Coffee House Writers

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login

logo

Coffee House Writers

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login
  • The Artist King

  • Encore! Encore!

  • Lydia’s Missed Appointment

  • Nurturing Spiritual Growth by Caring for the Mind and Body

  • Never Forget The Important Things

  • Cross

  • Home

  • The Other Exciting Conclusion

  • Try Explaining Joy

  • A Thanksgiving Day Story

  • Find Your Voice

  • Paradise Falls: Chapter 11

  • Magpie and His Human

  • Ma Millie-11

  • Best friends for never

  • The Island Flamingo: Chapter 21

  • The Tsunami

  • A Clear Blue Jar

  • Find Your Magic

  • A Day With Depression

  • The TBR

  • Fruit: Many Seasons, Much Confusion?

  • The Other California Incident

  • The Tower and the Rose (I and the Other)

  • In Remembrance

  • Exposé

  • NanoWrimo: An Opportunity

  • November

  • Coffee Cup Moments

  • Forgive or Hold On

CreativityFamilyRelationshipsEntertainmentFictionCultureMemories
Home›Creativity›Stone Cabin Bridge

Stone Cabin Bridge

By Tracie Hicks
January 20, 2020
2668
1
Share:
Bridge, man, and fire.
Photo by Tracie Hicks via Canva.

The County modernized the old rusted truss bridge over Bear Creek.  At one time, the branches of the trees on both sides of the streamlet reached out to each other like long-lost lovers. The steel embraced the darkness the thick leaves provided. Now, the County had slashed the blackness away. The glow of the sun lights its way through onto the new paved concrete bridge. Nothing remains of the framed platform, but its dark secrets.

Jessy gripped his steering wheel. “The new facelift doesn’t rewrite the horrific history…” He shook his head, “it covers it up.”

The stars twinkled in the moonless night, and the wind roared at the gray sedan where the four teenage boys took refuge. The decayed leaves around them formed mini tornados, and the trees groan at the bending of their limbs. The boys jumped at the cracking of sticks coming from the right side of Jessy’s car.

Mike peered out his window. “It sounds like footsteps…” He pointed to the overgrown section near the bridge, “coming from where the old stone cabin used to set.”

Tom cleared his throat and glanced out his window. “Yes, the old stone cabin.” He shifted his attention to Jessy and Mike, who sat in the front seat, and to Danny, who sat next to him. The boy’s index finger rose and pushed his eyeglasses up from the middle of his nose. “I remember my mom talking about this with a few of her high school friends.” He brushed his long brown bangs from his eyes. “They used to come out here before they moved the cabin.”

Danny gazed out Tom’s window. His eyes widened when he noticed a man in overalls wielding an ax. “Hey… hey, guys!” His arm lifted from the seat, straighten out, and his index finger rolled from a fist position, right under Tom’s nose. “Do you see that?”

The man caught the stares of the boys as he disappeared into the woods. Soon, the hair on the teenagers’ arms stood on end. The vibration of deathly screams of a woman, two children, and a yelp from a dog pounded their way into their ears — the blow of an ax against bone resonated in the night air.

Jessy turned his gaze back to the group. “What was that? Please tell me the dark is playing tricks with our minds.”

The other three boys turned their attention to Jessy. Fear ran down their spines, and all three shook their heads. Mike noticed a figure from the right side of his eye, and he twisted toward it. He saw the same man standing in the car’s headlights. His ax hung inches from the road and dripped with blood. A growl came from him, which caught the attention of the others. Red eyes glared back at them. Suddenly, the man turned his attention to the woods.

Tom pointed. “Look at that, guys.”

The teenagers followed his gaze. Three orbs flew out of the woods and dancing in the air. They multiplied many times to form bodies. A woman, a small boy, and girl. White smoke rose from the ground, and a sinister howl echoed in the night’s breeze. A black form of a dog with glowing white eyes appeared next to the woman and children.

The ax wobbled end on end on the road. The man in front of them backed up and rushed toward the bridge. His family and dog were in hot pursuit.

Jessy wrapped his fingers around the gear selector, he pulled out of the park position and placed it into drive. He topped his speed at two miles per hour. When he arrived at the bridge, above the hood of his car were dangling feet. The boys rushed out of the car with their flashlights. The beams fell on the swinging corpse of the man. Their attention shifted to the family that faded into a white mist, along with the dog. When the teenagers glanced back up, the man vanished.

Danny shook his head. “How? This is a concrete road. There’s nothing anyone can hang themselves from.” He looked up. “There is no steel, no tree limbs, nothing.”

Jessy shook his head. “Danny, Danny, Danny boy. Remember, this bridge used to have steel above us. He must have hung himself off that steel when the ghosts of his family came for him.” He scratched his head. “I guess he’s doomed to repeat this pattern for the rest of his life.”

Mike swung his hands in the air. “Let’s get out of here.”

Tom and Mike agreed.

As they headed toward the car, they gesture to Jessy, who waved his hands. “Come on. There’s more to this bridge.” He motioned to them. “Come on, let’s check it out.” He titled his head. “Not afraid, are you?”

“Man,” Mike stomped the road with his foot. “We’re not into this anymore.”

“Yeah,” Tom shouted.

Danny stood silent and shook his head.

Jessy lowered his head. “I’m so disappointed in you guys.”

