The Ladies of Horror
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What the Embryologists Discovered
by Terrie Leigh Relf

It was winter when we found her nest . . . Still cradling her egg with arms and hands now devoid of flesh, a creature of unknown origin. She had clearly been dead for quite some time. Rather than being horrified at the sight of human hands on what at first appeared to be a bird, we were touched by the scene, curious as to what had befallen her, saddened by the certain death of her progeny. 

candling the egg
back at the lab
movement

While the egg incubated, we studied its mother’s bones. What first appeared to be the effects of weathering, we discovered were claw and teeth marks. Carbon dating revealed that our initial perceptions had been incorrect, as the mother had been dead but hours. After the initial scans revealed significant traces of humanoid DNA, we ran them again with the same results. 

somewhere
in the forest
another hatchling

Fiction © Copyright Terrie Leigh Relf
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Terrie Leigh Relf:

The Sisterhood of the Blood Moon

For thousands of Earth years, the Transgalactic Consortium has had a quiet interest in this planet and its inhabitants, the Haurans. While the Sisterhood of the Blood Moon works together with the Consortium and Haurans to maintain balance in the universe, the Blood Moon is fast approaching. The power of this moon reveals untold secrets . . . including a sacred covenant with the Mora Spiders. There is an ancient pact that needs to be honored—but at what cost and for whose purpose? The world may come to an end. But will there be a chance for a new beginning?

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