Black Cat Tales: Where the Spiders Dwell: And Other Short Stories

By Andy Morris

Black Cat Tales: Where the Spiders Dwell and Other Short Stories is a collection of spooky (and sometimes mischievous) short stories and flash fiction from Black Cat Tales.
This book contains nine stories including:
Leaving Giles; where Stephanie is desperate to leave her abusive husband but she's running out of options.
Santa's Head Elf; where the shopping centre has closed for the night but horrors lurk behind the colourful shop fronts.
Apocalypse; follows Tom as he as he sets out to rescue his girlfriend as a mysterious plague sweeps the country.
Where the Spiders Dwell; offers a glimpse of the secret world of the spider.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andy Morris
• Release date: Jul 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311296207

Andy Morris

Andy Morris is an Abstract Painter and InstructorOver 10,000 students from around the world in over 100 countries are enrolled in his online courses. You can find all his courses here https://andymorrisart.com/instruction/His bold abstract artwork can be found in Corporate and Private collections across the USA, and in Canada, England, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.You can view some of his art, as well as paintings by his students on his website https://andymorrisart.com

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Black Cat Tales: Where the Spiders Dwell: and Other Short Stories

By Andy Morris

Copyright 2014 Andy Morris

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

ISBN 9781311296207

Table of Contents

One - Santa’s Head Elf

Two - Where the Spiders Dwell

Three - The Body Shop

Four - Trust Me

Five - Tape Worm

Six - Leaving Giles

Seven - Crossed Lines

Eight - Dinner Guest

Nine - Apocalypse

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One - Santa’s Head Elf

All was quiet and still in the dim half-light of the deserted walkways and avenues that swept through the Regent Shopping Centre. The late-night Christmas shoppers had left some time ago, returning to their warm cosy homes and so nothing should be stirring here now at this late hour. Yet the crisp December silence was broken by the tiny jingling sound of a little bell. It was coming from the magnificent Christmas tree that stood resplendent in the centre of the arcade. Beneath the boughs laden with countless decorations and reflected in the sparkling glow of dancing fairy lights, stood a small boy, no older than seven years old. All alone, he was patiently waiting for someone to find him and with such a helpless expression on his young face Evangeline’s heart instinctively went out to him. He stood next to the pile of colourful presents stacked under the tree with one of the multi-coloured boxes clutched in his small hands. On his head he wore a scarlet elf’s hat with a tiny gold bell that tinkled as he moved. To match his hat someone had dressed him in a jolly red and green outfit. Emblazoned across his chest in large gold letters were the words ‘Santa’s Head Elf’.

Evangeline wasn’t the only person drawn by the little jangling bell. Her hand flew to her mouth as predatory figure stalked from the shadows on the far side of the open-planned ground floor.

Oh no she breathed. Please, not again.

Too late, Sydney Glitter the security guard had seen the child and was circling towards him with a snake-like smile. A buried fear, Evangeline had prayed she would never experience again, quietly stirred beneath the quiet waters of her mind. She had to stop him, it couldn’t happen again. She made not a sound in the hushed stillness of the evening as she quickly glided around the curving walkway towards the escalators momentarily losing sight of the two figures.

Evangeline whispered past sleeping stores whose sales assistants were long gone. The luxurious glow from the festive window displays almost warmed the cold empty avenues. Pools of colourful light spilled out onto the polished cream floor, creating magical stepping stones that only she could enjoy. Spending her time wandering around the shops and walkways in quiet solitude watching people go about their business, Evangeline had got to know every inch of this place over the past year.

As silent as the falling snow she drifted down the now motionless escalators onto the expansive ground floor. Flowing around the large bronze sculpture of some Olympian, she passed the unmanned information desk. Somehow the blank display screens always unnerved Evangeline at night. It was as if they were alive and watching her so she habitually averted her eyes from them. On her left, her previous employer Gap drifted past in a merry blur.

Evangeline still liked to visit Gap from time to time. This time last year, her carefree life had been full of excitement and dreams of one day moving to France. Her best friend Sammi always complained she was a real daydreamer but Evangeline was determined to realise this ambition. She would eventually move to Paris, find a job and meet the man of her dreams. It was when she started that French class at night school that Sammi started to think that this time she may actually follow through on her plans this time. Sammi often nuzzled into her thoughts whenever she came this way these days, bringing with her that tired sense of longing that was so hard to ignore. Evangeline recalled the countless nights they spent trawling the local clubs and bars on the lookout for fit men to chat up. Then, the following day lunch times they would sit in the food court by Subway drinking diet cokes, and complain about the morons that they always seemed to attract whenever they hit the town. Evangeline hardly saw Sammi now, since she left Gap a few months ago. Every day she searched the crowds of shoppers swarming through the centre to see if she could spot her. But her friend, just like her dream of Paris were gone now, swept away from the shore of possibilities leaving her alone and stranded. She was unseen and ignored by everyone with only her grey dreary thoughts for company.

Evangeline had felt this way for about a year now. Twelve months ago tonight she had been at work and running late, again, when she should have been closing up the store. Sammi had phoned up to discuss their plans for that night and Evangeline had lost track of time. When she did finally get off the phone she saw everyone else had left