Behold A Pale Horse

The thing she saw standing in their dirt driveway was the poorest excuse for a horse she’d ever imagined. Where in Hell did it come from? It was early in the morning and she was just heading to the chicken coop to gather eggs when she saw it. She called for her father as she slowly walked around the beast but not getting too close.
It was so dirty she couldn’t tell what color it was, its mane & tail full of leaves, twigs and burrs. It was also extremely thin as she could count each rib bone under its mud-covered coat.
She heard the screen door of their small house open and her father’s footsteps as he came up beside her.
“Jesus Christ Abigail!” he exclaimed, “What it God’s name is that?”
“Well I’m assuming its a horse dad, but I’ve never seen one in such horrible shape before.”
She could sense the creature’s labored breathing as she walked slowly towards it, holding out her hand and whispering softly, “It’s ok, don’t be afraid. No one here will hurt you.”
It turned it’s head towards her slowly, regarding her with its large brown eyes that were the only thing on it that gave of any sense of life. And then it moved, more like hobbled towards her and snapped at her hand before it fell to the ground screaming in pain.
Her father ran towards the horse as it shakily got to its feet and reared, barely missing his head with a lash of its hooves. She was surprised it had enough energy even for that as it settled back down, shaking and stomping its feet. Abigail tried whispering to it again to calm the frightened horse down as her dad went to the barn. He returned a few minutes later with a syringe full of a mild tranquilizer and as she put her arms around its neck he injected the liquid. It jumped slightly but seemed to be much more relaxed and they were able to lead it into an empty stall.
“Wow Abby, what are we going to do with this guy?” he thought for a second then looked underneath the horse. “Yep, I was right. It’s a guy.”
She laughed, “I think the first thing we need to do is call animal control to see if anyone knows anything about him, and then give him a good bath and some food. Doesn’t look like he’s eaten in a while.”

Her dad pulled out his cell phone and stepped outside the barn to make the call as she poured some water into a bucket and set it down in front of the emaciated animal. He acted like he wasn’t even sure what to do until she pushed his head towards it, then he smelled the water and greedily started gulping it down. Not knowing how long it had been since he’d eaten she put a cup-full of oats in a smaller bucket next to the water and she wasn’t surprised at how fast he inhaled them. Abby gave him a bit more water then went to get the supplies together to give him a much needed bath.

It took several hours and gallons of water later to get the horse clean, and even then he was a sorry sight. He was even thinner than she thought at first and was so tired from all the exertion his head was hanging almost to the ground. Having been around horses all her life she felt extreme anger to whoever had let him get in such a deplorable condition. He got very agitated again and dad had to give him some more tranquilizers so they could complete their work on him. She had finished brushing his coat and dad was picking his hooves clean while she put away all the cleaning equipment. He’d given all the information he could to animal services but no one had reported a missing horse, especially one in his state. He had no halter or even a rope on his neck…they had no idea where he came from so for now I guess he’d have to stay with them.

Abby had finished fixing up the stall for the horse when something spooked him. His eyes were wide and almost white, ears back and he made the strangest noise, unlike anything she’d ever heard come out of a horse before. He glared at her while she backed up trying to talk to him, calm him down and it seemed to work. He wouldn’t let her near him though as she tried to set him at ease, just kept stomping at her when she came too close as maybe he was trying to warn her away. She checked his water before closing the stall door and just stood there for a while looking at him, trying to figure out if she’d ever seen him on any farm in the area. His coat was dry and it was a dull gray, sickly and pale. His eyes were clear though…his head was right in front of hers and staring into them it seemed she could see ancient cities in flames. She laughed & shook her head blaming her imagination, knowing full well it was impossible to see such things in the animal’s eyes.
“Goodnight old fellow” she said. “Maybe you’ll do better in the morning after a good rest.”
She heard him whinny softly as she walked out of the barn but it had an ominous sound to it, and she shivered as she entered the house.

Abby could barely sleep that night…she was having horrible nightmares of burning cities & rivers of fire. She woke up several times and after the last one she went into the kitchen and sat at the small table waiting on coffee to brew. Thinking hard she tried to remember more details about the dreams…she’d never had any so terrifying. She heard a noise in the direction of the barn and it was then she remembered the horse had been in all her dreams…standing on a rocky ledge overlooking the inferno in the presence of a shadowy hooded figure. The sounds continued and against her better judgment she put on her coat & boots and headed towards the barn.

