The Thing Under The Bed And The Final Stories To Read To The Thing Under The Bed

By Winslow Swan

The last collection of horror to read to that Thing, you know, that mysterious entity that resides under your bed. The Thing that waits for you to go to sleep and dream the dreams of the innocent. It has waited and waited for you to read those deliciously horrifying short stories from the author of "Do Not Read This Book" and "More Stories to Read To The Thing Under The Bed". What could be in the upstairs bedroom that has already killed, and wants to kill again? Read the letter from a patriotic citizen that just may be your next door neighbor. These and other stories just may appease that horrible creature that only wants another story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Winslow Swan
• Release date: Jun 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370323838

Winslow Swan

Born and raised in Atlanta, Ga, I grew up surrounded by mystery and suspense, in book form. I also grew up listening not only to the great old radio horror shows but also heard the original run of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. I contribute them for my imagination of horror and suspense. My favorite authors at the time were of course Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Edgar Allen Poe. I now live in the North Georgia mountains where I am currently producing (with my best friend Crimson McKenzie) writing, directing, and appearing in a full cast audio series of horror, mystery, and suspense (with a few laughs along the way) titled "Doorway To Nightmare" on YouTube. (Check the channel out. 43 episodes with many more to come) Writing can, at times, become arduous and trying to find the quiet time to actually get my thoughts and stories down can sometimes be quite straining. However, I continue to do what I can to trouble the dreams of the reader.I find myself to be one of the few who have fulfilled all of their dreams. I have worked in both radio and television, as an actor and a writer, and have also appeared on stage. I have made two films (which shall both never see the light of day) and am now concentrating on a writing as a career.

Book preview

The Thing Under The Bed And The Final Stories To Read To The Thing Under The Bed

By

Winslow Swan

Published by Winslow Swan

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2017 by Winslow Swan

Other Works by this Author

Available at Smashwords.com

The Convincer

Click (a tale of revenge)

Do Not Read This Book

Feather Brained

No One Is Afraid Of Monsters Anymore (and other stories to read to the Thing under the bed)

More Stories To Read To The Thing Under The Bed

Toppling Over The Edge

The Suicide Killers:The First Jake Rhodes Mystery

The Hitchcock Killer:The Second Jake Rhodes Mystery

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

All characters, firms, businesses, and locations are fictitious and any similarity to any one or thing is purely coincidental. Except for the Thing under the bed, that is very, very real.

Table Of Contents

Home Security

Dust Bunnies

Just Beyond The Fence

Bus Trip

To Protect The Children

Dinner Time

The Corner Bedroom

Old Man

Typical

Buzzard

The Thing Under The Bed

Author’s Notes

Forward

Once again, we find ourselves staring up at the ceiling, the covers pulled up to our chins, the lights out, the moon shining through the window and the wind gently swaying the trees making ominous sounds against the house. The silence of the night seems to press downward on us as we try to capture that elusive creature known as sleep.

The Thing simply waits.

It waits for another story, for perhaps it is also having trouble, trying to conjure up the nightmares that it uses to keep you awake and restless.

Do not fear, dear reader, for I have foraged my imagination and pulled from my own dreams these ten stories with which to keep the Thing at bay. Within you will find characters in situations that may be as close to you as your own blood.

I will tell you that I enjoyed writing these stories, creating a world of horror, some of it directly in your face, but mostly a more subtle kind that seems to creep up on you long after you have put the book down. These are the kind of stories that I enjoy writing the most. They haunt me for days until I can open up my trusty Windows 7 laptop (yes, I still use Windows 7 to write) and forever capture them in the ethereal world of the internet.

I titled this book as the final stories to read to the Thing under the bed. Will these be the final short stories that I will ever write? I certainly hope not. Only time, and possibly the Thing that lives under my bed, could possibly tell.

So please, get comfortable in your bed, open the book, and I will do my best to make you as uncomfortable as possible. Remember, try not to read all of the stories at once. They should be savored individually, at varying times and days, just enough to appease the creature lurking somewhere in the shadowy depths under your bed.

After you have finished and tried to go to sleep, please give my regards to your Thing, whatever it may be.

Oh, and sleep well.

Home Security

This is of course our deluxe package.

Henry Young sat comfortably on his antique sofa, a cup of steaming hot coffee held between large fingers, listening patiently to the saleswoman. He sipped the liquid from the china cup, part of a complete collection that he had found at an estate sale. The appraisal of the pieces put it in the thousands.

Henry had paid five dollars for the entire set.

While he came off to most people as a mild mannered man, very serene and calm on the outside, he was a bull when it came to money. He had lived his entire fifty seven years making money by having an eye for antiquities that most people would have looked over as junk.

At the age of ten, while his mother was perusing the clothes at a yard sale, Henry had made his very first purchase. For the cost of a dime, he had picked up what appeared to be an old teddy bear. His mother had told him that it was his money to spend.

