The Bleeding Seamstress

There they were. The two doors. They were an all too familiar sight to me. I dreaded seeing what lay behind each one: a consequence, a future, a creature? I had seen them all, and nothing good came of it.

I held my breath and barely shifted forward, the rustling of my clothes loud against the silence. I furrowed my eyebrows at the doorknobs. Sharply inhaling and shutting my eyes, I sighed deeply. The sound of my breath echoed behind me. Opening my eyes again, I began to step towards the doors, my hands shaking. Goosebumps caressed my arms and my breath quivered too loudly. My chest felt like it was twisting into itself, yet hollow.

My breathing seemed to multiply and grow heavy. I could hear it coming from behind me. I could feel damp heatwaves going down my spine. Freezing, I listened to the would-be empty void. I heard thick squelching along with liquid dripping, like a small stream travelling through a gutter. Something brushed my neck; it was cold and wet, yet its breath was hot,

“Choose carefully.” The heaving breaths purred. With cramping hunched shoulders, I slowly turned my head to see what monstrosity awaited me. Opening my eyes I saw it.

It was four-legged, like a horse, but stripped of skin and coated with blood. The mass convulsed and contracted underneath the liquid. Its nostrils met my eyes, but its breath flew through open holes in its back. It looked down at me, its many eyes piercing through my two. Its multiple ears twitched and pivoted in all directions.

A sharp pain stung my chest as I choked on air at the creature. My stomach turned as I lifted my hand towards one of the doors, feeling around for a handle to grasp onto. Flinching as my fingertips rattled one of the knobs, I gripped it, shaking. I began to creep backwards through the doorway, not breaking eye contact with the thing. I heard a wet, throaty sigh as I creaked the door shut.

My sides shivering, I turned forward only to see two more doors, identical to the last ones. I scrunched my face and let out a small groan at them. I let my hand slip from the door handle and started to walk away when I heard heavy steps behind me, syncing with my own. I once again froze and, while holding my breath, peered behind me. The blood-coated horse was there, but its skin didn’t contort, only the blood seeped from its body as it stared at me. I didn’t hear it breathing. I let out a sigh of relief, and it was at that moment that I once again heard its roaring breaths. The being suddenly became animated, and started to tear after me, the blood-soaked tissue squishing in on itself rhythmically.

Not standing still a second longer, I sprang off towards the doors, taking hold of a random one and jumping in. I slammed it shut behind me, tripping through. The edges of my vision began to blur and vibrate, only leaving the center view of more identical doors clear. I tore after them harder. Finally, managing to slam against them, I clutched one of the knobs, violently rattling it open.

My frantic shaking continued until I heard a heavy thump ending with a small splash. Turning, I saw the creature lying in a pool of blood that streamed from its crevices.

“You can’t run from the hard decisions.” it croaked, its skin twisting in on itself, “They will always follow.” I stared at it, my legs weak and shaking. I hesitantly glanced at my hand that rested on the doorknob and watched my fingers quiver. I opened my mouth, falling to the ground,

“But none of it makes sense.” I wheezed, dropping my head forward.

“No. That’s why you have to think about things.” I heard the creature’s skin convulsing. The air tainted with the smell of iron.

“But it’s not fair. Why do I need to go through this pain over and over again?”

“Because decisions made with heart are not often made with the future in mind. Now go. Do not come back.” Finishing its sentence with its last breath, it bled itself away and its rippled over to me. Latching onto my skin, I grew rigid, unable to resist its entrance back into my throat from where it came. I felt my face grow hot as I coughed violently, my forehead tapping the floor.

Inhaling deeply, I lifted myself back up and turned to look at the doors from the floor,

“Why?” I pondered, knowing that only God knew the answer. “There are no wrong answers. Right?”

I slid one hand up its chest to close around its throat and with the other, tenderly scratched my way to the back of its head. It stared at me with studying eyes and started to gently wrap its fingers around my arm. I began to grip into the back of its head with my palm. My hips leaned into its stomach, shoving it to the wall. My legs trembled and my face burned with fury. It tore at my arms and gasped, the clicking of its tongue against its throat being the only sound that came out.

