Taboo

By Mark Gilmore

Sit, stay a while and let me tell you a story.

Evil lurks in the dark corners. It hides behind every tree. It stirs under the bed and with its scaly hands it reaches out with long sharp claws. It is scratching and searching, only wanting to tear flesh from the bones. All it wants is to tasrte blood.

 

A collection of strange, taboo and horror tales. A mixture of surreal and sublime. A closer look at the darker side of life that scares us and keeps us awake at night. We dont want to see what goes on behind closed doors, but we have to, Curriousity draws us in like flies to a flame. A hunger takes over, we have a growing need to know.

 

Come on in, don't be shy. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Gilmore
• Release date: Oct 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215836897

Book preview

Introduction

In 1992 I was reading a book, not an unusual pastime for me to be doing. The author wrote, ‘If you want to write then write.’ I’m paraphrasing here. This statement resonated within my brain. I thought it was a great idea since I had an over-active imagination. I set out to do just that. That night I wrote ‘Pallida Mors’. Which; just so happens to be the first story in this book. I wrote a few more as time passed. As always life steps in to test your resolve. Unfortunately mine was not good at that time. Deep down I still had the want to write, just not the drive.

Days rolled into weeks, weeks rolled into months and the months rolled into years. I was about to give up when I managed to obtain a job in security. This gave me the optimum time to write. 12 hour shifts, with most of the time sitting around. So I cracked on with my first attempt at a novel.

The Soul catcher.

I dove straight in feet first and nearly drown. Metaphorically speaking that is. It was touch and go for a spell. I managed to swim in the murky waters, keeping my head above the crashing waves as each chapter emerged. Then within seven months I was finished. I came out the other side battered, bruised and but not beaten. I had achieved something that was turning into a pipedream. Never give up on your dreams, no matter how long they take or how far you have to travel, it is worth it in the end. Even if it is just for the sense of accomplishment, go for it.

My next step was getting it into print.

That is another story for another time, as they say.

Over the years I joined writers groups, but as you can guess they never lasted. All accept one, The Studio Loose. Here (with the help of the fearless leader Wayne Cookson) we wrote a few more short stories. Also under his tutelage he helped with the editing process. He is an invaluable help to us all.

What follows are those stories.

Come on in and take a seat. The lights are low, the fire is lit, it is warm and cosy, let us take a journey. Take my hand I will lead the way...

If you’re brave enough...

MG

Pallida Mors

The full moon shone its opaque light on two tents which had been erected either side of a campfire. Even though the night was warm the four people sat close to each other as the orange flames rose into the air. The twigs and branches popped and crackled in the small fire. Behind them was a copse of trees with their foliage so thick light failed to penetrate and close by a stream gurgled as it flowed serenely downhill.

The four of them sat warming by the fire as the night folded itself around them. They were all lost in their own thoughts. Mike the largest out of the two boys, easily six one with shaggy dark hair. He threw another branch on the fire sending splinters of ash into the air. They caught in the breeze and were blown towards the trees. Sharon followed them as they disappeared. Her mind must have been tired because she thought she saw two burning red eyes watching them from the darkness of the woods. This thought sent unwanted shivers down her back and Goosebumps broke out on her arms despite the Cashmere sweater she wore. She had her auburn hair tied back and braided and as she shivered, she felt it brushing her spine. Quickly she pulled it over her shoulder.

Mike also broke the silence by asking what everyone had planned for the future since they had nearly finished their third year in university.

‘No!’ Dave said, ‘Now is not the time for talk of future endeavours. We are on half term, let’s forget that shit for a few more days and let’s have some fun.’

‘Fun? Dave, come on its bloody freezing and we’re in the middle of nowhere,’ Vicky said. ‘And you’re talking about having fun.’

‘How about a ghost story before we call it a night?’ Dave asked.

They looked at each other, no one offered to start. Their faces were blank white orbs in the moonlight.

‘Okay,’ Dave said shifting his weight on his backpack. ‘I know one. This is a true story,’ he lowered his voice. ‘This happened some time ago when people were scared of their own shadows.’ He smiled. Leaning forward he started his short tale.

––––––––

Two hundred years ago two boys, let’s call them Mathew and Luke, lived in a small mining village called Drescot. It was situated between a quarry which was starting to thrive and a forest of trees. Everyone in the village said the forest was cursed and haunted by ghosts. The name the villagers gave the woods was Pallida Mors. That is Latin for pale death.

