The Subway Effect

I dedicate this story to all who add horror to my life. Thanks for scaring the **** out of me, Stephen King

---

9-2-1992

Andrea Sweeney's phone rang. She picked it up. Frank. As usual. The boyfriend she knew and loved had to interrupt during a marathon of Diffr'nt Strokes, but, if so, it had to be important.

"Hello?"

"Hey, hey. Hey, Andrea. Are you ready to party tonight?"

"Um, no."

"We got beer up in here!!!"

"Frank, I'm kind of busy right now, but..." Hesitation. "If you say so."

"Yeah- heh!"

"Be at Porky's at about nine, right?"

"OK."

"Bye."

She took a shower and got ready as soon as she dropped the phone and bolted out the door.

Porky's was this run-down church turned nightclub, which was where every hipster and, yes, of course, all the popular kids went, too.

Now I may want to direct you from the story a bit and fast forward. A good summary of what happened is deadmau5, Prodigy, booze, PCP, Frank, and Andrea left. Their drunken, drugged asses limped down the sidewalk and wobbled till they stopped.

"Heyyy look!" Frank slurred.

"Wha-what?" Andrea asked

"A subway entrance, I guess.. Um... Yeah... Subway."

"We should totally go down there."

"Ditto."

But when they walked up to the entrance, it was being blocked by several boxes labeled:

DOOM UPON US!

DO NOT ENTER.

THE END IS NIGH.

"Give a rat's ass if the end is nigh," said Frank as he threw the boxes out of the way.

And then both of them walked into the entrance, hopped the turnstile, and went down some stairs.

The tunnel was dimly lit, and the rails were dull. Basically, it was abandoned. Then all of a sudden, something sped past their feet, and Andrea got spooked."

"What the hell was that?"

"Just a fucking rat. Don't know what you're scared."

But then, the lights went out and a voice said,

"Ha ha, innocent blood will be shed tonight."

Andrea screamed and wound up lying in a five-pointed star. Frank lay against the wall, arms cut off and bloodied. Then, peace came. Peace and quiet.

+++

9-3-1992

Agent Truman Varney sat puzzled in front of the battered body of Andrea Sweeney. Why the hell would someone do this? How did someone do this?

"We found out what the star is," said another agent.

"Very good, very good. Spill it," Varney snapped.

"It's a pentagram. It is used very much in Pagan religious rituals and used for well..."

"Well?"

"...Sacrifices."

"So, this might be a religious person we are looking for?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Not sure?"

"Exactly."

Varney feared this would be some unsure-not-sure-not-exactly-bullshit he had in every case he touched. But the pay was good, so, whatever it takes...

+++

Truman Varney had no idea what he was getting into when he took pictures of the scene, but it seemed to stick in his head. Even his gloried shell collection couldn't get his mind off it.

But, like every case, his brain told him, You can do it! Solve it! Chop chop!

Varney sort of laughed.

"Should've gone into the bakery business like my dad."

+++

Meanwhile, Tom Roberts was drifting like he always did on a Wednesday night, and something caught his eye. A subway entrance!

It was a damn old one, too. The subway probably closed due to track complications, probably. Yes, he heard it before. He remembered the people talking about a shitload of murders that happened. It would be a nice place to rest, though.

So he opened the gate. Turnstyle? Piece of cake. So, he was down there. It smelled musty and moldy, and it was dimly lit.

Of course, the tunnels were blocked off, but an empty floor provided a good space for a sleeping bag.

But then the lights blew out.

"Goddammit," exclaimed Tom. Then, something bumped him, and a voice said,

"Tom, I've been watching you. You've been bad, Tom, real bad."

The voice sounded oddly demonic, and then the voice said:

"Ha! Tom, are you scared? Ooo, Tom, you're scared."

Then, Tom felt a sharp pain in his side. He then realized, He was being stabbed!

But it was too late to take action. The lights came on once again, and Tom could've swore he saw a hooded man before he went into an eternal sleep...