Fluff (Horror stories)

her bears impossible. Yet eventually I found it and I got to see the fluff again.
But dad caught me and hit me calling me a sick freak and a monster for doing that to one of my sisters toys. He said I was just as crazy as my psycho mother.
That’s when I figured out I couldn’t get my fluff from the house anymore. I had to get creative, so I would go out and scour the neighborhood for what I could find. Dad, beside that one time he caught me, couldn’t care less about me. It wasn’t easy but I’d find things: sometimes in the trash, sometimes in the forest. I would find them and cut them open and just marvel at how the fluff spilled out. I learned there were different kinds of fluff. Some was super light, and would get caught in the air and just fly away. Then again there was fluff that was heavy, that would drop down to the ground with a wet flop. But the most important thing was that I didn’t get caught and hit again.
One day I saw dad sitting by an empty crib. Apparently he took Isabel to the hospital and didn’t come back with her, like the time he didn’t come back with mom. He hung his head downward, perpetually rocking it back and forth like a pendulum counting down.
I didn’t care.
The only thing I cared about was finding more and more fluff.
But one day God spoke to me. He proposed to me a question that would completely change my life.
Does everything have fluff?
Yes God! Everything is filled with fluff, and that’s part of what makes it so amazing!
Does everything have fluff?
Yes God! But I already gave you the answer didn’t I?
Does everything have fluff?
I didn’t know how to answer that time, but then it struck me. Everything was filled with fluff! Which means so was Dad! Dad was filled with fluff too!
After the hospital Dad would just stay in bed when he wasn’t depressingly looming over the crib like it’s shadow. So I made my way up to his room. He was sleeping, or at least I think he was sleeping. The room reeked of the strong and overwhelming smell of alcohol and there was an empty white bottle in his hand.
I think he was sleeping.
He didn’t move when I opened him up.
It was like that time with the bear and me again, so uncertain of what to do with the knife. I poked him a bit and he didn’t move. He just kept sleeping there as still as the bear. His skin was much tougher than the others, so I had to lean my weight to get a bit of fluff to leak out. There was something special about those few small specks. It wasn’t like the others; it glistened in the way I imagined gems would. With the knife I stabbed into his belly determined to see more. It was like plunging into a heavy water balloon that didn’t pop. I lifted the knife forward, cutting upwards as more and more fluff spilled out.
The fluff was beautiful.
Dad’s fluff was the most beautiful I had ever seen!
It sparkled and shined like nothing ever seen before. I would take handfuls of it and toss it up in the air, where upon it separated and would flop down on top of me. It was so warm against my skin. This must be the touch of God! Dad’s fluff was so beautiful! I just kept playing and playing and playing until there was no fluff left in him.
But something was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
Dad’s fluff wouldn’t come off.
I tried rubbing it against the sheets, against the towels, against the carpet, but the fluff wouldn’t come off my hands. I panicked because this never happened before. I put my hands through the hottest water I could stand and rubbed.
I rubbed.
And I rubbed.
And I rubbed.
And I rubbed.
And I rubbed.
And I rubbed.
And I rubbed until I saw it.
I had fluff too!
I had the same beautiful fluff that Dad had!
This was what God was really trying to tell me!
That’s why the fluff wouldn’t come off, because God was trying to show me that I had fluff too. How could I have been so stupid this entire time!
With mom’s knife in my hand, the first knife I ever used, I plunged it into my stomach like I did with Dad and the bear. It hurt. It hurt so much and that was how I know it was working. It was the same pain Dad would give me; that God would give me. It was the pain that let me know this was the right thing to do!
I watched as the fluff poured out of me. It was amazing! I don’t even know how to describe it. It would be like trying to describe the beauty of song to the deaf. Oh how beautiful it was. How it shined and the floor and twinkled against the light. God was truly wonderful to gift something this beautiful inside me. Oh how beautiful the fluff was. My only regret was that I couldn’t see Mom’s fluff, I bet it would have been beautiful just like mine. I wondered if she would have also loved to see Dad’s fluff. Oh how I love fluff! It was the one thing in my life that made sense.

Joshua Flowers lives in Maine and after his first publication has become a much more serious and stoic man. He primarily deals with the art of horror and is currently working on multiple projects including NaNoWriMo and several short stories. Keep an eye out for the name Joshua Flowers

World's Best Zombie Slayer(Horror stories)

My name is Shawn Clyde, and if anyone is reading this, I'm already dead. I'm corpsified. Six feet under.
You get the idea.
Technically, I'll be laying in the bed I plan to be in when I swallow a few year's worth of pain pills, but it all amounts to the same thing. I know this may seem strange in such a time of renewed hope and opportunity as we now live in, but you see, that's kind of the problem.
I guess I'm not making a whole lot of sense. That's probably because I started at the end of my story. So let me try this again from the beginning.
My name is Shawn Clyde, and when the zombie apocalypse struck, I was ready. Don't for a second think I was some kind of badass or anything like that, at least not yet. No, I was just a nerd that still lived with his parents at twenty-four, but I had seen every zombie movie ever made. I'd seen every TV show, played every video game and read every book or comic ever created on the subject.
So when I was ordering a hot dog outside the stadium at a high school football game, and a guy came shuffling up with ripped clothes and grunting and started biting people, I was the only one that didn't panic. It was something I had always known was going to happen eventually. I ran away while everyone else moved in to help. As I pulled out of the parking lot in my beat-up old pickup, I saw the people that had been bitten turn on the ones that came to help them. It was a bloodbath.
Didn't these idiots know how this sort of thing worked?
I made a quick stop by the neighborhood grocery store and bought a couple carts full of canned goods. Sirens screamed in the distance when I was throwing the groceries into my vehicle. I hurried home and locked all the doors and windows. My dad was a gun nut, so I grabbed all the weapons I could find from their cabinets or shelves in the garage and loaded any that weren't already. I then placed them at key locations around the house. Next, I used the stack of old lumber in the basement to board the windows.
I was rather proud of myself. I already had a safe place to hide while everyone else was just starting to realize what was going on.
When I had done all of this, I realized it was a couple of hours past the time my parents normally got home. I felt sick. No, it was worse than that. Somehow I knew the zombies had got to them. It was devastating. I just sat in the living room and waited for hours.
It got dark outside, and I heard people screaming nearby. I peeked out a crack in one of the boarded windows and saw dozens of zombies shuffling down my street. The way they moved and their moaning and grunting was exactly what I'd always expected, but it scared the crap out of me anyway.
Right at that moment, something thumped against the front door to my house. The doorknob rattled, and then I heard a soft scratching sound. I crept slowly up to the door and peeked out the peephole. My mom and dad had finally come home.
But both of them were zombies.
I couldn't stand the thought of either of them leading lives as mindless undead, so I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed my dad's shotgun, threw the door open, and blew both their heads off. Then I closed the door and hid in the dark as other zombies tried to get inside, drawn by the sound of the shotgun blast. They broke the glass out of the windows and pried at the boards, and I'm pretty sure I pissed myself, but eventually they gave up and shuffled away.
The next day I made a run to the local hardware store for some supplies to better fortify my house. As I'd always suspected, the zombies were less active during the day. I still had to put a few down, but it was easier in the light of day. The zombies weren't smart, and they were so absurdly slow. I think that was when I started to enjoy killing them.
I knew I should be upset about my parents, and I was, but it had already started to fade. There just wasn't time to mourn loss in a zombie apocalypse. It sort of just came with the territory.
I grabbed the supplies and turned my house into an impenetrable fortress. I even built a little stand on the roof where I could snipe wandering zombies if I was in a sporting mood. Things continued this way for weeks. I added to my house's defenses, looted guns and ammo, stocked up an insane amount of food and killed a whole lot of zombies. It was great. I was the happiest I'd ever been.
I know what you're thinking. What kind of sick freak would be happy after so many people died? After our whole world ended? Well, the truth is I didn't think about it much. You see, I never had a place in the old world. I was an ugly, slightly overweight nerd with no friends. Even my parents thought I was a disappointment. Hardly a day went by that one of them didn't make a comment about me getting a job or going back to school. And the extended family was even worse. None of them realized constantly putting me down ensured I never had the self confidence to make something of myself.
Then the zombies came, and nobody was there anymore but me and them, and I finally discovered what I was good at: killing the shuffling freaks.
I soon began to think of myself as the world's greatest zombie slayer. Nobody could dispute it, so why not?
I killed hundreds just from my rooftop perch, but soon that wasn't enough. I had to find more creative ways to take them out. I once found a dump truck with plenty of gas in the tank and the keys still inside. I went on a little highway rampage, mowing the bastards down like weeds, and by my count, at one point I killed thirty zombies in about seventeen seconds.
That has to be some sort of record.
My best zombie kill ever was the old warehouse, however. I doused an abandoned warehouse with lighter fluid and gasoline, then ran around with an air horn attracting the attention of as many zombies as possible. I led hundreds of them into the warehouse, hid in a cubby by the door, and when an opportunity presented itself, I ran back outside and locked them in. It was then a simple matter to set the whole building ablaze and watch it burn down around them.
Classic.
I was in heaven. So how did I get from that point to where I am now, about to kill myself? I suppose anyone reading this knows the truth of the zombie apocalypse, so I guess the answer is fairly obvious.
It all went to hell when I was making a run to loot a downtown gun store. The street was more congested than I would have liked, so I crept across as silently as possible, taking a few of them out with a machete to the brain to avoid drawing undo attention. I found all kinds of good stuff inside, including a few grenades I couldn't wait to try out, so I filled my duffle bag quickly.
When I went back outside, a few dozen zombies had surrounded the entrance to the store. It seemed like a great time to use one of the grenades, so I fished one out of the bag and grabbed the pin.
At that moment, I heard a soft buzz in the distance. The zombies must have heard it too because they all turned toward it. The sound grew louder until I finally spotted the source: a small army of military choppers headed straight for us. It was so surprising, I could only watch them come motionlessly. I had been so sure everyone was dead. By the time I'd gotten around to checking the TV and the radio after the zombies came, all the stations were dead. It had seemed a safe assumption that everywhere else was affected too.
The choppers flew overhead. Small hatches dropped open in their bottoms and an orange gas poured out, raining down on us, on me. I tried to hold my breath, but when I finally gave in and inhaled the gas, it had no negative effect on me whatsoever.
I quickly turned my attention to the zombies, expecting to see them dying gruesome deaths. Surely the military had developed some kind of ultimate zombie-killing weapon . . . but no. No such luck. To my utter shock, the zombies started to get better when the gas flowed over them. The moaning stopped. They stood straighter. Intelligence slowly returned to their vacant eyes.
They became human again.
The gas was no weapon; it was a cure.
I fell to my knees in the street, my weapons forgotten. A sense of the most complete helplessness washed over me. I watched a couple of people that apparently knew each other embrace, crying into one another's shoulder. I realized they had never been zombies at all. Not really. Just sick people.
It was that moment when the guilt hit me. I thought of shooting the zombies from my rooftop. I thought of the dump truck rampage; thirty zombies in seventeen seconds? Dear God, what had I done? I thought of the warehouse burning with hundreds inside. I thought of my parents.
Tears poured from my burning eyes. My world was shattered as everyone around me rediscovered theirs.
The world had changed again, just like that, and once again I didn't belong.
So that's my story, and why I felt compelled to end it. I hope you don't think too little of me. I didn't know what I was doing, though even as I write the words, I know it's a poor excuse. So here's one last kill for the world's greatest zombie slayer.
I'm not a zombie, of course. But none of the others were either.