She opened the door and choked back her disgust as she took in the coppery scent of fresh blood. Holding her stomach she realized one of the other horses was lying in the middle of the floor dead with his stomach ripped open. The gray horse was hovering over him, scowling at her with his icy eyes and teeth covered in blood. He had gone through a dramatic transformation; still horribly thin but his ashen coat gleamed bright in the light of the lantern she held. She slowly backed up against the door and reached for the handle to open it when she saw Him in the corner of the stall. She couldn’t move and His glowing red orbs were burning deep into her soul. She tried to scream but with a quick flash of steel He was in front of her, his foetid breath smelling of sulphur and brimstone, the last thing she saw before her eyes exploded.

** basilia-czar.deviantart.com

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle

One Of These Days

for two years I was your puppet
always there when you needed me
I’d do anything for you
I stood up for you
supported you
always had your back
against all the haters
you inspired me
motivated me
showed me I could be so much more
than I realized
but now you’re gone
like a ghost
disappeared
vanished into thin air
without barely a word
for months
and it makes me wonder
if I ever really mattered to you
at all
but I still love you
I know I always will
and one of these days
you’ll regret saying goodbye

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle

Harvest Time

I saw her from far off into the distance, staring towards my window that dark October evening.
At least I thought it was a “she” as it was very hard to tell from so far away.
The sun was still going down in the horizon and it was foggy; a light mist covering the ground making the bare trees look like grotesque, gnarled hands of some giant coming up through the barren earth.
This farm was a joke. My dad bought the place 2 years ago in hopes of raising corn but it was almost as if the place was cursed. He’d tried the last two seasons and barely gotten a few bushels to keep for us, let alone anything to sell.
And we were broke, or very close to it. I’d heard my mom on the phone earlier with the bank and crying afterwards when dad came home. They were going on 6 months behind in the mortgage payments and if something didn’t happen soon we’d lose the place for good.
Where would we go? We had no real family…my parents had both been only children and my grandparents had passed on years ago. So I had no cousins, brothers or sisters. Actually that was a lie. I’d had a sister, but she was dead…died when she was 12. Doctors had said it was just one of those things. They found nothing physically wrong with her so they didn’t know what had happened, she was just gone. Went to sleep one night and didn’t wake up. I still missed her a lot, and I cry myself to sleep sometimes. She was the only friend I really had as we had moved around a lot and never hung around long enough to get close to any local kids.
I dreamed about her that night, standing in front of the old tree at the end of the field. She kept whispering my name and I wanted to follow her but I was afraid. She was holding a small sickle…I don’t know why because she was always afraid to go in the barn where all dad’s harvesting tools were. And there was blood dripping from the blade.

The corn in the fields was coming up but it was so poor. Made me think of that story in the Bible when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream about the withered, dying ears of grain. Dad had tried so hard, dug so many irrigation ditches and we’d been really fortunate that the crows had stayed away. It just wasn’t helping at all.
He was at the far end of the field cutting some of it down with a scythe to save gas for the combine. It was kinda funny to watch him with it because he wasn’t used to it and it wasn’t as sharp as it should be but somehow he was getting the job done. He saw me and smiled.
“Hey Sarah, want to give me a hand? There’s another one of these in the barn…it’s not really hard once you get the hang of it.”
“Sure dad, just give me a second & I’ll be right back.”
I opened the barn door and found the wall with all the tools hanging from it, seeing the large scythe and running my fingers along the blade. It was very sharp and I had to be careful not to cut myself. Funny, dad should have picked this one to use. It was a lot lighter than I expected as I pulled it down and walked back outside. And there she was again. Just like I’d seen her from my window. I knew it was a “she” now as she was wearing a dress…just like the one we buried her in.
I felt like I couldn’t move when I heard dad’s voice again.
“What’s wrong Sarah?” he looked in the direction I was staring and looked back at me. “What do you see over there?”
“I’m not sure dad but I think there’s something over by the tree.”
“Well, go look if you want to” he said, “but come back quick. I want to see if there’s anything here we can save.”
I was shaking as I walked slowly towards the tree. She’d moved and was now standing directly beside it, still holding the bloody sickle.
“Melanie? What are you doing here? You’re dead.”
She didn’t say a word, only stared at me and smiled.
“Is there something you want?” I asked, “Why are you here?”
She opened her mouth but I heard nothing for several seconds, then a light hissing noise as her voice cracked and she whispered the word “Sacrifice.”
Sacrifice? “What do you mean Mel? I don’t understand.”
She held up the sickle towards my hand and as I touched it with my finger I saw the image, a scenario playing out in my head. It was the only way we could save the farm.
“Are you sure Mel? Is that what we have to do?”
She nodded and turned away, disappearing around the tree. I ran after her but she was gone. My heart was beating in my chest as I turned back to the field to help my father and think about what needed to be done.