Everyone in the village feared the place; light wouldn’t penetrate the darkness between the trunks. Anyone who ventured up the hill with a blazing torch seconds later the flame would be extinguished, and they would never be seen again. No birds nested in the trees; no animals went near there; no insects roamed the damp earth beneath the canopy of the leaves. Once a dog got loose and it wandered up the hill. It sat by the tree line howling into the darkness. No one had the courage to go up and bring it back down. In the morning, the owner was forced up the hilltop but all he found was a shredded pelt covering the blood-stained bones. He ran down the hill screaming. It was believed he left the village the very next day.

‘God that’s sick,’ Vicky said.

‘This is just the start, just wait.’

‘So, one day Mathew and Luke were out by the quarry just at the start of summer. They were best friends and always have been since they could remember. Their families were friends and their fathers worked together in the quarry. Anyway, they were hanging around smoking as you do and as a joke, they each dared each other to go into the woods. At first it started off as funny, with silly name callings and toy fights. Then it got a little bit more serious, it turned macho. Both of them were stuck, neither one could back down with the fear of being labelled a yellow chicken shit. What else were they to do? But go up the hill.

Just before noon Mathew and Luke stood staring into the dark depths of the woods. The whole place was spooky, no, not spooky. The place oozed evil. Strange noises drifted out on a breeze. A noise which sounded like children laughing but soon they would find out just what was making that noise.

They waited with the sun beating down on their necks. They could feel the awfulness filling their bodies, their hearts going wild and adrenaline coursing through their veins. Each of their breaths caught in their throats. The day was very bright but inside the woods was as black as a coalmine. They didn’t want to go in but neither had the courage to back down. Slowly Mathew and Luke approached the woods and with a quick glance at each other they stepped between the trees.

Suddenly the whole place was brighter, like it was an illusion. Something setup to keep people out.

Mathew and Luke started to walk further into the woods. The laughing children taunted them, drawing them further and further in. The hours passed. They didn’t know how long because they couldn’t see through the thick leaves.

Mathew and Luke wandered around till their legs hurt. They were lost, hungry, and thirsty and to top it all off they were scared shitless. The wind screeched through the branches but there were no birds, no chirrups of crickets, not even a squeak of a mouse or rat. There were no other sounds except the wind and the ever-annoying laughter.

They decided it was time to go so they turned around and headed back. Neither of them thought the woods would be so extensive and dense. They followed the same path back as they took coming in which was pretty much in a straight line. Only one little difference this time, they came upon a clearing. A perfectly round clearing littered with dried branches which had been stripped of their bark.

Mathew looked up at the sky straight into the white face of a full moon, a mocking smile across its face. This is where it all started to happen.

Dave looked at each one in turn. He could see he had their undivided attention despite the cold. The fire was crackling contentedly between them giving their faces a ghostly orange glow.

Sharon who was sitting opposite Dave thought she had seen those two burning eyes again over his shoulder. She dismissed it, putting it down to being tired. Dave had carried on.

‘...And see what was there,’ He was saying. ‘Luke saw something on the other side of the clearing move in the shadows. Mathew had missed it because he was too busy looking at the moon floating aimlessly across the sky. That’s how they knew they had been in there for hours. He pointed it out to Luke and they both stood and stared with their mouths agape. They would have stood like that for a few more hours but a noise got their attention.

The two boys looked in the direction of the noise and across the clearing stood a little man, a strange sight. He looked like an elf dressed all in green. Later they found out it was a Leprechaun.

It was an ugly bastard stood about three and half feet in height holding a stick in one clawed hand. The spawn of Satan stood a yard away from these two boys who were filled with fear. A smile spread across its face showing a gleaming set of fangs. Every one of them looked razor sharp. Its eyes were a glowing fiery furnace, a very bright burning red which seared into the brain.

If it weren’t for Luke, Mathew would have been dead. Luke saved his life. The beast came at them fast aiming for Mathew for some unknown reason. As it ran at them it made a strange noise a bit like the sound, they heard earlier but at a higher pitch. It raised its weapon and jumped at Mathew.

‘Please God, save me!’ Mathew whispered.

It happened so quick Luke didn’t know he was going to do it until he did. At the last second, he shoved Mathew out of the way and stood where he was. The beast hit him hard driving him onto the ground. The Beast landed on top of Luke.

‘Luke, NOO!’ Mathew shouted.

Luke was struggling with the beast when he screamed, ‘Run Matt. RUUUN.’

Mathew scrambled to his feet and ran. From behind he could still hear Luke screaming run. Then it was cut off.