Ravenous
Fire burst in my belly, the need to feed a ravenous entity of its own, separate from my body or control. The hungry creature led me down the gravel alley between the backs of sleeping houses, guided by the smells and sounds of an oblivious backyard barbecue.
Did I not warn them? I posted notices on all of the homes to lock their doors and banish away any strangers. Why didn’t they listen?
Peeking through the fence slats, they had no way of knowing what I could see. The creature’s eyes looked out through my own, heightening the senses only a predator could have. The superimposed image revealed an intelligent probing through their clothes and flesh, setting their veins and organs aglow. Their hearts flickered, half-concealed within, like a tealight in a pumpkin. Each beat sent life’s light out through their veins, like lit highways at night. I could feel my fingers turning to claws in preparation, saliva collecting greedily in my mouth.
I warned them, and now it was time to feed.
An oblivious backyard barbecue is my favorite phrase of the week now. What would an observant backyard barbecue look like with something like this lingering nearby?
