Musings From A Demented Mind (10 page)

“Julianne, how did you get free?” 

“Jason, does it matter?”  She walked over to him seductively.  “Does this body turn you on?”

“Yes,” he said, stuttering.

“You will do perfectly.”

“Perfectly for what?”

“A new hive.”  She opened her mouth and a thousand bees flew out of it and straight into Jason’s.  He fell to the ground as the swarm completely engulfed him. 

Julianne laughed as she watched Jason become a hive for the bees.  “I have four hundred more hives to relocate.”

She grabbed the keys from his pocket.  She grabbed the red dress and put it back on and walked out of the garage.  She got into his car and drove toward the exit ramp leading to I-80/94 where the rest of the bees were waiting for her to rescue them.

                      
A Horror Story

“Everybody, I need your ideas on what the next great horror franchise will be,” Art Kollins, the head of Tigerfence movie studios, said.  He sat at the front of the conference table staring at the group of screenplay writers and production staff. 

“How about a story about a ghost haunting an orphanage?  Ninety minutes where nothing happens with a budget less than a million,” Leo Maziky suggested.

“Brilliant.  Sounds like a blockbuster in the making,” Art said excitedly.

“Using lighting and sound effects, we wouldn’t have to unveil what the ghost looks like until the last ten minutes,” Leo continued.

“People will eat it up.”  Art wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth.  He loved what he was hearing.

“We can also have a cat jump out of a closet to put a cheap scare into the viewers,” Helena Smith, another script writer, added.

“Audiences love cat scares,” Leo agreed.

“And the plot?”  Art asked.

“Doesn’t need one.  As long as we can every twenty minutes throw out a cheap scare, we have a hit,” Helena said.

“Have scary looking dolls in the background in every scene.  I love seeing those in the background.  The camera man can occasionally do close-ups.  They wouldn’t be relevant to the story at all,” Art said while everybody nodded in agreement.  “Leo and Helena can quickly write the script while Tamara and Stephen can work on the set designs.  Make it as eerie as possible.”

Leo and Helena sat at the back table of the diner across from the movie studio throwing story ideas back and forth.  Helena was reading from her tablet a story about a supposed haunted orphanage that had been abandoned since the fifties.  Leo watched her closely as she read.  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.  Her long raven-black hair ran down past her shoulders.  She was very short and petite.  She was originally from Romania, but moved to California with her parents when she was a teenager.  He had been in love with her for years, but their relationship never moved past the friendship stage.

“Leo, the orphanage is only a five hour drive from here.  Let’s spend the night there.”

“In a haunted orphanage?”

“Yes, imagine how authentic our script will be if we stay there.  If we’re lucky, we may encounter a ghost.”

“Don’t you mean unlucky?”

“Maybe Stephen and Tamara will want to join us.”

Before he could say anything, she was on her phone talking to Tamara. “Cool.  Meet us at the diner.”

“I take it they’re on board.”

She nodded.

“We’ll need to pick up some flashlights.”

“And candles.  To get us in the horror mood,” she said with a smile.

“Let me guess – Ouija board.”

“No, silly.  That’s been done to death,” Helena said with a smile.  She always smiled at his sarcastic remarks.

“Clichés are the best part of a horror film.  The fans are expecting the norm.”

“Don’t you want to be original?  Write a script you can be proud of?”

“I guess I can conjure up a great idea.”

She raised her left eyebrow at him.  “Conjure?  Resorting to horror puns now?”

“This whole project is going to be one big pun,” he said, trying not to yawn.

“Not if we put our heart,” she waited a few seconds before continuing, “and soul into it.”

The door to the diner opened and Stephen and Tamara walked in.  Tamara had her blonde hair tied in a bun and wore a t-shirt from her favorite zombie television series.  Stephen was wearing camping gear and carried a large duffle bag.

“Stephen, we are only spending the night,” Helena said.

“I brought plenty of munchies.   I’m also prepared for any dangers.”  He unzipped the duffel bag exposing a rifle.

