Carmen took a deep breath as she stood on the small balcony of her mother’s studio on the Island of
Puerto Rico. She faced the desolated, nearby hills as dusk came to stake its claim upon the land. She
hugged herself as a chill ran up her spine. Her gaze shifted from side to side, searching…looking for any
sign of the creature. He’d been there before; she knew it, unable to shake the feeling that surely she
would become its victim at some point.
Her gaze fell on the branches of two thick trees that huddled together. Vines hung like wriggling snakes,
and the movement between the dark shadows caught her eyes. Her heart’s pace quickened. Was it there?
Could it be real? Was this a dream or was she caught in the middle of a real nightmare? Everything ran
through her mind and she was completely engulfed in fear. What made Carmen be so paranoid? What
was this creature that she came to fear so?
A nightmare, which occurred a week ago, still had her in its grasp and at nerve’s edge. She wondered why
she dreamt of such a horrendous thing. Only then is when she remembered an experience told by her
younger sister, Madeline. It was something she’d never forgotten…
Madeline, and their brother, Carlos were driving the curves of Aibonito, as they headed for the town
known as Cayey. The hour was late and the full moon shone high in the sky illuminating everything below,
not long after they left their mother’s house in Coamo.
Madeline’s gaze wandered over and around the mountains, when something large flew out from a group
of trees and went towards the sky.
“Carlos, look at that!” said a wide-eyed Madeline.
He stopped the car, and they saw the dark creature. It was the distinctive shape of a human male, well
built and quite tall. It carried two large wings on its back, six feet wide in length. It swayed and flew high
in the sky. It frightened them like nothing before, for they knew such things shouldn’t exist, at least not
in the real world.
It was too far for them to make out the detailed features it carried. It looked toward them for a few
seconds, before gliding behind a mountain and leaving their sight completely.
On their next visit, they spoke of the strange encounter. But the nightmare which Carmen had involving
this creature, occurred four years later…
She was three months pregnant. Economic problems forced them to sell their home and move into a
studio apartment connected to her mother’s house. It was a small cramped place. The time was difficult;
with one child running about, the space was more than limited. Boxes and objects filled the tiny room in
every corner.
With minimal distance between the items, each step she took found the items causing her to bump her
head, legs, or arms. Despite the fact she was grateful to have a place to lay her head, she knew she
would tire of the cramped quarters rather quickly.
There was only one full size bed, where all three slept. There, she would slip into a goodnight’s rest with
her husband, and her two-year-old son.
One night, images came and went, as she fell into a deep slumber. She found herself being two parts in
one dream, the observer and one of its victims. The observer watched from the side how Carmen laid
awake in bed with her son, trying to rock her child to sleep. Not one to give into rest, she knew it would
take some time before he drifted off.
Her husband Raymond sat upright on the bed as he watched the television. The eyes of the observer
drifted to the outside of the room. It wasn’t dark yet, for the last of the sun’s rays cast a light glow upon
the sky. Sounds of heavy flapping wings was heard coming from a short distant. Suddenly, from out of
nowhere, three figures came into view.
Once the observer focused its vision, their features were revealed. One female and two male human
shapes were the visitors that were fast approaching. They landed with a hard thud on the asphalt. Their
white, bird-like wings crossed over their chest as they sauntered toward the house, filled with a menacing
presence.
Despite their dark aura, these three creatures were beautiful. Some would even dare say they looked like
angels. Their bodies were strong and graceful. They merely glided along the pavement. White transparent
garments, was the material their bodies wore draped in. They spoke not a word as they glanced at each
other. It was as though they had a mental connection; as if they could speak to each other without the
use of a single word.
Eddie, Carmen’s stepfather, came out of his house and gaped at the marvelous beings. He stepped closer
while foolishly inviting them to stay. Over his shoulder he called out to the rest of the family. Ana, his wife,
and his son Carlos, came out of the house as they gazed with intense, unabridged awe.
The sound of commotion caused Carmen to glance at the door. Her husband stood. She had no doubt he
was headed toward the creatures.
“No!” she cried out as she gripped his arm. “Don’t go! Please, it’s a trap.”
Her husband gave her a dumbfounded stare.
“What are you talking about?” he asked while he yanked his arm free.
Carmen wasn’t sure why she said that. On second thought, yes she was. One thing she was certain of,
her gut warned her of the extreme danger surrounding them. And somehow she was aware that
whatever was outside, caused her to be petrified. Raymond was walking into something he could never
understand and neither did she.
Ignoring her warning, her husband went for the latch on the door. Carmen threw the blanket over herself
and her still awake son. He struggled under the cover to see what was being hidden from him. However,
Carmen kept him secured underneath it with her. Her mother’s instinct, as well as her survival instinct
instructed her to do so.
