“Are you sure it’s okay to open it?”
“Go ahead… quick.”
Aidan pushed the small, wooden box across the floor to his best friend, Derek.
“What’s inside?” Derek asked.
“Why are you always afraid of everything?” Aidan yelled. “Just open it!”
Aidan felt himself going wide eyed as Derek picked up the box.
All he has to do is open it, Aidan thought, and then it’s all over…
“Where did you get this?” Derek asked inspecting the intricate carvings in the wood.
“I won it at the carnival. Playing the squirting game.”
“It’s awfully nice for a carny prize.”
Aidan felt his face getting hot. He hated that Derek was smarter and always questioned everything.
“Just open it,” Aidan huffed.
Derek looked at Aidan. Aidan was taller, stronger, played all the school sports. He was the coolest kid in school… and Derek was just a sidekick.
It’s because you’re always afraid, Aidan would tell him.
Well, I’m not afraid anymore, Derek told himself as he opened the box.
He screamed.
Aidan could hear every nightmare he’d had over the past week replaying in fast forward. The voices were pulling from his mind and out his ears, nose, and mouth. He let out a long gasp and watched as a smoky cloud overtook Derek.
Then Aidan collapsed on the floor.
“What was that?” Derek asked.
Aidan kept his eyes shut.
“What are you doing?”
“Sleeping,” Aidan said with a whisper.
“You should. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
Now it’s your problem, Aidan thought as he drifted off to a true sound sleep… without a single nightmare.
Derek put the box on his dresser and turned off the light. Aidan was still passed out on the floor. It was only nine at night on a Saturday but Derek had no choice but to sleep, he wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere with Aidan.
Derek closed his eyes and a hundred voices started to scream. He tried to open his eyes but they were stuck. He felt himself thrash and scream. Then a light appeared and started to grow. He was falling…
When Derek hit the ground, he felt gravel pierce his skin like broken glass. He stood up and brushed himself off. He was outside… on the gravel lot behind the grocery store.
“This is where the carnival was,” Derek mumbled to himself. “Am I dreaming?”
Derek looked around and the entire lot was empty. Not a single trace of…
“Step right up!” a voice called out.
Derek turned and a carny with a thick cigar was standing with his leg up on a red covered bar stool. He opened his hands and showed of his game. It was the squirting game that Aidan had won at to win the wooden box.
“Have a round on me,” the carny said and pointed to the seat.
“That’s okay,” Derek said.
The carny grabbed Derek’s arm and twisted it. “But I insist.”
Derek plopped on the stool. He put his hands to the triggers. He knew the game all to well, it was one of his favorites. Squirt water at the target to make it rise. Whoever gets to the top first, wins. Except Derek had no competition.
“It’s an easy win, huh?” the carny said. He chewed on his cigar like it was beef jerky. He reached out and grabbed a small rope and pulled. A velvet curtain fell, revealing Derek’s targets.
It was the heads of his mother, father, and two brothers. Their severed heads were on poles and their mouths open.
“Ready? GO!” the carny yelled.
Derek froze.
The carny reached down and gripped Derek’s hands over the triggers, sending water into his father’s mouth. His father’s head then started to rise up.
“Like that,” the carny whispered.
Derek kept his fingers locked on the trigger no matter how hard he wanted to pull away. His father’s cheeks puffed out and his face started to look soggy. Derek wanted to scream. The carny stood behind him bellowing a heavy laugh that echoed in Derek’s mind. When his father’s head hit the top part of the game, a bell rang.
“And we have a winna!” the carny yelled out. “The prize…”
The carny loosened Derek’s fingers from the triggers and spun the bar stool around. He then reached into his apron and pulled out another severed head. It was Aidan’s head. Aidan was smiling. Aidan looked at Derek and winked.
“I’m so glad you opened the box,” Aidan said.
“What is this?” Derek screamed.
The carny punted Derek’s head and took the cigar out his mouth.
“Welcome to the nightmare,” the carny said. As he stepped back, he revealed and entire carnival set up behind him. “As the proud owner of the Nightmare Box, you will live in nothing but a nightmare. The Box will feed off your soul. But be quick, my young lad, for if you don’t pass it along soon enough, you may just end up in the box. Forever.”
Derek looked in awe at the horror that surrounded him… all the games were set up like evil traps…
The carny grabbed Derek by the collar. “Let’s move. Next game is real fun… we get to see how long your little brother can hold his breath in the drown tank…”
______________________
©2010 Jim Bronyaur
Jim lives in Pennsylvania and has been published in many anthologies including Flash!, Elements of Horrors, Diamonds in the Rough, and Inner Fears. Other stories have been published in Flashes in the Dark, Twisted Dreams, Pow! Fast Flash Fiction, among many others. He doesn’t sleep, drinks lots of coffee, and listens to Guns ’n Roses. Jim’s web site is www.JimBronyaur.com.
Tags: Jim Bronyaur
July 8th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Nice one, Jim! The ultimate chain letter.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Jim, your stories just keep getting better and better. Your voice, your characters, the flow, all of it. Always amazing!
July 9th, 2010 at 7:56 am
Laura and Cindy -
Thanks for the comments and great support. I’m so glad you enjoyed it…
Jim
July 9th, 2010 at 8:12 am
[...] THE NIGHTMARE BOX published on the amazing Flashes in the Dark site (FREE READ!) [...]
July 10th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Seriously, what’s scarier than carnies? Loved it.
September 7th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
[...] NEW! THE NIGHTMARE BOX published on Flashes in the Dark – “Are you sure it’s okay to open?” Click to read! [...]