END

BIO: Paul Miller lives in Texas with his beautiful wife and three small children and writes in what little free time he can find. His stories have appeared in various online and print publications, including Every Day Fiction and Title Goes Here:. Check him out at paulmillerfiction.wordpress.com to find links to his other work

Cannibalistic Freaks (Horror stories)

Running foot claps echoed off the frost covered asphalt; she was rapidly panting for breath--covered in blood spatter. Her thin arms rested on her upper thighs, preparing to regurgitate from the absolute horror she witnessed. Suddenly; he stepped out of the viscous ink like shadows, revealing an outrageous spectacle of cannibalistic grotesqueness. He quietly stalked her while she was occupied (hunched over--throwing up.) A hulking paw grabbed the back of her head; whipping her neck into an appalling contorted shape; the petrified glow in her big grey eyes, gave away to the dark of night.

A sliver of ochre light flared across the dark snowcapped mountains; leaving a magnanimous thick fog behind. The neon vacancy sign radiated out into the narrow country road; casting a greasy yellow sheen on the cold tarmac. An ancient old woman sat behind the clerks desk, as Tiffany and Andy entered the lobby. Her neck was leathery fold of skin; her blind eye was white and calloused over, and her face looked like a thick truckers atlas of wrinkles. “Yeah forty-five per night.” she said with a mucus polluted voice--her chin almost touched her nose when she  began chewing the tobacco again-- spitting what looked like molasses in a tin coffee can. Tiffany looked at Andy with an expression of disapproval on her face; Andy took note of it, but pushed the thought out of his mind. They’ve been traveling for fifteen hours straight, and really need a fresh start in the morning.

The small motel room was very rustic looking: horseshoes on the wood paneled walls, elk antlers above the door frame, and solid redwood floors. To Tiffany’s surprise it was very nice inside. Andy rolled over on one side facing Tiffany on the bed; his eyes shimmered in the light; as he whispered a sequence of sexy vulgarities, in her soft ear. Some time had passed; she stayed awake in nostalgia over the first time she and Andy had met.

The little old woman turned off her television; then sloppily crammed the receipt book under the overcrowded desk. Arthritically walking down the creaky, rough cut wooden staircase to the motel basement. The smell of dust; decay, mold, and death reeked a nauseating odor. A macabre scene of human processing for human consumption! A tanned flesh curtain draped over the doorway, as she walked through it with a crooked smile. A hulking blood covered disfigured man; was tossing fresh body parts up on the cooler shelves. “Come on now boy!” the old woman shouted in a stern voice. “Here’s the keys to the front exit door; lock it before you get started boy. We don’t need another crazy running across the Goddamn parking lot again--all right boy! And send them down the chute this time; last time I like to never got that fucking mess cleaned up off the floors!” She looked up at him, and gave a pat on his melancholic face. “Go on now!” She sat down to a hot bowl of human gumbo, and changed the channel that was keeping the morbid freak company--a children’s alphabet channel. The old woman turned her weathered head to the chute; as a gore covered corps slid out, and across the large prep table.

Andy woke up to a resounding thud near their room. With curiosity, he opened the door and looked down the dim lit hallway of doors; he saw a huge man casually walking into a room four doors down. A second thump--no a third thump--and it was getting louder. Annoyed, he got up from underneath the warm blankets; looked down the hall once more, and saw nothing; not even the huge man again. Tiffany was in a sound slumber, so decided to investigate the strange thumping sound that was keeping him up. The narrow hallway floor was cold on his bare feet, and a strange knocking sound grew louder the further he went on. Stepping lightly; he approached the ajar door. He noticed something warm and slick on his feet; discovering the horror of standing in a pool of blood that ran from under the door. He stood bewilderment looking down at his feet. Suddenly the door flung open! The murderer was dragging a naked convulsing lady by the hair; her heels rapidly knocking on the wooden floor. Terror shocked--Andy was frozen in stationary--and everything quickly turned black. He was kicked down the chute first, then the convulsing lady behind him.

Tiffany was startled awake in the empty bed. Assuming Andy was in the bathroom, or at the soda machine in the hall. She waited up for what seemed like forever; the bathroom and hallway both was unoccupied; she began boiling over with anxiety, and searched the down the long cold floor. Stopping and leaning into the dark shadow adjacent to the soda machine. She could hear someone step out one of the rooms (heavy footsteps walking along the floor boards.) The slow moving monster was carrying a flaccid body--covered in blood--across his shoulder, and kicked the crumbled body down the chute. She covered her mouth with nervous hands--trying to hold her breath-- as the killer walked by the black shadow that concealed her presence. He shuffled through a ring of keys, as she stood squirming edgily on the brink of revealing herself. The murderer entered the room cautiously, and quietly with a heavy mallet in his leathery hand. The oak door slowly closed with no sound; she could hear the brass locks on the door when the killer locked himself in. Surging with adrenaline Tiffany jolted back to their room.

The convulsing lady began shaking Andy back to consciousness. The near mummified woman dropped her spoon in the repugnant gumbo. She walked over to where they were, and plucked a butchers knife off the magnetic bar. “We got us a wiggler.” the old woman said in a merciless voice. Andy was fading in and out; catching a glimpse of the old woman holding the knife. Warm blood leached behind Andy’s back; as her convulsions slowly declined.

Tiffany locked the door behind her; trying to give herself more time to make a successful escape. She could hear the brutality in the next room through the walls. Thoughts of Andy, and the probability of what happened to him; made her uncontrolled emotions escalate to a full panic.

He was struggling to stay awake; Tiffany’s face flash once in his mind. He frightfully began pushing the bodies away from him--some flopping off the stainless steel table. Andy faded out again, but caught a glimpse of the old woman standing above him. He struggled to keep the knife from his throat in a weakened state; he grasps her hands, and twists the blade to her stomach. A sharp thrust painfully sends her to the concrete--to bleed to death in punishment that fit her crime. He checked the upstairs door; only to find it locked from the outside, and he couldn’t muster up the strength to break it down.

Tiffany quickly made a beeline for the main exit door. Expecting to burst through to the cold night; she abruptly came to a halt; slamming her thin body on the unforgiving steel. The blood spattered killer turned sharply from his dead victim; when he heard the ruckus echo throughout the hall. Two more bodies slid down the death slide; ejecting Andy back out the gore lubed mouth again.

She broke the mirror that was hanging around the shower head. Pulling the curtain closed, and holding the long reflective shard with both hands, so tight it cut deep into the palms of her hands. Pecking of keys on the hardwood door made her adrenaline detonate with voltage like force. The killer completely demolished the room looking for her. The bathroom light unexpectedly turned on; as he stood there in silence for a moment--and then left. An extreme amount of tension left her body; her mind began to relax from the jittery possibilities of what was to come. Sliding her back down the wall to a resting seat in the bathtub. Deafened by the silence. Shockingly the curtain was ripped off the metal rail; exposing her by complete surprise. In the blind darkness she stabbed him in the groan with the shard, and tried to make a run for it, but he caught her leg. Dragging her to him; Tiffany kicked at his disfigured eyes (hoping to blind him.) Moaning on the floor like an animal; as he slowly pulled the reflective glass out of his wound. Rage was plastered over his mangled face. He slung his arms violently against the walls; as he got up in a slow agonizing pain. The search for her just became personal.

Andy slung the chute door open, and lobbed a flat bar out onto the floor. He could hear the stomping of light feet quickly coming his way. Glancing with a half shadowed face around the corner; only to see a running woman in the dim light. He snatched her up, and spun her around the dark corner. Tiffany’s body began to go into violent fits; as she began fighting Andy for her life. He was pushed her against the wall--looking closely at her face. “Andy!” Tiffany spoke in a sigh of relief, as she rested her tired face on his shoulder. He curled his arm around her sweaty head to comfort her. “We don’t have much time.” Tiffany spoke--still holding on. A crashing blow knocked the door off its hinges! The infuriated killer looked one way down the hall, and then to the other. His breath was pulsating in hostility. Checking the rooms again; thrashing the contents around in a malicious manor.

