My lying pages. (Anthology Speed-writing!)

by PacifistDoodl3r

7 The ticking of a prowling shadow. |July 22. 2022|

The ticking of a prowling shadow.

PacifistDoodl3r

Something's coming. Something may be ticking. The dark road of the town is vile and smells of death. A thick stench that stings one's nose until their eyes start to water. The nearby houses feel like tombs with no life inside to sleep, eat, or play. Every once in a while a light from within would flicker and abruptly stop.

A nameless mare, this unicorn walking so free. TICK TICK TICK, something happy and patient watches as they pass by. A joyous feeling encompasses it, ignoring how they're coated with the smell of rotting meat.

It watches from behind a house, crawling alongside a building to new heights in hopes to catch their tasty treat. The mare looks both ways before crossing the streets in case a late night stagecoach and her meet.

This is its chance to follow from behind.
TICK TICK TICK, the sound, a stopwatch counting down.

The mare turns, a shiver, the fur on her neck stands. With a quick look around… there's nothing there to see.

Behind a building, maybe it's a market store? It waits for her to continue without hungering anymore. The mare makes it to her house, visibly seen from a silhouette through a window. A yellow curtain obscured her hugging a little foal. There's a stallion who appeared to kiss her on the cheek.

TICK…TICK…TICK… the shadow's clock stops so soon. I let out a tear, wanting to devour but I'll never know what it means to love. Not today, not tomorrow, and certainly not next year. One thousand years, I ate too many. And I'll feed for one thousand more. Sensing something behind me through the fog so dense and grey, I begin to prowl on another one.

TICK TICK TICK.

Author's Note:

3 Rule Panic!
Another panic. This is a short entry. It surprised me how much positive feedback this got- and I wrote this on a whim, joining in during the middle of the contest. I wasn't entirely sure why the contestants liked this one despite the lack of thought put into my piece but perhaps I should continue to just go for it rather than questioning how others would think? I don't know but what I do know is how nice they are to me!