Incubated — a gory tale
This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. Read the rules to the contest here, and get your story in by August 1.
By Hunter Davis
Age 12, Shrewsbury
I awoke with a start, feeling drops shockingly cold sweat trickle down my back as I sat straight up on my bed. It had been a dream; thank god it had just been a dream, I thought. What I had just experienced was beyond horrifying, beyond what could be considered a nightmare. I took a deep breath, and tried to remember what all … as I closed my eyes, it all came back to me, the awful memories barraging my mind.
I had heard my mother and father scream, then something tall and grey entered my room. It leaned over me, and I felt its glare boring into me. Then it made me swallow something. I didn’t see it, all I know is that it was green and disgustingly slimy, not to mention the taste. Then it had left, glancing at me again with the two black slits it had for eyes before leaving.
But, of course, it had just been a dream. At least I thought so … I decided to just go back to sleep and forget about it.
In the morning, my mom wasn’t awake. Now, for some people, that would be normal. For me it wasn’t. My mom was almost always awake at the crack of dawn, making breakfast for the rest of us when we woke up. This morning she wasn’t, and even weirder, there wasn’t a sound in the house. No beds creaking as someone turned in their sleep, no sound made by people breathing heavily in their sleep.
I went up to their room, and knocked on their door.
“Mom! Dad! Wake up! Helloooo?” There was no sound. I opened their door, and shrieked. They were there all right. They were sat against the wall, their necks slit open, dried up blood stained on the white carpet they worked so hard to clean.
All of a sudden my stomach started hurting, the pain growing more and more substantial until I collapsed because of the intensity. It felt as if a bonfire had replaced my stomach eating away at my body as I writhed in agony. Then something tore out of my stomach and I felt my warm blood spill out over my skin. It was, unbelievably, the thing the grey visitor had made me swallow. Then, it cracked open, and there stood a miniature grey visitor.
It walked towards me, slowly, taking one step at a time. I closed my eyes, welcoming the sleep that would never allow me to open them again.
