Horror Bites #9 - The Door

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Horror Bites Challenge #9

From the Office Mango website:

Well I’m a wee bit late this week, sorry blame it on the sunshine and the fact I’m still on my holidays from work. 

So this week I thought I’d post a picture that is sure to get your horror genes working. Enjoy, can’t wait to read the tales.

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 200-350.

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!

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You know what they say about curiosity...

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The Door

    In the house where I grew up there is a door at the top of the stairs that leads to the attic. My mother told me never to go up those stairs, that I had no business there. It was a dark, dusty room, full of old boxes and protruding nails, therefore a dangerous place for a young boy's entertainment. So I played downstairs or in the yard, afraid to so much as look up at the small window below the peak of the roof when outside.
    When I grew older, there was school, sports, and girls, of course, and those childhood fears faded away, buried and mostly forgotten beneath the activities of a young man's life.
    After only two years into college, however, my parents died in a tragic accident—or so the story goes. While stopping by the house to obtain proper clothing for their viewing, I remembered that door, and those old warnings freshened within my memory. I dispersed these thoughts with a laugh as I climbed the creaking steps, embarrassed at my youthful terrors.
    As I stood before the door, a noise came from within, not unlike the scratching of a mouse, perhaps, making a nest in the relative comfort of the old wooden beams. The knob was free to turn, but the door, locked with a deadbolt and no key present, was impassable.
    If, somehow, a key might be in the other side of the lock, I could eject it, retrieve the key from under the door, and thus gain entry. I knelt down to look in the keyhole, but no key was visible—only another eye looking directly back at mine. For better or worse, that is all I remember.
    In any event, I am quite happy where I reside now. My evening meal shall soon arrive and my hands freed from their restraints. Company will be wanting, however. They only allow staff in the room while my arms are untethered. Then, once they leave, and the door bolted again, I shall have peace. It's better for everyone that way.

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Makes you wonder which side of the door he was really on...

(346 words without the title - I almost took it to the limit!)

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Previous Horror Bites challenges: 

Wrapped in a Mystery (#8)
If The Shoe Fits (#7)
You Won't Feel A Thing (#6)
The Wings of Death (#5)

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Writing Workshop No. 2

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This is my sixth post covering events at Shore Leave 2014, a convention of artists, performers, writers, scientists, and fans of science fiction and fantasy in general that took place from August 1 through August 3, 2014 in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

The second writing workshop I attended was titled Short Story vs Novelization. This took place on Sunday evening. This was a smaller group, but it was interesting and there were good questions from the attendees. These are some of the points that were covered:

1. Get some your work (either short stories or longer pieces) published traditionally before self-publishing. They said, "If nobody else wants your stories, why would I, as a reader, want to buy your work?" This "traditional" path can be anthologies, web, micro-publishers, or a regular publishing house. This gives you some credibility before going out on your own. They also warned us not to publish our own anthologies unless you have already built up a readership.
2. You will get rejected a lot. Keep trying. Eventually, you will succeed.
3. Try to give them something different. Don't write another zombie story unless you have a unique twist that makes your story stand out from the rest of the pack.
4. Writing short stories can help you develop pacing. And while some novels are really just a bunch of short stories strung together, there are differences. With short stories, you must use your words carefully. With a novel, you have a bit more leeway to provide background and other details that might be distracting in a short story.
5. Join a local writing or critique group, if one is available.
6. Don't let family be your beta readers. They will either be brutal without providing real guidance because they are family or they will tell you how wonderful the story is because they are family. Neither is helpful.
7. Again, you will get rejected. Keep trying. You will succeed.
8. When you get rejected, put that story away for a while (six months to a year) before resubmitting. If an anthology called for stories about dinosaurs with machine guns and yours is rejected, a lot of others were rejected, too. Right after the anthology is closed, other publishers will be inundated with stories about dinosaurs with machine guns (yes, this was the example they used) from all those who were rejected. Wait for the smoke to clear (no pun intended) before submitting it again.

There was some disagreement with the old idea of starting on short stories and progressing to novels. Some authors thought that if you do novels best, start there. If you're better at short stories, do that. Other believed that doing short stories first built a foundation of skills for creating longer works. They did seem to agree that novelettes or novella-length stories are making a bit of a comeback.