                “Sick fuck.” I wheezed; my head bowed with effort. It began to kick and flail away from the wall. Peeling its grasp from my arm, it swung for my ribs, its knuckles strumming over my bone. It thrashed backwards as an attempt to loosen my grip. The rhythmic clatter of my knuckles and its spine hitting the fragile wall echoed through the hallway.

                “Your rage is a spectacle!” it laughed heartily, its breath no longer struggling to leave its throat. I widened my eyes, my jaw clenched tightly enough that it might as well have broken my teeth. It stood still against the wall, seemingly content with my fingers kneading at its throat in a desperate attempt to suffocate it. I panted, not breaking eye contact with the thing. It stared at me with no expression. The creature raised its eyebrows and tilted its head, bringing up a hand to wrap its hard, tendril fingers around my arm. I panted and glanced at it, slowly moving; moving in the manner of a snake’s slithering. Gentle, as if it was petting me.

                Suddenly, I felt a cold, stabbing pain to my side. It began to seep what felt warm. I cried out, releasing its neck and holding my hands in the air. I felt a sharp, yet dull, coldness slipping out from beneath my ribs; it sounded like a knife being drawn from a sheath as it traced the bottom of my bone. I sucked in my breath as I heard the stickiness of my torn flesh and dripping blood peeling from the contact with whatever had impaled me.

                My arms began to quiver as I brought my vision down to my side. Five holes were left, radiating sharp stings with every heartbeat. I choked, hoarsly inhaling, my tongue clicking against the back of my mouth. I attempted to place my hands over the bleeding wounds, but the creature took them softly instead. My vision of our hands blurred. My head rocked gently as I felt its grip tighten as something else wrapped itself around my back. It began to hold me up as my legs went limp.

                The being leaned closer to my face, “Your rage is a spectacle.” Its words slightly muffled. I felt its hand move to support my head and slowly lower me to the floor.

                “Fuck you.” I breathed, sending another shock of pain radiating through my body. I arched, digging my head and hips into the floor.

I slid one hand up its chest to close around its throat and with the other, tenderly scratched my way to the back of its head. It stared at me with studying eyes and started to gently wrap its fingers around my arm. I began to grip into the back of its head with my palm. My hips leaned into its stomach, shoving it to the wall. My legs trembled and my face burned with fury. It tore at my arms and gasped, the clicking of its tongue against its throat being the only sound that came out.

                “Sick fuck.” I wheezed; my head bowed with effort. It began to kick and flail away from the wall. Peeling its grasp from my arm, it swung for my ribs, its knuckles strumming over my bone. It thrashed backwards as an attempt to loosen my grip. The rhythmic clatter of my knuckles and its spine hitting the fragile wall echoed through the hallway.

                “Your rage is a spectacle!” it laughed heartily, its breath no longer struggling to leave its throat. I widened my eyes, my jaw clenched tightly enough that it might as well have broken my teeth. It stood still against the wall, seemingly content with my fingers kneading at its throat in a desperate attempt to suffocate it. I panted, not breaking eye contact with the thing. It stared at me with no expression. The creature raised its eyebrows and tilted its head, bringing up a hand to wrap its hard, tendril fingers around my arm. I panted and glanced at it, slowly moving; moving in the manner of a snake’s slithering. Gentle, as if it was petting me.

                Suddenly, I felt a cold, stabbing pain to my side. It began to seep what felt warm. I cried out, releasing its neck and holding my hands in the air. I felt a sharp, yet dull, coldness slipping out from beneath my ribs; it sounded like a knife being drawn from a sheath as it traced the bottom of my bone. I sucked in my breath as I heard the stickiness of my torn flesh and dripping blood peeling from the contact with whatever had impaled me.

                My arms began to quiver as I brought my vision down to my side. Five holes were left, radiating sharp stings with every heartbeat. I choked, hoarsely inhaling, my tongue clicking against the back of my mouth. I attempted to place my hands over the bleeding wounds, but the creature took them softly instead. My vision of our hands blurred. My head rocked gently as I felt its grip tighten as something else wrapped itself around my back. It began to hold me up as my legs went limp.

