Tag Archives: Halloween

Weird Dreams….

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We all have weird dreams, don’t we? For example, several years ago (6 or 7?), I had a really odd dream about being in a crypt with skeletons. The next morning I wrote a story about it. That story turned into my book The Halley Branch.

Of course, we often have really odd experiences in waking life. A year ago I had a very weird experience in a cemetery, which you can read about here. The important part here, though, is that stench that went away the moment I turned, the smell of death. I have only smelled this scent in very old cemeteries, and not all ancient cemeteries at that, just a few. It is different from the smell of, say, a dead animal. It is a horrible stench.

OK, why do I bring up that old dream and my spooky experience from almost exactly a year ago?

Continue reading →

Encounter with Martha – The Old Mill

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The following is a clip from my WIP, The Old Mill – this is NOT a finished draft!

They had been planning the adventure for months. It was a rite of passage in Avebury, one that had been going on for decades, though every generation thought it was original.

The Five Inseparables were going to visit the Goode Mansion after dark.

Amy Lancing was able to borrow her parents’ car for the evening. Although the quiet one of the group, she reveled in the control that being the driver gave her. And this wasn’t just any night with the car. It was special and she would do everything in her power to make sure their adventure was perfect.

The traffic up the hill from Avebury was light. Great. Amy took the left onto Miller Road, as she’d practiced a dozen times. She slowed down as she passed the driveway into the mansion and began to scan the woods on the left. Just down a small incline and across a bridge and perhaps another hundred yards there was a turn off into the woods. It was supposed to be secret, but even in her headlights she could see that were many tire prints in and out. Right, the worst kept secret in the county.

Amy turned and pulled the car into the woods as far as she dared. She turned off the lights and shut off the engine.

The five 17-year-old girls piled out of the car, all giggles and trying to “shush” each other.

Amy looked at the other four: Jess, Lauren, Stacy and Kath. She shook her head. They had no clue and would be lost without her. Continue reading →

Party Disasters

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PHOTO PROMPT © Fatima Fakier Deria

I thought it was a brilliant idea. Right.

You’ve seen videos, photos, cartoons of all of the legendary monsters having a Halloween party, right?  I decided to do it for real.

Have you ever tried to track down some of these ghouls?  Not easy, let me tell you. And I had to settle on Monday the 28th. Seems they were all busy on the big day.

The party wasn’t very lively, but I guess it should have been expected with the dead.

The worst is that one left a lot of full Tupperware. The police are notifying next of kin.

***

Word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Fatima Fakier Deria.  Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.

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Party hint number 37 – make sure there is a convenient tree just outside of the front door.  The werewolf begins to “mark” after his second or third drink….

Midnight Adventure #tanka #tankastory

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well-2

Midnight adventure
To exhume the ancient crypt
But we are too late
The slab is already moved
The dead has unearthed himself

Did we delve too deep
Awaken that which should sleep
Release the terror?
We run from the open tomb
But once more we are too late

The crunch of a twig
Silver shadow from the moon
He is following
A hand grabs me from behind
Sharp nails gouge into my flesh

Leave the dead alone
Sleeping under the cold ground
Peaceful undisturbed
It is a lesson I learned
Only when it was too late

***

This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge.  She gives us two key words, but we must use synonyms.  This week’s words were Dig and Grave.  (I so much wanted to find a way to say “Dig this” or “Do you dig” ;) ).  I did a tanka these week. OK, I wrote a story made from four connected tankas this week :)

Halloween Stew #Etheree #doubleetheree

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cauldron-v-008

Hi
Come in
How are you?
Sit for a bit
I’ll get you a sweet
Give you a nice goody
Mix it up in the cauldron
Wait while I get the recipe
Cipher out the ancient words of lore
Are you beginning to feel sleepy yet?
Don’t worry about this razor I have
Just need some special ingredients
It’s a potion made once a year
Full of intrigue and magic
Sit still while I harvest
Were you using these?
Delicacy
Special brew
Great charm
You

***

Careful of the witches brew, that human stew. Don’t ask what is on the menu, for you might find that it is you  ;)

Written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge.  These week the key Words were Spell and Treat, only we had to use synonyms and not the actual words.  I did a double etheree.

