Several sorts of stomach-churning, neck-tingling, throat-catching brands of horror in this week's offerings and I think it is because David's 'No laughing matter' touches more on a reality I too have experienced – and fear I could again, the enforcement of others' ideas of 'enjoyment' one of the more to-be-feared facets of care in later life (Cue that Who song!!) that make it my winner this week.
Interesting divergence of opinion re
Monty Python et al; my lukewarm
attitude has my sons declaring I have no sense of humour, whereas I stoutly
claim it to be subtle. Thank you all for the stimulation.
Entries
by midnight Thursday 10th December, new words posted Friday 11th
CONCERN
ReplyDeleteThe wind-up siren had been oiled and mended, so Joanie could announce the return of Caolin and Connor with two short bursts as they approached her directly, no doubt to determine why she had not sounded earlier when they crested the hill.
She leaned far over the safety bars. “HALLOOO!”
“HALLOOO,” Dooney echoed, throwing minging old tinsel dragged from the bonfire heap over his head.
A torch beam quested.
“Halloo yourself,” Colm urged from the bottom rung. “Thought the Black Tide had got you.”
“No such luck. Dooney’s with me.”
“He does tend to eradicate vigilance,” Caolin called.
“You THINK?”
Aside – minging [ming-ing] is a Derryism meaning filthy beyond comparison. This is why the pronunciation of the name Menzies - perhaps inappropriately - amuses us.
and 'minging' long escaped from Derry - 30+ years ago teenage son used it far too often when describing girls ...
DeleteI actually gaped at that use. Coarse but all too common use. Far from the famed Irish lyricism. I know the expression has done the rounds since. Some areas are still spared. As I recall it travelled via the adapted song Pearl's a Singer.
DeleteWell done, David - by the way - worthy winner.
DeleteI laughed out loud when Dooney answered the Hallooo and threw the tunsel. He's really becoming quite endearing.
DeleteI agree with John. That Dooney is developing quite a talent for worming his way into the heart. This is such an entertaining (and very different) series.
DeleteI also enjoyed the image of Dooney tossing the tinsel, as well as the line 'A torch beam quested.'
DeleteMany congratulation, David. As I said in my comments, magnificent "out of the box" entry.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, David!
Deleteanother of your amazing condensations, a whole nasty horror story in 100 words...many congrats on another win!
DeleteEx Post Facto
ReplyDeleteI will do anything for him. Anything. He only has to ask and then, but once. Urging not required. Prompting unnecessary. He knows this. Takes advantage, but I don't mind as long as he never leaves me.
So, when he tells me to remove yet another bloodied and bludgeoned body bound with tinsel wire from the trunk of his car and eradicate the evidence, I am more than happy to oblige.
Even Jack the Ripper might have had someone who loved him. Tinsel wire... i wish I'd thought of that.
DeleteI'd not heard of 'tinsel wire' but now I have ... I'm sure it'll come in useful, thank you Patricia. (And this taut, tight tale a pleasure too. Of a sort)
Deleteoh I love it, so off hand and casual whilst writing about gruesome things. I love tinsel wire too.
DeleteHorrible but intriguing. I've often wondered what would make someone become the willing helper of a killer.
DeleteSmoothly and lovingly macabre.
ReplyDeleteCHEER?
ReplyDelete“Jingle bells, Santa smells, Dancer’s got the urge...” Thomas was heading towards crudity Mary thought they’d left behind.
Where’s the upside if we still have that sort of immaturity? she wondered. There must be a cleaner start for the Exile Generation.
“Jack Frost has the tinsel out and wrapped it round his...”
Mary coloured, encouraging the septuagenarian towards more and more lewd – but admittedly imaginative - lyrics.
But, unknown to him, she hadn’t blushed to the language but to the passing regret of Thomas’s rescue from the rats.
Colm was watching. “Eradicate the old and in with the new, eh?”
There is always someone willing to entertain with alternative lyrics. Very entertaining, Perry.
DeleteYes, entertaining indeed, John (and the song now firmly in my head.)
DeleteSo many variations of this endearing Christmas song have surfaced. I remember my daughter warbling: Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..." This one, however, holds an appeal of an entirely different nature.
Deletejust stand back and admire the way simple Christmas pleasures turn into something dark and very off the wall. Good one.
