Bogleech.com's 2019 Horror Write-off:
Classical Beasts
Submitted by DisconcertedWombat
-Cast in Rot-
A lich had stolen my daughter’s soul. Her body lies walking,
for she can control her flesh no more. A terrible aching fills my stomach, for
I know the lich’s desire – “Feed on that which brought you, that which murdered
my people, my children; Destroy your father, the king.” – She clasps the
knife in her hand, a steady sweating mistress approaching feverishly to end my
life. There are no servants. No guards. No one to call upon to protect me from
my sweet child’s possessed wrath. All were killed, her might overbearing them
as she reaches far beyond mortal strength. This creature, this vile
molestation, it is no longer my daughter. She stands by the right side of the
bed, as I clasp my sword on the other. Her evil emanates like a beating heart
into my soul. Her hair a wicked strain across her face, wet with her mother's
blood. I know what must be done.
With a scream she leaps towards me, knife raised. In response,
I thrust my sword and impale her through the gut, ripping out her side in
retrieval. She does not slow down. A cut across my shoulder, a cut across my
chest. Raising the blade I smite her – a vicious strike to her neck, then her breast,
then her belly once more. Her form stumbles back but does not fall. I grab the
torch off the wall, its bright light cascading the space between us in a
hellish glow…
“You witch, you beast! To Hell with your flesh, and may your
soul be judged as mere ashes in the wind!”
A toss, a flame; Her body ignites into an inferno of
despair. Her skin and viscera melt away into the Pit,
Her bones crackle but do not fall apart. I stand aback in horror at the demon
before me, its skull rising from the flames to look at me with ashen eye
sockets.
It were not her mind that were possessed – it were her
bones.
-Shepherd-
“Oh don’t I have the craziest story for you Jane.”
“You do, Tom? Oh you know I love hearing your stories babe.”
“Yeah well, it’s a long one, and a pretty important one, so try to be patient
with me here…”
“Oh, why Tom? Do you have something to tell me? Does it have anything to do
with you being all quiet these past few days?”
“Yeah yeah, something like that, but it ain’t gonna make sense ‘less I tell you
the whole thing.”
“Alright alright, go ahead…”
“Sometime last week, out in the evening, I was out there
with my dad’s little old flock a sheep just about ready to head inside – when I
heard a howlin’ coming across the hill-“
“Were it a big ol’ wolf Tom?”
“Big ain’t the half of it, thing was huge as it came tearing down towards me!
Almost thought it was a bear at first. But nope, it were a giant hound,
picked up a sheep in one go and tore off! Trouble is, its claws cut me real bad
when I got in the way…”
“But you’re alright now, right?”
“Well, uhm-“
“Where did you get cut Tom? Let me see it…”
“Right here across my chest.”
“You weren’t kidding! I reckon the thing must’ve had claws the size of you
to leave a mark like this!”
“And you’d be right! Following days I felt real bad too, thought it got me sick
or something.”
“Well I sure hope not! You definitely look alright though…”
“But I don’t feel alright, okay? That’s why I’m telling you this Jane…
We can’t be together anymore.”
“What?! Wh-why Tom? I… I don’t understand what you’re telling me!”
“Jane I brought you here to warn you… I’m really REALLY sick Jane, and I-I
don’t wanna risk you getting sick too…”
“But if you don’t want me to get sick why’d you bring me here! That doesn’t
make any sense!”
“I…”
“Tom, listen to me. Whatever this is, we’re gonna get through this together,
alright?”
“No, no no no you don’t get it I could get you killed! I-I just, I just know-“
“Snap out of it! Listen to me; If you’re telling me you think you’re some kind
of wolfman then listen to this: It’s night, full moon’s out, and all you’ve got
is a few beads o’ sweat running down your brow… Tom, I love you… You’re gonna
be okay!”
“You don’t understand… All that stuff about werewolves ain’t real Jane! I KNOW
WHAT IT’S LIKE! IT KILLED HIM JANE! IT KILLED MY POP AND I DON’T WANT IT TO COME
BACK AND KILL YOU TOO!”
“What was it?! Who was it Tom?!”
“IT CRAWLED OUTTA ME ONE NIGHT, JANE! THE DAMN THING DIDN’T TURN ME INTO NO
WOLFMAN, IT TURNED ME INTO A WOLFMOTHER!”
-Wrapped-
-Sep. 2nd:
Hi
Hello
Im Tes
Hi
I write this note for you
For you to see
Becuzz
I hide
And… I dont wanna scare you!
So I only eat wite paper
On the funny brown tubesies!
