Horror Short Showcase: 'Cakeman'

Written by Scott Edwards

When you are young, there is nothing better than having your birthday party. With friends all around you and more presents than you can swing a stick at, some of your greatest memories start right there.  But there is something that makes your birthday complete and that is the massive cake that gets set before you with as many candles as your age. Blowing out these candles is a rite of passage for many children and while I was never good at doing it, I loved every minute of making my coming of age memorable for everyone that was involved.
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As the sun has set and the party is long over, Libby is still trying to get a little more birthday cake into her stomach before bed time. Being called out by her father for doing so, Libby’s mother spots another present that has yet to be opened. Removing the bow to the massive package, Libby and her mother are shocked to see that it is empty, but with her birthday being a great success, Libby is far from upset and loads all the rest of her presents into the box and heads off to her room to go to bed.

When unloading her box of goodies, Libby finds that all of her new presents are covered in blood, but that is not the only thing that the box has in store for her. Seeing a light coming from the box, Libby is shocked to see the hands of a demon coming out and grabbing her. Arriving in a yard full of children with bandages over their hands, Libby is greeted by the Cakeman who is ready to receive his due. With her fingers on fire, Libby screams for her life and the Cakeman does what he does best, taking his prize from the six-year-old girl. Trying to find out what her daughter is fussing about, Libby’s mother enters the room to find out that the empty box she saw earlier has a much more sinister purpose.

Never take candy from strangers’, right? That is something that was hardwired into our minds as children and I believe that idea translates very well in this film, albeit in this case it’s a present and not candy. The spookiness that the package has in store for anyone around it is just great and the Cakeman character is the stuff of nightmares. I must admit that I was cracking up at the father throughout this film, mainly because he is the do as I say, not as I do type, but he did get some cake as well. I must admit that I am not one to take anything from someone that I do not know, but now I surely never will, because there can be frightening things in big packages. Stay Scared.

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