Friday, October 31, 2008

Cruel Love

This is my contribution to the Simply Snickers prompt for the week.


People prey on the emotions of others
Cruelty, hatred, and pain are often wrought
Lust can pose as love
And the unsuspecting get caught
Finding a port for a bruised heart
Is the solace often sought
See with eyes wide open
To avoid becoming ensnared
Because the pain is not soon forgot

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Halloween Horror

This is my contribution to the 1000 Word Meme this week. I thought it was fitting.



“This is why I hate Halloween,” Stan remarked, gazing at the mutilated bodies in the bedroom.”All the crazies come out of the woodwork.”

His partner was examining the body of the lady of the house. She used to be quite beautiful according to the picture by the bed. Now it was all he could do to look at her. Her face had been carved up. It looked like someone had tried to make her look like the Joker off the Batman movie.

The man wasn’t any better. His nose had been cut off and his eyes poked out.

“I don’t understand why there aren’t signs of a struggle,” Stan said. “It looks like someone just walked in, did the deed, and waltz out pretty as you please.”

“Chief, you need to see this,” a deputy called from the kitchen.

“What ya got,” he asked upon entering the kitchen.

“We found this sitting on the counter beside the booze,” he said, pointing at a box of rat poison.

“You got to be shitin me. Nobody uses rat poison to kill these days.”

“Seems somebody did. Looks like it still works too,” the deputy replied.

Stan made his way back to the bedroom shaking his head. Rat poison. Haven’t had a case of that in years, he thought.

“They were poisoned, John. Rat poison, if you can believe it,” Stan told his partner.

“Guess that explains why they didn’t put up a fight. That stuff’s lethal.”

***

“Holy Shit!” someone in another part of the house muttered.

Stan and John made their way to a bedroom down the hall. As they entered they saw a deputy staring into the closet. He was stock still with a shocked expression on his face.

“What is it, deputy?” Stan asked.

“A kid,” the deputy replied.

“A kid? Well, what are you doing? Get him out of the closet.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Chief.”

“Why the hell not?” Stan asked as he made his way to the closet.

What he saw inside chilled even his hardened heart. A child of about ten was sitting crossed legged in the closet floor holding a small dog. In the child’s hand was a knife. He was busy carving the dogs face.

The chief heard him say, “I’m sorry, Toby, but Mom wouldn’t get me a pumpkin. I asked her and Dad both but they wanted to get drunk as usual. I just wanted one normal Halloween like all the kids at school talk about. I wanted to carve a pumpkin! I think yours is going to look the best. I practiced on Mom and Dad first. I wonder if I can cut the heads off and sit them on the porch?”

Monday, October 27, 2008

Abyss

This is my contribution to the Weekend Wordsmith prompt. The word for this week was "down". Hope you like the story.

Larry knew he’d heard a scream earlier, but he couldn’t find anyone. He’d been walking around the woods for two hours now. It was twenty degrees out so he knew if someone was hurt out here they’d need help. Left to the elements a person would die tonight.

He decided to give it thirty more minutes. There was one section he hadn’t checked yet. He headed in that direction hoping to come upon whoever was out here before it was too late.

The forest floor was dense with vegetation in this section. Larry tripped more than once during his search. He kept looking because he knew the sound earlier was a scream; he was sure of it!

Larry wasn’t watching his footing. He was looking around so he wouldn’t miss anyone that had fallen. His didn’t know his good intentions were going to be rewarded very soon.

Larry didn’t see the log until it was too late. He tripped over it and started falling. The last thought he had as he fell down the abyss was that he now knew where the scream came from.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Only Words

“But I love you!” John beseeched.

“Those are just words, John. You don’t know what love is. If you loved me, you wouldn’t cheat. If you loved me, you wouldn’t belittle everything I do. If you loved me, you wouldn’t call me stupid. Love is more than just saying the words,” Lisa replied.

“I’ve taken care of you all these years. Gave you a roof over your head, food to eat, a car. Doesn’t that count for anything?” John asked.

“All those are material things. Yes, they were nice and I thank you for them, but you never gave me what I really needed. Someone to listen and share my dreams with; someone to talk to about what was going on in my life, a shoulder to cry on. You never offered any of those things,” Lisa said as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I’ve tried so hard to make this work. I asked about your day, spend time with your friends, and tell you how smart I think you are. I SHOWED you my love, John. But I’m all out now. I just can’t do this anymore.”

“So you’re just going to leave? Just walk out on our life and never come back.”