There were some other writing workshops that looked interesting, but my schedule didn't allow me to attend. Maybe next time! If a convention like this comes by your area, check it out. There are many interesting ideas discussed and many writing contacts to be made.

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Richard Dean Anderson

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This is the fifth post covering events at Shore Leave 2014, a convention of artists, performers, writers, scientists, and fans of science fiction and fantasy in general that took place from August 1 through August 3, 2014 in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

One of the guests at Shore Leave 2014, and the main attraction for many, was Richard Dean Anderson of MacGyver and Stargate SG-1 fame. And, of course, I had to get a picture!

Image of Richard Dean Anderson and me at Shore Leave 2014, August 2, 2014

He took time to talk to everyone, both in the picture line and the autograph line. He also gave a couple of talks and answered questions. I was only able to see one of the talks as I had a writing workshop during the last one. During the first talk he asked everyone to sing happy birthday to his daughter Wylie Quinn Annarose Anderson. He had come here (with permission from Wylie) instead of being with her on her sixteenth birthday (August 2). He had to record it twice (on his phone). The first time didn't work. As he was having trouble with his phone, someone yelled out, "MacGyver would fix it!" He replied, "I'm trying!"

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Writing Workshop No. 1

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This is the fourth posts covering events at Shore Leave 2014, a convention of artists, performers, writers, scientists, and fans of science fiction and fantasy in general that took place from August 1 through August 3, 2014 in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

This year I attended the Annual Shore Leave All-Kinds-of-Writing Workshop given by Howard Weinstein, Bob Greenberger, Dave Galanter, Bob Jones, and Kelly Meding. Although Shore Leave is mainly a Trekkie / Stargate convention, there are guests, exhibits, and workshops for those interested in other genres.

From the Shore Leave website:

Our writing workshop team has about a century's worth of professional editing and writing experience between them! They'll be sharing the fruits and frustrations of all that jazz with all interested writers at their 2 hour workshop on Saturday. Since the basics of good writing and story-telling apply to many formats, the workshop will cover TV/movie scripts, novels, short stories, comics -- and non-fiction, too.

No matter what your age or experience, if you want to be a writer -- or want to be a better writer -- here's a chance to ask questions and chat about the craft and business of writing for fun and profit! (The workshop is free.)

The workshop was to cover a wide range of subjects, but due to the vigorous discussion, we didn't cover them all. The attendees were given handouts with some good examples. At the end, we were told if we come to the Farpoint convention we could pick up where we left off. (Maybe I'll go!) .

One subject we covered (with samples provided in the aforementioned handouts) was writing dialog. We discussed the overuse of dialog tags, when they are needed, and the structure of dialog and action. A sample of published dialog where nearly every spoken line contained a dialog tag were given, and then an example without tags to show how much better it flowed while still being clear as to which character was speaking. Also covered were ways to handle multi-speaker dialog without using too many tags.

Because the sample in the first discussion was from a published book, the subject of editing was brought up. Some of the panel wondered if anyone really has their work edited anymore. They stressed the need for the author to do as much editing on their own as possible since little help may be forthcoming even from large publishing houses.

After that, we went into a talk about cliches about writing, such as "killing your darlings," or those lines that the author feels are important for a book, but an editor may wish to leave out. They emphasized that it is the author's book, and if they feel that removing it would change the character of the story, the author must be willing to fight for the lines, paragraphs, or chapters they feel are necessary. Having a reason for their inclusion helps, but the final decision must be that of the writer. It was also mentioned that the editor may bring them into question simply to understand the book better, not because there is something wrong.

There was a good turn-out for this workshop, and the people attending had quite varied interests. Most were writing novels, but those working on short stories, screen plays, and even musicals were represented.

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Michael Welch

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Update 08/30/2014: I want to thank all of the Michael Welch fans who have visited this site. It's been one of my most active blog entries during the last month. If I get time, I may post a bit more on him (this last month has been a blur - too much to do!). 

Update 09/04/2014: I've added another post  ( < that's the link ) with a short video and a couple of pictures.

As promised, I'm posting on some of the events from Shore Leave 2014 now that it's over and I have time to breathe. This one is about Michael Welch.

