Hell’s guardian

PHOTO PROMPT © Jan Wayne Fields

“Hey! Look what we got there!!” whispered Gary.

“Is that? Wow! It IS different, isn’t it? We should take it as a sample”. Bosco was pure excitement.

Being herpetologists, they skillfully bagged the snake.

Back in the car and a few miles down, they could not help but observe the contrast of scenes. The forest had morphed into hell’s playground, denuded to make way for a refinery.

Gary regarded the box next to him, holding the precious treasure, a legacy for all generations to come. Bosco’s voice penetrated his thoughts.

“So, what do we name him?”

“Cerberus” said Gary grimly.

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Flash fiction in response to Friday Fictioneers hosted by the lovely Rochelle.

In Greek mythology, Cerberus, often called the “hound of Hades”, is the monstrous multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving.

Reference:

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/new-snake-atractus-ecuador-cerberus-animals/

The Evergreen

It had been two hours and panic finally succeeded in flooding my senses. No more brave face; hope no more.

Where was I? I had seen the same landscape the entire time I was lost – trees too tall; vegetation too dense; forest too evergreen.

I looked up at whatever sky I could find and let the panic flow through tears. Defeated and tired, I plopped down in despair.

Time stood still.

I sensed a movement. Panic again.

Suddenly space was curved, the forest a stretched blur; sky, streaks of blue on a green smear. Entire space cramped into a tunnel around me. I squeezed my eyes shut to kill the hallucination.

Very slowly, I opened my eyes. Tunnel still there. Unthinking, I started crawling.

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Flash fiction in response to Weekend Writing Prompt hosted by the lovely Sammi Cox.

This week’s challenge:

Prose Challenge – Write a story with a word limit of 125 words on the theme of ‘timelessness’.

Bonus point for each of the following:

• using the word “evergreen”
• setting the story in the photo above

What’s spooky

Photo courtesy: Fandango

“Do you think it is true? Could they really be…?”

“Please!! You don’t believe THAT.”

“You know, you’re right. Let it be whatever it is. We are here; we admired; took a picture. That’s all in it for us.”

“Sounds like you are spooked, Karlie. That’s super rare. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know… Something about this place is just… off. Makes me want to get the hell out of here.”

“Then let’s. Come on!”

 

Next day.

“Did you girls really go there? Oh my God!! I can’t believe it!”

“I don’t understand what the fuss is. They were just a bunch of gnarled branches in the middle of the forest. Seriously. I am not showing off or anything. There really was nothing. But somehow, Karlie was terribly spooked.”

“Don’t tell me! Not Karlie!”

“I know!! That was what probably spooked ME – a little. Anyway, I guess she is OK now. There she comes.”

“Hey girls! Glorious morning isn’t it? Looks like the best one in a hundred years” Gloria said from inside Karlie’s body.

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Flash Fiction in response to FFfAW hosted by Priceless Joy.