Claws in the Dark | ✔

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A woman stood in the kitchen of her newly remodelled home, in the small town of Grandville. She was washing a few plates and cups, which were left in the sink by her pig-of-a-husband. He was almost always never home, and when he was...he would sit in front of the TV all the time, ignoring whatever she would try to talk to him about. When he did ask her how she spent her day, he would only pretend to be listening, but would really be focusing on whatever he would be watching. She scowled and muttered a curse under her breath as she soaped the dirty dishes, filled with grime that looked more than a few hours old.

Becoming even more agitated, she pressed down harder with the sponge, causing the plate to break in her hands and cut her near her right wrist. She hissed and let out a small yelp as blood appeared, dripping onto the sink. Pushing her hand under the tap, she let the cold water run over it while applying pressure. Then, she turned off the running water and wrapped a towel around the wrist.

A faint thud came from the living room, which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She remembered leaving her husband in the living room, but he's been silent for the past couple of minutes. Perhaps he passed out and finally fell out of his position on the chair.

She called out to him, "Cliff?" When she got no answer, she padded towards the living room and peered into it.

Usually, he'd be slouched in the chair watching the sports channel, but he wasn't in the living room at all. The beer bottles on the small table and the brown sofa in the pale yellow room were the only things watching the TV.

"Clifford?" She called him again but got no answer. He probably went upstairs. As she walked towards the steps, she saw one of Clifford's beer bottles lying on the floor, the liquid running out. She rolled her eyes and walked over, bending down to pick it up, and placed it back on the table.

When she rose back up and backed away from the clutter before her, she bumped into a hard chest. She jumped forward, turning around to karate chop the intruder. She relaxed and retreated after seeing the smug look on Clifford's face.

"Cliff, you almost gave me a bloody heart attack! Didn't you hear me calling for you?" she asked, frowning.

"I was upstairs using the toilet, Bridget," he rolled his eyes before noticing the towel wrapped around her wrist. "What happened there?" he asked, lifting her hand and removing the towel to examine the injury.

Before Bridget could answer, she heard another thud and looked to her left. The only thing there was the closet they hung their jackets in. Another thud came from it, causing her body to stiffen. Clifford looked over, too, so she knew she wasn't going crazy.

"What's that?" she asked, a tremble in her voice.

"I don't know," he frowned, staring intently at the closet.

Another thud. And this time, the door budged a little.

They both flinched, and Bridget whimpered, finding herself in Clifford's arms as he wrapped them around her.

Out of curiosity, they ambled towards the closet, fear shooting down Bridget's spine with every step. "Stand back," Clifford told her, shifting her behind him.

She hid behind his broad shoulders as he reached for the doorknob. Suspense filled the air moments before he finally yanked open the door, and a little scream escaped Bridget's throat.

She was expecting something to jump out at them, but nothing did. Their jackets hung on the rod running across the top of the closet, swaying at the sudden draft that entered. Their shoes lined the floor just like they'd left them.

Clifford sighed, and Bridget chuckled as he turned around. "It was nothing. Probably just the—"

He was cut off by a harsh growl and was wrenched into the closet. He screamed as an unsuspecting creature slashed at his chest, redecorating the closet walls with his blood and guts; it then ripped his head off and tore into its flesh with its sharp teeth, after which it devoured the remaining skull bone whole.

Bridget clasped her hands over her mouth to avoid retching. Tears pricked at her eyes. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing. She prayed that it was all just a terrible nightmare, but that prayer wasn't answered, and she screamed as the monster lunged at and devoured her.

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Hope this prologue kicked ass. If you liked it, leave your feedback, and tap on the little star to vote and support the book. Thanks!

◀ MARDAIS ▶