Shriek - March 03, 2012

[note: this was written during a writing exercise: we had 20 minutes to write something inspired by the word "shriek". This is the result, unedited, exactly as it appeared when time ran out. You can read all of them in the waves category]

Shriek - Squiddy Geiger - March 03, 2012

The moon was bright overhead as Joe walked, allowing him to see his way through the late night along the pathway. This did not lessen his anxiety; the forest was dark, and full of strange sounds. He hurried as quickly as his exhausted legs would carry him. He'd run for a time, but it wasn't possible to maintain that speed, and he knew it.

His heart still raced. The shriek had been close by, he was sure of that, but he'd been unsure, because of the strange way sound carried at night, just which way it had come from. He was fairly sure it wasn't the way he was headed, and he wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

He was was nearly out of the forest - about a mile from home - when a figure stepped out in front of him. A large, muscular man a good deal taller than him blocked his way.

"What's your hurry, my friend?" the man asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He was smiling as he said it.

"Uhhh, no, uh, no sir. I haven't seen anything. But I am late and need to get home." Joe didn't mention the shriek. It seemed best not to.

"Do you, now? Is that a fact?" the man asked. "And you're sure nothing frightened you? I've heard there are dangerous things about in the forest, monsters waiting to eat you, or worse." He tried to look concerned, but his smile belied his true feelings.

"You didn't, perhaps, hear something? I've heard strange things in the forest." He laughed. "They always sound scarier than they are, you know."

"No! Someone shrieked!" Joe retorted, then caught himself. He became aware of others coming out of the forest around him.

"Shriek?" a female voice behind him asked. "I never shrieked, I screamed with joy! Little brat!"

Joe turned to face the voice and saw a beautiful woman, not much bigger than himself, and two men, nearly as tall as the first man, but not as large. "You made that noise? Why? You scared me!"

The first man laughed again. "Just as she was supposed to, my friend. Nobody shrieked tonight." He paused, then added slowly, "at least, not yet."

Joe bolted, trying to dodge around the man, who caught him easily.

"Oh no, little rabbit, not so fast. There's going to be some shrieking tonight. Yolanda demands it, don't you, dear?" The man looked at Yolanda, who nodded, smiling, a small knife appearing magically in her hand.

The four of them moved back into the forest with their prey. There were indeed shrieks that night. Too many to count.

Posted by Squiddy at March 3, 2012 08:45 PM | TrackBack