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Epitaph

May 8, 2022 14 Comments

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Steve’s mom had been gone a year. It still hurt. Slogging through the bramble to the newer plots, he glimpsed a cracked tombstone consumed by weeds. It’d been there ages longer than the rest, by all appearances. Curious, he stooped to clear it.

The epitaph read:

—Look Behind You—

Clever gag, Steve thought, standing up. Leaves crunched behind him. Steve tried to resist that childish urge to run. It’s silly, a defunct instinctive response. A heavy grunt followed by warm breath grazing his hand. Steve looked. And boy, did he run. He never stopped. And the beast never stopped chasing him.

By K. J. Shepherd

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kevin says

    May 8, 2022 at 7:37 am

    This clever piece could easily be a foreword to a story about how the beast came into existence. Kudos.

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 8, 2022 at 10:16 pm

      Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  2. Yolanda Joosten says

    May 8, 2022 at 10:41 am

    Fun and unexpected!

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 8, 2022 at 10:15 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. MaryEllen Carr says

    May 8, 2022 at 11:33 am

    Never mind a foreword, this is exactly what microfiction should be. I want to read more but I don’t have to. Beginning, middle, and end. Emotive and suspenseful. Nice job.

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 8, 2022 at 9:27 pm

      Thanks for the kind words ??

      Reply
      • KJ Shepherd says

        May 8, 2022 at 9:28 pm

        Lol the ?? It’s supposed to be a smiley

        Reply
  4. Molly says

    May 8, 2022 at 2:38 pm

    Nice piece!

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 8, 2022 at 10:15 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. KJ Shepherd says

    May 9, 2022 at 9:12 am

    Thanks! Already on it 🙂

    Reply
  6. Liz says

    May 9, 2022 at 4:48 pm

    Wow!

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 12, 2022 at 6:47 pm

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
  7. S. Webb says

    May 12, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    OMG. Many of my relatives buried in a 200 year old cemetery, which is lovely by the way, but I was picturing walking through the graves as I read your story.

    Reply
    • KJ Shepherd says

      May 12, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      I’m glad it could resonate with you 🙂

      Reply

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