The Warning Signs Read online

  M. Ainihi

  The Warning Signs

  Tales Of Horror And Dark Fantasy

  First published by M. Ainihi 2022

  Copyright © 2022 by M. Ainihi

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  M. Ainihi asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  M. Ainihi has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  Ainihi, M. (2018) Cultivating Wrath. Ink and Sword: Issue 7 (Original work published in 2018)

  *Bonus Content*

  Ainihi, M. (2021) The Three Percent. Collected Works, Goodreads Best Short Stories 2021(Original work published December 31, 2021)

  Second edition

  ISBN: 978-1-0879-3868-4

  Illustration by Tauseef Ahmed

  Cover art by Rebecacover

  Editing by Allister Thompson

  This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

  Find out more at reedsy.com

  “It is a mistake to fancy that horror is associated inextricably with darkness, silence, and solitude.” - H. P. Lovecraft

  Contents

  I. ONE-SHOT SHORTS

  Perception

  The Warning

  The Felling

  Dead Already

  The Interview

  The Other Side of the Door

  II. TALES FROM SUMIR

  Cultivating Wrath

  Bavmordia Part One ~ The Journey

  Bavmordia Part Two ~ Lessons

  III. DAY 32,854

  Amma Part One ~ The Escape

  Yareli Part Two ~ The Return

  Alternate Version of Events ~ The Return (Amma)

  Bonus Content

  The Three Percent

  About the Author

  Also by M. Ainihi

  I

  One-Shot Shorts

  Perception

  Joey had underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime in the forest. The silvery moonlight only trickled through the full branches of the densely packed trees that loomed high above, and he had to squint to see the dusty, rutted footpath he had planned to follow.

  As he moved deeper into the woods, the aroma of rich earth and rotting leaves seemed heightened with the pressing darkness, as if his sense of smell was elevated by his lack of sight. The strong odor caused his stomach to twist and his throat to feel dry.

  Joey traced the button on his heavy flashlight with his thumb for reassurance. He had installed new batteries just before he left his house. He had wanted to be sure that it would emit a strong beam that would cut through the darkness like a knife, but he didn’t press it. To do so would be to admit defeat, and he couldn’t. Not yet.

  Samantha had followed him blindly into the woods, after all, and he didn’t want to risk looking weak in her eyes. He concentrated on the sound of her footsteps behind him as he pressed on, trying to ignore the frantic beating of his own heart.

  He shouldn’t have let go of her hand. She hadn’t seemed to mind when he took it at the path’s edge, where the trail led into the darkness of the woods, but when the beads of sweat began to form on his forehead despite the cool air, he was worried that she would notice his increasingly sweaty palm against hers, and so he had released it.

  “Joey, when will we get there?” Samantha whined. “My feet hurt from all this walking.”

  Confident that she was exaggerating, his cheeks warmed as her words settled in his ears. She had already made it a point to tell him that she wasn’t supposed to be out in the woods tonight, more than once. So why had she given in so easily and joined him?

  “Joey?” she asked again, raising the pitch of her voice even more. “No one ever comes out here and it’s very dark. I’m scared.”

  “Shush, Samantha, we walk faster when you’re quiet.” His words came out harsher than he anticipated, and he regretted the statement almost immediately. After months of living here, she was still the only person he would consider a friend.

  When he had first noticed that none of the other students talked to her either, he had mistaken her quietness for shyness and assumed that she was new to town as well. He had since learned otherwise, and he found her situation rather perplexing.

  With her slender frame, fair complexion, and wavy chestnut hair, Samantha was what he considered a real beauty. He was certain that young men at his old school would have been fawning over her at every opportunity. As the days turned into weeks, he marveled at the way not only his fellow students, but also even his teacher seemed to give her a wide berth when she came near.

  Although Samantha did confirm to him that she had lived here her whole life, for reasons he couldn’t fathom she wouldn’t breach the topic of people’s behavior toward her, no matter how hard he prodded. He also found that if he spoke ill of anyone for their behavior, she refused to collaborate. It didn’t matter how awkward the situation appeared, Samantha always remained calm and reserved.

  Joey came to believe that her way of coping with her strange circumstances was to ignore them. Determined not to jeopardize their friendship, he stopped bringing up the subject when he was around her, although he didn’t drop it completely, not until after the incident with his teacher.

  That day, he had lingered after class, pretending to organize papers at his desk until he summoned the courage to approach her.

  When she had looked up at him, he puffed out his chest and demanded to know why she and the whole town were so cruel to Samantha.

  The teacher had given him such a look that the hair on the back of his neck bristled. “We tolerate her the best we can, and she shows us the same courtesy.” The teacher looked back down at her book before she continued in a hushed tone, “There is such a thing as bad blood.”

