Insanity: A Horror Anthology

INSANITY

A Horror Anthology

Ed Bar

Insanity

A Horror Anthology

Ed Bar

Kindle Edition

Copyright 2017

Published by Cold Steel Publishing

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all products of the author’s imagination.

Prologue: Awakening

Darkness.

That was all It had known for over a century. From that darkness It starved, trapped under the earth as if It were a worm, crawling aimlessly. It had finally been awakened only to be trapped in a suffocating tomb.

It waited patiently, listening, paying attention. It could feel them out there, crawling aimlessly on the surface like cockroaches. Only they weren’t cockroaches, they were less. Cockroaches had a purpose. These creatures, if they had ever had one, had outlived their purpose since before they found fire. They roamed the physical world, spreading disease into the very source that gave them life without regard.

It spread a disease too, but Its disease affected only one thing, humanity. It was the answer to the plague that was the hairless primate. It fed on their minds, swallowing their brainwaves as if they were a delicacy, using their thoughts, their emotions, for nourishment.

It remembered the hairless creature that had summoned It. He was strong enough to bring It from the abyss, but was not strong enough to sustain It, to sustain himself. The human died, leaving It trapped in Its dark, damp prison.

It could feel others lurking around, coming and going, but avoiding It, as if they could sense Its power and were too terrified to come close. They had every right to be afraid. It had been around since the beginning, watching civilizations rise and fall, causing them to rise and fall. Humanity was nothing but fodder, food for It to consume.

It listened as they evolved, foolishly thinking themselves growing in intelligence. It could feel their technology develop, the new invention of digital waveforms that operated not unlike their own thought forms. It could feed on those as well. It could spread Its consciousness through them, just as it had through their literary works before. It could spread from one primate to another through the written, spoken and body language, attaching Itself to them, free to feed on their emotions, their fears, expanding further as they spread their panic.

It was a contagion.

It grew stronger year after year, down in that dark, cold cave, reaching out Its consciousness, calling the food to It. One lone cattle heard Its beckoning. He came close several times.

Then the Earth shook, and he hadn’t been back since. It wasn’t strong enough to break free from Its cage, not yet. But all It needed was one human. One human to come to It, unknowingly offering It their mind, their soul. It would latch on to their brainwaves, gaining the nourishment it needed. It would leave Its prison through that one human and then It would be free.

Free to spread Its consciousness, slipping from one primate to the next. When one of them exposed themselves to the other, transmitting their fear through speech, the written word, or simply by brushing against another, It would grow. If one of them used their technology, transmitting their thoughts into digital waves, It would become stronger. It would expand and consume the world, infecting them one at a time, ten at a time, even a hundred at a time. It would feed off their fears, their psychosis, until they existed no more. And the world would belong to It.

It felt excited. Sending out Its consciousness, It found the human It needed. It called to her, and her subconscious responded. It was almost time. She would free It soon, and It would conquer humanity.

Chapter One: Dine and Dash

Tina loved her job. It was only a seasonal job, but an entire season in Aspen was a breathtaking experience. Sure, she had to cater to snobby, rich people, too self entitled to understand gratuity, but she worked the front desk; she didn’t get tips. Her best friend, and the person responsible for her employment, however did get tips. At least he should have, being a bellhop.

Joshua didn’t complain though; he was one of those ever-happy gay men. The kind that was simply pleasant at all times. He always put a smile on her face, no matter how dark her mood.

Tina’s mood was bright this morning. She had a half-shift and then she and Joshua were off to explore the mountain. The tourists stuck close to the ski lodge, traveling to the designated spots for their winter fun. The rest of the mountain barely saw human life. This side of the mountain intrigued Tina. She wanted to catch the wildlife in their natural habitat, doing their little critter thing. She wanted to explore a cave that Joshua had told her about, located on the next mountain over. She just had to wait for her shift to end, which was soon. She checked in a few people, and saw one of them out; otherwise, she kept her nose in her book, waiting for Joshua to wake up.

Tired of the slow build up of her romance novel, wishing that Blake would just realize how he felt about Carolina and screw her brains out already, she dropped the book on the counter and looked around the lobby. Richly decorated in the fashion of a cabin, the lobby housed plush red velvet chairs, loveseats and couches, sitting in a U-shape around a large stone fireplace. The fire stayed lit; Charles, the caretaker, made sure to drop fresh logs in every hour or so.

There were only a few people in the lobby this morning, a model, who just appeared on the cover of a French fashion magazine, and a couple from New York. This couple intrigued Tina. The wife was beautiful, Tina couldn’t argue that, but she was a bit homely. Whereas her husband, some Alderman, was drop dead gorgeous. He had slick black hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. She hadn’t seen him out of his winter jacket, but she could tell by the way that it hugged him that he had a muscular physique. Even his name was gorgeous, Trevor Douglas.

She and Joshua had kept close eyes on him the entire time he’d been here. Joshua wasn’t crushing on him nearly as much as Tina, but he did enjoy staring at his butt every chance he got.

Thinking of Joshua made Tina check her phone again. 11:47. Thirteen minutes before she’s off work. Joshua better hurry the hell up or Tina would leave without him. Patience was never a virtue for the twenty-year-old college dropout. She blamed her heritage on her flaming red hair. The Irish, at least those in her family, were never patient people. She checked her phone again, 11:52.

Fuck.

Morning, gorgeous.

Tina Flaherty started, dropping her phone on the floor. Sonofabitch, Joshua. Do you want to get spanked on the face? She scooped up her phone and gave her friend a steely look. Her countenance softened; he had that affect on her with his angelic demeanor. He could have been a model with his soft, luxurious locks of blond hair, his crystal blue eyes and the sharp angles of his face; that’s not to mention his toned, athletic body. The truth was that if Joshua hadn’t been gay, Tina would have hopped into bed with him eons ago.

Joshua laughed, sizing his female counterpart up, looking over her tiny frame, void of any body fat, and no real muscle of which to speak. I’m not much worried to be honest, String Bean. I may be a lover and not a fighter, but I could take you. I wrestle bears for fun. He winked at her.

If you like ‘em big and hairy, why do you stare at that butt so much? Tina asked, nodding toward the handsome New Yorker as he stood in front of the fireplace, warming his hands. His homely wife had already taken roost at the loveseat, sipping complimentary cocoa from a paper cup.

That lucky bitch, she thought spitefully.

Tina’s replacement, a snotty brat two years her senior named Carrie, walked up to the counter. Leaving the counter a mess again? Carrie asked.

Tina looked at her with glinted eyes, and then glanced at the counter. Besides the phone and registry, the only objects cluttering the otherwise pristine counter were her cup of coffee and her purse. She smiled at Carrie and grabbed her purse. When she picked up her coffee, she tilted it, letting a stream of golden brown fluid fall to the polished surface. Oops, she said, keeping her smile intact as she walked away. Sorry about the mess.

You’re going to wind up getting us fired, Joshua whispered in a mock-scold as they left the scene.

Oh come on, Tina cackled. Nobody likes her. Let me grab my coat and stuff and we’ll leave.

She walked around the corner, and then down a hallway that led to some of the cheaper rooms of the resort, stopping at the break room. She grabbed her parka, snowcap, gloves and snowshoes, and threw them on. When she met Joshua at the edge of the lobby, she hooked her arm in his and led him outside.

At least three feet of snow covered the entire landscape, some places were deceptively deeper, and more snow fell from the sky to add to the white blanket; tiny crystallized dots sparkled everywhere. Numerous tourists were braving what they believed to be a winter storm; lines of skiers were waiting to hop on the lifts, crowds were walking back and forth, everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.

Tina was just happy that her shift had ended before the mass decided to come back inside for tea and cocoa, cramming in together by the fireplace. She didn’t hate people, exactly; she simply preferred to keep her distance from them, at least in large crowds. She smiled when Joshua led her away from the tourists, even if it did put them against the 40mph winds.

Bent forward, they walked down the mountainside on the northeastern side of the resort, heading to a narrow valley, set between two low, snow-capped mountains. She felt slightly disappointed when she past a dying pine tree, its withered trunk and cracked branches dusted with snow. All the wildlife, the smart ones, would have found shelter, so the sight seeing would be a bust. At least they could go cave exploring. She thought of the proper name for that… Spelunking. That was it, such a goofy name.

The downward slope had been relatively easy, even against the wind. Turning right into the valley, led them on a straight path, neither inclining nor declining, yet, her legs were feeling the exertion. How much longer? she asked loud enough for Joshua to hear over the whistling of the wind.

We turn down another valley, and then another right, he answered. About fifteen more minutes.

Fifteen minutes turned into twenty-five, but Tina didn’t mind. The cave entrance was just up ahead, only a hundred yards to go. She kept her eye on the small black hole amidst the constant glittering white expanse, watching it grow larger as they schlepped toward it.

