Young Writers Society

Author's Note:

Hey guys, many of you have heard of this very popular urban legend. I used to hear this all the time at school, so I did some research and I came up with an adaptation that I hope will satisfy you. I'll leave some links at the bottom with information about this legend. I will be honest and say I've edited the story into the way that I have most often heard it, not the original version. I hope you like my version, and you find the time to check out the other more commonly used adaptations. Personally, the history interests me, if you aren't interested in comparing my adaptation with the original, that's fine. Either way, enjoy, reviews and comments are welcome :)

I can feel the butterflies in my stomach get worse as he parks the car. I'm not entirely sure what will happen, just that I pretty much know that I'm a newbie at whatever he has to throw at me. My boyfriend and I have rarely kissed, this is our first time in a parked car... alone. The music is turned up enough for us to hear it, but not so loud that it thrums the speakers of the car. I try and focus on the music and will it to calm me. No such luck.

The car engine sputters to a stop, and Ben turns to look at me. He plays with a strand of my blonde hair for a few seconds before he slides his hands up to my cheeks. His touch just makes the butterflies worse, and I can't believe this is happening.

"Charlotte," He whispers. Then he leans in and kisses me. The churning feeling in my stomach dissipates. We slip off our seat belts and I allow him to tug me over to where he's sitting. I am now sitting on his lap facing him while his lips touch mine again. I drink him in. I can taste cool mint on his tongue as he slips it inside my mouth. I feel something hard beneath my waist and I pull away for a second.

"Ben, I-" He shushes me. The radio crackles.

"Attention all radio listeners. A dangerous man has escaped from a local mental hospital. If you are receiving this broadcast, this means you are in a 10 mile radius of this institute and you are recommended to stay inside, lock your doors and your windows, and to take any precautions necessary to defend your household. The escaped patient can be identified by a hook on his right hand. If you see this man or have any leads on his location, please call the following number..." The announcer reads off a phone number.

"Ben what if that guy is around here somewhere?" I ask. I can feel my hands shake in there place around his neck as I consider the possibilities of what might happen. Ben scoffs at me.

"It's not a big deal. We'll just lock the car doors and when we're done, we'll drive away." This is not enough to satisfy me.

"No. Take me home." Ben rolls his eyes and I can see him growing increasingly more annoyed. He thinks for a second before he speaks again.

"I'll get out and take a quick look around for this psycho. If he's not there, we resume. If he is, then I'm screwed anyway," he laughs at his own joke. Then before I can protest, he slides me off his lap and opens the car door. He pauses and turns.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, sweetheart". He shuts the door. I consider going after him, but he is quickly swallowed up in the darkness and I don't want to go out alone. So I sit and wait. It feels like hours, but I know it can't be more than ten minutes. I use the time to try to convince myself that he's okay. He has to be okay, we could be 10 miles away from the institute where the psycho escaped, who knows? My fears grow considerably worse as I hear an awful screeching noise, like nails on a chalkboard.

The sound sends shivers up my spine, and I lock the car doors while the hair on my arms stands on end. What was that sound? I try to reassure myself by saying that he probably just knocked something over, but that can't be it. Ben must be in trouble. I open the glove compartment and pull out a heavy flashlight. It seems to weigh quite a bit. I don't have any other weapons, so I'm stuck with this. After shrugging on my jacket, I open the car door and flick on the light.

As I step away from the car, I gasp. On it there are scratches that form words.

Right behind you, sweetheart.

I back away from the car and turn around, my hand on my mouth. Ben is laying on the ground with a hook through his throat. His eyes are wide open, his mouth contorted in a scream. Blood pools on the ground next to him. I dare to take a closer look, and I can see his lips are still slightly red and swollen from our make out session, but at the same time, they're dead looking. His lifeless eyes were once a piercing blue, but now look almost grayish. Only my mouth muffles my scream, and I bite down on my fingers as I drop the flashlight and back towards the car.

I back into something solid and warm behind me. Even with my jacket on, I know enough to know it's not the car. Flesh suffocates me, and I see just the tiniest light reflecting off of what looks like a silver hook. I try to scream, but the fear is paralyzing and the air flow to my neck has completely stopped. Black dots spot my vision as I kick and struggle to get away. The last thing I see is the terror on Ben's face, illuminated by the flashlight, as a hook is driven into my throat.

Links:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/horrors/a/the_hook.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hook

http://urbanlegendsonline.com/hookermans-proof/