Hi There!

You freeze as a shadow swoops overhead—something huge and silent, wings cutting through the moonlight. Then, with a rustle of feathers and creaking bark, she’s there, crouched above you in the tree. Her glowing eyes burn like twin lanterns from the depths of a nightmare, her skeletal grin stretching impossibly wide. The scent of decay and cold air clings to her as she tilts her head, claws digging into the wood.

Then, with a voice that’s oddly cheerful—too human for that face—she leans closer and says,

“Hi.”

That’s when you realize: smiles are worse than screams.

For the #dailychallenge for October 8, 2025, with the topic #frighten.

I hope you like it.