The Lone Corpse
The corpse drifted slowly towards her side of the room, laying to rest on the silken sheets of the decrepit iron bed, quietly resting upon its surface. The rotten form seemed to breathe deeply, and convulsed, as though taking in some unknown noxious vapor, exhuming a deep dark smoke that filled the room and Sarahs lungs. As she watched the body, it seemed to fill, a deep dark red liquid formed inside of its ribcage, creating internal organs from thin air. One move from Sarahs frail form would give the creature knowledge of her paralysis, fear winding its way around her now pale skin, the same fear that would not let her close her eyes or turn away from viewing the spectacle beside her.
The walls surrounding lit up with the eyes of thousands as they all turned to view the happening, safely guarding the room against any outsiders that were not welcome within its boundaries. The corpse pushed out the dead shells of cockroaches within its heart, ejecting them beyond the bed, the eyes on the walls appeared to open, showing layers of teeth that devoured the tiny insects whole. Eagerly the eyes grew wider, as the pinnacle that lie before seemed to reach its peak, Sarah slowly attempted to move her legs but even before she tried, she knew she would fail. Her legs were black and blue from the many bruises she received for being the bad child, telling her parents of the visions she saw and which they instantly dismissed.
The corpse rocked slowly on its hunches and rolled over her, resting on her chest. She breathed in deeply to scream but only inhaled more of the fetid smell that the body projected over her. The eyes seemed to appear closer, but her mind was too confused with panic and fear that she realized what was happening way too late. The ribcage settled and started to sink into her flesh, giving no resistance to its needs, pulling her skin from her and over the corpses seemingly burnt bones. As she lay paralyzed, she felt the muscles and tendons of her body being taken over, removed at force as if they never had belonged to her, as if she was looking after them for someone else.
Eyes were staring at her from every corner of the room, extended on small stalks and emitting a strange yelping noise at her, soon realising this was not they but herself. The small yelps going unheard by everyone else in the house. A satisfying moan came from the corpses stomach, now fully fleshed with recognizably her own skin, as she saw the one thing it was missing, it had no eyes, but it was surrounded, the skin around its lips curled into a sickly smile as she felt herself fall backwards inside her own head.
© Jim Steel 2010