ELSPETHlspeth
by Jacqueline Moran Meyer
Elspeth haunts me. At night, I hear her ankle chains scrape along the floorboards towards the bedroom I share with my new bride. She’s getting closer, with her bloated body now splattering water on the rug around our bed. Last night, I took to drink in the hope of not remembering her visit. This morning my new love lay dead beside me; wet footsteps led to her side of the bed. I may have married Elspeth for her money and not defended her when accused of sorcery, but never had I suspected her of truly being a witch—until now.
Jacqueline Moran Meyer
Jacqueline Moran Meyer is a writer, artist, and small business owner living in New York, where she received her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Jacqueline loves science fiction and horror genres. Reading Ray Bradbury was a mind-blowing experience for her in eighth grade. Alice Munro and Rod Serling were great influences. Jacqueline also enjoys the company of her husband Bruce and their three children: Julia, Emma, and Lauren. Jacqueline’s mantra is “The only time it’s too late to try something new is when you are dead.”
Sirens Call Publications
Sirens Call EZine#45
July2019
It Ends with a Scream | J. M. Meyer
The ceaseless screams, carried on the back of the eastern wind, grew louder daily. There would be no more running. We reached the sea, finding the promised boat a lie and sheltered in tents and cars. Plugging our ears with fabric, sand, and mud did nothing to stop the sound of the screaming world approaching. Despite enough nourishment, we continued to diminish. Crazed friends opened their wrists, couples walked into the ocean, and families jumped off cliffs onto the slick rocks below. The rest of us waited to join the screaming chorus as the wind filled our lungs with anguish.
Peg | J. M. Meyer
When I first moved in with Jasper, his mom, Peg, was not totally cool with my witchcraft. She was a sad solitary woman who never spoke about Jasper’s deceased dad, George. She came around to accepting me last Halloween, when I invited her to my annual séance.After our small group gathered we quickly summoned a spirit.
“Peg, the spirit is screaming your name in agony. Should I tell him to leave?” She smiled. “Is he calling me Peggy?”
“Yes.”
Peg stood and yelled with glee.
“You can’t hurt us, George! You’re where you belong, and I’d kill you again.”
The Noisy Neighbors | J. M. Meyer
Sara sat on her couch in her condo to eat popcorn and watch her favorite reality TV show when she became annoyed by the familiar muffled scream coming from the wall behind her. She banged on the wall.
“Stop, noisy neighbors. I can’t hear my show.”
Before long, she heard the noises again and angrily shot off the sofa, spilling the popcorn onto her carpet.
“That’s it.”
Sara went into the closet and grabbed her axe. She hacked at the fake paneling and through her neighbors who she
lured, tied up and stuck in the wall yesterday. The screaming stopped.
