By Harlow Berny

I saw a bright light in the distance. A shining light in a sea of darkness. It had to be her. There was nothing else, no one else, it could possibly be. I could hear others around me, others just like me. They wanted her. I rushed as fast as I could, my small body pushing itself out of the dark abyss and into her light. I saw her floating. She was far bigger than anything I’d ever seen before. I stayed for a second to admire her size, her dangling light, before I saw others like me rushing onto her. I hurried closer to her. I sank my teeth into her. I felt my flesh fusing with hers. We were bonding. I saw the others that were like me rushing away, accepting defeat. I had won. I was a part of her. I could feel her blood running through me, keeping me alive. We would stay like this. Forever. My small body got smaller. And smaller. And smaller. Soon, all that was left of me were the organs that could grant her children. This was my existence. This was my purpose. This is what I am.

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Thank you for reading this short horror story! If you couldn’t tell, it’s a story about anglerfish reproduction told by a male anglerfish. This was made to fit the aquatic theme set by this week’s editor and was quite fun to write. I hope you enjoyed!

Editor: Luke Langlois