The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
The Risen
by Elizabeth H. Smith
Risen from the deep unknown, a mass of earth and stone—something she’d never witnessed. Beneath her feet had always been life, death, of that which is eternal—the living earth, flesh of the world’s ruler. This new plateau driven up from the sea beckoned her. It spoke her name with whispers carried on a cool breeze.
But the rumbling of her current world spoke against it, told her not to go, not to abandon her God. The tone of its intent, what was considered good, now seemed wrong, evil…
A betrayal to walk this new ground, her feet moved unsteady. But desire to touch something foreign drove her toward it. She needed this arrival on her skin. Her heart begged it.
As she stepped onto the newborn God her legs failed her. Knees to the rocky soil, she questioned why. The thoughts returned showed her true darkness, things born of sinister nature. As she pleaded to be allowed back to the God she betrayed, the earthy demon returned to the depths, pulling her below the inky water, where her screams would go unheard, forever.
Fiction © Copyright Elizabeth H. Smith
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Elizabeth H. Smith:
Through Clouded Eyes: A Zombie’s Point of View
Through Clouded Eyes: A Zombie’s Point of View: a collection of twelve stories told from the Zombie’s perspective.
They’re shambling toward you, feet dragging on the broken roadway. Arms outstretched, faces slack, they move as if they’re tracking your scent on the wind. You want to run, but you know there’s nowhere to hide.
Aware of their insatiable hunger, fear paralyzes you. These things were once human, people someone loved. Is there anything left inside them – some sliver of humanity that may save you from this nightmare? Your mind doesn’t want to accept the inevitable, a single thought consumes you: what are they thinking?
With your chance of escape dwindling, you snap out of it and run like hell knowing there is little to no hope; fate is coming for you. Soon you will see what they see Through Clouded Eyes…
Featuring stories from Maynard Blackoak, Calvin Demmer, Paul M. Feeney, Stacy Fileccia, Trevor Firetog, DH Hanni, Shannon Lawrence, Josh MacLeod, Zachary O’Shea, Neal Privett, Mark Steinwachs, and Alex Woolf
WRITERS WANTED!
Issue #40 of The Sirens Call – As Summer Leaves, Autumn Falls
Stories of disaster influenced by horrific intent.
Whether it be Mother Nature’s wrath or a devilish ghoul, a sprite most wicked or a stumbling fool, tell us a tale of disaster that happens as summer ends and autumn begins.
We are looking for stories, flash fiction and poetry of horrific happenings that take place in the summer months that lead into fall. As long as the piece is primarily horror/dark fiction, we’d love to see it!
Your piece can be creepy, sullen, emotive, freaky, elegant, bizarre, have a dark-humor edge to it, or simply be flat out scary as hell!
REPRINTS ARE WELCOME
Submission Deadline: August 10, 2018
Circulation: Approximately 35,000
Full page/single book cover ads for individual authors are available at $10 per ad. Please contact Nina@SirensCallPublications.com for advertising information.
All short story, flash, and poem submissions MUST be submitted to: Submissions@SirensCallPublications.com for consideration.
Visit our web site for more details: SirensCallPub.com
Most chilling.