The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Lords of Chaos
by Alyson Faye 

The sullen purpling of the sky wasn’t the main thing bothering Hannah, nor was it the never-ending crazy paving stones of the path, it was the lack of phone signal, the empty water bottle and her sprained ankle; every step sent millions of fire ants racing through her muscles. She sat slumped on a rock, and held back tears.

No point losing more water.

She glanced at her phone screen and the silent clamour of texts she’d read ten times:-

DON’T GO UP THERE!!!

Leave it, Hanns, forget him.

You’re on your own, girlfriend. Be it on your own head. 😦

Thunder rumbled in the distance, the so-called ‘devil’s steps’ meandered up, up toward the ancient burial mound of some long-dead king, or so the local lore went.

Something squeaked and rustled in the heather. Hannah leapt up, stumbled and fell, grazing her knees.

‘Ow!’

Turn back or go on? He said he’d be there. He’s testing me and our love.

Hannah strapped her scarf and belt around her swollen ankle, and limped on, whilst the sky turned maroon, then plum.

The rhyme she’d learnt years ago at primary school trickled into her head –

Never take the devil’s steps

not in winter, n’er in spring

not even when the sky is blue

and never when it’s pink.

His blind eyes see you coming

from his throne inside the mound.

He who lives forever

will keep you at his side . . .                                                                                                   

A fat raindrop landed on Hannah’s shoulder. Head down she limped on, watching the shadows consume the heather, until she had to use her phone torch to light ‘the devil’s steps’.

By nine pm she was at the foot of the mound, soaked through, shivering, but ,in the glow of a lantern, she saw a pitched tent.

He’s here. I knew it! Huh, that’ll show ‘em.

A tall shadow stepped out from the tent, waved at her and Hannah hobbled on towards her lover, heart light with joy.

* * *

Eldred embraced his latest love, and savouring his victory. Hannah had proved herself, ignored the naysayers, walked for miles, in pain, following the devils steps. All of this under the pink sky which prophesied …

He glanced at the mound, his father’s burial tomb. Soon, he would free him . . . and share his crown.

As his girlfriend snuggled him, Eldred felt the usual wave of revulsion for this pathetic human weakling.

* * *

Behind them the mound’s surface began to crack and shudder, spewing out mud, bleached bones and rocks. Hannah turned, horror-struck, and began to scream, but Eldred stood firm, a smile on his lips.

‘It is time.’

The widest crack split further, became an opening they could walk into. Eldred grabbed Hannah’s arm, dragging her towards it.

‘No, get off me! I don’t want . . .’  Exhaustion weakened her. The stink of wet earth, and something fetid overwhelmed her. She gagged. ‘Are those human bones?’ She pointed.

‘Sacrifices, just like you will be,’ her love announced, expressionless.

Together, they entered the maw of the mound, wading ankle-deep in mud, Eldred tugging Hannah along.

‘My Lord is waiting.’

‘Who? What? Are you mad?’ Hannah tried to pull away.

Rats, the size of cats, scuttled away from them. ‘Grave vermin,’ Eldred spat. ‘Begone.’

The tunnel opened up into a chamber. Hannah stood, stunned by the size of the tomb on a dais, and the array of lavish grave goods at its base. Eldred strode over to the tomb, knelt and touched the carved stone sides. ‘Father. I am come to free you. I have your final bride with me.’

Bride? Wtf? Hannah jerked back. Her eyes meanwhile ranged over the piles of golden treasure and heaps of dazzling gems. Her hand reached out for a diamond necklace; she couldn’t help herself. As Eldred fastened it round her neck, the tomb lid slid sideways with a ghastly grating and a spindly, fleshless figure climbed out, with eyes of jade and bones of coral.

‘Master,’ said Eldred, bowing. ‘Take this offering. Come forth into the world. Chaos rules there. We will be Lords of the furies.’

The mythic King lurched towards Hannah, jaws open, black tongue protruding and Hannah screamed …

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!