HUSH by C.F. Elliott
A faint, whimsical voice echoed throughout the house. The sound of children laughing and skipping feet woke me in the wee hours of the morning.
“Come play with us, Lorelle…come play with us…”
My nightgown was plastered to my skin like Saran wrap. Ivan lay sleeping on the floor in an army sleeping bag, snoring softly. I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and walked towards my door, careful not to wake Ivan.
“Lorelle…Lorelle…Lorelle!”
I followed the young girl’s whispers down the hall and to Loretta and Josephine’s bedroom at the very end of the hall. The door was cracked an inch, leaking a sliver of dim light. As I pushed the door open with my fingertips, I held my breath. Hearing a woman humming a lullaby, I froze as I listened more intently. The woman sometimes mumbled the words to the song under her breath in a voice that was angelic.
A sudden gust of air from behind me blew open the door. The air dried the sweat on my back and neck. The pit of my stomach dropped as the door opened. I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat and let out a shuddering breath. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them to see the colorful afterimage of a woman with platinum blonde hair.
“Hello, Lorelle,” the woman said as she perched on the windowsill with feline agility. Her smile was heartless as she giggled intensely. With a wave of her hand, she closed the door and hopped down from her roost. “Do you know who I am?” She waited for a moment and when I didn’t answer, she went on. “I’m your worst nightmare…the shadows, the dark, arachnids. I’m your ghastliest fears.” She dissolved into a pile of spiders, crawling to me, only to collect again to form a human.
“Who are you?” I asked in a voice that sounded more like a shudder.
“Lorelle, Lorelle.” The woman clucked her lips as she took a step forward, clasping my face between her hands. “You honestly don’t remember me?” She paused, an icy breeze blowing in behind her. “Lavina Vadim.”
Her hands were cold as ice and slimy. She leaned in close – so close that I could feel her hot, clammy breath on my cheek. I leaned back, scrunching my face in disgust. Taking quick, shallow breaths, I heard a commotion downstairs.
“Demons…” I said under my breath.
“If only it were that simple, poor, stupid Lorelle.” She smiled ruthlessly as dug her nails into my skin, drawing blood.
I could feel the hot, sticky streams running down my cheek and onto my stark-white nightgown. Lavina’s eyes became glassy, focusing only on the red streaks. She released me slowly and relaxed, her canines appearing under her lips. Running her tongue over her lips, she let out a soft purr deep in her throat. Her eyes were ice-blue and her pupils were pin-point. Lavina brushed the hair from my face as her eyes rolled back in her head. Seemingly out of control, she stuck her tongue out and licked my face from my chin to my cheekbone.
Her saliva burned an icy pain in my cheek, almost singing in the skin. Lavina threw her head back and let out a howl, shaking my shoulders.
~*~
I shot up in bed, soaked with sweat and breathing heavily.
“Lorelle, Lorelle, Lorelle…” Ivan said as he shook my shoulders. “Wake up!” His face was scrunched with worry, just inches from my face. When he saw that I was awake, his tense shoulders fell, relieved. “Are you alright?”
“What time is it?” I asked, closing my eyes again and rubbing my forehead.
“It’s two-thirty in the morning,” Ivan said as he glanced at wristwatch. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Nodding, I leaned back against my pillow and opened my eyes. “Sorry. Did you I wake you?” I pursed my lips and arched an eyebrow as he shook his head no. “You sure?” My voice was skeptical.
“I was already awake when you started to scream.”
2011 (c) copyright C.F. Elliott
ANY COPYING OF THIS IS A BREACH IN MY RIGHTS AS AN AUTHOR. ANY PLAGERISM IS PUNISHABLE.
A faint, whimsical voice echoed throughout the house. The sound of children laughing and skipping feet woke me in the wee hours of the morning.
“Come play with us, Lorelle…come play with us…”
My nightgown was plastered to my skin like Saran wrap. Ivan lay sleeping on the floor in an army sleeping bag, snoring softly. I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and walked towards my door, careful not to wake Ivan.
“Lorelle…Lorelle…Lorelle!”
I followed the young girl’s whispers down the hall and to Loretta and Josephine’s bedroom at the very end of the hall. The door was cracked an inch, leaking a sliver of dim light. As I pushed the door open with my fingertips, I held my breath. Hearing a woman humming a lullaby, I froze as I listened more intently. The woman sometimes mumbled the words to the song under her breath in a voice that was angelic.
A sudden gust of air from behind me blew open the door. The air dried the sweat on my back and neck. The pit of my stomach dropped as the door opened. I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat and let out a shuddering breath. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them to see the colorful afterimage of a woman with platinum blonde hair.
“Hello, Lorelle,” the woman said as she perched on the windowsill with feline agility. Her smile was heartless as she giggled intensely. With a wave of her hand, she closed the door and hopped down from her roost. “Do you know who I am?” She waited for a moment and when I didn’t answer, she went on. “I’m your worst nightmare…the shadows, the dark, arachnids. I’m your ghastliest fears.” She dissolved into a pile of spiders, crawling to me, only to collect again to form a human.
“Who are you?” I asked in a voice that sounded more like a shudder.
“Lorelle, Lorelle.” The woman clucked her lips as she took a step forward, clasping my face between her hands. “You honestly don’t remember me?” She paused, an icy breeze blowing in behind her. “Lavina Vadim.”
Her hands were cold as ice and slimy. She leaned in close – so close that I could feel her hot, clammy breath on my cheek. I leaned back, scrunching my face in disgust. Taking quick, shallow breaths, I heard a commotion downstairs.
“Demons…” I said under my breath.
“If only it were that simple, poor, stupid Lorelle.” She smiled ruthlessly as dug her nails into my skin, drawing blood.
I could feel the hot, sticky streams running down my cheek and onto my stark-white nightgown. Lavina’s eyes became glassy, focusing only on the red streaks. She released me slowly and relaxed, her canines appearing under her lips. Running her tongue over her lips, she let out a soft purr deep in her throat. Her eyes were ice-blue and her pupils were pin-point. Lavina brushed the hair from my face as her eyes rolled back in her head. Seemingly out of control, she stuck her tongue out and licked my face from my chin to my cheekbone.
Her saliva burned an icy pain in my cheek, almost singing in the skin. Lavina threw her head back and let out a howl, shaking my shoulders.
~*~
I shot up in bed, soaked with sweat and breathing heavily.
“Lorelle, Lorelle, Lorelle…” Ivan said as he shook my shoulders. “Wake up!” His face was scrunched with worry, just inches from my face. When he saw that I was awake, his tense shoulders fell, relieved. “Are you alright?”
“What time is it?” I asked, closing my eyes again and rubbing my forehead.
“It’s two-thirty in the morning,” Ivan said as he glanced at wristwatch. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Nodding, I leaned back against my pillow and opened my eyes. “Sorry. Did you I wake you?” I pursed my lips and arched an eyebrow as he shook his head no. “You sure?” My voice was skeptical.
“I was already awake when you started to scream.”
2011 (c) copyright C.F. Elliott
ANY COPYING OF THIS IS A BREACH IN MY RIGHTS AS AN AUTHOR. ANY PLAGERISM IS PUNISHABLE.