The Webs
The webs felt like a shriek of horror in a fetid boneyard. I staggered, almost blind with despair.
Just cut one.
The air felt tainted, a gaseous rot that crawled over my boots, turning everything leprous and foul.
Cut one.
My spirit screaming for me to run, I brought my knife blade against a festering cord. It popped wetly, releasing a noxious stench.
One more.
By inches, I advanced into the rocky cleft, one nightmarish web at a time, revulsion enveloping me like tar.
Behind me, the invading army waited silently as I carved a path into the Haunted Lands.
The Green-Walled Treehouse 
Oh, this is good ….. and very gross.
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Thanks. Yes, quite gross. I drew inspiration from the chapter Shelob’s Lair from The Lord of the Rings.
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As if the stench is not a warning enough, he keeps going when others would retreat.
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The photo stunned me a bit since I saw multiple crosses expecting maybe a cameo by an apostle or two.
I too would have stopped at my first whiff of something unsavory. Maybe he lost his sense of smell. Like the phrase festering chord. It has a chivalrous tone to it David. Makes me want to go Google The Charge of the Light Brigade. 🙂
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I’m a sucker for that kind of chivalrous action in the face of grave suffering while multitudes who are depending on the character cheer them on. Very Tolkien-esque.
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Me too. Present day Musketeers.
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“festering cord popping wetly” … graphic or what. :O
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I think I can smell it from here!
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Redolent of sensory input
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yikes…… very creepy
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Great atmosphere – and sensory writing- I can still smell it!
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This is so very evocative, David! I can see, smell, feel it. And kudos to him for going forth!
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Thank you, Dale!
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Such good writing, David. Vivid sensory imagery, great adjectives. I would love to see your story expanded.
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Thanks, Lisa. Yeah, I could see expanding this into a longer thing sometime.
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Not sure which one’s better.
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Great piece of horror with vivid description. It gave me the chills.
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Intense!
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Dear David,
The stench in this story is palpable. A putrid picture well painted.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. I decided to go dark and descriptive this week to mix it up. You write what you see in the prompt, right?
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