“Out—out are the lights—out all!
—Edgar Allan Poe, The Conqueror Worm
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, “Man,”
And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.”
The worm lived underground, as most worms do. But this one was big enough to eat worlds. It had been asleep for many millennia, waking briefly to eat a little causing what we know to be earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters, but this time is different. This time he woke to the chanting. Someone was calling out his name, stirring him. Someone was calling him to destruction, and he must obey.
Hello my little friendly geckos, thanks for the read! Just a reminder that you can see get a free copy of my poetry collection, The Moth that Haunts the Laundry Room, on Prolific Works. If you want to support my creative endeavors, you can also purchase the book on Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Don’t forget to check me out on Instagram (thegarrulousgecko) and twitter (@theheckingeck) for herpetofauna photos, poems, and more! If you write something based on one of my prompts and want to share it with me, you can use the Share and Recommend tab at the top of the page, I’ll even post it on the website! Happy writing.
