Bite-Sized Halloween #9: Concern

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Charlie gulped breaths of fresh air as he watched the undulating crowd of zombies, ghosts and ghouls. He scanned the throng, looking for black capes, white-painted faces and bloody fangs. He spotted twelve different Draculas before giving up. I’ll wait here, he thought, sitting down on the stoop of a shop.

“Are you lost?” asked a voice that sounded like crunching gravel.

Charlie looked up, only to see the man from before. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Before he even knew he was going to do it, Charlie had jumped up and was running.

The man followed.

 


This is part nine of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part ten!

Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8

Bite-Sized Halloween #2: Daddy

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Daddy was home, at long last. He entered the front door like a whirlwind, kicking off his shoes, wriggling out of his coat, dropping his briefcase right there. Charlie knew he was equally as excited for that evening.

Graham hugged his son, cheeks rough like sandpaper. “Ready for tonight, Charlie?” he asked with a grin.

“Yup!” Charlie said, dancing on the spot. In his arms he cradled his outfit.

“Got your costume sorted?”

“Uh-huh!”

A pause. “Is that one of the good sheets?” He chuckled. “Don’t tell mom!”

“Okay!”

“Let’s get ready! We’re going to have a boo-tiful Halloween!”

 


This is part two of a larger story for Halloween. All sections are in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part three!

Previous parts: #1

Bite-Sized Halloween #1: Preparation

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He spent all day snipping away at the blanket – it had to be just right, and it had to be done by him alone. The boy even refused his mother’s help. When he tried it on in front of the mirror, he squealed with glee. His vision was partly obscured, but that was okay. It was the look that mattered. “A ghost,” he whispered to himself.

Charlie could feel the restlessness in the air. His treat bag was ready, as was his tummy. He kept checking the clock for when daddy would be home.

Tonight, they were going trick-or-treating.

 


This is part one of a larger story for Halloween. All sections will be in the form of a 99-word story. Check back tomorrow for part two!

It’s That Time of Year Again!

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What’s that I hear you say? “Josh, we had no idea that Halloween was your favourite holiday! That’s so unexpected! Who’d have guessed that the lunatic who has an unhealthy obsession with horror likes Halloween? Not me!”

Alas, it is true. Halloween and October are my most treasured times of year. The burnt-orange leaves that scatter and make skittering noises as the wind ushers them down the streets. The acrid perfume of bonfires and fireworks lingering in the air. The cooler temperatures, the thick jumpers, the hugging scarfs. And, of course, All Hallow’s Eve.

I love all things Halloween. The movies, the music, the TV specials, the books, the decorations, the costumes. All of it. All of it. From the legitimately terrifying stuff to the kid-friendly goofy stuff. It simply warms the cold, cobwebby recesses of my heart.

So, to celebrate, Bite-Sized Horror will undergo a special Halloween theme for the rest of this month! I’m not sure how many posts there’ll be, but there’s going to be an underlying connection to them — perhaps even one overarching story. I think I may stray from my two-sentence rule — maybe I’ll play around with the 99-word structure I’ve recently come to love (check out CarrotRanch’s weekly prompts!). If I (temporarily) abandon the two-sentence shocker, I’ll probably not post every day, due to time constraints… But we’ll see — I think I’m going to wing it, and see where my dark, rotten soul leads me.

Additionally, I’ll be sharing parts of my other creative passion as well: music. I play a few different instruments and I love composing. Unsurprisingly, I adore horror soundtracks — particularly the works of John Carpenter. Writing music (especially creepy, horror-themed electronica) is one of my most enjoyable pastimes — so I’ll be posting tidbits, here and there, when the mood is right and the moon is full.

So keep your eyes peeled and your ear to the ground — terrible things are lurking in the shadows.

‘Visit’: A story in 99 words

Gusts of wind moaned through the skeletal trees, scattering the burnt-orange leaves across the graves.

“That time of year again, Frank?”

“Yep.”

“Same as last year?”

“Same as every year, Harry.”

“Hmm.”

The wind wailed between the headstones, shrieking like a ghoul.

Harry cleared his throat. “Well… maybe they forgot?”

“Twenty-seven years in a row?”

“I—well, maybe not…”

“Yeah, maybe not.”

The gale was picking up speed now. The town’s citizens would be battening down the hatches.

Frank was changing, too. Becoming. Tattered skin and rotten flesh were stitching themselves together again.

“This year,” he said, “they’ll remember.”

 

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Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

 

Written in response to CarrotRanch’s September 26, 2019, prompt: unremembered.