  Joey had been so jarred by her reaction that he could think of no response. Even though her words didn’t explain anything, she had managed to make him feel ashamed for asking, and he had slinked out of the room like he had just been paddled for breaking the rules. He still couldn’t meet her gaze when she stood at the front of the class to teach.

  The memory sent a chill up his spine, but it also renewed his motivation to keep going. He needed to show Samantha that he could be courageous. He wanted to prove to her that he could save her from this weird town with its winding cobblestone pathways, antique wrought iron lampposts, and crazy superstitions.

  “Samantha, I am sorry that I snapped at you. I didn’t mean it.”

  “I know, Joey.” Her words came out just above a whisper.

  He stopped moving forward and turned to look at her.

  Samantha clutched the metal charm around her neck with one hand, as if it would protect her from whatever menacing things loomed in the woods at night. The chain was pulled so taut that it was a wonder it didn’t snap in her grip.

  Even though Joey had never seen her without the bulky piece of jewelry, it seemed out of place hanging there, especially tonight.

  With her light complexion and slight build, she appeared more fragile surrounded by darkness. Yet her eyes seemed to twinkle, as if something else loomed just beneath the surface. A hint of excitement, perhaps, Joey thought.

  He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Right now, to him she resembled one of the painted porcelain dolls in a toyshop window.

  “I can turn the light on, if it would make you feel better.”

  She lifted her eyebrows, causing her forehead to wrinkle. “It’s not that. I can see all right. I have a curfew for a reason. My—”

  Joey cut her off. “It’s just a bit farther.”

  She shook her head and grunted before kicking at a loose stone with her foot. “Why do we have to go now? Tonight? I didn’t think you would be leading us to the ruins.”

  He hesitated for a moment then cleared his throat and forced a smile. “Don’t tell me you believe the rumors?”

  She released the grip on her charm and lowered her eyes.

  “Samantha, you’re the bravest person I have ever met.”

  “Do you really think so?” she muttered.

  He pushed her chin up and nodded before speaking again. “To face the townspeople over and over has to take courage.” Her cheeks colored noticeably, and he prided himself on making her blush.

  She opened her mouth as if to speak and then snapped it shut without saying a word.

  Knowing that she didn’t like to talk about the way the people in town treated her, he cleared his throat and gestured for her to fol
low.

  Before he had a chance to turn away, she reached up and grabbed his arm with her free hand.

  Her voice was clearer and much louder as she asked, “Are you sure it’s worth it?”

  The grip on his arm seemed to tighten with each syllable, and he shook her hand loose, put off by the sudden change in her demeanor.

  “It’s only been seen during the full moon. Now’s our chance to get a peek.”

  Her eyes latched on to his. “You don’t need to prove anything to me.”

  Afraid his own voice would crack or sound off pitch if he spoke, revealing his returning anxiety, he only nodded before he spun around on his heels so quickly that his shoe hit an exposed root just off the edge of the path, causing him to stumble forward. Although he was relieved that he hadn’t landed on his face in front of her, he was too embarrassed to turn back to see if she had noticed his near fall. Instead, he concentrated on keeping his feet within the increasingly uneven path.

  A few minutes later, he spotted the first sign that they were nearing the ruins. Long ago, rocks had been piled into mounds around the perimeter, and they still remained, left as a warning to people that traveled through the woods not to venture beyond them, or so he had overheard.

  He rushed forward several yards, past a crumbling stone wall, eager to find a place for him and Samantha to hide. Since the trees in this spot were thinned out more, a fair amount of moonlight made its way through the forest canopy, and he placed his hands on his hips to take in the sight in front of him. It was a bit underwhelming.

  He had been expecting something more grandiose, from the townspeople’s descriptions. A mysterious castle in the woods, perhaps, or an abandoned mansion.

  What he found were the remains of two buildings. One was notably smaller than the other, but neither was spectacular in size. To him the larger ruined structure appeared to be nothing more than a dilapidated and overgrown cottage. The roof was missing, as well as much of its external façade, and he could see clear through to the other side. Nearby, the skeletal remains of a second, smaller building protruded from the forest floor, the beams that remained were charcoal black as if they had caught fire at one point.

  Neither seemed like an ideal place to hide. Joey made his way back to the stone wall he had passed. It looked like it had once encircled the abandoned property. Now, whole sections had crumbled away, leaving large gaps throughout the waist-high barrier.

  “Come on.” Joey pointed toward one of the remaining sections. “Let’s hide behind that.”

  Hearing nothing behind him, Joey turned in a circle, scanning the thick woods that surrounded the ruins. “Samantha?” he called out and then listened for the sound of her feet along the trail or the crackling of the undergrowth as she scrambled to catch up, but he heard neither.

