Helen peers through yellowed curtains as Emma, clutching flowers, skips up the sagging porch. Helen grips her knife.
Everyone says Helen's crazy because she tries to expose the true evil among them.
Emma's smiling face appears at the window. Helen shakes her head.
Emma's blue eyes fill with tears, but they bleed red. She holds up the flowers, now a bouquet of spitting snakes.
Helen trembles, but she won't invite the monster inside.
Emma speaks but her black, forked tongue flicks against the glass, drowns out her words. She sighs, walks away.
Helen watches the snakes slither after their mistress.
Author bio: Madeline Mora-Summonte is a reader, a writer, a beach-comber and a tortoise-owner. She is the author of the flash fiction collections The People We Used To Be and Garden of Lost Souls.
Perception is part of 101 Fiction issue 15.
Evil little girl!
ReplyDeleteMaybe. Maybe not. :)
DeleteI'm wondering if it's perhaps a multiple personality thing? Maybe they are the same person? Either way, yay!
ReplyDeleteInteresting take, Murees.... :)
DeleteYikes! I wouldn't open my window or door either!
ReplyDeleteProbably a good call. :)
DeleteCreepy indeed but maybe it was all in Helen's head and she is the evil one? Or insane?
ReplyDeleteCould be, Nick. Could be. :)
DeleteVery eerie! And it leaves me with all kinds of questions.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! :)
DeleteI need to knoooow! lol
ReplyDeleteThe "evil" author rubs her hands together gleefully and cackles "Bwha ha ha!" :)
DeleteWow! What a heart stopper.
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna! But I do hope your heart started up again! :)
DeleteOh my. So is it insanity, or reality? Now that's a brain twister. Love it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, Crystal! And I love that phrase - "brain twister."
DeleteI love those mind tricks where we question what is really the truth.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. :)
DeleteHow sad. Another day they might have been friends...?
ReplyDeleteHmm, you never know....
DeleteOooh, intriguing! Whether perception is aligned with truth doesn't matter; most of the time, it rules.
ReplyDeleteHowever... if some kid at my door had snakes come out of her mouth, I wouldn't let her into MY house, either. At least she took her darned snakes with her.
Ha! I'm with you on the whole snake scenario. :)
DeleteJust because your paranoid doesn't mean she's not out to get you! Well done!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Lee! And thanks! :)
DeleteOoh, so creepy!! Just the idea of the flowers turning to snakes totally freaked me out. I think the little girl really is evil and Helen is totally sane. That's my take and I'm sticking with it. I think LOL. ;)
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I thought of that bouquet of snakes, I knew I had to use it because it totally creeped me out, too. :)
Delete