Esoteric Monster

“It’s a difficult time fer us, now
You know?”
Said the ghoul as he made shapes
With his toe, in the snow.

I tried to stay calm as he spoke
Not look unnerved by his shattered visage
Strips of rotting flesh seeming to trickle
Down the side of his head.

“The problem with COVID, you see
Is that folk stay in.
It’s hard to hunt your prey
If they stay away.”

I knew that I was prey.
Neck deep in a snow drift
Fading light sliding off the land;
Dark creeping in on its heels.

“I mean I can see you’d not planned
To be ‘ere, like this,
And I am sorry for you,
But I’m ‘ungry, see?”

I did not want to think too hard
That in a moment
He was going to be chewing
On my finger, or maybe two.

“Close your eyes, mate
It won’t help much,
But, well, you’ll feel better.
I should know.”

I closed my eyes and waited;
I heard him shuffle closer.
I could hear my heart
Like a bangin’ beat in my ears.

“All over soon, have no doubt.
I promise you’ll not suffer.
It ruins the meat see.
I probably shouldn’t say that.”

Piercing, incredible pain
Like a spear of ice
Sliding into my neck
Warm blood leaving.

And it was done,
But I seem to live on.
When he sleeps, I surface
Now I am the monster.

Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash