Tag: ShortStory

‘We Take the Wolves’: This week’s Reedsy entry!

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Yes, yes, I know, I’m breaking my rule regarding posting more than once a day — but sharing my short stories is kinda the whole point of this blog, and I’ve only got 20 days or so to wrap up that Bite-Sized Halloween story I’ve got going… So, today, I’m afraid you’ve got double the Josh. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, I’ll leave you to decide…

With that said, I hope you guys have had a good week! I’m feeling much better now, after last week’s period of writing whilst in the grip of a fever… This week’s theme was Peanuts. As in, the comic strip with Charlie Brown and Snoopy, not the salted snack!

I chose prompt #3 — “Write a story about someone who is unexpectedly wise.” I knew straight away where I’d take this prompt, and I think I’ve kinda gone back in a horror-ish direction, after straying away from it slightly with my recent entries. The title of my short story is We Take the Wolves, and (you know the drill!) you can read it here on WordPress, or over here on my Reedsy profile.

When the werewolves first attacked, we didn’t stand a chance.

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As always, I hope you like the story! I had fun writing it, but then, that’s no surprise, is it? Wouldn’t be much of a writer if I hated doing this thing! If you get the chance, check out the other entries over on Reedsy — there’s always some brilliant work happening, over there.

Until next time, have a good’un!

Bite-Sized Halloween #4: A Town Alive

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With bags full of sweets, Charlie and his daddy meandered into the town square, to see the parade.

“Great vampire guise, Graham!” said a stranger.

“Fangs!” replied his daddy, sounding like Dracula.

Charlie grabbed fistfuls from his haul, filtering out the those which had no wrapper by touch alone. He shovelled the sugary goodness into his mouth – knowing he’d have to brush his teeth extra hard tonight.

His daddy guided him through the crowd. So many people, thought the boy, as he munched on the candies. Every resident wore a veil of the macabre.

Not everyone was in costume.

 

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

Previous parts: #1 | #2 | #3

Bite-Sized Halloween #3: An October Evening

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“Don’t be too late, okay?”

“Sure, Honey.” There was a smack of a kiss.

And then they were outside, the air crisp and cool – the way a Halloween night should feel. Charlie sniffed. He could smell smoke and bonfires. He grinned.

“And have fun!” said his mother – the last words he’d ever hear from her.

“Will do!” his daddy called back, as he opened the gate.

The pair slipped out onto the street; father and son. In every direction, Charlie could see colourful lights, draped decorations and candlelit pumpkins carved into faces.

“Now this,” said his daddy, “is Halloween!”

 

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

Previous parts: #1 | #2

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!

My short story, ‘Astro Naught’, won the Reedsy contest!

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Hey everyone! Hope you’re all doing great! I have once again won the weekly Reedsy contest — this time with my short sci-fi story Astro Naught!

It was really great to hear that Arielle and her team over at Reedsy enjoyed my story. I often put these things out there, with no idea how well they’ll be received — so it’s lovely to find out that people actually enjoyed them.

If you haven’t read it already, you can check out Astro Naught here on WordPress, or over on Reedsy’s site, where it’s been published.

So, a huge thank you to Arielle and her team for hosting these contests and for picking my story as this week’s winner! I really love these prompts, and highly recommend writers of all skill levels to have a go! I’ve noticed a massive improvement in my writing as a result of these weekly challenges.

I previously won the Reedsy contest back in August, with my story The Things That Do Not Float. If you’re interested, you can read that piece here on WordPress, over here on Reedsy’s site, or over here on Reedsy’s Medium blog!

Head over to Reedsy’s site to learn more about their weekly contests. (And be sure to read the other stories on there, too! There’s some brilliant pieces.)

 

P.S. Check back tomorrow for my entry for this week’s Reedsy contest! I wrote it whilst deliriously ill…

Read ‘Public Order’: My entry for the October #BlogBattle!

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Well, here we go again! It’s time for the monthly #BlogBattle! The prompt for October is ‘clone’. Such a great word! So many directions to take it in…

As with the last , I wrote this piece as quickly as possible — to give it a sense of urgency. I hope the sensation translates well to the story! You can read my entry here, it’s titled Public Order.

Our eyes lock, and for an instant, I can’t breathe. I avert my gaze to the floor. Keep walking, I tell myself. Just. Keep. Walking.

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I really enjoyed writing this piece, and I feel as though it’s slightly more horrific than my straightforward horror pieces — mainly because, for the most part, it’s rooted in reality, rather than fantasy.

As always, you should definitely check out the other bloggers’ stories, when they’re up!

‘Visit’: A story in 99 words

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

‘Dorsal’: A story in 99 words

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The whole world seemed to hold its breath. A calm fell across the ocean, silencing the whispering waves and the crying gulls.

The waters around her were dark grey; murky and gloomy. She knew that the aquatic tranquillity was false – a temporary peace.

She trod the water, suspended between two ticks in time. The instant before had revealed a flash of black and white, a beady eye, a fin slicing the glassy waves. Then the depths had reclaimed it.

Her mind’s eye told her what was next: the strike from below, the eyes rolled white, a row of teeth.

 

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Photo by Oliver Sjöström on Pexels.com

 

Due to my busy schedule, this was written after the closure of last week’s CarrotRanch prompt, ‘interlude’. I had an idea for the theme, so I thought I’d write it and share it nonetheless! 

Read ‘Two Wheels to the Coast’: This week’s Reedsy short story!

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Hey all! Hope you’ve had a good week — it’s flown by! This week’s Reedsy theme was centered around road trips!

I chose prompt — “Write a story about a family road trip.” I think my story straddles the boundary between my horror and non-horror pieces of work. I’m quite pleased with it! The story is called Two Wheels to the Coast, and you can read it here.

Enjoy the short story! And think: how would you and your family fare on a road trip without a motorised vehicle?

Have a good weekend!

P.S. Bite-Sized Horror is back tomorrow!