The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Biblichor
by Lydia Prime

Studying the wisdom of men who’d come before, he sat alone in the archives. A cup of tea to soothe the soul and his ticking metronome keeping pace helped to quell a busy mind in such silence. Reading unorthodox materials was advised against, however he was certain – he’d begged for the chance. Seconds turned to minutes, the minutes to hours while pages quickly passed and books were finished; each stacked haphazardly in front of him so he could admire how far he’d come.

As the previous leather bound was laid atop its mates, a much more aged text was opened. The sweet, musty aroma filled his nostrils and he sighed loudly, the first noise he’d made in almost a day. Gliding his finger down the side of the page there was a sudden sharp pain followed by carmine droplets, muddying its words and staining the image. He pulled his hand away and shook it out when a low rumbling came from a far corner of the library.

He sipped his tea and placed it back upon its saucer then returned to his reading. Moments passed before he realized the ticking had stopped. A few taps on the watch did nothing to start it again, the rumbling was growing louder. Eyelids heavy and breathing deep, the musty scent from his book was becoming overwhelming – his head cloudy, that smell...

The clinking of his porcelain teacup and plate pulled him from whatever sickness he’d been feeling and he noticed the rippling of the liquid. What have I done? Panic surged through his body, adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he stumbled from his chair to the bookcase, he was greeted by an inhuman creature. Please, God, no…

“God,” a voice most foul growled, “almost.” Laughing, a clawed hand extended and squeezed his throat. “Thanks for the wake up, it’s been a while,” Biblichor licked its lips before showing off a mouth of yellow razor-like teeth. The creature slowly peeled away his flesh starting at the barely bleeding paper cut and slurped each slice down as he screamed.

Fiction © Copyright Lydia Prime
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More about Lydia Prime:

Lydia grew up in a small, ‘Mayberry,’ sort of town, in New Jersey. She thoroughly enjoys gummy bears and laughing through the darkest depths of life. More often than not, she writes about demons and monsters, however, being a recovering addict tends to turn inner demons into fearsome foes to be fought beyond the constraints of the mind. ‘Sometimes,’ she states, ‘what’s inside, is scarier than anything reality throws at you.’

Please visit Lydia on Facebook for more info.