Bakadewin
(Hunger)
The
Wendigo stood to be seen in its full form, the emaciated body, skin
so flecked and brittle it could peel open in a breeze, the ribs a
resting canopy across its middle, its legs little more than a jutting
tangle of pulsing veins. In its hand was the swirling ball of the
earth. Its eyes were sad, a vivid green against the stygian backdrop
of the universe. And though its eyes shined sadness, the mouth was a
horrible circle of tongue and teeth, the insides slickened wet.
Yawning, it stretched its boney jawline to breaking and revealed the
depths of its throat throbbing with life, anticipation. It was as if
the mouth cried separately to be nourished, like an infant trapped
inside the face of a monster. In one blurring gesture, the Wendigo
cupped its meal with shredded fingers and gave a long, sepulchral
wheeze.
The
earth did spray like
stardust
resplendent light from
its
mouth and was gone.
Sheldon Lee Compton is the author of three books, most recently the
novel Brown Bottle (Bottom Dog Press, 2016). His stories can be found in
Unbroken Journal, Gravel, New World Writing, PANK, Monkeybicycle,
DOGZPLOT, Spelk, WhiskeyPaper, and elsewhere. He was cited in Best Small
Fictions 2015 and Best Small Fictions 2016.
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