Flash Fiction Horror Revisited

  

I’m literally going out of my mind. After a romp in the woods with the dogs, the irritating itch began. I’d definitely trespassed into a toxic bush or plant of some sort.

Soon oppressive, prickly pain.

At first my flesh tingled like a million skittering spiders were 

beneath the surface. I started to scratch, and scratch, and scratch. My incessant fingernails raked my skin raw. I looked like a victim of abuse and felt like one.

Since I resembled a bloated red leper, work was out of the question. I called in sick. Slathering anti-itch lotions and soaking in the tub only magnified the condition. Then I detected the proliferating mounds erupting like minuscule volcanoes. I made a doctor’s appointment for that afternoon.

            

 Suddenly, the trembling and obnoxious sting became unbearable. My ballooning body felt like it was going to explode. A quivering lunatic, I clutched my cell phone and keyed in 911. One mound on my arm gaped open and out crawled what looked like a bug. A bug with wings. 

My stomach lurched, swatting at the thing while I ran into the bathroom. A scream lodged in my throat as the intense pain shattered my brain. Hunched over the commode, an army of arcane insects ripped my skin apart and flit about the tiny room. The ubiquitous throb somewhat subsided. My flesh was a pin-pricked cushion of bloody holes.

            

I dragged in a choppy, whimpering breath. Ominous buzzing fed my ears. The walls were no longer peach colored, they were black and undulating. The room vibrated like an immense beehive with swarms of bizarre winged insects. Like ravenous cannibals, they began to devour one another, expanding in size. 

Horrified! Run— I hysterically thought—Run!

I jerked, ready to bolt. The buzzing melted to a low hum. My eyes cut around the room, the insects suddenly noticed my presence. 

I froze.

The last thing I heard--the bombardment of whirring winged insects.

And my screams.

I somewhat edited my first version. What do you think?