I Write In 2020

Nothing Good Ever Happens After 2 am

Pitch black. No cell service. The birds not even up and Phil kept up a running commentary about my brother's car being a piece of crap. I wanted to clobber him with my shoe, but we had other issues. According to the urban legend within the book, nothing good ever happened after 2 am. We needed to get home by then... or else.

We'd set off for the highway. As we walked along, I could feel a presence permeating the woods around us. It seemed the closer we got to the highway the farther it seemed to be.
"We should be there by now," Dariann whined.

She was right. The highway was only a mile, but even if or when we reached it, who would be out this late.

A ribbon of fear jackknifed down my spine. I felt the panic seize my lungs and squeeze. I began to pull in air like I had been running.

"Are you okay?" Dariann asked. All I could do was nod.

"We need to move," I wheezed out.

"We are,"

But as I looked down, I could see the gravel rising up. Swallowing me. A shriek stuck in my throat. I reached out to grab Dariann's arm but all I felt was the rush of air and no substance. I could see her. I could hear her, but I could not touch her.

"What's happening?" I mouthed, but no sound came out.

Then the void swallowed me up and darkness surrounded me. In the distance I could hear laughter. A sinister kind of mirth that had me feeling unbound and adrift.

I tried to shout, but my thoughts rattled in my head. I could feel no physical sensations. It was as if the life I had known was... GONE.

Words = 296.

Notes ▼

Daily Flash Fiction Contest: this one I could manage to work into my story due June 23 to the Short Story Group. I'll need a twist and 300 words or less. I saw woods, not words, but either way that got me thinking....
Prompt for 6/14
Write a story that includes the words: birds, book, shoe
I have since written a short story with this premise. It is not on WDC. I'm going to see about publishing it.