Fog rose from the thicket and scaled its way up to the sky. It enveloped the stars, and no one could see a foot in front of them. The three boys rushed into the car. When they glimpsed at the driver’s seat, there was no Jessy.

Mike gripped the front seat. “Where is he?”

Tom and Danny shook their heads. The car moved forward with no driver. The boys turned to look out the back window and saw Jessy, his eyes glared red, pushing the vehicle onto the bridge. Fire sprung up around them, and figures hung off the tower steel of the old bridge. A deep voice rumbled from behind them.

Jessy’s arms outreached, “Welcome to HELL!”

The boys in the heated car screamed, their skin bubbled as the fire cooked them.

A woman floated down from one of the high steel bars. Her cloak rippled in the air. When the woman landed, she pulled off her hood and placed a delicate hand on Jessy’s brown hair. “Good boy. You make your mother proud.” Her eyes a crimson red, and her dark wavy hair glistened off the fire’s light. “Each generation,” she lifted her right hand and formed a fist, “I will snatch a life…” She tilted her head toward her son, “or two.” She glanced back to the melting car, “I will take the lives from those who hung us as witches until their numbers dwindle… to nothing.”

Jessy glanced up at his mother. “Why can’t we take them all now?”

“Hmm.” The woman peered at her only son. “There is no fun in that.” A sinister giggle erupted from her throat. “Taking a few at a time,” she tilted her head, “leaves them scared. Wondering who’ll be next.”

TagsfictiondemonsBridgehorrorparanormalorbsghostswitchesshadow personsupernaturalFearTracie HickscreepypastawritingTracie L. HicksWriterMystic RosefogT.L. Hicksapparitionsdeathshort storyWitches BridgeIllinoiscreativityStone Cabinhellcreative writingChristian County
Previous Article

My Massachusetts Vacation

Next Article

Tales From The Trail: The Dirt About ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Tracie Hicks

Welcome to my world. I write Speculative Fiction with my focus on horror. Here at Coffee House Writers, I volunteer my time as an editor, trainer to new writers, and the social media advertising department. I am also one of the COOs. I have studied writing since 2012. I earned an AA in Communications, Duel BA in Creative Writing and Screenwriting. MA in English and Creative Writing, and ending with an MFA in Fiction Writing and a Certificate in Professional Writing.

Related articles More from author

  • From Cursive To Curses
    CultureEntertainmentCreativityFamilyRelationshipsFiction

    From Cursive To Curses- Part II

    August 11, 2020
    By Lindsey Gruden
  • The Diner Part Two
    CreativityRelationshipsFictionMemoriesEntertainment

    The Diner Part Two

    January 24, 2022
    By Mel Hartman
  • Village loaded guns
    FamilyPoetryMemoriesLifestyleEnvironment

    What Happened to Motherland?

    June 13, 2022
    By Ivor Steven
  • CultureEntertainmentCreativityFamilyRelationshipsLifestyleFictionRomanceMemoriesHomeEnvironmentHealth

    Found- Part Thirty-Two

    January 4, 2021
    By LM Hernandez
  • Adult Anxiety
    CreativityRelationshipsFictionPoetryHealth

    Untitled: Intro Poem

    October 28, 2019
    By Sylvia Stein
  • MediaFamilyRelationshipsHomePoliticsCultureEnvironmentLifestyle

    It Was A Different Time

    June 22, 2020
    By Stephanie Wyatt

1 comment

  1. Shane Blackheart 1 February, 2020 at 12:17 Reply

    This reminded me of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! That same sort of vibe. I love it!

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may be interested

  • couple kissing
    RomanceFantasyMysteryCreativityRelationshipsFictionEntertainment

    The Affair – Part 2

  • four six-sided dice sitting on the table. Two dice are red and two are white.
    FantasyCreativityFictionMemoriesEntertainment

    A Story Told In Dice

  • Red Exit Signage
    MemoriesHomeCreativityEntertainmentFamilyRelationshipsTravelFictionHealthMusicPoetry

    The Footsteps In The Hall: Part 3

Timeline

  • November 27, 2023

    The Artist King

  • November 27, 2023

    Encore! Encore!

  • November 27, 2023

    Lydia’s Missed Appointment

  • November 27, 2023

    Nurturing Spiritual Growth by Caring for the Mind and Body

  • November 27, 2023

    Never Forget The Important Things

Latest Comments

  • A Clear Blue Jar, is in this Week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    November 20, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, I am now writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on ...

    A Clear Blue Jar

  • Jerrolyn Crooks deGracia
    on
    November 15, 2023
    So beautiful Sunita. it is hard not knowing/remembering one's family. I am sure that both grandparents on ...

    From Across the Void

  • Cinnamon Toast, is in this Week’s Coffee House Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    October 30, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, I am now writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on ...

    Cinnamon Toast

  • Sunny Dandelions: Springtime Inspiration - The Diary of a Northern Belle
    on
    October 18, 2023
    […] found the eBook version through this article from Coffee House Writers, which was very […]

    Dandelions, An Herb With Its Own Day: National Dandelions Day

  • Dream Harder, is in this Week’s Coffee House Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    October 16, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, I am now writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on ...

    Dream Harder

Find us on Facebook

About us

  • coffeehousewriters3@gmail.com

Follow us

© Copyright 2018-2023 Coffee House Writers. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s administrator and owner is strictly prohibited.