Creepy Samples Offering: A Fall From Grace

Well, dear readers, we've reached the middle of March. The weather is beginning to warm, and this is all making me realize that it's time once again for the next Creepy Samples Offering.

Today's excerpt comes from a story entitled "A Fall from Grace," which is found in my book called "Tales of Dark Romance and Horror." This particular story is the first in a series of three, with possibly more to follow, which tell the tale of a divinity student named Jessie Tucker, who just happens to find himself obsessed over a darkly dressed woman who passes by his window every night. 

Unable to overcome his lust for her, Jessie surrenders to his sinful nature and begins to search for clues as to her residence, hangouts, or places she might frequent. One night, he explores an abandoned country homestead that lies beyond the perimeter of his city. We pick up the story as he explores the inside of the old residence: 

***

 
Suddenly, the front door slammed shut behind him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?”

Startled, Jessie dropped the book as he spun around abruptly to face his interrogator. His mind reeled as he gazed at the person standing before him. OH NO! GOD NO! A potent mix of fear and embarrassment overtook him once he came to the realization that IT’S HER!

She stared at him intently with cat-green eyes; her demeanor radiating both power and self-confidence. He saw the predator in her and succinctly felt his own weakness and vulnerability.

He was the prey; yet, he could feel an excitement rising up from within—dark desires fueled by the realization that the woman over which he’d had so many fantasies—the creature that had sparked the formation of unspeakable but growing needs within him, now stood only a few feet away. He felt as though he were suddenly living in a dream from which there may be no escape.
Part of him wanted the dream, but his other side wanted to flee.

“I asked you a question, Pervert!”

Hearing her accusatory tone was too much for him. Panicking, he lunged for the door. The woman moved swiftly; and before he had completed two full steps she was upon him, pushing
him roughly into the wall.

Do you really think I don’t know what you’ve been up to all these weeks, Pervert? Do you think that I don’t know about you hiding behind your window—staring at me—having nasty thoughts about the things you’d like me to do with you?” 

Her voice was soft; even sexy. It enchanted him. He felt her cool breath upon him. She drew closer to him, her hair gently brushing up against his face.

Jessie shook his head and tried to speak but the hand over his mouth remained firmly in place.

She smiled coyly and continued. “Well, your dreams are about to come true; only in a way that you would never have imagined.” 

She moved back slightly; and removing her hand from his
mouth, reached for his shirt, tearing it open, exposing his neck. He gasped at her boldness.

An expression of wanton lust overtook her. She stroked his face sensually before beginning to slowly pace in front of him, only inches away. “I can sense the uncertainty in you,” she continued. “You fear me; yet, I sense your desire to surrender. I can smell it in your blood-- and I love it!”

Unable to speak, his own level of desire growing by the second, Jessie could only moan in response.

She abruptly stopped in front of him and smiled seductively. Then, bringing her face to his chest,began kissing and biting him passionately, working her way upward, ever upward, sending the man into his own private Heaven. When she reached the base of his neck she could no longer contain herself. Within seconds, she opened her mouth wide; biting him, penetrating his skin with two sharp fangs.

The predator moaned ecstatically as she greedily drank his life essence. In spite of her many kills over the years, no human’s blood had ever offered sweetness such as this. She could taste his innocence as well as the darkness he could never face. She reveled in the flavor of his fear as it meshed with an abject surrender to his fate. 

***

There you have it. I hope you all enjoyed this week's offering. An excerpt from the first sequel, "A Fall From Grace: Metamorphoses," will follow in the April 1 sample. Until that date then, keep it spooky!

Photo and artwork: Marina Bocharova
 

Creepy Samples Offering: The Beckoning

Time flies by so quickly. One moment it's Halloween and seemingly on the next, we're approaching the holidays. There's no need to fret however, because it's once again time for another Creepy Samples Offering. 
 
This time we take several paragraphs from a story entitled The Beckoning, which is found in my first book, Tales of Dark Romance and Horror.
 
In this tale of pure horror, our protagonist continually experiences a vivid, unsettling dream in which he is drawn to a hidden crypt, in which appears an incredibly seductive woman from out of the darkness. She taunts him with her sensuality and desirability--invites him to join her. Still, he fears that to do so, might result in his own death. 
 
