      No one’s here now, Earl said.

      Matt wanted to laugh. Here they were, both grown men, and they were acting scared of a teddy bear thief.

      Earl lowered his .38 and turned away from the shattered window. Well, they have to still be here. There’s no way out except the entrances and fire exits, and those are alarmed.

      Matt glanced around, his look nervous once more. I guess we better check out the rest of the mall.

      Reckon so.

      Neither of them noticed the broken glass from the window was on the outside of the toy store, as if someone inside had broken out.

      Tom sat staring at the three monitors. On the center screen he saw Earl and Matt moving cautiously toward the toy store, Earl glancing inside before lowering his gun and speaking to Matt. Damn manager should have had sound put on these cameras, Tom thought as he saw the two guards move off to a different part of the mall.

      He reached forward and pushed a red button beneath the central screen. The image blinked and Tom suddenly had a different view before him.

      Nothing there, but that doesn’t mean a person couldn’t be hiding behind that big flower pot, or behind one of those signs showing the mall’s layout.

      He pushed the button again and returned to where he had last seen the others. They were gone. He pushed the button once more, but Earl and Matt still didn’t appear. Reaching to the right and pushing a button beneath another screen, he saw the fronts of the record shop and the tobacco store. No sign of the other guards. Tom jabbed the right button again and got another image, but still no Earl and Matt. Several times he pushed the button under the monitor on the left and caught several glimpses of various parts of the mall, but no blue uniforms.

      Oh no.

      Tom suddenly wished his manager had given them two-way radios. But that George was a cheap bastard. Won’t even let us have our cell phones at work.

      Again and again Tom pushed the buttons beneath the security monitors. He didn’t stop until his fingers hurt and he realized that for the first time in his thirty-eight years, Tom was terrified. He knew his two friends should be somewhere in view, at least popping up once on the screens. But they had not. And that scared him.

      Ever so slowly he pushed away from the table, stood, and unhooked the strap holding his gun in its holster.

      Nerve, he thought, that’s all it takes, a little nerve. If something happened to them, then I have to go out there and apprehend the person that did it. Nerve.

      He stepped toward the door, then stopped. The phone. He should call the sheriff’s office and report what had happened.

      Tom reached for the phone and picked up the receiver. Dead. No buzz, no clicking, no dial tone. Nothing. Just ... dead.

      Something was wrong, seriously wrong. No small-time hood was outside in the mall, and Tom knew it. No minor-league crook could shut off the mall’s alarm and the phone, too. Whomever was out in the mall knew what they were doing. But who would go to the trouble just to break into a mall? Tom could only think it had to be jewel thieves. There was more than thirty-thousand dollars worth of jewelry in the jewelry store downstairs, and it was ripe for the pickings for a professional thief.

      These thoughts rambled around in his mind during the few seconds it took him to put the phone down. Then he turned and faced the door, drawing his gun.

      Who’s out there?

      He unbolted the door and pulled it open, stepping into the hall. He scanned down to the far end where an iron rung ladder reached to a ceiling hatch which he knew would lead to the roof. It would be so easy just to go up to the roof and try to find a way down on the outside. It would be so easy just to run away.

      But he would not do so.

      Turning right and slowly walking toward the green door to the mall, Tom noticed his gun hand was shaking.

      Earl stood with Matt behind a large, lit-up sign that showed a map of the mall’s floor plan. Up ahead and to the left, around a corner to the mall’s front door, they thought they had heard something.

      After several seconds of quiet, Matt leaned closer to his partner and whispered, What did you hear?

      Earl held a finger to his lips and tilted his head to the right a little as if he was intently listening to something.

      Long seconds passed.

      Finally Earl looked to Matt and raised his gun to his side. I thought I heard somebody up there walking around by the entrance.

      Matt glanced to the left corner. The front doors were around the bend, and from where the two hesitated they couldn’t see much of anything. Are we going to check it out, or what?

      I guess so. It’s our job. Earl didn’t seem overly enthused.

      The younger man waited for the other guard to move ahead, but then nothing happened.

      I’m kind of nervous, Earl admitted.

      Matt nodded to note he was nervous, too. Earl’s attitude surprised the young guard because of the older man’s experience, but it was what it was. Matt couldn’t do anything about his own nerves, let alone Earl’s.

      One step at a time, Earl said out loud, then took a single step forward. Then another. And another. Then several. He was almost to the corner before he seemed to notice, and Matt was following right behind.

      Finally, with Earl giving a faint sigh, they reached the corner and leaned against the wall.

      Matt wondered if he was up to taking on a thief or group of thugs. He hoped so. The heavy metal of the revolver in his right hand offered some comfort, but not much.

      Another sound came from around the corner. Earl stiffened, the grip on his gun tightening.

      Then seconds of quiet.

      Earl looked to the youth at his side. I’m going around the corner, he whispered. When I do, you follow, but stay behind me and keep your gun pointed in the air.

      Matt nodded.

      On the count of three, Earl said.

      Matt nodded again.

      One.

      Matt was terrified. He had never face a possible life-threatening experience in his nineteen years.

      Two.