She was surprised when Henry had taken the stuffed bear to an antiques dealer that his father had known. She was even more surprised when her little boy had sold the bear for two hundred dollars.

At that point, she never again questioned what Henry wanted to buy.

Now, sitting in a large townhouse several miles outside of the city, surrounded by antiques that included furniture, knick knacks, fine china, artwork, and several hundred rare and first edition books, he was happy.

That was until the surrounding homes had started to be burglarized.

The first victims of the thieves were the Marshall’s who lived only three streets over from Henry. They had purchased several items from Henry and their house was full of not only the artwork, but various electronic devices to make life less complicated and more entertaining.

I paid twelve thousand dollars for that security system, Jim Marshall had told Henry the following day, and the bastards just waltzed right in.

Maybe you should have a dog, Henry had told him.

The second victims, the Harris’s, did have a dog, as well as a security system. This, however, did not stop the perpetrators from walking off with three televisions, four computers, and several paintings.

Since the thefts had taken place less than a week apart, Henry began to get nervous. He scanned the newspapers and magazines as well as the internet, hoping to find some sort of security system for his own home. The one that he had was the exact same one that both the Marshall’s and the Harris’s had installed.

This did not make Henry feel safe at all.

The advertisement that he had stumbled across was small, not very well presented, and contained little information. The only parts of the ad that Henry noticed were the phone number and the words ‘completely secured’.

Now sitting on his antique sofa and sipping coffee from fine china, he patiently listened to the pretty young woman going over the basics of their finest and perhaps most expensive security system. He smiled and carefully made mental notes over the pertinent points of the presentation.

So, Mr. Young, Nora Stevens asked, do you think that our company will be able to protect you?

Well, Henry said, adjusting his legs, it isn’t so much me that I want protected, only the contents of my home.

Nora smiled. She had heard this from many of the clients which had purchased the deluxe package. She marveled at the way the average person worried more about the material possessions than the actual life that they were living.

Do you subscribe to the service? Henry asked.

Nora again smiled her enchanting smile that went over well with the male clients and answered, I really have no use for the system since I have so few personal possessions. However, she continued seeing the clients smile falter ever so slightly, the company does feel that all of its representatives should enjoy the service. At least that way, we can give you an honest opinion.

So what is your honest opinion? Henry asked.

For the price, Nora said, and for what you are looking for, I highly recommend it. I usually do not tell about my own personal experience to new clients, however, I think that you would be interested.

Do tell, Henry said, now more interested than ever.

Well, Nora began, the company pays for the entire service so there is no out of pocket cost for me. A few months ago, when I had just started, someone did break into my apartment. Of course I was not home but I do understand that the system worked fine.

Did the thieves get anything before they were caught? Henry asked.

Well, Nora hesitated before going further, nothing was taken and the perpetrators were dealt with.

Nora saw the smile grow wider. To her, this was the sure sign that a sale was imminent.

So what do I need to do? Henry asked, waiting for the price that he was all but ready to pay to be displayed.

You need do nothing, Nora informed him, we do all the work. By signing the three year contract, you are completely guaranteed safety in your home. We do require a twenty four hour period so that our technicians can install the new system.

Henry frowned a little.

There is no need to worry, Mr. Young, Nora assured him. All of our techs are fully licensed and bonded. Rest assured that there will be no holes in your lovely walls or dangling wires. As a matter of fact, the system is completely invisible.

Henry took the forms that Nora offered and began to read.

What does this mean? Henry asked, pointing to a paragraph.

We simply need to know your basic routine, she said, when you go to bed, what time you usually wake up in the mornings, just simple things so that we can program the system.

I see, I think, Henry said continuing to read.

Is there going to be some sort of a keypad to enter in a code to turn off the system? he asked.

As I have explained, Mr. Young, the system is entirely invisible, Nora said, her tone a little more stern than before. Once installed and programmed, it will be automatic and you will have no need for codes or special passwords.

Henry smiled again. He had always had trouble remembering codes and series of letters and numbers. He could not count the number of times that he had had to reset his password just to check his emails.

What does this mean? Henry asked, and read the passage to Nora. The party of the first part shall supply the party of the second part the annual fee which is required during the course of the contract.

That simply means, Nora said, that you agree to pay for the service. Since you are purchasing the deluxe package, all fees and sacrifices are included for the three year period. After which, you can renew the contract at a considerable discount.

Henry wasn’t sure that he had heard Nora correctly, but let it pass.

So, where do I sign? Henry asked.

Nora reached into her briefcase and retrieved what appeared to be a pen. Leaning over toward Henry’s outstretched hand, she pressed a small button on the pen and a very sharp needle pierced the index finger, drawing a small red patch of blood.

Henry yanked his hand back and looked