tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6660951900979707177.post942143586055672765..comments2023-10-07T07:36:56.004-04:00Comments on Lady Notorious: Writing Prompt #20Lady Notorioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07322017375955047967noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6660951900979707177.post-34727171500460304482011-07-02T10:36:06.330-04:002011-07-02T10:36:06.330-04:00Aagh, I get those "trying to run but not able...Aagh, I get those "trying to run but not able to move" dreams, too, so I can relate to Kayla's nightmare. Btw- Nice creepy description of the spiderweb of scars around the bad guy's eye. <br /><br />Matt's scenario is definitely vivid and creepy. I think the only thing that could make it scarier would be if there were more intimations of Swain's own peril and vulnerability to the prowling creatures. Like if he accidentally made a noise and they all turned his direction.James Douglasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15380226220764974087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6660951900979707177.post-61029263356207203052011-06-22T06:44:04.775-04:002011-06-22T06:44:04.775-04:00Yikes! *covers eyes* that's gruesome! Great n...Yikes! *covers eyes* that's gruesome! Great nightmare....now I might have nightmares...<br /><br />thanks for posting!Lady Notorioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322017375955047967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6660951900979707177.post-16372128778254648602011-06-22T06:22:07.692-04:002011-06-22T06:22:07.692-04:00Pale moonlight illuminated the grisly scene. Corps...Pale moonlight illuminated the grisly scene. Corpses in various stages of decay, some not even whole, were everywhere he turned. And there were – things – in the darkness. He saw someone kneeling over the corpse of a young boy. The person sounded like they were grieving. Swain heard a great, wracking sob escape the figure.<br /><br />Then something tore as the figure turned around. And he saw it wasn’t a person at all. The creature had the body of a man, but the head of a lion, with pieces of skin missing. Like it climbed out of the grave. Pieces of the boy hung from its blood-soaked jaws. Swain felt ill as he watched the creature swallow the chunk of flesh. It turned back to the corpse. Swain heard more ripping. The creature wasn’t crying.<br /><br />It was <i>eating</i>. <br /><br />To avoid getting even sicker, Swain looked up the street. Burned hulks of red brick buildings stretched toward the horizon. Leaping flames lit the night sky. Wherever he was, something had happened to turn this city into a wasteland. He heard screeches and howls, and the clashing of steel against steel. Someone must be fighting these creatures. He heard claws scrabbling against rock. Two more creatures came over a pile of rubble at the end of the street. The first creature held the boy’s corpse close, growling at its fellows. As though staking its claim. The other creatures snapped at it in return.<br /><br />Swain heard a scraping sound nearby. He turned, and saw a man trying to pull himself away. Swain willed the man to stop. To wait until the things had left. But the man kept moving. Swain saw the new creatures perk up. One had a raven’s head, and the other looked like a bear. The raven cawed and the bear growled. They sounded hungry. And ready to kill. <br /><br />They stalked toward the man. Like a hunter coming after prey it knew was dead already. The man pulled himself up. He saw them coming. And held up a hand to ward them off. They moved closer, jaws snapping, claws out.<br /> <br />“No,” the man whimpered. “No, please!”<br /><br />They fell on him with shrieks and howls.<br /><br />Swain heard ripping and tearing. And screaming. The man screamed as they tore into him. The scream was filled with such anguish that it sank deep into Swain’s bones, though he held his hands over his ears and shut his eyes. Then something snapped. And the scream abruptly ended. The silence was deafening. Swain opened his eyes.<br /><br />The bear perked up again. It sniffed the air, as though it knew Swain was watching. He could only stare as the creatures ate the man. He saw a piece of flesh fly into the air. The raven-headed creature snapped it from the sky. Another creature appeared. It had the head of a wolf, its feral eyes gleaming in the fading light, and a small bloody bundle hanging from its jaws. Swain saw a severed hand fall out.<br /><br />The other three creatures snarled at the newcomer. It growled back. They faced each other over the field of broken bones and corpses torn limb from bloody limb. Swain watched as they circled each other on all fours. Another scraping sound came across the square. It looked like an injured boy had awoken. He stood and froze at the four creatures growling at him. The boy turned and ran. <br /><br />And the creatures followed.<br /><br />Swain prayed to all of the Seven that the boy would get away. But then he heard a shriek of agony. And knew the boy hadn’t escaped. The shriek cut off as a loud crunch echoed through the street. Swain shut his eyes tight.Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.com