Alger’s Dimension Part 10
“Alger’s Dimension” is a horror novelette, first published by “Disturbed Digest” in their December 2017 issue. If you’re just entering this story, you can start from the beginning by going here, or if you want to see all available parts to date, you can find them here. A new part of this story will be released every day, with the 13th and final episode coming out on Halloween.
Declan woke gasping, panting, unable to get air into his lungs fast enough. He felt nauseated, recognizing an unmistakable, pungent ozone odor.
The charged air around Declan crepitated, causing Declan’s neck muscles to spasm, and sending a crawling sensation under his skin. He rose to a sitting position, trying to gain his bearings, but unable to make sense of his foreign environment.
Moonlight shone through the bedroom window, and the stacks of books triggered his memory.
A thump from another room caused Declan to jump. He strained his ears, but he was greeted by silence. Even the storm had quieted.
Declan’s shoulders relaxed, and once again he noted the peculiar fragrance in the room. He couldn’t shake the sensation of electricity flowing through the air. His hair pulled from his scalp.
The unmistakable sound of a wall of books crashing to the floor caused Declan to leap to his feet. He reached for the dagger, and fumbled with the tool roll and wooden box before finally freeing the blade. Grasping the dagger in one hand, he snatched his flashlight with the other, and crept through the maze of books.
Declan glanced out the bedroom window to the backyard, and staggered at the sight below. In the middle of the yard stood a figure devoid of color under the glow of the moon. Declan leaned toward the window to get a better view when the man looked straight up at him. Declan stepped back in shock, but was unable to pull his gaze from Dr. Kazmarack.
The professor pointed his pale arm toward the forest, looked to Declan then shambled into the woods.
A clatter from the room down the hall reminded Declan that he wasn’t alone in the house. He inched to the doorway, holding his breath.
A disturbing clicking noise sent a chill along Declan’s spine, and weakened his knees. Declan considered himself a rational man, but at that moment he realized he’d rather be irrational and get out of the house than find out the creature from his nightmare resided in Dr. Kazmarack’s office.
Floorboards groaned, as if under the strain of a great weight, followed by the crashing of more books. Declan found himself halfway down the stairs before he gave his decision a second thought.
The house shuddered, and Declan imagined the hulking figure from his nightmare forcing its way through the office door. The sound of splintering wood and crunching drywall followed Declan. He took a sharp left at the bottom of the stairs and jogged through the maze. He turned the corner too sharply and hit the corner stack of books hard, sending some of them spilling to the floor. From above, the clicking noise grew in intensity.
Declan managed to weave through the dining room and into the kitchen, when he heard a rapid succession of thuds on the stairs followed by a crash at the bottom. Declan grabbed the doorknob and threw open the door. His flashlight flew from his hands, but he didn’t dare pause to reclaim it. A deep growl chased him out of the house. He could no longer convince himself that the monster from his dream was a figment of his imagination.
Declan sprinted toward the forest, unable to see Dr. Kazmarack. When he reached the trees, he glanced toward the house to see a black hulking figure in the doorway. The creature rammed into the doorframe, repeatedly, trying to break through and making quick work of it.
He slipped the dagger into the backside of his belt before running into the forest. Perhaps he could lose the thing, loop back around, and get to his vehicle. For now, he let fear and adrenaline carry him deeper into the woods.
You can find all sections of “Alger’s Dimension” here.
