The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Hatchery  
by Kathleen McCluskey 

In the heart of the ancient forest, far from prying eyes, a small hidden farm thrived. Alex, a fearless explorer, accidentally stumbled upon it while hiking. An eerie glow shown from within and strange, unsettling sounds filled the air. Driven by his curiosity, Alex decided to investigate.

He crept closer, his steps light and cautious. Peering through the thick underbrush, he saw a woman tending to large, pulsating eggs. Her presence was otherworldly, her movements were graceful yet deliberate. She whispered incantations in a language that Alex did not recognize. Her voice was a haunting melody that sent shivers up his spine. He hid behind a large oak, his eyes wide with fascination and fear. The woman known only as Lila seemed to be performing some kind of ritual. She moved from egg to egg, her hands glowing with a strange light that emanated from within. She gently touched each shell lovingly. The eggs responded, glowing and pulsating to the rhythm of her chants.

Alex stood and watched silently for a few hours as the mysterious woman tended to the eggs. As night fell, the forest around him grew silent. Alex watched as one of the eggs began to crack. A faint line appeared on its surface, slowly widening, the creature inside was eager to make its appearance. With a final, loud chant, Lila stepped back. Her eyes glowed with anticipation.

The egg split open, revealing a grotesque winged creature. The gooey remnants of the egg slid down the creature’s chest, dripping and oozing as it prepared to enter the world. It screeched. The being stretched out its leathery wings and snapped its jaws. Lila approached the brute calmly and spoke in soothing tones. The being responded to her voice. As a soft guttural purr emitted from it, she guided it away,

Alex’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew he should leave but his legs felt as if they were rooted to the forest floor. He watched in terror as more eggs hatched. Each creature emerging was more horrifying than the last. They all gathered around Lila, their eyes gleaming with malevolent intelligence. Suddenly Alex’s foot slipped, cracking a twig beneath him. The sound echoed in the silence of the forest. Lila’s head snapped towards him, her eyes narrowing. With a flick of her wrist, large vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around Alex. He was bound in dark tendrils of magic as she pulled him into the open.

“Who dares to spy on my sacred work?”, she demanded. Her voice was cold and calculating.

Alex struggled against the bindings. His fear overwhelmed his curiosity. “Please, I didn’t mean any harm. I was just…just curious.”

Lila’s expression remained stiff, “Curiosity can be dangerous.” She said looking down at her long,  black fingernails. “Remember, it killed the cat.” She tossed her head back and laughed heartily. “These secrets are meant for the darkness.”

Alex’s mind raced. “What are those things? Who are you?”

Lila regarded him for a moment before answering. “These creatures are my creations. They are meant to serve a higher purpose.” She paused. “They will join Lucifer’s impending confrontation with heaven.”

Alex’s blood ran cold.

Lila’s eyes gleamed with sinister amusement. “You do not recognize me? I am Lilith, the first woman created then cast out. Now I serve Lucifer as his most loyal general.”

Before Alex could respond, the largest egg began to crack. The forest fell silent once more as the final being emerged. It was a terrifying embodiment of darkness and power. Its presence sent waves of fear through Alex. Its body was a nightmarish fusion of writhing tentacles, gleaming scales and gaping tooth filled maws. It pulsed with an otherworldly, malevolent energy. The creature’s main mouth and jaws were lined with razor sharp teeth, each one gleaming ominously. They worked in unison to shred anything that came too close. With a sickening, slithering motion it lunged at Alex, engulfing him in its massive jaws. Lilith could hear Alex’s bones breaking as he was consumed by the infant from the egg.

Lilith shrugged her shoulders and returned to her work, a satisfied little smirk on her face. The darkness was coming and there was no stopping it.

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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!