Thorny Thursday — A Pleasing Shape

A tasty tidbit

Welcome to my new section on A Literary Eye. Here I will be posting my flash fiction entries in the various special days here on Substack, but not necessarily for every one on every week. Time and the Flash Fiction Muse will be in charge.

On this Thorny Thursday, I present something that might be more appropriate for Macabre Monday. Nevertheless, here it is.

——

“We seem to be signed up for the same class,” he said.

I had watched him walking toward me down the hallway as I was about to enter the lecture hall. My hand was almost on the door handle. Now I dropped my arm to my side and smiled at him as he stood next to me. He smiled back and pulled the door open, letting me enter first, rare manners these days.

“Let’s sit together in the back,” he said, and I nodded.

We found two seats together in the middle of the back row.

“I’m Lucifer,” he whispered. “You have a lovely smile and such nice blue eyes. I’ve seen you on campus.”

“Thank you. I’ve seen you around, too.” And I had. He was a tantalizing specimen. “Lucifer? As in the angel who fell from grace and now rules over some place called Hell? Satan? The Devil?”

“Just call me Luke,” he stated, grinning.

“Sure, I’m Cally,” I replied.

“So, why are you taking Philosophy of Evil?”

“Arts and Sciences requirement. I’m a math major.”

“Ooh, the evil that lurks within numbers!” Lucifer winced as he said it.

“Huh?”

“Just quoting my dorm mate. He hates math.”

I grinned at him, and we sat quietly as the lecture began.

“The Devil hath the ability to assume a pleasing shape,” intoned the lecturer.

I laughed, and a hundred pairs of eyes turned to me, staring for a moment before turning back to the lecturer. After that I held in my feelings of amusement at some of the other things the lecturer said. At the end of the hour, Luke and I left together.

“Come back to my dorm room,” he proposed.

“We just met.”

Luke just shrugged and started to walk away.

“Wait, sure, I’ll come. But no funny stuff. Okay?” I said it as part of some ritual, knowing that was how things went these days, that intimacy after such a short acquaintance was common. Besides, I had purposely signed up for the course to meet him.

“Sure,” said Luke, grinning.

We walked across campus, entered his dorm, and went to the room.

“My roommate’s in class now,” said Luke, flashing a charming smile as he unlocked and opened the door.

“Ah, yes,” I murmured, walking into the room and looking around.

Typical dorm room. Empty, greasy pizza box on the desk. Crushed, empty beer cans beside it and on the floor. Books and papers stacked in a corner. Bedclothes on the two twin beds crumpled and needing a good washing. I chuckled inwardly and then looked at Luke. A good specimen.

“So, is Cally short for something?” he asked, flashing that charming smile again.

“Yes, Callephellonia, the Hungry One,” I said.

Luke laughed, turned his back to me, and closed and locked the room door. I stretched up to my full seven-foot height, my appearance changing to my normal state, burnt-sienna-colored leathery skin, alligator-like eyes, hoofed feet, and hands like an eagle’s talons. Luke turned toward me.

Before he could cry out or scream, I slashed his throat with one of those talons and waited until he had stopped gurgling as blood flowed down his throat and into his lungs. Many of my minions liked their meat still live and kicking. I was more of a connoisseur, preferring a little aging, a little tenderizing. He fell to the floor and lay there a few moments. Now I could take my time. I picked up one of his feet, removed the shoe and sock, opened my slit-like mouth, and took the first bite with my rows of shark-like teeth. An hour later I had finished and sat back on the floor against one of the unmade beds, folding my talon hands over my now bloated stomach and burping lightly.

“Next time, I’ll take the shape of a handsome young man,” I thought, remembering the rather plump young woman I had seen several times eyeing every male that passed her by. I dozed off, that lecturer’s words sounding in my head and making me laugh again.

——

Hope this wasn’t too thorny!