I flee down the tunnel mouth below the river; confused, breathless. The heat and darkness oppress me. Above, behind, everywhere; a snarling: the creature I dare not see. Must not see.
I stumble, aching for neon lights which signify “Exit”. I see a figure there; incandescent with fear. He has my face; he is me. Guilt excoriates my senses. What have I done?
Her body, crippled and bloody, flashes in my eye. I stop as though struck by a bullet, clapping my hand to my forehead. I am the ugly creature that lurks in the shadows.
I am the troll.
J.S. Apsley is the pen name of an aspiring author from Glasgow, Scotland. He won the Ringwood Publishing short story prize 2024 for his debut fiction submission, Immersion. See www.jsapsley.com
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