Tombstone_01
Donator
- Joined
- May 18, 2025
- Messages
- 297
- Points
- 60
- IGN
- Tombstone_01
THE HOOKMAN
It was a pitch-black night. A Ford Fiesta drove down a forest road at 10:30 PM, 19 June, 1994. Inside of the car feeling cozy and warm against the chill of the dense woods, a couple, Derek and Luna, both mid 20's, were the ones in the car. Derek was driving the car while Luna was trying to clear the static, finally settling on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The radio announcer's voice cut through the background hiss, sounding crisp and formal: "A violent patient named Lucifer escaped the East Sussex County Asylum almost an hour and half ago. He is reported to be wearing a prosthetic hook and has severe facial disfigurement. If you have any sightings of this man, please call 999 immediately. Do not approach him. And now, moving on to our Breaking News... Late-night reaction continues following today's historic and highly controversial public handshake between Northern Ireland minister Michael Ancram and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Critics tonight are accusing the government of moving too fast..."
Derek glanced outside his driving window at the woods and said "You do realise that asylum is pretty close to us right?"
Luna sighed, leaning her head against the passenger glass. "Oh, just shut up and drive, Derek. It’s gone half ten and I don't exactly want to cross paths with a lunatic while we're stuck in the middle of nowhere."
"Yeah. But imagine if we do, and he tries to kill us while we try to escape him. It would be like we are trapped in a bloody slasher film. It is a little exciting, don't you think?" said Derek
Luna rolled her eyes, turning her face to him and asked "Really? You are excited about that. You want us to be hunted down by a disfigured psycho wearing a hook on one of his hand?"
"I'm just saying, if it happens, you'll be the lucky one." said Derek.
Luna asked, "And how on earth am I the lucky one if we get murdered, Derek?"
Derek said, "Oh, come on! Haven't you watched any American slashers? There’s always a 'Final Girl.' You’d be the one who survives and makes it to the sequel, while you watch me get butchered screaming for help."
"Right, that is quite enough," Luna said (shivering slightly despite the car's heater) "Just drive, and no more talking about horror films."
Derek smirked, giving her a quick glance. "It's a slasher film, babe. Not horror."
30 MINUTES LATER
"My phone is almost dead," Derek said, glancing anxiously at the tiny battery indicator on the monochrome screen. "I need to get it on a charger as soon as possible."
"I’m sure you’ll find one at the inn, honey," Luna replied, adjusting her seat.
"I just hope it lasts till then", said Derek and continued driving.
A few minutes later, the dense wall of trees gave away streetlamps as Derek's Ford Fiesta drove the town of Hailsham. The sleepy streets were mostly deserted, but Luna’s face was suddenly illuminated by a vibrant glow of a big bright fascia sign with Lucky Star (a Chinese takeaway restaurant) written on it. The sight of it reminded her of how empty her stomach was. "Let's grab something to eat," she suggested.
A few minutes later, the dense wall of trees gave away streetlamps as Derek's Ford Fiesta the town of Hailsham. The sleepy streets were mostly deserted, but Luna’s face was suddenly illuminated by a vibrant glow of a big bright fascia sign with Lucky Star (a Chinese takeaway restaurant) written on it. The sight of it reminded her of how empty her stomach was. "Let's grab something to eat," she suggested.
Because the restaurant was on the opposite side of the road, separated by a central traffic divider, Derek couldn't pull up right outside. Instead, he steered the Fiesta around the corner, parked in a dark spot by the kerb, and hopped out. "Back in a flash," he said, leaving Luna alone in the cozy warm seated car. Luna locked the doors from inside and rolled up the door windows just to be safe.
10 MINUTES LATER
It has been 10 minutes but Derek hasn't returned. Luna, who was worried, tried calling his cellphone, only to hear the automated robotic message, "The mobile phone you have dialled is switched off or out of coverage. Please try later.". Luna remembered Derek's saying that his battery was almost dead.
"Where on earth is he?" she muttered to the empty car. "It’s been ten minutes. I swear to God, I am going to murder him if he’s just trying to scare me." said Luna.