“Yes. I have to. It hurts too much to stay. I deserve better than this, John. I’m worth more than this. It took me a long time to figure that out, but I finally have,” Lisa said with a rueful shake of her head. “I hope you learn what love really means, John. I really do.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Lisa calls on her way out the door. “Don’t say the words if you don’t mean them.”

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Betrayal

My contribution to the Simply Snickers poetry prompt for the week.


The toast sets off the evening
Tempted to touch as glances meet
Across a crowded room
Glasses tinkling
Voices murmuring congratulations
The bride looks back to her groom

Monday, October 20, 2008

Wasting Daylight

This is my contribution to the 1000 Words meme for the week. You really should go check out the picture they have up, it's beautiful!


Annabelle couldn’t wait to go outside. She was literally hopping from one foot to the other waiting on her mother to get ready. She’d been ready for hours. She didn’t understand why her mother had to sleep so late, and then take so long getting ready.

“Come on, Mom, we’re burning daylight here,” she cried.

After her mother finished laughing she asked, “Where did you hear that, Annabelle?”

“From Daddy.”

“It does sound like something he’d say,” her mom agreed.

“Are you ready, Mom?”

“Ok, come on I’m ready now,” her mom said as she grabbed her coat.

Annabelle already had her coat on. She’d been wearing it for the last hour, even though her mom said she’d get too hot. She wasn’t worried about that, she just wanted to go.

She was in the car and buckled up before her mom even got down the driveway. Her foot was swinging back and forth against the seat as she waited impatiently for her mom to back the car out. She just couldn’t wait to get there!

Once they got to the park, she jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. After running around to her mom’s side, she grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Once they rounded the bend she stopped with a gasp.

“Oh, Mom, isn’t it beautiful? God painted the trees again. I just knew He would!”

Friday, October 17, 2008

NaNoWriMo

Nothing should stop you.
Anybody can play!
November is the month.
Out of the starting gate…
Write fast, write long.
Rush to the finish.
Ignore all but the sirens song.
Music to any writer’s ear…
Of finishing that novel so dear


Thursday, October 16, 2008

A Matter of Trust

This is my contribution to the Matineemuse writing prompt. It's the first time I've participated with them. I hope somebody likes it. I did a microfiction for this one.



“Timmy, don’t let me see you do that again.”

“Why not, Mom. I’m not hurting him,” Timmy whined.

“What if I handed you your food and then took it right back? Would you like that? No, you wouldn’t. It’s a matter of trust, Timmy. A matter of trust.”

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bloom of Death

My contribution to Three Word Wednesday. Hope y'all like it.



“Such a delicate flower. So sweet and fragrant,” the masked man whispered.

Nancy lay as still as she could in the trunk. If she didn’t move, maybe he wouldn’t notice she was awake. She didn’t know exactly where she was, but knew it was a forest. She could hear the night bugs singing to each other.

“Wake up, little flower,” the man said as he shook Nancy’s shoulder.

When Nancy didn’t move, he just reached in the trunk and scooped her up like she weighed nothing, and then started walking into the woods.

Nancy hung limp in his arms, waiting for a chance to do something. She couldn’t just let this madman kill her! She’d become jaded towards life recently, but she still wanted to live. A cheating boyfriend and a dead-end job were nothing compared to this.

Think, Nancy! What can you do? There has to be something, her brain screamed as the man carried her farther into the woods.

When her captor tripped over a fallen log, she saw her chance. As she was rolling away after he dropped her, she grabbed a limb and swung at his head. The man saw it just in time, turning so the impact hit his shoulder instead.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said with a smirk, walking towards her. “Now you’ll have to pay.”

Nancy tried to run, but her legs were stiff from being cooped up in the trunk so long. She only got a few feet before he caught her. She screamed as loud as she could which seemed to amuse him.

“Scream all you want. There’s nobody out here tonight but you and me,” he informed her with a smile.

Nancy kicked and scratched with all her might, but it did no good. He was just too strong. He finally got tired of the fight and hit her over the head.


The last thing Nancy saw was her captor’s feet and a shovel propped against a giant oak tree.
***

“I don’t remember this from our last hike in these woods, do you?” Jacob asked his brother.

“No, and we would have remember that. It’s beautiful,” his brother replied looking at the blood red flower.

“I wonder how it grows under the shade of this old oak.”

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Locked Away

This weeks story for the 1000 Words Meme.

