Read Screamscapes: Tales of Terror Online
Authors: Evans Light
Screamscapes: Tales of Terror (33 page)
“Dad! Look! Dad! Look! Dad! Look!” Ethan and Aidan shouted at the same time.
“What’s all the commotion?” Mom demanded to know, as she followed me out of my bedroom.
I wiped the tear away to get a better look at what all the fuss was about.
Aidan stood there in his pajamas, a mischievous smile as bright as a birthday sunrise plastered across his face. He was hiding something behind his back.
He showed everyone what he had been hiding, slowly raising it up into the air with both hands, victory sparkling in his eyes.
I couldn’t believe my eyes: it was the teddy bear from my dream, the identical one.
My mind reeled, trying to comprehend what I was seeing.
Had we all had the same dream? How on earth had Aidan managed to bring something back?
Mom shot a puzzled look at dad, but before he could say anything, Ethan was talking.
“That’s nothing - look what was on my bed when I woke up,” Ethan said, beaming with pleasure as he showed off a very expensive-looking antique
Snakes and Ladders
game.
Mom shook her head in disapproval. “I swear you spoil those kids,” she said, not understanding the amazing thing happening right in front of her eyes.
“What did you bring back through the black door, William?” Aidan asked me. “You were there, too.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there wondering if I should pinch myself, to see if maybe I was still dreaming.
Then I felt something in the front pocket of my pajama pants. I slipped my hand into my pocket and my heart skipped a beat when I realized what it was.
“You got that puzzle game, didn’t you?” Aidan asked.
He was right. I took it out of my pocket and my jaw actually dropped when I read what it said.
“Dad, look,” I said, showing him.
“I see it, William. I see it. It’s amazing,” Dad said, a look of quiet understanding on his face. He appeared to be genuinely overwhelmed by the unreality of the moment.
“No, Dad, really -
look
.
Read it!
” I said, pointing to the words spelled out on the puzzle:
As his eyes grew wide, I realized something: maybe I didn’t really want to go to camp this year, after all.
This was my first “all ages” fiction - gently spooky and dreamlike. Someday I’d like to develop this story into a horror novel for adults, where things take a much more sinister turn.
Acknowledgments
M
any thanks to my family, my friends and fantastic colleagues who helped to make this book a reality.
Special gratitude goes to my brilliant editors, each of whom shared their unique talents to help make each story the best it could be: my brother and lifelong pal, the amazing author Adam Light; my friend and mentor Doug Pryer; and to the gracious Catherine DePasquale, Andrea Harding, and good friend Wendy Bruss for their assistance. A big thank you to Cindy Pettit and Steven Beltzer for final proofreading.
Also sincere thanks to the kind Goodreads friends and readers who provided feedback and wrote reviews for early drafts of the stories in this book, and generously shared them with others.
Special appreciation goes to Laura Thomas and Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes for delightful enthusiasm and tireless publicity support.
But most of all, thank
you
, dear reader – for helping to make my dream of bringing nightmares to life finally come true. I hope we meet many times again.
May 2013
About The Author
Evans Light has been in love with the written word from an early age, and works in a wide variety of genres, including horror, thrillers, sci-fi and humor - but stories of the “Weird Tales” variety still remain his favorite.
Frequently drawn to uncommon experiences, Evans has thrown himself headfirst into a wide range of unusual situations, from testing low-level-entry parachutes with British Army Airborne units to travelling the vast reaches of inner space using sensory deprivation tanks.
Evans has lived here and there across the United States, from the mountains to the beaches to the desert, and currently chooses to reside in a southern state where the weather is warm and living is easy. He is the proud father of fine sons and the lucky husband of a beautiful wife.
His brother, Adam Light, is also a bestselling horror writer, and the two frequently collaborate as “THE LIGHT BROTHERS”.
More Info: