Portent: Harvest
BINGO Halloween Challenge; a spooky micro
I awoke with a start. It was as if I had left my dream for a nightmare. At the foot of my bed stood the same apparition I had been seeing for months. It was a man with emaciated skeletal features and a severe expression. I tried to move, to nudge my wife sleeping next to me, but I could not. She snored softly as the figure slowly raised its arm to point directly at me.
I could only utter a muffled squeak as the ghost begin to grow thinner, both in substance and in features. Its muscles shrank to dust and its lips crawled backwards over its teeth. It continued to point at me while its chest shrank into and around its ribs. By the time I could twitch my fingers, it was already gone.
"B-b-b-baby?" I croaked.
My wife stirred, barely awake.
"B-babe."
She finally woke. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"I-it... happened... ag-ain."
She sighed. "Let me prepare you some coffee and then we can call your therapist, ok?"
I nodded.
She kissed me and then rolled out of bed, throwing her housecoat over her in one practiced swoop.
"I love you," she said, studying my face intimitely.
"I love you, too," I answered, starting to come around.
She left silently down the hall.
I continued to lie there for what felt close to an hour. I began to get worried. I didn't smell coffee.
"Honey?" I called.
There was no answer. My heart began to pound.
"Hun?"
There was still no reply.
Gathering my strength, I willed myself out of bed and continued into the hall.
All of the lights were out. Luckily, the light switch was only a few paces away. I stepped forward.
Without warning, my body stopped in its tracks. My finger was outstretched, reaching for where I knew the switch was. I couldn't move a muscle.
The light turned on. When my eyes adjusted, I saw my wife standing there with a sad smile on her face. Her black, kimono-like housecoat began to billow around her slightly.
"I am sorry," she said, "I tried to control myself."
It was then I noticed that my limbs were held in silvery strands that anchored themselves against the wall. They stretched as I struggled to move.
"Baby..." I whimpered.
She held up her hand, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Don't struggle, it only makes me want you more."
Shadows began to creep upward from underneath the robe. They silently formed themselves into six brisly, spider-like legs that encompassed the entirety of the hall. A bulbous abdomen began to rise behind them along with her torso.
I could only stare in shock.
"I am so sorry, love, I was hoping you'd be the one..." she said, uncovering her mouth.
Two chattering fanged chelicerae had sprouted from her lips as saliva began dripping from her mouth.
"... but a girl's gotta eat."
-----
This short was written for Marie Sinadjan's Spooky Season Bingo writing challenge under the prompt 'ghosts and secrets'.
The folklore used to inspire this short are European-type ghosts and the Japanese Jorōgumo.
About the Creator
The Station Without Trains
Seen (1) At the far end of a desert highway stood a train station that no map acknowledged. There were no tracks leading to it, no schedules posted, and no trains that ever arrived. Still, every evening at sunset, the lights turned on. Maya found the station by accident while driving cross-country to escape a life that felt too heavy. Her radio had gone silent miles ago, and her phone showed no signal. When she saw the station glowing in the distance, she pulled over, relieved to find signs of life. The station was clean, almost untouched by time. Wooden benches lined the platform, and an old clock hung above the entrance, forever stuck at 6:40. The air smelled of dust and iron, like a place waiting to be used. “Hello?” Maya called. No answer. She sat on a bench, telling herself she would leave in five minutes. But as the sun disappeared, the lights grew warmer, softer. Calm settled over her in a way she hadn’t felt in years. A man in a conductor’s uniform stepped out from the shadows. His clothes looked old-fashioned, but neatly pressed. His face was kind, though tired. “You’re early,” he said. “Early for what?” Maya asked. “For the train,” he replied. Maya frowned. “There are no tracks.” The man smiled gently. “Not all journeys need them.” He explained that this station was a place between leaving and arriving—a pause for those who were lost, grieving, or running from something they couldn’t name. People didn’t come here on purpose. They arrived when they needed stillness. “Does the train ever come?” Maya asked. “Yes,” he said. “But only once for each person.” Maya felt a tightness in her chest. “Where does it go?” The conductor looked at the horizon. “To the life you stopped believing in.” Maya thought of the dreams she had abandoned, the version of herself she no longer recognized. Tears surprised her, sliding down her face without warning. “I don’t know if I’m ready,” she whispered. The conductor nodded. “That’s why the train hasn’t arrived.” They sat in silence as the stars appeared. For the first time in years, Maya didn’t feel the urge to run. She felt seen. Slowly, the station lights dimmed. The conductor stood. “When you leave,” he said, “you won’t remember this place. But you’ll remember how you felt.” A distant sound echoed—not a train horn, but something close to a heartbeat. Maya blinked. She was back in her car, parked on the side of the empty highway. The station was gone. The road stretched endlessly ahead. But her chest felt lighter. She turned the key and drove forward, not knowing exactly where she was going—but certain, for the first time, that she was finally on the right track.
By Do bol ho jaaye 5 days ago in Horror
Comments (2)
Bloody HELL!! Talk about your nightmare fuel 😬
VERY SCARY! Good writing!