October Frights Day 5: Within the Woods

Today, I have some flash fiction for you, enjoy.

Within the Woods

The lost little girl shivered in the stillness, a hush that wound through the misty forest and enveloped the trees in its unnatural essence. A grey fog swirled, clinging to her clothes, making it hard to see beyond a few feet. She sniffled, wiping her tears on her sleeve and pulling her coat tighter to counter the cold and her fear. Unsure which way to go, she leaned against a tree and slid to the ground for a rest, her knees curled to her chest.
“Who are you waiting for?”
Something resembling a white bunny appeared on the path, its pink nose twitching, black hollow eye sockets staring at her in lieu of eyes. Flecks of red stained its face. She screamed.
“Who are you waiting for?” The bunny asked again, as impossible as it seemed.
Trembling, the little girl replied, “I don’t know. Please don’t hurt me.”
“I won’t, but think about the question.” And then it hopped away.
Scrambling to her feet, the little girl ran in the opposite direction, stopping only when exhaustion claimed her. Curling into a ball on the cold damp ground, she cried herself to sleep, the bunny’s question haunting her thoughts.
“Who are you waiting for?”
She opened her eyes to spy a wingless owl pecking at the ground. Raw flesh and scars were visible where the creature’s wings should be.
“Who are you waiting for?”
Swallowing her fear, she replied, “My father.”
“Ah.” The owl swivelled its head to look at her. “Do you remember how you got here?”
She shook her head.
“Think about the question.” And the owl hopped away.
Closing her eyes, she did what the owl asked.
“Do you remember how you got here?”
Her eyes flew open. Before her stood a deer, a gaping hole in its chest and its fur soaked in blood. She wanted to throw up at the sight, but somehow remained calm.
“Do you remember how you got here?”
“Someone left me.”
“Yes.” The deer turned and added, “Follow me.” The creature led her to a copse of trees hiding a small clearing. “Look.”
She refused, covering her eyes with her hands.
“Look!”
The command compelled her, and she peeped out from between her fingers. On the grass lay a body. A little girl in a coat.
“That’s me, isn’t it?”
“Yes, child.”
The little girl crept forward until she reached the body, tugging and heaving the corpse on its back. Her own face stared at her with glassy, unseeing eyes. The coat fell open, revealing a gaping stab wound and a large crimson stain covering the front of her dress.
“Do you remember?”
The little girl trembled, gaping at the corpse that used to be her. “Yes. My name was Rebecca. I died when I was ten. I was murdered when I was ten! My father murdered me when I was ten years old!” Her screaming voice shattered the scene and everything dissolved away in a shower of translucent tears, leaving a cold, grey day in autumn, a pile of long dead bones, and an angry spirit.
A voice whispered in Rebecca’s head.
“You know where to find him. Take your revenge.”
And Rebecca smiled…

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If you are looking for some more dark stories and fairy tales, check out my Entangled Nightmares series. Both books are on sale until the 15th, for 99 cents each.

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Book Fair

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And to keep on hopping, check out all the participants.

Blog Hop Participants

Be Afraid of the Dark
Frighten Me
Reading Fiction Blog – Paula Cappa
GirlZombieAuthors
M’Habla’s!
Carmilla Voiez British Horror Author
Minnesota (Horror) Nice
Hawk’s Happenings
Rob Read – Author