Haunting stories and unfading echoes E-Book

Thomas Johansson

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Serie: Collected moments
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 108

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Love lingers. Ghosts whisper. Reflections rebel. Nephews crawl like demons. Corpses grin from autopsy tables. And sometimes, two friends fall in love under carnival lights - only to be torn apart by fate. In this debut collection, Thomas blends emotional realism with supernatural dread, horror-comedy, and philosophical musings. These stories traverse haunted houses, broken hearts, eerie dates, and terrifying autopsies - each tale revealing the strange beauty and quiet horror of being human. Some stories will make you think. Others will make you feel. And a few might just make your skin crawl.

Leseprobe

Foreword

The book you’re holding is my debut collection of published short stories. Within these pages, you’ll encounter ghostly apparitions, philosophical reflections, moments of horror, and glimpses of love. These tales walk the line between what we can see and what lies just beyond perception – and they’re meant to make you feel.

The stories are arranged to offer a roller coaster of emotions and moods. I wrote them because I had things on my mind – ideas, questions, memories, that wanted to get out.

Reader discretion is advised for My Baby Dolores and Peaceful, as they explore darker themes.

So, buckle up. I’ll be your guide on this journey – through shadows, wonder, and everything in between.

Best wishes,

Thomas

Stories

About Hughie

I am the last soul

Leah

My crazy nephew

Something’s growing under my skin

The haunted house

Toshi’s reflection

About Tristan and Linda

My baby Dolores

The autopsy of Salem Blake

The date

Dear Freya

Peaceful

You should stay, you know

Closing words

About Hughie

A few days ago, I got a call from Cara, an old friend of mine. She asked if I had seen or heard from Hughie lately. I said that I hadn’t heard from him in months, even though we were close friends. She told me that she’d met him about a week ago, when she was out on the town.

They dated for a while about ten years ago, when we were in our early twenties, but they broke up when she moved abroad. Well, I guess it was really Cara who broke up with Hughie, since he didn’t want her to move, and he didn’t want to come with her. I think it was a fair break-up, considering the situation.

Hughie didn’t seem to care a lot in the beginning, so he went out and partied a lot—drank, smoked some weed, and hooked up with different women when he had the chance. I know he used it as a coping mechanism, but it wasn’t good for him. I told him so, and after a while he stopped pretty much altogether with both alcohol and drugs. I could still tell he was upset about Cara though.

She’d returned to the country ten days ago staying with her parents while searching for a place of her own. As she told me, she bumped into Hughie about a week ago. They spent several hours talking and walking along the beach. The leaves on the trees had just started changing color from green to the reds and yellows of autumn.

They stopped by a coffee place on the beach, and Cara offered to pay for a latte, Hughie’s favorite coffee drink. He politely declined but thanked her for the offer. As the sun started to set, they walked back into town.

Hughie said he had to go, and Cara replied that she really enjoyed seeing him and asked if they could meet up again. He replied that it would be some time until they met again, because he had to go somewhere. He wouldn’t tell her where he’d go but assured her that they would see each other in the future. He took her hands, leaned in, and kissed her softly on the cheek.

“I’ve missed you” he said. “I’ll see you later” she replied with a smile, as she started to walk away, leaving him once again on the corner. She turned back—he was gone.

Today, I got a phone call from Hughie’s parents. They apologized for not calling sooner, but they had been busy dealing with Hughie’s funeral. It turned out he’d been hit by a truck two weeks ago. I could barely process it. I thanked them for calling, offered my condolences, and hung up in a daze. After the call, I searched online, and there it was—his obituary!

I’m sitting here with my phone in my hand, Cara’s number glowing on the screen. How am I supposed to tell Cara she spoke to a ghost?

I am the last soul

I’m the last soul. All humans have been judged and sent to heaven or hell. There are none left, as they all have died out by now. I’m standing in front of Luminus and Lucifer as they’re trying to decide where I belong.

We’re in a place between earth, heaven, and hell. The ground is divided into three colors, white, black, and gray. I’m standing where the ground is gray, Lucifer on the black part, and Luminus on the white. We’re surrounded by twilight, and there are some clouds scattered around, moving slowly across the endless sky. It’s beautiful, really. Think of the prettiest sunset you have ever seen, and you’re probably close to what we see.

As we’re standing there, I’m not nervous. I just look at them, and I feel calm even though I probably should feel nervous, or even anxious. Their decision won’t matter to me, though. I don’t really care anymore.

You might wonder, what do they look like? They both look like regular human males, even though they both have some feminine attributes. They both seem to have soft skin, and contrary to popular belief, Lucifer actually has kind eyes, just like Luminus, even if they do look tormented. I can even sense a bit of sadness in them, as if all the souls he has collected was something he didn’t really want to do. In Luminus’ eyes I see mostly kindness, but with a hint of darkness. Lucifer is dressed in a black suit, Luminus in a white one. I’m wearing light gray sweatpants and a light gray hoodie.

“From what I can tell, this soul is neutral.” Lucifer says.

“I agree. But I’m having trouble reading this one. This soul is not as easy to read as the others have been.” Luminus replies.

“So how will we decide where it should go?” Lucifer asks with a perplexed look on his face.

“We’ll ask him three questions each, and the answers given shall determine where his soul belongs.”

“Sounds fair.” Lucifer says with a grin on his face. “I’ll go first”.

“If someone got hurt, would you laugh?” “I don’t enjoy suffering, be it mine or someone else’s.” I replied. “But sometimes, you get what you deserve.”