I've haven't met many famous people in my life, and never an actor/actress from a well-known movie or television series. This weekend I met several. This post is about Michael Welch. I could remember him vaguely from the Joan of Arcadia television show, but I've never seen Twilight or any of his other work.

I realize that you can't tell too much about a person from a brief meeting in a staged environment, but I can tell you I was impressed by how hard he worked at the convention. He gave two one-hour talks where he answered many impromptu questions from fans. He gave some insight on what it takes to be a successful actor, dealings with the paparazzi, and stories about how he got into the business (more on these if I have time). He also talked about working with writers and directors, and dealing with rejection (which every actor and writer experiences).

After the talks, he went back out into the halls to work the autograph lines. Though he charges for each autograph (like all the other actors) and has staff helping him, it can still be hard work. Long after most of the people and staff had left on Sunday, Michael was still there, signing autographs for anyone who asked, and taking time to talk to each person. He also allowed people to take a picture with him, and was gracious the entire time. This is not as easy as it sounds. There are a lot of, well, let's say, "eccentric" people at these conventions (not me, of course), and you never know what sort of person may want to squeeze up against you in a situation like this. He never stopped smiling. Trust me—it's impressive.

Michael Welch
(He stopped what he was doing more than once
so that I could take his picture.)

Michael Welch signing a picture
from the Joan of Arcadia series
for a fan.

More on Shore Leave 2014 later!

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Winding Down

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Although Shore Leave 2014 is winding down, this won't be the last post. Once I get some rest and load some pictures and tell a bit about what went on her.

Right now, I'm sitting about fifty feet from Richard Dean Anderson and less than twenty feet from Teryl Rothery while they do their final autograph session. Michael Welch is also working hard at the table to Teryl's right. They've all given their fans a great deal of personal access and interaction.

I know these pictures don't show much, but it's all I can do quickly right at the moment.

Teryl Rothery is somewhere on the left behind folks getting pictures signed.

Richard Dean Anderson is taking care of the last few autograph seekers here.

Both are very personable. Teryl said I looked like Bruce Boxleitner. If I ever meet him, I'll have to offer my sympathies!

More soon! I promise!

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

Shore Leave 2014 - Friday

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Well, I'm here at Shore Leave and it's been an interesting evening. As soon as I got here, there was no mistake that I was in the right place...

Dr. Who collection

As we were walking down the hall, we looked into one of the conference rooms and saw Michael Welch of Twilight fame getting a birthday cake. He blew out the candles, but he didn't tell us what his wish was.

Michael Welch

Next up was a talk by Richard Picardo (Stargate, China Beach) on his various roles. He told a number of interesting and humorous stories, and answered questions on them from the audience. He's quite an interesting fellow.

Richard Picardo at Shore Leave 2014

There were a lot of writers, of course, selling and signing books. Much of it was related to Star Trek or Stargate, but fantasy titles were well represented.

Authors in the hall

I startled Michael Jan Friedman (Star Trek novels and fantasy) taking his picture as he was signing a book. He smiled afterward. I guess he's used to this sort of thing.

Michael Jan Friedman, Author

And just when we thought the night was over, there was Robert Picardo singing karaoke in the bar...

Robert Picardo singing karaoke

We talked briefly in the hall afterward as he was leaving for the night. He's a funny and interesting man.

Now I must get some rest myself, for tomorrow I get to do this all over again!

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

Fringeworks / Dead Men's Tales Update

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Update: Just to let everyone know, Dead Men's Tales, with my story Skarett's Treasure, was published in February 2017. You can find it HERE.

I received an e-mail yesterday from Melissa Black, the editor of Fringeworks' Dead Men's Tales anthology. If you've read my other posts on this, you know my story, Skarett's Treasure, was to be included, but it seemed as if the project had stalled and was in danger of disappearing altogether. It's been a long time coming, but she confirmed it is to come out during the third quarter of this year (around September?). The cover art is almost complete and the project is moving forward!

That's all for now, but I hope to have more on this soon!

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

Shore Leave 2014

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This is the first of several posts covering events at Shore Leave 2014, a convention of artists, performers, writers, scientists, and fans of science fiction and fantasy in general that takes place from August 1 through August 3, 2014 in Hunt Valley, Maryland. If all goes as planned, I will be in attendance!

