Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

As Steve w hir led r ound in pain, he sent empty beer cans flying in all dir ections. He
stopped momentar ily as he noticed that the entir e r oom was full of r ag-tag dogs and cats,
dogs and cats that he had thought he had long seen the back of, dogs and cats that had
come for some justice. Standing at the fr ont, leading the ar my of quadr upeds was a
tor toiseshell cat, its fur stood on end, claw s dr aw n for attack and eyes w ild w ith r evenge. It
let out a migr aine-inducing hiss that penetr ated ever y bone of Steve?s body.
Finally, he managed to pr ise the Russell fr om his hand, along w ith half of his skin and
r etr eated back to the only safe haven that he could find, the cellar door. He hadn?t hear d
any noises dow n ther e for a w hile so knew he w ould be safe. As the animals cr ept slow ly
for war d, Steve finally managed to flee into his dar k, dank place of sanctuar y.
He stood at the other side of the door until the noise of claw ing and w hining ceased.
Thr ough a cr ack in the door , he could see that the living r oom was now empty. Steve
chuckled to himself as he knew those animals w ouldn?t be getting out no matter w hether
they w er e upstair s or dow n below in the cellar. Ther e was no food left because he had
eaten it all just as his beloved mother had taught him to.
Satisfied that the coast was now clear , Steve w ent to open the door and w hen he found
those ?ver min?he w ould star t pulling fur as any nor mal per son w ould pull cr acker s. He?d
be r eady for them now , as it was something he had been looking for war d to all day, feeling
somew hat r ejuvenated after his Chr istmas Day snooze.
Steve yanked at the door , but it w ould not budge. He hammer ed at the heavy w ooden
panels until his hands bled. Whether it was the noise he was making or the smell of blood
fr om his self-inflicted w ounds that had r oused them he wasn?t sur e but r oused them he
had, ther e was no doubt of that. Steve hear d sever al lar ge gr ow ls and hisses. These noises
w er e not the ghosts of pets past but the ver y r eal and ver y hungr y ones of those of
Chr istmas pr esent.
The other side of the door , Bilbo the cat cur led up by the door and pur r ed contently. The
pur r ing incr eased in intensity and Steve held his head as it shook his ver y br ain. Clutching
his scalp, he moved back fr om the door and stumbled backwar ds, landing aw kwar dly.
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