Unable to sit still any longer, worried Luna exited the car and went towards the restaurant in search of Derek. She walked towards the bright red and yellow light of the restaurant's board. As she neared the glass entrance, the faint, tinny sound of pop music playing inside drifted out onto the quiet street. She entered the place to find it completely empty.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Luna called out, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the empty room. No one answered.
Luna walked near the takeaway counter to find no one was there. Her heart beginning to race, she stepped around the counter and knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door leading to the takeaway kitchen. Still, total silence.
The absolute stillness of the abandoned restaurant completely freaked her out. Deciding she had seen enough, she resolved to head back to the safety of the car and call the police non-emergency line. As she was turning away from the door, a dark smear caught her eye.
It was a fresh, bloody handprint smeared right across the brass doorknob.
A cold dread gripped her throat. Her gaze shifted to the small rectangular window in the kitchen door. The fabric curtains weren't fully drawn, leaving a narrow gap. Compelled by a terrible curiosity, Luna stepped forward and peeked inside.
What she saw completely traumatised her. The kitchen was a scene of a bloody massacre. Four takeaway workers' bodies, completely dismembered, with thick, dark red blood covering the wall, stainless steel prep-table and tiled floor of the kitchen. Luna sprinted towards the car, while calling 999. She reached the car, got inside and locked both the front and back doors.
"Emergency. Which service do you require?" the calm voice of the BT operator asked in her ear.
"POLICE!" Luna sobbed.
"Connecting you now. Hold the line." A sharp click followed, and a new voice cut through. "Emergency Police, what is your emergency?"
"I just saw four people... they're dead! Inside the Lucky Star kitchen on George Street!" Luna wailed, tears blurring her vision. And my boyfriend... he went there and he's missing."
"Okay, ma'am. Try to breathe. Don't panic, and tell me exactly where you are right now."
"I am in our car, parked just around the corner of the Lucky Star Restaurant, 13 George Street, Hailsham." Luna wept.
"Okay, ma'am. Please lock yourself inside the car. Help is —".
Suddenly, the call disconnected and the screen flickered and flashed a "LOW BATTERY" warning and went entirely black.
"Oh no, no, no! Not right now! Please!" Luna cried alone in the empty car cradling the dead phone in her hands as the silence of the dark road closed in around her.
Suddenly, the Ford Fiesta gave a violent shudder. The metal roof buckled beneath a heavy weight, indicating someone or something was climbing onto the top of the car. Terrified, Luna began screaming at the top of her lungs, pressing herself hard against the passenger seat.
Suddenly, the rhythmic shaking stopped. And a horrific rattling sound echoed as small white objects began raining down, bouncing off the windscreen, Luna rubbed her watery, tear-stained eyes for a clearer view. Her heart stopped. Dozens of bloody, forcefully extracted human teeth were falling on the windshield from the car roof.
BAAAM!
A heavy, rounded shaped object slammed violently against the glass, fracturing it into a spiderweb of cracks. The dark, rounded object rolled down the bonnet, leaving blood all over the surface before tumbling off onto the road directly in front of the car . Shaking, Luna clicked the headlight switch. The white light of the headlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead. Staring right back at her were the wide open lifeless eyes of Derek's severed head.
Luna screamed.
TAP. TAP.
The sound came from right beside her ear. Luna snapped her head towards the driver's window. Standing in the shadows was a tall silhouette. Before she could even take a breath, she saw a rusted Metal Hook covered with crimson red blood, crashed into the car's window. The glass shattered into many tiny shards, showering the interior. A hand reached in through the shattered window, unlocking the door from the inside. As the door opened, and the towering figure bent in to get inside the car, Luna, trapped with nowhere to go, saw the disfigured face of the towering figure and the hook covered with blood.
10 MINUTES LATER
The silence of 13 George Street was shattered by the wailing sirens of the 3 police patrol cars with their flashing blue lights.
Officers bolted towards the Ford Fiesta sitting idling. But when they shone their torches through the shattered windows, they were devastated to see the absolute butchery taken place in the car. The interior of the car had been bathed in Luna's crimson blood. Luna's dismembered body was scattered all over the front and rear seats, a total horrifying scene to witness.
The officers searched the quiet streets and alleyways of Hailsham, but they found nothing. There were no signs of the HOOKMAN.
