The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Green… 
by Asena Lourenco

She felt her body battle the freezing temperatures of the water as shivers scurried up her back. Turning her head to the right, she smiled at her best friend whose massive goggles and silicone cap masked her beautiful face and hid her luscious locks. Her fingers started to sting as her grip on the sharp stone of the side of the riverbank tightened while the countdown began. As the horn blared, her head sank into the depths of the liquid and all sound became muffled. Shots of water darted up her nostrils like bullets as she choked on the saltiness of the water. Now behind the other racers, she reset her legs to turbo speed as she kicked her legs as if her life as depending on it. Slowly, the bubble in the water around her faded to a minimum as she flew past her other competitors. Her head swivelled at the sound of a particular voice. But alas, she hadn’t won yet, not even close to it. As she tried to maintain her diminishing stamina, she approached the next stage of the race. The dark green leaves of the sky-grazing trees set an eerie atmosphere that almost caused her discomfort. Voices of family and friends were suddenly absent, and the warming sunlight drowned in the arc of green giants. A new shiver replaced her previous mind shiver. This time, it was somehow very different. It was a shard of ice in her spine, warning of danger. Her neck spun her head around, as realisation struck; no one else was near her. Fear had a steady chokehold on her relief. Vulnerability overwhelmed her as she looked around. As she treaded the water, she struggled to stay afloat. Her mind raced and her eyes followed it, trying to find someone nearby. As she heard a sharp snap, her neck craned backwards so she could try to find the source of the sound above her. “Hello?” she whispered, shaking violently as the words struggled out of her mouth. But before anything else could escape from her lips, the same green whose beauty had caught her eye was wrapped around her body, draining the life from her eyes.

“Hello my darling,” the green crooned.

Fiction © Copyright Asena Lourenco
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

More about Asena Lourenco:

Asena Lourenco is 14 years old. She loves reading, playing Scottish traditional fiddle music on her violin, dancing, and martial arts as well as writing her own stories.

She would like to be a teacher and writer when she grows up. She also loves cats and babies!