Friday, October 21, 2011

An Entangled Halloween Story and Giveaway with Nina Croft


Spooky Stories
by Nina Croft

I’m English, and in England, we don’t celebrate Halloween as much as Americans seem to. In fact, growing up, I’d never even heard of trick-o-treating until I saw the movie ET. And the closest we got to fancy costumes, was a white sheet over our heads so we could be ghosts.

But one family tradition I do remember from Halloween, was my older sister would gather us together (there were five of us) turn out the lights, and tell us spooky stories. Anne was a great storyteller, and I doubt anyone slept after one of these sessions—I certainly didn’t. But the stories I always found scariest weren’t the ones about ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night, but the ones about bad people.

One story that sticks in my mind was called, The Little White Dog, a sort of traditional British horror story (and I always kept my hands tucked tightly in the bed after hearing this one). So here (from my long ago memory) is my retelling of it.


The Little White Dog

Maybe, if she lay very still, he would forget she was there. Just take what he wanted from the house and leave her alone. Sarah clung to the hope with every cell in her body. In fact, she could no longer hear him moving around the house; perhaps he’d already gone.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but from where she lay on the bed, she could hear the drone of the television in the room next door. The news was on—so it must be ten o’clock—some report about an escaped prisoner.

“Again, this is a news alert. Serial killer Colin Hunter, dubbed Colin the Cannibal by the press, for his habit of partially devouring his victims, has escaped from the maximum security facility where he was awaiting sentencing. Police warn—do not under any circumstances approach.”

For a second, her mind refused to make sense of the words. Then a whimper trickled from her throat, oozing around the scarf stuffed in her mouth. Her stomach turned to hot, molten liquid, and she swallowed the nausea that rose to the back of her throat.

Squeezing her eyes tight shut, she tried to control her panic. It was just coincidence. Wasn’t it?

A rope of some sort was tied around her middle, strapping her to the bed. She wriggled frantically, but although she could move her lower arms, she couldn’t reach the knots.

Maybe Scamp could help. Scamp, her little white dog, usually slept on the rug in front of the fire.

But sometimes, if she had a nightmare, he would come and lie beside the bed, and she could stroke his silky fur until she was soothed back to sleep.

This was her worst nightmare. Why didn’t he come? Not daring to make a noise, she hung her hand down over the bed and rubbed her fingers together silently. Nothing happened, and she stared up at the ceiling and prayed.

A warm wet tongue licked her fingers, and a flicker of hope blossomed inside her. Now, if she could just get Scamp on the bed, he could chew through the knots, and they could both escape out the bedroom window.

She rolled her head to the side. And a silent scream rose up inside her as. Through the open door, in the flickering light from the fire, she could see Scamp. He lay on the rug, unmoving, asleep or….

The tongue licked her palm. A low chuckle sounded from the floor beside the bed, then a soft whisper.

“Dinner time.”

Want to Win an ecopy of Nina's Break Out?

Leave a comment on this spot with your email to be entered

BLOOD HUNTER SERIES - Book One by Nina Croft


The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

30 comments:

Rebe said...

Oh, that's so creepy! Now I won't be able to sleep with my dog on the other side of the room! Thanks for the giveaway!

rwschwarz11ATgmailDOTcom

Crilly said...

Halloween is huge here in Aus and getting bigger each year. Great story but I now want to know what happens next!

Nina Croft said...

Hi Rebe - my little dog (and he's white!) sleeps by my bed, but I always have my hands under the covers so I'm alright,

Crilly - thanks for dropping by - and I don't think you really want to know what happens next...

mnjcarter said...

That was just plain creepy!! Hence, another reason my 2 labs don't sleep in the house. I going to have to tell my older kids that story though, I think they'll get a kick out of it!!

Nina Croft said...

mnjcarter - no really you should let the labs in - they're big and will protect you from the nasty cannibals!

Lori Sizemore said...

