Horns (Short Story)

_{By werner22brigitte on pixabay.com}

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I’m currently waiting for some artists to get back at me, as I asked for their permission to use their artwork for my Luna 3 story. Until I haven’t at least some answers, I will wait with continuing the story. Instead, I let my drawing from yesterday, which I posted on my spam account, as my artistical talented is more than limited and the result is pretty shitty.

Still, it made me want to write … something? The following short story is a bit unstructured, as I didn’t have a real vision for it, I just wrote what came to my mind, relatively unfiltered, as far as that’s possible. So, maybe enjoy something slightly different than I usually provide. Maybe you like it. Probably not. But it was interesting to write.

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She didn’t know why it started. She wasn’t even completely sure when. After all, it had to have been happening for a while already before she had noticed.

All she knew was that one day, everything changed.

”You’re a fucking cold-hearted bitch”, he had screamed at her. Spit on the floor and turned around. She had felt the rage build up inside her stomach, the pain flood through her hands. And then, a burning headache that made her scream out loud.

He had turned around.

”What’s up now, you drama queen?” Then he had seen it. The tiny, black tips that had suddenly appeared on her forehead. ”The hell?”

And then he had been gone. Or at least almost, as there were some ashes left where he had stood.

It hadn’t been intentional. She had just wanted for him to be gone, to feel the burning fire that was eating her up from the inside. And for some reason, a weird higher power seemed to have accepted her wish and provided her with the tools. What higher power? She had no idea.

But it hadn’t stopped after that incident. Maybe it would have, in a kinder world. But the world wasn’t a kind one, and she kept running into people who made her feel like she was going up in flames. And in return, they suffered that fate in a more literal sense.

And the black horns on her head? They grew larger with every incident.

At one point, it slowed down. People didn’t dare to attack her anymore. But she could feel their disapproval, she could sense their thoughts.

Stone hearted bitch.

Don’t go near her. She’s as cold as ice.

Quite a power trip she’s on. Disgusting.

Her soul is probably as black as those horns.”

She tried to drown out the voices in her head, things that hadn’t been spoken out loud. But they still hurt.

And the horns grew bigger.

At one point, she decided to keep the ashes. As a reminder.

And her collection grew. With it, she changed. It wasn’t just the horns any longer, her whole appearance became demonic. It didn’t matter too much, as people were scared already. Why would she want to talk to any of them? _@suesa

Her collection just proved that everyone was a threat to be dealt with swiftly. To be dealt with before they could hurt her.

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The devil-woman was walking down the street again and everyone was hiding inside their houses. Except for Jiska. She was peeking through the window and watched the woman attentively. The shiny, black horns reflected the midday sun in a way that made them look like obsidian.

The more Jiska stared at them, the more her back started to itch. Annoyed, she ripped herself away from the window and walked to the bathroom, getting rid of her T-shirt in the process. Then she tried to look at her back in the mirror.

Even more feathers had broken through her skin. It was becoming a nuisance, but she knew it would only become worse. Under her skin, she could see the faint outlines of new bones, still soft. Still more cartilage than bone, if she could believe her friend who studied medicine.

Fucking nerd.

Jiska sighed. Big wings were the last thing she needed right now. She didn’t know why this was happening, but it had started when the devil-woman had started growing horns. It apparently triggered something in JIska’s … genes? She wasn’t entirely sure if she could blame biology for this.

There had been stories about the devil-woman turning people into ashes, just because they looked at her the wrong way. Without even touching them! And although Jiska wasn’t sure how much of that was true, she was secretly hoping she’d develop supernatural abilities herself. Something to make up for these super annoying wings!

But there was nothing.

Till the day she met the devil woman on the street.

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An angel. A fucking angel. With wings and blue eyes and silver blonde hair. Standing right in front of her. She didn’t know if she should laugh or not. She decided against it.

”What do you want?” She hissed.

”Nothing in particular”, the angel answered. ”I live here and you’re kind of standing in my way. That’s my house.” The angel pointed at the door. ”So if you could just let me squeeze by …”

You disgusting being. How can something this hateful even exist?

She could hear the angels thoughts. And the fire in her chest raged.

But there was no little pile of ashes. Just the angel, who tilted her head, apparently trying to understand what was going on.

”I’m Jiska, by the way. What’s your name?” Smalltalk. The angel was making Smalltalk.

”None of your business.”

”I’ll call you Noyb then.”

”That’s the most stupid thing I’ve heard in a while”, she remarked. Which made the angel smile.

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Jiska had been able to feel the heat radiating from the devil-woman and she was sure that, had she not changed the way she did, she would have met a very ashy fate. Instead, she gave the woman a wide smile. The heat subsided, finally.

”So, Noyb, what happened?” Jiska asked.

”You tell me. It looks like you’re on the other side of the coin.” Noyb wasn’t wrong about that, Jiska thought. Something weird and totally unheard of had happened to both of them.

Suddenly, Jiska noticed all the eyes on them. People were looking out of the window. Watching. Waiting.

”Let’s get this over with”, Noyb said and opened her arms wide. ”You don’t seem like you can be hurt by my powers like the others. So fate must have decided you’re the one who will put an end to my miserable existence. So please, do everyone a favor and make it quick.”

Jiska bit the tip of her tongue. This was it. The moment she had been anticipating. She made a step towards Noyb. And another one.

Then she pulled her into an embrace.

They both vanished in an explosion of white light and flames.