The End
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a pitch-black night. A Ford Fiesta drove down a forest road at 10:30 PM, 19 June, 1994. Inside of the car feeling cozy and warm against the chill of the dense woods, a couple, Derek and Luna, both mid 20's, were the ones in the car. Derek was driving the car while Luna was trying to clear the static, finally settling on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The radio announcer's voice cut through the background hiss, sounding crisp and formal: "A violent patient named Lucifer escaped the East Sussex County Asylum almost an hour and half ago. He is reported to be wearing a prosthetic hook and has severe facial disfigurement. If you have any sightings of this man, please call 999 immediately. Do not approach him. And now, moving on to our Breaking News... Late-night reaction continues following today's historic and highly controversial public handshake between Northern Ireland minister Michael Ancram and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Critics tonight are accusing the government of moving too fast..."
Derek glanced outside his driving window at the woods and said "You do realise that asylum is pretty close to us right?"
Luna sighed, leaning her head against the passenger glass. "Oh, just shut up and drive, Derek. It’s gone half ten and I don't exactly want to cross paths with a lunatic while we're stuck in the middle of nowhere."
"Yeah. But imagine if we do, and he tries to kill us while we try to escape him. It would be like we are trapped in a bloody slasher film. It is a little exciting, don't you think?" said Derek
Luna rolled her eyes, turning her face to him and asked "Really? You are excited about that. You want us to be hunted down by a disfigured psycho wearing a hook on one of his hand?"
"I'm just saying, if it happens, you'll be the lucky one." said Derek.
Luna asked, "And how on earth am I the lucky one if we get murdered, Derek?"
Derek said, "Oh, come on! Haven't you watched any American slashers? There’s always a 'Final Girl.' You’d be the one who survives and makes it to the sequel, while you watch me get butchered screaming for help."
"Right, that is quite enough," Luna said (shivering slightly despite the car's heater) "Just drive, and no more talking about horror films."
Derek smirked, giving her a quick glance. "It's a slasher film, babe. Not horror."
30 MINUTES LATER
"My phone is almost dead," Derek said, glancing anxiously at the tiny battery indicator on the monochrome screen. "I need to get it on a charger as soon as possible."
"I’m sure you’ll find one at the inn, honey," Luna replied, adjusting her seat.
"I just hope it lasts till then", said Derek and continued driving.
A few minutes later, the dense wall of trees gave away streetlamps as Derek's Ford Fiesta drove the town of Hailsham. The sleepy streets were mostly deserted, but Luna’s face was suddenly illuminated by a vibrant glow of a big bright fascia sign with Lucky Star (a Chinese takeaway restaurant) written on it. The sight of it reminded her of how empty her stomach was. "Let's grab something to eat," she suggested.
A few minutes later, the dense wall of trees gave away streetlamps as Derek's Ford Fiesta the town of Hailsham. The sleepy streets were mostly deserted, but Luna’s face was suddenly illuminated by a vibrant glow of a big bright fascia sign with Lucky Star (a Chinese takeaway restaurant) written on it. The sight of it reminded her of how empty her stomach was. "Let's grab something to eat," she suggested.
Because the restaurant was on the opposite side of the road, separated by a central traffic divider, Derek couldn't pull up right outside. Instead, he steered the Fiesta around the corner, parked in a dark spot by the kerb, and hopped out. "Back in a flash," he said, leaving Luna alone in the cozy warm seated car. Luna locked the doors from inside and rolled up the door windows just to be safe.
10 MINUTES LATER
It has been 10 minutes but Derek hasn't returned. Luna, who was worried, tried calling his cellphone, only to hear the automated robotic message, "The mobile phone you have dialled is switched off or out of coverage. Please try later.". Luna remembered Derek's saying that his battery was almost dead.
"Where on earth is he?" she muttered to the empty car. "It’s been ten minutes. I swear to God, I am going to murder him if he’s just trying to scare me." said Luna.
Unable to sit still any longer, worried Luna exited the car and went towards the restaurant in search of Derek. She walked towards the bright red and yellow light of the restaurant's board. As she neared the glass entrance, the faint, tinny sound of pop music playing inside drifted out onto the quiet street. She entered the place to find it completely empty.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Luna called out, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the empty room. No one answered.