Here is a list of the "media guests," actors that have played parts in science fiction TV shows, Star Trek in particular.

Richard Dean Anderson http://twitter.com/andersonrdean/

Eve Myles http://evemyles.net/
http://twitter.com/TeamEveMyles/

Leonard Nimoy* http://www.leonardnimoyphotography.com/
http://twitter.com/TheRealNimoy/

Beaming into Shore Leave con Sunday August. 3 at 9AM Pacific time. Hope to SEE you there. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) July 26, 2014

Silas Weir Mitchell http://www.silasweirmitchell.com/

Robert Picardo http://www.robertpicardo.com/
http://twitter.com/RobertPicardo/

Teryl Rothery http://terylrothery.com/
http://twitter.com/terylrothery/

Michael Welch http://www.michaelwelchact.com/
http://twitter.com/michaelwelchact/

Join me this weekend for Shore Leave in Maryland! http://t.co/YyBEOfV4CZ
— Michael Welch (@MichaelWelchAct) July 29, 2014

* Mr. Nimoy will appear via Skype

I hope to meet a few of these folks, attend a writing workshop (and meet a lot of writers), check out some artwork, and do a bit of reporting via twitter - or maybe even a post here!

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

HB Challenge #8 - Wrapped In A Mystery

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Horror Bites Challenge #8

From the Office Mango website:

Anyway went a bit mad on holiday and got some random pictures that I hope over the new few months will inspire some horrific tales.

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!

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They say you should keep a little mystery in your relationship...

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Wrapped in a Mystery

    "There's not a single person in the pool, Bob, or even next to it. Not that anyone would blame them. A third disappearance from this very hotel in as many weeks is a bit much. 
    "That's true, though I guess it's good for us, Debbie. We have the place all to ourselves and we can pick any spot we want."
    "You know there are all kinds of terrible stories about what might have happened. When I went out to get a bottle of wine last night, I heard some of the hotel staff talking about it."
    "Like what?"
    "Kidnappings, murders, even abductions by little green men from outer space. The police are baffled, they said. It's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. No evidence, no witnesses, and no clue of any kind."
    Debbie stretched out on a lounge chair, pulled her floppy hat over her eyes, and wrapped a beach towel around her legs to protect them from the sun.
    "Well, I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," Bob said. "We're on a tiny little island, after all. Nobody can get away without someone noticing. Everyone's seen the pictures of the missing people. If they're alive, they can't sneak off, and if they're dead, there's no place to easily hide the bodies." 
    "I don't know, Bob. We are in the Bermuda Triangle."
    "Now don't be silly, Debbie. Nobody believes that stuff," Bob replied as they both laughed.
    "Still, it does make one wonder, doesn't it?"
    There was no reply, so she continued with the conversation.
    "Do you know what time it is? I don't want to be late for dinner." 
    Answered only by silence, Debbie lifted the brim of her hat to see an empty chair next to hers.
    "Bob?"

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Perhaps he just had to use the restroom. Or not...

(293 words without the title)

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Previous Horror Bites challenges: 

If The Shoe Fits (#7)
You Won't Feel A Thing (#6)
The Wings of Death (#5)

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

FSF Challenge - Fearless

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Fearless

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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This may be he shortest FSF Challenge post I've ever done - and perhaps one of the scariest.

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Lines

Source: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/WV1.jpg 
via http://lilliemcferrin.com/five-sentence-fiction-fearless/

    "What happened, Colonel? They're unarmed nurses, not infantry. They were supposed to move close to the enemy lines—not over."
    "They didn't, sir. While tending to the wounded, the lines moved behind them."

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Image source: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/WV1.jpg
Description: Female nurses in 1944.

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

FSF Challenge - Rain

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Rain

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A short one this week...

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Tears Among the Raindrops
 

 

Falling_rain_in_Mexico.jpg
© Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com /
 Wikimedia Commons /
CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
 

    He found her standing outside a café as the rain began to fall, broken-hearted and sobbing. He had always loved her, and hoped someday she would notice, but as he walked her home through the downpour, she vowed never to let herself fall for another man. 
    "I like the rain," she said, tilting her face up toward the sky. "It hides my tears."
    "Mine, too," he replied.

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Image source:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFalling_rain_in_mexico.jpg  
Description: Falling rain in downtown Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.

