The Worst Kind of Monsters Read online

  I slammed her face down into the counter and was rewarded with a scream of pain as her teeth shattered. Before she could slump to the floor, I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the kitchen. With a heave, I threw her face-first into the wall.

  With a thud, she smashed into it, partially caving it in, and went down, her eyes rolling. I slowly walked over to her, watching her gasp for air. I grabbed a half-empty handle of vodka off the counter and knelt over her, knees pinning her sides.

  “Why don’t you have a drink, babe?” I hissed, the blood from my own face dripping down and mixing with hers. “I know you could probably use one right now.”

  I ripped the top off and shoved the neck of the bottle down her throat, cracking the fragmented remains of her teeth. “Drink up, you fucking bitch!” I howled, slowly pushing down on the bottle, forcing it deeper and deeper into her mouth. I watched as the sides of her mouth split as she deep-throated past the neck.

  I suddenly pulled the bottle out. “Ah ah ah! Not too much now! I know you have a drinking problem and I don’t want to…” I trailed off, searching for the words, twirling a finger in the air. “I don’t want to encourage that kind of behavior.”

  I brought the bottle smashing down over her face. Her forehead split open in an angry red line and the glass shattered around her face. I picked up two pieces of glass about three inches long, one in each hand.

  I rammed them into her forehead.

  “Look at that!” I screamed with mad euphoria, feeling my sanity drift away in a tide of sleep deprivation and pain, “You have horns now! Just like our little devil son! Did you know that he tried to kill our daughter last night? You didn’t, did you!? Of course not! That’s because you don’t give a FUCK about anyone but yourself!”

  I got off her, staring down at my dead wife.

  I had killed her. Jesus Christ, I had murdered her.

  I smiled.

  Nothing mattered anymore. My world was over. My children were gone, my wife was dead. I had nothing left. And I didn’t care.

  I was just too goddamn tired.

  I rubbed my aching head, feeling the pain hit me in waves, feeling my body about to buckle under the mental and physical torture I had gone through the past few weeks. It was all over. It was finished. I was done trying to make sense of it all, done trying to hold my family together. I was beaten.

  I looked down at Tess, her face a bloody mess.

  “I’m going to be with my children now,” I said. “I think I know where they are.”

  I walked into Justin’s room, toward his closet, and flung it open. I ripped up the board the police had used to cover it, feeling a blast of heat hit my face.

  The hole was bigger now and I could see a faint red glow far below. I looked up and on the wall across from me, in big black letters, were the words:

  Come home, Daddy.

  I’m sitting on my son’s bed now. I’m writing this all out so that someone knows what has happened. So that someone knows why my wife is lying dead in the kitchen. She didn’t deserve to die, but I don’t regret doing it. I’m free of her and I can go be with my children.

  When you find this, when you read this, I ask only that you cover up the hole. Fill it with cement, dirt, I don’t care. Just seal it away so that nothing else can get out. So that no one else has to go through what I have. Best of luck to you, and sorry about the mess.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find my kids.

  11

  Texts From My Brother

  PART 1

  Last weekend, something happened to my brother. After I write this, I’m going to go find him. If something happens to me, let this stand as a testimony to the events surrounding my disappearance.

  My brother Mike is younger than me by two years. He goes to college two states over, but despite that we’ve remained close. We talk frequently, maintaining our brotherly bond through phone calls and tons of text messages. Suffice it to say, I love my brother.

  And that’s why I’m so worried about him.

  Last Friday I was at a bar drinking with my friends. It was early, around six, when I received a phone call from Mike. I was taking a piss in the bathroom, trying to hold the phone against my ear with my face as I unzipped my pants. My brother Mike told me he was going out with two of his friends, Jason and Tim. Apparently, Jason had found something while hiking a week ago and wanted to show them. He wouldn’t say what, but my brother seemed nervous, unsure if Jason was going to play some prank on him and Tim. He said he was going to text me updates as the night progressed because he was deathly afraid of the woods. (He always had been, ever since he was little.)

