Santa Claus sat in his grotto of old,
The ice dripping water and the biting wind cold.
“Bad, naughty, wicked and mean!”
These kids were the worst that there ever had been.
This is part one of a larger story for Christmas. All parts are in the form of a stanza of a poem. Check back tomorrow for part two!
Hey, guys! So, here we are, the final day of NaNoWriMo! But… I’ll be making a post about that another day. Today is Reedsy short story contest time! The final Reedsy during NaNoWriMo! I’ve found it a little bit exhausting to maintain all my side stuff alongside NaNo, but I’ve made it!
This week’s Reedsy theme was ‘All the Fixin’s’ for Thanksgiving! As a Brit, I don’t really know what it’s exactly all about, but I was more than happy to pen a story under the theme, nonetheless! I chose prompt #2 — “Write a story about a family dinner that includes someone unexpected showing up.”
The title of my story is Frank, and, as always, you can read it here on WordPress, or over on my Reedsy profile!
We all thought that Frank was dead. Had we known that he wasn’t, we would have killed him again.
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I wrote this piece in a really short space of time, due to my NaNo commitments — it came together in the space of an hour or so. I think it’s got quite an off-beat vibe! I hope you all like it!
Stay tuned for more posts as NaNo comes to an end!
The final BONG! reverberated through his skull, moments before he burst from the crypt. Charlie exploded out into the fresh air, just as the door slammed shut behind him with seconds to spare.
Charlie collapsed to his knees in the grass, eyes wide, hair wild, gasping for breath.
The sun was peaking over the horizon. He could see the sky fading from its inky blackness to the cold, grey November morning that was lethargically advancing.
Charlie watched the sun rise, laughing. But a nasty thought was nagging at the back of his mind. His smile faltered.
Something was wrong.
This is part twenty-two of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for the final part!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 | #19 | #20 | #21
The pumpkin hit the case behind The Collector. THUD! THUD! THUD! The rows of shelves began falling like dominos, glass orbs shattering as they hit the floor, freeing the trapped beings.
A tornado of souls began whirling about the witchdoctor. His scream sliced through Charlie’s ears. “Help. Me,” grimaced The Collector, reaching for Charlie. The boy dodged past the witchdoctor, running for the staircase.
He leapt up the stairs, hearing the man’s death throes.
BONG! A clock was chiming. BONG!
What time is it? he thought, as he frantically ran up the steps, two at a time.
Too late.
This is part twenty-one of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part twenty-two!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 | #19 | #20
The staircase opened out into in a library. The shelves held no books. The endless rows of glass orbs were full of things crying for help.
On the far side was The Red Door. Charlie could feel the heat. Could smell the sulphur.
“Charliiiiieee!”
The boy spun around, heart in his throat.
“Do you like my collection,” said The Collector, gesturing at the overflowing shelves, “of souls?” He grinned madly.
“Please, just leave me alone!”
“Now, now. Why be alone, when you can join them?”
“Never!” screamed the child as he threw the jack-o’-lantern at the witchdoctor.
He missed.
This is part twenty of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part twenty-one!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 | #19
With sorrow in his soul, Charlie pressed on. He carried the jack-o’-lantern, casting its glow whenever they approached.
Something with long nails and sharp teeth popped up behind a headstone. “Hey, kid!” it said, in voice that was far too deep. “Got some real nice candy, for ya!”
Charlie shone the light in its face. It screamed, swore at him, and then went skittering away into the darkness.
He walked on. How far should he go? Marion had never said. And it looked like Marion wasn’t coming back…
Minutes later, he found the crypt with the flashing neon sign.
This is part eighteen of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part nineteen!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17
“No more!” roared Marion, puffing his fleshless chest out. “You shall harm no more children!”
“What’s one more, Marion? How many did you not save?”
Marion yelled and lunged with his sword. The Collector dashed forward, ducking easily beneath Marion’s clumsy swing. With a swipe of his scythe, he sliced the skeleton in half. Marion didn’t even manage to scream.
A few of the dead who had gathered to watch the scene tittered laughter.
Far away, deep in the darkness of the cemetery, Charlie sat down with a thud as a shadow passed over his heart. “Marion?” he whispered.
This is part seventeen of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part eighteen!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16
“He what?” hissed The Collector.
“Hhheeeeee tooooollllld thhheeee booooooyyyyy—”
“Yes, I got that! My God, you lot talk slowly!”
“Wwweeeeee caaannnoooottt—”
“Enough. Where did he take him?”
The ghost pointed further into the cemetery.
“That damned skeleton… I knew I should have—” But he didn’t get to finish his sentence, for that was when Marion jumped out of the shadows, brandishing an ancient broadsword.
“En garde!” cried the skeleton, as he struck a battle pose. “This is one child whom you shall not consume!”
The Collector burst out laughing. “You never learn…”
He drew his scythe.
This is part sixteen of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part seventeen!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15
Marion’s grave was a sad sight. 1811 – 1833 read the dates. “How did you die, Marion?”
“Now’s not the time!” whispered the skeleton. “Take this! It’ll ward them off!”
He handed Charlie a pumpkin. Carved into it was a simple smile. “Here!” said the skeleton. He opened the sculpted head of the jack-o’-lantern and placed a single candle inside. Then he blew a small gust of air between his all-too-prominent teeth, and the flame whumped into life.
“How did you—”
“Not the time!”
“Where are you going?”
“To stop The Collector… if I can! Don’t stop, Charlie! Run!”
This is part fifteen of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part sixteen!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14
“This way, this way!”
Charlie followed the skeleton.
“What’s your name?” he asked, in between breaths.
“My friends used to call me Marion, once upon a time… And you?”
“Charlie!”
“Charmed, I’m sure! Now, quickly! No time for dilly-dallying!”
“Where are we going?” whispered Charlie.
“Away from him. Away from them. Bad, bad – they’re all bad!”
“Who are?”
Marion stopped and placed a skeletal hand on his shoulder. Charlie shivered. “Why, the other dead, of course! Today is their day. I—well, our day, I suppose… And if they catch you—oh, no!” He squeezed. “You have to hide!”
This is part fourteen of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part fifteen!
Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13
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