Luna walked near the takeaway counter to find no one was there. Her heart beginning to race, she stepped around the counter and knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door leading to the takeaway kitchen. Still, total silence.
The absolute stillness of the abandoned restaurant completely freaked her out. Deciding she had seen enough, she resolved to head back to the safety of the car and call the police non-emergency line. As she was turning away from the door, a dark smear caught her eye.
It was a fresh, bloody handprint smeared right across the brass doorknob.
A cold dread gripped her throat. Her gaze shifted to the small rectangular window in the kitchen door. The fabric curtains weren't fully drawn, leaving a narrow gap. Compelled by a terrible curiosity, Luna stepped forward and peeked inside.
What she saw completely traumatised her. The kitchen was a scene of a bloody massacre. Four takeaway workers' bodies, completely dismembered, with thick, dark red blood covering the wall, stainless steel prep-table and tiled floor of the kitchen. Luna sprinted towards the car, while calling 999. She reached the car, got inside and locked both the front and back doors.
"Emergency. Which service do you require?" the calm voice of the BT operator asked in her ear.
"POLICE!" Luna sobbed.
"Connecting you now. Hold the line." A sharp click followed, and a new voice cut through. "Emergency Police, what is your emergency?"
"I just saw four people... they're dead! Inside the Lucky Star kitchen on George Street!" Luna wailed, tears blurring her vision. And my boyfriend... he went there and he's missing."
"Okay, ma'am. Try to breathe. Don't panic, and tell me exactly where you are right now."
"I am in our car, parked just around the corner of the Lucky Star Restaurant, 13 George Street, Hailsham." Luna wept.
"Okay, ma'am. Please lock yourself inside the car. Help is —".
Suddenly, the call disconnected and the screen flickered and flashed a "LOW BATTERY" warning and went entirely black.
"Oh no, no, no! Not right now! Please!" Luna cried alone in the empty car cradling the dead phone in her hands as the silence of the dark road closed in around her.
Suddenly, the Ford Fiesta gave a violent shudder. The metal roof buckled beneath a heavy weight, indicating someone or something was climbing onto the top of the car. Terrified, Luna began screaming at the top of her lungs, pressing herself hard against the passenger seat.
Suddenly, the rhythmic shaking stopped. And a horrific rattling sound echoed as small white objects began raining down, bouncing off the windscreen, Luna rubbed her watery, tear-stained eyes for a clearer view. Her heart stopped. Dozens of bloody, forcefully extracted human teeth were falling on the windshield from the car roof.
BAAAM!
A heavy, rounded shaped object slammed violently against the glass, fracturing it into a spiderweb of cracks. The dark, rounded object rolled down the bonnet, leaving blood all over the surface before tumbling off onto the road directly in front of the car . Shaking, Luna clicked the headlight switch. The white light of the headlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead. Staring right back at her were the wide open lifeless eyes of Derek's severed head.
Luna screamed.
TAP. TAP.
The sound came from right beside her ear. Luna snapped her head towards the driver's window. Standing in the shadows was a tall silhouette. Before she could even take a breath, she saw a rusted Metal Hook covered with crimson red blood, crashed into the car's window. The glass shattered into many tiny shards, showering the interior. A hand reached in through the shattered window, unlocking the door from the inside. As the door opened, and the towering figure bent in to get inside the car, Luna, trapped with nowhere to go, saw the disfigured face of the towering figure and the hook covered with blood.
10 MINUTES LATER
The silence of 13 George Street was shattered by the wailing sirens of the 3 police patrol cars with their flashing blue lights.
Officers bolted towards the Ford Fiesta sitting idling. But when they shone their torches through the shattered windows, they were devastated to see the absolute butchery taken place in the car. The interior of the car had been bathed in Luna's crimson blood. Luna's dismembered body was scattered all over the front and rear seats, a total horrifying scene to witness.
The officers searched the quiet streets and alleyways of Hailsham, but they found nothing. There were no signs of the HOOKMAN.
The End
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Based on the legend of the HOOKMAN
- Written by Tombstone_01