“Expecting a ghost of a killer deer?”  Leo asked.

“You never know what may be lurking around there,” Stephen said in a deep scary voice.

“We better get going while there is still daylight left,” Tamara advised.

“I just checked my weather app.  There are thunderstorms in the forecast,” Helena said.

“Mother Nature, bring it on!” Leo shouted as he exited the diner.

“Yep, he’ll be the first to die,” Tamara chuckled.

The group debated what was the greatest horror film of all time during the five hour drive.  Each one of them had their favorite pick and did their best to try to prove it to each other.  They drove off the main road and followed a narrow dirt road leading to the orphanage.  The road led them through a wooded area that appeared to have been undisturbed for a long time.  The sky was darkening as it was filled with storm clouds.  Leo slammed on his breaks to avoid hitting a deer that jumped out from the trees to the right.

“Leo, are you all right?”  Helena asked as she watched him trying to regain his composure.

“It came out of nowhere.”

“Leo, maybe it was the killer ghost deer.”

“Stephen, that’s not funny,” Tamara said as she punched his arm.

“Are we going to continue or are you too scared now?”  Helena asked.

“I’m fine,” he said and drove forward.

A mile up the road they could see the orphanage.  It was a large building all boarded up.  The grass was almost five feet tall, being neglected for many years, making it hard for them to see the orphanage from the road.  As they drew closer, they could see an old playground with what was left standing of a swing set and a slide.  They pulled into the dirt driveway leading to the front of the orphanage.  As they exited the vehicle, they were hit by the stench of decay.  They couldn’t figure out what was causing the smell, but it was the worst thing either of them had ever smelled in their life.

“Check to see if there is any tools in the trunk.  The front door is boarded up,” Helena said.

“Helena, judging by the look of the wood, it will probably crumble in our hands,” Leo said as he touched the wood.  Stephen brought over a hammer and Leo used it to pry off the wood nailed to the front door.  After a couple of minutes, he had them all removed.

“Who wants to go first?”  Stephen asked.  He waited a few minutes for someone to volunteer.  “Fine, I’ll go first.”  He grabbed the rusted door knob and pulled on the door.  At first it didn’t want to budge, but then he was able to slowly open it.  It made a loud screeching sound as it hadn’t been opened in decades.  They were instantly hit with a sour smell worse than the one they were smelling outside.

Leo shined his flashlight into the foyer.  Inside was a long corridor with hallways leading to the left and the right.  There was a large staircase toward the back next to a door marked admittance office.  There was a tall statue adjacent to the staircase.  As he shined the flashlight on the floor, mice scattered in every direction.

“Forget designing sets.  This place is perfect for filming a movie,” Stephen said excitedly.  “And this is just the foyer.  Imagine what the rest of the place looks like.  I wonder what’s upstairs.”

“Let’s investigate down here first before venturing upward.  Be careful.  We don’t know what the condition of this place might be.  The steps on the staircase could be rotted through as well as the upstairs flooring.  We don’t want one of us accidentally falling to our deaths,” Leo warned.

Helena and Tamara both jumped as they heard the loud sound of thunder outside.  The front door slammed violently behind them.  They all jumped backward.

“The wind?”  Tamara asked

“Probably from the storm,” Stephen suggested.

Helena pulled out her smart phone to check the weather forecast, but she couldn’t connect to the internet.

“We are in the middle of nowhere.  I doubt there is any signal out here,” Leo said.

They followed the hallway to the right which led to what used to be the dining room.  There were scratches on the floor where the dining table and chairs once stood.  The room brightened briefly from the flash of lightning outside.

“This is going to be a long night,” Tamara said nervously.

“But a fun one,” Stephen said, nudging her.

“Stephen, stop it.”

“I’m assuming the kitchen is this way,” Helena guessed as she pushed the swinging door forward which fell off its hinges and landed on the floor.  “Time hasn’t been good to this place.”

The window behind them burst inward as a large branch from the tree outside crashed through.  They could hear the roar of a tornado nearby.

