The Scary Story

It was dusk on the barren and eerie planet Sklorgdid, and three friends were sitting around a campfire telling spooky stories after having spent the day photographing the large but ominous rock formations nearby.

“Have I told you the one about Gmonst bugs?” Captain Finnian asked.

“I don’t think so.” Bronxin replied. He didn’t scare easily and it was fun to see his friends try to spook him with their stories. They had been so far unsuccessful.

“Is it a scary one?” Quixly asked nervously. Unlike Bronxin, he scared very easily and was already looking around with fear at the shadows and big shapes around them.

“Oh yes, it’s very scary.” Captain Finnian said with a low voice. “And the scariest part is, it’s true!”

Quixly gasped, but Bronxin just chuckled. “Well then, go ahead and tell it to us.”

“On dark and barren planets, just like this one,” Captain Finnian started, “dwell small mutant creatures called Gmonst bugs. When an unsuspecting person gets too close, the Gmonst bug will burrow itself into the back of their neck and then climb up to their brain. The bug is so small though that all the person feels is a prick.”

Quickly unconsciously reached one of his hands to the back of his neck, already sucked into the story.

“Once the Gmonst bug has gotten to the brain,” Captain Finnian continued, “it will slowly turn its victim into a monster. First it makes them tired and sick feeling, so they go lie down. Then the Gmonst bug grows and takes over its host’s body, physically transforming it. In a few hours the original person is essentially dead, and all that remains is a giant, bug like monster that will destroy and eat everything in its path!”

“But that’s not really real, is it?” Quixly asked, shaking in his seat.

“Oh, it is real. And the last recorded sighting was on planet Sklorgdid.” Captain Finnian replied.

Bronxin rolled his eyes, but Quixly gasped. “That’s where we are! We’ve got to leave!”

“Don’t worry.” Captain Finnian said. “I’m sure that… ouch!” He suddenly grabbed the back of his neck in pain. “I think something just bit me!”

Quixly jumped up from his chair and screamed. “A Gmonst bug! It got Captain Finnian! What do we do!? Bronxin!!! He’s gonna die! We’re all gonna die!!!”

“Calm down, Quixly.” Bronxin said as Captain Finnian burst out laughing. “He’s just messing with you. Those aren’t real and he didn’t just get bit by one.”

“Wow, I got you good!” Captain Finnian laughed. 

Quixly frowned as he realized what had happened, but he quickly smiled and joined in the laughter. “Wowza, Captain, you did get me good! I thought we were dead!”

“Well, that was a fun way to wrap up the night.” Bronxin said, looking at the embers of the fire that was almost completely burned out. “Let’s pack up and get on the ship so we can get some sleep.”

The others agreed and grabbed their things to head back to their spaceship. Bronxin took up the rear, and as they walked, he felt an intense prick on his neck. He turned around but saw nothing there. So, he shrugged, rubbed it off, and followed the others back into the ship.

They spent the next hour looking through their pictures and putting equipment away before going to bed. Once everything was done, Bronxin slumped into his chair. “I’m exhausted” he said. “And I don’t feel too good either.”

“Shoot, that’s not good.” Captain Finnian said, concerned about his friend. “Well go get some rest, hopefully you feel better in the morning.”

“Good idea.” Bronxin replied, and then slowly walked down to his room. The spaceship wasn’t huge, so rather than having an actual room he had his sleeping quarters set up in the maintenance room on the bottom floor.

Captain Finnian and Quixly went to bed soon after, and for a while they slept in peaceful quiet.

Suddenly, in the early morning hours, a huge crash was heard in the maintenance room, waking both Captain Finnian and Quixly. Another crash followed soon after. Captain Finnian tried to turn on his lights, but they weren’t working. Whatever the crash was, it must have broken the main lights control panel. So, he grabbed a lantern and walked out of his room.

“Quixly, did you hear that?” Captain Finnian yelled through his friend’s door.

“Yeah, what was it?” Quixly responded, fear obvious in his voice.

“I don’t know, I’m gonna go check it out, I’ll be right back.”

“Ok, Captain! Be safe!” Quixly responded. He had his lantern on too, but he was too scared to leave his room, fear from the previous night’s stories still affecting him.

Quixly listened to his friend’s footsteps as he walked down the stairs to the maintenance room. He heard him yell for Bronxin, with no response. Then there was more crashing, and he heard Captain Finnian scream. This was no ordinary scream, but a scream of mortal terror. There were a few more crashes, some horrible monstrous noises, and then silence. 

Quixly gasped for air as fear started to overwhelm him. What was happening down there? Where was Bronxin? Was Captain Finnian ok? He ran through several different scenarios in his head, more than one involving those dreaded Gmonst bugs. But in the end, he concluded that the most likely scenario was that his friends were pranking him, so he worked up all the courage he could muster and left his room to see what was going on.

As he walked slowly down the stairs towards the dark and creepy maintenance room, he heard another crash, and then what could only be described as a buzzing roar.

“Guys!?” He yelled, his courage quickly fading. “This isn’t funny! Please stop it!”

There was no response, so he peaked his head into the maintenance room, the door already cracked open.

He held his lantern up and couldn’t believe what he saw. The room was a mess, with lots of their equipment completely destroyed. This was starting to look less and less like a prank.

“Captain!? Bronxin!? Are you guys in here!?” Quixly yelled. No response. 

Quixly slowly started to work his way into the room, and then froze in horror. In front of him were the ripped and bloody remains of Captain Finnian’s clothes, his body nowhere to be seen.

“What’s going on!?” Quixly yelled in fright. “Where are you guys!?”

Suddenly, a figure emerged at the far end of the room. Quixly held up his light and screamed. The figure was a horribly disfigured version of Bronxin. It was huge and looked more like a giant bug monster than his old friend. The creature lunged towards Quixly with unexpected speed, and it was the last thing he ever saw.

***

“And then,” Quixly said excitedly, “after the Gmonster eats me, it’ll roar in triumph and then lunge towards the camera and that’s how the film will end!”

Xankandria stared blankly at her boyfriend Quixly and their two friends Captain Finnian and Bronxin. The four of them had met up for lunch on planet GR-53, and the three boys had told her their idea of making a short horror movie.

“Well, what do ya think!?” Quixly asked.

“You three are the best photographers I’ve ever met, and I love that you go on so many adventures around the universe to take such amazing pictures. You really are a talented bunch.” Xankandria said with a warm smile.

“That being said,” she continued, “I think it would be best for you to leave the horror videography and film making to someone else.”

Quixly and Captain Finnian were clearly disappointed by her review. Bronxin, being more stoic, was also disappointed, he just didn’t let it show.

“Ya don’t like the idea?” Quixly asked.

“Not really.” Xankandria said honestly. “It’s weird, and I don’t like hearing about you all dying. Why did you choose horror anyway?”

“It was Quixly’s idea, believe it or not.” Captain Finnian chuckled. He and Bronxin were also surprised when Quixly had suggested it.

“I thought it would be a fun new thing to try.” Quixly said.

“Quixly, I love you, but nothing about you is at all horror. Maybe try a comedy next time. Or a sports movie!” Xankandria said and gave Quixly a kiss on the cheek.

“Well, you heard her, boys, horror just isn’t our thing.” Bronxin chuckled. “Now let’s get going, I hear there’s an amazing dessert place on the next planet over!”

The four of them got up and headed to the spaceship, all talking and laughing together about their weird film idea and what kind of dessert they should get. As they approached the spaceship, Xankandria felt a sharp sting on the back of her neck that quickly went away. She shrugged her shoulders and hurried to join the boys on the spaceship.