  As he explained this to me, my phone slipped from my ear and splashed into the toilet. Crying out, I quickly scooped it up, but the damage was done. I couldn’t get it to turn back on. Sighing, I wiped it off and put it back in my pocket.

  I didn’t get it fixed until Monday.

  And when I did, I received a flood of backlogged texts from my brother. As I read them, my stomach turned to ice and my mouth went dry.

  This is the last known communication with my brother:

  6:13pm

  Dude what happened? Your phone just cut off.

  6:22pm

  Alright man, whatever, I tried calling you back but it’s just going to voicemail. I’m in the car with Tim and Jason. Jason seems pretty excited, but he won’t tell us where we’re going. Tim seems skeptical. I’m a little nervous. You know I hate the woods.

  6:58pm

  We’re driving on this little road through the mountains. It’s getting dark. Why do we have to do this when it’s dark? Glad Jason brought flashlights. Answer me you asshole!

  7:15pm

  Ug, Jason’s music sucks. I wish we’d just get to wherever we’re going. Still driving through the mountains on this little road. Haven’t passed a single car.

  7:41pm

  Parking the car now. Completely dark and spooky. We’re about to go into the woods. Hopefully I still get some reception lol

  7:55pm

  Jason keeps saying “wait until you see it” and Tim is giving him shit. We’re both wondering what the big surprise is.

  8:12pm

  Dude, walking through the woods at night is literally the scariest thing ever, even with the flashlights

  8:34pm

  Getting close. Jason is getting more excited. Still won’t tell us what’s out here. If I wasn’t such good friends with this loser, I’d be totally sketched out right now. Are you getting these texts?

  8:59pm

  The woods are so quiet. I’ve tripped over so many damn rocks. Feels like we’ve been walking forever. Tim is complaining. I don’t blame him. This is kinda lame. And all these dark woods are freaking me out.

  9:16pm

  Jason says it’s just ahead. I’ll keep you posted.

  9:27pm

  Holy shit

  9:27pm

  Dude…

  9:28pm

  Jason was right. This is…

  9:29pm

  Bro, we’re in a clearing in the middle of the forest. It’s insanely foggy here. In the center of the clearing there’s this…rope…hanging from the sky…dude this is fucking weird.

  9:34pm

  Standing around the rope. Jason and Tim are captivated. I’m kinda freaked out. It’s so foggy…I can’t see what this rope is tied to. It just goes up and up and up into the night mist…I’ve never seen anything like it. There’s nothing up there but sky…

  9:48pm

  Jason wants us to climb up. Something about this place is seriously creeping me out. I wish you’d answer my texts, I’m getting scared.

  9:59pm

  Jason is going to climb up. I can’t talk him out of it. Tim thinks this whole thing is cool. I know I’m scared of the woods, but there’s something wrong with this place

  10:02pm

  Jason is climbing up. Fuck.

  10:09pm

  I can hear Jason calling down to us. H
e sounds so high up. Can’t make out what he’s saying.

  10:38pm

  Haven’t heard anything from Jason in 30min. He’s still up there somewhere. WTF.

  11:03pm

  Fuck man, something is so wrong. Jason’s been gone for over an hour. Tim is worried but he’s trying to play it cool. WHERE’S JASON

  11:22pm

  Still nothing. Jesus the fog is thick

  11:31pm

  Tim’s freaking out now too. Wants to go up after Jason. I don’t know what the hell is going on. I’m so fucking scared. I feel like there’s something out there in the woods. Something bad.

  11:40pm

  Tim’s going to climb the rope. I begged him not to, but he won’t listen. I’m going to be alone down here. DUDE PLEASE ANSWER ME I’M FUCKING SCARED

  11:43pm

  I’m alone now. I can still hear Tim, but he’s lost above me in the fog. I’m shaking. It’s getting cold.

