The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Visitors In The Night 
by Kathleen McCluskey 

Under a blanket of stars, Tommy and Luna sat cross legged around a flickering campfire. They were deep in the woods and far from the city, a place of solace. The hum of cicadas surrounded them, a natural soundtrack for their escapade. Luna, with her tie-dyed headband and silver rings tossed another log onto the fire, sending sparks into the air. Tommy, his long hair tucked under a faded bandana passed her the small, brightly colored tab of LSD.

“Here’s to new dimensions,” he said, grinning as they placed each tab on their tongues. The bitterness dissolving as they settled back to watch the cosmos. The stars above seemed to dance and swirl as the drug began to seep into their senses, blurring the lines between reality and imagination.

It started subtly, a slight shimmer in the air, a soft hum that seemed to vibrate beneath their skin The trees around them pulsed, their bark shifting in patterns, alive with color. Shadows took on shapes, stretching, bending, dancing in harmony with the flickering flames.

“Tommy…look,” Luna whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the pounding of her heart. She reached out and clutched his arm, her fingers digging in.

Two figures emerged from the darkness. They glided over with an eerie, silent grace. Their bodies shimmered, an intricate network of glowing veins pulsing beneath translucent skin that gleamed in hues of blue and green. They had elongated heads with smooth bulbous foreheads. Their faces were dominated by large, black unblinking eyes, the fire reflected in them like mirrors. The creatures stood side by side, as if they were partners, or even lovers, connected by something ancient and profound.

Tommy stared. His mind raced to make sense of what he was seeing. The creatures seemed almost human, yet entirely otherworldly, as if they stepped out from some distant galaxy. “They’re beautiful…” he muttered, unable to look away. He felt a strange warmth emanate from them.

The beings tilted their heads, studying them with an intensity that was both chilling and comforting. It was as if they were reading every thought, every memory, every fear hidden. Luna shivered, feeling exposed. She felt like the creatures were looking straight through her. She wanted to speak, to ask them who they were, but her voice caught in her throat. She was entranced, locked in their gaze.

Then, the creatures began to hum. It was a deep, resonant sound that reverberated in the air, vibrating their bones. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, a sound that felt ancient, like the heartbeat of the universe. Luna’s vision blurred and she reached out blindly for Tommy’s hand, holding on as the world around them melted into waves of sound and color.

The night seemed to stretch on forever as they sat with the beings, time slipping into an endless flow of stars and cosmic whispers. Tommy felt as if he had crossed into another plane, where everything he had known had been stripped away, leaving only pure, raw consciousness. He felt the creature’s presence seeping into him, filling him with knowledge and mysteries that he could hardly comprehend.

When Luna closed her eyes, she saw visions of planets orbiting distant stars, of vast galaxies swirling in the darkness. She saw flashes of civilizations, strange and magnificent, rising and falling across the cosmos. At the center of it all were the creatures that stood in front of them. They were silent watchers, guardians of the mysteries that bound each of us together.

But just as suddenly as they had arrived, the creatures began to fade. Their forms dissolved into the night, leaving only a trace of their glow. Tommy and Luna were left in silence, the only sound was the crackling of their dying fire. They sat there, dazed and overwhelmed, as the LSD began to wear off. The vibrant colors of the world dulled back to their usual shades.

“Was that…real?” Luna finally whispered, breaking the silence. Her voice shook, barely able to contain the emotions churning inside of her. Tommy shrugged.

“Just the acid, babe.” He said, even though he didn’t believe his own words. The creatures had felt so real, so vivid, so tangible, unlike anything they’d ever experienced.

With the morning came reality. The fire had died, the sky was a hazy gray, and a cold mist clung to the ground as they gathered their belongings. Luna tried to laugh off the visions, but something lingered in her mind. It was a nagging feeling that wouldn’t let her shake it, this was more than a drug trip. She felt watched, haunted by the memory of those unblinking eyes.

As they hiked down the narrow trail toward their car, the early morning sun cast long shadows through the trees filtering the mist on the forest floor. The night felt distant now, its mysteries softened by the sunlight. Tommy was already talking about breakfast, about the diner they would stop at on the way back. But Luna’s  steps slowed until she came to a complete stop. Her breath caught in her throat.

There, just beyond the line of trees, she saw them. Two figures, tall and silent, their skin shimmering with the same intricate, glowing patterns as the creatures the night before. They stood motionless. Their huge, unblinking eyes locked onto her. Every detail was unmistakable, their elongated heads, the delicate webbing of veins beneath their translucent skin, the intensity of their gaze. Luna felt an icy wave of terror roll over her as one tilted its head slightly, as if recognizing her. This time, there was no warmth of the campfire, no haze of LSD to cloud her mind. She knew, with a clarity that turned her blood to ice, that the visitors from last night had been real.

.

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!