A to Z: Beginnings L

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to leave words for me so far this month. I've had a great time trying to work as many of them in as possible.

My short story, The Spell, was been published on Saturday Night Reader last week. This is free to read so I hope you stop by and enjoy this fun little tale.

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.
YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with L words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive A to Z blog challenge list.

~*~

There were no more candles. There would be no more light until dawn, and that was days off. Outside, the wings of the beasts that plagued the night skies beat a wicked rhythm, whisking them over her the hovel she called home, forward and back again, as if they were searching for her, for the little girl who had escaped them.

Inky shadows moved up and down the lane, set apart from the dark of night only by their utter blackness. One of them had a limp. Latisha wondered what had befallen the creature and if someone had managed to hurt it, how they'd done so. Come light, she'd join the others in the hunt for the hiding place of their tormentors. Until then, she held her baby and prayed to be invisible.

"Don't worry, little love. They won't get us." But deep inside, she knew her words were lies.