It was really hard to fall asleep that night. I kept having the dream again and now there were rivers of blood running through the corn. There was nothing else to do. I had to tell him.
We had finished breakfast the next morning & mom was in the kitchen cleaning up as dad was in the living room preparing to go back out in the fields. He’d just poured a cup of coffee as I sat down & got his attention.
“Mel was in the field yesterday.” I said, “She told me how we could save the farm.” I whispered to him so mom wouldn’t hear.
He stared at me in disbelief. “What are you talking about Sarah? Is that what you saw by the tree? Are you saying you saw a ghost?”
“Yes dad, and you may not believe me but I have to show you something.” and I touched his hand.
He jerked back as if I’d shocked him, but I knew he believed me, because he’d seen it too.
“Ok,” he said, and his face was ashen. “If that’s how it has to be then that’s what we have to do, but your mom is staying out of it. I don’t want her involved.”
“If it happens like I saw we’ll do ok just the two of us. That’s why I told you here.”
Mom came in the front room, got her purse & said “I have to head in to town…I’ll be gone a few hours to the grocery store and I have another appointment with the doctor.”
Dad got up and kissed her, smiling. “Ok hon, just take your time. Sarah and I will take care of everything here.”
We watched her get into the car and drive off then went to the field & got to work.After we’d been there for about 30 minutes clearing the irrigation line I heard a noise in the direction of the house. I looked up seeing a strange car pulling into the driveway and two people get out, a man and a woman. I got dad’s attention and he looked up as the couple walked in our direction.
“Good morning.” the man said, “My name is Robert, this is Amelia and we’re from the First Baptist Church.  We’re just going around to some of the farms here on the outskirts of town to see if you’ve any interest in coming to join us for worship this week.”
“I know you’ve been here for a while now,” Amelia said, “and we weren’t sure if you already had a church home or if you’d be up to trying out our family. Can I ask if you know the Savior?”
Dad smiled at her and said, “Why yes ma’am I do, and so does my daughter here. But I’d be obliged if you’d come in with us for a talk.” They both nodded and smiled as my dad led them to the house.

Back inside I made a pot of coffee as they sat at the kitchen table with dad going over leaflets. I poured 3 mugs full and sat down as they all started to drink.
I listened to their chatter and poured them all more when I noticed the odd look on Robert’s face as he drank slowly.
“The water here gives the coffee a funny aftertaste,” I said. “We boil it first but it doesn’t help much…I’m sorry.”
He assured me it was fine and continued his conversation with my dad as I put away the coffee and washed the empty pot.
I saw Amelia start to stand up and then watched her fall to the floor, trying to catch herself on the chair but she hit it hard. Robert got up fast to help her, too fast though and it happened just as quick for him.
Neither were fully unconscious but completely paralyzed by the strong drugs I’d slipped into their coffee as dad took hold of Robert’s legs and drug him out into the backyard. I went outside and tied a rope around his legs as dad pulled Amelia out and laid her next to him.
Dad tied the rope around her legs as I attached them both to the saddle on our mule Chester. He wasn’t quite as stubborn as most mules so with a little coaxing he pulled them both to the water tank dad used to irrigate the corn. We’d worked all morning to get something constructed that would hold them above the tank. We’d dug supports deep into the ground on both sides and ran a log across the top.  It took all our strength and Chester’s to get them hoisted up and tied upside-down to the top log.
Once they were securely fastened we got off the tank and pulled off the lid. Amelia was starting to struggle but she didn’t have much in her…the drugs I gave her were very strong. It was a combination of muscle relaxers and pain killers that were left over from mom’s surgery 6 months ago. She’d probably wonder what happened to them later but we’d deal with that when the time came. I reached down and picked up the scythe I’d been using to reap the corn and held up to her face.  She’d started to cry.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but we’re going to lose our farm and this is the only way to save it. The spirits deep in the earth ar thirsty and you’re blood will bring new life to this place.”
At the last word I ran the blade quickly across her throat and watched the blood drain into the water tank. I heard a gurgle from Robert as dad almost decapitated him, watching their blood mingle together. I saw dad put the snath of his scythe into the tank and he looked at me, smiling as I did the same with my own. We mixed it all in as it continued to flow, the color deepening almost to a dark red ochre. Each cut had been made wide and deep, therefore it didn’t take as long as I thought to drain away. When it was done we put the lid back on the tank and lowered the bodies, dad putting them in the trunk of their car before driving it off far into the field. He would dispose of it later.
Back at the farm we opened up all the channels and let the red water flow into the field, soaking into the hard soil surrounding the corn. I stood at the edge and noticed a difference almost immediately, the ground seeming almost softer underneath my bare feet as I walked between the rows. And then I heard the whispers, like they were coming from the corn itself…it was coming back to life. It wouldn’t happen overnight but in a few days the field should be alive with good corn, and a good harvest was sure to come. We wouldn’t have to leave this place, and as I smiled I heard her laughter. She was standing by the tree again, still holding the dripping sickle.
“Was it ok Mel? Did we satisfy the spirits?”
She smiled and the soil began to bloom.
“Don’t ever leave me again Mel, ok?” but she disappeared into the fog.

