It was getting dark, and rain was in the air. Jeffrey didn’t want to sleep outside tonight, not at all. He kept walking, the road going straight as far as his eyes could see.
He saw a small path going into the forest. Maybe he’d have a better chance of finding shelter there. He walked for quite a while. Deep into the woods he found a cabin. The windows were dark, and the cabin worn. Looked around. The porch had a small roof, but he would still be wet. He searched the door. The window.
He found a key.
Inside the cabin was furnished with old, wooden furniture. A couch, a couple of wooden chairs. A table. A big fireplace in one corner. There was a bed in the other room.
He fell asleep listening to the silent tapping of the rain on the roof. The bed was comfortable, and the old blankets warmer than they looked.
The next day the sun was shining. There was a nice little lake outside, and there was some fishing equipment in a closet. Soon he had several fish. There was wood underneath the cabin, and with a bit of work he got the fireplace started. He was thinking of staying here for quite a while, if no one came. This was perfect.
That night he found some candles, lit the cabin up. He looked around if he could find some booze. In a chest in the back he found an old dress. It was beautiful, for sure someone had used it for special occasions. Which seemed to have been few, the dress was as good as new.
He held it up. The fabric was soft. He went over to the mirror, held it up in front of him. He liked looking at himself. The dress looked good. He looked good. He puckered his lips a bit, made a doll face. If he’d cut his beard he would be quite adorable. He tried it on. It was small, too small, but he kind of liked that. It made it stick to his body in a good way.
He looked at the mirror. He froze. His mouth half open, his eyes staring at the reflection.
It was not his.
The dress was the same, but a woman was standing there. Her eyes shining of evil, her face burnt, but not by fire. Distorted. Sharp, pointy teeth sticking out of her hideous mouth.
She came at him. He ripped loose and ran. The door wouldn’t open. He pulled and pushed, trying to break it down.
Here, Nicky… The woman was walking slowly out of the bedroom. You’re going to help me… Help me contort her face…
A past incident flashed in Jeffrey head. A little boy, looking at his mother. A little boy dying. A sacrifice. His mother casting a spell, a spell to punish the woman who took her beloved away.
What she didn’t understand was that the one who had driven him away was her. As the boy died, the face of his mother twisted. Burned. She was left alone and screaming.
She walked slowly over the floor. Jeffrey grabbed the fireplace tong, holding it up to defend himself.
She flew at him. Fast. Her hands lifted.
Everything went black.
Reality came back. Jeffrey found himself in a room, a room he did not know. The dress was wet with blood. His hands. His face. There was blood everywhere. The body of an elderly lady was lying on the floor. Her face was not there, ripped, clawed, bitten to pieces.
The revenge had finally been fulfilled.
https://hauntedkingdom.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/ghost-the-brown-lady-haunted-story/
http://flashfictiononline.com/main/article/gold-dress-no-eyes/
Pretty creepy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, George! It might have been intentional 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
A little darker – loved it !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Should be dark enough 😀 Thanks, Orville!
LikeLike
Creepy and intriguing. I wanna know more about this dark ritual sacrifice in the past!
The only thing I didn’t get was why bring in the character’s former interest in crossdressing? It seemed forced to me, and detracted from the story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I brought it in because it was the reason he put the dress on in the first place, and I didn’t want it to seem like the dress “convinced” him in any way. It was different in the first draft, though, and maybe better. Hmm…. Sometimes I write the second draft without looking much on the first one. Maybe I’ll change it back. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I think that reads much more smoothly. Just having him like how he looked and put it on seems more natural.
Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I changed it a bit. I usually don’t, but I think you were right. A piece of unnessecary biography had slipped into the final version 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoa. At first, when I looked at the drawing, I thought it was going to be about a transgender story, or cross dresser…or something like that. Not what I expected. Interesting….
LikeLiked by 1 person
He does have a crossdressing tendency, though, which I discovered when he found the dress. I was kind of just following him around, and it ended up like this 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good Lord. You have to understand. Wow. I do not like horror but got sucked in by Your amazing art and very humble, kind and funny personality. Now I read everything….which always stuns me; because I don’t like horror! But this was really cool. What are You doing to me?????!!!!! 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! You’re getting in touch with your sinister side… I’m just the messenger, though 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
NO! No! I don’t have one of those!!! 😳🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLike
Good story, Aak! I really liked that she cursed the woman who drove her love away thinking it was someone else, but it was actually herself. Awesome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Eduardo! It usually is… 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ourselves, I mean 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Fascinating story and really unique idea. Great to read 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a lot, Ekaterina! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
FicSpa, you do live in a creepy world! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, hahaha! I sure do 😀 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’ll teach him to wear dresses. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’ll probably think twice next time…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Sobran palabras.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gracias! 🙂
LikeLike
Thrilling story
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person