Alisa sat looking out at the dreary afternoon. Rain pelted the window, the teardrops washing the grime away. How she wished to be outside! She only felt alive when she got to leave this room. Inside, her spirit was weak and her thoughts ran away with her. She feared what might happen if she were locked inside too long.

“Alisa, are you still sitting at that window?” her mother called from the kitchen.

Alisa didn’t answer. Her mother knew she was at the window. She was always at the window when she couldn’t be outside.

“You know, they said it might rain all week. You can’t sit there and do nothing all that time,” her mother went on.

“All week!” Alisa squeaked.

There was no way she could go a whole week cooped up inside. She’d go crazy! She had to be outside and breathe the fresh air. See the birds flying, and hear the squirrels scampering. Her soul would wither and die if kept inside that long.

“We need the rain, Alisa. We’ve been in a drought in case you haven’t noticed.”

Alisa had noticed. She loved the drought. It meant she got to go outside every day! She didn’t have to come in until supper time. For a whole month she’d been able to sit beneath the trees and smell the grass. She loved taking her shoes off and scrunching her toes in the grass. She knew there’d be no grass without rain, but somehow that wasn’t as important as going outside.

“Can I go play in the rain, Mom?” Alisa asked plaintively.

“No, you’ll catch cold.”

“It’s not cold outside, Mom. I’ll wear a coat.”

“Alisa, you know how your dad feels about you going out in bad weather. He thinks you spend too much time daydreaming outside anyway.”

Alisa knew what her Dad thought. He’d told her often enough. He didn’t understand the pull of nature. The only time he wanted to go outside was if he was going to a ballgame. Her mom wasn’t much better. She only went out to do the grocery shopping.

Alisa remembered the time she’d asked if she was adopted. The stunned expressions on her parent’s faces were comical. They really had no idea why she’d asked. When she tried to explain, talking about all the differences between them, they just got more confused. She finally gave up; although she still wondered from time to time.

“Ok, Mom,” Alisa sighed, turning back to the window.

The rain continued to hit the window. Alisa watched as the drops slid down and disappeared. Disappeared just like her soul was. Slowly, one drop at a time.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Consequences

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Kyle said it was fantastic. Sheila was absolutely euphoric when talking about it, going on and on. I decided to try it. What could it hurt, right?

Wrong! I couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried. I knew something wasn’t right from the start. The sweating, cramps, and nausea were awful. The convulsions came next. I bit my tongue. I didn’t feel it, but I tasted the blood. The noise would have brought someone, except my meticulously laid out plan was working perfectly.

I wanted to be alone for my experiment. I picked a day my parents both worked late, and my sister was at soccer practice. I don’t know how long I lay there before help arrived.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I say waking up. I feel like I’m awake, I can hear and see everything. My parents and sister come to visit and I talk to them but they can’t hear me. They act like they don’t even know I’m trying to talk. My friends aren’t any better.

Yes, my friends come to visit. Crying and holding my hand. I can’t feel them holding my hand, but I can see it. I can’t feel anything anymore. Funny, when Kyle talked about feeling no pain it seemed like a good thing…

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Candlelight

My contribution to the Weekend Wordsmith prompt.

Shadows dancing
Bodies moving as one
The beat of love
As hearts come undone

Passion shared
Throughout the night
Souls joined
In the glow of candlelight

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Unwanted

This is my first contribution to the Three Word Wednesday prompt. I hope you like it!

“I’m going to thrash the living daylights out of you if you don’t stop that crying,” Joe shouted at his son as he shoved him across the room with effortless ease.

Toby leaned against the wall, rubbing his cheek from the earlier slap. He couldn’t figure out what he’d done to set his Dad off this time. All he did was ask if he could have five dollars for science class tomorrow. They had to pay to use the lab. Next thing he knew, his Dad had slapped him so hard it brought tears to his eyes.

He tried to stop the tears because he knew how bad his Dad hated them. He was always telling him that men don’t cry. The pain was too bad though, and he couldn’t stop.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Toby ventured after a few minutes had passed.

He still wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for, but he knew he was supposed to do it.

“Do you think I’m made of money, Toby?” his father asked?

“That damned school always wants money for something. Your mom knew this I bet, the vindictive bitch. That’s why she left you for me to take care of. Only person she’s gonna spend money on is herself,” he muttered.

Toby didn’t know what to say. His Mom had left a few months earlier. Just walked out one night and never came back. Toby didn’t miss her much. Things were worse when she was home. All the fighting and yelling really scared him.

“Come on, Toby, let’s go,” his father said an hour later. He grabbed his coat of the rack and started towards the door.

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry about it, just get moving.”

