Twisted Roads Volume One: An Anthology Of Twisted Tales

By Matthew Tonks

The world is but a twisted globe, spinning round and round, allowing light to breathe life onto its weary bones. But, where there's light, there's always darkness, and hiding in the shadows are things our imagination cannot even begin to understand.
So buckle up and venture forward on a journey through thirty-one short stories, stories bathed in blood, stories dipped in darkness, stories that will take you through the veil of sanity and onto the twisted roads of madness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matthew Tonks
• Release date: Aug 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370393848

Matthew Tonks

Together we ride the steed of madness, along a road long foretold. Do not let the dire consequences scare you from this journey, for it is written, so it must be. We traveller. We explorers of otherworldly things. Let us share our providence, so we may all prosper.Hidden in the depths of it all, you will find your utopia, and it will be a beautiful sight to witness.For I may walk beside you, and I may carry your umbrella in the sun, just don’t expect me to dig you up, when the zombie apocalypse comes...

Book preview

One Love

He swings the shovel violently towards the two men, sending blood and dirt flicking off the blade, splashing into the wet ground with the rain.

I told you to go, I won’t tell you AGAIN! he yells.

Samuel! For fuck sake son she’s gone, and what’s left ain’t her ANYMORE! You have to let us do what must be done. Can't you see, you’re endangering everyone with your stupidity! his father yells back narrowly avoiding the edge of the shovel as Samuel swings it violently towards him again.

You’re WRONG! You’re all wrong! She’s still in there, I can see it! Just leave us ALONE!

We can’t do that. This is for the best little brother. I hope someday you'll see that! his brother yells as he leaps into the air, tackling him. They both go crashing into the mud with a splash. His father makes a mad dash for the door as the two struggle in the mud. Samuel fights frantically against his brother, but as he screams in terror two deafening shots are heard from inside the house, followed quickly by silence. The two brothers come to a stop, both looking towards the doorway. Samuel forces his brother off him, scrambles to his feet, and rushes frantically towards the door. A scream erupts from inside and Samuel freezes in place. His mind explodes with panic, fear, desperation, and finally hope, as he realises the scream was not hers, but that of his father. His brother wearily makes his way to his side, and they trade a nervous glance, just before a sea of red gushes from the doorway covering them both.

They stand there in silence for a few moments, frozen in fear. Then his brother lets out a cry of anger and rushes into the house. Samuel stands there as he hears his brother’s cries get louder, changing from anger to pain, and then something deeper, something more primal. How long he stood there he can't remember, but it was well after the screaming had stopped, and the chewing began. He looks up into the bleak night sky and lets the rain envelop him in its vacuum of violence, hiding the tears that run down his face, as he collapses to his knees. Looking towards the doorway, peering into the darkness of the house he hears it again, the tearing of flesh, the snapping of bone. Slowly he gets to his feet, and reaches into the doorway, pulling a control pole from somewhere beside it. He swallows a dry mouthful of air before he slowly makes his way into the place he calls home.

It’s okay honey, time to go back to bed, you’re still not looking the best, he says to her. She looks at him, her face covered in blood, her once soft blue eyes now a cloud of grey with only a hint of the splendid colour it once was. She growls at him, then rushes forward, but he manages to hook the noose of the control pole over her head and quickly tightens it down, pushing her back against the wall.

Now come on honey, you know I need to clean this mess up. We don’t want any of these two coming back to cause us problems like the last ones did. she grunts furiously at him, and he forces her towards a stairway that leads up to the next level of the house. She fights him the whole way, hissing, spitting and growling at him, but he keeps his eyes locked on hers, smiling all the while.

I know honey, it’s okay. I know I promised you we would, I just need to get it all ready, he says as he calmly guides her down a dimly lit hallway, towards a room at its end. You just get some rest, and when you wake, I’ll have it all ready, I promise.

She stops fighting him and stands there staring at him, her head tilts to its side as if for a second she understands his words. Slowly her mouth opens as if she was preparing to say something, then she lunges forward again aggressively. He shoves her into the room, where an open cage sits in its centre. Wildly she flails about trying to break free, but after a few tense moments he gives her one last almighty push, and she goes tumbling backwards into the cage. Quickly he releases the noose from around her neck and slams the door shut behind her. She lunges forward, trying to grab at him, banging ferociously on the cage while he locks several padlocks in place. Once done he throws a blanket over the cage and collapses against the opposing wall. He sits there for a few minutes or more, fighting back the tears, muttering words of prayer, of hope, of forgiveness. But the sound of movement from downstairs brings him back to reality. He forces himself to his feet, and tightly grips the handle of the control pole as he rushes downstairs. Before he hits the bottom step, he spies his father, blood dripping from his torn face, his jaw hanging from his skull, held in place by fatty tissue and flesh. His father gargles, letting out a low growl. Samuel drives the control pole down upon his head viciously, knocking him to the floor. Quickly he leaps over the reanimated corpse of his father and makes a mad dash for the shovel that still leans up against the doorway. In one fluid movement, he spins around as his father tries to get to his feet and brings the shovel ferociously down onto his skull several times, until it’s nothing but a mushy pile of blood, flesh, and bones. He feels something brush against his leg as his brother begins to violently spasm on the floor. Samuel doesn't let what he is about to do, pass through his mind, or for that matter what he's already done, and drives the shovel down upon his brother’s skull. As he does, he screams incessantly, demanding answers, pleading for reasons, but there is only silence in response.

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The candles burn brightly in the room as he places the cassette tape into the player and presses play. An upbeat soft rock song begins to play and muffles the sound of the rain striking violently against the roof. He places a hand on the blanket and quickly pulls it off. She lets out a ferocious scream, shaking the cage violently, but he just sits in front of it and smiles at her.

Remember this song? he says as he removes one of