As her child cried, her husband gasped at whatever he saw.
“Carmen, come and look at this!”
“No! Close the door!” she shrieked gripping the blanket with all her might.
Just then the observer’s eyes returned. It watched how these so called angels were now changing before
her very eyes. Gradually, they transformed into hideous, ghastly beasts. Their skins became dry and as
dark as charcoal, while jagged, pointy fangs appeared, which the observer felt sure, could tear anyone or
anything to shreds.
Their angelic façade turned into demons with wings, ready to hunt their prey. The male leader gave out a
deafening shriek, one that disoriented every victim within its vicinity. No one ran, however. They all simply
stood there, perfectly still, in complete and utter shock. Only when the creatures moved closer, did they
all cry out while trying to flee.
Carmen heard their agonizing screams as the creatures attacked them. Sounds of flesh being torn echoed
through the room as one of the beasts went for her husband. The smell of copper instantly filled the
cramped place, as blood splayed across the walls and onto the blanket Carmen lay under. Both she and
her son were weeping hysterically.
Her husband’s cry quickly died under a bubbling noise. Slurping and munching sounds resonated as the
creature fed, over and over on Raymond’s body. She knew he was dead. After a few minutes, heavy
footfalls headed toward her bed. Carmen trembled as a hot, disgusting breath breathed near her head.
How will we escape this? She thought. I need to protect my children.
The smell of rotten meat caused her stomach to churn. It was made worse by the knowledge that she
was actually catching the scent of her own husband’s mangled flesh she felt sure was still hanging from
their teeth.
“Look at me,” the creature rasped in a ghost like manner, while tugging on the sheet.
“No!” she whimpered as she shook her head.
After a few attempts at trying to persuade her, shockingly, the creature gave up.
“Remember today you saved your life and your child’s for not looking upon me. It was wise of you to do
so, but let’s see if your eyes will be kept from me again, when I return another day. Rest assured, human,
I will be back.”
It sauntered away and went out the door. Carmen did not move as she listened to the creature speaking
outside in an unknown dialect. Various, heavy flapping of wings alerted her that they were finally leaving.
The owl's call, reminded her that night had fallen. Only after a great deal of time passed, did she remove
the blanket from their heads. Looking around the small room, she realized the creatures were indeed gone
as she suspected, but they left her family butchered at the place she once called home.
Puerto Rico. She faced the desolated, nearby hills as dusk came to stake its claim upon the land. She
hugged herself as a chill ran up her spine. Her gaze shifted from side to side, searching…looking for any
sign of the creature. He’d been there before; she knew it, unable to shake the feeling that surely she
would become its victim at some point.
Her gaze fell on the branches of two thick trees that huddled together. Vines hung like wriggling snakes,
and the movement between the dark shadows caught her eyes. Her heart’s pace quickened. Was it there?
Could it be real? Was this a dream or was she caught in the middle of a real nightmare? Everything ran
through her mind and she was completely engulfed in fear. What made Carmen be so paranoid? What
was this creature that she came to fear so?
A nightmare, which occurred a week ago, still had her in its grasp and at nerve’s edge. She wondered why
she dreamt of such a horrendous thing. Only then is when she remembered an experience told by her
younger sister, Madeline. It was something she’d never forgotten…
Madeline, and their brother, Carlos were driving the curves of Aibonito, as they headed for the town
known as Cayey. The hour was late and the full moon shone high in the sky illuminating everything below,
not long after they left their mother’s house in Coamo.
Madeline’s gaze wandered over and around the mountains, when something large flew out from a group
of trees and went towards the sky.
“Carlos, look at that!” said a wide-eyed Madeline.
He stopped the car, and they saw the dark creature. It was the distinctive shape of a human male, well
built and quite tall. It carried two large wings on its back, six feet wide in length. It swayed and flew high
in the sky. It frightened them like nothing before, for they knew such things shouldn’t exist, at least not
in the real world.
It was too far for them to make out the detailed features it carried. It looked toward them for a few
seconds, before gliding behind a mountain and leaving their sight completely.
On their next visit, they spoke of the strange encounter. But the nightmare which Carmen had involving
this creature, occurred four years later…
She was three months pregnant. Economic problems forced them to sell their home and move into a
studio apartment connected to her mother’s house. It was a small cramped place. The time was difficult;
with one child running about, the space was more than limited. Boxes and objects filled the tiny room in
every corner.
With minimal distance between the items, each step she took found the items causing her to bump her
head, legs, or arms. Despite the fact she was grateful to have a place to lay her head, she knew she
would tire of the cramped quarters rather quickly.
There was only one full size bed, where all three slept. There, she would slip into a goodnight’s rest with
her husband, and her two-year-old son.
