This story was first published in Redemption Magazine on Medium. If you enjoy reading or writing transgressive fiction take a look.
A thin layer of soft mud left on the path by the earlier summer rain sucked at her shoes as if gasping at every step she took but she could still hear his footsteps behind her. The night was warm and her light summer dress floated around her like a thin mist as she walked down the dark path. Apart from the stealthy padding of his feet, the wood was silent as if holding its breath, waiting, watching the predator and prey.
To him she looked ripe for plucking, the thin material hid little of her sensual curves and long, slender limbs.
His footsteps were closer now. She turned off the path as if seeking sanctuary amongst the trees. She sensed him smiling.
That would not save her. Moving into the more remote parts of the wood simply made her easier to stalk. There would be no witnesses - he could do what he wished with her lithe, inviting body.
She stopped and unhooked her dress from a thorn that seemed to have reached out and snagged one of its petals. There was a clearing ahead and she walked slowly, almost delicately across the soft carpet of leaves. At the far side, she turned and waited.
He hesitated at the edge of the clearing, half crouching like a predator ready to pounce. He looked around as if sensing that this was too easy. His quarry simply standing in the shadows opposite, waiting for him.
The knife glinting in hand seemed to give him confidence and he stepped forward. His feet sank into the soft ground. He was heavier than her but he did not sink in. She stepped back, just half a pace as if in fear. He moved into the centre of the clearing and stopped again, relishing his prize, drinking in the fear on her face.
The ground beneath him shuddered. He screamed as two giant cups erupted from the soil on either side of him. The outer surfaces shone green in the moonlight and the inner ones were blood read. The edges of the cups were ringed by rows of spikes which locked together like the fingers of a giant pair of hands as they snapped closed around him.
The man’s screams faded as the plant sank slowly back into the earth. The figure of the girl seemed to fade as she lay down on the soft earth. They would feed now and she would not need to bloom and go out again for some time.
More retribution.
Warning: She uses all her assets to draw him out.
Another great read: masterful prose, economy of style, pacey, tense, with a brilliant subversion at the end. About what we've come to expect from Simone.