Stitches

By Sylvester Barzey

Prepare to descend into the chilling abyss of "Stitches" - a collection of tales so spine-tingling, even the Devil himself shudders in the shadows.

 

Teen fans of a Rock n' Roll God embark on a treacherous hunt for a lost song, one that not even the Prince of Darkness wants to see unearthed. 

 

A relentless serial killer finds himself ensnared in a deadly game of wits, orchestrated by a woman with a macabre plan and the guidance of a Doctor well-versed in the art of madness. 

 

These are just glimpses into the nightmarish worlds woven by Sylvester Barzey, who has ventured into the darkest recesses of his imagination to unearth his most twisted tales from five harrowing anthologies.

 

"Stitches" is a relentless descent into genre-blended horror that will do more than crawl under your skin – it will claw its way into your very flesh, etching unforgettable terror into your soul.

 

The five tales that make up this diabolical collection:

"Blood Note" (First Published In Descent Into Darkness)

"Lisa" (First Published In 7 Sins Of The Apocalypse)

"Unfit" (First Published In Mad Like Me)

"Adam" (First Published In Undead Worlds)

"Shades Of Blue" (First Published In Voices Of Romance)

 

Dare to journey beyond your comfort zone, to explore the grotesque secrets that lurk beneath your skin. 

 

Read "Stitches" today, if you dare! But heed the warning – within these pages lie subjects that will haunt your darkest nightmares:

• Suicide
• Harm To Children
• Mental Illness
• Domestic Violence
• Elderly Abuse
• Kidnapping
• Drugging
• Bullying
• Cheating
• Sexual Assault

• Language: English
• Publisher: Storyteller Media
• Release date: Aug 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201053024

Sylvester Barzey

Sylvester Barzey is a father, a husband, a soldier, and an "Anything Goes HORROR" writer.  What does "Anything Goes HORROR" entail?  Missing Children Deadly Wives Haunted Baby Rattles A LOT OF DEAD BODIES! Vampires That Don't Sparkle & Don't Believe In Dating Their Food Source! Would You Date A Cow? Werewolves Zombies (A Whole Lot Of F#@king Zombies) Oh & Some Bad Words. He writes what he wants and does what he likes and what he likes is HORRIFYING! Pick up this book or one of his others today.  Something Scary For Every HORROR LOVER!

Book preview

1

Blood Note (First Published In Descent Into Darkness)

I t was the biggest night of their lives. Their first world tour was ending, with its last show in Atlanta. The music was loud, the crowd was crazy, and they were rock gods, he whispered.

The artificial flames danced along in the cool night air. Soft pops and crackles created a sinful backdrop for a story that had been told for years. I first heard it from my big sister, then at summer camp, but no one can tell it like Jonathan. The kid had a gift for tall tales.

Jonathan put his hands by the fake fire and quickly started rubbing them together as he continued, Blood Note and their lead singer Alex Ryder had the world eating out of their fucking hands... Jonathan leaned back into his folding chair and snapped his finger at me, Hey! Give me a s’more. he commanded.

I laughed and looked over at Maxwell who had chocolate smeared along his chin, This motherfucker better be talking to you, I said.

Max shook his head as he waved his burnt marshmallow back and forth trying to cool it down. He smiled and popped the white, gooey goodness into his mouth.

Nope! Max replied.

Come on! Jonathan begged.

I rolled my eyes and handed him the last s’more that was sitting on my plate waiting for me to devour it, Here and no more stopping, finish the story. I said.

He took one large bite and the chocolate wonder crumbled and crushed around his lips. My eyes went down to my empty plate and I sighed as Jonathan licked his fingers and continued with the story.

Every song... hell, every note, seemed like a higher power handcrafted it. Well, by some kind of power, after all, they were the ‘Gods of Rock’ n’ Roll.’ So, their juice might have been a little lower and hotter than others. Jonathan said and then rammed the last of the s’more into his mouth.

Blood Note is my favorite band, hell they’re everyone’s favorite band. They’re like The Beatles or Michael Jackson; something that only comes around once in a lifetime. Something you have to see before it’s gone.

