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SHORT STORY | HORROR
Midnight in the Forbidden Hollow
In 1924, two brothers went hunting in a rural mountain hollow — one disappeared. Years later, the youngest brother has a deathbed confession. A short story.
I’m writing this because I want people to know the truth about what happened that night in the hollow. I’ve lived my whole life without telling anyone the full story, afraid nobody would believe me if I did. But the doctors tell me I have the old timer’s disease that makes me forget things and that I’ll eventually die from it. I’m having a good day today — I can recognize people I know — so I want to write down the truth as it happened because no other living person knows except me.
I started thinking about writing the whole thing out when one of my great-grandchildren (I think her name is Emilee) gave me this little notebook last Christmas. She asked me to write down memories about my family history so they can have a record of it after I’m dead. Of course, she didn’t say it quite like that but it’s what she meant. So if you’re reading this, it means I’m already dead. I won’t waste your time with unnecessary details about my life because I don’t know how much longer my mind will work for me.
