FlashMobWrites #03 Fall Out of the Atmosphere

I was left for dead.

Clawing my way through mud, I dragged my broken body through the decay of the forest floor. This was not my day to die. A hole in the ground was no place for a sorceress to rot. But I bled like any human. My strength and spirit seeped out in the blood oozing from the gash in my head but I pushed myself forwards, snagging a fingernail on a root and ripping it clean off. Pain scorched my body, paralysing me to the floor.

Maybe this was my time to die. Submitting easily to my fate, I closed my blood sodden eyes.

When I awoke, darkness surrounded me. I lay for a while, adjusting to the night as a cool breeze dulled the burning pain. I’d stopped bleeding. My strength was returning, I felt the energy tingling in my fingers, healing my fragile shell. Magic coursed through my body. And my mind turned to revenge.

Making him suffer would be easy. How was the tricky part. Being a sorceress opened up so many ways.  I had to choose carefully as I wasn’t his only victim but I would be his last. Begging with his last breath, on bended knees, he would eventually fall. Out of the atmosphere, a shooting star blazed across the indigo sky, interrupting my thoughts. It died just as suddenly as it appeared, leaving the night empty. That’s what I would do to him. Leave him empty. Leave him in a state of permanent darkness to match his heart. Leave him with the nightmares of his victims’ last moments, playing over and over in his tortured mind. Leave him broken, screaming out in pain, screaming for me to end his misery, begging me to let him die.

He would never die.

He would never live.

Eternal darkness waited for him. His soul would be nothing more than a black hole, consuming his body from within.

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A new flash fiction challenge to get stuck in to. Flashmobwrites, hosted by Ruth Long and Cara Michaels. 300-500 words and a choice of prompts.

Cara: 'leave the evidence far behind'.

Ruth: 'fall out of the atmosphere'.

       

Five sentence fiction Doors

It was turning out to be the most miserable journey home as the wind whipped at Evie’s thin raincoat, constantly swiping her hood down as if it was a game, her face stinging as the wind decided to throw pins at her in the form of rain, howling in her ears like laughter. With every sodden step, Evie was closer to home; a steaming mug of hot chocolate after a long, hot shower, so hot her body would redden, right down to her bones as she would snuggle in front of the telly in her fluffy white socks and pyjamas. She forced a smile at the simple thoughts and pleasures keeping her company, and soon she could see her street, could feel the inviting warmth of home where once inside, she could finally remove her drenched clothing, sticking to her like a second skin.

Her numbing fingers fumbled in her handbag as she approached her front door, the wind not giving up as she stood on her doorstep, already tasting the sweet, milky chocolate, ignoring her hair plastered to her face. Evie’s nonchalant fumble turned to an agitated rummage, before tipping out the entire contents, realising with defeat, her only way in was left on the kitchen table.  

Written for Lillie McFerrin's Five sentence Fiction where you can read the other short stories based on the prompt. x

Monday Mixer Treasure Seekers

The traipse of soldiers finally reached the river where they could rest. Although a long, tiring and challenging day, they were still at full complement which deserved some celebration especially with skirmishes from bandits along the way.

From across the river, snow capped mountains loomed, looking peaceful before the sun dipped behind the tallest jagged peak. Darkness cascaded upon them, leaving most with a feeling of penitence for what tomorrow would hold.

A thunderous roar ripped through the silence, sending half dazed soldiers scrambling for weapons in the thick, pitch of night, bristling with fear now that the bruits were true about what lurked in the mountains.

Sign up, be a soldier they said. See the world! Go on treasure seeking adventures! Well, that was all good and dandy until the roar of the mountains shattered every illusion that stealing dragon eggs was a good idea for a get rich quick scheme.

      “Don’t worry, settle down lads,” the stupid, corpulent leader said as the roars died down. “There’s enough riches in those mountains for us all to retire on.”

     “I predicate strongly a massacre,” Ronin whispered to himself as he tried to find sleep on his last night on earth.

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Written for Jeff Hollar's Monday Mixer over at The Latinum Vault

Nouns:         1) bruit           2) traipse        3)  complement

Verbs:          1) round         2) predicate    3) bristle

Adjectives:  1) corpulent  2) penitent     3) euphoric