Dreams of Cerberus

By Jon Flushing, B.C. Richards and Leonard Herrington

Cerberus is the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the Underworld in Greek Mythology. He would allow the dead to enter, but kept them from escaping back to the world of the living. We can only imagine the horrific images and cries of the tortured and the damned that he witnessed and heard as the Hound of Hades. We can be sure that they must have haunted the dreams of his three canine heads. The dreams of Cerberus would have been nightmares.
We believe nightmares only happen while we are asleep. The assumption is a faulty one. We share the world with witches and demons, killers and cannibals, and many other creatures that we don’t want to believe exist. Ten stories of eerie encounters with the dark beings that terrorize and torment us are told here in these pages. The stories cover long periods of human history, because the truth is; they have always been here with us.
Dreams of Cerberus is an anthology of ten short horror stories by authors Jon Flushing, B.C. Richards, and Leonard Herrington.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon Flushing
• Release date: Nov 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370915439

Jon Flushing

The Writers Three are B.C. Richards, Leonard Herrington, and Jon Flushing. Three college friends who after three decades of talking about writing stories have decided to finally do it. We hope to share our mutual love of the strange, the unusual, and the macabre with you out there in the even weirder world that we all live in.

Book preview

Dreams of Cerberus

By Jon Flushing, B.C. Richards, and Leonard Herrington

Copyright 2017 Jon Flushing, B.C. Richards, and Leonard Herrington

Smashwords Edition

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’re 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 these authors.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all the people that we share our lives with for the patience, support, love, and understanding that you give us. We could not do what we do without all of you.

Table of Contents

Introduction

By Leonard Herrington

Bookworm

Obsessed

Irony

By B.C. Richards

Truth Lies At Dawn

Not Today

The Hunt

By Jon Flushing

The Loneliest Guy

Vinnie The Poo

The Devil’s Due

By Leonard Herrington, B.C. Richards, and Jon Flushing

Falling Star

About the Authors

Introduction

Cerberus is the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the Underworld in Greek Mythology. He would allow the dead to enter, but kept them from escaping back to the world of the living. We can only imagine the horrific images and cries of the tortured and the damned that he witnessed and heard as the Hound of Hades. We can be sure that they must have haunted the dreams of his three canine heads. The dreams of Cerberus would have been nightmares.

We believe nightmares only happen while we are asleep. The assumption is a faulty one. We share the world with witches and demons, killers and cannibals, and many other creatures that we don’t want to believe exist. Ten stories of eerie encounters with the dark beings that terrorize and torment us are told here in these pages. The stories cover long periods of human history, because the truth is; they have always been here with us.

Bookworm

Graduation from State College did not offer the many questions that it did to most graduates to Sherri Zetterberg. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Library Science, she did not have to ponder what she would do with the knowledge she had gained as an undergraduate nor where she would find employment; these things she already knew. She would start her life’s work at sharply nine A.M. at the Andrew Frick Library back in her hometown of Elmdale. The thought of all her efforts over the years coming together in the form of her dream job brought a smile to her face.

Her thoughts wandered as she sat in the backseat of her father’s 1999 brown Ford minivan. The ride from State College to Elmdale would take several hours. Since she had her parents hardly ever spoke, she had plenty of time to daydream. The couple had wanted their only child to pursue a more lucrative degree in engineering, medicine, or law. Sherri’s I.Q. was off the charts and she had scored extremely high on all her entrance exams. One of her teachers in high school had once remarked, If Sherri read it, she knows it.

Sherri had ignored her parents’ advice and had followed her heart instead. She thought of the first day when her mother had taken her to the library when she was a little girl. It had been a gray dreary day as most days often where in southwestern Pennsylvania. She remembered holding her mother’s hand as they climbed the many steps up to the large wooden doors of the building. With its charcoal colored slate roof and deep reddish-brown bricks, Sherri had thought that the building resembled a castle. When she told her mother this, her mother had said, It is a castle, Sherri. It’s the castle that protects the books and all of their great stories. The ideas had fascinated her and now she was going to be working at that very same castle.

