The Tall Man [HHWC]

Calvin's parents had left to go to an office Halloween party across town. His older brother Trevor promised to take him Trick or Treating until eleven o'clock. His Werewolf costume he wore last Halloween was a little tight, but Calvin was determined to wear it anyway. Calvin pulled his Werewolf mask on with some effort. Staring into the mirror, he adjusted it enough to see through the openings. He let out a long howl as he made his way down the stairs. "Trevor, hurry up" he called out. His brother didn't answer so Calvin said " I'm not waiting all night". Calvin grabbed his Trick or Treat bag, mumbling "see you later looser" as he went out the door to meet his friend Ricky.

Despite telling his parents that he wouldn't let his little brother Calvin out of his sight, Trevor had plans of his own. He had left twenty minutes earlier to pick up his girlfriend Melany, then drive to a Halloween party at Lincoln lake. He sure didn't want his little brother tagging along all night.

Ricky lived in an old musky Victorian house with his widowed mother Sarah. Their house was a block from the Lincoln cemetery, where he was waiting for Calvin in his Frankenstein costume. Ricky was a hyper kid who didn't like to wait around. He dialed Calvin's cell to see if he was on the way. Calvin answered and said "you got the stuff?" Ricky replied "what the hell do you think". Calvin said "old man Williams will never know what hit him". Ricky laughed and said "hurry up you chump, I've been at the graveyard for five minutes already". Calvin started to jog as his mask slipped over his eyes. He said "I'll be there in a minute, just wait for me" and hung up the phone.

Calvin was still adjusting his mask when he notice the Tall Man blocking the sidewalk. Calvin growled "what's your problem old man?" as he turned to go around. The Tall Man reached out and grabbed Calvin by the neck. Within a few seconds, Calvin was in a choke and hold being drug down a walkway towards an unlit house. Calvin fought back but was unable to breath, eventually overpowered by this assailant, he passed out just as he saw the front door opening.

The sound of his phone ringing woke Calvin up. He ripped off his mask and reached in his pocket to answer it. A horrific odor hit him as his feet pushed against what seemed to be a fence. It was Ricky calling, who said "are we going to do this or what?" Calvin replied "someone grabbed me and stuck me in their house, I think I'm in a cage!" Ricky replied "I'm calling the cops, where are you?" Calvin kicking at the cage door, then replied "I don't know, I was walking down Cedar Street and this Tall Man got me in a choke hold, and then I passed out". Ricky said "I am coming to get you out of there, just leave your phone on and tell me when you hear the firecrackers". Ricky ran towards Cedar Street lighting a firecracker every other house. Calvin cried out "I hear it, I hear it, keep lighting them I think you're close".

Just then Calvin heard a door open and dim red light lit up the room. He turned off his phone and played like he was dead. He could see an operating table across the room with someone on it. The Tall Man came over to Calvin and looked in his cage. At that moment a firecracker went off outside the house, Calvin screamed "Ricky, I'm in here, I'm in here". The tall man opened the cage and pulled Calvin out by his hair. He hit Calvin with a right cross and Calvin fell silent to the floor.

Ricky was at the end of the block when he dialed Calvin's cell phone. It went to a message, over and over again. Ricky decided to call Trevor and see if this whole thing was a prank. Trevor didn't answer, so Ricky walked back down Cedar Street yelling for Calvin. When he reached the end of the block he saw a police car approaching. After flagging the officer down and explaining how his friend was put in a cage inside a house on Cedar Street, the officer called for backup.Within minutes the whole police force was at the scene.

Ricky was still in the police car when he saw an old white van drive by. He noticed the driver smiled at him as it rounded the turn onto Broadway. Ricky screamed "that's him in the van, it's got to be". The officer replied in a dry voice "now calm down son, we will find your friend any minute now".

Ricky bolted from the car and began to chase the white van, leaving his mask along with the bag of firecrackers, eggs and toilet paper in the police car. The van was two blocks ahead, but Ricky kept running after it. He ran another five blocks before he tripped on his costume, he tried to get back up, but he was too tired to go on. Crying now, he started off for his home that was three blocks away. He dialed Calvin every ten steps he walked, only to get a message each time.

