first story

CHEWED UP

        “I’m taking Robin out for the last time before going to bed,” Thomas said from the doorway of his mother’s bedroom. At his right leg a little Jack Russell Terrier bounced and yipped.
       When his mother looked up she saw he was ready for bed. He was in the grey shorts and black t-shirt he always wore for bed.
       “What are your plans for tomorrow?” She asked.
       His green eyes gleamed as he thought of his fun day.
       “We’re going to make a YouTube video. A dumb kid goes into a haunted house looking for a ghost but instead finds a cannibal kid who tied him up and cuts open his belly to get his insides out.”
      “Sometimes I worry about you,” His mother sighed. It wasn’t easy raising a kid when the dad was overseas.
       “It’s just a movie, mom.”  
       “Still worries me, you know what they say about Zach,”
       “I’m not that bad. “ Thomas laughed. He told his mother goodnight and walked towards the back door robin leaping at his feet.
      He let her out and closed the back door behind him.
      Robin barked at the woods just behind their house. She ran off into the dark.
      “Get back here you crazy mutt, I don’t need to chase after you.” Thomas yelled as he ran into the woods behind Robin.
      The darkness swallowed him up and he could barely see anything. He slowed to a walk calling for Robin. He couldn’t hear her barking or moving around. She wore a collar with a bell but he couldn’t even hear that.
      He felt something grabbed his ankle and with a powerful jerk he fell to his back. He had barely landed before he felt himself being pulled along the ground by a thick vine.
n out for the last time before going to bed,” Thomas said from the doorway of his mother’s bedroom. At his right leg a little Jack Russell Terrier bounced and yipped.
       When his mother looked up she saw he was ready for bed. He was in the grey shorts and black t-shirt he always wore for bed.
       “What are your plans for tomorrow?” She asked.
       His green eyes gleamed as he thought of his fun day.
       “We’re going to make a YouTube video. A dumb kid goes into a haunted house looking for a ghost but instead finds a cannibal kid who tied him up and cuts open his belly to get his insides out.”
      “Sometimes I worry about you,” His mother sighed. It wasn’t easy raising a kid when the dad was overseas.
       “It’s just a movie, mom.”  
       “Still worries me, you know what they say about Zach,”
       “I’m not that bad. “ Thomas laughed. He told his mother goodnight and walked towards the back door robin leaping at his feet.
      He let her out and closed the back door behind him.
      Robin barked at the woods just behind their house. She ran off into the dark.
      “Get back here you crazy mutt, I don’t need to chase after you.” Thomas yelled as he ran into the woods behind Robin.
      The darkness swallowed him up and he could barely see anything. He slowed to a walk calling for Robin. He couldn’t hear her barking or moving around. She wore a collar with a bell but he couldn’t even hear that.
He felt something grabbed his ankle and with a powerful jerk he fell to his back. He had barely landed  before he felt himself being pulled along the ground by a thick vine.
It was too dark to see what it was he was headed for but whatever it was he didn’t want to be near it.
     His heart thudded against his ribs. Rocks and brambles on the ground tore at his skin.  His shirt was pulled up exposing some of his pale skinned belly. He felt a cold breeze blow over him.
     His feet bumped against something and he felt them being lifted. He heard a sound like wood creaking and something tore into his flesh just above his ankles. Pain searing through him and bones broke. Thomas screamed.
     He was pulled a little deeper then felt the same sharp things tear into his thigh and into his bones. Pain rolled over him in waves. He screamed for help wondering if anyone even heard him. A little more pulling and he felt he was half way into something.
  Once more the sharp things tore into his flesh one of them piercing his bellybutton. They sank deep into his warm insides. The pain now was unbearable and Thomas hoped it would be over soon.
   One more tug. He saw in the darkness what looked like a fang filled mouths a second before they sank into his tender neck. He neck bone snapped and his head rolled to one side.
After two hours his mother became worried and went out to look for him. She was calling his name and sweeping a flashlight over the ground when she tripped on his head.
Her screams echoed through the Shadow Woods.            
It was too dark to see what it was he was headed for but whatever it was he didn’t want to be near it.
     His heart thudded against his ribs. Rocks and brambles on the ground tore at his skin.  His shirt was pulled up exposing some of his pale skinned belly. He felt a cold breeze blow over him.
     His feet bumped against something and he felt them being lifted. He heard a sound like wood creaking and something tore into his flesh just above his ankles. Pain searing through him and bones broke. Thomas screamed.
     He was pulled a little deeper then felt the same sharp things tear into his thigh and into his bones. Pain rolled over him in waves. He screamed for help wondering if anyone even heard him. A little more pulling and he felt he was half way into something.
  Once more the sharp things tore into his flesh one of them piercing his bellybutton. They sank deep into his warm insides. The pain now was unbearable and Thomas hoped it would be over soon.
   One more tug. He saw in the darkness what looked like a fang filled mouths a second before they sank into his tender neck. He neck bone snapped and his head rolled to one side.
After two hours his mother became worried and went out to look for him. She was calling his name and sweeping a flashlight over the ground when she tripped on his head.
Her screams echoed through the Shadow Woods.