“What was your religion during your life?” Luminus asked, as he looked at me with a judgmental gaze. “I don’t believe in religion. I have always treated everyone and everything with respect regardless of their heritage and legacy.”

“One religious man has murdered another man of a different religion. Would you send him to heaven or hell?” “I believe that, as you die, you gain a higher level of consciousness. On earth, you were limited by the physics of the brain, even though you have a soul. Therefore, I believe that when people see what they have done from a different perspective they will regret what bad things they did during their lifetime. And as I also believe in forgiveness, I’d let them have peace. They simply didn’t know better.”

“What is the meaning of life, according to you?” “During my time on earth, I have learned that the meaning of life is love. Compassion, helpfulness, kindness all come from a place of love. Even hate comes from love.”

“Would you steal candy from a baby?”

“I… What? No! But I can see why some people might. I’m not justifying their actions but can put myself in their shoes. See it from their perspective if you will.”

They both pondered my answers.

“He’s still hard to read!” Lucifer said, clearly frustrated.

“What do you think?”

“Well, the answers are vague, and I personally don’t like the comment he made about religion, and that he doesn’t believe in it!”

“Okay, yeah, I see where you’re coming from. But to his defense, he’s into forgiveness. You like that shit!”

“That is true. But he kind of condoned stealing candy from a baby, even if that was a somewhat odd question. And please don’t use that language when I’m around. You know I don’t like it!”

“Well, it’s not like I’d end up in hell for it. Oh, wait, I already live there!”

“Guys, please stop arguing. I know time means nothing here, but we all need to move on. Also, you have only asked me five questions. Luminus, I know you have one more question for me.”

“Ah, yes, that’s true. I forgot. Being almost fourteen billion years does take a toll on one’s mind.”

“I bet it does.” I replied with a smile. “I bet it does.”

“Well then, my last question; have you killed anyone?”

I thought about my answer for a while, before I gave them both my reply.

“Every human, and every animal, every living creature across time and space. Everything that has ever lived, and everything that ever will. I always have and always will be there when it’s their time to die.”

“T-that’s horrible!” Luminus exclaimed, anger clearly visible in his eyes. “Are you serious?!”

“Hahaha, you’re fucking awesome! That’s hardcore!” Lucifer roared. “Can I get your autograph?” He doubled over, wheezing with laughter, as Luminus stared at him and said, “Just like you to laugh at something like this!” “Well, suit yourself, father, you made me like this.”

Lucifer wiped the tears of laughter off his face as he started to calm down, unlike Luminus who seemed like he would explode from anger.

“You both don’t seem to understand.” I told them calmly. “I’m not who you think I am, and you can’t judge me. I am neutral, and I work beyond time.”

I raised my arms and held my palms toward the sky. The sky filled with dark clouds, and there was lightning and thunder as my light gray clothes turned into a dark gray, almost black, robe. In one hand, my scythe appeared, and in the other, an hourglass. My shadow grew longer, and a fog surrounded us.

“I am what awaits everyone. As I said, I treat everyone the same, regardless of heritage and legacy. I have come for you both, as it is time to end this cycle. All souls that you have collected, and the souls you both possess, shall be freed and live again in a new era. But for now, it’s time to die. You can’t escape, for I... am death.”

Leah

Hello. Mrs. Arlo? It’s Liam, yeah, Leah’s friend. I know it’s late, but I wanted to tell you that Leah came knocking on my door. She’s very upset, and right now she’s sitting in my kitchen, crying, and I’m not able to console her.

Apparently, she found out from a friend that Cole has been cheating on her for a couple of years. She confronted him at a party, and he confessed. He laughed in her face and called her a moron for not finding out sooner. Yeah, he’s not a good person, I agree. A jerk? Yeah, I couldn’t agree more!

Listen, I would let her stay here, but I don’t have a spare bed at the moment since I’m renovating. Do you think you can come and pick her up? I’d drive her, but I came home from a party a few hours ago, and I’m in no state to drive. An hour? Yeah, that’s not a problem, I... hang on, I think I heard my front door.

Leah? Leah, are you okay? Leah? Oh, no. Mrs. Arlo, she left. I’ll try to run after her and see if I can catch up. She can’t have gotten far. I’ll call you back!

Liam. Oh, hi Mrs. Arlo. Yeah, I’m looking for her, but I still haven’t found her. I asked a few people if they’ve seen her, but not many are up this late. I’m currently walking towards the city center, if y… You’re on your way? Walking out the door as we speak? Great! It should be easier to find her if we can cover more ground. Another fifteen minutes or so? Good!

I’ve called a couple of our friends as well, to see if they wanna help find her. They’re on their way. I’m crossing the bridge over Blue Valley Creek now. Hopefully she didn’t do anything irreversible. Sorry, Mrs. Arlo, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just… Let me call you back, I have to check something!

Mrs. Arlo, it’s me again. I don’t know how to tell you this, but Leah… she’s… she’s gone! I crossed the bridge and looked out over the creek, and thought I saw something. I went down the side of the bridge, through the long grass, and I found Leah.

She was lying face down close to the edge of the creek. I pulled her out of the water and called an ambulance while doing CPR. She didn’t have a pulse, and she wasn’t breathing! I tried to help her, but she didn’t respond. I did chest compressions, blew air into her lungs, but nothing helped! The ambulance got here pretty fast, but they couldn’t save her. They say I had done everything right after I told them what had happened.