#sunshiners

i feel like 2 people on tumblr know this webseries i wont be surprised if this gets only 2 likes HELP

To all my tumblr followers: be sure to submit any photos of yourself with the new book THE SACRIFICE OF SUNSHINE GIRL and TAG IT with #sunshinespotted

“The Thing In The Corner” 

by Alberto

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“Nobody is afraid of the dark, they're afraid of what’s in it." 

It’s 3:00 in the morning, the witching hour. And I’m wide awake. I haven't had a decent sleep in days, I couldn't, I have to keep an eye on the thing in the corner.

It's the corner no one bothers to look in, the one they don't pay attention to. The darkest corner. The thing comes at night, it’s black as ink, it's very tall with glowing red eyes, sharp claws on its gnarled hands, a hundred razor sharp fangs, and long, slimy tentacles along its back. 

We have an agreement with each other, it will stay in its corner all night if I stay awake and watch it. And it watches me back. But if I don't, it will devour me in seconds. I only ever see it smile an evil smile, like it knows I’ll fail. The rest of it is hidden by the darkness. 

The only reason I know what it looks like is that one night, I did fail. I woke up to the feeling of a slimy tentacle wrapping around my leg that protruded from the edge of my bed, it pulled me out, and lifted me up into the air, I tried to scream, but it had its hand over my mouth, I could feel its claws digging into my head. 

 I saw its teeth, it's large mouth open wide, waiting to taste my flesh. But its eyes are what I remember the most, they were glowing bright red, and it felt like they were staring into my soul, I felt them penetrating my mind and burning holes into my spirit. It carried me closer and closer to its watery mouth, and I did the only thing I could think of. 

I jabbed my finger into its right eye, and black blood squirted out. The thing screeched and thrashed in pain. It immediately dropped me and I landed on the floor. I ran back to my bed, the only safe place in my room, and the thing crawled back into its corner, black blood still dripping from its eye. 

That’s when it stopped smiling at me. 

I never fell asleep in my room again at night. Now I know the next time the thing gets its chance, it won't hesitate. So now I lie awake at night, watching for it, making sure whatever it is stays in the corner. 

But every night, it gets harder and harder to stay awake. I sleep during class and take naps when I can. My parents are worried. But they wouldn't believe me if I told them the truth. And I'm afraid that one night, I’m going to fail again, and the thing will come out of the corner and devour me. Now my parents want me to take sleep medicine, but I can’t. 

The thing has started smiling again. I’m scared.

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Thanks for your amazing story, Alberto!

by Mackenzie 

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I had never felt guilt so intense before now.  I knew it was all my fault, and I knew that we were going to die because of me.        

It should have been routine.  Take some new friends into a cave, explore, have a little fun.  By no means was I an expert, just someone who liked to live a little dangerously.  I convinced them to go, and before any of us knew it, we had no idea where we were.       

“Jordon, this isn’t okay, just get us out,” my friend, Maya, shouted.  Her voice echoed from the cave walls and back into my panicked mind.        

The thing was, I was so scared I could barely think.  I’d been to this cave hundreds of times, I knew every twist and turn, and it really was not that large. So many summers had been spent in these tight spaces, and I had always felt completely safe.  I’ve literally found my way out in the dark, I should be able to find it with five people, all with bright lights.        

“I’m not doing this on purpose!” I shouted back, desperate for any kind of natural light, for a breeze, for something besides dead air.  “We should cut the lights again.”        

Instant repulse flooded to me from the group.  “I am NOT hearing that again,” was the general response.        

I remembered only too well the noises.  As soon as the lights and our sounds died, they rose.  Sprinting feet, scratching, heavy breathing.  I understood their fear, because nothing compared to that feeling of absolute dread.  It came only second to the complete powerlessness that overtook my senses.        

“Well, we can’t really find natural light if ours is flooding the place!” I argued, anger replacing the panic, even though I was still horribly anxious.          

“I KNOW I heard footsteps, and none of us were moving.  It only happened when we turned off the lights, and I’m not taking the risk again.”  Everyone nodded, but I knew they were desperate.        

“I don’t want to either, but it’s the only way!  Do you want to be stuck here any longer than we have to?”        

With reluctance, one by one the lights died until only mine remained.  It illuminated the dirty, sweaty, panicked faces of my friends, who all looked to me for guidance I now knew I had no business offering.        

“Okay, I’m going to turn it off.  When I do, everyone look for light.  Okay?”          Agreements came, and I took a deep breath.        

I stood alone at the head of the group, back exposed.  “I’m gonna count to three.        

“One.        

“Two. . .”        

Before I could say the third number, a hand reached around my shoulder and pressed the flashlight switch.        

“Three,” it whispered.

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Wow, thank you for your amazing story Mackenzie!