“I hope it’s not heading in our direction.”  Leo walked over to the window and looked out.  “I can see it in the distance.  It looks massive.”

Helena walked over to him and looked for herself.  “I don’t think this place could withstand somebody outside sneezing on it.  It looks like it’s heading in the opposite direction.”

“Can we resume the tour?” Stephen asked.

“Until the severe storm passes we should stay on the lower level,” Leo suggested, moving away from the window.

They continued through the kitchen and back down the hallway to the foyer.  Leo shined his flashlight upward toward a large chandelier covered in spider webs. “I didn’t notice that when we entered.  It could be worth a fortune.”

“What about the statue over there?”  Stephen shined his flashlight at the statue’s head.  It depicted an elderly man with a mustache and a monocle on his left eye.  The name plate on the bottom of the statue read: Lord William Acland.  He looked back up and jumped back when he thought the statue’s eyes had moved.

“Getting jittery?”  Tamara asked, nudging him.

“His eyes moved.”

“It’s just your mind playing tricks on you.  You’re in a haunted house,” Leo reminded him.

“Just my mind playing tricks,” he repeated to himself.

“Let’s see where the hallway to the left leads,” Leo suggested. 

The group followed him down the hallway into a large room filled with empty bookshelves.  They could hear the sound of heavy rain falling from outside with continuous loud thunder.  The room instantly went dark as all four of their flashlights went out.  Tamara screamed as she felt something large brush against her leg.

“Tamara!”  Stephen tried to feel his way toward her in the pitch dark.  “I can’t find you.”

“I’m over here,” she cried.

Leo repeatedly pressed the button on his flashlight.  “I think the battery is dead.”

“How can all of our flashlight batteries go dead at the same time?”  Helena asked. 

“Not sure.”  Leo answered.

Tamara jumped as Stephen put his hand on her shoulder.  “It’s just me.”

“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” Tamara said, trying not to go into a panic attack.

All of their flashlights suddenly came back on. In the corner of the room was a large raccoon staring at them.  It ran away as Leo shined his flashlight at it.

“At least it wasn’t a cat,” Stephen said.

“Not funny,” Tamara said softly.

Stephen could tell she was becoming annoyed with him.  “Sorry, that was insensitive.  I’m sort of scared myself.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”  She punched him in the shoulder signifying she was all right.

“All of our flashlights went off and back on at the same time.  It’s too area 51ish,” Helena said puzzled.

“Guys, we’re here for inspiration for a horror movie not a sci-fi one,” Stephen pointed out.

“Why can’t it be a little of both?”  Leo asked.

“Budgetary reasons.  Good horror movies can be done with little or no money.  Sci-fi can’t.”

“Stephen has a point,” Helena said.

“The rain has stopped.  I can see the moon poking out behind the storm clouds,” Leo said as he stared out the window.  “I think it may be safe enough to venture upstairs now.”

“You first.”

“Wow, Stephen.  Maybe you are a little bit scared,” Tamara teased.

“No.  He’s older and wiser than us which makes him a natural born leader.”

“Keep rationalizing and maybe you will be convinced you’re brave.”  Tamara nudged him forward.  They all followed behind Leo in a single file.

They slowly walked up the stairs each step squeaking under their feet.  The more steps they climbed, the worse the smell was getting.  Tamara had to stop herself from throwing up all over Stephen’s back.  They reached the second floor and there were six doors along the hallway.  Leo opened the first one on the left.  Inside the room were six beds along with a large book case filled with a vast doll collection covered in dust and spider webs.  He touched one of the dolls and its brittle dress crumbled in his hand.  He shined his flashlight on the dolls and felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized all the dolls were missing their eyes.

“Now that’s creepy,” Helena said, inspecting the dolls closely.  “Who would do that to them?”

“Maybe it happened over time from being neglected in this place.”  Leo shined his flashlight toward the beds.  All the mattresses were ripped apart probably from all the mice they had been seeing throughout the place.