Strange Tales: Book Two

By Jason W. Bullard

This book continues with John Henderson, in Pet II, who seeks revenge. Going on a journey, with a group of friends, turns into chaos. Can one dream turn to murder for Jimmy Falcon? This book contains tales of monsters, ghosts, and murders for you to enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781698705019

Jason W. Bullard

Jason Bullard, is a graduate from Long Ridge Writers Group. He has written a shot story called The Long Walk in the Storyteller magazine (January 2015) issue. His debut book of short stories is called Strange Tales Book One. He enjoys writing everyday and reads as much as possible. His passion for creative writing started at an early age. He likes to write fiction that deals with thriller, mystery, and horror. Jason has been a member of Shiawassee Area Writers for over three years and this is his second book. He has a website at bullard.xyz. Connect with him at his email [e-mail]. Jason lives in Michigan.

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Copyright 2021 Jason W. Bullard.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0502-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0501-9 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Trafford rev. 12/11/2020

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CONTENTS

The Pet II

The Pack

Bad Dreams

Believe Me

Do you see what I see?

The Long Walk

Cabin 6

The Dance

Dark Night

Ocean Fire

Funland

Destruction

Creeps

A Cold Christmas

This one is for my wife, who helped me

and stood

by my side. Also, this is for Shiawassee Area Writers

Group, who encouraged me to never give up.

THE PET II

T he silence was overwhelming to John Henderson. When you spend a lot of years in a mental hospital, you never get over the silence. That’s what John kept thinking, every time he looked at the white ceiling. It has been eight years since that horrible incident with his family. He could remember it just like it happened yesterday.

It always starts out the same, he is standing at the bottom of the stairs. Lady runs down the stairs, passed John and right onto his dad. Lady ripped out his throat, spraying blood everywhere. Mrs. Henderson saw this and grabbed the phone, to dial 911. She didn’t have time to say anything. Lady ran towards her, jumping at her hand that held the phone. Her hand was ripped away from her arm. The blood poured onto the floor. She started to scream, but Lady ripped out her throat. The screams turned to choking sounds, while she was drowning in her own blood. John never moved from the stairs. Lady walked right over to him. They both stared at each other, for what seemed like a long time. John finally fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. Lady just turned towards the door and left the house.

John just sat there, not moving at all. The police showed up soon after Lady left the house. John was arrested because they couldn’t believe his story. The police just figured that John went on a rampage and killed his parents. The police thought that the best solution for him was to go to a mental hospital, to get the help he needed.

This is where John has spent his last eight years. Dr. Grey never believed John’s story. Dr. Grey said he made it up, so he wouldn’t feel guilty about killing his parents. John knew that it wasn’t true, but he did change his story, so Dr. Grey would believe that he was getting better. Revenge was always on his mind; it was something he kept to himself. If he had to lie to get out of here, that is what he would do.

It is not like the therapy wasn’t helping him cope with his parent’s death. He just knew that he wasn’t the one who killed his parents. The day was about over, and he had another appointment with his doctor to talk about any problems he might have. Dr. Grey always found John sitting in a chair, looking out the window. The doctor walked in and went right up to John.

Are you ready for our session today?

John turned his head towards the doctor and put a fake smile on his face, Sure, I am ready.

John stood up and followed the doctor to his office. Dr. Grey’s office was on the next floor up. Any time John sat in the chair, across from the doctor, he always stared at the wall that had the doctor’s diplomas on it. John wondered what life would be like if he didn’t deal with that creature. He could have been a doctor or maybe a police officer. His whole teenage life was gone, so now he would have to start over, knowing that his nightmare would never end.

So, John, how have you been this last week?

All right; I’ve been thinking a lot and I have talked to my uncle. My uncle said that he has a job lined up for me, whenever I get out.

That is good to hear. I feel that we made good progress these many years. I will release you in a week. If you have any problems, or need some help, just call me.

I will do that, and you have helped me so much, John put on a smile, to make the doctor feel good about releasing him.

John was agreeing with the doctor, hoping that he would never come back to this place again. Dr. Grey made him feel at home and there was always a warm feeling when sitting in his office. John still couldn’t wait to leave and get his revenge. He stood up, shook Dr. Grey’s hand and walked back to his room. His room was small, with a bed against one wall and a desk against the other wall. He laid on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and fell in a deep sleep.

John’s dream started out where he was wandering in the woods. He kept calling for his dog. There was no noise, except for the wind blowing the tree branches back and forth. He walked a few more feet, then he heard a noise in some bushes up ahead of him. He slowly crept up to the bushes and before he reached them, a huge black and red eyed dog face came out at him, showing a row of teeth.

John sat up in the bed, with sweat pouring down his forehead. It was only a dream that he kept having, over and over, ever since the accident. He was tired of having the same dream and no matter what he tried, it didn’t matter. He pulled his feet to the cool floor and stood up. He walked over to the little window he had in his room. He stared up at the moon, which was only half full. It still was bright and lit up the mental hospital parking lot. He took a deep breath and wished that the next week would already be here.

