One Fine Morning - Horror Fiction

 

One Fine Morning

July 19 2025

For the Roseneath Writers Circle Monthly Assignment: Horror

Photo by: Curated Lifestyle (@curatedlifestyle) | Unsplash Photo Community

Sarah felt the warm sun on her face as she roused from her deep sleep. Still slightly groggy she sat up in the bed and opened her eyes.

“Where am I?" she asked as she looked around the room. Everywhere she looked there was nothing that was recognizable. The room was garishly painted. The furniture was whatever was below second hand. The carpet looked like it was out of some 70’s time warp.  She spied a nightgown that was sitting on the chair, an ugly pink colour, that immediately made her gag. She looked around but the robe was all there was to put on, for her trip to the bathroom. 

“Where is the bathroom?” she wondered. 

As she stood up she was able to see her face in a mirror. “That is not my face!” she exclaimed. She quickly sat back down on the bed ignoring her full bladder. 

“What is going on?” she pondered. “Where am I? Who am I? I’m definitely not me.This has to be some sort of joke.” 

She stood up with a start. “Where is Tom? He will be heading off for work soon. Maybe he can explain this.”

Suddenly she heard familiar steps on the stairs, at least she thought it was the stairs. She had no way of knowing anything except she recognized the footsteps. Sarah rushed to the door and flung it open to come face to face with her husband. 

“Tom!” she exclaimed as she reached out and hugged him. “I've never been so happy to see you as I am right now. Look at me. I don’t know who I am. I don't know where I am. I have no idea what is happening.” 

“Sarah,” said Tom as he pushed her away from him. “You never could stay dead.” With those fateful words he raised his arm showing a gleaming blade. Quickly he brought the blade down plunging it into Sarah’s back as she turned to flee.

Sarah stretched and yawned. 

“A peaceful night’s sleep is always the best medicine,” Sarah exclaimed. She reached over to her husband’s side of the bed but felt cold sheets. 

“Odd,” she thought as she started to open her sleep crusted eyes. “Tom should be sleeping here. He must have got up earl…..” she stopped cold, her mind afire. 

Her eyes flung open to discover a richly painted bedroom. She looked down at the nude body not recognizing the shapes that she was seeing. There was a dressing table over by the wall. She hurried over, dark with   fear. As she picked up the mirror she held it far away from her face. Sarah had to force herself to look into the mirror. With the first peak she said to herself,

“I am gorgeous!” she exclaimed with bafflement. She shifted the mirror to examine the body she was inhabiting. She found herself admiring every inch she could see in the mirror. “This body has been looked after,” she stated with some satisfaction. Satisfied but perplexed with the appearance of her new body Sarah reflected on the last time she found herself in another body. 

“Tom,” she said. Just then the doorknob turned. There stood Tom. All six ft of him with a mischievous anger look in his eye.

“What do we have here?” he inquired. 

Sarah took a step back, picking up the robe that hung on the back of the chair and covered herself with it. “Tom, it’s not what you think.”

“What’s not what I think Sarah? I have been searching for you. And here you are.”

He stepped forward as Sarah stepped back. She grabbed the mirror from the table.

“Oh what are you going to do with that?” he asked with a mocking voice. “Bore me to death with my reflection?” 

“What’s wrong with your voice?” Sarah questioned. 

Tom smiled and took another step forward backing Sarah into a corner. “Why won’t you stay dead?” he asked in an inquiring tone. Tom smiled as he raised the gleaming knife. “Maybe this time,” he said angrily and quickly brought the knife down, plugging it into her body. Sarah screamed as she crumpled to the floor. 

Tom looked down, satisfied as he wiped the knife on her skin. 

Sarah opened her eyes knowing what to expect. As she gazed around the room she saw that she was in a new home that wasn't hers. The bedroom was small with few decorations but what there was demonstrated a warmth of character that few other houses had demonstrated. From the simple bed adorned with a homemade quilt to the repainted furniture and simple but effective wallpaper, the bedroom felt like a place she could live in.

“Well, let’s see what I look like today,” she said as she walked over to the mirror. “Hmm. Grey hair. A warm round face. Adorable,” she said to herself. She picked up each piece of the grooming kit that was laid out perfectly on the ancient dressing table.

“Silver,” she mused. “It has to be one of the most precious items this body owns.” she thought quietly as she laid the silver items back down on the table.

Sarah looked towards the bedroom door. If the past was any indicator her husband's footsteps should be approaching. She listened carefully as she steeled herself for this encounter wondering why she kept going through the same scenarios. 

“What have I done to upset him so much he is trying to kill me?” she wondered. “And why am I in a different body and house each time? 

The door crashed open and there he stood, looking at her with bloodlust in his eyes.

“I’ve finally figured out why I can’t kill you,” came a voice not quite like Tom’s.

“Oh?” Sarah inquired.

“I have been using the wrong knife,” he said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “A regular knife won’t kill someone like us.”

“Someone like us?” Sarah asked. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“We are shapeshifters,” was the reply that came as Tom began to fade and a new person appeared.

“You!” Sarah gasped. “I married you?”

“No, you daft woman. Your precious Tom is at your house.“

“I saw you kill that man in the alley by Johnson’s Superstore.”

“Now she is seeing the light,” he replied as he pulled a shiny knife out of its sheath on his hip, holding it carefully by the leather hilt. 

“A shapeshifter? I am a shapeshifter?”

“Bingo,” came the reply.

“How did I not know this before?” she asked, suddenly putting together all that had happened. “You have been trying to kill me ever since that day in the alley?”

“I couldn't risk being found out. A mere mortal should not have been that hard to kill and now I know,” he said as he stepped forward. 

Sarah reached down and picked up the silver tweezers. 

Tom laughed. “Not much of a weapon Sarah. I expected a worthy opponent but here we are. My silver knife should finish this up,” he said as he took a step and raised his arm.  

Sarah stepped forward abruptly catching Tom off guard. While he faltered she plunged the tweezers in the shapeshifter's raised arm. Immediately his body reacted to the silver implement, twisting and turning, shrivelling until nothing was left as the tweezers clattered to the floor. 

“Not this time,” she said triumphantly. Sarah walked over and picked up the tweezers. “Who knew they had another use?” she said smiling.

“Good morning Tom,”Sarah called over her shoulder as he entered the kitchen.”

Tom walked up behind Sarah and gave her a huge hug. “How’s my girl this morning?” he asked.

“Absolutely perfect,” she replied, picking up the silver knife by its leather handle. Tom released his hug and walked over to the table and sat down.

“Breakfast will be ready shortly,” she sang quietly. “I made your lunch this morning,” she said as she placed his plate in front of him. 

“Aw. You didn't have to do that.”

 “Something came over me,” she said, amidst a huge yawn. She shut off the stove and took Tom’s breakfast over to the table. “I suddenly feel tired. I think I will go back to bed. Have a great day at work,” she said as she kissed him. 

“I love you,”  he mumbled through his breakfast. Sarah had missed the comfort of his words. She climbed the stairs focusing on her need for sleep. Her body had been through much. She plopped herself down on her bed and was out fairly quickly.

Sarah slowly woke from her nap. She stretched and loved the feel that waking up brought to her body. 

“It is so wonderful,” she said as she felt the sunbeams on her face. 

Opening her eyes she noticed something was amiss. Her eyes widened as she took in the room and groaned. Purple and black were so not her colours.