Looking out the window of the van, Sherri watched the trees whose green leaves appeared dull in the sunless spring day. Again, she drifted back into her thoughts. She could see Miss Caroline standing behind the dark wooden counter in the middle of the library, her glasses halfway down her nose, her salt-and-pepper hair held up in a bun with bobby-pins, and that forever stern expression in her pale bluish gray eyes. She didn’t mind giving any library patron as good shushing if she felt they had earned it no matter who they were.

The Andrew Frick Library belonged to Miss Caroline. It was her domain and no one had ever thought to question it. For as long as anyone in Elmdale could remember, she had been the librarian. Some townsfolk had even joked that she had come with the building. That thought brought a silent chuckle to Sherri’s lips. Sherri remembered that there was a cornerstone on library that had the year 1899 etched into it. That would make Miss Caroline well over a hundred years old, Sherri thought to herself and chuckled again.

Sherri’s thoughts shifted to the days she had spent at the library as a volunteer in high school. Miss Caroline would often scold her for reading when she was supposed to be putting books back on the shelves or dusting. Bookworm, that was the nickname that Miss Caroline had given her. Sherri had never been quite sure if that had been meant as a term of endearment or as jab. Never-the-less, Sherri had always answered to it out of respect for her matronly mentor and for their shared love of books.

Sherri, honey, we’re home, came her mother’s voice from the now open van door beside her. Help your father carry your things up to your room while I get supper started. Let’s go, sleepyhead."

Sherri opened her eyes to see her home through the windshield of the car. Home, she said with a happy sigh. It took a few trips but in no time at all, the contents of her dorm room were out of the minivan and piled somewhat neatly in the corner of her bedroom. Looking around the room, Sherri sighed again.

What’s wrong kiddo? her father asked, setting down the last of the items.

Nothing, Dad. It’s just good to be home.

Her father smiled. It’s good to have you home. I always worried about you while you were at school.

And here I am all fine and everything. See, all that worry for nothing.

Her father walked over and gave her a hug. Not for nothing. You’re my girl. Your mother and I will always worry about you.

She squeezed him back. Thanks, Dad.

He patted her on her back. I’m going to go and clean up. I suggest you do the same. Your mother will have supper in just a little while. It’s best not to show up late. You know your mother.

______

Barbara Zetterberg was known all over Elmdale for her meatloaf. Sherri’s smile was a mile wide when she sat down at the dinner table and saw her mother’s iconic dish surrounded by potatoes and carrots. After her father said Grace, everyone dug in.

Save room for desert, dear, her mother said patting her on the hand. There is a new ice cream shop that opened up down in the square. Your father wants to take you down there after dinner.

I think I’ll need to take a raincheck on that, Dad, if that’s alright? I kind of want to relax, get my room in some sort of order, and hit the sack early. I need to get up early tomorrow. I don’t want to be late. Miss Caroline wouldn’t like that too much.

Who cares what that old bat thinks? The old witch should have retired years ago.

Todd Zetterberg! Who taught you to talk like that? her mother said, mock slapping her husband on the arm.

You know what I mean. That woman’s plain old crazy. She was never right in the head.

Stop it now. That poor thing was traumatized after her fiancée didn’t return after the war.

Yeah, the Civil War, her father responded, giving Sherri a wink.

Don’t listen to him, Sherri. You just be nice to Miss Caroline.

I will, Mom. Do we have any tea?

What kind would you like, dear? I’ll make you some.

It’s not for me, mom. Miss Caroline loves tea. Her favorite is Oolong with just a spoonful of sugar.

I believe I have a box of mixed teas in the pantry. We’ll take a look after dinner.

______

Sherri was up before her alarm went off. She couldn’t wait to get to the library and see Miss Caroline. Despite the slight chill in the air, the short walk to the library was very enjoyable as she strolled past the many familiar houses that lined the streets of Elmdale. Holding the tea in both hands to keep it warm, Sherri found herself humming a tune that she remembered being taught in elementary school. As she approached the library, she could see Miss Caroline with keys in her hand at its massive wooden doors.

Good morning, Miss Caroline. Give me a second and I’ll give you a hand opening the doors.

"You will do no such thing. How do you think that I get in here every other morning?’ the older woman responded.

Typical Miss Caroline, Sherri thought to herself.

The two women made their way into the library. Miss Caroline flicked on the light switch to illuminate the library’s dark interior. She looked around at the book-filled shelves and gave a slight nod.