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

FSF Challenge - Pages

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Pages

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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This prompt really set me off... in a good way, of course. So we're having a 3-for-1 sale! The first is a poem inspired by another FSF entry.

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Love and a Good Book

Note: I wrote this after reading Madeline's entry for this week's FSF challenge. The poem is about reading a book. Honest. Well, anyway, that's the story I'm sticking to...  Read Madeline's first to understand where I came up with this.


I inhale the bouquet, a perfume like no other.

My fingers touch lightly,
Caressing in anticipation.

Opening before me for the first time,
All is offered to my eyes.

My imagination runs wild
With the promise of the next moment,
The next hour,
Until it is finally over.

Yet even when our story is done,
And there are no more pages to turn,
You will be mine forever.


                                         K. R. Smith

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Homework

This is for all the computer geeks. I had a crash at work and, wouldn't you know, the words "page fault" flashed up on the screen. Then I saw this prompt. Put the two together and this is what you get.

   "Mom? I need help with my book report."
    "What's the matter, honey?"
    "I was printing it out from the computer and I got this message saying there was a page fault. I've read my report over maybe a hundred times and I still can't find it."

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The Missing Words

    She thumbed through a diary, one written long ago, and the memories surged from inside her heart. It told of her first love, her true love, a man she knew while growing from a girl into a woman. It told of the places they went, the times they shared, and she could feel those same emotions again from the faded words. Then she came to the page that was missing, a page torn out in anger and burned. The words that had tortured her had long been destroyed, yet the pain was as fresh as the wind that swirled around the bridge on which she stood.  

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Image source http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/book-pages-med11-1024x768.jpg via Lillie McFerrin's FSF 

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

This Week's Free Photo - Astilbe

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Once again I am behind in posting my free photos. Instead "This Week's Free Photo," perhaps I should call it "This Year's Free Photo."

Anyway, it's more flowers again, this time astilbe. They had just bloomed and were covered in little water droplets from the rain. These images are quite large, and are best seen at full size. They might take a while to load, however.

Astilbe - Image Astilbe_bunch_2.jpg

Astilbe - Image Astilbe_with_dew_2.jpg

Astilbe - Image Astilbe_with_dew.jpg

Astilbe leaves - Image Astilbe_leaves.jpg

Astilbe leaf - Image Astilbe_leaf_with_dew.jpg

Astilbe - Image Astilbe_bunch.jpg

Astilbe - Image Astilbe.jpg

Stop back again! I'll have more photos for you next week (or fairly soon thereafter)!

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Images Astilbe_bunch_2.jpg, Astilbe_with_dew_2.jpg, Astilbe_with_dew.jpg, Astilbe_leaves.jpg, Astilbe_leaf_with_dew.jpg, Astilbe_bunch.jpg, and Astilbe.jpg ©2014 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used, in whole or in part, with attribution.

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

Grimm & Grimmer / Fringeworks Update / The Saga Continues

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UPDATE 7/9/2014

I have received an e-mail from Adrian Middleton stating they do intend to publish Dead Men's Tales before the end of the year as a Fringeworks project. He is waiting for a final list of the stories to be published.

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Sorry for the long title, but at this point I'm not sure what else to call it.

Many months ago, I had two stories accepted for publication by Fringeworks. I had expected them to have been published almost a year ago. I have written several blog posts about them. There have been a number of delays, and I'm not sure if they will ever be published...  One was supposed to go to the imprint they picked up (Knightwatch Press), but it's been months since I've heard from the editor.

I had wondered if Fringeworks had taken on more than they could handle, and it appears this is the case based on what they've put up on their blog.

Posted on the Fringeworks website (under the "blog" heading as of 06/30/2014):

Fringeworks is a small-press publisher by day and consultancy by night.

Sort of.

We are based in Mid-Wales and Birmingham, and are focused on doing things differently to everybody else. We like to experiment, and we like to export the things that work (And own up to the things that don’t). This is where you’ll find all the latest news on what the Fringeworks crew are up to. Stay tuned! Lots of exciting developments to come!

Note: The site is currently undergoing maintenance and some of the following links are currently unavailable and will go live from July 1st 2014.