  12:01am

  I am freaking out. Tim’s gone.

  12:04am

  I can hear something in the woods circling the clearing. It sounds huge. I’m crying now, bro, please, if you can see this come get me

  12:08am

  Please come get me

  12:10am

  I can hear screeching from the woods. Like heavy steel being dragged across a metal floor. How is that even possible?! It keeps screeching over and over…WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS PLACE

  12:13am

  I’m going to climb the rope. Whatever is up there can’t be worse than whatever is in the woods. That fucking screeching is getting louder.

  12:15am

  God help me. I’m going up now. Whatever is circling the clearing sounds…like it’s about to do something. I hope I can find Jason and Tim. I hope they’re waiting for me up there somewhere…goodbye brother, I hope you read this.

  4:13am

  ///////////////{HEL}

  4:19am

  [HEL]{XTXTXTXT} (ZCZ)

  4:22am

  [DAEDMAIDAEDMAIDAEDMAIDAEDMAIDAEDMAI]

  That was the final text from him. I have no idea what the last three meant, if anything, and it fills me with uneasy fear. I’ve tried calling him, tried to text him, but I can’t seem to reach him. It’s been two days since he went up into the mountains with his friends.

  I’m scared. I hope I’m not too late.

  I’m going to go look for him.

  I’m going to try to find that strange clearing with the rope in the fog.

  I’m going to see where it leads.

  PART 2

  Entry #1

  9:48am

  I’m writing this all down in case something happens to me. I’m determined to find my brother. Hopefully this will shed some light on my discoveries (if any). Because of the unsettling nature of his last communication with me, I’m going to be frequently updating this log.

  Last night, I drove the two hours to Mike’s college (my brother). As far as I know, this is the last place he was seen. I’ve spent all morning asking around about him. He seems to be pretty popular, because most of the students know him.

  I inquired to see if anyone knew where he was headed on the night he disappeared. Most of Mike’s friend’s didn’t know, but this one guy, Paul, seemed to have an idea. After struggling to give me directions, he decided to come with me. Apparently, he’s pretty good friends with Mike and is concerned after I showed him the texts I received.

  But first things first. We’re going to go talk to the police and park rangers. Hopefully they can assist us.

  Entry #2

  3:21pm

  Today is not going as I expected it to. I’m worried about Mike and so maybe that’s stirring this strange paranoia that’s risen in me.

  Paul and I went to the police and park rangers, told them about my brother and his friends disappearing, showed them the texts…and…I don’t know how to explain this. Both the police and park rangers reacted the same. Wary, uneasy looks were exchanged followed by an unenthusiastic missing person’s report. They seemed to just be going through the motions, an unheard conversation passing silently between the officers and rangers.

  I asked if they knew where this clearing with the rope was, asked if they were going to help me look for Mike and his friends. They informed me they’d do a perimeter check in the morning. What the hell does that mean? These woods are endless! How do they expect to find him just by walking along the outskirts?

  I voiced my concern but was sternly cut off by an officer. He said they’d do everything they could to help find my brother, but that I should stay OUT of the woods. When I asked why, he looked at the floor and told me “it was for the best.”

  Paul kept me from going into hysterics, practically dragging me out of the station. He told me we didn’t need them, that we could go look ourselves. I don’t understand why the authorities are being so unhelpful and it’s infuriating.

  What are they so afraid of?

  Entry #3

  6:01pm

  Paul’s driving as I write. We loaded up on gear and food after we left the police station. I don’t think we’ll need most of this stuff, but I’d like to be prepared, just in case. Paul has a general idea of what mountain my brother and his friends were going to. He didn’t remember exactly what trail they were taking, but at least we have something to go on. I’m glad Paul decided to help me look for Mike. I feel like I’d be a mess right now if he wasn’t here. I barely know the guy, but I’m happy for his company. I can understand why my brother is friends with him.

  Anyway, I’ll update once we get there. Shouldn’t be long.

