A Fatal Nod
A Competitive Microfiction
The stench of rotten meat wakes her. Desperately, she tries returning to her nightmares, but sleep again mocks her with its flight.
She presses an ear to the wall separating her bedroom from the bathroom.
Splashes. An occasional wail. She whimpers.
Pain lances up the inside of her arm. The track marks no longer faded scars but hundreds of tiny scabs.
Karma. Utter torment every night because he'd drowned after she'd popped a vein and nodded off.
The bathroom door swings open. The toddler standing in the tub is bloated, his pale, marbled skin peeling away from reddened tissue.
“Mommy?”
***
A/N: Thank you so much for reading! This piece was originally submitted to NYC Midnight's "100-Word-Microfiction" competition. I won't know the results until June, but I'd love to hear feedback from you! Comments are always welcome.
Update: This story did well! I've made it to the second round, woohoo!
About the Creator
Kenny Penn
Award-winning author of dark fantasy and horror. My supernatural thriller, Mississippi Wizards, releases on August 11.
More at: www.kennypenn.com
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