  Back in his home, such a silence would be tranquil, but out here it was more like the quiet of the graveyard. The thought caused fresh shivers to run up his spine.

  He took several steps back the way he had come and then cupped his mouth with his hands before calling to her again. The rustling of leaves could be heard above him, and he glanced skyward as a large bird emerged from the branches of a tree. It let out an annoyed caw as it dove low, coming within inches of him before changing directions and flying back up through the canopy.

  Shaken, Joey kept his eyes aimed at the area where the bird had disappeared from view as he took several steps backward. Not watching where he was going, his foot caught on another root. This time he couldn’t stop himself from toppling toward a ragged clump of bushes. Resigned to his fate, he straightened his arms and braced for impact. Several thorns pierced the flesh on his palms as he landed on them, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to let out the strangled cry that rose in his throat.

  A giggle that was unmistakably Samantha’s seemed to echo all around him as he stood and wiped his bloodied hands against his pant legs. Joey’s face burned with embarrassment.

  A bit shocked by her behavior, he straightened up and clenched his throbbing hands as he called to her, “This isn’t funny.”

  Spinning on his heels, he turned back in the direction of the ruins. As he did, Samantha emerged from behind a wide tree trunk just off the trail in the distance.

  “I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth as if to stop another eruption of giggles.

  He stomped toward her, his initial shock morphing into anger. “I didn’t know if you turned back, got hurt, got lost.” He threw his hands up in the air as he stalked past her. “And you were just teasing me the whole time!”

  She ran up behind him, and he slowed his steps. His muscles tightened at the feel of her warm hand as it embraced his arm.

  “I didn’t think you would worry so. I mean, you did tell me I was the bravest person you knew and… Don’t tell me that you’re worried about the rumors now.”

  As she slid her hand down his arm and intertwined her fingers with his own, he relaxed. Perhaps his words had made her feel cocky, he thought. He certainly couldn’t fault her for that.

  Now back within the perimeter of the ruins, he glanced skyward, trying to catch a glimpse of the moon’s position, and shrugged. “If we wait much longer to hide, we will probably scare the creature off.”

  She dropped his hand. “We can’t both hide behind that wall.”

  “Then let’s find somewhere else.”

  “No time. You stay here.” She smiled up at him and patted his shoulder. Before he could protest, she turned away and ran farther into the ruins before disappearing behind another short wall.

  Alone again, the darkness pressed in on Joey from all sides, and his body screamed for him to run home. Knowing Samantha was probably watching close by, he clenched one of his fists and crouched down behind the strange ruined wall to wait. He closed his eyes and listened for plodding footsteps or the snapping of twigs, but all he heard was the whispering of the light breeze and the faint flutter of wings unseen.

  He didn’t open them again until a sour smell hit his nose, followed by a burst of warm, moist air. Realizing that he must have dozed momentarily and missed the creature’s arrival, he scrambled backward until his body pressed against the barrier of stone.

  The ridges bit into his skin as he tried to become one with the wall. But the brittle stones gave out behind him, and he landed on his back. The jagged rocks poked into him hard, causing him to yelp in pain. His heart slammed against his ribs as he gulped at the air.

  He made a conscious effort to try to slow his breathing enough to focus on the rest of the world around him. Above him was a mass of teeth and fur.

  The thing turned up its face to the moon and howled.

  When it lowered its snout again, Joey could see that its ears were pulled back and its lips were tucked up, revealing long, sharp teeth.

  He reached out across the ground with one hand in search of his flashlight, but as he moved forward, the wolf’s hackles raised, and deep rumbles came from its throat.

  Joey felt a warm dampness spread across the front of his jeans.

  The wolf’s head lowered slightly, causing droplets of saliva to drip from its mouth. Its nostrils flared as it seemed to breathe in his scent.

  He forced himself to reach out again, feeling with his fingers. As they skimmed the small end of the flashlight’s smooth surface, he hesitated, aware that in seconds his throat could be ripped out and his flesh consumed. He gulped, dreading his next move, but knowing he had to try to get away, if only to make sure Samantha was safe.

  According to the rumors, the beast wasn’t a wild animal at all but a werewolf. He hadn’t believed the stories—not really. Now, when faced with the monster, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. Surely a wild animal would have torn him to shreds by now. He could only hope to startle it long enough to make his move.

  “Don’t eat me!” he blurted as he reached out for the hefty flashlight. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the creature as his fingers curled around it, searching for the button. There was a soft click as he found the oval shape and pressed in. He kept the light lowered and took a deep breath.

  To his surprise, the monstrosity began to back up slowly. When it stopped, its ears pricked up, and it cocked its head to the side. He watched, shocked by the change, as it lifted its tail and began to wag it back and forth.