She lies on the hall floor pretending to be in distress. The murderer spots her right off, and slowly begins to lurk after her as she crawls away. (Keeping enough distance to lure him in.) Andy steps out of the shadows, and blind sides the hulking man. Repeatedly bashing his head with the steel flat bar--making the sound of an over ripened watermelon being busted on the ground. She swipes the keys from his belt, and gives a final kick to his wounded groan. He let out a eerily high pitched cry; as he collapsed in affliction. They ran to the room; desperately sifting through the demolished remains for the car keys, “we’ve got a problem.” Andy said in a sick timorous voice. It was like a heart piercing stab of failure! Only the coagulated blood traces remained in the hollow hallway.

Heavy boots produced a blood curdling sound throughout the motel. Tiffany turned back to the exit door; trying to remain calm, and not break any keys off in the locks. Andy stood rooted to the floor; preparing himself for a gruesome battle. The footsteps came to a halt-- the only thing that could be heard was the vigorous metallic tinkles of the key ring. With out warning the slow moving monstrosity began to run at them with remarkable speed. Rushing out of the shadows clamping a large terrifying scissor like garden tool. Andy struggled to hold him off. She opened the door, and ran out into the night. They shuffled around with each other; as the heavy door jack closed its self back. She could hear the distressing struggle going on inside, and all at once the noise ceased in the cold winter night. The long silence made her wait unbearable. The exit door popped open squeaking a hellish sound. Andy spilled through the doorway; battered and bruised, but still very much alive. She looked through the entrance, as she was helping him to his feet. The nauseating sight made her quickly turn her head in repulsion; as she assisted the door on its closing way with a hateful kick. She loaded him up in the SUV; punched the GPS home button, and pulled out with blue smoke rolling off the rear tires. Tiffany and Andy never returned to the Southern Appalachian Mountains again

Time's up

One rainy day, I was watching T.V. My sister was talking to herself again. I hated it when my sister talked to herself it was so annoying. My sister has short brown hair and brown eyes. She is also pretty short for an eleven year old. 

"Who on earth are you talking to?" I asked whipping my hair out of my face.

"I'm taking to my friend, Victoria." my sister replied with a smile.

Oh great my sister had an imaginary friend. My seven year old brother thinks she should be in a mental hospital.

After dinner, I was getting ready for bed, which I hated. I always had the same nightmare. My nightmare would be about a girl. She would be sitting in a corner of my room. Her long, silky, black hair would be around her shoulder. She would always cry "Help me", "Please" or "I'm lost."

It's morning, nobody knew about my dreams. My sister was talking to her friend.

"I love your hair Victoria. It's so long and shiny" my sister said.

Soft hair? The girl in my dreams had soft looking hair.

"What does Victoria look like?" I asked quickly.

My sister said she has long black soft hair and is pretty tall. That was all I needed her to say. I started to panic. All of a sudden, I saw Victoria standing right in front of me!

"I need help. Please!" Victoria cried.

I thought to myself why me? Why can't it be my sister who is supposedly friends with her. I ran up to my sister's room to ask her why Victoria needed help. My sister had no idea what I was talking about.

When I was brushing my teeth to get ready for bed, I saw Victoria right behind me! I spun around to see what she wanted from me, but she dissappeared. I screamed. Everyone came running they all had worried faces I stammered about Victoria. My mom said she didn't want to hear the name Victoria again. Later that night, Victoria didn't sit in her corner, but I felt her presence. I asked if my sister has seen or heard from Victoria. She said she has hasn't seen her ever since our mom said she didn't want to hear Victoria's name ever again.

I had to find a way to get in touch with Victoria. I went on the computer to find where Victoria's body was buried. I was doing this because I thought if I did this to Victoria will leave me alone. I hope that I wouldn't see or feel her presence again. Anyway, I found something on the computer. There was a tragic death to a girl in the lake. I scrolled down. The website finally mentioned a little girl's name, Victoria. I scroll down some more to make sure it was the right Victoria. On the bottom of the website I saw the picture of Victoria. The bottom of the website also showed Victoria's full name and years of her birthday and death. The website said nobody ever found a Victoria's body.

I felt someone chin brush against my shoulder. When I looked behind me nobody was there. Then I heard crying behind the door. I rushed outside of the room hoping to find Victoria, but instead I heard the crying in multiple places.

I opened all the doors and ran into every room hoping to see Victoria. I saw Victoria in a room but she ran to the next room. She kept on doing that until my mom came upstairs and asked what the commotion was about. I ignored her and ran into my sisters bedroom. I looked under her bed and in the closet. I was going to go back to the computer but when I turned around I saw Victoria!

I screamed and jumped backwards. Victoria hasn't disappeared yet so I thought now would be a good time to tell her I wanted to help her. I got the worst response ever. She told me she never needed my help and that our house was her house. she just try to scare us to move out of the house.

Victoria said my sister disturbed her sleep. when I ran to find my sister and ask how she know about Victoria I tripped on something and everything went black.

I woke up in the hospital. I had a broken leg. My family was in the room sleeping. I tried to get up but my leg too much. My brother was a light sleeper so he helped me up. I went the restroom and saw how brusied up I was. In the mirror I saw bloody letters form. The letters told me that my broken leg was just a warning. After I read, a burst of images appeared in my head.

I was running down a hallway which seemed extremely long. I fell and someone was stepping on my leg. I howled in pain. I looked up and saw Victoria. She was laughing hysterically with a bloody knife in her hand. She stabbed me in my leg repeatedly. Screaming at me to move out.

I woke up from the vision. I found myself on the hospital floor yelling in pain. my family were trying to come in the bathroom but I locked the door. I was leaning across from the door. I was trying to crawl across the tiny bathroom by my leg couldn't handle it. I felt my blood filling up my cast. It was a weird feeling.





I finally made it across. It took a few minutes to reach and unlock the door. Everyone rushed into the bathroom. My mom was helping me up while my brother and sister stared at all of my blood. I was back on the hospital bed. the nurse said I needed to stay in the hospital for at least 3 days. I wasn't happy about that because I hate hospitals. Nightime finally came, and surprisingly I fell asleep pretty easily. Around midnight, I heard someone laughing. I looked around the room and saw nothing. Then very faintly I heard someone whispering "One month". It kept saying that for a good two miniutes but I managed to fall back to sleep and next thing I knew I was back to sleep.

Luckily, I woke up the next morning. I thought it was Victoria who was whispering. I thought that "One month" ment how much time I had before something bad would happen.

When my family came I asked my mom if we could move. She asked why I would ask such a silly question. I wanted to tell her about Victoria, but she would probably call the nurse in to make sure I was okay.

I was back home in the den on the computer. I was searching I there had been hauntings in the house. Sure enough people have claimed to hear crying, screaming and seeing a little girl. There has even been killings.

I asked my mom if we could move again. She said no. I tried to tell her about all the haunting and killings, but she didn't belive me. I tried to tell my eleven-year-old sister and seven-year-old brother about everything and hoped they would get on my mom's nerves. That didn't happen.

I put matters into my own hands. I didn't care what my mom said anymore. I started packing for everybody. If they unpacked their thing I wouldn't re-pack it. I was going to leave them, and hoping they would see how serious I was.

After, I finished packing, I went on the computer to see where the lake Victoria drowned in was. I planned to go there tomorrow, but all of a sudden I got a horrible feeling. So i decided not to go and that feeling was gone.

I went to go eat breakfast alone. Everyone was still sleeping. As I was eating, I heard something fall. I got up and went to go check. It was a knife that fell. The knife was in a drawer. How did it end up on the floor? I picked it up and noticed something was carved on the handle. It said "Time's up." Which was weird sense my month just started. 

I finished my breakfast and ran to the computer to do more research. I found out Victoria lies. She will tell she will give you some time, but she kills you unexpectedly.

I ran to tell my mom we were moving no matter what she said, but something weird happend my mom ran right past me with a scared expression on her face. Mom ran into the den and as I caught up with her she had someone in her hands. She was crying. The person was me. There was blood everywhere. My leg was cut open with a knife stuck inside. Same with my arms. Victoria had cut me before I left the room.

I would tell you more, but everything went black. I waited to wake up in the hospital. Nothing happened. I was dead.