Oh, wow, that's incredibly creepy. Ewww. And both my dogs sleep in the house. :-\

Very well told. I bet your stories were pretty chilling, too. You're a natural storyteller.

ados said...

Halloween gets muddled with Guy Fawkes NIght in my (English)childhood. Guy Fawkes on November 5th was a big bonfire and party in the village, with a few fireworks, but lots of dark and shadow, stories, teasing and frights. The butcher's labrador was always around, sniffing out the sausages. Can't imagine him not protecting everyone and everything there ...

Ammy Belle said...

Well that was a freaky story ... :(

Poor girl.

Reminds me of that episode of "Fear Itelf" ...

Anyways, thanks for the contest! :)

Ammy Belle
apereiraorama @ gmail . com
http://lateintothenight.blogspot.com/

Louise Charles said...

ooer Nina, that is scary, though I'd like to see anyone mess with my two huge maremmas (white Italian sheepdogs)... great spooky story.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Oh my gosh, that story is SICK. But good and scary too. :-)

Nina Croft said...

Lori - maybe the answer is to let the dogs sleep in the bed, never mind the house!

Ados - bonfire night was always a much bigger celebration in out house as well!

Ammy - I've not seen Fear itself - I must look it up.

Louise - you're lucky, my own particular little white dog is tiny and a complete coward!

Jennifer thanks for commenting - and I'm not sick - honest!

Silke said...

Awesome and creepy!

Chelle Sandell said...

OMG. I stopped watching horror movies when I was old enough to know there are some real people in this world sick enough to do something like that. LOL. That story made me shiver.

Sutton Fox said...

Great story! I'm keeping my hands in the bed, for sure. Yipes!

April Dawn said...

Wow. Creepy! Great story Nina.
April Dawn

Seleste deLaney/Julie Particka said...

Eep! Awesome creepy story. Glad I read it now instead of before bed :P

Rayka Mennen said...

Eeeeeek. Hands nicely tucked in tonight for me. Man, I'm reading all your posts and I'll never get to sleep tonight. Might be double Scotch night - then I might not care what I hear or see - LOL

Rhianna said...

The American version is less... gross and IMO much scarier but love it! I am so not a dog person and this story doesn't help. lol

It's probably really rotten of me but I sure wish Halloween was a bigger holiday elsewhere. I think it's by far the most fun holiday on our calendar. Very commercial? Sure but aren't they all anymore?

Have a safe Halloween everyone!

(Please exclude me from the giveaway as I already have this one.)

donnas said...

Great story. Very creepy and sure to make you not want to go to sleep.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Yto said...

really creepy. never heard this story. i am not so good with horror and such - i love it, but it scares me a lot, so i can't sleep at night.

witchvela at web dot de

books4me said...

That is freaky! thank you for the giveaway!

books4me67 at ymail.com

Barbara E. said...

Break Out sounds like a fantastic book. I loved the story, it's one of my favorite urban legends.

Barbed1951 at aol dot com

Debby said...

Sounds pretty creepy but I am hoping the dog saves the day.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Lexi said...

Very creepy, similar to an old ledgend I had heard before but still gives me goose bumps!

Nina Croft said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nina Croft said...

Thanks for the comments everyone - I'm up in the middle of the night - couldn't sleep - I wonder why.

Rhianna - actually my sister's version was less gross as well - must be just me!

Unknown said...

Please enter me in contest.I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

Tina said...

OMG!
Love it! :)

Dianne said...

As I got to the last couple paragraphs I was tensed and staring at the page, willing the end not to be what I thought it was leading to. A story that makes your heart hammer! Great Halloween story.

ChrisN said...

Only just got to read this - scary - the sort of thing my sister and I used to tell. Taught drama at youth club early in my career and the teenagers loved end of the night 'spooky tales'. Great story, Nina.

 
BLOG DESIGN FOR FANG-TASTIC BOOKS BY BARBARA.
RED CORSET © HALAQUINN ARCADIAS. GOTHIC NIGHT © ASHEN SHARROW.