In her words, Kayleigh is a Houston, Texas based indie author, wife, and mother to three boys, a cat, and a turtle named Pistachio (in my words- Pistachio! I LOVE that). She loves reading, watching movies of every variety, and sipping chai while listening to serial killer podcasts.
You can find her on Facebook and TikTok under Kayleigh Greer. Her handle on instagram is @kayleighgreerauthor. She has three published books: A Nightingale Without Wings, Prudence, and Demi. They're all available on Amazon as well as several other retailers.
I had the wonderful opportunity to read her short story, The Sea Angel, that she wrote for the spooky season. It's a great insight into her beautiful writing. You'll find it below and I hope you enjoy.
Give her a follow!
xo
Sarah
The Sea Angel
by Kayleigh Greer
A whisper tumbles through the wind, coursing through the tangled, salt crusted tresses that dangle pitifully about his face.
A whisper or just the cursed waves of the sea?
His eyes ached, bloodshot from restless nights and endless scorching days spent on this patch of sand with hardly a viable shred of green upon it. The Sun assaulted his skin leaving him blistered and cracked. Even when licked, his lips found no reprieve in the gummy paste that was his saliva. His ribs began to show, his navel receded within seemingly reaching for his spine.
No food, no water for days. Damn the wench that bore the bastard who left me here!
The wind blew again, carrying a hymn on its tail causing him to turn his head in the direction of the sound. Left, right. Nothing for miles, but the sea. He pulled his knees into his chest as his eyes returned to the bubbling shoreline inching closer to his feet as the day neared its end. It rolled in, clear water disturbing the sand beneath causing the tiny crystals to dance in its wake, then retreated leaving a delicate foam. The sea was clamorous with the waves whooshing and clapping as they rose and crashed back down, but that sound, that lullaby… a niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach itched his brain with what he knew it to be.
He shook his head, shut his eyes and winced as they stung him. Shan’t think of such things. ‘Twas just wind.
With his forefinger and thumb he rubbed the sting out of his eyes before opening them again. Through blurred vision a wave built up in the distance and as he blinked his eyes clear the wave took on a new form. Squinting, he leaned forward and studied the form more earnestly. That feeling in his stomach soured, his eyes grew wide as he watched the face of what appeared to be a young maiden emerge from the depths. Dark strands of dripping wet curls clung to her heart-shaped face, her skin smooth and fair as a pearl. Next to surface we’re her lips, plump and tinged with a hint of blue. Her eyes were dark and depthless as the sea as they took him in, desire swirled around in her irises. His heartbeat quickened, painfully so, against his ribcage, as he slowly crawled back and away from the water.
“Y-y-you stay back!” he ordered.
The corner of her lip quirked up ever so slightly. The light from above twinkled over her skin, her silky black hair…her teeth.
That’s no maiden.
He looked behind him for something, anything, he might use to keep her at bay, but there was only sand and pathetic, dried up shrubbery. His eyes shot back to her, frantic as he noticed her drawing nearer. Her neck surfaced, then her shoulders. She parted her sultry lips and purred, the song on the wind curling up from her throat. It reached his ears almost immediately, swirling around him like vapor, a heady cloud settled in his brain. He could feel the tension in his shoulders disappear and a warmth pooled through his core.
“No… no, no, no!” He shook violently, swatting away the miasma of her song. “Stay back! I’m warning you!” he roared with more conviction.
Her smile widened revealing more sharp teeth. Perky breasts materialized, her nipples pebbling in the breeze. Her chest swelled on a breath and on the exhale she sang more clearly. He swiftly covered his ears in an attempt to keep the melody at bay to no avail. The sound seeped between his palms and the sides of his face and permeated his ears with a delicious euphony. Again his body betrayed him as an ease washed through his veins. His hands ceased their trembling and fell from his ears. She was halfway out of the water, the delicate curve of her belly and her voluptuous hips on full display. The song continued,
beckoning him to join her in the water. He stands to his feet. Startled, he tries to scream, but finds he cannot. Her spell has corded its way around his throat
rendering him mute. She beckons him further, her hands waving him in. Soft, pale fingers tipped in needle sharp talons. The lilt in her voice climbs exponentially, forcing his next several steps. His foot splashes into the water and
his heart clammers at a fierce speed.
Please no, please all mighty God help me!
Her song imbues into his flesh and suffuses its way through his veins, sweltering hot. He moans audibly at the sensation of his cock growing hard as granite, his eyes roaming over her body. Her beauty is devastating, all encapsulating. He must touch her, kiss her, ravish her.
Almost there, he thinks to himself eagerly, thigh deep in the briny tides.
As he grows near her song intensifies. The irises of her eyes swell and blacken, her talons drawn back in anticipation. Her mouth stretches wide, saliva dripping from her fangs. Waves ascend higher and higher, climbing above their heads and crashing violently, drenching him to the bone. The sky grows dark, heavy clouds pull into each other with a great rumble as a storm erupts, when they finally touch. He grabs her, his hold tight and desperate for her as his fingers knead at her flesh. An echo of a snicker dances over her tongue and into his ear as she licks up the side of his face. He shutters and groans in response.
“Thank God you found me, sea angel,” he says against her lips.
She smiles wide. Then wider. And wider still. Her talons pierce his skin and drag down the length of his arms, but he does not flinch. His blood gushed and pools into the water beneath them and yet he feels no fear. Even as he watches her lick
the substance from her fingers. The red is a stark contrast against her translucent flesh. Something slick and scaly slither around his legs, coiling tightly, until he is completely immobilized.
“Have you come to take me away from here?” he asks.
She slowly nods then pulls him under. His lips finally find hers and the world ceases to exist. All that is left is her supple skin and the taste of salt on her lips.
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