Five Dark Ends

By Matt Di Spirito

How will the world end? For these unfortunate souls, the possibilities are limitless: radiation, mutants, and even darkness claim lives in these macabre tales of dying in a dead world.

Five Dark Ends is a collection of grisly stories detailing supernatural demise in a dying world.

A Last Darkness - how do you escape when all the lights go out and darkness itself develops an appetite for mortal souls?

Nuked Times - all the apocalyptic wasteland movies are nonsense, according to this cynical survivor.

Pain At Last - two unlucky lovers learn the meaning of pleasure and pain.

Man-eaters - the universe is full of alien lifeforms and some of them prefer to dine on human.

Vermin - this is what happens when the thing you step on learns how to step on you

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Di Spirito
• Release date: Jul 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310844744

Matt Di Spirito

Well, I'm just an average joe. I don't have a great career or do anything that contributes to society in a meaningful way. I go to work, pay my bills, and raise my family.Life is an interesting journey. I've spent time in the military; it wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a worthwhile experience. I went to college for a few years, acquiring the credits for an Associates' degree in General Studies. There weren't too many subjects I didn't take. That's my life story: experience. I'm interested in so many things, it can be hard to focus on one thing for too long.My myriad hobbies include writing stories, reading books and e-books, surfing the web, watching blu-ray movies, drawing, discussing philosophy or religion or politics, playing xbox games, dungeons and dragons, and probably a few more. If only I could figure out how to make money off of hobbies!Writing is a hobby I've enjoyed since I became literate. Notebooks went hand-in-hand with computers. I used to write down little stories about my action figures, scenarios about school mates, and anything else to cross my mind. I used to make up games for my friends to play, and roll dice to find out who would win. Creativity, imagination, and technology are intertwined--at least to me.Smashwords, Amazon's createspace, and kindle publishing opened the door for self-publishing, especially for authors--like myself--with little or no start-up capital. For all the woes of technology, there are some wonders to be had.

Book preview

FIVE DARK ENDS

By Matt Di Spirito

Copyright 2014 Matt Di Spirito

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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STORIES HEREIN

A Last Darkness

Nuked Times

Pain at Last

Man-eaters

Vermin

Afterword

A LAST DARKNESS

To his ears, the scratching surrounded them; the lightless hall echoed endlessly with the shriek of metal marking metal. He was the only one without a puddle of ammonia-scented fear around his ankles--even the cop bore a dark streak on the inside of his leg.

A young couple huddled with foreheads pressed together, praying for Jesus to protect them; next to the cop, a beer-bellied Hispanic man rubbed his hands together, sniffing and blinking in unison.

Knock that shit off, Jose. The cop thrust a finger in the sniveling man's face. It's bad enough we got this noise.

I'm nervous, gringo, the Hispanic man spat, and my name is Carmen.

The nerve-grating noise ceased; everyone except the bearded man, black cap pulled low over his brow, twitched and sucked in their breath, waiting for it to start again--or something worse to show up. Sweat streaked in sparkling rivulets; the odor of urine overpowered the dank air.

The policeman clicked on his flashlight; specks of dust and ash cut through the light. He stepped forward, shining the light across overturned lockers and broken desks heaped in piles against the corridor walls.

Another step and the flashlight fell, clanking on the grimy tiles--no scream, no blood, nothing left of the cop but a slowly rolling Maglite.

One.

Carmen turned to the bearded man. What did you say? What just happened?

Still praying, the couple backed away from the man in the black hat.

I didn't say anything, amigo.

Carmen reached, grabbing a fistful of the bearded man's plaid shirt. I heard you say something… were you counting, gringo?

Yellowed teeth appeared behind the overgrown beard.

Two, three, he whispered in Carmen's ear and nodded; look behind you.

Carmen twisted and craned his head, peering over one shoulder: the couple was gone. His lips quivered and a fresh stream of urine trickled over the top of his boot, spreading in a dark puddle.

We're dead already, Carmen. The bearded man pulled his shirt free of Carmen's grip. They never take less than five and no one escapes.

Shit! Carmen pushed the bearded man aside and bolted down the corridor, heading for the narrow gap between a pair of barricaded emergency doors.

Adjusting his cap, the bearded man followed Carmen, stepping cautiously around the debris and keeping eyes fixed on