Horror storiesThe Giant of Hampton Bays

 Horror stories
A hook kick to the side of the head slowed his advance, so I did it again.  It connected like the first, and he stalled.  In a frantic effort to keep the colossus from harming me, I decided to go to the water hole for a third time.  That was a sizable blunder.  He seized my body, hoisted it in the air and smacked me down on the hardwood floor.  Everything was knocked loose inside my chest.  This is how I met my best friend Mitch, in a martial arts class.  Mitch was a powerlifter and one of the few strength athletes to ever wander from the weightlifting half of the gym to the Combat Karate section.  Years later, I became Mitch’s physical therapist and a powerlifting magazine featured us in an article entitled, “MITCH GENE AND JOHNNY KEENAN: THEIR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN WITH A KICK TO THE HEAD.”
After returning to my office from lunch one afternoon, I received a call telling me to go to the Nassau County Medical Center. Mitch had collapsed at work.  The ambulance dashed him to the hospital and after a CT scan, it was confirmed that he had a large, high grade IV astrocytoma primary brain tumor, usually called a glioblastoma multiforme.  They removed it, but found six other tumors regarded too small to operate on.  When Mitch woke up four days after the operation, specialists informed him that the smaller tumors probably should be treated with chemotherapy – but they were not optimistic.  When I told Mitch about a new medical center I’d heard of that specialized in brain tumor research, he asked me to take him there.  Immediately I made the necessary calls and we set out a few days later for the Vincent-Marcus Brain Surgery and Research Center, far out on Long Island, in the Hamptons.
Acting as Mitch’s advocate, we were both scheduled to meet with Dr. Leah Vincent and Dr. Henry Marcus to discuss Mitch’s condition and treatment.  After driving two hours through Suffolk County to reach the center and filling out a heap of forms in their lobby, we were shuffled into a plush, tranquil office and told to wait.  Within minutes Dr. Vincent and Dr. Marcus entered the room. Dr. Marcus’s expression exuded arrogance and boredom.  As they sat down in the chairs facing us, Dr. Vincent, who was a tall maiden with long auburn hair, threw me a quick knowing smile.  Her eyes sparkled when she smiled.  Dr. Vincent explained to Mitch the scores of tests scheduled that day to precisely evaluate his situation.
Mitch asked, “Do you really think you can help me?”
Dr. Vincent reached over and touched his shoulder.  “We will try our best, Mr. Gene.”
Mitch signed the necessary forms.  Dr. Marcus abruptly grabbed them up and left the office never bothering to say a word to either one of us.  Then Dr. Vincent and I approached each other.  I was confused as to why this obviously compassionate doctor would partner with a man like that. Perhaps she could sense what I was thinking because she returned my baffled look with a sad expression and a shoulder shrug. The nurses came in with a wheelchair and took Mitch.  Dr. Vincent suggested that I leave for the day since Mitch would be exhausted when they finished with him.
Eight hours after leaving the hospital, I was sitting outside the bungalow of the inn I had checked into.  Across the street  was a single house with yellow crime scene tape streamed around it.  Down the road was the bay.  With  nothing much to do, I decided to go for an evening walk on the beach. After journeying about a quarter mile through the sand, I discovered an enormous wooden log lying on its side. Obviously, the town parks department had it transported to the beach for tourists and local residents to sit on while viewing the ocean. Most likely an old telephone pole, this piece of timber was about nine feet long with a circumference close to fifty inches.  Judging from the numerous beer bottles strewn around the log, I was obviously not the first person to take advantage of this man-made respite. As I tried to relax by watching distant waves in the moonlight, I knew Mitch was not going to make it.

*

The following morning I received a call from the hospital telling me how Mitch’s condition had worsened overnight.  I drove to the Vincent-Marcus Center and was greeted in the lobby by Dr. Vincent who explained that because Mitch’s brain was bleeding out, he would not survive more than an hour. She suggested I go sit with him until he stopped breathing. As I slowly, fearfully, made my way down the hall, I noticed a police officer standing guard outside another room.  From inside that room I could hear a patient holler, “You know why I fight and drink and rob houses?!”
The cop looked disgusted. “No, Simeon, why do you do those things?”
Simeon responded with words that would never leave me.  “Because it’s the most fun in the world!”
Upon entering Mitch’s room, I could see that he was unconscious and yet in terrible pain. he was writhing in his bed. Because of his immense strength, they had him securely bound with heavy duty straps. Arms that can hoist a thousand pounds are not ones you want flailing about. I’d brought Mitch to this center hoping to save him, but that is not what happened. I hung my head in sorrow and began to pray. Unfortunately, the loudmouth criminal across the hall made it impossible to focus. Losing all patience, I stomped over to the police officer, pushed him aside, and entered the room. What I saw ended my diatribe before it started. Simeon’s skin was such a deep yellow that it appeared almost green under the room’s lighting.  From my own medical training I could tell he was in the advanced stages of cirrhosis of the liver. Even the whites of his eyes had become yellow. He also had a large scar across the side of his face, a nuthouse grin, and a black metal spike in place of a tooth. As I stood before him, unable to express a word, the police officer grabbed me and shoved me out of the room.
“You don’t put your hands on a cop?” he yelled.
“My friend is about to die, can’t this creature show a little respect?” I shot back.
The officer looked confused.  “Respect? Don’t you know who this is?”
He then invited me to sit in the chair next to him so he could adequately explain who the guy was – the notorious Jacob Simeon.
Simeon’s story began twenty-seven years ago when he was being chased by three police officers after a significant drug purchase. As he was running through a series of backyards frantically throwing away all the pills he was carrying, one of the cops, Officer McNally, circled around in an attempt to cut him off.  He jumped in front of Simeon who responded by trying to punch him to death.  The other two officers, Manzo and Hardedge, arrived, pulled their weapons and ordered Simeon to stop.  He did cease for a moment and then lunged at Officer Hardedge, who was aiming a shotgun at him.  As the officer fired, Simeon moved his head slightly to the right, and the left side of his face was sprayed with the blast.  Because it was at such close range, a large portion of skin peeled away.  The rest of the shot went directly into the face of Officer McNally, killing him.  After months of surgery, Simeon went to prison for a long time.
When finally released, Simeon pursued a life of bar fights, DWI’s and burglaries. He continued in this manner until cirrhosis of the liver brought him down. Sensing he was almost through, Simeon decided to finally take revenge on the two remaining officers who had sent him a way for so many years. By this time, both men had retired from the force and were living quiet lives in Hampton Bays. Shortly after leaving the job, Manzo’s kidneys failed and he had to go for regular dialysis treatments at Southampton Hospital. Three times a week for five hours a day, Manzo had his blood pumped out of his body into a ;machine and back into his body again. One day Simeon walked into Manzo’s busy dialysis unit and sliced the hose used to carry Manzo’s blood out of the machine and back into his body.  As Manzo’s blood pumped out onto the floor, the nurses frantically tried to save him. Simeon stayed and watched him die before easily slinking away.
The police found Simeon hiding in the house his deceased mother had left him.  It was located across the street from the inn where I was staying. They discovered him lying on the bathroom floor almost dead from liver disease.  When arrested, Simeon informed the officers that he wanted to take advantage of a special arrangement he’d heard about that was being offered by a local hospital to terminally ill prison inmates.  That is how he wound up at the Vincent-Marcus Center.
Simeon’s story did honestly grip me.  However, as soon as the police officer finished telling it, I remembered Mitch and bolted back to his room.  But it was too late. Mitch was no longer writhing – nor breathing.  I bent over his body, pressed my forehead into his shoulder and began to sob. Moments later I was pushed away by Dr. Marcus who appeared suited up for surgery.  I had no strength to protest the matter.
I left the hospital and drove and cried for hours. Eventually I returned to the inn and fell asleep, exhausted from so much weeping. The following afternoon, while still lying in bed, I heard banging on the door accompanied by an authoritative command. “Open up, Keenan, this is the police!” The herniated discs in my back made it impossible for me to quickly travel from the bed to the door, so the police opened it themselves with a key supplied by the inn manager. My eyes were then splashed with the visual of several police officers pointing their guns. As they pushed me against the wall I heard one say, “We are arresting you for the murder of Dr. Henry Marcus!” I was handcuffed, brought to the police station and hurried into a room for questioning. A short man with a wolverine-looking haircut and a pubescent-looking moustache approached me and introduced himself, “I am Detective Trulick.”
The he barked, “You participated in Karate tournaments years ago, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
He continued, “And isn’t it true that you were trained by a guy who used to break cement blocks on the Tonight Show?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it seems pretty obvious – at least to me – who murdered Dr. Marcus early this morning.” Detective Trulick held his fist close to my face.  “It’s still too early to tell for sure, but my buddies at forensics say that Dr. Marcus’s sternum and heart were destroyed by what looks like a powerful strike from a clenched hand.” He paused and grinned, “You know anybody who can punch like that Johnny?”
Irritated by Trulick’s incompetence, I shot back, “Why would I want to kill this guy?!”
The detective’s voice became smarmy.  “No doubt you blame him for the death of your – um – friend.  Come on, Johnny, you know you want to confess.”
The combination of him implying that Mitch and I were gay and his certainty that I had killed Dr. Marcus made me despise him.  After several hours of grilling me, he became frustrated and I was put in a cell for the rest of the day and the entire night.  The following morning a fat, smiling officer sauntered up to the cage I was in, unlocked it, and proclaimed in a loud voice, “Keenan, you are free to go!”
“Not until I know what’s going on!” I demanded.
The officer explained everything as he drove e to the police impound to retrieve my car – which they had searched thoroughly. While I was in the holding cell overnight, two more people were killed. Since one of the two slayings was identical to Dr. Marcus’s, this was enough to exonerate me. The first murder took place in the parking lot of a restaurant called the Villa Pietro. After drinking at the restaurant’s bar, retired police officer Jackson Hardedge and his brother-in-law James Ruckman walked outside and headed for Ruckman’s car. Apparently, when they reached the vehicle, both men were attacked. Ruckman’s body was discovered soon afterward in the parking lot. His sternum was cracked and his heart appeared to have exploded. medical experts determined this damage was caused by an enormous strike with an object resembling a fist.
Both Ruckman’s car and his brother-in-law, however, were missing. At first it was assumed by police that Hardedge had murdered both Ruckman and Dr. Marcus, since he was a powerful man standing six foot six. However, this theory was quickly proven wrong.  After investigators found Ruckman’s car at the corner of West Landing Road and Petrel Lane directly in front of the gate opening for Shinnecock Bay, they discovered Hardedge’s body crushed on the beach. A thousand pound log was placed on top of him. Since Hardedge also had a broken cheekbone, it was determined that his attacker first rendered him unconscious in the restaurant parking lot before dragging him into Ruckman’s car and driving to the bay. Investigators were not ruling out the possibility that several men were involved in the crime. It seemed outrageous that any one man alone could have raised the log that was dropped down onto Hardedge.
Remembering that Hardedge was the remaining cop that Simeon wanted to kill, I asked the officer if any detectives had gone to the Vincent-Marcus Center to question him. The officer responded, “So, you know about our little town drama? Well, we went down to the center early this morning to talk to him, but he died two days ago.  It sure looks like the bum arranged it though.”
After recovering my car, the officer said I could return to the inn where I had been staying. He informed me, “Detective Trulick took the time to call the innkeeper and tell him you were not the killer and so he should still give you a room. I tell you, that Trulick is a hell of a guy -- ain’t he?”
“The best of the best,” I responded.
The officer warned me, “Look, not for nothing, but if you’re staying in town, be careful going out after dark. The Giant is still out there.”
Thanks to local and national news reports, this is how everybody started referring to this ludicrously potent and brutal murderer.  He became known as the Giant.
As I drove up to the inn, I noticed that the crime scene tape was no longer neatly streamed around the house across the street. It was partially torn down.  dismissing it, I checked into the same room, unpacked all my belongings that the police had confiscated, and fell asleep. Waking up about nine o’clock in the evening, I ventured outside for some fresh air. After several minutes of enjoying the cool night breeze, I heard a crashing sound coming from Simeon’s house. Since a side window appeared open and relatively low, I decided to cross the street and go look inside.
I stood in front of the window, pushed away the curtain and peered into the house. What I saw made my legs quiver and dropped me to the ground. Managing a prostrate position, I struggled not to vomit.  It was Mitch! He had his massive hand over Dr. Vincent’s mouth and was whispering something into her ear. There were many stitches running around his head and he was wearing hospital scrubs. I got up, sprinted to the front of the house and side-kicked the door open. Unfortunately, Mitch was ready for me. The moment I entered, he hoisted me into the air and slammed me down on the hardwood floor. Now, flat on my back, I strained to catch my breath. Rolling my head to the right, I saw Dr. Vincent lying across from me.  She was bruised up but still breathing.
Mitch clapped his hands. “Bravo! That was a pretty big door you just kicked in.”
I slowly picked myself up off the floor. “Mitch, why are you hurting her? She only tried to help you.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s true enough. But I never squelch on a deal.”
I coughed out some words. “What deal?”
“Well, the doc said if he gave me life than I’d have to take hers in return.” Mitch started laughing. “Of course the doc never mentioned in the deal that I couldn’t take his.”
I dared to question his logic. “So, you’re following through on a deal with a man you already murdered?”
He frowned. “A deal’s a deal!”
I lost it. “But you’ve never killed anybody!  Why are you killing people now?!”
Finding my existence too much of an irritant to suffer any longer, he bounded towards me with a nuthouse grin, hollering, “Because it’s the most fun in the world!”

