The Pocket by ManufacturerINC

There were rumors going around about some abandoned old silo that had loomed over the woods. The woods were located in the middle of a field of just dirt alongside the railroad tracks...not like anyone cares. It’s an eerie sight with just, you know, sitting there looming over the woods with rust trailing down the sides. Anyways some rumored it to be haunted by like some old farmer who hung himself in the silo and takes his revenge on anyone who enters.

I say this rumor is complete bullshit especially when the ones spreading the rumor tries to back up their rumor with the story of some stupid kids who were curious and went in the silo, never to come back out. Others say that the silo is just a good hangout spot where people would never find them.

So with both positive and negative comments my geek-band of friends and I decided to check it out. We decided to enhance the creepiness by choosing to visit the silo on a gloomy and cloudy day. So the day came and my friends, Pete, Meg, and Wes, met at my house since it was alongside the railway.

We walked along the railway talking and laughing, having ourselves a good time...until we saw it...The silo was, of course, just sitting there looming tall over the trees. Curious, we walked toward it as our laughter, along with our talking, died down. The closer we got to it the colder it felt...as if there was some sort of cold, dark aura radiating from it sending shivers down our spines...Hell!

Wes even let out a small little yelp. We paced around the circumference of the silo looking for an entrance of some sort. We ended up finding a ladder leading up into the silo. The rungs of the ladder were also handles to open hatches all along the side of the structure...All were locked except for one...

Though it was stuck so we had Pete climb up and open the hatch and within a few minutes we were inside the silo, standing on the hay left in there. In the center there was a large hole, deep in the hay. It was dark but we could hear a steady flow of air coming from the bottom.

Oddly enough there was a rope descending into the hole. Since I was the only one smart enough to actually be prepared for this I took out my flashlight. Holding the flashlight in my mouth I began to descend. I dropped to the bottom, scanning the small area. Everything seemed safe as I looked at the scattered hay, dirt, and also another peculiar hatch. I beckoned for the others to come down.

As they descended...My eye had caught something covering the rope, the color of it was red. I hid my panic and showed the others the hatch I found. Pete opened it, revealing a dark hole...Now the fucked up thing about that was it reeked of...death. The others had sensed it too and of course Wes had whimpered like a little bitch. Meg ended up gaining the courage to take my flashlight and go first into the hole.

We followed her and we walked through this dark tunnel for about 10–15 minutes until Meg had told us we reached another hatch and she opened it. A bright light had filled the tunnel and that’s when we heard it. A piercing shriek followed by the sounds of something running, panting hard. In a desperate attempt to avoid the creature that had made that horrific shriek, we ran. Once we were out of the tunnel we slammed the hatch shut, attempting to lock it.

The sound had stopped and breathing a sigh of relief all of us had observed our current surroundings. We were in a concrete block which appeared to be an old septic tank but with an opening at the top and through that opening we could see the forest above. We began to climb out and then it happened. Again w-we heard that damn sound again! Wes wasn’t even out of the hole yet...Poor, poor Wes. This creature slammed through the hatch and a sharp, clawed hand reached out and grasped Wes’ leg tight, pulling him into the tunnel. We heard his terrified screams and then suddenly...it stopped.

We heard the sharp snapping of bones and the tearing of flesh. The rest of us were frozen in shock, the sound of Wes being killed was revolting...Meg ended up vomiting at the sound. After that we tried to find our way out of the thicket. We searched for a way out for at least an hour but we concluded that the forest was enclosed in a large perimeter of barbed-wire fencing.

We panicked having no idea what we should do and also realizing that the thing comes out in the dark. Night was coming fast and in a desperate panic Meg climbed high into a tree hoping the thing wouldn’t find her. Pete found a small hole in the ground to hide in, bad idea. Again we heard the shriek and I watched the thing climb out of its “home.” In my panic I quickly climbed up a tree and watched Pete sitting in the hole.

I also, to my regret, had got a better look at the creature we were facing. It was the most grotesque thing I have ever seen. Its face was mask-like, pale white against its dark skin. The face seemed to only have two dark holes for eyes and a large smile stretched across the face. After a few moments of observation I had soon noticed that it was a mask, a mask made from Wes’ skinned face. I was scared shitless as the thing was crawling toward Pete.

I sat in the tree as I watched Pete run in fear but that was no use since the thing caught up to him instantly. It shoved both hands through Pete’s chest and tore him apart with ease. It...Oh god!...Its chest opened up revealing bloody tendrils that wrapped around Pete’s head, tearing it off from his mutilated corpse slowly pulling it into the empty cavity and sealed it shut.

The skinned face of Wes had disintegrated and quickly replaced with a mask made from Pete with the same hollow eyes and screwed up smile. Then it spoke in a soft, raspy voice, “I am the Pocket.” It proceeded to crawl back into its dwelling. From the other tree I heard Meg crying, I beckoned for her to climb down as I climbed down myself and told her we are getting the hell out of this place alive.

Hesitantly she climbed down and I went up to the barbed-wire fence and gripped the sharp wire spreading it wide enough for someone to climb through. My hands bled but I ignored the pain as Meg climbed through the opening. Again, the Pocket shrieked and in my panic I hastily crawled through the opening and cut myself up bad. Bleeding, I ran with Meg and ignored the pain, running until we had reached civilization once again.

Ten years had passed, Meg and I were happily married. I say were for a reason...the same reason why I’m telling you this story today...Meg is dead. Sh-She died a horrible death, so horrible. The police were called to the scene after a couple going for a walk through the woods found her mutilated, headless corpse laying at the edge of the woods. When I say the word “edge” that means that it is far from the barb-wired fence.

Th-This can only mean that the Pocket is free from its prison! It's free and it’s coming straight for me! I know it is! This is horrible! Right now...I’m looking at our marriage picture trying to calm myself down with the happy memories.

It didn’t help...C-Cause in the reflection of the glass I saw a face slowly coming toward me, Meg’s face, only it was eyeless and had that damn terrifying smile. The Pocket, i-it’s here, it has come to take me! I feel its hands pierce through my chest. At this moment...I realized its prime motive. It killed to free...to free people from the hell that now exists in this world...and I earned the privilege to be freed. I smile.

''Photo credit: ''Photo © Tarangryph. ''Costume design by Clockwork Creature Studio.