Many miles away from the mental hospital, in the same woods that John was just dreaming about, there lay a creature hunting for his late supper. The creature was as big as a black bear, dark in color, massive claws and large red eyes that could hypnotize you. The creature crawled on the forest floor towards a small rabbit. The rabbit never saw the creature or even heard a sound. When a branch snapped, it was already too late; the rabbit was supper. The creature was chewing the rabbit like a piece of gum. In one big swallow, the rabbit was gone. The creature walked off in the trees, disappearing into the darkness.

John’s release date came fast. He had a few items with him, and all his clothes were packed. The clothes he had were from Goodwill and other donation centers. His Uncle Chris Henderson, which was his dad’s brother, came to pick him up. Chris and his Aunt Grace was his only family; there was no one else. John felt good that he had someone he could count on. His uncle drove a full-sized Ford truck. John had not seen a truck like this in a long time. Chris got out of the truck and walked over to John.

Well, it’s been a long time. Just throw your suitcase in the back and that small box you are carrying; you can set it on your lap when you get into the cab.

Sure, no problem. I am glad to see you, Uncle. Fear started to form in the corner of his eyes. He then walked up to his uncle, bracing him in a hug.

Chris didn’t know how to react to this right away. He then decided to return the hug and make John feel welcome. Well, Son I guess we should be going now.

The two of them got in the truck and started to pull away. John saw Dr. Grey standing on the steps, waving to him. He returned the wave, hoping that his plan would not bring him back here to live out his life. Chris drove in silence and never once turned on to look at John. John didn’t mind, he was enjoying himself by looking out the window at all the scenery he missed in the last 8 years.

Then came a dirt driveway, which Chris pulled into. The driveway led up to the house, where all John’s nightmares became real. John felt sick to his stomach and wanted to throw up. He turned pale, thinking about what happened to his parents. He wished he could go back in time and save them. He knew he was young, but he still felt like a coward.

I thought maybe you would want to see the house. I have tried to keep up on the repairs. When your parents passed away, and since you got the house as a minor, I saved it for you. There was a sadness in his voice and John could hear it.

It brought John back to reality, Thank you, Uncle, it means the world to me that you didn’t sell it.

I wouldn’t do that without talking to you first. I know how much this house meant to my brother. I know I didn’t come to visit you but only once, but it was hard for me to see you.

It’s all right, I can understand, Uncle. I am happy that you came and got me today.

Chris pulled the truck in front of the house. John sat the box, he was carrying, in the seat. John shut the truck door slowly and walked up to the front door. He stood at the front door, for a little bit, and then walked inside. The first thing he did was look up the stairs. He could see the whole scene, all over again. He shivered a little and took another deep breath. He was startled when his uncle came in right behind him.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I forgot to tell you your aunt says hi. She wanted to come, but she had to work.

I understand; she is probably scared of me too, since the accident. I really don’t blame her.

You know, you are probably right. She doesn’t understand what it means to be a family and look out for each other. She was an only child and she wasn’t close to her parents.

I am glad you said that, Uncle; it sounds like you do believe me about what happened out here. I mean, I couldn’t kill my own parents.

This might sound strange, but deep down in the bottom of my gut, I believe you. So, what is the plan now?

We need to go into town for some camping gear and supplies. We’ve got a monster to hunt.

Chris didn’t argue with him and he was going to help him. They both got back in the truck and headed into town. The town was only a few miles from the house. There was a camping store on the corner. Chris paid for everything with his credit card and this included two shot guns. They also stopped by the grocery store to pick up some food. The food was mainly in cans, so John grabbed a can opener. The ride back to the house was in total silence. Chris pulled the truck in the same spot as he did before. They both started to unload all the supplies. Chris noticed the box, still sitting on the seat, so he decided to look in it. There were some drawings, a few shiny stones and a family portrait that was taken a few months before John’s life became a nightmare. Chris remembered the picture because it was the same one his brother sent him.

When they got to the truck and unloaded it, John led the way to the trail. He remembered the trail like he had just walked it yesterday. They both had a large backpack on, and both were carrying a shotgun. The only thing left in the truck was that box, with the family photos on top of everything else, in the box. The sun was still high in the sky, but when they entered the woods, it looked like they got sucked into darkness.

The woods were just like John remembered from his childhood. The tall trees blocked out most of the sun, casting shadows on the bark of the trees. He had the shotgun loaded and ready for any kind of action that waited for them both in this nightmare. Chris on the other hand, had never been in these woods. He just had this creepy feeling every time he walked by the woods when he was fixing the house up for John. He never saw a living creature by the woods or even by the house. He wondered to himself if the reason for this is because this creature was eating all the animals out of the woods. He walked a few feet behind John. He was told, by Dr. Grey, that John got lost in the woods when the accident happened. He was hoping, now that John knew where he was going, the story about him being lost was just made up.

The trail that led through the woods had overgrown a little bit. John was taking his time walking. He didn’t want to miss a single thing; he knew there was clues in finding the creature. A clearing came into view; it was the same clearing he remembered about eating lunch with his dog. Tears started to form in his eyes, and he fell to his knees. Chris came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

I am sorry, Son, what happened to you is terrible. We will find this monster and kill it. Chris’s voice was all choked up, and he tried not to cry.

