The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Gatekeeper
by Leah Lederman

She was the guardian. Feared, hated, misunderstood, but she did her duty. Her lips, the gate, opened wide, leading the way to the gaping chasm she protected. She waited.

The first twin had been silent in its descent through the birth canal, but the second rumbled and twisted, shredding its near-dead mother. The mewling lump came forth. She swallowed it whole and withdrew, wiping the corner of her mouth with a clawed, skeletal finger.

Not all babies go to heaven.

Fiction © Copyright Leah Lederman
Image courtesy of Marge Simon 

More about Leah Lederman:

Leah Lederman is a freelance writer and editor from the Indianapolis area, where she lives with her husband, their two sons, two cats, and puppy. Since obtaining her Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Toledo in 2009, she’s busied herself with writing, editing, parenting, and teaching (though not always in that order). She started her own parenting column in The Toledo Free Press, and has had her short stories published by Bloodlotus Online Literary Journal, The Indianapolis indie magazine Snacks, and in Scout Media’s anthology A Matter of Words. Her most recent work will be released by Indie Authors’ Press in Issues of Tomorrow. Several other pieces are awaiting rejection. As an editor, she’s worked on dozens of indie comic scripts and has been featured on the comics news sites “Creator Owned Expo,” “The Outhousers,” and the podcast “Comics Pros and Cons.” In addition to her work in comics with writers like Dirk Manning, Howie Noel, Bob Salley, and Kasey Pierce, Leah has edited short story collections, children’s books, dissertations, and several novels.