Mom, author, nurse, teacher . . . reading the world around me

Month: October 2022

Children of the Bog

I’ve come to love holiday writing contests. This is my entry to Susanna Leonard Hill’s wonderful Halloweensie writing contest.

The rules require you to write a Halloween story with kid appeal with a max of 100 words–including some variation of the words treat, slither, and scare.

Children of the Bog

(100 words)

Halloween night,

adults of Reaper’s Bog

beseech their children

to stay close for trick-or-treating.

For every Hallows-Eve, a lone child

is swallowed up by the bog,

and the terrifying creatures within.

Do they slither, scamper, or snatch?

Growl, grimace, or gnaw?

No child’s ever returned to tell.

Betsy Braveheart isn’t scared.

Stuffing her princess costume

behind a tree, she pulls a slingshot

from her pocket,

creeps to swamp’s edge…

and waits.

At dawn, only her costume’s recovered.

She’s joined the bog children.

Sadly…

Betsy’s scribbled note,

roughly jammed into a gnarled tree’s hole,

goes unnoticed.

“They were human once too!”

The Tastiest Tea

Mooncake Festival- Credit: Tehcheesiong for Stock Free Images

I’m thrilled to throw my hat into the ring for the 2022 Fall Writing Frenzy contest.

Special thanks to Lydia Lukidis and Kaitlyn Sanchez for organizing the contest, and to all of the donors!

My entry is 189 words. Enjoy!

The Tastiest Tea

Ginger and Grey gallop off, gathering friends

to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival—

leaving their mooncakes cooling…

and a huge pot of tasty tea

outside to steep.

As Oolong Otter pedals past,

a rusty screw flies from his busted-up bike.

Sploosh!

Now its rusty tasty tea.

As Matcha Mouse scampers past,

dust flies from her cleaning kit.

Sploosh!

Now its dusty rusty tasty tea.

As Boba Bogey drifts past,

an escaping ghost flies from its grasp.

Sploosh!

Now its ghosty dusty rusty tasty tea. 

As Pekoe Porcupine races past,

a lemon flies from her lunch basket.

Sploosh!

Now its zesty ghosty dusty rusty tasty tea. 

As Chai Chipmunk hurdles past,

some pie flies from their apron pocket.

Sploosh!

Now its crusty zesty ghosty dusty rusty tasty tea. 

As Darjeeling Donkey lumbers past,

a clump of glue flies off his carpenter’s belt.

Sploosh!

Now its pasty crusty zesty ghosty dusty rusty tasty tea. 

Everyone gathers to celebrate, nibble mooncakes, and taste the tea.

“It’s nutty!”

Fruity!”

Gritty?”

But, in the end—

the nutty fruity gritty pasty crusty zesty ghosty dusty rusty tasty tea….

is the best tea anyone’s ever tasted.

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