Dumb and insolent

What a frustrating week - the southerly wind blowing little but irritation as I scampered hither and thither trying to discover why no comments. The solution eventually coming from younger son who said ‘That’s usually an HTML problem’ and since what I’d posted  seemed to be causing the blockage, I took them down and hey presto, comments appeared again. No idea what I did wrong, because warnings of HTML usually flash red and will not be ignored. 

However, little doubt in my mind as to this week’s winner: J E Deegan’s ‘Thumbs down’ really hit the spot for me, so no doubts about awarding that one top prize.

Words for next week: border, malevolent, zeal

Entries by midnight Thursday 4th October, words and winners posted Friday 5th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.

Blow the wind southerly

There’s something horribly humourless about the colour of the sky today, the featureless greenish white of a well-used handkerchief. Which has me appreciating more than ever the colourful and vivid imagery presented for our delectation and delight this week. Re someone else doing the judging - more of that in a couple of weeks.

For reasons I haven’t fathomed (unlike the rest of my family I lack the analytical gene) so cannot say exactly why R J Wayne’s ‘The Guardians‘1.2  had such a strong impact, but it went into the number 1 spot early on and stayed there; David T's 'Daddy's Home' came a close second.

Words for next week: deadlock intercept maiden

Entries by midnight Thursday 27th September, words and winners posted Friday 28th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.

The Eroded steps ...

Title of an exquisite book of poetry, essays, photographs and drawings based upon a Halifax carpet factory, just this evening rediscovered on my bookshelf and worthy both of re-reading  and referencing  here, where so many of the week’s offerings, as ever, merit several reads, operating, as they do on several levels.

Before I pick a winner (Procrastinating? Moi?) I also thank you for the lovely comments on my two pieces this week, especially heartening because I felt they both felt short and am glad they were not perceived so; they equal the pleasure of winning, for me.

And so ... (no, Sandra, you cannot have four winners!) ...  although David T’s ‘He took her so fast the doorknob was still in her hand' really set my heart beating, and Terrie’s hiccups were such a delight, I choose Patricia’s ‘Now I lay me down ...’ for its all-encompassing potential for nightmare.

Words for next week: brim  cloister  valid

Entries by midnight Thursday 20th September, words and winners posted Friday 21st

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.

Help me make it through the night

Two phrases this week impressed me with a particularly well-executed horror, exquisitely evoked. The sort that leaves me hoping I sleep sound through the night, and especially between the hours of 2 a.m. and 3, which is when the blackest of ideas return to haunt me. And so, another week with dual winners: Terrie for ‘delicately, and slowly, butchered flesh from bone.’ in Demon-food and David, whose ENFANT, contained ‘screaming until they had no voices’. 

Thank you all for another week of taking innocent words and corrupting them beyond imagination.

Words for next week: deliver guardian knob

Entries by midnight Thursday 13th September, words and winners posted Friday 14th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.