The Game #Ethree #dubleethree

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Ghoulish Face

Me
Alone
Late at night
I hear a noise
Is she following?
I feel the clammy cold
The clods from her barren grave
I turn and she is just right there
Vacuous eyes staring coldly at me
Dripping rotting flesh as she approaches
Backing away from her I trip and fall
I see the blood of her last victim
She fills the volume before me
Flesh dripping arm reaches out
She touches my shoulder
Her cold dead finger
“Tag, you are it”
She giggles
I’m it
Hide!

***

This was written for Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge. She gave two key words, Empty and Space, and we needed to use synonyms of those words.  I did a double ethree this week.

**

I Photoshoped a painting for a story I once wrote. This is an iteration of the painting that I did not originally use (I just added it). (I originally did the painting for a portrait class – she is pretty in the original ;).)

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Late edit – I just added an animation of the original picture…

creepy-face-test-ani-01b

 

Special Brew #haibun #tanka

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cauldron-v-008

I flip the leaf of the calendar, as the leaf outside of my window flips and heads towards the ground. I knew it! It is October! That means it is almost time for the spirits to rise on that most special day of the year, Halloween. To raise out own spirits, we need to start the spiced cider boiling, and all of you witches need to make an even more special brew. For:

The leaves are changing
Halloween is almost here
Fix a special treat
Autumn’s dark and deadly brew
Boiled in a witches Cauldron

***

This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge. This is the first day of the month, so it is poet’s choice of words. This week i did a Haibun with a Tanka.

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Once again I chose one of my drawings. Actually, I picked the drawing first. It is a frame from a video I made as a promo for my first book, The Fireborn. Here is the Video:

(Click here if you don’t see it below)

 

A Halloween Adventure #haibun #tanka

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Super Moon - 2 Nov, 2016

A Halloween Adventure

The night is quiet, still.  Nothing is stirring.  We creep forward.  I let out a nervous giggle, and you shush me, all serious.  I pull myself up, trying to look dignified, though the butterflies fight in my stomach.  You give me strength, but is it enough?  We have been moving slow, carefully, but are approaching the hidden crypt.  What will we find there?  Although apprehensive, I take the lead and open the door.  It is my place, after all. But I’m sure you can tell that I am spooked.  Much more brave than I, you smile, brush past me. Taking my hand you pull me through the threshold, closer to the uncharted tomb darkness.  I was hesitant at first, but your mood is contagious and I continue on, trying to echo your confidence.

A chill down my spine
A serious look from you
I approach the vault
Both anxious and excited
I head into the unknown

****

Sneaking into a cemetery late on Halloween night?  Perhaps into a mausoleum?  The catacombs under the ruins of an old church? Or did you put an R-Rated meaning to the words?  An X-Rated meaning?  Get your mind out of the gutter! ;)  Anyway, I guess if they are sneaking into a hidden tomb somewhere, it is their first time…

Written for Colleen’s Poetry challenge.  Each week she gives us two keywords, only we must use synonyms only, not the words themselves.  The words this week are “Afraid” and “Grave“.  This week I did a Haibun with a Tanka as the poem.  I tried to use the “key” words multiple times, with different meanings.

Darkening Story – #haiku #tanka

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Piles of them

Hue towards orange
Bruise purple and macabre brown
The world turns spooky

Lose leaves on patio

Tingle down my spine
Visions of a darkened hue
Words ghoulishly stained
This season I like to read
Some tales embellished by fear

Halley Pencil Skull

— —

Written for Colleen’s Poetry challenge.  Each week she gives us two keywords, only we must use synonyms only, not the words themselves.  The words this week are “Color” and “Creepy“..  This week I decided to do both a haiku and a tanka.

Halloween – #Haibun #Tanka

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Will o' the Wisp

Halloween

It is dark as I walk past the ancient graveyard.  What’s that?  A ball of light floats inches off the ground, silver will of the whisp. My heart beats quicker, my footsteps are rushed.  Noises fill the air.  I turn and scream, for now I see them.

Recoil in fear
Ghosts and goblins tread this eve
The dead walk the earth
The world of spirit and life
Merge into one on this day

— — —

This was written for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge.  The key words today were “Fright” and “Night”, yet for this special while she is away, we are to only use synonyms.  My Tanka might not be exactly a Tanka, but close enough ;)