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle

Unfair

all this beautiful music

spinning around in my head

but all I want to hear is your voice

tell me a story

a joke

make me laugh

sing to me

I really don’t care

just talk to me

I love you

you don’t know how bad I miss you

every day

sometimes

I miss you so bad it hurts

and I’m so angry

 because I still don’t know why you left

where you went

or when you’ll be back

if you’ll ever be back

it’s the not knowing that kills me

tossing & turning

trying to sleep

but I can’t

the bed is empty

and I need you here

it’s so unfair

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle

Agrona

He was gone, I was alone, and though I knew he would be back soon it seemed he’d been away forever.
There wasn’t even anywhere else for me to go. I had lost any interest long ago in traveling to the above world and anytime I even attempted it I became ill.
It just didn’t seem worth it anymore. There was no one there that I knew…everyone from my old life was now dead & had been for what seemed like centuries. Their memories faded more every day and even though I tried to hold on to some I new they would eventually disappear for good.
Kieran was with him. She was learning so fast, becoming a true master at her art and would soon go out on her own. It only meant that she would be away from me even more and I still had horrible bouts of loneliness.
He did not like it…me being by myself so much. His Kindred Sister often came to visit but she never stayed long as she had her own journey to make. I was tired even more lately…sleeping continuously for days mostly out of boredom even though I knew I didn’t need it all of the time. I was the Queen here but I ached for company.

I woke to the sound of whispers. As I lay there and quietly listened it seemed as if a thousand butterflies were flapping their wings inside my head. It was soft & soothing and I carried it with me for days floating weightlessly on the sounds. Somehow it managed to cure my melancholy but I wondered often how long it would last and possibly why it was there.
Often it would grow louder, softly buzzing for hours in my brain until I forced myself to sleep and then it would disappear. Occasionally it would go away for a day or two and then come back with a vengeance, like hundreds of bees alive in my head. On those days I could barely think and hid away even more.

This morning it was extremely loud but I found it was coming from somewhere else. It had left my body and was calling to me from deep inside the farthest caverns. The whispers had returned and spoke to me of wonderfully beautiful things. I left my bed and ventured out to find where the sounds were coming from.
I wandered for days following them, mellowed by their lyrical beauty until I came up on a small cave hidden beside the flaming river of blood. I needed to get on my hands and knees to crawl through the low entrance but inside it was high enough for me to stand & I saw it was lit by several stone lanterns. Then the whispers transformed…it became the sweetest music I had ever heard drumming directly beneath my bare feet. The soil was dark red and rock hard but I dug fiercely with my hands until they were bleeding from my efforts.

Her voice exploded when I breached the hollow where she had been entombed and I carefully removed her shroud. How long had she lain here waiting for me to find her? Gently grasping her thick wooden snath I slowly freed her from her crypt as she sang to me in a thousand different voices. Her lovely blade gleamed blood red in the glow of the fires when she suddenly went silent. My heart beat quickly as I listened and I heard a single word repeated over & over “Agrona, Agrona, Agrona…” I realized that it was her name she was revealing and tears fell as I sat on the floor of the cave clutching her to my chest and listening to her story.
A demon had hidden her there eons ago to get back at his master for a punishment he deemed unfit. I found it odd that he never mentioned it but it’s possible he had forgotten since so much time had passed. She had been sleeping patiently until she sensed my presence and was finally able to garner enough strength to contact me. But she was still very weak and needed badly to feed. I felt a new sense of strength inside myself just from having her near and knew that I could face the outside world again as I would have to to find her Prey.
I was happier than I had been in ages and as I left the cavern the air changed and suddenly He was there. My dark soul sang as I clung to him desperately…I had missed him so badly and felt as if I could finally breathe again.
He apologized for his extended absence as he kissed my tears away and was surprised to find me so far from our home until I told him what had occurred and revealed my treasured new friend. Her voice exploded again when he stroked her blade and she revealed her pain to him, naming her tormentor. He brought his own Scythe near, knowing they had been forged from the same steel, and vowed that she would have her revenge once she was properly fed & rested. She had suffered greatly but was once again part of our family. I knew she would always be by my side and I would be sure to bring her punisher to justice.

