Trail of Carnage by Jemma Weir

This is only one of several stories as part of a Storytime Blog Hop. Want to read more?

Links are at the bottom!

Trail of Carnage by Jemma Weir

Marisa froze as she entered the house. A sense of dread almost overwhelmed her as she stared at the carnage before her. She almost left. She would have if not for… Well, that wasn’t an option anymore.

She hoped – no, she prayed – she was wrong, but as she stared at the bright fragments on the floor, she knew there was little hope. The carnage started at the open door beside her. The door that she had so carefully closed when she had left. It was now open, inside empty.

With an unsteady breath, she moved further into the house, careful where she stepped. Ahead of her the edge of the door to the living room glowed was a tiny sliver of light. Pieces of the trail led inside, some sticking to the door, taunting her.

There was a faint sound, barely audible, scratching, claws scraping. She stepped closer, trying to stay quiet, to listen. A growl came next, it was a low warning. An all too familiar smell reached her, then was gone just as quickly.

“No. Bad. No,” a voice whispered in panic making her hesitate, hand on the handle. She squeezed her eyes shut, then took a breath. No, she thought, please let me be wrong.

As she pushed open the door the beast turned to her, head tilted to one side, white flecks stuck to the slobber on his muzzle. The damp massacred remains of the kill he was guarding sat under one paw. He was a solid, muscular beast, built to hunt, built to chase. The kill had stood little chance against it.

Her chest grew tight as her worst fears were realised. The floor was covered with the remains. It spread around the room, the sofa, the coffee table, even somehow on the light above.

The beast barked, a sharp, loud yip that pierced her brain.

Her husband jumped, spinning to face her, shoving the dustpan and brush behind his back like that was going to hide the mess. White flakes fell like snow to the floor around him. Marisa swallowed back the shout that wanted to explode out of her. All he’d had to do was keep the door shut.

“I can explain,” her husband said as he eyed the beast warily, flinching as it focused on him.

The beast yipped again, then grabbed the sodden carcass between its teeth and ran to her, happily dropping it at her feet. Marissa winced as the shredded remains squished, no longer holding its shape. It was barely recognisable anymore.

Marisa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she stared at her husband as he stuttered an explanation and the Jack Russel who stood so proudly over its kill.

She had been to six stores. None of them had any left. With all the panic buying the shelves had all been bare.

That had been their last toilet roll.

Blog Hop Links – Read them all!

1.Trail Of Carnage by Jemma Weir <–YOU ARE HERE

2.A Phoenix In Hell by Sabrina Rosen

3.Friends Of The Deep by G. Craddock

4.Collateral Damage by Nic Steven

5.A Ghost’s Life by Barbara Lund

6.A Startling Revelation by Bill Bush

7.A Hiding Place by Gina Fabio

8.A Family Reunion by Katharina Gerlach

9.Better Off Alone by V. S. Stark