3 Deadly Drabbles - The Rumor Mill

The stories we tell ourselves

Monarch of the Glen

With winter approaching and crop yield meager at best, the villagers felt a sense of foreboding creep over the place. The crops were not the fault of tainted land, but of something more menacing.

When one of the boys first spoke of the spirit stag, the adults laughed and questioned his sanity. When one of the elders saw the red-eyed beast feasting on a turnip patch, things turned serious.

Plans were made and traps were set, all in an attempt to kill the savage beast. How, though, do you kill something not of this earth? And so, starvation loomed large.

Last Breath

The retirement home residents were in full panic mode after the death of yet another of their friends. Milly had been active and full of life, just like the previous six who had gone before her.

The community managers tried to allay fears, but whispers around the dinner table spoke of a virus or tainted food. Bill listened to them all and said nothing. He knew the truth because he knew he was next.

Bill lay awake, staring into the dark corners of his room, waiting for the breath stealer to come, all horns and forked tongue. Bill passed quietly.

The Pale Man

The residents of Braden searched high and low for the missing children, but no trace of them was ever found. Families mourned and time ticked on, which was when rumors began.

An abandoned factory sat on the outskirts of town, from which strange noises emanated at nightfall. Some reported seeing a pale man there, carrying mounds of flesh. Police were alerted, despite the fact that the factory had been a place of interest during initial investigations.

The factory was searched and nothing found by either police or grieving families. All the while, the pale man watched from the shadows, smiling.