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle

Switch

One too many times I have told that stupid bitch to leave me the fuck alone but she won’t listen. The repetetive whining & screaming all day, all night. I can barely get any sleep and I’m so tired.
Little does she know that I have bodies hidden in my basement, and if she knows what’s good for her she’ll shut up before she becomes an addition to my collection.

Finally, a little bit of silence.
But there seems to be no end to the insanity in this place. There’s no one to rely on anywhere, no one I can trust.
I’ve been bullied for so long, pretty much my entire life…all of my self-confidence stripped away and shattered on the floor.
People wonder why I steer clear of crowds, why I don’t go to parties or socialize even at work.
Because every time I meet someone new I’m afraid…afraid of putting myself out there once again and having my heart ripped to pieces. It’s happened over & over & over.
The abuse won’t stop…it’s a never-ending vicious cycle. Years of being told what to do…how, when and where.
By him and everyone else. It’s like I can’t fully let myself go and even attempt to have a normal life. Like I was ever “normal”.
They will all pay. Like the ones before.

My hands are starting to shake because she’s screaming at me again. I feel like I’m being pushed over the edge once more and it’s all her fault.
Stupid cunt.
Sometimes I don’t want to do it but I can’t stop it once it starts. When it sets firmly in my head that it’s going to happen there’s no way out. It’s like a switch going on, everything else just goes dark and it’s all I see…blood & bodies lying everywhere. Nothing else matters after that.
And there it is.

That pop…I feel it every time and it’s like a giant rush of energy all at once. And it feels so good…like an orgasm. I start laughing as I quickly walk up to her and smash her face into the corner of the table. I hear the crack of her nose as it hits the heavily varnished wood and imagine it splintering parts of her skull into her brain. Maybe I should try to see if I can dig the pieces out but that would take too long and I can’t stay here. Damn, it was too quick. The force of the blow was enough to kill her. Physically I’m not that strong. Dealing with him for years…he never let me go anywhere. Just wanted me always around at his disposal for anything…he didn’t even care that I’d gotten soft around the edges though I was still attractive enough to warrant his attentions. He was the first to die…and he suffered gloriously for all those years of confinement. We lived in the middle of nowhere and only the slinking creatures that prowled around our dilapidated hovel heard his screams echoing through the night.
It was just one of those things that you hear about on TV sometimes…someone in great distress or urgency finds this inner strength they never knew they had. It was like that every time. It was like I became something inhuman and I reveled in it. I buried him in the basement…there were a few others there now and I’ll dig a fresh hole for her.

It really didn’t matter to her anymore. She didn’t care what anyone else thought about her at all. She was free and could finally do whatever the fuck she wanted.
She didn’t care if she got caught. She was just going to take as many of those bastards down before that happened.
It’s all about revenge, plain and simple. And she felt like she was just getting started.

It was dark…I had to get her back to the basement fast. I didn’t even know how to drive…no one ever taught me so I had to try & teach myself quickly once he was gone. She never taught me and he didn’t want me out of the house. She had assumed he’d ran off with some whore from town & said it wasn’t right for me to be out there by myself so she’d dragged me back to live with her until he came back. He would never come back and I’m not sure what was worse. She had abused me constantly as a child…I was always in the hospital and they even took me away once when I was 10 but she got me back after my brother died. I had gone to live with my aunt & uncle a few miles away and was finally happy, for a little while. But one night a few weeks later they found Mikey on the floor all bloody & bruised with her leaning over him screaming. He was only 4. She tried to claim he fell down the stairs but I didn’t believe her…not after what she had done to me. I hated her so much but they forced me to go back to her. They said it would lessen her grief after losing him. Her grief? What about my grief??? No one gave a shit about me. They never had. But they would now.

The Queen of Hell

pick up a copy of my new book on Amazon available in paperback and for Kindle