John just shook his head and stood up. I wouldn’t know what to do without you, Uncle.

Chris hugged him real tight, this time, hoping that he never would have to let him go or lose him. He never had any kids, so John was the closest he had to a son. He wiped his face, to hide the tears and John did the same. They only took a few minutes to compose themselves. They then continued their journey deeper into the woods.

It only took them three hours to reach the cabin. The cabin hadn’t changed in all those years he was put away. The cabin still looked run down, but it was as if time stopped out here. John slowly made his way up the front stairs to go in. The front door was gone, but the hinges were still on the frame of the cabin. He took cautious steps inside the dark cabin.

Chris decided to stay outside and looked around, to see if he could see anything. He went to the right side of the cabin and he noticed a large animal’s footprint that went towards the woods. The footprint was not fresh, but to him, it only looked a few days old. He then realized that John was telling the truth about this creature. He knew that they would have to go deeper into the woods to track down this creature. He was studying the footprint when John came up to him, scaring him, which made him jump out of his skin.

Chris lost his voice, but got it back then said, You know, you really can scare someone to death.

John just laughed and put his hand on his uncle, I didn’t find anything in the cabin that would help us.

I did; I found some animal tracks that led farther into the woods. It looks like the creature you’ve been looking for. The reason I say that, is I have never seen any tracks like this. That is why I am convinced that this is the creature.

John knelt and looked at it closer. A smile spread across his face, This is the creature that I am looking for, so we better get moving to catch up to it.

John took the lead and this time his uncle stood a little closer to John. This section of the woods seemed darker and creepier. There were also no other sounds in the woods. The silence was driving Chris nuts. He held his shotgun near his waist, just in case he had to fire quick. He was glad that he decided to get the pump action shotguns. He then noticed John just stopped in his tracks.

Did you hear that, Uncle?

No, I didn’t hear anything, Son. Do you see anything, or what do you think you heard?

John waited a few moments before he answered, I thought I heard footsteps, but I don’t know. I also don’t see anything.

There seemed to be some fear in his voice. He did try to relax a little bit, but not much. It was getting darker, so he decided to find a place to set up for camp. They found a small clearing, about a few yards ahead. John gathered some wood while his uncle dug the fire pit. By the time the fire got going, the sun had set.

I think we will travel in the same direction tomorrow. If we don’t find anything, we will change our course. Does that sound good, Uncle?

Sounds good to me, and it is definitely a plan.

There was rustling in the bushes near their camp site. John slowly got to his feet, with the shotgun, and quietly walked towards the sound. Chris was behind him with a flashlight. John nodded to his uncle and jumped around the bush. Chris showed the light at the same time John aimed the shotgun. John’s face fell; there in the beam of light, and on his knees, was Dr. Young.

Stand up! Where were you when I needed you? You left me and didn’t back up my story. They thought I was crazy and insane. You haven’t change in eight years. You’re still hiding and spying on people. What are you doing here? John asked, in an angry voice.

Dr. Young cleared his throat and stood straight up. His clothes were torn and dirty. He turned to John with a concerned expression on his face, "I am sorry; I didn’t mean to leave you all those years ago. I got scared and knew the police wouldn’t believe me. I figured my best bet was to hide and keep an eye on the creatures. I have been studying the creatures, watching how they act in the environment.

So, you hide in the woods like some wild animal. Wait a minute, what do you mean creatures? John asked in a concerned voice.

Dr. Young replied, Well, I saw your dog leave the house and go into the woods. I then went back to my lab, but the government already took it from me. I decided to go looking for your dog, by myself, and end this nightmare. I couldn’t find her right away. It took me a whole year to find her. By the time I found her, she gave birth to four offspring. The birth changed her body and she became huge, just like the one I created in my lab. I’ve been studying them and hiding so they don’t see me.

John stepped back a little from Dr. Young and he spoke in a low voice, I think we better keep an eye on you. My uncle will take the first watch. I still don’t trust you and I also think, maybe, you still might be useful to me.

Dr. Young didn’t reply to John, instead he let John take him by the fire they made. Dr. Young settled down, next to the fire, across from John. Chris sat in between them the best he could, and he wanted to make sure he could keep himself awake. He feared every noise he heard throughout the night. He even jumped a few times. He checked his watch and realized that the sun was about to rise. He decided it was time to wake up John.

John slowly opened his eyes and saw his uncle talking to him. He sat up and waved to his uncle that he was awake. During the night he slept closer to Dr. Young. There was no way he was letting Dr. Young get away from him this time. He was just sitting there, trying to figure out what he wanted to do next, with Dr. Young being with them now. The fact he had five creatures to kill just made his job a lot harder to do. He hoped that Dr. Young had some idea where the creatures might be.

The sun came up, putting some light through the trees. John made sure the fire was put out and he made sure everything was cleaned up. He walked over to Dr. Young and kicked him in the leg to wake him up. Dr. Young started to stir and slowly sat up. Dr. Young rubbed his leg where John kicked him and looked up