The Ladies of Horror
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The Other Side  
by Lee Mitchell  

I’d thought I would feel an overwhelming sense of relief once I finally reached this place, but now that I stand here, all I can process is grief. The wooden fence is even taller than I had imagined, reaching far enough into the sky to block out the midday sun. Its finish is less impressive, the metal frame peeling with rust and rot and the once-white paint cracked and stained.

At first glance, it looks weathered enough for a person to break through in a few hefty blows, but it’s heavier than it seems. Each panel isn’t just a plank of wood; it’s a solid beam that runs surprisingly deep. There is a spot nearby where someone apparently tried to chop through with an axe, but the hole—about three feet wide and much shallower along the sides—is only about a foot in at its deepest spot. The person responsible must’ve given up quite a while ago as there are no tools or chunks of wood visible anywhere in the vicinity.

I take a closer look, finding the top of the vandalized area black with soot. Seems that burning the fence is also not an option. I search for handholds and attempt to scale up the side, but beyond the metal frame—which spans only the top and bottom of the structure—the overall surface is smooth.

I feel a knot tighten in my throat, resisting the urge to drop to my knees and let loose the grief that wants to come bellowing out from deep within my being. I can’t lose it now, not after everything I’ve survived to get this far. Not after everything I’ve lost….

I remind myself of the goal: Get to the other side. The people there are free, free to think and say whatever they please. There is no one waiting to shoot people at the smallest sleight, no one wanting to strip others of their basic dignities over contrived differences, no one ready to punish them for wanting better lives.

I must find a way.

I follow the fence for about a mile before I notice a knotted rope dangling from the top and reaching down the side. The end is just within reach, so I take hold and begin to climb. My upper body strength isn’t what it used to be, so I struggle my way up, but my resolve is stalwart enough to make up for the weakness in my arms.

I’m determined. I must reach the other side.

One hand over the next, I make my way to the top, then hoist myself up and collapse onto my back, taking a moment to catch my breath. The landing is several feet wide, and despite its sturdiness, I can feel it shifting subtly beneath me in the warm breeze. I smile. I did it. I found my exit from this awful place. Now, all I have to do is climb down the other side.

I inch myself across the landing, my fear of heights kicking in as I realize just how high off the ground I am. My muscles grow tight, and my hands tremble as I pull myself to the opposing ledge. I look down.

The air rushes from my lungs as I survey the barren terrain ahead. Remnants of buildings, all in various states of disrepair, litter the landscape. Numerous sections of sun-bleached skeletons—some clearly from animals, some possibly from humans—protrude from the sandy earth. Below me, just ahead, written in bold lettering across a crumbling façade, is a sign that reads: Warning! Turn back now! You will only find death here.

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Fiction © Copyright Lee Mitchell.
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Author Lee Mitchell:

Alisha Brown led a mundane life until the day monsters started trying to kill her and random strangers began to shy away from her in awe.

All hell broke loose, quite literally, after Randy Thomas turned right on Main for Honey’s instead of making a left for home and then murdered his beloved wife in an unusually gruesome way. Escaping police and stopping traffic in New York City with a gas-spewing tentacle erupting from his mouth, his fears are confirmed: That one small backslide would serve as the final tipping point for all mankind, inviting in a timeless destructive force that would lead him to the frontlines of the war to end all wars.

A growing population has succumbed to their worst fears, some transforming into dreaded fictional monsters—leaving the streets flooded with vampires, werewolves, spontaneously combusting humans, and other horrors—while others have become angels and demons determined to fight in the holy war they believe is upon them.

Questions soon arise as Randy’s and Alisha’s roles in this bizarre apocalypse become uncertain. One is a professed sinner, the other an asexual virgin. Each has been touched by the hand of fate, and each believes they are humanity’s last hope. But belief can be a funny thing…

The Divine Darkness is the first installment of The Divine Darkness apocalyptic horror trilogy.

Available on Amazon!