The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Lisa’s Mirror
by Michelle Joy Gallagher

“The moon is a mirror.” She said breathlessly. “my mother always told me that.” A small smile tinged with sadness followed. She was far away. She was often far away. He was often frustrated. He’d brought her out here to his favorite place on the banks of the American river in order to reconnect, somehow reach her. Mark told himself he loved Lisa, even as time and grief had twisted her. He’d had to correct her from time to time on her behavior but nothing a nice dinner or gift couldn’t fix afterward . They’d had a nice enough time, but then she’d wandered off muttering to herself. He finally caught up with her here, knee deep in the high tide, staring at the moon. She heard him approach and she stiffened, balled her fists up tight at her side. She’d seen the other in him. The moon helped her with that. She sat down hard in the fast moving and freezing cold water and brought a hand up to a healing bruise on her cheek, rubbing it thoughtfully. He stared at her from the riverbank, until exasperated, he waded in toward her. “Lisa, come on. We have to get out-“ A large rock tripped him and he fell face first into the water right beside her. She looked up at the moon one last time and nodded slowly, as if taking direction. She pulled a large rock up from the riverbed and smashed him over the back of the head with it before he’d had a chance to right himself. She brought the rock up again with both hands and drove the rock down on to the same place on his skull. He sputtered and flailed for purchase but was disoriented and in shock. She continued until he lay still, face down, half floating. Blood began to mix with the water. Lisa looked up at the moon and screamed at whatever she saw there. Perhaps the other had now taken residence in her.  

Fiction © Copyright Michelle Joy Gallagher
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Michelle Joy Gallagher:

Café Macabre

This collection of twelve stories and artwork by women is truly a collection of the macabre. Make a reservation for terror and get ready to delve into the deepest, darkest fears of some of the best writers and artists in the fiction game. Leah McNaughton Lederman has collected an anthology of the truly strange… a tome of the weird. Take a seat and order a cup, you’re dining at Café Macabre!

Available on Amazon!