Toby watched the buildings go by through the car window. He knew they were heading downtown, but still didn’t know exactly where. When his Dad pulled into the church parking lot he was shocked. They never went to church. It sure was a pretty building though. He’d like to see the inside.

Toby changed his mind quickly. He didn’t like this. He wasn’t sure why, but something wasn’t right. His dad was just sitting in the car looking at the church. Toby could tell he was thinking about something because the vein on the side of his head was pulsing.

“What are we doing at a church, Dad?” Toby asked.

“Toby, I want you to go knock on the door. When the priest answers ask him if you can have five dollars,” his father replied.

Toby looked at the church uncertainly, but got out of the car anyway. He had to do what his dad said even if he didn’t understand it. Why would the priest give him money? Maybe his dad knew him or something.

Toby knocked on the door and then stepped back. Just as the door opened he heard his dad start the car. The priest looked down at him and asked, “What can I do for you, son?”

Toby started to ask him for the money when he heard the car leave the parking lot. He didn’t know what to think at first so just stood frozen in place. The next thing he knew, his dad was squealing rubber down the road. He started running after the car yelling for his dad to come back.

The priest chased him down and brought him into the church.

“Calm down, son, and tell me what’s going on,” he said kindly.

Toby had never seen anyone with eyes like his. They looked so nice. He bet this man’s kids never got slapped. He didn’t want to admit that his dad had left him but he couldn’t lie to this man. He didn’t know why, but it just didn’t seem right.

“I don’t know. My Dad told me to knock and ask you for five dollars. I need it for science class tomorrow and he doesn’t have it. Mom might but she’s a vindictive bitch that only spends money on herself,” he told the startled priest.

“Where is your mother?” the priest said as he looked Toby over. He could tell the boy hadn’t had a bath in a while, and he looked hungry. There was also a red welt on his cheek.

“She left a while back. We haven’t seen her since. It’s just Dad and me now,” Toby replied. “I don’t know where dad went,” Toby went on with a look at the door.

“Come with me. We’ll go to the office and I can make a phone call. We’ll try to find out where your dad went, ok?” the priest said holding his hand out to Toby.

Toby was leery, but he took the man’s hand and let him lead the way to the office. Once there the priest told him to sit in the red chair in the hall while he made the call.

The priest went into the office and closed the door. Keeping his eye on Toby, he called the local police station and asked to speak to Sergeant Jones.

“Hello, John, this is Randy at St. Michaels.”

“Hello, Father, what can I do for you?” Sergeant Jones inquired.

“I have a boy here with me. His father just left him on the stoop.”

Sergeant Jones sighed and said, “I’ll be right over. It’s a damned shame when people have kids and then change their mind ain’t it, Father?”

The priest agreed, but looking at the mark on Toby’s cheek he thought leaving him here might have been the only good thing his dad had ever done for him.

“I’ll wait in the church with him, Sergeant,” he said as he hung up the phone.

Now he was left with the task of telling the child that his father wasn’t coming back, that he was unwanted. He sighed as he opened the office door and walked out. Seeing the expectant look on Toby’s face only made his heart sink lower.

“Toby, there’s something I have to tell you…”

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Passion

This is my contribution to the Simply Snickers poetry prompt for the week.

The swing moved slowly back and forth
The only sound breaths and moans
The sweet surrender absolute
Love given and received with greed
The swell of passion mounting
Senses swim with intense sensation
Bodies merging as one
Completion reached together

Monday, October 6, 2008

Blend

This is my contribution the the 100 Words meme. I missed last weeks! Hope y'all like this one.

“Are you wearing that to school, Debra?”

“Yes, Mother. It’s what all the girls wear these days,” Debra replied.

Her mother looked her over again from head to toe. The outfit left nothing at all to the imagination.

“Isn’t it a little revealing?” she asked her daughter cautiously.

“No more so than anyone else’s clothes at school,” Debra said with a shrug.

“I think you should change, Debra.”

“But I thought you wanted me to blend in, Mother. Remember, you always said if I stood out people would notice all my flaws,” Debra replied as she went out the door.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Forbidden

This is my contribution to the Sunday Scribblings writing prompt. Let me know what you think.


She walked into the room and every head turned. They all knew she was taken. Charlie made sure everyone know just who she belonged to. If he caught them looking there’d be hell to pay. But it was so hard not to stare at something that perfect.

