Greetings to all my little kiddies!

This is Doctor I.B. Howler and welcome to my newest nightmare. It has been quite a while since I last created one to be told to all the little kiddies as they are being safely snuggled into their nice warm beds ready to drift off to Dreamland.

This nightmare tells the story of a young boy on an elevator ride. A journey he will never forget. What goes up...

Well, you'll see.


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He pushed the button for the nineteenth floor. The light illuminated in amber as the elevator door creaked closed and the car began it's ascent. Tommy Martin was going to visit his invalid grandmother.

Several weeks had passed since they last spent an afternoon together. Velma Evans always looked forward to Tommy's visits. That was because no one else ever called on her. He was such a good boy.

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor and the door opened up. A tall, dark-haired, stranger stepped on board. The door reclosed and the elevator started rising once more. An eerie silence filled the air.

"What floor are you going to?" Tommy finally asked the man. He admired the three-piece, button-down, pleated suit that adorned the passenger.

"That does not matter, Tommy," he was told.

Being called by his first name unsettled the young teenager. Startled, he backed into the far corner of the car and kept his blue eyes trained on the man's every movement.

"Don't be frightened, Tommy," the gent calmly told him, "I know you're going to attend to your Grandma Evans."

'How does this intruder know so much about me?' Tommy wondered to himself. He'd never seen the guy before in his life.

Between the fourteenth and fifteenth floors the elevator jerked and came to a sudden stop. Tommy pushed the button for the nineteenth floor several times. The elevator refused to budge. It was stuck in place.

The interloper reached his hand into the breast pocket of his suit. Tommy wondered what he would extract. It didn't take long for him to find out. Suddenly, a shiny blade appeared.

Terrified, Tommy pounded on the button in a desperate attempt to restart the car moving again.

"Come on elevator!" he pleaded to no avail.

The man smiled. An icy expression crossed his sullen face. Unexpectedly, the elevator lurched and once more began to climb. It came to rest on the nineteenth floor and the door opened wide.

A pool of crimson covered the floor of the car as Tommy stepped off the elevator wearing his new suit. Red liquid ran down his chin. In his hand he held a blood-stained knife. He had just enjoyed dinner. His grandmother would make a tasty dessert.

Sleep tight my little kiddies.

Until the next time!

Dr. I.B. Howler
Nightmarologist