The Scarlet Siren Of Sorrow

“Get away from me you sick human gargoyle” A lady said with a voice taut and strained, she stepped back bumping into a grave, which cracked her sense of balance. “now look what you’ve gone and done,” the thing moved before the lady, hovering over the ground, her body stiff and her fingers lifeless and bent — she was slighted.

The wind carried the smell of something rotten — a smell of damp earth, oak leaves and pine. Her feet were touching the ground, the sight of her dress sweeping legions of leaves, nothing more powerful than sorrow mistaken for death.

She had forgotten how to appear normal to those with which she could connect. While her eyes could not look down, she was still able to see the mud on the woman’s hand mixed in with disgust on her face, she hoped she could help her to relax, but as if she wasn't already ghastly — she reached out her hand.

Tears trailed down Reds wrinkled face as she watched the lady’s head turn, she wasn’t that bad to look at, some would say she still appeared young and soft with her heart shaped face — she was only twenty, the lady was distracted by a man carrying flowers, he was her new friend Red wasn’t wanted, not like this. “Mr whateverrr. Can you tell this… thing to stay back. The least she could do is cover that god awful face of hers. Hey!! I am talking to you,” the man did not hear, but as if the sound of Karen’s voice was delayed, he turned back walking their way.

“If I were you, I would get out, I WOULD GET OUT. She’s going to kill you just like she killed my friend, FRIEND.” His voice cracked at the thought of his friend, the memories they had from childhood came and snatched the flowers from his hand, but gravity took over and the loose mud splashed on HER dress, Red. His eyes widened as if he was just realising why he was there.

“Good, now you can wash that thing, it smells like embalming fluids; and what’s this about killing your friend?”

Her words came out of an unclogged throat vomiting and spitting into the air, passing by these two unsettled souls, or maybe washing over them. Red recognised this man, but Karen was too deep in disgust to realise how her story was unfolding. Her mother once taught her that she must hang out with her own kind, and bad company corrupts good character. She didn’t want to be associated with someone dressed like a doll who woke up from a nightmare and had been splashed with mud.

He took Reds hand and they ran off down a path leading to more grey and cracked graves. Karen scurried away to her home, where she grabbed her favourite blanket, switching on the television she heard:

We are searching for Red Hungerwood, she needs phychiatric help. Her aim is to eat the hearts of the men she dated. The only words she can repeat is ‘eating the heart makes it grow fonder.’ If you heard her say this, this is the woman we are looking for. There are many that might look like her, but we are specifically looking for Red Hungerwood dressed in a red dress with her eyes. stuck. Looking. up. Don’t be alaramed she’s not harmful, but for the parents, your sons heart is in danger. She is not dead or a ghost, although she may appear to be.

Red hungerwood, if you are watching this, everything is going to be okay. There are other ways to deal with what you’re going through. I know all the men you’ve loved have mysteriously died, but-

She threw her blanket to the side and backed away towards the door, she could feel someone behind her, her neck grew hot and her pores dilate as she saw patterns before her eyes —having not blinked for a while. She turned around to her frosted glass door, Reds body came up as a shadow surrounded by frosted fog.

Red placed her ear on the door to get closer to Karen, willing her to open the door under discomfort and question. Karen yelled a familiar name in her head:

Clive!!

Her heart began to race, her ears got hot and her throat tightened.

She no longer had control now that there was an invader, in the cemetery there was somewhere to run, there were people she could call on.

This was her private corner and her only way out was through the front door, through a cruel stranger. That’s what she thought, an unknown stranger was cruel if they hadn’t come prepared. If only Red would change her clothes and act normal, then maybe they could be friends and they could go to Clive’s grave together. To ask him why he chose death over them.

Clive!!

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A/N: Happy Halloween 🎃 Thank you so much for reading. I hope you will be one of the lucky ones to win the spooky micro challenge!!

if you want more of my attempt to scare you: