From the wild darkness of the moor the howling hound is heard. The moon in its second quarter and follows with its shadow a young maiden running barefoot through the heather.
The hound is waiting, wrapping himself around the granites and schists.
Of my dark and stubborn country, nothing worse can be said than the hunger of its dogs.
In the morning, as the moor is awakened to a pale sun and bumblebees are seeking the nectar of heather, a murder of crows are picking the bones of yet a lamentable lass.
In my lap the dog is resting, sated, content but tired after the hunt. Tonight I will go down to the village to tempt the barmaid to follow me out for a walk.
My pack is always hungry and after the war there are too many girls for the boys that survived.
Today it is time for prosery at dVerse with Merril hosting ,the selected line for us to use in a piece of prose is:
“The granites and schists
Of my dark and stubborn country.”
Nan Shepherd, “The Hill Burns”
from In the Cairngorms (Edinburgh: The Moray Press, 1934)
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/hill-burns/
December 8, 2025
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh–you’ve written horror! Perfect for this wintry season, even if it takes place in summer. I could imagine this as part of a larger piece. Well done, Björn, even if it makes me feel kind of nauseated. 😂
The title is a Björn title, too.
I just had to do it… the hound of Baskerville was a bit of an inspiration
I wondered about that!
My first question, when he says, “my pack,” is that he is a werewolf and is left out of the hunt because the moon isn’t full, but he joins them when it is. If true, his psychopathic rationalization might make sense.
Perhaps the most chilling aspect is … forget it, it’s all too danged chilling! Good and scary story, Bjorn.
He may be a werwolf, but I think he just feels a strong belonging with his hell-hounds.
oh my! are the dog going to eat the barmaid? Thats horrible!
much♡love
Some dogs are not truly friendly….
EEEEEOW! You’ve gone to the dark side with this one. You’ve set the mood well in the first paragraph. The story flows from there…the line used well here. And then the image created in my mind with the “murder of crows” is only a tad bit more awful than the image of the dogs you’ve used to illustrate the story. Well done!
Yes… it took some time to find a good picture of such dogs.
Skilled repurposing of the poetry line, even as shudders ran up and down my spine!
The moors can sound scary…
Well done! A bit dark but we like it!
Thank you… it is dark here, and I went darker.
I love the atmosphere you create – a real Gothic, misty and brooding scene – Jae
An atmosphere of true darkness… even scarier than with ghosts.
Great job Bjorn. You had me at the edge of my seat. It was like I was at the movie theater watching a horror flick!
That would be one movie to watch… nothing supernatural, just evil.
Clever use of the line
Thank you…
You’re welcome
Oooh-er Björn! You need to take a trip to Tenerife and get out into the light! Horrific if admirably written…
Ha— I think darkness is what inspires me more than light.
Wow! Packed with not one powerful punch .. the entire poem. Darkness yes, I can barely make out the pack of dogs however I can sense their every horrific move!
Ha… it is so much based on my own nightmares after listening to a radio-theater as a kid based on the the hound of Baskervilles
A chilling and brilliant story Björn! I loved this, scary as it is!
I find it easier to write something captivating if it is dark…. the first person perspective has nothing to do with me, I loathe the breeding of such dogs.
Yes, I understand fully. And you do it so well! Just because we write in the first person, it doesn’t mean we are involved!
The expendable girl, but one must hunt and eat, one must bring balance …