The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
Tempted
by Melissa R. Mendelson
It was only 11:30 in the morning, and the office staff was gearing up for lunch. I was chained to my desk, sifting through endless invoices, confirming that each one was paid. The temp agency that I worked for only allowed for a fifteen-minute break, so I didn’t bring lunch. At least, I would be out of here by three p.m.
At noon, the office emptied out, leaving me alone. I finally pushed myself away from the desk, stretching my legs. The building was old, and it smelled of dust and mildew. We were on the second floor, but there was nothing beneath us. I still ventured toward the broken EXIT door, peering down the crooked stairs, and a cold finger curled against my skin.
I jumped back, almost tripping on the torn rug, which now wrapped around my feet. Why did I take this assignment? I was tired of working in fast food, and I couldn’t get a job in retail. Besides, office work was supposed to be easy, tedious but easy. I was an idiot, and I knew that. I committed myself here for the week, and the week was almost up.
“Hello?” The voice was low. It crawled up the steps toward me.
“Hello. Is anyone there?” No response. I must be hearing things, but I knew I heard something. I peered down the stairs, and something brushed up against the wall. And my feet gingerly maneuvered down the broken stairs.
My imagination was playing tricks on me, but there it was again, something spreading across the concrete wall. Maybe, it was mold, but it was blue. My fingers brushed across the wall, suddenly touching it. My body tingled, drawing me closer to the blue as it bloomed like a flower, spreading open, and ecstasy convulsed through me. But then terror followed, and I tried to pull away. But the blue was inside me, and my body begged for more. I finally gave in, relishing each and every delight until I slammed into the wall.
I opened my eyes. Everything was dark. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel my body. I couldn’t open my mouth to scream. All I could do was stare at the green eyes that floated before me, and its mouth opened, releasing a high pitch whistle that made my eyes roll upward. I convulsed again, breaking into a million pieces, little particles that floated down to the concrete floor.
Fiction © Copyright Melissa R. Mendelson
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Melissa R. Mendelson:
The Thunder of Chaos
(Audio Story)
A teenage girl must come to terms with the loss of her brother, a revolutionary who died for what he believed in.
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Delightfully eerie and unsettling.
Thank you. 🙂