*

My memory of Mitch’s media circus funeral and the months that followed are still blotched and hazy. Last week I purchased an issue of the magazine that had written about us years earlier. On the cover was a picture of Mitch and I during happier times.  Just above our heads, spelled out in block letters, were the morbid words: “MITCH GENE AND JOHNNY KEENAN: THEIR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN – AND ENDED – WITH A KICK TO THE HEAD!”
Forgive me dear friend but I am unable to clear your name. Dr. Vincent refuses to confess what Dr. Marcus’s surgical pursuits were really all about.
Bio: I am a Professor at Davis College (in Johnson City, just outside of Binghamton, NY) and Mid-America Theological Seminary (Schenectady, NY).
I have also had some of my work published by the online science fiction magazine, the Cross and the Cosmos

Ismaily beat Algeria's CR Belouizdad on penalties to reach Arab Cup semis

smaily, who held the Algerian side to a 1-1 draw in Algeria two weeks ago, opened the scoring after 14 minutes via a goal from Amr El-Soulaya but Belouizdad's Islam Silmani leveled the aggregate score on the stroke of halftime
The hosts had the upper hand in the penalty shootout, converting four to their opponents' one

Tennis: Federer outwits Granollers as he eyes Djokovic showdown

On Wednesday, after the first five games went with serve, Granollers stumbled, a double fault gifting Federer three break points.

The 31-year-old needed only one, passing Granollers at the net with an arrowed forehand down the line for a 4-2 lead.

Federer, seeking a first title of 2013 and a sixth Dubai crown, was relentless, regularly opting for serve-and-volley tactics, and wrapped up the set with a love game.

"I thought I was sharp, I knew what I wanted to do and I was able to do it," the world number two said in a courtside interview.

"He was going to come in, so I thought I would rather hit a volley than a passing shot - when the courts are so fast, you want to play offensive."

Federer broke again for a decisive 3-2 lead in the second set courtesy of a deep forehand that the Spaniard thought had landed long but his appeal fell flat.

Earlier, world number seven Juan Martin Del Potro pounded Somdev Devvarman 6-4 6-4.

The Argentine saved three break points in his opening two service games but was otherwise largely untroubled in dispatching India's number one.

"It's good, but I need to improve  if I want to have a chance of winning this tournament," Del Potro said in a courtside interview.

The former U.S. Open champion was taken to a deciding set tiebreak by Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in Tuesday's first round, saving three matches points along the way, but the Argentine was steadier against Devvarman, sealing the first set with an ace.

Roared on by a raucous Indian following in the stands, Devvarman provided more resistance in second before a long backhand sealed his fate.

Del Potro, 24, lost a year of his career with a wrist problem and he admitted the fear of aggravating the injury was causing him to change his playing style.

"Sometimes I get frustrated because I can't hit the ball like I want it," the Argentine told reporters. "I'm not going to put myself at risk again."

Third seed Tomas Berdych, 27, was also through to the last-eight, beating Germany's Tobias Kamke 7-5 6-1 under a searing desert sun.

The Czech toiled more than the score line would suggest, squandering five set points in the first set against the world number 90 and saving 12 of 14 break points himself.

Djokovic will play Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in Wednesday's late match

Zamalek's regular keeper handed hefty fine as row escalates

The cash-strapped side, who made an impressive start to their Egyptian Premier League campaign, are struggling to afford the monthly payments of their players, who made no secret of their frustration.

"We have decided to fine team skipper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed LE75,000 for criticising the board of directors in statements released to the media," Zamalek said on their website.

"Right-back Ahmed Samir was also fined LE35,000 for criticising board member Ibrahim Youssef. The player's apology was taken into consideration and the punishment was lenient."

El-Sayed accused the board of not supporting the disgruntled players following Monday's 2-1 comeback victory over Arab Contractors.

The 35-year-old was quoted by local media as saying that he, as a team captain, had the right to speak about the players' problems.

Zamalek garnered maximum 15 points from their first five league games as they chase the elusive Premier League title which they had not won since 2004

FIFA extends match-fixing bans for 70 Italians

FIFA said that 70 bans from the Italian Football Federation, including 11 lifetime ones, had been extended after players and officials had been sanctioned for match-fixing in various hearings.

It said this involved either a "direct involvement or omission to report match-fixing, illegal betting or corrupt organisation (association to commit illicit acts)".

FIFA said bans were also extended in the cases of four South Koreans.

FIFA has been especially keen to be seen to be cracking down on corruption since European anti-crime agency Europol announced on Feb. 4 that around 680 matches were suspected of being fixed in a global betting scam run from Singapore

Tennis: Nadal hints Indian Wells pull out

Nadal said he loves the tournament he won in 2007 and 2009 but has to think about protecting his knees and staying healthy for the European clay-court season, which ends at the French Open.

He didn't say whether he would play at Key Biscayne, Fla., where he's reached the final three times, after the Indian Wells tournament.

''My intention is to go to Indian Wells,'' Nadal said after reaching the second round of the Mexican Open late Tuesday. ''This is the truth because I love this tournament and the priority is to play. But if I don't feel comfortable playing and decide to wait to play on the hard courts, that's how it will be and I'll rest for the clay-court season (in Europe). But today I can't answer.''

Nadal has been critical of playing on hard courts, suggesting it has caused the knee injuries that are threatening his career. This month in Brazil, he said the ATP was not doing enough to protect players' health, saying the increased number of tournaments on hard courts will lead to long-term injuries that will affect the players even after they retire.

''I said the truth. I don't know if I'm going to go or not,'' Nadal repeated. ''It will depend on how I feel every day and every week.''

Asked about rumors he would not play, he replied: ''The media can't know more than I do.''

Nadal said the condition of his left knee was still day-to-day.

''Even when the knee is perfect I had some days better than others. Right now I have had three days in which the knee has felt fine and that makes me happy, that we're going in the right direction,'' Nadal said.

Nadal has so far restricted his comeback after more than seven months out with knee trouble to events on softer clay. This month, he reached the final in Chile and won in Brazil

AFC probes Lebanon football matchfixing report

We have received a report today and our disciplinary committee are looking into it," an AFC spokesman said.

Dayoub, who along with Ali was fined $15,000, denied the allegations and said he would fight to clear his name.

"I am not guilty. They have suspended me and accused me of matchfixing without any evidence or proof," Ramez told FOX Sports. "This is a serious allegation and I have no doubt there's something behind this.

"If I really am guilty of matchfixing, FIFA will investigate and suspend me, not the Lebanese FA."

The news is a further blow to Asian soccer which has been hit by numerous cases of matchfixing in recent years, limiting its development on the world stage.

European police shone a spotlight on the region earlier this month when they said a Singapore-based syndicate had directed matchfixing for at least 380 soccer games in Europe alone.

Lebanon are still in the running to qualify for their first World Cup finals with three matches remaining but any punishment from the AFC or world governing body FIFA could see their hopes dashed

Real Madrid’s Casillas expects more success at Old Trafford

United manager Alex Ferguson was watching from the stands at the Nou Camp on Tuesday when Real romped to a 3-1 semi-final second leg victory, helped by a double from the outstanding Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real reached the May 18 Cup final coming back from a 1-1 home draw, the same result United achieved at the Bernabeu in the first leg, to triumph 4-2 on aggregate with a commanding display against their arch-rivals.

