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!

Comments

  1. Wow! What an ending. Love it. I've never tried writing something like this. I'm too wordy. :) You did a nice job.

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    1. Thank you! I'm pretty wordy myself, but I occasionally like a good challenge like this. Keeps me on my toes. :)

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  2. What a sudden ending! I quite liked it because it gave so much shock value to it. :)

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  3. I love this! I'm so glad you decided to take the challenge this month, and the prompt resonated with you! :)

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  4. I like that you incorporated some of the characters from your WIP. That's a great idea I should try sometime!
    Good job, Sara. I really enjoyed this. You'll have to do Flash Fiction more often!

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  5. 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.

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  6. Ahhhhh - so good, Sara! I love it. :)

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