{"id":3244,"date":"2023-02-07T13:56:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T03:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3244"},"modified":"2023-02-07T14:04:26","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T04:04:26","slug":"short-horror-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3244","title":{"rendered":"Short Horror #2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">The neighbourhood is quiet. It\u2019s Saturday afternoon, and the big game is on. Everyone is inside, watching. I walk the streets with my dog, Aussie. The sun is bright, the breeze gentle and cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">We turn a corner, the road slowly winds downwards. I don\u2019t usually come this way. I don\u2019t know where it leads. Aussie barks at a bird up ahead, pulls on the leash, dragging me with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">I smile, and increase my pace. In the distance are trees, old growth, undisturbed. The way between them seems darker than the sidewalk we\u2019re on. The sun overhead is warming. Their shade offers refuge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">The houses here begin to look different, older. Their yards overgrown, blending in with the coming wilderness. Then we\u2019re within the trees. Aussie growls, whines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s okay, boy. It\u2019s cooler here. Go find your bird.\u201d And I take him off leash. He stays close to my leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">We walk. There are no houses now, just trees. Ancient towering trees as far as the eye can see. Above, barely a glimpse of blue sky can be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Something moves in the canopy above. Aussie barks. I pause and look up, catching a glimpse of dark green feathers, scales. My mind pauses. Scales?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead, a dog howls. Aussie whines, moving between my legs, leaning and shaking.&nbsp; The howl comes again, but it\u2019s no dog. The pitch is all wrong. Too high, and deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Aussie calms when it stops. We continue to walk, and round a corner. The trees part as I watch, slithering to the side, revealing a bright sky, and an ocean below. As we walk, the scene reveals. Within the ocean, an island. On the island, a city of dark towers. Above the towers, dark stars blink into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s night, but not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re not in Kansas anymore, Aussie,\u201d I say, reaching down to attach his leash, slowly backing away from the edge of that dark sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitetext-color has-sitebg-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Stepping backwards, I run up against something hard at my back. Something that\u2019s both bony, and writhes. I look down. Yellow cloth billows around my ankles. I see a tentacle reach out and engulf Aussie. He\u2019s gone without a whimper. And I know soon I\u2019ll be next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sitebg-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Do you love Morte&#8217;s writing? Check out the rest of her MAC work, here; <a href=\"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?author=6\">https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?author=6<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The neighbourhood is quiet. It\u2019s Saturday afternoon, and the big game is on. Everyone is inside, watching. I walk the streets with my dog, Aussie. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[266,267,24,8,11,268,10],"class_list":["post-3244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-horror","tag-island","tag-morte-oakley","tag-mountain-ash-chapter","tag-story","tag-tower","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pff1uY-Qk","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3333,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3333","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":0},"title":"Short Horror #1","author":"Morte Oakley","date":"March 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It's a lovely day. I'm lying out on the lawn, watching the clouds float across the wide blue sky. There are soft noises around me of birds and insects, and in the distance I can hear traffic, but it doesn't disturb. The clouds are small, and puffy, making shapes in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/josep-castells-5Mh8iz9vqpY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/josep-castells-5Mh8iz9vqpY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/josep-castells-5Mh8iz9vqpY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/josep-castells-5Mh8iz9vqpY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/josep-castells-5Mh8iz9vqpY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3938,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3938","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":1},"title":"The Luna Rose","author":"Bethany Sinclair-Giardini","date":"October 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In the small, hillside town of Wraithside, nestled deep within the heart of the ancient Whispering Forest, a legend spoke of a unique and enigmatic flower known as the Luna Rose. This rare and bewitching flower was said to bloom only on Hallowe\u2019en when the night was clear, and only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/christian-lambert-3x5S_5SnFe4-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/christian-lambert-3x5S_5SnFe4-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/christian-lambert-3x5S_5SnFe4-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/christian-lambert-3x5S_5SnFe4-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/christian-lambert-3x5S_5SnFe4-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3884,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3884","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":2},"title":"Marinated Fairy Queen","author":"Amanda Gambas","date":"October 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A werewolf enjoys the sights and smells of the empty streets of Paris on Christmas morning, whilst looking for its next feed.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"Picture of Pont Alexandre III, a beautiful bridge over the Seine in Paris, at night with lamps turned on.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/leonard-cotte-R5scocnOOdM-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/leonard-cotte-R5scocnOOdM-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/leonard-cotte-R5scocnOOdM-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/leonard-cotte-R5scocnOOdM-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/leonard-cotte-R5scocnOOdM-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3268,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3268","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":3},"title":"Low Tide","author":"Kel White","date":"February 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"His hands crease around his empty coffee mug like old leather. Paint peppers his fingers, flaking off under the flex of his grip. Brown tide marks circle the faded ceramic to punctuate his cumulative breaks. Boats float in the water, tugging against their moorings like dogs on tightened leashes.\u00a0The sun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/annie-spratt-KjxH1eHFb8w-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/annie-spratt-KjxH1eHFb8w-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/annie-spratt-KjxH1eHFb8w-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/annie-spratt-KjxH1eHFb8w-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1792,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=1792","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":4},"title":"Why Broken Hill?","author":"Helen Jahn","date":"July 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A couple of people I spoke to before we left nodded and said enthusiastically that they \u201cloved the place\u201d but others looked a little quizzical and one person asked \u201cWhy are you going there?\"Hmmmmm. 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I can\u2019tbelieve I would see you hereat my super-secret moundbeside this walking track full of tourists And at the exact momentI had planned to beginmy rehearsal: I am a veryprivate, private bird with so much TAAAAAAALLL-EEEEENNNNNNNNNTTTLook-at-my-amazingTAAAAAAIIIIILLLLL All I wanted was somePR-RI-VA-CYGet-back-here-I-feel-soVVVIIIIOOOOLLLLAAAATTEEEDD shimmy-shake-warbleNever gaze on me againI need solitudesame\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Mountain Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Mountain Life","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/geoffrey-moore-hpETFmwmlUo-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/geoffrey-moore-hpETFmwmlUo-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/geoffrey-moore-hpETFmwmlUo-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/geoffrey-moore-hpETFmwmlUo-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/marek-piwnicki-Tsk9zZv_sg0-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1600&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3244"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3247,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244\/revisions\/3247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}