Despite an inconsistent league campaign which has left Real third, 16 points adrift of leaders Barca, they proved they could rise to the occasion when required and batter a side who have beaten United twice in European Cup finals in recent seasons.

"We hope this will be a pivotal moment for us," Real captain Iker Casillas told reporters, when he surprisingly appeared to speak instead of coach Jose Mourinho.

"We are level at 1-1 (with United) and we have to try and score, and to keep a clean sheet. We need to do what we did here at Old Trafford," added Casillas, who is out of action recovering from hand surgery.

"The team played to their strengths very well. I think Madrid have beaten Barca tactically and are deserved winners of the tie."

Madrid let Barca dominate possession but denied them the space to work their magic, as AC Milan had done when surprising the visitors 2-0 in their Champions League last 16 first leg last week.

Ronaldo outshone World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, scoring in a record sixth consecutive 'Clasico' away from home, the first goal coming from the penalty spot and the second after a trademark fast counter-attack.

The Portugal forward, a former United player who was applauded by visiting fans at the Bernabeu where he headed Real level two weeks ago, hailed the result for it's morale-boosting effect.

"We want to continue in the same vein," he told Spanish television. "This game gives us enormous confidence for the trip to Manchester."

Real are seeking a 10th European Cup, and Mourinho a third with different clubs, and he has made it clear the domestic trophy and the Champions League are his priorities this season with the defence of their league title all but over

Egypt football to show ‘new faces’ against Qatar

The squad will combine new faces especially as the European-based players have apologised for the game,” goalkeeper coach Zaki Abdel-Fattah told Ahram Sports.

Egyptian champions Ahly approved the release of their players for national duty despite earlier rejection as the game is not approved by FIFA.

The winners of seven Africa Cup of Nations are bidding for their first World Cup finals since 1990 when they meet Zimbabwe in the African qualifiers on 26 March.

“I am sure Egypt players are capable of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I can see enthusiasm and determination in the eyes of the players,” American manager Bob Bradley told media Wednesday.

The Pharoahs top qualifiers Group G with six points from two games, three ahead of second-placed Guinea. Zimbabwe and Mozambique hold one point each

Manchester United to play in Thailand on 2013 tour

There are over 19.5 million Manchester United followers in Thailand and the club has been lucky enough to visit on a number of occasions," chief executive David Gill said in a statement.
The match will open United's 2013 tour which includes games in Sydney, Yokohama, Osaka and Hong Kong

Real Madrid's Benzema caught speeding 60 mph over limit

In June 2011, Benzema was fined for reckless driving when police caught him racing through the city on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.

Madrid plays Barcelona on Saturday in the Spanish league before visiting Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday

Benitez gets little sympathy from former Chelsea players

Instead, they rallied round their old club with former defender Jason Cundy saying Benitez had orchestrated his own downfall at Stamford Bridge by failing to adopt an attractive brand of football which would have won over the fans.

Former midfielder Craig Burley said Benitez and the club should go their separate ways as soon as possible, while bookmakers William Hill were offering short odds that he would be out of Stamford Bridge before Chelsea play West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

The bookmakers also installed former boss Jose Mourinho as favourite to return to Stamford Bridge as the club's next permanent manager following another week when the image of the European champions has taken a pounding.

Burley told Talksport radio on Thursday: "Maybe it would be in the best interests for the club and for Rafa's own sanity if they go their separate ways as soon as possible."

Cundy said: "Benitez has not helped himself because if Chelsea were winning and had been playing attractive football over the last few months, it would have quietened the fans. The trouble is they have not been playing well.

"He should never have been offered the job and while I have a little sympathy with him for what has gone on, you cannot come out and attack the owner and have a go at the fans. You cannot get away with that, you can't," he said on Talksport.

Benitez said on Wednesday he was surprised and upset to be called "interim manager" and blamed the fans for creating a bad atmosphere at the London club.

Cundy responded: "I cannot accept that Benitez was surprised to be called interim manager because at the end of the day, Avram Grant and Robby Di Matteo had that title and they both got Chelsea to a Champions League Final."

As well as dealing with the Benitez outburst after the club's 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over second-tier Middlesbrough on Wednesday, Chelsea faced criticism for airbrushing former manager Di Matteo out of a mural at Chelsea's West Stand.

Di Matteo led Chelsea to Champions League success last season when they lifted the European Cup for the first time, but was sacked in November and replaced by Benitez.

"I said last summer that if Chelsea finish third and win a trophy, then that would have been a decent achievement," Cundy said.

"Di Matteo could not have done better than that, Benitez could not have done better than that, but the style of football is not as good now as it was at the start of the season."

Cundy, who described the situation at the club as "crazy", said captain John Terry could emerge as a shock contender for the manager's job

Benitez gets little sympathy from former Chelsea players

Instead, they rallied round their old club with former defender Jason Cundy saying Benitez had orchestrated his own downfall at Stamford Bridge by failing to adopt an attractive brand of football which would have won over the fans.

Former midfielder Craig Burley said Benitez and the club should go their separate ways as soon as possible, while bookmakers William Hill were offering short odds that he would be out of Stamford Bridge before Chelsea play West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

The bookmakers also installed former boss Jose Mourinho as favourite to return to Stamford Bridge as the club's next permanent manager following another week when the image of the European champions has taken a pounding.

Burley told Talksport radio on Thursday: "Maybe it would be in the best interests for the club and for Rafa's own sanity if they go their separate ways as soon as possible."

Cundy said: "Benitez has not helped himself because if Chelsea were winning and had been playing attractive football over the last few months, it would have quietened the fans. The trouble is they have not been playing well.

"He should never have been offered the job and while I have a little sympathy with him for what has gone on, you cannot come out and attack the owner and have a go at the fans. You cannot get away with that, you can't," he said on Talksport.

Benitez said on Wednesday he was surprised and upset to be called "interim manager" and blamed the fans for creating a bad atmosphere at the London club.

Cundy responded: "I cannot accept that Benitez was surprised to be called interim manager because at the end of the day, Avram Grant and Robby Di Matteo had that title and they both got Chelsea to a Champions League Final."

As well as dealing with the Benitez outburst after the club's 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over second-tier Middlesbrough on Wednesday, Chelsea faced criticism for airbrushing former manager Di Matteo out of a mural at Chelsea's West Stand.

Di Matteo led Chelsea to Champions League success last season when they lifted the European Cup for the first time, but was sacked in November and replaced by Benitez.

"I said last summer that if Chelsea finish third and win a trophy, then that would have been a decent achievement," Cundy said.

"Di Matteo could not have done better than that, Benitez could not have done better than that, but the style of football is not as good now as it was at the start of the season."

Cundy, who described the situation at the club as "crazy", said captain John Terry could emerge as a shock contender for the manager's job

Bayern back at top after snapping Dortmund curse

The Bavarians advanced to the German Cup last four after eliminating holders Dortmund, who had also won back-to-back league titles in 2011 and 2012, with a sparkling performance.

They are now odds-on favourites to claim the domestic cup as well as a first Bundesliga title since 2010 having carved out a 17-point lead over second-placed Dortmund.

Bayern are also enjoying a sensational season in Europe and are all but through to the Champions League quarter-finals after their 3-1 first leg win at Arsenal earlier this month.

"My team deserves a great compliment because it showed that it is not only capable of playing beautiful football at the moment but that it can also fight," coach Jupp Heynckes said.

Bayern's performance so far this season may have pointed towards a win on Wednesday but they have endured a dismal record against their opponents, failing to beat Dortmund in any of their last six encounter and losing five in a row.

With the 'Dortmund curse' finally snapped, Bayern bosses breathed a sigh of relief.

"The issue about supremacy in Germany has now been cleared. I had asked myself how I will survive this game," Bayern president Uli Hoeness confessed.

"But it worked out fine because the team played very well. We have now taken a big step to be back at the very top in Germany."

Hoeness admitted the competition with Dortmund in recent seasons had also helped Bayern improve.

"I have no problem with Dortmund and they are doing superb work," he told reporters. "Borussia lifted us to a new level and we saw the results on Wednesday when we played perfect football at times."

Bayern this season have bounced back remarkably well after a bitter Champions League final defeat last year in Munich and losing out to Dortmund in the German title race.

"We want to win titles," said Robben, who scored the winner and is eager to re-establish himself as an automatic starter after playing mostly as a substitute of late.

"We are strong and stable and the organisation within the team is perfect

Lebanon coach 'broken' after matchfixing scandal

The German coach has been the driving force behind Lebanon's fairytale run to the final stages of World Cup qualifying for the first time as the West Asians chase an unlikely place in Brazil.

"A whole country was hoping to do something different. Now everything has been demolished," the German told United Arab Emirates newspaper Sport 360.

"I'm looking in the next two or three days to have a meeting with the federation to talk about my position.

"I don't know yet what I will do, I need to speak to the board and the president. I can't say whether I will continue or not," Bucker said.

"Inside, I'm broken. I really need to think things over and make the right decision, that's it."

Bucker has guided the team to memorable World Cup qualifying victories over regional heavyweights Iran and South Korea despite the team being ranked a lowly 178th by FIFA less than two years ago.

A 1-0 defeat by Qatar in November hit their hopes of taking one of the two qualifying spots from the five-team Group A with another defeat away to pool leaders Uzbekistan next month likely to end their Brazilian dreams.

It is not the first time Lebanon has been caught up in a matchfixing scandal.

"The tragic thing is when I came to Lebanon 12 years ago, I was facing the same situation," Bucker said.