Long legs and flowing blonde hair combined with a smile that could knock your socks off. What man could resist that? Charlie knew everyone looked. He just didn’t like seeing them when they did it. He sure liked it when they talked about how lucky he was though. Too bad Johnny was new to town and didn’t know all this.

Johnny almost fell off his bar stool when April walked into the room. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. When he saw her sit down, he got up and ambled over. You could have heard a pin drop when he pulled out a chair and sat down.

April was so shocked that she didn’t even think to stop him. She just sat gaping.

The next thing anybody knew, Johnny was flying across the floor and Charlie was screaming bloody murder. Johnny lay stunned for a few minutes, long enough for the second blow to land squarely upside his jaw. After this he realized he better get up and try to figure out what was going on.

“Wait a minute, fella,” he said as Charlie came in for another blow. “What’s going on here?”

“You were messing with my woman is what’s going on here,” Charlie replied before kicking Johnny in the knee.

“Dammit, will you stop!” Johnny pleaded.

“Stop? I’ve just got started. Nobody messes with my woman and gets away with it. You think you can just waltz in and steal her away from me, don’t ya pretty boy? Well it ain’t gonna happen,” Charlie sneered.

“I wasn’t stealing anything. I was just going to talk to her. I didn’t know she belonged to anybody,” Johnny cried as he blocked the next blow.

“Well now you know. And so nobody else makes the mistake of thinking otherwise, I’m gonna make an example out of you.”

Charlie worked on Johnny for a good thirty minutes. By the time he was through the whole bar was a mess. He’d owe Chuck a pretty penny this time for sure. When he finally got too tired to fight any longer he sat down at the table with April.

Looking down at Johnny he said, “Do you understand now, son? You don’t go messing with another man’s woman. You should find out if the lady’s taken before you try to pick her up. I know my April’s something special, luscious and sweet. But this here is forbidden fruit, son. Nobody gets a taste but me.”

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A Slow Death

Here's this weeks poem for the Simply Snickers poetry prompt.

The clouds weep
The oceans wail
Rubbish clutters the beaches
And the ozone fails

Trash abounds
Pollution runs wild
The climate suffers
The effects of style

More concerned with how things look
Getting places in a hurry
Bigger and better is the cry
As the world dies

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Poison

Here's this weeks contribution to the Weekend Wordsmith Meme. It was fun writing this one!


Just one little drop, that’s all it would take to end my problems. It wouldn’t hurt much. Well, wouldn’t hurt me much anyway. I guess Harry would think differently. But after all the pain he’s put me though I don’t much care for his opinion.

He never cared when he hurt me. All the beatings…it’s a wonder I’m still alive. Not that I call this living. Stuck in this chair for the rest of my life. Oh how he enjoys the sympathy from friends! It makes my skin crawl when he talks about taking care of me. He takes care of me alright, every night. Takes care that I don’t scream too loud and wake the neighbors.

He should never have left the bottle sitting on the kitchen counter. He seems to think I can’t do anything in this chair, but I can. I reached the bottle for instance, and I’ve kept it hidden ever since. Just one little drop, and I’ll be free. Free to do what I’m not quite sure; but free from him, though, is the important thing. Maybe two little drops would be better.

Here he comes now, stomping up the stairs. Better get in the living room.

“What are you looking at, you little cripple?” he snarls as he walks in.

I know better than to say anything back. Don’t want the beatings to start too early.

“I guess you’ve been sitting here watching TV all day while I’ve been working. You’re useless,” he says as he’s pulling his work boots off, leaving his dirty, smelly socks lying on the floor.

“After I get me a beer and clean up, we’ll see if we can’t find a use for you,” he says with a smirk.

We’ll see about that, Harry. This time things are going to be different. I’m not taking any more of this crap. I’m tired of it. I’m just tired period.

“Damn that’s good,” he says after the first swig of beer.

“I won’t be long, and then we can have some fun,” he throws back on his way to the bathroom.

Just one little drop. Wonder how the beer will taste now. He is kinda big, better use two drops. There, all done. Just in time too, here he comes.

“What are you looking at?” he snarls. “After I finish this beer I’ll teach you some respect.”

“What the hell? What’s going on here? Argh…” he says grabbing his chest and falling to the floor. “What have you done, you little shit?”

This is very interesting. He’s actually twitching. I thought people only did that on TV. He’s turning blue too. I hope it will be over soon.

“Carmen, baby, call 911. You can’t let me die like this! You know I love you. I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you anymore. Please, baby, call someone!” he pleads.

“Sorry, Dad, remember I can’t reach the phone anymore. You wouldn’t lower it on the wall.”