2014 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up Entry

Hope you enjoyed the winning submission by Peter Saunders.

We also want to congratulate our (very close) runner-up, Jason Witherow! Enjoy!

Maniac Inferno

My husband’s fire crew responded to an explosion at the gas station. The smoke was so dense it blots out the sun. The fire has been burning for hours; I hope Frank is ok. I pace the kitchen hoping nothing has gone wrong. I hear the front door slam shut. I walk over to see Frank in his fire gear holding an axe and covered with blood.

“Sweetie, what hap-“

“No time, grab my gun.” Frank says

Confused, I tilt my head, and stare at him.

“Now” Frank says.

I rush to the bedroom and grab Frank’s pistol from the safe, and give it to him. He nods, and hands me his axe, covered in chunks of red flesh.

“Frank, tell me what is going on?” I ask.

“A group of people went crazy and blew the gas station up. They waited for us to come and started attacking anyone who was there,” Frank says.

“Terrorists attacked us?” I ask.

“Not terrorists. They were something different. They were crazy, cackling, their eyes black. One of them smeared their blood on a cops face, and then he was cackling too. The cop pulled out his gun and started shooting into the crowd.” Frank says as he barricades the front door.  

“What,” I ask, sure this is a joke.

“They went crazy. They are savages; I don’t know how to tell you. Don’t open the door for anyone, if they come in, kill them.”

“You’re saying that people are becoming black eyed homicidal maniacs when some crazy person smears blood in their face, Frank?” I ask.

“Yes Honey, they got Steve too. He came at me.” Frank says, his hands shaking.

“Frank, I need you to sit down” I say, while I reach for the phone to call 911.

I dial EMS and I get a busy signal. I hang up and start to worry. I hear a knocking sound at the front door. Frank runs to the barricade and we hear talking.

“Frankie Boy, we saw what you did to Steve. We came to see how you were holding up” the voice from behind the door says chuckling.

Frank quietly walks towards me and puts one finger in front of his mouth. I tighten my grip on the axe. The man on the other side starts whacking the front door, and it breaks in two; I see the man and scream. His face has a bloody hand print, and a wide smile that makes his pitch black eyes seem demonic. He hops over the barricading table and points to Frank.

“You’ve been a bad bo-“

Frank shoots him in the chest. The man falls to the floor giggling, trying to catch his breath. Two other men come in through the window. Frank shoots them both.  One in the head, and the other in the arm. The wounded man tackles Frank and grabs his throat. I run over and plunge the axe into the top of the maniac’s skull. He goes limp on top of Frank. He pushes the body over, and wipes blood off his face.

“Are you ok sweetie?” I ask him

His hand moves away from his face and I see a wide smile, and black eyes look back at me. “Yes sweetheart, I’m fine.” He answers, staring at his gun, cackling.