OUR AUTHORS : OUR ARTISTS : OUR BOOKS : OUR EVENTS : OUR IMPRINTS : OUR NEWSLETTERS : OUR PROMOTIONS : OUR SCHEDULE : PROJECTS ON HOLD : WORKING WITH US  (Note: a lot of these still aren't working - KRS)

Our founder, Adrian Middleton, has this to say:

“When we started in 2011 the plan was to have a small in-house press that could my dream of running a bookshop/pub-cum-events venue. Sadly that never quite happened, so in 2013 we changed gear. Instead of publishing just four or five books per year we took over a horror imprint, Knightwatch Press. That decision stretched us to the limit and led to more than 20 titles being available by the end of the year. We learned a lot – good and bad – and now it’s time for us to step back and look at things afresh.”

Fringeworks is going back to its original mission – to produce quality genre and other books that stand out from the crowd. To make this work we need to be transparent – both with our authors, our artists, our writers and our customers.

Page modified by Admin on June 21, 2014

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They have always tried to keep me informed even when things were not going well, and they've had to deal with a few issues beyond their control. I still think they are honest and are doing what they can, but this is taking a long time. So, what does this mean for me? I'm not sure. But I still have hopes of having the stories they've accepted published (The Fisherman and His Wife for Grimm & Grimmer IV, and Skarrett's Treasure in Dead Men's Tales). I will keep you posted!

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

HB Challenge #7

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This writing challenge from Horror Bites Challenge #7

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!

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

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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.

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Probably just a coincidence...

(317 words)

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Previous Horror Bites challenges: 

You Won't Feel A Thing (#6)
The Wings of Death (#5)

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

FSF Challenge - Dazzles

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Dazzles

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Another poem. Free-form.

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Dancing Visions

It is her dream: to dance.

Illuminated by the glow of a single spotlight,
She begins.

Her body sways,
Outstretched arms undulate
Emulating flowing waters.

Then hands,
Rising into the air like lifting fog,
Fall like rain
Onto the black rubber rims.

The wheelchair twirls,
Sparkling in the sunlight from between tattered curtains
As the audience within her reverie,
Dazzled by beauty,
Applauds.

                         K. R. Smith

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Image source http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/danece-dance-the-spotlight-51376.jpg 

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

FSF Challenege - Fenced

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Fenced

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A poem, for a change...

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A Link To The Outside

The fog drifts in from the water and crawls along the shore,
Passing through the fence unhindered,
A wispy spirit whose chill presence
Makes my tired body shiver.

But I shouldn't complain;
It gives cover from spying eyes,
The eyes of those who would deny my needs,
From those who would punish me.

A seagull taunts from the ashen sky,
Laughing,
Mockingly demonstrating how easily he soars
Between my world and his.

But I ignore the supercilious bird
For time is short and there is work to do,
Work that must be done today,
Now, quietly.

Only a few more links,
Just a few more snips,
And, if the guard should look away,
I will be free.


                         K. R. Smith

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Image source Image source http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/hole-in-fence.jpg via Lillie McFerrin's FSF, originally posted at http://www.soulseeds.com/fb-inspiration/2013/03/seed-of-free-mind/

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

FSF Challenge - Wishes

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Just a note for all you horror followers: The next full moon in the Washington, DC area will be on Friday, June 13, 2014 at 12:13 AM according to the Farmer's Almanac. Should be an interesting night!

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Wishes

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Still short, but sweet this time!

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Wishes On The Wind

    Sarah rested next to Jason beneath an oak overlooking the lake as a soft breeze guided cotton-ball clouds through an azure sky and watched as their daughter sat in the cool grass making dandelion wishes.
    "I wonder what she's wishing for."
    "Probably an ice cream cone for lunch," Jason replied as he plucked one of the little weeds. "And what do you wish for—riches, fame, world peace?" he asked holding the fuzzy seed head in front of her lips.
    Sarah smiled, blew away the tiny white parachutes, and said, "Another day just like this."

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Image source Image source http://versioned.nameberry.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/wishes-618x412.jpg via Lillie McFerrin's FSF

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

Camp NaNoWriMo

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Just a reminder... It's almost time for Camp NaNoWriMo again!

  

I won't be there, but several folks I keep in contact with are usually out there. It starts again in July, so there's still time to sign up!

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