People say Alex made a deal with the devil for all that fame. No one wants to believe it, but everyone knows it fits. A young nobody fresh off a Georgia farm, shows up in L.A. and fills in for a sick singer, making rock history with every word that left his lips. That kind of thing doesn’t happen; not to people like you and me. Within two years, Blood Note was everywhere; you couldn’t turn on a radio or TV without hearing them. They had hit after hit, and were in talks of making a movie after their tour. They were burning bright, but everything that burns bright also burns fast. Alex learned that the hard way, and he also learned that the Devil always collects. Jonathan said.

My mom said that Alex was on borrowed time. That he knew his number was up, that’s why-

Jonathan cut Maxwell’s eager statement short by tossing a pebble into Maxwell’s melted marshmallows.

Did she tell you that before or after she sucked off the mailman? Jonathan asked. I’m telling the story here, you fat fuck, he said.

We all stared at each other for a moment before Maxwell leaned forward and shoved the marshmallow in his mouth, pebble and all. He took a big swallow and then his fist pounded into his chest as he burped.

Tasty. Maxwell said.

We all started laughing.

Jonathan cleared the tears from his eyes and said, They say after the show, Alex went back to his private studio, in his big Atlanta mansion. That’s where he recorded his first solo song, ‘The Old Man’ and it told the tale of Alex selling his soul. That song was so powerful and haunting that the devil didn’t want it played. So, he came for Alex that night. The song’s lost to the world and Alex Ryder died with his bloody guitar in his hands and a note by his side that read, ‘The devil made me do it.

Jonathan was always good at telling stories. There was something about the way he told them that kept you hanging on his every word. And that’s just how Maxwell and I were hanging, waiting for more, but it didn’t come. We stared at him for a moment, and then I laughed.

Bullshit! I said.

Jonathan laughed and placed his hand over his heart, I swear! The devil killed him! he said.

Max and I got to our feet, Alex died of a drug overdose. There wasn’t a bloody guitar or any of that shit, Maxwell said as we all started making our way back towards the house.

Jonathan grabbed his flashlight and rolled his eyes, Because you were there huh, fat ass? Jonathan asked.

Maxwell turned around quickly. This whole year he was having weight issues. Maxwell was on the bigger side of life, which never bugged him, but this year his dad was really riding him about losing the weight. He was being sent to a camp for healthy choices; it was an acceptable way of saying he was being sent to fat camp.

Kiss my ass, Jonny! I’m not fat! Max shouted. He turned and started walking into the house; we stood there for a moment and then broke out laughing before following in behind him.

Take it easy, Max, I said as I threw my arm over his shoulder, John John’s just mad that his story makes little sense. I said with a smile.

Jonathan rolled his eyes as he pulled the sodas out of the fridge; he looked over at us and placed them down on the counter one by one as he spoke,

Okay, if I’m so full of shit, then what about the song?

What song? I replied.

I grabbed the cold can and popped it open, turning it upside down. I chugged it like I had been searching for its sweet sugar for days, which was half true. They banned soda at my house this month; mom was on some kind of diet, and that meant the rest of the house was too. I hate diets; I swear they were just created to slowly kill people, which is why the word ‘die’ is in it.

The song he was working on before he died. Where’s the song he made? Jonathan asked.

I laughed, Maybe he didn’t get to finish the song or even start it because he, I don’t know, died? I said.

Max started choking on his soda; he spit some of it out and started laughing

What the fuck, fat boy? Jonathan said.

Max nodded his head, laughing, That’s true! He overdosed. I’m sure there wasn’t even a song.

Jonathan pulled out his phone and pulled up a video, What’s this I asked.

He pushed play and Max and I lead in, Is it the song? Max asked.

Jonathan nodded, Yes fat ass, I have the world’s most valuable song just sitting on my phone! It’s an interview with his girlfriend! Jonathan shouted.

There was a dirty blonde with ice-blue eyes looking right at us through the screen. I was just trapped in her gaze. She didn’t say a word, not one thing, but I knew I’d follow her into hell if she asked.

She’s got some tits on her, huh? Max said. My head turned towards him and I slapped his soda into the sink. Jonathan laughed, and I turned my head back to the screen.

Her voice had this husky, southern twig to it. I smiled, She a singer too? I asked.

Max patted me on the back, He’s in love. Do you have her number? Maybe her address, list of all her last known locations in the past 24 hours? You know how Richie likes to know everything about his girls. Max said.

