Synopsis

A horror story by John Savage, originally published under the pen name Brian Donovan.

This is a HORROR story of a NON-EROTIC nature.

Talking to ghosts is a strange way to make a living, but for Melody Lane it was better than waiting on tables. And she had the skills for it. Having always been psychic to a degree, and wanting to help people, it seemed natural to contact the dearly (or not so dearly) departed – for a fee.

When a young girl wants her to confirm that her missing sister is dead, Melody becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of murder and torture. The sister is dead, and the man who killed her plans to do much more than just that one killing. Even worse, he does much more than just kill his victims: he smashes every bone in their bodies, one by one, while they are alive.

Melody can talk to ghosts but will that help her combat this fiend? And when he comes up with a weapon to counter all she can bring against him, the stakes become much higher. She may soon become a ghost herself…

EXCERPT

      

      “Okay,” he began again, his calmness in stark contrast to her panic and
fear, “a few ground rules.  One, you may scream all you want.  In fact, I
encourage it.  It will help you cope with the pain and I love the sound of a
woman screaming in agony.  Of course, I have made sure that no one will hear
you.  Number two, you may try all you want to free yourself from these
restraints.  Struggle with all your strength.  Fight with every ounce of will in
you!  I enjoy watching that, too.  And number three, no passing out.  Faint, and
I’ll find a way to revive you.  It will only make the ordeal that much
longer.”

      

      He leaned against the table so his face was closer to hers.  “I know it’s
almost too much of me to expect you not to faint when the pain becomes intense
as the hours go by.  But please try not to.”

      

      He reached over to a table behind him that was out of her sight.  When
his hand came back into view, it held a pair of scissors.  “Time to get you
ready, sweet.  Oh, by the way, what is your name?”

      

       “You can’t be serious!” she cried out.  “Let me go!  Let me go!”  The
last ended in a near-scream.

      

      The slap was sudden and surprising.  But it stopped her outburst.

      

      “I asked you your name,” he said reasonably.  “Please tell me what it
is.”

      

      “Kathy,” came the reply between sobs.  

      

      “Good, Kathy.  Now I’m going to cut away these clothes because they’ll
only get in the way.”  He began to snip at the blouse.  “I suppose I could start
with these still on you, but I’ll have to take them off eventually, so I might
as well do it now.”

      

      It took a little effort to pull the blouse and shorts out from under her
body because she was so firmly attached to the table.  He saved the slender red
panties to last, but soon they joined her other shredded clothing on the
floor.

      

      “You can have sex with me,” she stuttered.  “I won’t fight you.”

      

      “Silly Kathy!  Of course you won’t fight me.  How could you?  Look how
you’re locked down to that table.”

      

      “I’ll be nice to you,” she countered.  “I’ll do whatever you want.  I
know how to use my mouth on a boy.”  It was a woman’s last ploy; her body,
sexual favors.  A little thought would have shown her that she really had
nothing to offer, nothing to barter.  He had her body and could do anything to
it.  And that included forcing her to do those “nice things” she was
promising.

      

      “You do have a nice body.  So young and firm.  Even lying down, those
breasts are very nice.  And that slender waist.  And that cute little patch. 
Screwing you would be fun.  And maybe I’ll get to it.  But later.  There is so
much more I’m going to do to you first.  Things that most men would love to do
to a girl but haven’t the courage to try.”

      

      He put the scissors away and picked up a book that he set down on the
table next to her naked hip.  She could not see the title and did not care
anyway.  Kathy was crying softly as she frantically tried to think of something
to say to avert a terrible fate at the hands of this monster.

      

      “Now here is how this will work,” he began.  “This is a book called
‘Gray’s Anatomy.’  You probably don’t know about it, but it is a very useful
book.  Contained within are all the parts of the human body.  Every organ, every
muscle and…”  He paused for dramatic effect, “every bone!”

      

      Kathy muttered something he could not hear.  Maybe she was not even aware
of what she was saying, so overwhelmed by fear was she.

      

      “There is an old expression you’ve probably heard.  ‘To break every bone
in his body.’  Have you heard that?  I’m sure you have.  Well, that is what I’m
going to do.”  He learned closer and spoke slowly as if to assure that she heard
and understood every word: “I am going to break every bone in your body.”

      

      He grinned as if expecting approval of his announcement.  Kathy sobbed
and shut her eyes tightly.

      

      “Well, I think you’ll come to appreciate what a wonderfully artistic way
it is to cause pain and eventually death.”  He leaned over to place his face
very close to hers.  “You know, I’ve always been fascinated by the human
skeleton.  All those bones holding us up.  Did you know that there are 208 bones
in the human body?  No?  Well, there are.  And I’m going to break every one of
them.  And the exciting part is that you’ll be alive all the while!  Ah, you
think one broken bone hurts, wait until you have broken bones all over your
body.”  He sighed.