One Small Bite

Published by Sue Cook at October 21, 2023

Tags

Laughter rings from various venues,
trickling down the street like the blood of life,
thick and raucous.
I hear their cries of “Trick or Treat!”
but not as children plead for candy.

Their celebration of Samhain is profane,
not light-hearted but sensual and deadly.
Perhaps their desire for a spooky night will be fulfilled?

I am a solo act.
Dressed for the occasion, I blend with the crowd,
turning heads for none have seen one like me.

My skin like alabaster, pure, and white
my lips like lush ruby drapes surrounding perfectly white teeth,
nails of black onyx, filed into stilettos claws
(only the best for the Queen of the Night).

You may laugh at my crown but not for long.
Soon you will dance like a marionette at my call.
“Come and dance with your love, sweet poppet!
Do you not hear the music in your veins?”

I do.
I always do.
And as I hold you close in our loveless embrace,
my fangs unleash their own dance.
Sweetness flows through me until the dance ends.

You will wake soon, my poppet.
Then you will learn this dance of the night.
But for now, sleep.
Dream of beauty, of fangs,
and of blood.

Your queen has a full dance card.
But I promise to only give you
one small bite.

For more haunting reads, check out these offerings from the MockingOwl Roost contributors and staff:

Dandelion Garden – Poetry
Sleep Paralysis Demon or Religious Trauma? – Flash Fiction
Chorus of the Waiting – Haunted Fiction
Mrs. Morris and the Vampire – Halloween Fiction Review

Sue Cook

+ posts

Sue Cook lives in Freeport, Illinois with her husband Randy and two dogs. Her passions include assistance dogs, rescue dogs, music, acting, theater, poetry, and Doctor Who. She’s been in both film and theater and is a regular cast member of the podcast Doctor Who’s Line is it….Anyway? Sue is an advocate for the use of Service Dogs to assist their disabled handlers to maintain their independence. Quigley’s Quest, her first children’s book, addresses how a dog becomes a Service Dog.