Status: Complete!
Playground of Shadows
Playground of Shadows
Nothing stirred upon the black, rotting mulch of the playground; a tepid breeze brushed along the metal skeleton of the playsets long since forgotten. Paint chipped from the once-bright bars, and dark red stains crept along the edges of rust-eaten holes. The ground was tough and crackling as I stepped across the frosted earth, my hand ghosting across the icy structures.
Snow flitted through the air, gently settling upon the equipment. It was the only friendly touch across many years of isolation. The elements had worn away the previous glamour, the vivid appeal that once drew children and parents alike to its inviting promises of enjoyment and pleasure. The only visitors to frequent the place now were unwitting animals and the cruel japes of Mother Nature.
A bright blue glow enveloped the playground, light pressing against the ripped plastic borders of the mulch but no further. From the circular center of the meandering metal stood a figure, short and small, with long glowing hair that hid pieces of her features. Phantom eyes peered from behind a guarded face, watching as my steps carried me to the base of the ladder. She glared down at me fearlessly as I approached, eyes widening as my presence engulfed her.
The flicker of remembrance that passed her features vanished as swiftly as it had come, replaced by a maniacal smile that stretched well beyond the boundaries of her lips. Jagged edges of skin decorated her cheeks, the muscle a burgundy window beneath ivory drapes. The pale blue of her eyes were hollow and crazed, as if the hidden soul were trapped behind frozen doors. Blood-red stains danced across her dress in a haunting pattern, stealing my gaze from her icy stare.
From within the bag at my side came a muffled cry, weak and timid. A shadow crossed the girl’s face, her glacier eyes shifting towards the sound.
The grin returned, moonlight glinting off wolfish teeth. A chill ran down my body, leaving goosebumps rippling along my arms. I raised the bag to her, averting my gaze. The tilt of her head as she studied the black bundle was inhuman, the mark of a twisted mind.
A nod was her only response. My arm fell, a quiet shhhk ringing through the air as a knife slid from its sheath. The night darkened, a cloud blocking out the soft light of the moon. Gloved hands plucked the creature from the bag, wide-eyed and terrified.
My head bowed, no expression gracing my features. My body was beyond my control as the knife leveled in my hand, slipping effortlessly across skin. Screams echoed through the air, traveling no further than the torn plastic barriers, contained within the eerie confines of the haunted playground.
I stood, my work completed. Blood dripped to the snowy rot beneath me, slowly pooling and dyeing the frosted ground beneath the child I had sacrificed. The girl’s eyes were smoldering, her frozen stare icing my blood. A silent laugh shook her shoulders as she raised a hand towards the body.
From the mangled corpse came a haunting figure; lips cut from ear to ear, neck a gaping smile, swirling ribbons of flesh decorating arms and back.
Timid, frightened movements flurried in front of me as the ghostly child took shelter behind the girl, fearful of my presence. My features remained still, awaiting address from the spectre that still studied me. The girl’s pale eyes flicked to her tribute: her new playmate.
With a chilling laugh that broke through the silence, her form melted away, dragging the wailing ghost into the shadows with her. The heaviness that had weighed the air dissipated, the moon barely peeking from the merciless clouds. Snow still fluttered through the black sky, a thin sheet of white now blanketing my shoulders. I felt no cold.
My feet carried me away from the playground. My own pale blue eyes scanned the streets. She was my master, and through the alleys and neighborhoods I roamed, finding prey and snatching her victims from the streets, all sacrifices for the spectred girl: the daughter I had murdered long ago.
Snow flitted through the air, gently settling upon the equipment. It was the only friendly touch across many years of isolation. The elements had worn away the previous glamour, the vivid appeal that once drew children and parents alike to its inviting promises of enjoyment and pleasure. The only visitors to frequent the place now were unwitting animals and the cruel japes of Mother Nature.
A bright blue glow enveloped the playground, light pressing against the ripped plastic borders of the mulch but no further. From the circular center of the meandering metal stood a figure, short and small, with long glowing hair that hid pieces of her features. Phantom eyes peered from behind a guarded face, watching as my steps carried me to the base of the ladder. She glared down at me fearlessly as I approached, eyes widening as my presence engulfed her.
The flicker of remembrance that passed her features vanished as swiftly as it had come, replaced by a maniacal smile that stretched well beyond the boundaries of her lips. Jagged edges of skin decorated her cheeks, the muscle a burgundy window beneath ivory drapes. The pale blue of her eyes were hollow and crazed, as if the hidden soul were trapped behind frozen doors. Blood-red stains danced across her dress in a haunting pattern, stealing my gaze from her icy stare.
From within the bag at my side came a muffled cry, weak and timid. A shadow crossed the girl’s face, her glacier eyes shifting towards the sound.
The grin returned, moonlight glinting off wolfish teeth. A chill ran down my body, leaving goosebumps rippling along my arms. I raised the bag to her, averting my gaze. The tilt of her head as she studied the black bundle was inhuman, the mark of a twisted mind.
A nod was her only response. My arm fell, a quiet shhhk ringing through the air as a knife slid from its sheath. The night darkened, a cloud blocking out the soft light of the moon. Gloved hands plucked the creature from the bag, wide-eyed and terrified.
My head bowed, no expression gracing my features. My body was beyond my control as the knife leveled in my hand, slipping effortlessly across skin. Screams echoed through the air, traveling no further than the torn plastic barriers, contained within the eerie confines of the haunted playground.
I stood, my work completed. Blood dripped to the snowy rot beneath me, slowly pooling and dyeing the frosted ground beneath the child I had sacrificed. The girl’s eyes were smoldering, her frozen stare icing my blood. A silent laugh shook her shoulders as she raised a hand towards the body.
From the mangled corpse came a haunting figure; lips cut from ear to ear, neck a gaping smile, swirling ribbons of flesh decorating arms and back.
Timid, frightened movements flurried in front of me as the ghostly child took shelter behind the girl, fearful of my presence. My features remained still, awaiting address from the spectre that still studied me. The girl’s pale eyes flicked to her tribute: her new playmate.
With a chilling laugh that broke through the silence, her form melted away, dragging the wailing ghost into the shadows with her. The heaviness that had weighed the air dissipated, the moon barely peeking from the merciless clouds. Snow still fluttered through the black sky, a thin sheet of white now blanketing my shoulders. I felt no cold.
My feet carried me away from the playground. My own pale blue eyes scanned the streets. She was my master, and through the alleys and neighborhoods I roamed, finding prey and snatching her victims from the streets, all sacrifices for the spectred girl: the daughter I had murdered long ago.