Short Stories Before Bed (Horror)

Hands - Hands From the Sky

In one dark night, the small town of Bernaville is drenched in a gentle drizzling rain. The streets that should be crowded with night activities began to quiet, feeling an indescribable silence. The rain made everything feel like a sad song, however, this silence would soon be replaced by unimaginable fear.

As the clock ticked down at 3am, the citizens of Bernaville who were still awake began to feel something unnatural. They came out of their house to see what was going on. However, when they turned their faces up, they saw a scene that made the feathers goosebumps.

From above the dark sky, huge dark hands began to appear one by one. They looked like peerless black shadows, but were very real. The drizzling rain that was still falling created a glittering illusion around those hands, as if they were entities from another world.

A middle-aged man named John, who was standing on the porch of his house, saw the first hand appear. The hand crossed the sky slowly, as if searching for something. His eyes could not turn away as the hand got closer. The hand looked pale, the skin was wrinkled, and the nails were long like ghost claws.

When the first hand has fully appeared, the second hand comes after it, followed by the next hands. They looked like human hands, yet were large, extremely large, and their presence above the sky shook everyone's confidence. The silent citizens of Bernaville saw this incredible sight.

The drizzling rain was getting busier, and it gave off the impression like those huge hands were emerging from within the clouds. They move together, as if they have the same goal. They moved slowly, looking for something that humans could not understand.

The old woman named Clara, who was sitting in front of the window of her room, could not help her fear. He looked at those hands with teary eyes, and his memories carried him into the past. "They came to take us," he murmured softly, his voice trembling.

The more residents witnessed these appalling apparitions, the greater the panic spread throughout the city. They whispered and wondered what might have been the cause. Is this a sign of disaster? Is the world going to end?

Then, the hands started moving faster. They moved with inhuman coordination, as if they were forming a plan that only they knew about. The drizzling rain now felt like the tears of the sky crying over an unavoidable fate.

Some residents tried to contact the authorities, but all their efforts were in vain. The phone did not work, and the messages they sent never arrived. The town of Bernaville is isolated, and they are left to face those big hands alone.

As the big hands approached the surface of the city, the citizens of Bernaville felt helpless. They felt like little beasts that could do nothing under the clutches of a dark destiny. Some tried to hide in their homes, but in vain; the hands penetrated the roofs and walls.

The fears that plagued Bernaville grew more real with every passing second. Residents were screaming, crying, praying, trying to find refuge in the arms of their families. However, those big hands kept approaching, not caring about the hysteria that was engulfing the city.

A young woman named Emily runs into the room of her son, Alex. He found her sleeping soundly in the gripping silence of the night. Emily felt like she had to protect her son. He grabbed Alex who was still sleeping and brought her down, feeling terrified at the scary big hands.

As he tried to grab the front door to escape, a huge hand pierced through the wall of their house. It came so fast, as if they had no shelter. Emily screams loudly, trying to pull away and Alex is out of the grip of this terrifying destiny.

But the big hand is strong. They held Emily and Alex tightly together. Emily tried hard to break free, but her efforts were in vain. Hysteria spread in his eyes, and he felt that the grip of the hand was getting stronger.

They lifted up from the floor, rising into the dark sky. Emily looked down and saw the town of Bernaville which looked like a small toy town below them. They were flying, held by those big hands. Alex wakes up and cries in fear, holding on tightly to her mother.

The night deepened, and the drizzling rain was still falling. Over the dark sky, the huge hands take Emily and Alex away from the city. They feel like they are being sucked into an unknown realm, like in a nightmare with no way out.

Amidst their fear, Emily tries to communicate something to the hands, but they are too abstract, no faces, no voices. The hands were like an existence that had no emotion or intent. They are just doing tasks that humans cannot understand.

When they reached the peak of the sky, those huge hands began to subside. Emily and Alex feel themselves slowly falling down, descending from a terrifying height. They landed in a dark place, an unknown place.

As they stand on unfamiliar ground, Emily tries to ease her cries and comfort the still-frightened Alex. They don't know where they are, but the only thing they do know is that they have to survive.

They decide to explore the place, looking for clues or other signs of life. However, the place felt quiet and uninhabited. Emily tries to find a way out, but the more they explore, the darker and secluded the place becomes.

In the darkness that enveloped them, Emily and Alex felt like there was no hope. They feel abandoned, trapped in a world they don't understand. The drizzling rain they felt in the city of Bernaville seemed to have turned into a never-ending rain of despair.

They walked without a definite direction, looking for answers to their questions. How did they get back to Bernaville? What happened to their city? Why did those big hands bring them to this place?

Emily and Alex feel increasingly isolated and estranged in this unknown place. They began to run out of food and water supplies, and the constant fear that haunted them made the atmosphere even more tense.

As the night falls, Emily and Alex find shelter inside an old building. They burned the remains of wood they found to create a small fire. Under the dim light of the fire, they sit together, and Emily tries to ease Alex's anxiety.

"We're going to find a way back, Alex," Emily said in a trembling voice. "We must be strong and united."

Alex looked at his mother with frightened eyes. "What's gonna happen to us, Mama?"

Emily tried to give a gentle smile. "We don't know, honey. But we can't give up. We'll survive, and we'll go back home."

They slept with a hug, under the dark sky. The drizzling rain was still coming down, and it was like their night watchman, albeit with a touch of deep loneliness.

The next day, they continued to explore the place. They found a beautiful waterfall in the middle of a dense forest, and a small, clear lake. Although the place is quiet and uninhabited, the nature is so beautiful and enchanting. They felt like they were in a dreamland, a place that shouldn't exist.

Later that night, they returned to their shelter in the old building. But tonight, something is different. They heard the sounds of approaching steps. Emily held Alex by the hand and let out their breath. The voice was getting closer, and they could sense a presence they were unfamiliar with.

As the door of the old building opened slowly, Emily and Alex saw someone enter. That person was standing in the doorway, staring at them with indescribable eyes. This isn't human. It is an unknown entity, human in form but so different.

"Who are you?" asked Emily in a trembling voice.

The entity did not answer. He just stood in his place, as if judging them. Then, with a sudden movement, he extended a large hand towards Emily and Alex. They stared at the hand in fear, not knowing what would happen next.

The hand touched Emily and Alex gently. The entity showed kindness, despite its frightening appearance. He brought food and water, offering it to them. Emily and Alex accept carefully, still scared, but also hungry.

They cannot talk to the entity. The language the entity uses feels foreign and incomprehensible. However, they felt that the entity was the only protector they had in this place.

Night after night, the entity came with food and water. They didn't know what he meant or why he helped them, but they felt grateful. They begin to feel that the entity is part of this place, perhaps one of its guards or owners.

For days, Emily and Alex lived with the entity in this strange place. They begin to feel comfortable with his presence, even though the entity never speaks or expresses any emotion. They even gave him the name, "Always," according to the entity's simple appearance.

They learn to survive in this place, using the available resources. They explore the surroundings, understand the flora and fauna of the place, and begin to feel that they have a place in this world, even though the place is very different from the one they are familiar with.

Time passed slowly in that place. Emily and Alex adapt to the life they lead. They do not know if they will ever return to Bernaville, or if those big hands will come again. But they learn to live their new life with Sahaja, an entity who has become their unexpected friend.

When they feel that this place is a new home for them, Emily and Alex realize that they have passed the test of a dark destiny with determination and fortitude. They never know the answer to their question, but they find new meaning in the sense of family, friendship, and resilience in the face of the unexpected.

And in this unknown place, under a never-ending drizzling rain, they continue on their journey with Sahaja, living a life they never imagined, while looking forward to adventures and mysteries that may exist in the future.