Everything is as it should be, Miss Caroline said with a sense of satisfaction in her voice.

Did you expect anything to be different? asked Sherri setting the travel mug down on the counter.

What have there, my dear? Miss Caroline asked nodding toward the mug.

I brought us tea. I remembered that you love to drink Oolong tea. Here, Sherri said handing the older woman a travel mug.

Let me get us some proper tea cups. I keep some in the…

Cabinet by the coat closet, Sherri finished. I’ll get them.

Bring the sugar bowl and a spoon, added Miss Caroline.

Sherri return a few moments later with two tea cups which were covered with blue and white images.

I always loved these tea cups, Sherri said, handing one to Miss Caroline.

Yes dear, I remember. They were a part of a set which had originally belonged to my grandmother.

Sherri nodded.

You forgot the sugar, Sherri.

I didn’t bring it on purpose. Taste the tea and tell me what you think.

Miss Caroline poured the tea from the travel mug into her tea cup. She slowly raised the cup to her mouth. She sniffed the vapors of the tea for a second and then took a small sip. Her eyes grew wide.

Sherri smiled at the woman’s reaction.

My, this is quite good, my dear. What did you put in here? I usually….

Add one spoonful of sugar, Sherri said completing the sentence, and smiled at her mentor.

Miss Caroline smiled back and took another sip.

I added a teaspoon full of Agave Nectar. It’s a bit sweeter than sugar. My roommate in college got me into liking it. I haven’t used sugar since.

This is quite good. I think that I might have to purchase a bottle for myself.

I have an extra bottle that I brought back from school that I haven’t even opened yet. I’ll bring it in for you tomorrow.

Sherri, I couldn’t impose on you like that.

You’re not imposing. I offered. I’m just glad that you like it.

Miss Caroline took another sip of the tea. Sherri smiled and poured her own tea into a cup.

Let’s finish here and then get down to work, Miss Caroline said, resuming her terse manner.

Yes, mam, Sherri responded, realizing the change in the woman’s tone.

______

Sherri cleaned the tea cups and travel mugs once they had finished in the sink of the once bathroom that the library had and dried them with a paper towel. She placed the tea cups back in the cabinet and placed the two mugs in her purse. When she got back to the desk, a few patrons had begun to appear.

Mr. Walker, is that you? Sherri said as she walked toward an elderly gentleman.

Sherri! the man exclaimed, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. Where have you been?

I was away at school. I just graduated and now I came back here to see you.

You flatter an old man, Tom Walker said, patting the girl on the back.

Who’s old? Sherri said, hugging the man around the shoulder. I see that you still come in to read the paper.

Every morning. Monday through Friday, rain, snow, or shine, the man said with a grin.

Is there anything that I can do for you? Sherri asked the man. Yeah, can you get some comfortable chairs in this joint. Those old wooden ones are killing my back. Some coffee would be great too.

Sherri smiled at the man. I’ll see what I can do.

Hey, Sherri…

Yes, Mister Walker?

It’s great to see you, kiddo.

Thanks, Mr. Walker.

Ted Friday and Larry Thompson will be coming in pretty soon. Stop back over and see them, okay?

I will, said Sherri with a wink.

Sherri made her way back over to the desk where Miss Caroline was helping a patron check out some books.

Sherri, would you be dear and put those books that are on the cart back?

Sure, Sherri responded. Anything else?

Yes, then start to double check the shelves to make sure…

That the books are in their correct locations, Sherri said, finishing the sentence.

Thank you, dear.

No problem, Miss Caroline.

Sherri pushed the old wooden cart away from the desk. It struggled to move under the weight of the many books that had been placed upon it.

Your days are numbered here, mister, Sherri whispered to the old cart. You’ve served us here well for many years, but now I think that it’s time for you to retire.

______

Sherri, dear, I’m going to head home for lunch now, Miss Caroline said.

Sherri jerked her head up from the book she had been reading. She had gotten lost in the story and when Miss Caroline had spoken it had startled her.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Look at you. Always the little bookworm; just like you were back in high school. I was just saying that I’m leaving for lunch. It’s so nice that I don’t have to close the library while I run home to eat. I’m so glad that the trustees brought you back. It’s so nice to have a little helper.

Sherri didn’t know what to say; A little helper. Perhaps the trustees had not yet explained to Miss