The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
They erected a beacon nearby, a grim reminder . . .
We are not alone. We are not at liberty.
Though it stands above waves — part of
the surf, the shore — it bears no sense of glee.
No careless frolic, and so little concern
in defending the coast. We are the reason,
the purpose behind a restless vacant gaze,
a blunt relentless hunt. Accused of treason.
We saw it as survival in a world gone loco
with laws of elastic, rules shifting like sand.
And nothing sacred, all things for sale.
They call it Opportunity, but this is our land.
There are no walls around their fortress.
No fences to keep the masses “safe”. Only towers
that don’t sleep or blink or think, and never ask questions.
Just shine a spotlight possessed by powers . . .
Forces beyond our comprehension. Wickeder than
the hearts of malicious brutes controlling city and sea,
desert and field. Wielding acts of Nature as if machines,
weapons against the likes of you or me.
None are truly safe. We are all of us condemned
to their bar-less cages, their prisons of open space,
where day is night and worse than the beasts
is the searching lamp that gives us chase.
Lonely and desolate, what goes on in the spires
one can merely guess, based on tormented screams.
Run and hide. Better pray they never find you . . .
those blinding, sweeping, horrific beams.
Fiction © Copyright Lori R. Lopez
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Lori R. Lopez:
Darkverse: The Shadow Hours
A rich gathering of poetry with a dismal twilight atmosphere, a brooding nature, an eerie tone . . . DARKVERSE: THE SHADOW HOURS encompasses such pieces written by Lori R. Lopez between 2009 and 2017, collected in three of her Poetic Reflections volumes along with humorous and serious verse. This ample compendium allows a more focused reading experience and mood — presenting poems that share speculative themes, flashes of horror, glimpses of madness.
Lori is the author of THE DARK MISTER SNARK, LEERY LANE, MONSTROSITIES, AN ILL WIND BLOWS, THE FAIRY FLY, CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES, JAR BABY, SAMHAIN, 3-Z, and SPIDER SOUP, among other tales. She has been called a storyteller, whether composing verse or prose.
The aim of her DARKVERSE series is to offer a chilling trek through unlit stretches where all manner of creeps and kooks may lurk; where graveyards and bogs and full-moons abound. The pages of THE SHADOW HOURS illuminate those morbid uncanny perils and dreads that inhabit drab corners, the known and unknown terrors of the night. Vivid and distinct, her voice echoes our worst fears then delves beyond, exposing hitherto unimaginable frights.
Prepare to confront a motley array of ghouls and menaces that might just move under your bed.
Look for an Illustrated Print Edition with quirky art by the author.
Spreading the Writer's Word 
Very chilling and haunting.
Thanks, Anita!!! Exactly what I was going for. 🙂 ❤