The Climbing Frame : Scary Stories – Short Horror Story

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Johnny ran through the empty allotments towards the old Crowley estate. The afternoon sun appeared milky white behind the bruised cloudscape, casting a cold light upon the breezeblock brutalities that made up the abandoned complex.

In the distance he could hear Kyle and his gang shouting in an effort to locate him. The foursome had beaten Johnny and stolen his Pokémon cards but he had managed to escape and was now desperately trying to find somewhere to hide.

As he turned a corner he was faced with endless rows of burnt and boarded-up houses; the windows were smashed; the walls disgraced with graffiti; weeds grew abundantly through cracks in the pavement. The silence was unnatural, disrupted only by errant birdsong.

The quiet of the estate unnerved him. He could no longer hear his pursuers, but Johnny, scared and uneasy, searched for refuge. Walking further into the grey, reclusive atmosphere he spotted a playground. Sat upon a bed of tall, wild flowers were broken see-saws, seatless swings and vandalised roundabouts. In the centre was a large climbing frame, a weathered collection of beams, pipes and ropes. A rusted metal spider sat cruelly atop a central pole that supported a circling net. At the far end a small hutch stood intact at the summit of a metalwork course. The perfect spot to hide, Johnny thought.

He ran quickly through the urban meadow to the climbing frame. Gripping the small ladder at the beginning of the run, he started to ascend until he reached a compact steel tunnel that led to the next part. The channel was weird, Johnny thought as he clambered through: it took him a lot longer to reach the end than he thought it would.

Exiting, he discovered the spider web netting was next. Placing his hands on the web, he tentatively crawled across. Johnny swore that the arachnid overseer moved slightly as he made his way over it. The netting was slightly sticky to the touch as well, plaguing him with many a disconcerting thought.

Finally, Johnny reached the metal frame that led to the hutch. Breathing heavily, he lifted himself up and went inside.

Kyle heard Johnny’s screaming first.

The boys followed the sound and quickly reached the climbing frame. Jayden spotted Johnny’s coat in the hutch and pointed.

“There he is!” Kyle shouted.

Excited at the prospect of getting their hands on Johnny, they rushed along the course until they reached the hutch and crawled in.

They never saw the creature disentangle itself from the climbing frame below. The thing was a gangly horror of metal pipework and wooden logs connected together by sinewy ropes. It had camouflaged itself perfectly and lost no time in scurrying up to the hideaway and wrapping its body around, trapping the bullies within.

In the meadow, Johnny lay silently, observing the monster feeding on the boys. He had convinced the creature to spare him by assuring it of a larger meal.

One that would last four days instead of one.

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