The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Abide with Me
by Naching T. Kassa 

The moon is large and bright tonight. It fills the sky with its beautiful radiance.

I stand on the deck of a ship beneath it. For the first time, the seas are calm, and we have come to bask beneath this goddess of the night.

There are many of us here. We, the wealthiest, the most elite, have paid exorbitant sums to be a part of this ceremony. Only we may feel the pull of the moon upon our psyches and our very souls. No one else is worthy of it.

There are musicians here. Clad in silk, they play their instruments and create the ambiance. The finest chefs in the land have laid a bounty before us, as have the vintners who ply us with glass after glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. I lift my third glass to my lips and spy a woman standing on a dock far away. She is dressed in white. I cannot see her face from this distance, but the style of her dress leads me to believe she is not of my social circle.

My phone rings and I retrieve it from my purse. The name on the screen is a familiar one. Lara Smith was one of us and my closest friend, but she chose to marry a poor man and live in squalor. Yesterday, she called to tell me that her husband had lost his job. The little bitch probably thought I’d give her a handout. I hung up before she could get that far.

I press ignore and send the call to voicemail.

***

I stand upon the dock, watching the ships upon the water, my heart in my throat. The moon is a swollen monster tonight and I can feel its pull upon me. Thank heaven I am too far away to experience its full effect.

I search the deck of the nearest ship with my binoculars, hoping to see Melanie among the many partygoers. I have to warn her, have to make her listen to me. Have to tell her what danger she is in.

***

Lara calls me again and then a third time. She must be desperate for money. Maybe, she wants to leave what’s-his-name and come back. Well, I’ve got news for you, sweetie. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. I turn off my phone.

***

Once again Melanie’s voice greets me, inviting me to leave a message. Breathless, I speak.

“Melanie, please, listen to me. Max wasn’t fired from his job. He quit! He found out what they’re going to do tonight. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Please, Mel, pick up the phone. You’ve got to get off that ship! You’ve got—”

I glance up as the screaming begins. Men in black robes swarm the ship, swords and spears gleaming in their hands. I watch as one man is impaled and thrown into the sea. Nearby, a woman’s head is sliced clean off her body. Others are stabbed and prodded, clothes are torn, blood washes the decks in red.

My phone falls from my hand as Melanie is thrown to the deck and cut in half.

I shut my eyes and cover my ears.

A lifetime seems to pass before I can open my eyes. When I do, I see the black-robed figures raising their hands to the moon, then bowing in supplication. The screams have stopped, but something floats toward me on the ocean breeze.

Music?

Yes.

It’s a piece I know. It’s “Abide with Me.”

Fiction © Copyright Naching T. Kassa
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Naching T. Kassa:

Arterial Bloom

Lush. Brutal.

Beautiful. Visceral.

Crystal Lake Publishing proudly presents Arterial Bloom, an artful juxtaposition of the magnificence and macabre that exist within mankind. Each tale in this collection is resplendent with beauty, teeth, and heart.

Edited by the Bram Stoker Award-winning writer Mercedes M. Yardley, Arterial Bloom is a literary experience featuring sixteen stories from some of the most compelling dark authors writing today.

With a foreword by HWA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Linda D. Addison, you are invited to step inside and let the grim flowers wind themselves comfortably around your bones.

Available on Amazon!