"Lebanon got kicked out of the federation because of match fixing, now after 10 years I come back and there is exactly the same situation."

The Lebanese FA said the players were entitled to appeal the decision but added that some of them have directly confessed to their involvement in rigging games.

The second incident leaving the much-travelled coach at a crossroads.

"Personally, I'm very disappointed with a couple of guys I really trusted," the 64-year-old said.

"I don't know what to think. Me, personally, I was putting a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of work into making a path in this country, and some really stupid idiots have destroyed everything

Tennis: Nadal reaches quarterfinals in Mexico

The second-seeded Nadal needed just 85 minutes to beat Alund at the clay court tournament and will next face another Argentine in Leonardo Mayer, who defeated Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-2 to advance.

Top Seeded David Ferrer earlier downed American Wayne Odesnik 6-2, 6-1 to book his place in the final eight.

Nadal is making a comeback after being away from the tour for more than seven months with a left-knee injury.

He made the final of the VTR Open earlier this month in Chile before losing to Argentine Horacio Zeballos.

A week later he beat David Nalbandian to claim the Brazil Open title

Tennis: Djokovic swats aside Seppi to set up Del Potro showdown

Del Potro is a fantastic player, he's very powerful and has a great serve," Djokovic said in a courtside interview. "He likes this court, plays very aggressive, so I'll have to be on top of my game."

The Serb had been lax in the closing stages of his second round match and he began Thursday in a similar fashion, perhaps complacent due to a 9-0 winning record against Italian Seppi.

Djokovic's first serve was rarely on target in the opening game and a netted forehand left him facing a break point, but the 25-year-old escaped with a venomous serve and eventually held.

That scare seemed to refocus the Serb, who broke immediately by exposing the Italian's limitations - an erratic serve, short returns and a limp backhand.

Seppi won just 11 points in a first set whitewash.

Djokovic dominated from the baseline, slugging out the few rallies before injecting some extra pace into his ground strokes that Seppi had no reply to.

When the world number 20 did win his first game to make it 1-1 in the second set, he was greeted with rapturous applause from a crowd who did not want to see such a mismatch playing out before them.

Djokovic, seeking a fourth Dubai crown in five years and 36th tour title overall, broke decisively for a 3-1 second set lead as a flat-footed Seppi played a forehand that did not even trouble the tram lines.

Earlier, Del Potro's thunderous serving helped the Argentine overwhelm German qualifier Daniel Brands 6-4 6-2.

"If I am ready and I'm very solid with my forehands and serve … it's going to be a very big chance for me," Del Potro told reporters when asked about the prospect of a 10th meeting with Djokovic.

That confidence is a reflection of the former U.S. Open champion's improving form in Dubai following a scare in the first round in which he saved three match points before beating Marcos Baghdatis. He has eased through the next two rounds without losing serve.

Cheered on by pockets of Argentine support decked out in the blue and white stripes of the country's football team, he conceded just 10 points on serve against Brands in the volcanic afternoon heat.

The opening nine games all went with serve but then Brands faltered, bludgeoning a wayward forehand to concede the set.

Del Potro sublime ground strokes also proved lethal and he broke again for a decisive 2-0 lead in the second set.

Third seed Tomas Berdych continued his imperious form, swatting aside wildcard Dmitry Tursunov 6-3 6-2.

The Czech, ranked sixth in the world, has yet to drop a set in Dubai and will play Roger Federer or Nikolay Davydenko in the semis

Champions League gives Juventus first-half profit

Juventus, set for a place in the last eight of the Champions League, made a profit of 11.3 million euros ($14.81 million) in the six months to the end of December, having lost 34.6 million euros in the same period a year earlier.

Juventus have been revitalised by a move into their own new stadium. That is a rarity in Italy where big clubs often play in shared grounds owned by local authorities, limiting their ability to build money-spinning corporate boxes.

Revenues at the Turin-based club leapt by 75 percent to 149 million euros in the first half, helped by an additional 42.8 million of television money from the Champions League.

Juventus won the Italian league last season without losing a game to complete their recovery after the most successful club in Italian soccer history were relegated in 2006 over a bribery scandal.

The club expects to make a loss for the 2012-13 season as a whole but it would be significantly less than last year's figure of almost 50 million euros.

Juventus have paid 11.7 million euros to buy a plot of land adjacent to their new stadium from the Turin city council. They plan to build a new training and media centre on the site, along with hotels and other leisure facilities.

Top European clubs are under pressure to get their finances in order to comply with UEFA's new Financial Fair Play rules that could lead to teams being barred from European competition if the make excessive losses.

Juventus are top of the Italian league by six points ahead of Friday's match at second-placed Napoli.

They are also on course to advance in the Champions League next week after beating Celtic 3-0 in the first leg of their last-16 game in Glasgow.

Juventus maintain close ties with the Agnellis, the family who founded car maker Fiat. Their shirt sponsor is Fiat unit Jeep and they are controlled by Exor, the holding company of the Agnelli family

Setubal honours 'Special One' with street Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is to get a street in Setubal named after him in honour of his sporting achievements, the town hall of his home city said on Thursday.

Mourinho, the 50-year-old self-styled 'Special One', is arguably the most successful ever Portuguese coach.

He has won league titles in four different countries with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, and has led teams to two Champions League trophies.

The Setubal town hall said in a statement it had made the decision because of Mourinho's "extraordinary role in international sport".

"He is, in all fairness, one of the coaches in the world with the most prestige and qualification."

The exact street or avenue has not yet been chosen but the town hall's general assembly voted unanimously to approve the naming.

Setubal, located just south-east of Lisbon across the Tagus, is a former industrial hub that has become one of Portugal's most impoverished and unemployment-stricken cities

Former France midfielder Brahimi to play for Algeria

Former France youth international Yacine Brahimi is now eligible to represent Algeria at a senior level after receiving clearance from FIFA, the international football governing body.

"FIFA have transmitted to the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) the official decision of the eligibility of the player Yacine Brahimi to play for the Algerian national team," a statement read on the Algerian football federation website on Thursday.

Brahimi has represented France at all youth levels. The 23-year-old Rennes midfielder has been on loan since last summer to Spanish side Granada.

Algeria are looking to rebuild their team after recent debacles, including a first round elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations 2013.

Last year Algeria secured Valencia midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, and Brahimi now seems ready to make his debut with the team when they will take Benin on 26 March in the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers

Amr Zaki terminates contract with ENPPI

I will reveal my new club within hours,” Zaki has reportedly said Thursday afternoon following complications sparked between him and ENPPI manager Tarek El-Ashry ahead of Bani Swif Telephones league game.

Last month, the former Zamalek star also terminated deal with Turkey's Elazigspor by mutual consent less than five months after signing.

The 29-year-old forward, who joined the Elazig-based club late August and was supposed to stay for two seasons, had agreed last month with the club to leave amicably and joined ENPPI in a free transfer.

He made eight appearances in the Turkish league. His last appearance came on 24 November against Galatasaray when he was substituted due to injury.

Zaki scored 36 goals for ENPPI during his previous stint at the petroleum club before moving to Zamalek in 2006, where he was loaned to English Premier League side Wigan Athletic in 2008-2009 and scored 11 goals in 33 matches.

He also had a short spell at Hull City where he made six appearances

Arsenal without Sagna, Diaby doubtful for Spurs clash

Abou has a calf problem, a minor one. He will have tests and then we will see if we can use him or not," manager Arsene Wenger told a news conference on Thursday.
Diaby's fellow Frenchman Sagna has a knee injury and missed last weekend's Premier League win over Aston Villa.

"He is not ready for Sunday. It is too short for him," said Wenger.

Arsenal are fifth in the league on 47 points, two behind Chelsea and four adrift of third-placed Spurs

El-Hodoud outclass toothless Ahly in biggest-ever victory

This loss is the heaviest Egyptian league defeat for Ahly since 2007 when the African Champions lost to Ismaily 3-0 in Cairo.  

In a night to forget, the defending champions threw away their lead in Group A to their hosts, who managed to capitalise on their visitors' defensive howlers.

First, Ahmed Shedid Qenawy made a short back-pass that was intercepted by striker Ahmed Hassan Mekki, who scored the opener after 5 minutes.

Then Moetaz Eno doubled the lead in the beginning of the second half after a poorly-cleared ball, and finally unmarked Mekki completed the rout from close range in the 78th minute. 

Ahly coach Hossam El-Badry had to play without key central midfielders Hossam Ashour and Shehab Eddine Ahmed, both injured, and their absence seemed to be devastating.

Rami Rabea  and youngster Mahmoud "Trezeguet" Hassan  who had his first starting role this season couldn't provide the compactness and parsimony the team needed.

But the military side's victory over Ahly was fully deserved, even if the visitors gave them a big helping hand.

Haras El-Hodoud revealed quickly their intention to clinch the three points of the game with a close-range header from striker Ahmed Hassan Mekki denied by keeper Sherif Ekramy  in the third minute of the game.

Two minutes later Mekki snatched a short pass from Ahly’s defender Ahmed Shedid Qenawy who tried to return the ball to his keeper, rounded Ekramy and slid the ball into the empty net.

The in-form striker forced Ekramy to another heroic save as he skipped past defender Mohamed Naguib to strike from close range.

Ahly seemed to be regaining their composure at the half hour mark and seemed to be closing on the equaliser, but poor efforts from strikers Emad Meteb and Ahmed Abdel-Zaher kept them trailing in the scoreline at the break.  

Just after the interval young midfielder Mahmoud Hassan was sent on a one-on-one with the keeper, but his ball went over the bar.

Haras El-Hodoud reacted quickly on scoring their second goal, thanks to a nice 25-yard shot from Ahly’s former midfielder Moataz Eno, who picked up a bad clearance from Rami Rabea.    

