Beyond the Dark: Horror Stories to keep you awake Volume I

By Yvonne Varsan

In the tradition of Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone comes Beyond the Dark: Horror Stories to keep you awake. Five horror stories that will chill you to the bone. Do you like horror stories? Are you ready to feel the sensation of being watched, followed, or haunted by something sinister?
In Victor, a hard-working man will meet the woman of his dreams at the new discotheque in town but is she what she seems, or is there something dark at play here?
In The Night Visitor, a chance encounter will bring a man face to face with terror while traveling on a deserted road during a nasty storm. Will he survive?
In A House in the Country, A married couple will buy the house of their dreams which includes some deadly guests.
In The Garrisons, a new job will put Cassie in the path of a couple with a dark and deadly secret that will put her in harm's way.
Do you believe in life after death? What if I told you that there is more to it than crossing a tunnel into the light?
Would you dare try to find out what lurks in the dark in the story the Dark Ones?
If you are ready to be scared read NOW!! Just one piece of advice...Don't read alone!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781387597956

Book preview

Beyond the dark     

        Horror stories to keep you awake 

Volume I

Yvonne Varsan

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, copied, transmitted, downloaded, or sent in any form or by any means without the consent of the author.

978-1-387-59795-6

Imprint: Lulu.com

All rights reserved

Copyright 2022 by Yvonne Varsan

Cover art copyright 2022 by Yvonne Varsan

Printed in the United States of America

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are things people are scared of. Some of them are things that look like things people used to be scared of a long time ago. Sometimes monsters are things people should be scared of, but they aren’t

- Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of theLane

This book is dedicated to Joseph R. the special person who inspired me to write this book. Without his contribution, this book would have not been possible.

CONTENTS

Introduction …… Page   7

Victor ……. Page    10

The Night Visitor …..            Page   36 

A House in the Country        Page   64

The Garrisons…… Page 146

The Dark Ones ……..            Page   186

Introduction

  I remember when all the family gathered around the chimneys or at the table after dinner some smoked, some had cups of coffee or even a nightcap but what most of them had in common was the love for those short horror stories that were always told in the dark. Sometimes the storyteller managed to create the mood with candles that illuminated the area while its dancing shadows made figures that seemed like monsters to some. Do you like horror stories? Are you ready to experience the sensation of being watched or followed or even scared to death by something sinister?

All that and more can be found in this book. I will take you from the comfort of your house into the open mouth of the unexpected and unknown, Terror awaits you inside the pages of this book.

We will start with a chance encounter at the new discotheque in town where a simple working man will meet the woman of his dreams but is she really what she seems or is there something else at work here?

Then we will follow a man through a dark deserted road under a nasty storm that will bring him face to face with terror in The Night Visitor.

In A House in the Country, we will meet a married couple who will buy the house of their dreams which includes some dangerous guests.

Have you ever been offered a wonderful job opportunity where everything seems to be perfect and just what you always dreamed of? Cassie has and she has taken it, but little does she know that the road to her new job will bring an unexpected encounter with The Garrison’s a strange couple with a dark secret. Do you believe in life after death? What if I told you there is more to it than just nice and hopeful stories about taking a tunnel into the light? Would you dare want to meet what lurks in the shadows in the short story The Dark Ones?

I invite you to take my hand and I will guide you through the pages of this book where full-length horror stories will keep you up at night. 

1

Victor

Victor Carson was a hard-working man. Each day he got up, got dressed, and headed to work. It was always the same routine, but he liked it. He preferred to come straight home after work and watch movies or talk shows than go out and get wasted like his coworkers. Yes, his coworkers Mike, Paul, and Andy were the partying type.

Each Friday after work they would hang out and stay out late. That was their compensation for a week of arduous work they said. They kept inviting him out every Friday, taunting him with their comments. He always disregarded them and kept walking, but they never stopped coming after him. They wanted him to go out with them and be part of the party group. He disagreed, he did not like being pushed to do things that he did not want to. Anyway, what was the point of going out with them if he did not drink alcohol anymore? He did not like getting wasted. It was the worst feeling the next day.

Yes, he had been like them once but not anymore. Not since he had the accident. Five years ago, he had sworn not to drink again. He had almost fallen off a cliff with his car due to drunk driving. For a moment he had seen death to the face and that had been enough for him to wake up. He learned that night that life was too precious and that it could be lost in a flash. Five long years of abstinence and now the guys wanted him to forget about it and start living again. He was running out of excuses. It had been a year of relentless invitations from them. They did not want to give up on him they kept saying. Two weeks later after the last invite, he gave in and accepted to go out that Friday night. Maybe if I go with them tonight, they will leave me alone. I do not have to drink if I don’t want to. I will just go hang out with them and after a while I will make an excuse and leave.

  Yes, that will work, he thought to himself. Little did he know they had other plans. That Friday night the guys went out as usual but this time they had an extra guest. Victor had finally agreed to come with them. The only condition for him to hang out with them was that he would take his car and follow them instead of all going out together in the same car. They had accepted because after all the time begging and taunting him to go out with them to have some fun, they did not want to ruin their moment of triumph. They knew he would give up eventually and he did so that was good enough for them. 

The guys decided to go to a bar. Andy and Mike were the hard drinkers and they quickly asked for a whole bottle of vodka. They said they wanted to celebrate that Victor was finally part of the gang. Paul was the heartbreaker. He knew every single woman in the joint and of course he was dancing the night away. The guys were drinking a lot, but it did not seem to affect them, probably because they were used to it. Victor on the other hand was already tipsy with just one shot. Victor had never been the outgoing type. He was more on the shy side of the spectrum. The guys had noticed that he was not enjoying the night out, so they decided to go somewhere else. Somewhere new would probably do the trick. Andy had told them about the new place in town. It was a discotheque on the outskirts of town and by the description, it sounded very inviting, so they decided to try it. They told Victor that they were heading out to this new place and before Victor could say a word they headed out. They had not given him the chance to tell them he was tired and preferred to go home so he had to follow them. He did not want to have them give him a tough time the next week. He got in the car and drove behind them to the new place wondering what he would find there. Just when he was starting to think he had made a mistake by following them the green and red neon lights appeared in front of him. The guys parked the car, and he did the same. They all got out and headed to the entrance. The surveillance guy had checked them out and after clearing them he waved them in. 

Lights of assorted colors illuminated the area inside and every corner. The music was extremely loud, so they had to yell at each other to be heard. Couples danced in the dark and the area of the bar was full. They walked to a table in the corner. Andy tripped with the chair and almost fell to the floor. They all started laughing like crazy and Mike had almost fallen too trying to help Andy get up from the floor. They were having a wonderful time. Even Victor was starting to enjoy the night out. Probably the alcohol doing the trick he thought.  It was then that out of nowhere a beautiful woman caught Victor’s attention. The long reddish hair, hazel eyes, and sultry mouth were so inviting that he was mesmerized. The perfect body swayed from side to side while dancing to the slow music. It had to be a vision. The alcohol was probably playing tricks with his senses. The place was dark, and he