Calvin awoke to the loud pounding of a hammer. He was being nailed inside a small box and couldn't move much at all. He screamed "let me out, I won't tell anyone". The pounding continued. He screamed again "I'm sorry mister, please let me out sir!". The pounding then stopped. Calvin continued with his pleas and then felt the box roll over and over again, until it fell with a heavy crack. He could hear the sound of a shovel digging into dirt, and dirt was hitting the box. He tried to get his cell phone out of his pocket, but in reaching he felt another hand. He screamed when he realized there was a dead body in the box with him. The sound of the crashing dirt was growing faint. He was having trouble breathing when he finally got the phone out of his pocket. Crying uncontrollably, he dialed Ricky's number and waited for it to ring. Nothing happened so he looked for a signal, but there was none.

Ricky had made it home and was telling his mother Sarah what had happened to Calvin, and how the police just let the Tall Man drive right by without a blink of there eye. Sarah tried to calm her son by saying "let me give them a call" and got up to call the police station, to see if they had found Calvin yet. Ricky yelled back "they don't care if they find Calvin and neither do you" as he ran out the door. He walked towards Cedar Street dialing Calvin every ten steps. When he heard a car he looked up for headlights, but there wasn't any. He saw some lights in the graveyard and started running up the street to see better. A white van came out of the entrance and headed straight towards him. Ricky hid behind a tree until the van passed by. Then he ran into the graveyard calling out for Calvin.

Calvin tried to dial every number in his phone, and finally gave up. Finally dropping it. he was just trying to breath now. Ricky had looked all over the cemetery for Calvin and was sitting on a headstone catching his breath. He decided to try to call Calvin again. It rang twenty times before he heard Calvin's voice. "Ricky" Calvin whispered. Ricky said "yes it's me Calvin, where the hell are you?" Calvin replied "It's hard to breathe, the, Tall Man, he, he buried me inside a box, cough" Ricky jumped up and said " I saw him come out of the cemetery, I am right here, do you know where you are?" Calvin whispered " I don't know Ricky, I'm dying here. Tell me you will get him for this" Ricky replied as he started to cry "I promise you man, I will kill that eff- CLUNK". Calvin whispered "Ricky, Ricky are you still there?" Ricky shook his head and looked up. The Tall Man was standing over him holding a shovel, smiling. The Tall Man asked Ricky "looking for me?"

I love this story, are you a professional by trade or just fanfic? I'm a screenwriter and you have provided some great visuals.

reply to post by DrLovecraft


You are too kind Dr,
This is my first attempt at writing a story. I am glad you liked it. I thought about adding more detail and feelings but when I finished it had 1400 words!

I have written poetry for about eight months and this story came from one of my poems.

Buried Alive-

Alone and detached
void of all feeling
I ponder the past
that caught me at last
crumbling bones
darkened cold stones
crushed by gravity
falling apart
divided ten fold
memoirs of horrors
delinquently paid
dying this death
lying to fate
haunting seeps over
my ghostly gasps
this coffin of roots
choking my cries
clawing at rocks
ghostly visions
creeping close
screaming inside
I curse the dirt
my mouth
fills with
earth

reply to post by Tribble


Wow, has a very frantic feel to it. I really didn't see the tall man coming at the end.

The competition has really heated up. S&F

reply to post by Tribble


That was a freaky story! "The Tall Man" sure gave a sense of being powerless and helpless. Nice job.

That was a great tale Tribble. For a first attempt it was really good
Will look forward to seeing more from you,Will have to look out for any
Tall men kicking about tonight when i,m out with the grandkids guising tonight

Good first effort Tribble!. Keep it up in future contests please.

reply to post by Sahabi


Thank you, and everyone else so much!
I still can't believe I wrote it.

Writing it was like catching every green light on the way to work. Strange but cool.
So yes I will write more.