Ahly attacked en masse trying to bounce back and coach Hossam El-Badry brought in all his attacking cards - Mauritanian forward Dominique Da Silva, striker El-Sayed Hamdy and forward Ahmed Shoukry.

Mekki hit again as he coolly finished off a low cross from Ahmed Sabry, who dribbled past Qenawy in the 79th minute.

Following their victory, Haras El-Hodoud advanced to the first place in Group A on goal differences, as the military club, Ahly and ENPPI  all have 9 point

Zahraa Maadi Investment profits hit LE 111.6 m in 2012

zhraa Maadi Investment & Development - (ZMID) reported financial results posting a net profit of LE 111,611,928 for the period from 01/01/2012 till 31/12/2012.

Noting that, it posted net profits of LE 111,430,478 for the period from 01/01/2011 till 31/12/2011.

Delta Construction & Rebuilding 2012 profit jumps to LE 9.3 m in 2012

Delta Construction & Rebuilding - (DCRC) reported financial results posting a net profit of LE 9,360,532 for the period from 01/01/2012 till 31/12/2012.

Noting that, it posted net profits of LE 5,500,267 for the period from 01/01/2011 till 31/12/2011

El Arabia Engineering Industries profits hit LE 9 m in 2012

El Arabia Engineering Industries - (EEII) reported financial results posting a net profit of LE 9,049,094 for the period from 01/01/2012 till 31/12/2012.

Noting that, it posted net profits of LE 7,601,190 for the period from 01/01/2011 till 31/12/2011

Ezz Steel 9 months profits dip to LE 95 m

Ezz Steel - (ESRS) reported consolidated financial results posting a net profit of LE 95,560,000 for the period from 01/01/2012 till 30/09/2012.

Noting that, it posted net profits of LE 449,498,000 for the same period of the previous year

Egypt developer SODIC posts 2012 net profit after loss in 2011

Egyptian property developer SODIC said on Wednesday it made a net profit of 257 million Egyptian pounds ($38.1 million)in 2012 after a net loss in 2011.

The companys net income for the fourth quarter of 2012 was 125 million pounds, it said in a statement, without giving a comparative figure for the same period in 2011.

Egypts real estate industry was thrown into turmoil after a popular uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, hitting demand for high-end property.

SODIC has been spared much of the legal uncertainty over land bank ownership that damaged investor confidence in the sector since the revolt.

An agreement with authorities in March last year to develop projects on its land bank in West Cairo within three years protected SODICs assets from possible legal challenges.

The company said it made contracted sales of 347 million pounds in the fourth quarter of 2012, and total revenues of 564 million pounds in the same period

Egypt gas exports up 4% in 2012: IDSC

Egypt exported $22 billion worth of natural gas last year, 4 percent more than in 2011, according to a report on Economic and Social Indicators released in February by the state-run Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC).

The country exports dry and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, the US and South Korea. It also continues to supply a handful of Arab countries through the Arab Gas Pipeline, completed in 2004, despite a series of attacks on the pipeline since Egypt's January 25 Revolution, which disrupted the natural gas exports.

Egypt produced 45.8 million tonnes of natural gas in 2012, a 0.85 percent drop from the previous years' 46.1 million tonnes, according to the report.

Domestic consumption of natural gas, however, rose to 39.2 million tonnes in 2012, exceeding the previous years' figure by a significant 5.8 percent.

Egypt has two liquefied natural gas plants and a gas export pipeline, but industry sources say the government has diverted some gas contracted for export to meet the growing demands of the domestic market.

57 percent of domestic consumption gas was geared to electricity generation, compared to 56 percent in 2011.

The country has experienced increasingly frequent power cuts since the summer of 2012 due in part to a shortage in natural gas.

In January 2013, Egypt issued an international tender to import liquefied natural gas to meet its domestic needs; the results will be announced by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), according to Hamdi Abdel- Aziz, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Petroleum.

Egypt budget deficit hits $17.7 bn in 1st 7 months of 2012/13

Egypt's budget deficit increased by 35.8 percent to LE119.8 billion ($17.7 billion) from July to January of the 2012/13 fiscal year compared to the same period the previous fiscal year, Egypt's finance ministry stated Wednesday.

According to the ministry's monthly bulletin, the budget deficit represents 6.7 percent of Egypt's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which currently stands at LE1.5 trillion.

The finance ministry added that the deficit increase was largely due to an increase in fiscal expenditures by 29.8 percent, which stood at LE288.9 billion (roughly $42.8 billion) in the second quarter of the 2012/13 fiscal year, compared to LE 222.6 billion (some $33 billion) for the same period the previous fiscal year.

The increase was led by rises in subsidies and social benefits, which rose by 49.9 percent to LE91.2 billion (roughly $13.5 billion) in the July-January period of the current fiscal year, compared to almost LE60.9 billion ($9 billion) during the corresponding period the previous fiscal year.

Domestic debt, meanwhile, rose to $192 billion in the July-January period of the current fiscal year, representing 72.8 percent of Egypt's GDP, compared to $157 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, according to the finance ministry.

On Monday, the government announced a modified economic reform programme aimed at meeting the preconditions of a proposed $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

If the economic recovery programme is successfully implemented, the government asserts, Egypt's budget deficit will fall by the end of the 2014/15 fiscal year to some LE183 billion, constituting almost 7.7 percent of the nation's GDP, compared to the 10.9 percent forecast for the current fiscal year

Egypt budget deficit hits $17.7 bn in 1st 7 months of 2012/13

Egypt's budget deficit increased by 35.8 percent to LE119.8 billion ($17.7 billion) from July to January of the 2012/13 fiscal year compared to the same period the previous fiscal year, Egypt's finance ministry stated Wednesday.

According to the ministry's monthly bulletin, the budget deficit represents 6.7 percent of Egypt's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which currently stands at LE1.5 trillion.

The finance ministry added that the deficit increase was largely due to an increase in fiscal expenditures by 29.8 percent, which stood at LE288.9 billion (roughly $42.8 billion) in the second quarter of the 2012/13 fiscal year, compared to LE 222.6 billion (some $33 billion) for the same period the previous fiscal year.

The increase was led by rises in subsidies and social benefits, which rose by 49.9 percent to LE91.2 billion (roughly $13.5 billion) in the July-January period of the current fiscal year, compared to almost LE60.9 billion ($9 billion) during the corresponding period the previous fiscal year.

Domestic debt, meanwhile, rose to $192 billion in the July-January period of the current fiscal year, representing 72.8 percent of Egypt's GDP, compared to $157 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, according to the finance ministry.

On Monday, the government announced a modified economic reform programme aimed at meeting the preconditions of a proposed $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

If the economic recovery programme is successfully implemented, the government asserts, Egypt's budget deficit will fall by the end of the 2014/15 fiscal year to some LE183 billion, constituting almost 7.7 percent of the nation's GDP, compared to the 10.9 percent forecast for the current fiscal year

OCI awards tanks package valued in excess of $ 60 m to Matrix Service Inc

Cairo - OCI N.V.’s wholly-owned subsidiary Iowa Fertilizer Company (IFCo), a Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant located in Lee County, has announced that its Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor, the OCI Construction Group (OCIC), has awarded a construction contract valued in excess of US$ 60 million to Matrix Service Inc.

The contract requires the engineering, fabrication, and erection of the tank structures for two double containment ammonia storage tanks and three urea ammonium nitrate storage tanks, to be located within the boundary of the IFCo plant facilities. Consistent with IFCo’s commitment to maximizing local job creation, Matrix Service Inc. has stated that the firm will spend an estimated 20% of the total contract value on direct expenditures in the Southeastern Iowa economy. Matrix Service Inc. will recruit local talent using Iowa’s Workforce Development, the state’s employment security agency, and provide work opportunities for various local businesses including surveying, concrete supply, construction and consumables, tank painting and insulation, reinforcing steel supply and fabrication, among other goods and services. Furthermore, Matrix Service Inc. is proposing a training program to recruit local Southeast Iowa welders, at no cost to local employees, providing the foundation for a full-time career after the IFCo tanks are complete.

IFCo is a Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer complex that is currently under construction. The plant will produce up to 2 million metric tons per annum of nitrogen fertilizers, including ammonia, urea, and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), as well as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). IFCo will be the first world scale natural gas-based fertilizer plant built in the United States in nearly 25 years and will help reduce the United States’ dependency on imported fertilizers.

Matrix Service Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Matrix Service Company. Matrix Service Company provides engineering, fabrication, construction and maintenance services to Electrical Infrastructure, Oil Gas & Chemical, Storage Solutions and Industrial markets. The Company is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with regional operating facilities in the United States and Canada.

This award represents the fourth in a series of IFCo contracts awarded to engineering and construction companies, with a sizeable Iowa labor component, over the past four months. During the fourth quarter of 2012, The Weitz Company, a Des Moines-based general contractor, was awarded the civil works package; Stanley Consultants, a   Muscatine-based consulting engineering firm, was awarded the engineering package for Balance of Plant, Buildings and Utilities; and McAninch Corporation, a Des Moines-based earthmoving contractor, was awarded the earthworks package.

Osama Bishai, Chief Operating Officer of the OCI Construction Group commented: “We are pleased that one of the last outstanding major packages for IFCo has been awarded to Matrix Service Inc., a national leader in tank construction and liquid storage. Both OCI N.V. and Matrix Service Inc. are committed to maximizing job creation in the state of Iowa and this construction contract award is a testament to that commitment. The ammonia storage tank package award is a key milestone in the construction schedule of the project with is scheduled to start production in late 2015.”

The ammonia tank will be ready for Cool Down February 2015, in time for IFCo’s scheduled commissioning date