The New Flesh

Bailey Rose wiped the sweat from his sun burnt forehead. He could not hear his heart, but he knew it was pounding hard; his whole body trembled with each beat. He tossed the shovel aside, and gaped down at the exposed coffin. He still could not wrap his mind around the realization that Janna had died.

“You were my only reason for living,” Bailey sobbed. He knelt down and sliced his hand open, blood flowed from the cut in a neat, straight line. “And I want you back!”

Using his bloody hand, Bailey smeared an upside cross on Janna’s silver casket. “Okay, that’s done,” he said. “Now, it’s time to recite the spell.” He pulled a sheet of a paper from his coat. “Come back to me. Let death set you free, and come back to me.” He repeated the phrase three times. Then, and only then, he prayed. “Please, God give her back to me.”

He pried the coffin open and grinned. For one reason, Janna’s body did not smell, too bad, and the other reason was that... she was alive. Her eyes were vacant, and her skin was gray, like ashes. Her movements were slow, as if she had aged seventy years, and her speech was slurred. He set her up, and kissed her leathery cheek.

“Uuungrrry,” she stuttered, very slowly.

Bailey dabbed some makeup on the hole in her head, and then caressed her face. “What was that, Sweetie?” He asked.

She bit at him, but he moved back with catlike reflexes.

“No, Sweetie,” Bailey said, soothingly. “I’m not food, but I have some for you. He’s tied up, and waiting in the car. It’s that old man, Dizzy Mattson. He’s the fellow that shot you the last time I brought you back from the dead. I was going to kill him myself, but I thought you’d enjoy that more.” He took her by the hand and smiled. “I’m so glad you came back to me, Janna. I honestly believe we’ll live happily ever after from this point on.”

"Come Back to Me"

Copyright: © 2010 Chad Case

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Chad Case lives in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, with his wife, Melissa. He enjoys writing short horror fiction in his spare time. To date his works have been published on MicroHorror.com, The New Flesh Blogzine, Flashes In The Dark, Flashshot, and in the anthology: Toe Tags.