Tales Of Then || Flash Fiction

Mama?

<<< inspired by a nightmare >>>

         

Her beautiful dark skin shone in the sun light shinning through the windows, her sunflower yellow dress shinning like a beacon. The corset made it difficult to breathe. Her strides were that of a hesitant young lady, arms cradling a stack of books in her arms. Her head moved to and fro.

Where were they? The lady said Mama and sissy were in the basement. What could mama and her little sister be doing in the basement of a museum?

Still, she searched the empty corridors she passed, lit only by candles bolted to the pasty walls. Hoping she'd find them gazing up at a blotch of sunset colors, whispering to each other on the artist's strange vision. She shivered against the odd chill. She could never quite understand why art captivated Mama and sissy so much. The old, withering books were much more interesting. Her fingers itched to skim over the handwritten words.

Maybe when they went back home, she could ask Papa to use his ink and quill. She hadn't written to her cousin in a while.

A bump in the ugly red, yellow, and black carpet made her trip. The books almost went flying into the ceramic vase resting on a table alongside the wall. She straightened her skirts before a proper lady could round the corner and scold her.

Is that..? It is!

Her steps hurried, heart beat picking up. She passed the open door and into the small room. A table sat against the far wall, not very far away from the door, and a tarnishing brass chamberstick flickered with an illuminating flame. It cast strange shadows on the wall. The room felt almost like a large closet. Nick nacks and lost beloved objects sat cluttered around, seeming to have clustered into their own groups, as if talking. Maybe they were.

The stairs descended not quite in the center of the room. Timidly, she steps to the base of the steps, gazing down into the dark depths. Chilly air breezed up, raising gooseflesh on her arms.

She stepped back, then hesitated. What if Mama and sissy were down there? She scurried over to the table, setting down her books and snatching up the chamberstick, looping her finger through the hole all the while taking care not to let the flame wisp away.

The dark stairs loomed down into an abyss. Did the number of steps multiply?

Her foot clacked carefully on the first step, the wood groaned at her lightweight. Slowly, heart hammering in her ears, she descended. Something down their scratched.

"Mama?"

Her foot collided with the bottom and she wished for her shaw to keep away the biting frosty air—

The flame winked out. But not before her eyes saw what awaited her.

Dolls, old paint chipped dollies stared at her from where they lied on concrete, on bins, on each other. Some eyes were gouged out. A porcelain limb almost touched her shoe. Something moved behind the staircase.

"Mama!" She cried out in terror.

Shadows lunged for her, white pinpricks for eyes, clawed shadows for fingers.

She screamed, the brass chamberstick clattered to the floor as she raced back up the steps.

Cold breath clammed her neck—

Claws tattered her skirts—

Her hands pushed against the narrow walls, propelling herself up. Her quivering whimpers only encouraged the demons thirsting for her.

She nearly tripped as she lunged for the closed door, which blocked out all light. When had she closed it? When had she closed it—?

The door thrust open by command of her hand, she ran—

A demon, clothed in shadows, floated in the hallway. The candle nearby trembled in fear. It's pure white face seemed like a mask, the eyes depthless blackholes. The head cocked.

"No—!" She had no choice but to turn back the hound of demons clawing up the stairs.

She swept her arm in an arc at the oncoming shadow-creatures, screaming out in a language she didn't know.

What was worse? Death or pain?

She was about to find out.

<<< can you believe this was actually a nightmare I had? That phrase she said in another language, I don't know the language but I looked up what the last word meant. It meant a place of torment and death. *shudders* >>>