Walk the Plank: Halloween Flash Fiction
The YA Buccaneers issue a flash fiction challenge once a month called Walk the Plank. For one reason or another, I have not participated yet - the main reason is that I'm more of a long-winded writer.
This month's ghostly theme intrigued me, so I dashed something off during my lunch break Monday.
The characters in this short piece come from my WIP, BEAUTIFUL BIRD, and I have a feeling that a similar scene will eventually make its way into the manuscript.
Writing flash fiction is HARD. The best I can say is that I started and ended it with the prompts and hit 200 words exactly. Here's my attempt:
It was a cold Halloween night. An icy wind screeched off Lake Superior. The store was dead, for lack of a better term.“Go on,” Vivian – Bride of Frankenstein – said. I’d dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. “Enjoy your evening.”I didn’t want to walk home, but I convinced myself that the only ghosts that could haunt me tonight were of the trick-or-treating variety.Or the ones in my head.I should have skirted around the Cathedral, a few extra blocks to avoid the old cemetery. He was there, with Jessa and the others, at the gate. They wore dark pants and jackets. Elliot wore a black toque. What were they planning?Jessa snickered as I walked past. Even with my coat, there was no doubt about my costume – long braids, gingham skirt, ruby slippers.I could feel Elliot staring. Normally I would tuck my chin, scurry away, but something made me turn, meet his gaze. His eyes were soft, caring. My heart skipped a beat.
He shrugged. “What can I do?” he asked.
I saw the dark figure behind the tombstone too late, the wispy black hands around Elliot’s neck, dragging him into the cemetery. I screamed.
Want to give it a whirl? Walk the Plank with the YA Buccaneers and enter to win a copy of THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR by Dawn Klehr!
Wow! What an ending. Love it. I've never tried writing something like this. I'm too wordy. :) You did a nice job.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm pretty wordy myself, but I occasionally like a good challenge like this. Keeps me on my toes. :)
DeleteWhat a sudden ending! I quite liked it because it gave so much shock value to it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Poor Elliot.
DeleteI love this! I'm so glad you decided to take the challenge this month, and the prompt resonated with you! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love Halloween - it was fun!
DeleteI like that you incorporated some of the characters from your WIP. That's a great idea I should try sometime!
ReplyDeleteGood job, Sara. I really enjoyed this. You'll have to do Flash Fiction more often!
I have a hard time at short stories too because I'm long winded but you did a great job. Enjoyed the story. Would love to read the WIP that inspired it.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh - so good, Sara! I love it. :)
ReplyDelete