Monday, June 30, 2014

HB Challenge #7


This writing challenge from

From the Office Mango website:
Ever wonder what goes on in an office, maybe this prompt will give you a clue ;)

1:  Tales can be posted on your blogs & then just add to the wee linky tool, or add as a comment if you don’t have a blog.
2:  A word count of 250-300.
3:  Try to scare me, or at the very least create a little bit of darkness.
4:  This will be a fortnightly (two weeks) challenge from when the post goes live, so you’ve got plenty thinking time.

So come on what are you waiting for, go find your inner demons and get your scare on!


Kristina is at it again! Maybe she doesn't work in an office in the tradition sense, but it's still a business...




If The Shoe Fits





    "I need to drop by my house during lunch," Kristina said to Burt. "I might be a little late returning."
    He wasn't surprised, though he was irritated. She often took liberties with the mid-day break. Running a funeral home meant keeping to a schedule, and it was Kristina's job to make certain the deceased looked as life-like as possible for the viewings.
    "Before you go, could you check Mrs. Humphrey? She's on the cart and they're getting ready to load her into the hearse to transport her for the church services. I think her make-up was smeared when we rearranged the lining in her casket."
    "Oh, all right. But I'll only be back that much later!"
    Kristina had one of the workers open the lid.
    "That's not too bad," she said while pulling a rag out of a toolbox in the hearse to touch up the woman's face. After a few dabs, she said, "That will have to do."
    She had them shut the lid, roll Mrs. Humphrey into the hearse, and then close the doors.
    There was a slight incline to the driveway where the hearse pulled away, and the vehicle lurched as it rode over a small bump. The rear doors popped opened, and Mrs. Humphrey, along with the casket, flowers, and a large wreath slid out the rear. Kristina tried to dodge the errant effluent of eternity, but her reflexes weren't quite good enough. As the heavy metal casket crushed her toes, she screamed and dropped the bag she was carrying, spilling its contents including a pair of shiny, new shoes. They were Mrs. Humphrey's shoes, the ones her husband had brought in for his dear wife. Kristina, trapped by the weight of the coffin, was helpless as the coffin's lid slowly swung open, and she came face to face with her accuser, whose expression, curiously enough, bore just the hint of a smile.




Probably just a coincidence...

(317 words)



Previous Horror Bites challenges: 
You Won't Feel A Thing (#6)
The Wings of Death (#5)


© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful! Love this. Getting your just deserts. I love the line 'errant effluent of eternity'. And something so disturbing about stealing from the dead!

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    1. Thanks, in more ways than one. In posting your comment, I noticed a spelling mistake which I have corrected. That's the first time that has ever happened to me - in the last hour or so...

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    2. (I had written "if a smile" instead of "of a smile" on the last line. Don't tell anyone...)

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  2. Divine retribution - of a kind, lol

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    Replies
    1. I hope Kristina has learned her lesson! If not, I may have another story for her... Thanks for dropping by to read!

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  3. Really enjoyed this one, unexpected ending which fit wonderfully.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! This was a hard one. I really had a difficult time coming up with a story based on the picture prompt!

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