The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Atlas
by Tawny Kipphorn

Each night I watch as the moonlight dances upon the shore. The high tide and full moon are the only ingredients necessary to achieve the grand prize, but tonight the alignment of Jupiter alongside Ursa Major and Minor has filled me with a warm delight. One could endeavor to rip open my chest to reveal what has replaced my heart, and all they would see is the mighty Atlas, encased within a block of ice.

This perfect marriage of planetery proportions shall assist my navigation of the mythical vessel. My dreams are plagued by visions of the Arcus lighthouse and the raging waters of the Sea of Callisto. I know within her depths, beneath the mounting pressure, lies Atlas himself upon her darkened floors. Like Poseidon bereft of his mighty trident, I wander eternally before the vista, transfixed by…