  Entry #4

  7:21pm

  We found the mountain (I hope). Paul’s double-checking everything before we head out. I’m nervous. The sun has almost set. I don’t have the deep-rooted fear my brother does of the woods. But right now I don’t want to think about those weird texts he sent. God, please be ok Mike.

  Alright, Paul is ready to go. We picked a mountain trail at random, hoping it’s the correct one. I’m going to check my flashlight batteries and then we’ll be off.

  Fuck, I’m nervous.

  Entry #5

  10:48pm

  Taking a break. Paul and I have been walking for hours. No sign of Mike along the trail so far. I’ve tried calling out to him, but the mountain remains silent. The woods are thick along the trail, almost like they’re trying to devour us. There’s no moon and so we’re relying solely on our flashlights.

  After walking this far, I’ve begun to doubt myself. What am I doing out here? Do I really expect to find Mike out here? These woods are seemingly endless and we have no way of knowing how close we are to where he might be.

  What am I talking about? I have to try. I can’t just leave him out here. He needs my help. I won’t abandon him. I will NOT do that.

  Paul’s ready to keep moving. He seems uneasy.

  Entry #6

  1:12am

  Taking another breather. Still haven’t found any clues. I’m tired. The minimal conversation between Paul and I has died to nothing. I think the seriousness of our situation is weighing heavily on him. Neither of us want to think about what might be waiting for us out here. What if we find Mike, Tim, and Jason all dead? Makes me sick to think about.

  Something about these woods…doesn’t feel right.

  Time to keep moving.

  Entry #7

  2:01am

  We found something. Paul tripped over it as he walked off the path to take a leak. He called me over and I shined my light on it. As soon as the object illuminated under my flashlight, I felt my stomach twist in on itself.

  It was a small black stone, pressed into the earth, rising from the soil by about a foot. It was blacker than the night and rough to touch.

  It looked like a gravestone.

  Carved into it was: /////[HEL] —>

  Paul and I looked at each other, eyes full of eerie unease. We both recognized the strange word.

  It was one of the last thing
s my brother texted me.

  Carved next to the word was an arrow that pointed off the path and into the dark woods. I didn’t even have to argue with Paul. We’ve agreed to follow the sign and see where it leads.

  So far, it’s the only clue we’ve seen.

  Entry #8

  2:21am

  We’ve found another three stones, all similar to the first. I don’t know how far off the path we’ve wandered. This is crazy. Where are these stones taking us? Paul keeps muttering under his breath. He’s scared. We both are.

  Entry #9

  2:44am

  Seven stones now, leading us deeper and deeper into the mountain.

  Entry #10

  3:01am

  We’ve stopped. We can hear something. It sounds like metal being dragged across a metal floor. The screeching echoes across the sky like some kind of enraged animal. Paul is starting to panic.

  We both remember my brother’s texts. He heard this, too.

  We must be close.

  Entry #11

  3:22am

  We’re following the stones again. The screeching is following us, too. I can hear the source crashing through the underbrush a couple hundred yards away. Find the next stone. Keep moving. Paul is openly talking to himself. He doesn’t seem right.

  Entry #12

  3:48am

  Paul’s gone. He ran off into the woods. Something was wrong with his eyes.

  The screeching has stopped. Fog is rolling in and I’m cold.

  What the fuck is this place?

  Entry #13

  4:01am

  Jesus Christ. I’ve found it.

  I kept following the stones…they’ve led me to a field, a massive clearing in the middle of the forest. The fog is so thick I can barely see. Wait…

  What the fuck…?

  Jesus Christ, there’s DOZENS of ropes, all hanging from the foggy sky like balloon strings. What the hell is this place?! Is this where my brother disappeared?

  I tried calling out for him. I tried until my throat went raw. No answer.

  But the screeching has returned. It’s close, circling the clearing, watching me. I see the shadow of something absolutely enormous shifting between the trees.