Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

In the small, forgotten town of Eldridge, where shadows lingered a little too long, there was a peculiar bookstore on the edge of the forest. The shop, called "Old Pages," had an air of mystery about it, with its creaky wooden floors and the scent of aged paper hanging thick in the air. The owner, an old man named Gideon Vance, was known for his vast collection of rare and ancient books.

But there was one book that he never allowed anyone to touch, let alone open.

It was an old tome, bound in worn leather, its pages yellowed with age. What made this book stand out was the inkblot on one of its pages—a perfect silhouette of a howling wolf, forever frozen in time. No matter how many times Gideon tried to explain it away as an accident, something about the wolf seemed too deliberate, too lifelike.

The townsfolk whispered tales of the beast trapped within the book, cursed to remain an ink stain until someone foolish enough to read the words aloud set it free.

One stormy night, a young woman named Evelyn wandered into Old Pages, seeking refuge from the downpour. She was a writer, always on the hunt for inspiration, and the sight of the ancient bookstore piqued her curiosity. Gideon greeted her with a nod, his eyes weary but welcoming.

As she browsed the shelves, her eyes were drawn to the book with the inkblot wolf. Ignoring the old man's warnings, she pulled it down and opened it, her fingers trembling with anticipation. The words were in an old, forgotten language, but she felt compelled to read them aloud, as if the book itself demanded it.

With each word she uttered, the room grew colder, the shadows darker. The inkblot wolf on the page began to shift and move, its silhouette growing larger, more defined. Evelyn's voice faltered, but it was too late. The wolf had already broken free from its two-dimensional prison.

The beast emerged from the page, its body formed from the very ink that once imprisoned it. It was no ordinary wolf; its eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its fur shimmered like liquid night. The creature let out a low growl, the sound reverberating through the shop, shaking the walls.

Gideon rushed forward, his voice firm as he recited an incantation, trying to force the beast back into the book. But the wolf was too strong, too eager for freedom. It lunged at the old man, sinking its fangs into his arm. Gideon cried out in pain, but he continued the incantation, his voice growing weaker with each word.

Evelyn watched in horror, unable to move as the wolf's form began to solidify, its fur dripping with black ink. The creature turned its gaze toward her, its eyes burning with hunger. She could feel its malice, its desire to taste freedom fully, to roam the world beyond the pages. Continue your saga on empire

With a final, desperate effort, Gideon finished the incantation. The wolf let out a furious howl as its body was sucked back into the book, leaving only a smear of ink on the floor. The old man collapsed, the book slipping from his grasp.

Evelyn rushed to his side, but it was too late. Gideon Vance was gone, his life taken by the very creature he had spent years keeping at bay. The book lay open beside him, the inkblot wolf once again a mere stain on the page, but its eyes seemed to follow her, filled with a promise of vengeance.

Shaken, Evelyn closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. She fled the shop, the storm still raging outside, but the real tempest was within her. She knew she had released something terrible, something that would not rest until it was free once more.

From that night on, the town of Eldridge was never the same. People spoke of a shadowy figure seen prowling the streets, a beast made of ink that could slip through cracks and crevices, always searching for its next victim. And in the darkest corners of the town, where the light of day never reached, the howl of the ink wolf echoed, a haunting reminder of the power of the written word.