by VJ Miller, Sr.

Suspense in a Dark Room:

Pet Shop owner, Otto Dengler awoke slowly in the dark.  He sensed first the uncomfortable chill of the air, then the pasty taste of his mouth.  He reached for the blanket to cover his naked body but couldn’t find it.  Stiff and sore from the cold, the mattress felt unusually hard; in fact, he could swear he was laying on a bed full of crumbs.  He didn’t recall eating anything in bed; he never did that.

Rising to another level of consciousness he sat up.  His back prickled all over; his buttocks felt like he’d sat on crushed glass.  Startled, he flipped over to his hands and knees.  While his senses warmed up from their stupor he became aware he’d been laying on gravel.  A handful rubbed between the fingers was flung to the side. Continue reading Otto’s Pet Shop, the Horror in the Dark →