Bites Collection: Thirty Bite-Sized Horror Stories, page 11
It moved through the house with deceptive slowness. Meaghan had seen how quickly they could run when they pinpointed a noise. Faster than a cheetah.
The second Sightless climbed over the sill. Meaghan realised its trajectory meant it would bump into her, and took a careful step to her left. For a moment she was afraid that, even with her feet double-layered in thick socks, she’d been too fast and made a noise. The Sightless hesitated for a second, its head tilted in her direction, then continued towards the kitchen.
Taj was sweating and shaking. He’d left the tin on the bench and held his hands at his sides in the pose they’d discovered worked best to stop shifting clothing noises. He stared straight ahead, his lips clenched shut, as the Sightless circled towards him. He was holding his breath, and drops of sweat beaded over his face.
He’s frightened. They’ll hear his heart.
Meaghan squeezed her eyes closed, unwilling to watch, as the Sightless honed in on her friend. Then the silence was broken by shattering glass in a building across the street. The Sightless froze for a fraction of a second, then both turned and shot through the room as grey blurs. They passed so near Meaghan that she felt the wind ruffle her hair. The creatures leapt through the window and crossed the street in two paces as they raced towards the unfortunate soul who had been careless enough to make a noise.
Meaghan finally inhaled, drawing breath into her starving lungs, and turned towards the kitchen. Taj had both hands pressed over his face and was shivering.
As their unknown neighbour’s screams rose into a terrified, agonized wail, Lisa picked up the half-opened tin and offered it, and a spoon, to Meaghan. Meaghan tried to return the grim smile, and scooped a spoonful of beans out. She was practical enough to know there would be no safer time to eat than when any noises were masked by the screams.
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Darcy Coates, Bites Collection: Thirty Bite-Sized Horror Stories
