The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Rachel 
by Kathleen McCluskey 

Rachel looked over her shoulder at her mother as she walked out of the dilapidated building that they had found refuge. Her demure looks and coy smiles held a very malevolent soul. She shot her mother one of those smiles over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, mom, I will be careful. I always am. If I find something, I will bring you back something to eat.” Her mother could only muster a small grunt in response. The past few years had been rough on the family. Food was scarce and the war raging around them made it even more difficult to find food. The population of the city had fled during the air raids and only a few citizens had remained in the destroyed city. The buildings lay in ruin and rubble piles blocked the streets.

She stepped out into the cold darkness. The acrid smell of fires that had been long ago extinguished met her nose. Rachel didn’t seem to care as she sighed deeply. It felt great to be out of their cramped quarters and into the open air. She scanned her desolate surroundings and began her search for food. Her family was depending on her to bring back something to feast on.

Rachel began to walk towards the river; she knew that the rats would always congregate near the shore. She was hoping to find something more substantial than rats. The odds of scoring something for her family were always in her favor when she hunted in the blackness. She crept silently in the surf of the cold, crisp water; scanning every few feet to locate prey.

As the sky began to change from deep black to having a slight crimson glow, she knew that the sun was about to rise. She looked up at the sky and shook her head. Her family was starving and she needed to find something quickly. Rachel could feel vibration coming from inside the rubble. She used her bare feet to feel the debris deeper. Her eyes rolled over white and she hissed loudly at the pieces of concrete. She lifted a monolithic scrap of rock and tossed it over her shoulder as her eyes went from white to red. Rachel could see that there was an older man under the rubble. His small fire pushed playful little sparks up into the night sky. He tried to scream but Rachel was on him in an instant. She plunged her pointed fangs into his neck; his resistance soon faded. Rachel yanked him out of his underground concealment and put him over her shoulder. She smiled broadly as she knew that his blood would satisfy her family, they just had to keep him alive long enough to feast on him for days.

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Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com 

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!