The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Marble Castle
by K.R. Morrison

Jackie looked up at the marquee and rolled her eyes. She glanced at her friends in disgust.

“I thought we were going to go to a casino,” she whined. This is so NOT a casino.”

“It’ll be fun!” said her friend Danae. “Besides, we’re miles away from a real casino.”

The name of the place was The Marble Castle, which sounded interesting, but not what Jackie had had in mind.

“Well, let’s go in then,” she grumbled, and pushed the door open.

The sound of the marble machines caught her interest. They sounded way more fun than slot machines. The pinging of marbles and the chirp of the wins mesmerized her.

Danae and the others were moving away toward the buffet. “We’re going to eat first, Jackie. Are you coming along?”

No answer.

Without turning around, Danae knew that her friend was already hooked.

Yes indeed. Jackie was now sitting between two other people—a couple of old duffers who had their minds and eyes drilled to the motion of the balls as they scooted around just under the glass of their machines.

She inserted a few bills of the currency they used here, and out popped ten marbles to start the game. Soon she was totally consumed by the whir and flash of her own Castle Player.

Her friends came back after their meal and tried to get her attention, but it was impossible to get her away.

“She’ll come back when they close the joint,” Danae said to her companions. “Or when she runs out of money.”

The latter happened first. And it would be the last.

Jackie’s eyes were sore and dry by the time she inserted her last bill. She was given only four marbles to use this time. She shook her head—this was not enough.

She needed two more.

A thought insinuated itself into her head. At first it nauseated her, but once it had taken root, she didn’t see the harm. After all, she could always win them back. They were the right size and shape…

The janitor found her slumped over the machine and called for an ambulance. But there was no hope—her eye sockets had bled profusely and there was no possibility of reviving her.

Jackie’s eyes watched from the other side of the glass. She could not do anything as they took her body away. The other marbles watched too—all of them waiting for the day when they would be released from their castle prison.

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Fiction © Copyright K.R. Morrison
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

More from K.R. Morrison:

Enoch’s Return: Pride’s Downfall Book 4

All hell broke loose, as demon fought saint, and undead fought mortal. Fangs and swords, fire and light, mingled in a cacophony of noise that would have awakened the dead — if they hadn’t already been in the pitch of battle.

Toby was looking forward to celebrating his 21st birthday with family and friends. However, the day is shattered by the arrival of his sister, Erica, fresh out of the juvenile detention center, where she has lived in isolation most of her life. There is something very wrong with her still; witness her biting the ear of her taxi driver and licking the blood from her lips, and the way she antagonizes everyone around her. The other thing that is very off-putting about the day is a gift he receives – a musty tent and a few iron spikes that have been lying in the ground for years. Toby faints at the sight of the “treasure,” while Erica reacts violently and runs off to who-knows-where.
While he is unconscious, Toby learns who he truly is, and of his mission.

Available on Amazon!