Just Three Words
Hey there, readers! W.R. Bailey here with some exciting news! This is the first entry into a collection of short stories known as Just Three Words. As you may have seen on my Facebook page, I made a post asking for everyone to comment just three words and from those words I would derive a short story. Well here is the first! The three words were hand picked by Kristen Cochell this week. She decided to give me some fun ones with Zombies, Unicorns, and Book! Her three favorite things. Enjoy the read and don’t be afraid to comment your three words on the Facebook page! I will be posting a new story every two weeks!
Zombies, Unicorns, Book
Kristen struggled to catch her breath. She had been running for what felt like an eternity but felt none the closer to her prize. She had been making her way through the seemingly endless labyrinth for about an hour and began running fifteen minutes ago when she heard the terrible clopping of hooves closing in behind her. Kristen had made it this far in her quest to stop the wretched beasts that now followed her and she wasn’t going to let overgrown shrubbery made to look like a child’s game out of a Highlights magazine stop her. She had to admit, though, she lost any sense of direction when she quickened her pace. Despite this, she had to push forward. Legend spoke of the ancient book showing how to defeat these monsters hidden deep within this maze. She knew the answer was in here with her, and there was no going back now.
As the young blonde girl rounded the next corner she almost didn’t notice the pit that lay right in front of her. The balls of her feet slid out into open space as she caught the edge of the walkway with her heels. Reaching frantically, she grasped on to the hedge that made up the side of her endless prison, hoping that she found a way out of a mistake that could surely cost her her life. As her heels followed suit of her toes, Kristen lost her footing and felt her legs dangle freely into the unknown. Thorns and twigs from the uninviting plants tore into her hands, but she dared not let go as the fate of the world would fall with her. To the contrary of the advice that countless people in similar situations have given, Kristen looked down. She found some comfort in knowing that she could see a pool of water only about twenty feet below her. Her ease soon melted away as the silver light of the moon reflected off of uncountable eyes just beneath the surface. Though able to keep quiet despite her trials up until this point, she couldn’t help it anymore. The uncertainty of what was dwelling below forced a loud scream from deep within her lungs. She wasn’t sure she had enough air to breathe moments ago, let alone to release such an unrelenting screech, but the human body is marvelous machine that often shines brightest in moments of terror.
Kristen flailed her legs until her small feet found rest on the stones that lined the pit below. She pulled herself up further and took a moment to recover her wits and settle her mind. “Pull yourself together,” she whispered to herself, “they probably heard you, you idiot!” As if to answer her, an ungodly shriek resounded from somewhere inside the maze. It wasn’t the first time she had heard it and no matter how much she prayed, she knew it wouldn’t be the last. The sound echoed throughout the endless rows and columns that made up this dreadful network of foliage resisting the very laws of nature, lingering as if not from this world. The unearthly cry sounded deep and guttural yet confined. It was as if someone had spread a layer of chewing gum across the opening of a sousaphone before attempting to perform a show with a chest cold. The beasts that had enslaved mankind and now pursued Kristen wanted her to know they were coming and it was safe to say that now she did.
Kristen looked toward the other side of the pit, this trap was surely a sign that she was going the right way. She knew what must be done. Mustering up what she was sure was the last bit of courage she had, Kristen pulled herself sideways and propelled her legs off of the rocky wall. When she was at the peak of her lunge she released her grip on the plants, launching herself toward the far side of the pit. Despite being exhausted and unaware of her own ability, Kristen grabbed on to the once far side of the pit with her arms extended. Her abdomen slammed into the jagged wall of the abyss, she was almost certain it had cracked at least one of her ribs. Not wanting to find out what the glowing eyes below her belonged to, she clenched her fingers down upon the ground with all of her might, stopping herself from plummeting into the darkness below.
As Kristen hauled herself back onto the solid pathway, she looked forward to see what might lie ahead. Unlike almost every other turn she encountered in the maze which included a fork in the opposite direction, this one did not. Clammering to her feet, Kristen winced as a searing pain emanated from her side. Accepting that running was no longer an option, she limped toward the elbow in the road. Careful not to fall into another trap, Kristen slowly peered around the corner. Her eyes lit up as she beheld a positive sight for the first time in what seemed like years. In the place of a dark pool or bed of spikes that she may have found around any other corner, the maze instead opened into a courtyard where small fountains and beautiful rose bushes seemed to mark this place as a safe haven from the very maze it was a part of. Amidst the colors of the flowers and statues of saints stood a pedestal in the very center of the clearing. As she limped closer to the altar she laid eyes on the most beautiful book she had ever seen.
The leather bound volume was embossed with gold. The shimmering image on the cover depicted a knight holding a rose. This must have been Saint Sonny, the holy knight who drove these foul beasts back to the depths of hell centuries before. After single handedly beating their king in combat he called down a protective ward from heaven to seal them deep within the depths of the Earth. People were unsure what had caused them to reawaken. Some said it was fracking, others suggested a dark cult performed a counter ritual to break the seal. All of that was irrelevant now because the hooved creatures had returned and regardless of the how, must be stopped. This book would tell Kristen just how to do that.
Just as Kristen was about to flip open the cover of the book she heard a deep exhale and low, gurgling whinney behind her. She spun around to see that the cursed creatures of old had caught up to her. The creature stood tall on its four hooved legs, its muscles defined and visibly reacting to even the most subtle of movement. Where once a glowing white coat of hair sat, now only the tattered and stained remnants of such a radiant appearance remained. The skin of the creature was taught, as if it struggled to hold itself over the beast without tearing at any moment. Ooze and blood dripped from the lipless mouth that was lined with dark and rotting teeth, teeth that had been the gruesome and untimely demise to many humans and countless other living creatures alike. From the crest of the creatures exposed skull jutted a spiral horn stained with blood; it was clear the intended purpose was not just to attract mates. From there a mane that spanned the entire color spectrum lined the ridge of the animal's neck. The colors that remained in it were no longer vived and only reminded Kristen of a child’s stuffed toy cast to the side of the road. With the flick of a tail that matched its mane, the creature stared deep into Kristen’s soul.
This was it. There was no more running. She had no choice but to face the Zombie Unicorns.
Without further warning the creature hurtled toward Kristen at full speed. She could see the exposed ligaments and muscles working in time as the horned horse from hell closed in on her. She felt it collide with her chest and she fell backward onto the ground, blacking out in the process.
Kristen shot up the instant her eyelids crept even a millimeter open. As she gazed around the room she realized she was no longer in the courtyard of the maze but instead in a bedroom and instead of laying on the ground she discovered she was snuggled safely in bed. These were, in fact, her bedroom and bed to be precise. She knew now that it had all just been a nightmare. “No more Stephen King before bed,” she warned herself as she wiggled her way down into the comforter. Glancing over at her nightstand the glowing red numbers of her alarm clock reassured her that she would still be able to get three hours of sleep if she was able to lull herself back into it. Just as she was about to slip back into a state of dreams she heard a strange roar from outside that sounded oddly like someone had spread a layer of chewing gum across the opening of a sousaphone before attempting to perform a show with a chest cold. She thought nothing of it and nodded off to sleep.
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