Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge, Week 27..... The Friday Post

Good Friday Morning to the Blogosphere!!

Guess What?  It finally getting warmer here!! YAY! It has been an unusually long grueling winter this year with subzero temperatures, hip deep snowfalls, and wild and crazy winds.  But, maybe that's all behind us for the year.... (I can hope anyway...)

This weeks flash fiction prompt was a wonderful picture of the full moon looking down upon a harsh landscape and a lonely figure fixes on the moon.  Here's the lovely prompt:

The Knowing

by:  Dottie Taylor

word count:  875

Every night for a fortnight, Eliza came to stand upon this frigid place where the souls of the lost filed through the darkness. But on this night, with the full moon high, she waited and wondered, the souls shifting around her, pulling on her, begging her to join them. And she wanted to.

Standing amidst the lost souls, she raised her tired arms, the heavy silk robe slid across her yearning flesh. Groaning, she let the robe slip from her body, puddling at her feet. Concealed beneath the folds, she brought forth an ancient dagger. She gazed at it almost lovingly and brushed her thumb along the razor sharp edge, bringing a bead of fresh red blood. She continued to the hilt, encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and now, her blood embedded with the gems. Such a small cut, and yet the coppery aroma filled the air. The souls grew hungry, wrapping themselves eagerly at her feet. So many now.

Eliza brought the cold blade of the dagger to rest between the softness of her full breasts. She fisted the hilt tightly, clasping the jewels hard enough to leave indentations, ready to join the souls, hoping he would come. A few tears leaked from her weary eyes, she couldn't tell any longer if from joy or sadness.

She readied herself to plunge the dagger, hoping to bring her beast. The beast she'd fought for so long to deny. She wanted the beast, need growing heavy. She felt the electric touch of icy fingers, her body softening, desire riding high... he was here.

She raised the dagger, now clutched in both frozen hands, the point pressing the flesh covering her heart, another bead of crimson seeped from her body to trail across her ribs. She heaved the dagger high into the nighttime sky, ready to force the cold steel into her beating heart, sealing her fate and the deed, when a chilled hand caught hers, stopping the momentum before it could start.

“Why?” The eyes of her lover burned into hers, he was before her, as she'd hoped he would be. “Eliza, love, why?” She thought she saw the glimmer of bloody glistenings in his lost eyes. He rested his forehead against hers, “What has happened to bring you to this place?”

Eliza began to shake, the frostiness finding a home within her. “I no longer wish this existence, this longing, this life.” She brought the blade slowly down to release one hand. She cupped his cool cheek and smiled into his black eyes. They had once been cerulean. The hunger was upon him, the beast she'd been waiting for, her blood had drawn him out!

“You saved me once upon a time, now let me save my you. Kian, let me join you, let me give of myself, ease your pain, taken away your hunger.” Eliza begged, because if he refused her, they would come, bearing fire to burn his blacken soul into hell. The fear was wild in T'lanu.

“No, no, no.....” Kian shook his dark head, his curse heavy upon him. “You will live, I will not lose you to death.”

“If you love me, want to share in me, you'll let me go. The deal has already been made.” Tears leaked, but she squeezed her eyes shut, refusing them. The pain in his gaze was a punishment. “Everything dies.”

“If you must die, it shall be at my hands.” He burned with foul hatred for those who had forced the deal. He pried the blade from her quivering hand. He sadly gazed upon the face of his lover, tossing the blade aside. He never meant to hurt her, never wanted his fate to be hers. Already he could feel the answer to her coppery blood singing through his own.

He pulled her into his tight embrace, his lips tender against hers, nudging her lips apart, tongues sweetly dancing. They parted from love's kiss, leaving him to feel bereaved. His soft full lips once bloodless, now ruby red from the first blush of their kiss. He moaned deep within his soul as his lips sought the softness of her breast, then glided up to her pulse point, frantic against the sleek flesh of her long glorious neck.

He lifted his black eyes to peer into her green ones. “With this life, I thee take.” His curse was now hers as well. His eyes drawn back to the frenzied pounding of her pulse, soon to belong to him.

“There's no going back.” Kian whispered, giving her a second chance.

“I know my love, take what I can offer, let me leave this life, let me join yours.”

Swiftly, before he could change his mind, Kian plunged into her humanity and her blood. A groan of need slipped for his lips even as he drew her essence deep into his. He grasped ahold her mortal life, stripping it from her, and in return, gifted the curse of immortality to her dying body. Her fate signed, sealed, and delivered.

“It is done, my love.” He spoke to her lifeless green eyes, her pale lips parted, frozen in death. Now the waiting and rebirth.

Gods, what had he done?


Well, I found this harder to write for than I thought it would be!!  I almost didn't post anything because I wasn't happy with what I wrote. But such is the nature of flash fiction. It isn't a challenge if you don't have to think.  And this was a challenge at least for me.

If you've chosen to play along, I'll be by to take a peek, hope you enjoyed this prompt!!

And remember to come back Monday for another edition of ....

Blodeuedd has provided a few images not quite as dark as some we've had recently, and with the coming of Spring (and a rebirth for the Earth so to speak), I feel the need for a little lightness.  Come back Monday to have a peek!!

Ciao bella!