Saturday, October 16, 2010

A Bloody Hallow's Eve, A Saturday Centus

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Jenny Matlock


Here we are at the 24th week of Saturday Centus, that clever writing meme lovingly attended to by the queen of the blogosphere, Ms. Jenny Matlock at her blog, off on my tangent

The concept is simply to write a 100-word story based upon a provided prompt.  Of course there are rules, for we must have an orderly Centus or else the whole shebang could go catawampus lickety-split, if you know what I mean.

The rules, for those obliged to follow them, are to use only 100 words, not including those of the prompt phrase.  The prompt must be used in its original form and cannot be split or altered.  You cannot use any pictures or vulgarity in your stories, not even a naughty limerick!  Finally, any Centusian audacious enough to include a long, rambling intro with  their Centus effort must be punished by having large wads of cash thrown at them (preferably in $50 or $100 denominations.)

The subject of my tomfoolery this week is Halloween and the macabre fascination so many people have with participating in the age-old tradition of dressing up in wild costumes, hanging up gruesome designs on the walls and enticing small children to come to their door with candy amid scary recordings of torture and shrieking women.

Actually, it does sound like just another Saturday night for some people.

But all that aside, I do have a special fondness for this holiday and the wonderful memories that it has spawned over the years.  I can’t remember many from my younger, hedonistic days of course (unless you call waking up the next day on someone’s front porch a memory) but I vividly remember the fun times spent  trick-or-treating with my kids and the many cool costumes worn at the time.

I’m not sure what the popular costumes will be for this year’s crop of candy-crazed moppets, but living in a progressive state like California (as opposed to some areas of the country populated by obstructionist Neanderthals, y’all) I’d expect to see some very creative outfits.  Not content with the conventional costume choices such as super heroes, princesses, Transformers, pirates or vampires, I expect to see more original ideas here in my area. 

I’m keeping a checklist at the front door so I can keep a tally of how many Glenn Becks and Rehab Lindsay Lohans we get.  Also on the list are Tea Party Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell in a big, black pointy hat, Lady Gaga, oil-soaked pelicans, and of course, Snooki, the infamous guidette from “Jersey Shore.”   

Not to say that the rest of the country won’t have a popular costume or two.  I expect sales of the Hitler-mustached Obama and “Bone-in-the-Nose Obama” to be as popular in some areas of the country as the traditional pointy-headed ghost (with optional miniature flaming cross) is pretty much year-round down there. 

Sometimes reality can be more bizarre than our weirdest imaginings.

Remember, all you Centusians, to post your story back to Jenny's meme post so we can all share in each others creative endeavors!  This week Jenny has given us a terrific prompt from witch to craft our trembling tails.  It is:

“Trick or treat!" they shouted as the door opened.

And here is my creepy take on this week’s prompt, which should definitely not to be read to small children.  I have entitled it:



A Bloody Hallow's Eve


Halloween.

Eerie sounds. 

Nightmarish decorations.

Children dressed up in ghoulish attire and roaming the neighborhood at night in search of sugary ecstasy.  

But for three escapees from Westwood Asylum, the excitement of their sudden freedom had driven them to other, more sinister desires.

A light tapping on the front door was all they needed to begin tonight’s bloodthirsty odyssey.

“Trick or treat!" they shouted as the door opened.

As they rushed the door amid Mrs. Walden’s muffled screams, one of them blew out the candle in the Jack O’ Lantern and turned off the porch light.

Just another dark house the children would skip over this year.




Jenny Matlock
Join the Centusians.
You have nothing to lose but your soul.
Bwa ha ha ha ha!

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27 comments:

  1. ahhh! it's probably a good idea they skip that house, unless they want to be as horrified as I am.

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  2. This was very, very good Tom. A very dark, twisted use of the prompt - my favorite! Seriously, this could be the start of a spooky novel, the stuff that neighborhood legends are made of. And as for your rambling introduction, I might throw something at you, but I guarantee it won't be money. Keep it up and I'll be forced to send some haints after you :) Kat

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  3. Those three came to our house last year. Precious bit one on the leg, and I smacked the other two with fifty pounds of Mardi Gras beads. Those things sting when you get hit!
    Seriously, Tom, you always surprise us. Great tale!

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  4. Unfortunately, we in Utah will probably see our fair share of Hitler-mustached Obama and “Bone-in-the-Nose Obamas.

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  5. YIKES!

    Creepy as can be, in the sense that it is horrific AND believable. That's why I can't read Stephen King, because it rings too true sometimes.

    Good job.

    =)

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  6. Nicely told story and really good use of the prompt. :-)

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  7. Holy Toledo. This is really spooky, scary and CREEPY. I'm glad I'm not Mrs. Walden lol. Good ghoulish tale, ha.

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  8. OMG....I scare easily and this about did me in (honestly)..I'll not open my door so trustingly in the future on October 31st. ( Great job with the prompt)

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  9. EEEEEK! That was scary.

    Great job as usual, Tom!

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  10. Thank God I have windows on either side of my front door.

    You scared me....I scare easily. This would be a good story to tell teenagers in a dark house...with only a flashlight! Eeek I gotta stop. Now I'm scaring myself. :D Excellent! ~Ames

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  11. What a very well written horror story. This feels like just the beginning of a much longer work.

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  12. TOM that is scary. It could happen you know. UGH. Well written for sure, but I am a little creeped out still

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  13. Oh very good, a 'proper' scarey one!! Brilliant :o)

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  14. Scary and disturbing on many levels - well done! Thanks for sharing

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  15. I laughed. I cried. I screamed. Then, I read your post, and I just laughed. It's wickedly sinister. Great job as always, Tom!
    xoRobyn

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  16. This story seems all too personally familiar to you somehow. Heh heh heh.
    ;-)

    Great Centus - creepy, but great!

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  17. Great story, but too scary for me!

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  18. Whoa! So dark and sinister...so well done Tom...Peace

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  19. Okay, Tom... I'm definitely not opening my door to Trick or Treaters now!

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  20. Whoa. Thank you for providing me with yet another reason NOT to give out candy this year.

    heh heh heh

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  21. AHHHH!!! That totally gave me chills! My hair is standing on end -- and it's not a particularly good look for me.

    Hey -- in live in California, too. :)

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  22. uw very very eerie indeed! wud make a good film that.

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  23. Tom, Sometimes I worry about you! This is so deliciously sinister, my dogs howled when I read it to them.

    Kudos..........cj

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  24. Tom. OK, you officially creeped me out here. This is exactly the kind of books I DON'T READ!

    Sad, but true.

    I am a whiny little baby about being frightened and though I had a big pile of hundreds ready to throw at you, I will now have to use them for therapy.

    Awesome work Tom. Loved this entire post...

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