Tina felt strange, almost as if her skin hummed; her lungs vibrated with each breath. She could feel the hair rising on the back of her neck. She felt energized and depleted all at once. She shook off the feeling, chalking it up to the difficult task of hiking here from the resort.

They breached the cave entrance and the winds died around them. Tina blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes with snow-covered gloves. The contrast of immense light and utter darkness played tricks on her mind. She could have sworn she seen… something. A cloud mass of grey swirling smoke, ever shifting from dense to near transparent. It happened in a blink of an eye, and when she looked again, it was gone.

So, she said, watching Joshua pull two small battery operated lanterns from his pack, tell me about this cave.

Oh, I found it when I was a kid, he said, handing her one of the lanterns and flipping the switch on the other. "My brother and me hiked down here once and stumbled upon it. When we asked the manager at the resort, he had no clue what we were talking about.

After coming back a couple times, I decided to do some research. In the 1880’s white settlers were flocking her to mine silver. The Ute tribes had already laid claims to this part of the mountain. A bunch of fighting happened, people died, you know how history always went in the Wild West. Anyway, smugglers were looking for a way to mine silver without the Ute or the government knowing, and they thought they could create their own mine here. He held the lantern out and slowly waved it from left to right, revealing pockets of holes, obviously dug by humans, scattered along the walls of the cave. Some of the holes were expansive, large enough to drive a compact car through; others were barely wide enough to emit an average size person.

One opening seemed to draw Tina’s attention. It was located were she saw the floating, swirling fog thing. Obviously, she caught a glimpse of it, and the affect of the light change turned it into something mysterious.

I haven’t been back since the earthquake of 2011, Joshua said as he sat down, placing his lantern between his feet. He fished around in his pack and pulled out a baggie and a lighter, taking a pre-rolled joint from the former and lighting it with the latter.

Earthquake? Tina didn’t remember any earthquake.

Yeah. He took a deep pull from the joint, and held in the smoke as he spoke. The locals called it the Shining Mountain Quake. Apparently, it was isolated to just these mountains. We wouldn’t have felt it in Denver. Most people didn’t feel it in town here.

So, why haven’t you come back since then? asked Tina, reaching for the joint.

Superstition, I guess, Joshua said. The story continues. Apparently, the smugglers were found digging in here. The Ute waged war with them. It’s said that forty Indians fell on the smugglers, who numbered barely in the twenties. It was a massacre and, despite their numbers, the Ute tribe fell. Their shaman was the only survivor. The smugglers kept him in a chamber, tied and gagged, while they continued their search for silver nuggets.

Holy shit, remarked Tina, coughing on the smoke. Really?

Well, it’s a legend, but you never know. The shaman was said to have called on a demon for revenge. They say he sacrificed himself, and then the smugglers went off on their ways, but they all lost their minds. Now this is were legend turns to fact. Joshua waved for the joint. Some of these smugglers made the local papers; some made papers in other counties, and even other states. They all committed some atrocity or another, killing their families, shooting up their neighborhoods, etc.

Fuck.

Joshua laughed. Yeah. It’s most likely all a bunch of horse shit, but, since the quake, something just didn’t feel right; so I never came back.

Until now, whispered Tina, holding the lantern sideways under her chin to illuminate her face. She giggled. So why come back now? Why bring me here?

Like I said, Joshua said, taking another toke off the joint, it’s superstition. Besides, you wanted to do something fun, see interesting things. So here we are. To be honest, I was more worried about a bear being in here and eating us than some big bad boogey man coming to get us.

Tina looked around the cave, holding the lantern out in front of her as she turned in a semicircle. I want to go exploring. How far do the tunnels go?

Not far. If the legend has any truth to it, the smugglers were bad at their job. The bigger holes lead to other chambers, but most of them are small. Some of the other holes in the walls are new. They must have opened up during the quake.

Well, come on, she said, extending her hand. Let’s go see these other chambers.

You go, Joshua said, putting out the roach on the bottom of his boot. I’m tired, and I’ve already seen them. Come and get me if you run into the boogey man.

Why, so you can suck his dick? She kicked his leg playfully. Suit yourself. I’ll be back.

Tina took the snowshoes off her boots and walked through the large opening to her right. The chamber on the other side was nine feet by six on the right, four feet on the left side. Stalagmites grew from the floor, the largest reaching two and a half feet. She wound her way around them, searching the walls and the darkened corners for anything interesting, cave painting, forgotten silver nuggets, anything; but there was nothing there.

She crisscrossed through the main chamber, ignoring Joshua’s