May be I can…
Have people food?
Will you share?
-Sep. 3rd:
No!
I saw you reed my note
And you got scared
Im sorry
Im sorry
Im sorry
:(
You called frends
To see if you got pranked?
Thats funny
:)
But you got scared
Thats not funny
:(
Im very hungry
-Sep. 4th:
Yes!
I love crackers!
I love you!
Is that okay?
-Sep. 5th:
I some times
Still eat t-o-i-l-e-t paper
Thank you for telling me
What its called!
But
I dont see you eat it
You only rub it on your mouth
I dont understand
I really like paper
But I dont know if it is person food
I wanna be like you!
I wanna be
A person
Am I a person?
Is your house frend a person too?
I saw him yester day
Before you left food
Am I getting better at spelling?
-Sep 6th:
I herd you call him
Your friend
Friend with an I!
Why did you yell at him?
Dont yell at me
You wont yell at me
Yes?
:(
-Sep 7th:
-Sep 8th:
Hey Tes,
I missed your letter yesterday!
It’s okay Tes, I’m not going to yell at you.
I think you’re very nice!
I just don’t know what you are
Or where you are.
I’ve checked everywhere -
You must be really good at hide-and-go-seek!
I was on the phone with my boyfriend.
And we don’t agree on many things.
So I had to tell him I didn’t want to be with him anymore.
But that’s okay! Sometimes it doesn’t work out between people.
And for the record Tes, you’re a person to me, okay?
Write back soon!
~Amy
-Sep 9th:
-Sep 10th:
-Sep 11th:
I miss you Tes.
You’ve either stopped eating the leftovers I leave out for you
Or you’ve left.
And I haven’t been missing any toilet paper, so -
I don’t know what to believe
Maybe this was all some elaborate prank
And somehow someone kept leaving notes in my house
And eating the food I put out
And leaving bitemarks in the toilet paper
Every night.
I feel like I’ve let this magical thing just
Slip between my fingers.
Tes, if you’re still here, give me a sign.
Please. Your goofyness has given me hope.
I mean it.
I’ve been in a real bad place recently.
And somehow, someway.
You’re the only thing that’s making me smile.
Please come back.
Please don’t tell me I’ve been imagining you.
Please.
-Sep 12th:
-Sep 13th:
Amy
I saw your boyfriend yesterday.
He was outside.
He had a pointy stick
And he was warring dark clothing
But I new it was him.
I saw
He was gonna get in
When you were a sleep
I got off your counter top
In the kichen by the paper t-o-w-e-l
And snuck outside to tell him
To go
away
he saw me
all my paper
on my bones
he ran away
you said you dis agreed with him
but I new
you hated him
you were scared of him hurting you
so he was going to come back
thats why
every night
i watched
no time for notes
no time to eat
i needed to protect
my
best
friend
-Interrogation-
“What is your name, sir?”
“Hermon.”
“…Hermon.”
“Yes.”
“And what is your surname si-“
“Short for Hermondo.”
“…”
“…”
“What is your surname, sir?”
“Do I need one?”
“Need one-… Shouldn’t you be BORN with one, SIR?”
“Maybe, but I’ve forgotten it.”
“…Never mind. Look, um… Where were you on the night of the 11th?”
“Out and about.”
“Sir if you would be so kind as to answer my questions less vaguely, that would
be much appreciated.”
“Oh! Fine, I can do that.”
“…”
“…”
“Well?”
“Yes! I was out for a late dinner, you see. Best time of day to eat is in the
evening, don’t you agree?”
“WHERE. Were. you.”
“Hmm, I believe it was… Ainestreet Avenue?”
“Well, Mr… Hermondo, you must understand how strange it is to hear you
were out for dinner in the same neighborhood where the crime scene took place."
“I don’t think it’s strange at all.”
“Really? And why is that?”
“It was a dinner party.”
“…At the victim's house?”
“Yes.”
“How could it be a dinner party if you were the only only there?”
“Oh I never said I was the only one there!”
“Well who else was there Mr. Hermondo?”
“My bats.”
“…”
“…”
“Is this some kind of joke, sir?”
“No, of course not! Would you like to meet them now?”
“Meet what?! Your bats? What does that even mean!”
“It’s pretty self-explanatory honestly.”
“Oh my god what the fuck YOU’RE FULL OF BATS.”
“Indeed, they are rather troublesome, but I love them anyways.”
“…”
“Look at how they’ve converted most of my body into a nest for themselves!”
“…”
“Isn’t that cool?
“…”
“…”
“What the fuck.”