The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Arena of Light
Or
The Trees at Grandma Mary’s House
by Alex Grehy

Will you dare reach for
that sweet light? Wholesome comfort,
cruel illusion.

Trees

Feral trees grow fast
Sunshine nourishes growth but
does not satisfy.

Hungry roots seek more,
but long-buried, bloodless bones
do not satisfy.

Human blood pulses
inside the house; the trees know,
crave satisfaction

Branches brush the glass,
starving, frantic, test its strength,
tap, tap, tap, tap, CRACK! 

Will they dare reach for
that sweet light? Thorns hesitate,
fear the axe within.

Grandma Mary

Trapped by feral trees,
She cowers in dark corners,
shade repels the thorns.

Her primal fears dwell
here too, in the dark, terror
crawls on her pale skin.

Normality. A.
simple cup of tea out of
reach on the table. 

The window shatters.
Grandma grasps the axe, swings, tests
its weight, thwack, thwack, THWACK.

Does she dare reach for
that sweet light? She hesitates,
fears the thorns without.

Fiction © Copyright Alex Grehy
Image courtesy of Rie Sheridan Rose.

More from author Alex Grehy:

After a lifetime of writing technical non-fiction, Alex Grehy is fulfilling her dream of writing poems and stories that engage the reader’s emotions. Her work has been featured by a wide range of publications including Siren’s Call, Raconteur, Bookends Review, and Toasted Cheese. One of her comic poems is also available via a worldwide network of public fiction dispensers managed by French publisher, Short Edition. Her ingredients for contentment are narrow boating, greyhounds, singing and chocolate. It is a sweet life, yet Alex’ original view of the world has led to her best friend to say ‘For someone so lovely, you’re very twisted!

Please click here to discover more!