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Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Maiden in the Crypt
by Alyson Faye

Jacob stretched out a finger to stroke the maiden’s marble breasts, but Joss pulled his arm away.

‘No don’t,’ she whispered. ‘Just look. Don’t touch.’

Joss knew they shouldn’t be here in the Fairbourne family crypt, despite Jacob being an offshoot. She knew too that the evening was spiralling out of control and that Jacob was high, buzzing, ready to crack open. Ready to inflict hurt.

Joss lit the maiden’s candle. The long-dead sculptor’s skill, (reputedly a Fairborne ancestor) at carving the black jade into a stunning mimicry of skin, hair and fabric, was revealed.

Jacob pranced around the crypt, singing, as he clung to one of the gargoyle guardians, stroking its twisted limbs, and pushing his lips upon the stony leering lips. ‘Give us a kiss, darling.’

‘Don’t.’ Joss felt uneasy. ‘Please stop, Jakey.’

As always Jacob took no notice of her. But a few seconds later he jerked backwards, dropping to the ground, holding his face, and rubbing his mouth. ‘Yuk, what the…?’

When he turned towards her, Joss shrank away from him, horrified. His lips were stained black and oozing dark liquid, his hands and arm were blackened too, and the discoloration was spreading fast over his face, bare arms, and underneath his T-shirt.

Wriggly black worms are eating him. The thought just came to her.

Jacob, terrified and in pain, screamed and clawed at his face. ‘It’s burning, Joss. Help me!’

Joss heard whispers, and muted laughter coming from – out of the walls? No, from the gargoyles.

‘I can’t see you, Joss. Where are you?’ Panic had turned him into a lost boy.

Joss stared at his face, the eyes were dark, two chips of ebony. Jacob reached towards her again, but afraid, she stepped back and right into the Maiden.

The black jade statue was vibrating, humming, growing warm. Real locks of hair tickled Joss’ neck, and the gown was a soft velvet.

‘What’s happening?’ Joss’ voice was tiny.

In the candlelight she saw the Maiden turn her head towards Jacob, the stone shivering into skin, worst of all she smiled – but it was a cruel, inhumane thing.

The Maiden reached out and embraced Jacob, letting her long hair cover his face, her gown smothered him. In her embrace his whimpers lessened, then ceased. He was vanished, gone.

He wanted me. Now he is mine.

Joss heard the words as clearly as if the Maiden had spoken.

‘What do you w- want?’

The gargoyles gurgled with snickering amusement, the Maiden opened her arms wide. I want you to become me. For you to be caged in this crypt, as I have been – loveless, alone, and  . .   hungry. I want to roam free again.

Joss huddled against the box tomb, prey cornered. Beneath her boots the floor rippled with an oily dark liquid, and, as it touched her, she felt its icy burn, the exquisite pain as it flowed over her legs, over her torso, consuming her, finally transforming her.

***

‘Joss’ stroked her new clothes with wonder. Trousers like a man, woven from alien, harsh fabrics, short hair, a man’s cap. This was her new disguise. This was how she would slip into this new world and hide in plain sight.

She stepped – once, twice, thrice – flexed her arms, felt the muscles respond, inhaled breaths filled with crypt dust, then with excitement, pushing open the oak door, she stepped into the night.

Everything was slumbering, all was quiet; it was hers for the taking.

 

Fiction © Copyright Alyson Faye
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Alyson Faye:

The Lost Girl & Spindleshanks

The Lost Girl
A nailed-up door. An inheritance which comes with a ghost. A missing girl. A fifty-year-old mystery. Parapsychologist Berkley Osgood is hired to investigate. What he uncovers reveals secrets the living want to hide and the dead will never forgive.

Spindleshanks
Adam is having nightmares about a skeletal shadow figure, who he calls Spindleshanks. Soon his whole class are sharing the same nightmare. Adam’s dad, Rob, knows that Spindleshanks can’t be real. But is he? One terrible night Rob has to face his son’s nightmare creature and fight for his son’s life. What would you sacrifice to have your child back safe?

“A decent two-for-one. Alyson Faye brings the engaging and eerie in equal measure.” CC Adams – horror / dark fiction author

Available on Amazon!