Jonathan stopped the video and laughed, You’re a dick, Max. Rich likes to know everything about everything. He said.

I closed my eyes.

I didn’t fight it.

It was true.

I just had to know things; it was normal for me. Creepy to girls and annoying for everyone else, but I had to know.

But she was last seen next to Alex Ryder. She’s buried right next to him, Jonathan said.

Wait! She’s dead? I asked.

Max leaned on the counter, That’s messed up. You were mentally fucking a dead chick. Max said in a tone of disgust.

I turned my head towards him with a puzzled look, Shut the fuck up. My head turned back to Jonathan, She’s dead? I asked.

Jonathan nodded, Yeah, she hung herself the night after this interview. She said she was going to hear Alex one last time. Jonathan said and pushed play.

We all fell silent in the kitchen the only sound that was heard was the eerie static that was pushing out of Jonathan’s cell phone. The video was old, like from 1992, when Alex killed himself and when she followed suit. I placed my hands under my chin and leaned in as I listened to her.

No, No. She said softly, He wasn’t anything like that. Alex was sweet and beautiful- the reporter’s laughter cut her statement short.

Sweet is a bit of a reach, don’t you think? This was Alex Ryder! The reporter said. He leaned in and the camera zoomed in on the young woman’s face as his words filled the air once again, Come on now, Melody. You want the viewers and I to believe that Alex Ryder, the bad boy of Rock’ n’ Roll, was really boyfriend of the year? Melody looked down at the napkin that she had twisted and folded repeatedly in her hands throughout the entire event. Melody, the report said softly.

Her head came up and her blue eyes glanced over at the camera. She was staring at me; I knew it was just a video, but something inside of me swore she was staring at me. If this was a horror movie, then this would be the moment that she crawled out of the screen and took my soul. She covered her face with her hands as she started crying. We were watching a play-by-play of someone’s heart breaking.

I shook my head and walked over to the living room when I heard her sultry voice whisper, He wasn’t perfect, but even the Devil had wings.

My head spun around just in time for her blue eyes to lock with mine before the screen went dark. I wasn’t sure if the warm feeling that was taking over me was love or me pissing myself. She was hauntingly beautiful, but she’s been dead for the past 25 years; so she was more haunting than beautiful.

So, his groupie did an interview, Maxwell said before popping a marshmallow into his mouth, What the fuck does that have to do with his song? he asked.

Where the hell are you pulling those out from? Your ass? Jonathan asked.

I laughed; it was a soft, uneasy laugh as I laid my blanket on the living room floor. Jonathan ran his fingers through his curly, brown hair, and then shoved his phone into his pocket before walking off.

It’s not the interview, it’s what she did after it, Jonathan said.

Kill herself? Maxwell asked.

No, fat boy! Jonathan shouted. Before any of us could react, the lights to the staircase flipped on and we heard Jonathan’s father shout,

You little shits need to get your asses in bed! It’s 2am!

We looked at each other for a moment and then started laughing. Maxwell rolled out his sleeping bag, and I crashed on the floor with a blanket and a pillow. Jonathan was lying on the couch because he didn’t give a shit about hospitality or treating guest right. In his world, he was the alpha, and we were his pack.

When Alex died, he left everything to Melody, and before she killed herself, she ordered all his money be used to keep the mansion standing. Jonathan whispered.

Yeah, it’s down by Piedmont Park; I ride by it when I’m going to little league. I said.

How does it look? Maxwell asked.

Kind of creepy, but it’s still standing. It’s got a shit ton of vines on it and some broken windows, I replied.

Well, it’s nice to see her last wishes were respected, Maxwell said.

No one can go in. It’s just meant to be there forever, without a soul to set foot inside. Jonathan said.

And I repeat, what the fuck does that have to do with the song? Maxwell said softly.

Jonathan rolled over in the darkness. We couldn’t see his face, but I knew he had a million dollar grin on as he said, If no one can go in fat ass, that means-

It’s still in the house. Maxwell and I said in unison.

We heard Jonathan laugh as he rolled over, The geniuses finally joined the class.

It was a random sleepover conversation with three dumb kids. Had I known what we said that night would have sparked the chaos that unfolded, I would have never stepped foot into Jonathan’s house. But, if everyone could spot a mistake ahead of time, then life would just be boring.

It was