One night, images came and went, as she fell into a deep slumber. She found herself being two parts in
one dream, the observer and one of its victims. The observer watched from the side how Carmen laid
awake in bed with her son, trying to rock her child to sleep. Not one to give into rest, she knew it would
take some time before he drifted off.
Her husband Raymond sat upright on the bed as he watched the television. The eyes of the observer
drifted to the outside of the room. It wasn’t dark yet, for the last of the sun’s rays cast a light glow upon
the sky. Sounds of heavy flapping wings was heard coming from a short distant. Suddenly, from out of
nowhere, three figures came into view.
Once the observer focused its vision, their features were revealed. One female and two male human
shapes were the visitors that were fast approaching. They landed with a hard thud on the asphalt. Their
white, bird-like wings crossed over their chest as they sauntered toward the house, filled with a menacing
presence.
Despite their dark aura, these three creatures were beautiful. Some would even dare say they looked like
angels. Their bodies were strong and graceful. They merely glided along the pavement. White transparent
garments, was the material their bodies wore draped in. They spoke not a word as they glanced at each
other. It was as though they had a mental connection; as if they could speak to each other without the
use of a single word.
Eddie, Carmen’s stepfather, came out of his house and gaped at the marvelous beings. He stepped closer
while foolishly inviting them to stay. Over his shoulder he called out to the rest of the family. Ana, his wife,
and his son Carlos, came out of the house as they gazed with intense, unabridged awe.
The sound of commotion caused Carmen to glance at the door. Her husband stood. She had no doubt he
was headed toward the creatures.
“No!” she cried out as she gripped his arm. “Don’t go! Please, it’s a trap.”
Her husband gave her a dumbfounded stare.
“What are you talking about?” he asked while he yanked his arm free.
Carmen wasn’t sure why she said that. On second thought, yes she was. One thing she was certain of,
her gut warned her of the extreme danger surrounding them. And somehow she was aware that
whatever was outside, caused her to be petrified. Raymond was walking into something he could never
understand and neither did she.
Ignoring her warning, her husband went for the latch on the door. Carmen threw the blanket over herself
and her still awake son. He struggled under the cover to see what was being hidden from him. However,
Carmen kept him secured underneath it with her. Her mother’s instinct, as well as her survival instinct
instructed her to do so.
As her child cried, her husband gasped at whatever he saw.
“Carmen, come and look at this!”
“No! Close the door!” she shrieked gripping the blanket with all her might.
Just then the observer’s eyes returned. It watched how these so called angels were now changing before
her very eyes. Gradually, they transformed into hideous, ghastly beasts. Their skins became dry and as
dark as charcoal, while jagged, pointy fangs appeared, which the observer felt sure, could tear anyone or
anything to shreds.
Their angelic façade turned into demons with wings, ready to hunt their prey. The male leader gave out a
deafening shriek, one that disoriented every victim within its vicinity. No one ran, however. They all simply
stood there, perfectly still, in complete and utter shock. Only when the creatures moved closer, did they
all cry out while trying to flee.
Carmen heard their agonizing screams as the creatures attacked them. Sounds of flesh being torn echoed
through the room as one of the beasts went for her husband. The smell of copper instantly filled the
cramped place, as blood splayed across the walls and onto the blanket Carmen lay under. Both she and
her son were weeping hysterically.
Her husband’s cry quickly died under a bubbling noise. Slurping and munching sounds resonated as the
creature fed, over and over on Raymond’s body. She knew he was dead. After a few minutes, heavy
footfalls headed toward her bed. Carmen trembled as a hot, disgusting breath breathed near her head.
How will we escape this? She thought. I need to protect my children.
The smell of rotten meat caused her stomach to churn. It was made worse by the knowledge that she
was actually catching the scent of her own husband’s mangled flesh she felt sure was still hanging from
their teeth.
“Look at me,” the creature rasped in a ghost like manner, while tugging on the sheet.
“No!” she whimpered as she shook her head.
After a few attempts at trying to persuade her, shockingly, the creature gave up.
“Remember today you saved your life and your child’s for not looking upon me. It was wise of you to do
so, but let’s see if your eyes will be kept from me again, when I return another day. Rest assured, human,
I will be back.”
It sauntered away and went out the door. Carmen did not move as she listened to the creature speaking
outside in an unknown dialect. Various, heavy flapping of wings alerted her that they were finally leaving.
The owl's call, reminded her that night had fallen. Only after a great deal of time passed, did she remove
the blanket from their heads. Looking around the small room, she realized the creatures were indeed gone
as she suspected, but they left her family butchered at the place she once called home.
When Death Comes to Visit
By: CAV LASTER
By: CAV LASTER
| Winner of October's WDC Competition!! |