                The being leaned closer to my face, “Your rage is a spectacle.” Its words slightly muffled. I felt its hand move to support my head and slowly lower me to the floor.

                “Fuck you.” I breathed, sending another shock of pain radiating through my body. I arched, digging my head and hips into the floor.

take my heart, i don't want it.

no.

i give you permission.

There they were. The two doors. They were an all too familiar sight to me. I dreaded seeing what lay behind each one: a consequence, a future, a creature? I had seen them all, and nothing good came of it.

I held my breath and barely shifted forward, the rustling of my clothes loud against the silence. I furrowed my eyebrows at the doorknobs. Sharply inhaling and shutting my eyes, I sighed deeply. The sound of my breath echoed behind me. Opening my eyes again, I began to step towards the doors, my hands shaking. Goosebumps caressed my arms and my breath quivered too loudly. My chest felt like it was twisting into itself, yet hollow.

My breathing seemed to multiply and grow heavy. I could hear it coming from behind me. I could feel damp heatwaves going down my spine. Freezing, I listened to the would-be empty void. I heard thick squelching along with liquid dripping, like a small stream travelling through a gutter. Something brushed my neck; it was cold and wet, yet its breath was hot,

“Choose carefully.” The heaving breaths purred. With cramping hunched shoulders, I slowly turned my head to see what monstrosity awaited me. Opening my eyes I saw it.

It was four-legged, like a horse, but stripped of skin and coated with blood. The mass convulsed and contracted underneath the liquid. Its nostrils met my eyes, but its breath flew through open holes in its back. It looked down at me, its many eyes piercing through my two. Its multiple ears twitched and pivoted in all directions.

A sharp pain stung my chest as I choked on air at the creature. My stomach turned as I lifted my hand towards one of the doors, feeling around for a handle to grasp onto. Flinching as my fingertips rattled one of the knobs, I gripped it, shaking. I began to creep backwards through the doorway, not breaking eye contact with the thing. I heard a wet, throaty sigh as I creaked the door shut.

My sides shivering, I turned forward only to see two more doors, identical to the last ones. I scrunched my face and let out a small groan at them. I let my hand slip from the door handle and started to walk away when I heard heavy steps behind me, syncing with my own. I once again froze and, while holding my breath, peered behind me. The blood-coated horse was there, but its skin didn’t contort, only the blood seeped from its body as it stared at me. I didn’t hear it breathing. I let out a sigh of relief, and it was at that moment that I once again heard its roaring breaths. The being suddenly became animated, and started to tear after me, the blood-soaked tissue squishing in on itself rhythmically.

Not standing still a second longer, I sprang off towards the doors, taking hold of a random one and jumping in. I slammed it shut behind me, tripping through. The edges of my vision began to blur and vibrate, only leaving the center view of more identical doors clear. I tore after them harder. Finally, managing to slam against them, I clutched one of the knobs, violently rattling it open.

My frantic shaking continued until I heard a heavy thump ending with a small splash. Turning, I saw the creature lying in a pool of blood that streamed from its crevices.

“You can’t run from the hard decisions.” it croaked, its skin twisting in on itself, “They will always follow.” I stared at it, my legs weak and shaking. I hesitantly glanced at my hand that rested on the doorknob and watched my fingers quiver. I opened my mouth, falling to the ground,

“But none of it makes sense.” I wheezed, dropping my head forward.

“No. That’s why you have to think about things.” I heard the creature’s skin convulsing. The air tainted with the smell of iron.

“But it’s not fair. Why do I need to go through this pain over and over again?”

“Because decisions made with heart are not often made with the future in mind. Now go. Do not come back.” Finishing its sentence with its last breath, it bled itself away and its rippled over to me. Latching onto my skin, I grew rigid, unable to resist its entrance back into my throat from where it came. I felt my face grow hot as I coughed violently, my forehead tapping the floor.

Inhaling deeply, I lifted myself back up and turned to look at the doors from the floor,

Prompt 9- consume

The Body, the Agency, and the Self

Internal conflict

THE CHILDREN ARE GONE. LEAVE. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FOR YOU HERE.

Our hearts often want to pull us away from where we need to be, and we fight to follow it.