The Picture

[Gloria Watts]

It hung on his bedroom wall, had done so for the past year – devils dancing. Tonight was different, tonight they lived.

He screamed as they brayed, their thin fingers plucked at his hair, pinched his face, their cackles ever more shrill rose to drown out his cries, as he lay abed broken.

Twine, fine as a silken hair bound his hands, his ankles and iron the mask they fitted over his head, showing only his eyes filled with terror.

On the wall the picture hung lop-sided; it’s surface a blank space waiting to be filled.

He prayed, but they played on and he…waited for morning.

[Joey Delgado]

I love how menacing this piece is. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" will be playing in my head when I read this six. Well done, Gloria.

[Robert Morschel]

I would have loved an ending where they drag him off to be in the picture.... but it's scary enough as it is already perhaps!  :)