We pick the story up just hours before All Hallows Eve, where the narrator, unnerved by the latest dream, attempts to drown his unease with a glass of absinthe:
 
“Clearly, I need some fresh air,” I say to myself as I head for the door. Perhaps I drank a little too much this afternoon.

Stepping outside, I hear the familiar creaking sound of the wooden screen door. I am somehow reassured and grounded by its resonance; that is, until I take in the new landscape in which I find myself. I gasp at what I see. “Shit! Fucking shit!”

Gone is the gently rolling prairie that surrounds my habitat. In its place is the forest that doesn’t exist—the forest of my dreams. It is a forest of hickory, oak and maple. The brilliant sunshine, to which I earlier denied access into my domicile, is now obscured by a thickening veil of clouds. The wind is rustling through the trees, slowly stripping them of their colorful bounty. 

For a while I watch, as leaves of yellow, red and golden brown swirl toward the ground—their final destination. This isn’t real. It can’t be. I must be dreaming!

The sensation of the wind blowing through my hair and its caress upon my skin tell me that that I am attempting to deceive myself. This is no dream. It is very real. Intuitively, I understand that now is the time to realize the reality that lies behind my nocturnal visions. Now is the time to take the step from prophecy to fulfillment. My blood boils with an almost exquisite level of excitement, for I fully understand with whom I am about to have an encounter—she whom I cannot resist. Still, I am filled with a potent sense of horror and dread. I think of the crypt, the coffin contained within and the two hideous gargoyles and their dire warning: Nevertheless, I’ll do what I must. Casting one last look at my country home, I set out for my final destination—an encounter with fate. 

 
The walk through the forest is exactly as expected. There is death and decay here. Decomposing leaves, acorns and mushrooms cover the damp forest floor. Eventually, I come to an all too familiar clearing at the base of a hill. “There it is,” I mumble to myself, “the cemetery, just as I remember it.” Then I cast my eyes upon the crypt! A voice wells up from inside me. Go back. Forget this forsaken place! I can neither forget nor turn back however. So haunted am I by the mysterious woman who resides within the crypt, that dark but irresistible angel of death, that I have no choice but to continue on. 

All is as I saw it in my dreams—the rusting lanterns, the descending stairway, the near blackness enveloping the interior of the vault. I tremble with fear as I distinguish the vague outlines of the ghoulish gargoyles as they forever stand sentry over the casket.
Suddenly, the multitude of candles comes alive with flame; their shadows dancing upon the walls. My heart is racing; the sound of its beating pulsates through my eardrums. In spite of the still evident intoxication induced by my afternoon revelry with the Green Fairy, pangs of terror permeate my entire body and cut to my very soul. The gargoyles cry out to me. “Stay back! Flesh and blood may not enter here. Still, I stand my ground.

Then I hear it; the sound of a woman’s heels—footsteps, walking slowly and deliberately toward me through the passageway. Each step is louder than its predecessor; every stride she takes brings me closer to the unknown. Yes, the unknown, because all of my previous visions ended with an awakening. This time there will be no such return to my familiar surroundings. This experience is authentic. Reality has shifted somehow, but this is reality nevertheless.

 
“Hello there lover,” she greets me from the beginning of the dark passageway. Walking toward the coffin she continues. “I’m so glad that you decided to meet your true destiny—the fulfillment of your dreams.” A seductive smile comes to her lips. “Do you find me desirable? Are you willing to share your deepest and darkest yearnings with me?”
  
Her black lips draw me. Her jade-colored eyes sparkle in the candlelight like the eyes of a cat caught in the headlights. In spite of whatever may come next, I can only muster a barely audible “yes.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Come to me. Embrace me.” She beckons me with her seductive smile and manual gestures. “Come on; let me feel your body against mine.”

“The creatures that stand watch here, they warn me that flesh and blood may not enter. They terrify me.”

“You must overcome your fear to earn my affections. Put them out of your mind and approach.” With a deep breath I make my advance toward her.

***

That does it for this week's offering. So, what happens next? The answer lies in the book, dear reader. 

Photo Source: Gothic Pictures Gallery