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Friday, October 31, 2014

The Stench

I ran up to my front door
stuttering my key into the lock
and I could feel that presence,
a stiff, steaming stench
breathing at my back.

I turned on every light,
reflexes at the ready,
and I inspected the room
(there are only so many places
a psychopath can hide in a studio
apartment).

I snuck up
on the shower curtain,
and whipping it
to one side,
I found nothing
and then proceeded
to give myself a one-handed scrub,
with my kitchen knife
poised in the other.

Finally,
I lay myself down
in the darkness,
safe in the knowledge
of the gun in the drawer,
the knife under my pillow
and the door
chained and tripled-locked,
and I drifted
into slow, deep-breathed
slumber.

The last thing I remember
before feeling
the piercing of my chest
was the stench,
laughing and derisive:

“I knew you’d
eventually
fall asleep.”

[Written for Fireblossom Friday at  http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com/2014/10/fireblossom-friday.html - write something scary...boo!]

9 comments:

  1. Oy. Freaky. I will be afraid to shut my eyes later!

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  2. The "stench" really makes it yucky! When I was a grad student and came home at night to an empty house, I walked around w/a knife at the ready! G-d forbid if I ever had had to use it!

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  3. Goodness, a nightmare's brew in this one. Hopefully the "stench" won't make a visit here. Great write!

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  4. oh wow, this is totally creepy. remind me not to fall asleep! :)

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  5. eeek! i love this actually. who hasn't felt like this at one time or another? hopefully with not the same ending. :)

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  6. YIKES! No place to run to, baybyyyyyyy. I had to laugh at the not many places to hide in a studio apt!

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  7. when you finally let your guard down....
    it gets you....

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  8. Anonymous10:56 PM

    creepy ~

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  9. Boo. Yes, in horror movies - never go off alone or go down into the basement and NEVER fall asleep.

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