Sam Williams - Tales from the Swollen Corpse

“What is that?”

“Bill I want you to lay with me ok, like we talked about. Lay with me and close your eyes until I say it’s ok.”

Bill did as he was told. He couldn’t face her and laid with his back to her. Helen tried to get Bill to turn around and whispered it was ok. But time was short so instead of fighting about it she draped an arm around him and held him close. Helen then closed her eyes tight and reminded him to do the same.

The flapping became very loud and intense. It seemed to come from all around the outside of the building. Laying there in Helen’s embrace, Bill wondered how long this would go on for. He tried to think of his family which only seemed to make the dread worse. His terror reached its limits when in his thoughts the image of his own reflection appeared.

Suddenly the flapping stopped. Then complete silence, not even the ever present buzz of the outside overhang lights, penetrated the room. It stayed that way for several minutes until Bill heard a tiny creak. He opened his eyes and saw the source of the sound. Looking across the room under tables and chairs he could see the front door was wide open.

An idea fuelled by panic entered his thoughts. He could make it home before sunup. His family couldn’t see his awful appearance; at least he could be there, not in this horrible prison.

“Do you think they’re gone?” Bill whispered.

“I don’t know, stay quiet.” Helen responded gently in his ear.

Before she could respond Bill rolled away and stood.

“I can’t stay here, I have to go home. I have to try.”

“Don’t Bill, please come back, please Bill.” She wanted him to stop with every ounce of her being but the fear was still too strong, it allowed her no more than to whisper the words.

A tear rolled down her cheek and bridged the micro gap between her face and the floor. She watched under the chairs as Bill’s little feet ran. They made it almost to the door before being lifted up out of sight. A loud screech rang out in the darkness. Helen closed her eyes tight and listened for what she knew would come next; Bill’s screams. His screams lasted until just before dawn, then all was quiet again.

With dawn, the autumn sun rose and pushed the darkness back for another day. Kids arrived for school while the trees dropped the last of their leaves. All the while, not a child or parent could see the face of the lonely little girl staring at them from the classroom window.

The last part, of the day on the water, was Shawn’s favorite. The lowering sun turned the clouds above hues of pink and purple. The shore before him was alive with families and friends enjoying their newly started bonfires. The campfire smells mixed with the briny sea breeze. Shawn hoped for just one more wave, a long one to ride to shore as he gazed at the setting sun. Standing on top of the water was a feeling he never got used to and craved like a drug addict. At that moment, he felt more than human.

Shawn got his ride at that last part of the sunset. Most people do not notice but at some point of dusk it quits feeling like the day is fading and starts feeling like the night is darkening. As he was taking his last ride, he thought he saw two dark shapes pass below his board going towards shore. Shawn shook it off, thinking it was just the lingering light playing tricks.

On the beach, he looked back and took in the sights and sounds of the crashing waves. Rinsing himself and his board off, he changed out of his wetsuit. Once back in his t-shirt and shorts, he stashed his board in his pickup and walked towards the fire pit. At the pit was some of the usual gang he always hung out with. A few people were already there and he recognized all the faces except two.

John was there, he was always there. He was more or less the patriarch of the group, an older guy and a fixture at the beach. When the day on the water ended, John was there at the fire pit: BBQ started, cooler of beer ready, and beach chairs laid out around the fire.

It didn’t surprise Shawn to see new faces at the nightly BBQ. John was quite an outgoing guy and if you indulged him in conversation out on the water, he was sure to invite you to the BBQ. What did surprise him was how strikingly beautiful the two new additions were. The two women looked to be in their early twenties, one blonde and one brunette. It was the brunette that really caught Shawn’s eye. She was standing over by the folding table talking to John (more like listening to him). She glanced at Shawn, giving him a little smile. Shawn looked at the ground as he walked to the cooler; she made him feel like a shy school boy.

With beer in hand, he made his way to an empty chair by the fire. The couple in the group, Rod and Jess, were there. Shawn carried on conversation with Rod while trying to take unnoticed glimpses at the new girl. She was more than beautiful; she had a presence and by looking around, he could tell that everyone felt it. The other girl had it too but it didn’t hold any power over Shawn like her friend. The other girl had taken a liking to Allen, the pretty boy of the group. Shawn knew Allen; he gave it five minutes before the two went for a walk.

His prediction came true about five minutes later. Allen and the girl walked far enough that no one noticed the sound of flesh being torn from his bones as she fed.

Shawn sat back at the fire. He had had enough beer to not notice he was staring at the beautiful woman.

“Want to go for a walk on the beach?” She was talking to him; it took a minute for her voice to register.

Shawn stood up and took her hand. They walked down to the water, he rambled, trying to make conversation and she smiled as if to ease his tension. When they were just out of reach of the rescinding tide, she looked past Shawn at the glow of the fire.

“Let’s go this way.” She whispered.

She led him to a private spot between two dunes. He went to speak again and she shushed him with a kiss. Shawn was a little worried someone might walk by, but not enough to stop shedding clothes as they dropped to the ground.

He built towards orgasm, it occurred to him he hadn’t even thought about using the condom in his wallet. Reaching the point of no return, he tried to pullout to finish. But she clamped down on him, her hands and thighs gripped him in an iron embrace. He went with it; she seemed to be building to climax too. He couldn’t hold it any longer, releasing inside her. She began to quiver and moan, bending down she kissed him passionately. While still holding and kissing him, her quivering built to climax; when with mouths locked, she spewed larva down his throat. Unable to breathe, he swallowed the brood.

She let him go, he laid there paralyzed.

She whispered in his ear, “Your body will change and you will be able to move but you must get to the water or you will die.”

A tear rolled down Shawn’s face. She brushed his cheek softly and said, “You should be happy. You’re a father now, come to the water and follow my call.” She then backed into the darkness towards the crashing tide.

Shawn learned two things about mermaids that night. One: the males are chosen, and two: like seahorses the males carry the young. Later he would find out what they eat.

I was renovating my flat. It’s in an old building, built in 1907. Not much bigger then a studio, so space was limited. The plan was to knock out the wall going to the closet to open up the room. Considering myself pretty handy, I decided to do it myself. Having the tarps down and everything covered, I took a swing with the sledgehammer. It made a hole a little smaller then my head. When I pulled the hammer out I knew something was odd. The wall couldn’t have been more than a foot thick. In fact, standing in front of the hole, I was able to reach around the closet door frame. I couldn’t feel any dents on the other side. Looking into the hole I saw just blackness, no studs or interior wall.