The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Behind Black Eyes
by Bailey Hunter

Davis scuttled down the seasons-worn sidewalk, glancing behind every few steps.  He hadn’t seen it yet, but he could feel the black eyes burrowing through stringy dark hair into his skull. He quickened the pace, his backpack slapping clumsily against his spine, hard corners of hastily stuffed school texts bruising tender flesh. If he could just make it home without seeing it….

A flock of starlings lit from a tree to his left, rolling down then back up in a black swarm of wings forcing his muscles to lock him in place.  They surrounded him with shrill electronic squeaks and drawn out whistles before rolling off towards another tree in the distance. His heart thumped hard against his chest.

He hated birds.  He hated their orbed eyes and boney leather feet.  He hated their scent and their sounds.  Davis closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and willed his legs to start moving again.  He had to get home, away from those unseen eyes.

As he neared his house, a split-second of relief vanished at the sight perched upon the stair railing.

It was waiting for him.

The grip on his heart tightened with each step. Breathing came in sharp gasps, but he couldn’t stop.  If he stopped now, he’d never get past it.

With heavy, reluctant legs he ascended the steps while it cast its cruel glare down upon him.  Davis didn’t want to look it in the eye, he didn’t want to see.  Closing in on the last step it let out a throaty ‘kronk kronk kronk’ nearly knocking Davis back down the stairs.  His head turned without permission, locking eyes with the jet feathered bird.

The raven’s gaze burned, and within it he saw those visions again. Such violence and pain. Black smoke, red fires. An endless sea of tortured limbs and twisted faces screaming in silent voices from inside those beady orbs.

He couldn’t stand anymore and swung out with the heavy pack.  Fear turned to cold anger as the raven flew away.

The end may be nigh, but first he had chores to do.

Fiction © Copyright Bailey Hunter
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More about Bailey Hunter:
Bailey is a publisher with Dark Recesses Press.

Smarter Than the Average Werewolf
by Mark Orr

Harvey Drago, the Intangible Private Eye, is hired to track down a serial killer known as the West End Werewolf. Little does Harvey know he will be hunting an actual lycanthrope, but surely his ability to pass through solid objects will protect him. Or will it?

Available from Dark Recesses Press!