      The young man felt his muscles tense as he readied his gun, lifting it next to his head so it pointed at the ceiling far above.

      Three.

      Earl spun around the corner with his .38 outstretched in a two-handed grip. Matt was at his back, his own gun over head.

      At first everything appeared normal. Forty feet away stood the high glass wall which formed this entrance to the mall. In the center of the wall were two large, glass doors. A shoe store stood on the right and a sporting goods shop on the left.

      At the same moment, both security guards looked down. What they saw almost made them laugh and scream at the same time.

      Halfway between them and the glass doors was a line of three-inch tall, green, plastic army men. There were maybe a hundred of them along with a couple of plastic tanks and a helicopter. The toys sat there stoically as if they were waiting for another army to show up and challenge them.

      Earl grinned and dropped his gun to his side. He walked out directly in front of the small assembled force. Would you look at this? he said, glancing back to Matt who was still back by the corner. It looks like our man got more than the bear, after all. Looks as though he likes playing war.

      Matt’s eyes darted over the scene. Earl, I don’t like this. This don’t feel right. The guy is probably still close by.

      Earl’s grin grew wider. Hell, son, it looks like a bunch of kids are in here just screwing around.

      I don’t know, Matt said warily.

      Look, Earl began, taking a step toward his younger partner, I seen this before. When me and Tom worked over at --

      An odd sound came from the direction of the tiny army.

      What? Earl’s head jerked around to look at the toy troops.

      The noise had sounded like a weak engine trying to kick over. Earl scanned the toys. He didn’t notice anything at first, but this his eyes caught upon the whirling blades of the green helicopter nestled in behind the row of toy soldiers.

      Well, I’ll be ...

      The toy army helicopter slowly lifted in the air. It rose about six feet off the ground and slowly turned to face directly at the guards.

      Earl? from Tommy.

      Shush!

      That’s not one of the remote control models, Matt said. It’s only plastic. It shouldn’t be flying like that.

      I said, ‘Shush!’

      Slowly the helicopter moved forward until it was only about ten feet from Earl.

      The older man opened his mouth. I ain’t never --

      A squeaky voice yelled, Fire! and the din of a dozen fire crackers filled the air.

      Because he was off to one side, Matt got a better view of it than Earl, and what he saw was beyond credence. All one hundred of the army men moved. They had pointed their little guns at Earl and fired.

      Earl yelped as a hundred hot pins pricked his skin all over his body. Damn! he shouted and backed a step.

      The green men shifted the aim of their rifles and fired again. Earl threw up his arms in front of his face and ducked, but once again a barrage of tiny needles battered into him.

      Earl! Matt yelled. Get out of there!

      Suddenly the helicopter was zooming in toward the older guard. Earl raised his .38 and pulled the trigger. The toy exploded in the air only five feet from his face.

      The mini-soldiers fired again.

      God, but that hurts! Earl yelled out as he turned to run.

      Come on, Earl! Matt shouted as he moved behind the cover of the corner.

      One of the tanks opened fire, and it sounded like both barrels of a twelve-gauge going off. A piece of the corner blew apart as Earl rounded the corner.

      Matt screamed and stuck his gun hand around the corner. He pulled the trigger three times, but only managed to scrape away one of the little green guys.

      Earl bent over, catching his breath. Those little suckers don’t do much damage, but enough of them hurt like the dickens. Tiny dots of red were swelling on his uniform and face.

      Matt put an arm around him. Come on, he said, lifting the older man to stand straight, we’ve got to get back to the office.

      No, no. Let me rest.

      Earl! They’ll be coming!

      What’ll be coming? Earl asked, the heat rising in his voice. "Those toys?"

      I don’t know what they are. Matt sounded scared and shaken. But I know they’ll be coming.

      All right, all right. Earl shrugged off the arm around him and stood straight. I’ll make it without any help. They were just like tiny needles hitting me, but there was so damn many of them. At least the pain has eased up some.

      Matt glanced back behind them at the corner, but saw no plastic army coming to kill them.

      Earl moved off down the mall, staying close to the shops along the side. Matt hefted his gun and followed. They had only gone ten feet when the screaming began from the direction of the security room.

      Tom, was all Earl said, and then they were both running.

      Shaking, Tom pushed open the green door and peered out at the various stores lining the upper level of the mall. Everything seemed normal, but he knew better.

      After a silent moment of hesitation, he worked up the nerve to step out into the mall proper and close the door behind him. He jumped when the door clicked shut.

      Silence.

      Another moment passed and Tom slowly eased toward the motionless escalators.

      Too quiet, he thought, and the bastards that got Matt and Earl are probably down there waiting for me to come along.

      He wasn’t quite to the escalators when they suddenly came on, the metal steps sliding into action. The noise made him jump, and he brought up his .38 and pointed it at the moving stairs. He couldn’t see if anyone was at the bottom of the escalator, but some unknown sense told him there was.

      All right you murderers, he thought as his trigger finger twitched, bring it on. I may be scared as hell, but I’ve got no place to run, and maybe this pistol will bring up my odds.

      He was shocked when he saw the six-foot teddy bear from the toy store

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