The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
Devil’s Night
by Jo-Anne Russell
“Bourbon, neat.” Charlie took a quick look around the bar.
The bartender poured the drink. “You know Halloween isn’t until tomorrow night, right?”
Charlie downed the drink. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
The bartender gave him an odd look. “Nothing.”
“Another.” He watched the bartender pour and then walk away. Charlie caught his reflection in the mirrored backsplash of the bar. His red eyes stood out against the grey of his skin. Cracked black lips fell under the wet lick of his tongue. “What the hell?”
Pain scorched through his mind as he tried to remember. He squeezed his eyes shut. ‘We finished the gig and went back to Gil’s for the after party. Lydia got me a drink, I sat with her hot friend, what’s her name? Lucy, that’s it, and we went back to my place and then-‘
“Charlie, where the fuck have you been? Zack’s freaking out! That gig’s tomorrow night and you haven’t been to a rehearsal in three days.”
Charlie opened his eyes. “Three days…”
“What’s up with your face, man?”
“My face…It was burning; everything was burning, and Lucy was…”
The memory revived through the pain. Everything was clear again. He had made a deal with the devil – the she-devil and it was time to do his part.
“Sorry, John. Things have been a little bit nuts since the party. We got ourselves a new manager, and she wants some changes.”
“What changes, like your make-up job?”
Charlie gulped his drink and slammed his glass to the bar. He turned to John. “The band is going big time, Lucy has plans for us.”
“Our new manager is a chick? Is she hot?”
Charlie smiled. “You could say that, yeah. Now listen up – The new set will blaze a trail to our future.”
Fiction © Copyright Jo-Anne Russell
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Author Jo-Anne Russell:
Little Dead Things
Moments; that’s all we really have in this world, isn’t it? Little Dead Things is a single author collection of 41 stories, flash, and drabbles that tell the tales of the most dire, dreadful, or impactful moment for each character. Perfect for commuters, lunch hours, or waiting at an appointment, these tales will give you much more than a distraction, for the hours that follow just may lead to the contemplation of your very existence. Do you have a moment for Little Dead Things?
Spreading the Writer's Word 
Very ominous, a great story.