Shivers 2

The Hive Queen

In his mind, Tom was on the verge of the most memorable night of his life as he stepped into the pounding bass and strobing lights of the nightclub. An intoxicating aura of desperation and desire hung in the air, clouds of perfume and cologne masking the bitterness of spilt alcohol. The night had treated him well and now he was positive he’d hit the jackpot. Amongst the gyrating bodies, pulsing with the rhythm of the music, he’d found her: The perfect woman.

She moved like a hypnotizing wisp, weaving through the dancers. Her dark hair was an ink spill in the frenetic lighting while her eyes; kaleidoscopes of cryptic promises. Cloaked in black leather and midnight lace, she seemed like the answer to Tom’s deepest desires.

He’d spent the better part of the night talking to her, spinning tales of adventure and passion; anything that would draw those captivating eyes deeper into his world. The prize was hers, if only she'd take it. A secluded corner, a stolen kiss, and she was in his arms.

As he leaned in to claim his prize, their lips tasted sweet promises that hinted of a deeper connection. Passion heightened, he slipped his tongue into the abyss of her mouth and recoiled. A foreign presence wriggled against his tastebuds and with a horrified glimpse into the situation, Tom spit out a fat, greasy cockroach. The air was consumed by his guttural screams.

Her reaction, instead of shared shock, was amusement. A smile yawned wider on her face and from the cavern of her mouth spilled an army of bugs, slithering on her pale pink lips. Her face split open, peeling back like rotten fruit to reveal a macabre view of death and decay.

Her sleek black dress flaked away, revealing skin sloughing off, exposing the rawness of a body that had been dead for far too long. Her body contorted, joints snapping as limbs elongated, giving way to new ones that split from her abdomen in a spider-like display.

In sheer terror, Tom flung himself away, whipping through the crowd as he rushed for the sanctity of a nearby church. Inside, he gasped out the words to the priest, his tale spilling out alongside the sweat and fear that had plastered his clothes to his body.

The understanding look in the eyes of the priest suggested he was either facing a genuine supernatural force – or a crazed maniac. There was barely any time to contemplate more; the church door burst open, giving way to the monstrous form of the woman, her multi-legged body skittering on the cobblestones. The priest fell, just another casualty of her gruesome wake.

With the echoes of the priest’s last cries driving his fear, Tom bolted through the hallowed mosaic halls of the church, the nightmare on his tail.

“I am the queen of a hive,” the creature taunted, her voice a ghastly echo. “I must hunt, every century to replenish, to keep my offspring nourished!”

Horrified, Tom burst through the church doors, running for his life till he spotted his escape—the car.

The engine roared to life as the queen of the hive caught up, her grotesque form reaching for him. Tom responded with a heavy foot on the pedal, his car transforming into a raging beast, pushing her into a wall. Tom flew forward in his seat as the engine light screamed its warning, but it was too late.

As the engine exploded into a brilliant fireball, Tom barely registered the pain engulfing his body as the world faded into darkness. The last thing he registered, as his world became an inferno, was the primal scream of the creature, Queen of an ancient hive that had resided too long in this world. The sound of a thousand souls crying out in agony faded into the growing silence of his world.