The New Flesh

She’s waited a long time for this meal.

The hunger has become so painful her stomach burns. Why she has been forced to live, deep down in this black, empty, hollow dungeon, she doesn’t know. But feeding time is her only salvation from this meaningless existence.

But she doesn’t eat her food yet.

She circles it, admiring its form and savouring the distinctive odour emanating from her prey’s body. Her breathing becomes shallow and she salivates profusely at the prospect of tearing into its soft flesh.

Her ravaged body has waited long enough.

It is feeding time.

*

Lieutenant Tom Barton lies on the cold damp floor.

He sobs and shakes like a wounded animal. Around him, he can see nothing but darkness and black. But he knows that he is not alone. He can feel it watching him.

Then out of the darkness it appears.

He watches in stunned silence as the beast leers at his naked body, drooling from its cavernous mouth. The monstrosity moves closer, so close that he can see its pupils dilate and smell its rank breath.

This must be a dream.

Lt. Barton is wrong; this nightmare is real.

Suddenly without warning the monstrosity lunges forward. He screams and thrusts out his hands in a lame attempt to protect himself. But the beast ignores him, takes hold of his defenceless limbs and swings him upwards, snapping his humorous like a pencil. Then it throws him to the floor, leaving his pelvis crushed and buckled.

The Lieutenant cannot breathe. Shards of bone from his broken ribs have pierced his lungs, leaving him breathless and close to death. He has had enough now, so he prays to God to take him away from his suffering.

But it’s not over.

In one final burst, the creature reaches out its clawed hand, rips his testicles from his body and plunges them into its gaping maw.

As he lies on the floor dying, Lieutenant Tom Barton watches as the two men - dressed in standard German uniform - pat each other on the back triumphantly.

Then smiling they turn and leave.

"Feeding Time"
Copyright: © 2010 Travis James
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Travis has had stories published by Dark Fire Fiction, WSU NEXUS, The Patchwork Project and SNM HORROR MAG. His story THE SUFFERING won Story of the Month at SNMHORROR in 08 and has now been published in their Anthology BONDED IN BLOOD 2 available on Amazon.com.