The Ladies of Horror
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Sleeping Gods
by Elizabeth H. Smith

Legends said the Gods once stood proud over the world, forcing their will upon humanity with uncanny power. Their immortal bodies were strong, their skin harder than stone. They ruled their domain with absolute authority. No one had a choice but to obey; it was either that or be sent to the beyond. They could dispatch dissenters with one quick motion. No one could have gone against them, despite how cruel and unloving they may have been.

Those tales told us we lived in servitude to Gods we didn’t belong to. That they were false, wearing our faces to deceive us. Some believed they did not create the world, nor were they always here. No one could guess where they originated, only that they were not the ones who made us.

Then the great slumber began; all the Gods across the world went dormant. No one knew why, but a theory suggested unknown magic had been used to put them to sleep. No one knew who it was, or if they were even real.

Most wonder if someday the spell will wear off, if they’ll rise and take vengeance upon us, revoke our freedom, make us suffer. But it’s been centuries and they still haven’t woken from their rest. We pray they never do.

More About Elizabeth H. Smith:
Elizabeth H. Smith is a storyteller who writes while trying to keep her cat, Luna off the keyboard. The musical group, Rasputina is her muse. She was born in the state of New York and would never feel at home anywhere else.