Metamorphosis

It was a dark and stormy night when I first drew breath. A deep, guttural, tormented gasp. I knew not from whence I came, only that I wish I could go back to that void. My senses overloaded me at first. What was that smell? It was intoxicating. I instinctively recognized it. It was… fear. I bothered me that I liked the smell. I raised my head and opened my eyes. I looked at my upper appendage, it was tipped in sharp and grotesque talons. Ragged and serrated like a saw. It was meant for the ripping of flesh. How did I know this? I ran my sharp, dual-pronged tongue over my sharper, jagged teeth. What was I?

Fears Faced and Fought

Face your fears, they had told me. You can’t be scared forever. Their words echoed through my mind as I jogged tiredly through the trees. Fear is a choice, they had said, don’t give into it, and it wont control you.

I hopped over a fallen log and pressed on. Trying to keep my breathing steady. Breathing was everything,

Just take a deep breath, The voices told me, and let your fear out with it.

I sharply turned, as I did every 15 minutes to confuse whomever might be following. They talk about fear like they own it, but they are lying. Fear owns them, it saves them. Those who fear does not own are long dead. 

I let my fears embrace me, and that is how I have survived so long. The foolhardy die like fools, and the courageous were mowed down like ripe corn. Only the fearful remained, only the fearful had hidden.

You most certainly can be scared forever, I thought as I padded on steadily through the woods. Fear is the only insurace that you will live forever. 

Halloween!

It was a dark and stormy night. The air was cold, like a chilling breeze that froze you to the bone. Everything was quiet, like everyone was mute, only the nature could make sound. However, this was not a night of fear and screams. No, this was a night of excitement and joy.

Playtime

It was a dark and stormy night, the kind the ghoul existed for. He loved the sensation of how the storm rattled the house with its relentless anger. The howling wind was reminiscent of a time where the ghoul could make sounds of his own. Those days were long gone by now.

The Calling

 

It was a dark and stormy night when he appeared at my door.

He knocked only once, he didn’t need more.

The knock rang through my house, I heard it echoing.

Calling, asking, beckoning.

The Queen

The queen sat near the corner, husband on her left, councilors and pages in front, and to her right and left.  The discussion was heated.  War was upon them.  Over the past few hours as the attacking army had staked out their positions, redoubts and defenses along the battle front, the royal couple and their advisors schemed, doubled and tripled schemed to counter each advance, each repositioning or apparent retreat of the invaders.  From the neighboring kingdom, they had heard of this feared opponent – there were no retreats, only feints within feints, deceptions and counterforce.  They were brilliant military strategists.  Nothing was as it seemed.

Death Becomes Her

They eyed me from across the table with calculated assessment. One grim faced, stern, unsympathetic.  The other: open countenance, friendly, intentionally relatable – both clearly well-versed in their good cop/bad cop routine.

“Why don’t you just tell us why you did it?  It will go easier for you if you just admit it.” The bad cop wheedled me, voice laden with contempt and disgust.

By “it,” he means kill my sister.  And yes, I did, but I wasn’t quite ready to admit it.  I was still savoring the images, enjoying the memory, reveling in my victory.

The interrogation

“Wake up,” came a gruff voice. Eric felt a gruff backhand slap him across the face. Slowly Eric opened his eyes. He was sitting in a dark room. There was a two way mirror on one side of the wall, which Eric could only assume kept more gruff voiced people hidden.

Some Friendships Just Never End

“Ugh!”

“What?”

“I just spilled juice all over me.”

“Mozel Tov.”

A Grandfather’s Tale

Hiya Marcus, how are you? Come, sit with me! I’m fine thank you. So, you—What’s that? Speak up sonny! You want to know what? Oh, you do! Well that’s a long story now son, are you sure you’d rather not play outside with the other grandkids? No? Alright then, you’re probably old enough. Get comfortable…