Finnian Burnett

One of the Flash-Mo writing prompts was a story that takes place in the dark.

I haven’t posted a story every day, because some of them might be published someday and some might go in my current novella-in-flash, but some, like today’s, are just for fun. I hope you enjoy it.

Something in the Dark

Something moves near you in the dark. Something with jagged breath close enough to wet your skin with spittle. Your husband’s voice, small and frightened reaches you. “Did the power go out?” You don’t reply; you can’t. The shape moves away from you toward the sound of your husband’s voice.

“Honey,” he calls. “Are you there?”

In a brief moment of regret, you almost scream at him to shut up, but you can’t risk drawing the creature to you. It stomps down the hall, walls and floor shaking under its weight.

“Is that you, hon…” Your husband’s words cut off in a scream and you curl into a ball, covering your head with your hands. In a moment, the screams choke into a gurgle, then silence. You listen for the creature, but it’s gone. It would be—the summoning charm Belle gave you said the magic would be contained after achieving its target.

The lights come back on as you’re tiptoeing down the hall. They’re gone—both the creature and your husband. Nothing’s left of either of them, not a fang, or a blood stain, or the dirty armchair you’ve hated for twenty years. Smiling, you head to the kitchen to make coffee.