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Writers, horror lovers, and dark dreamersâthis is your time to shine⊠or shudder.
This monthâs 500-word microhorror challenge is here, inspired by a single chilling image. An abandoned hospital corridor, flickering lights, a lone wheelchair⊠but something unseen lurks just beyond sight. What happened here? What horrors still linger? Thatâs for you to decide.
đȘ The Challenge:
Write a 500-word horror story based on the image.
Post it here in the forum.
Read and vote for your favorite entries!
đ The Prize:The winning story will be featured in Marchâs edition of Whispers from Beyond! This is your chance to have your words immortalized in the eerie world of Dark Holme Publishing.
đ Deadline:Â Submit your story by March 25thâthatâs when voting closes.
So, whoâs ready to embrace the darkness? Let your imagination run wild, and let the nightmares flow. We can't wait to read what haunts your mindâŠ
Post your stories below and may the most chilling tale win. đ
Which one gets your vote?
0%After/Birth - By Secret Geek
0%Patience - By CJ Hooper
0%Creatures - By Emily Haynes
0%Short Cut - By Crow Tales
#MicrohorrorChallenge #HorrorWriters #WhispersFromBeyond #DarkHolmePublishing #WriteTheTerror
Short Cut
Ambulances scream. Jayce wakes up in a hospital. He looks around the room.
"Is he going to be okay, Dr...." Cody asks.
"Satoshi," he replies. The doctor approaches his patient. "What's your name?"
"Gojyo." The other replies.
Cody's jaw drops.
"Very well," Dr. Satoshi remarks. "What year were you born in?"
"19...75." Jayce stumbles to recall.
"I see." The doctor holds up a paper. "Follow the instructions."
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5." Jayce responds with conviction. "Hey, Goku, what the hell is going on?"
"Excuse us." The doctor holds up his hand. Dr. Satoshi leads Cody into the hall. "Your friend is very ill. We must run some scans..."
Suddenly, a nurse approaches with a wheelchair.
"And you are?" The doctor raises a brow.
"Carmine." She smiles. "I'm here to transport the patient."
"Ah, yes." Dr. Satoshi enters the room. "Gojyo, Miss. Carmine here will take you to get a CT scan."
"No complaints here!" Jayce winks at the nurse.
As the two prepare to leave, Cody's feet move forward. Despite being halted, Cody cannot help shake his discomfort. He doesn't want to leave his best friend in that state!
Meanwhile, Jayce continues to chat up the nurse. His new persona is exceptionally cheeky. Miss Carmine dismisses his request for a date with laughter. She wheels him down a new corridor.
"Is this the right way?" Jayce asks.
"I know of a short cut." She smiles.
Jayce shrugs. He looks ahead. At first, the hallway seems normal. However, the longer they walk, the more dismal the hall becomes.
"I don't think we're supposed to be here." He frowns.
"Don't be afraid," Miss Carmine reassures. "We're almost there, sweety."
Jayce watches as the ceramic tiles become more damaged. What the hell happened here? He wonders. Jayce feels a sudden bump. He cracks his forehead on the dirty floor.
"Ouch!" Jayce shouts. "Some nurse you are!"
Just as he turns to face her, Jayce notices something strange. Miss Carmine's skin crinkles and splits open. Her mouth distorts with sharp teeth. The faux nurse's eyes change into slits. Jayce screams as she goes to lap the blood on his head.
"What the hell!?" Jayce curses.
A swift motion from behind catches the faux nurse off guard. Cody appears armed with his skateboard. He beats the monster in the head. Once subdued, he approaches his friend.
"Dude, there were no Miss Carmines!" He pants.
"Damn, Goku, I'm so happy..." Jayce pauses. He grabs a metal rod and strikes beyond his friend's shoulder. "Lay your eyes off of me!"
The two watch as the beast recoils from being hit in the eye socket.
"Hey, Cody." Jayce calls. He watches his friend's jaw drop. "Come on! I want to go to another hospital."
"Yeah, let's get you somewhere actually safe." Cody looks at the bloodied monster on the floor."Up you go, Gojyo."
"Admit it, that was funny." Jayce laughs.
He shudders as they head back to the main hall: "Yeah, some shortcut that was."