Threnody (020).

(This is a 500-word-a-day novel project.)

He tripped over the woman they had found hiding in the basement, sprawling on the concrete floor while Maddy screamed to look out – and then the giant worm was squirming its way in through the window, destroying the dryer with its weight when it fell. Before Ryan could get to his feet the worm found the woman, grabbed her, and with a belch vomited acid onto her face.

He and Maddy cried out in unison as the woman thrashed, melting; oily smoke flooded the basement, burning their eyes and gagging them. There was a bottle of bleach next to the washer and Ryan spun off the cap, splashing it in crossing streams he emptied the jug on the creature, which screeched at the chemicals that ate right through it, humping to the other end of the basement where it began to disintegrate, bashing into the walls as its body ruptured, splitting its insides across the floor.

Ryan could find his way to the window, violently coughing and blinded; he grabbed the sides of the windows, greased with monster slime, and dragged himself out, hacking until he thought he would die from the pain of it, sucking in huge lungfuls of clean air. And when he could think again he saw that Maddy was not with him and shouted for her, pulling his shirt collar up and over his face, reaching into the smoke for her.

A cold hand grasped his weakly and he pulled, hauling her up and out.

Oh fuck, he hissed, laying her on her back. Oh fuck, Maddy, say some –

It wasn’t Maddy – it was the woman they had found hiding. Ryan let go of her and slowly stood, not comprehending. She was wearing Maddy’s shirt, and her jeans, and her boots.

The woman sat up, coughing. She wiped her mouth with her hand.

What happened? She blinked, looking up at him stupidly. What?

And on the underside of her wrist was a small tattoo of a broken heart; she got it several boyfriends ago, and Ryan was always after her to get it covered up with something new.

But there it was.

He looked around them. Maddy, where are you?!

He circled the house and returned to the garage, then ran out to the middle of the road, shouting for her until he was hoarse.

I don’t understand, he said when he returned to the yard, his eyes wide and haunted. That’s her shirt. I know ‘cause I bought it for her.

Please, the woman said, raising her arms. You’re scaring me.

He pulled the gun out of the waist of his jeans. And those are her boots, too. I told her we was going to a picnic not a honky-tonk, but she wore ‘em anyway. You got her earrings on, he said through his teeth. You got her necklace on!

I swear, the woman pleaded, I don’t know what’s happening, I swear to god.

But Ryan would hear no more, and so he shot her.