The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

I’ve been waiting for a long time to kill her. It was planned out so beautifully. Everything was in place, and she took the bait. Her screams were melody, and the lights flickering in her eyes was truly enticing. But then her brother suddenly came home, and I took off, running through the woods behind their house.

I was soaked in her blood. My face hurt from her nails, but my hands still gripped that knife. The knife. Damn it. I had no time to clean up or wipe away my prints. The police will know that it was me. Her brother was supposed to be away tonight, so why did he come back home?

Suddenly, a twig snapped. Did her brother follow me? I sensed someone standing behind me, but it wasn’t her brother. It was a shrouded figure holding a long, shining sword with an ugly skull at its end. It was past Halloween, and I was not in the mood for any games. But I left the damn knife in her body, so I guess I would have to use my fists instead.

Before I could lunge at the stranger, they slammed the sword down into the ground. Several crows flew out from underneath the cloak and surrounded me. I tried to swat them away, but there were too many of them. They started to pick at my flesh, and then the crows began swallowing larger chunks. I screamed for help, but there was no help. I fell to my knees as the crows devoured me.

I thought it was over when the crows suddenly stopped. They flew back to the stranger, who then slammed their sword again into the ground. I felt the earth shake, but then I realized it was my stomach. Something was moving underneath my flesh. Something was trying to get out, and my skin split in half, causing agonizing pain to race through me. As I twisted and convulsed, something cold and white slithered out of my stomach and onto the ground.

The creature then grew in size. White fur sprouted across its body. Its teeth became fangs. Its hands and feet turned into paws. Its eyes flashed a brilliant green, and for a split second, I saw her. But how could it be her, if she was dead?

“Finish him, Jane,” the stranger said, and he turned away. The crows followed him, but the wolf, Jane did not.

“Jane,” I gasped. “I’m sorry. I’m…” Her fangs plunged into my throat. “Sorry,” but my last word slipped out of the gaping hole in my neck.