Then it begins,

The hunt.

My darling,

We may run for our entire lives,

And they will still catch us.

With their gnawing teeth,

And twisted grins,

They will rip the skin from our bones,

And steal the fire from our souls.

There is no time to repent,

For my sins,

Seconds are dripping from our fingers,

Into the gaping mouths,

Of the demons that crawl at our feet.

RUN

Listen to the screams that follow,

Echoing through the night.

Are they yours, my darling?

I can’t worry for you now,

Or let my thoughts linger,

Not when your ribs are already spread open,

Like a butterfly’s wings.

RUN

I smell their bitter perfume,

Of sour blood and rotting flesh.

My heart flutters against my chest,

Like a bird caught in its cage.

A banshee’s wail,

Cracks and sputters,

Haunting a small,

Broken,

Part of me.

THEY’RE COMING

Hot breath clouds my neck,

And I feel their fingernails on my back.

My darling,

Am I joining you?

Will you welcome me,

With your sweet angel smile?

They push me into the ground,

Clawing at my stomach,

Until it is raw and burning.

They’ve taken my eyes, darling,

But I can hear,

The grinding of my bones,

And my flesh twisting in monstrous ways.

I may fight for a while,

Or for only a minute,

But I must go down,

With the honor of a soldier,

Despite the tears on my cheeks.

They have torn me limb from limb,

Muscle like string,

Desperately holding me together.

I am joining you, my darling,

Clawing my way from this world,

And into your arms.

This body they have found,

Is not mine anymore,

The hunt is over,

And they have won.