Short Horror Stories and Urban Legends

Torture.avi

I’m bawling my eyes out as I type this, locked in my closet. For those of you who think this is one of those internet ghost stories, then I envy you. After this you can just continue on with your lives, but it will catch up with you soon enough. And it’s your fault for reading this. Don’t try and stop now, it’s too late. But if you read on, you might be able to defend those around you. Get away from your loved ones. Don’t tell anybody. Embrace death.

My story (and soon to be yours) started early in the morning. I checked my mail to find bills, junk and a small package. I opened the padded envelope from the bottom and a flash drive fell out. I picked it up after it bounced on to my mat. “What’s this?” I wondered aloud as I examined it. It was a plain, black USB stick. I asked my wife in the kitchen if she has ordered anything but she was just as puzzled about the drive as me. I looked up at the clock – I was almost late for work. I put the mail on the table and dashed out the door.

When I arrived at the office, I kept wondering about what could be on the flash drive. Was it some marketing idea? A prank that just contained some stupid video? I decided to check it out once I got home. The day seemed to drag after that, as I curious to find out what was on that stick. When I finally arrived home, I found my wife’s body in bloody ribbons across the living room floor. I was about to scream hysterically, when I noticed a faint glow. I turned to see my wife’s laptop turned on with a blank screen. With tears in my eyes, I crossed the room, over the bloody mess on the floor, to the computer. I tapped the spacebar and the screen lit up. There was a file named “Torture.avi” in a folder named “Removabledisk:E”. I looked down, and sure enough the USB stick was in the USB port. Without thinking, i clicked on the file. A video automatically started playing.

A black and white video of a 7, maybe 8 year old girl in a bed. After 20 seconds or so the girl suddenly sits up in bed. Her eyes snap open, revealing wide, pea-green orbs. Her body hovers a few feet into the air, then an earth-shattering scream issues from her mouth. It sounds inhuman, not even animalistic. It is the scream of something too sinister to even register. Suddenly the scene is a street that looks familiar to me. The camera man walks down the street until he reaches a house, that also seems familiar to me. Suddenly, my heartbeat quickens. My mouth turns dry as I realize that the camera man is walking up the path to my door.

I jump as there’s a knock on my door. I look through the frosted glass and I see a dark hooded figure. Without realizing it, my legs are carrying me through my hallway. As I was locking the door of my bedroom, I heard my front door being flung off the hinges. I barricaded the door as best I could and grabbed my laptop. I climbed into this very closet and here I am.

I am about to die. I know that. I can hear whoever or whatever the thing is banging down my door right now. I just wanted to tell my story before I pass. Soon, you will receive the same flash drive. DO NOT watch it. Dispose of it. Oh God, it’s in the room. It’s in the room. It’s in the room. It's i