The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Moonrise
by Scarlett R. Algee 

At the precipice, the sacrifice squirms on his knees on the stony ice-slick ground, weighted by shackles and staring fuzzily up at the sky. Some distance behind, you and the others study that flat black expanse, vacant as though every star has fled in terror, and wait for the false moon to rise.

The sky lightens when the cratered white orb heaves its bulk over the mountain and hovers there, far too large and close to be the real moon. God? Monster? Demon? No one knows, save that it rises every month, and that the harvests are only successful when it’s fed.

The sacrifice whimpers. Cracks are working horizontally across that enormous pockmarked surface, shedding flakes of desiccated flesh like scraps of regolith. Then the first great crevice trembles and opens, baring a single faceted yellow eye, and the sacrifice screams.

The opening of the second crack is the yawn of a wet red mouth, and the scream abruptly stops.

The false moon sinks slowly, stars creeping back into the empty sky, and you, watching, let out your breath. Safe again. Safe until another is chosen.

Perhaps the next sacrifice will be you, called to ensure a future harvest. You hope, and you fear.

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Fiction © Copyright Scarlett R. Algee
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Scarlett R. Algee:

The Lift: Nine Stories of Transformation, Volume One

The hall is dark and the overhead light flickers. Sounds echo, and there’s a creaking and clanging that gets louder as you stand in the semi-dark. The elevator opens and you’re offered a ride. Step inside and ride it to the story chosen for your transformation. Don’t be afraid, for Victoria, the mysterious girl who operates The Lift, waits to guide you. Set in the same world as the award nominated audio drama, The Lift’s first written anthology features nine all new stories by fan favorite writers and special bonus content by creators Daniel Foytik and Cynthia Lowman. The collection is brought to life with beautiful illustrations by Jeanette Andromeda for each story.

Available on Amazon!