DeleteThey are such catchy songs. :) I enjoyed how Thomas misinterpreted Mary's blush.
DeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 130
ReplyDelete‘What I tell you must remain unshared,’ said Pink-Fairy menacingly. He opened his handbag and withdrew a length of tinsel-floss garrotte wire, ‘and I urge you both to respect our wishes…’ He handled the wire expertly and, recognising the veiled threat, they both nodded as he added softly, ‘Armi is my brother.’
Atlas stayed silent: Sarg did not.
‘But yer so, different ’
‘Same sire, different dams. We’ve kept it secret to eradicate any interference with his S.A.S work.’
‘An you took him home to recover from his last run in.’ Sarg hissed at Atlas.
Atlas looked uncomfortable but nodded.
Pink Fairy opening his handbag and Sarg blurting out the two's differences really showed us the atmosphere of the moment. She might need some sensitivity training.
DeleteAnother reason to steer clear of handbags. And yet - like these stories - so tempting.
DeleteOh joy - "tinsel-floss garrotte wire" - the ... er, icing on the cake of this well-wrought confession.
Delete"Brother from another mother," as the saying goes. I just love these unexpected reveals. Pink-Fairy remains one of the 'dillos I love best in this serialization, although each one comes with his or her special brand of charm.
DeletePink Fairy stands high in my list of dillo appreciation, too, wonderful character in a serial that never fails to entertain,
DeleteDefinitely don't want to get on the bad side of an expert with garrotte wire!
DeleteGathering magic – 16
ReplyDeleteAs they travelled, time rolled away behind them and the land began sparking with frost. At night stars shone in tinselled-strands across an icy sky while the scented promise of snow injected urgency into their journey toward the White Mountain.
When it came, the thick falling-snow eradicated most pathways and trails.
They became adept at crafting lean-to’s of bent branches to sleep under but the nights were freezing so Batt cautiously suggested she use magic to pull rocks from the earth and create heat to warm them against the cold.
Her first attempt ended in a bonfire of branches.
Burning down the lean-to... not as catch as a song I think I've heard, but proof that her magic is best served up in small doses. Love that Batt.
Delete"sparking with frost" - love it.
DeleteSuch a contrast in voice to the 'Dillos, lovely.
DeleteSo very lyrical and poetic. Although I adore your 'Dillos Saga, I really do believe this type of mythical and mystical talk is your premium wheelhouse.
DeleteI can't choose between your serials, Terrie, they all grab the attention through vivid images, like burning down the lean-to... good one.
DeleteLove the imagery of this, from the stars in 'tinsel-strands' to the bonfire. From darkness to unexpected light. :)
DeleteThe Book From The Sea 5
ReplyDeleteThe keep was cold, dark, and smelled of damp earth, fire-smoke and the sea.
Exhausted, Malook went to the room he had slept in as a boy. Under a layer of dust and tinsel-shower of small spider webs, time had eradicated nothing.
He dumped his bags on the floor and dust flew in the air.
The bed was not much better but, in urgent need of rest, he lay on the dusty coverings and fell asleep almost at once.
His dreams danced with faceless red eyes and brought with them the lure of forgotten memories reaching out from the past.
Really nice descriptions of the keep and of Malook's dream. Very good writing, Terrie.
DeleteYes, exactly what John says - a smooth and lovely evocation of place and dream.
DeleteAnd another lyrical piece from your talented plume this week, Terrie. You are most certainly on a roll...and what a delightful one it is too.
Deleteinstant sleep into very vivid dreams, interesting combination going on here, waiting on more.
DeleteAnother evocative scene. Your landscapes always come alive so beautifully. I loved the phrasing of the first line.
DeleteConfessions of a Pest Controller
ReplyDeleteFairies are no damn good. Vermin. An infestation. Mean, spiteful little creatures. The root cause of so many mishaps and misfortunes.
I am driven by the urge to eradicate them completely. I hunt them in woodland glades. Wrap their tiny corpses in clingfilm and store them in the freezer. At Christmas I hang them by the neck from the boughs of my tree on tiny tinsel nooses.
Then I clap my hands and yell “I believe in fairies!”
What delicious joy it is to see them resurrect and jig and twitch and die all over again.
The perfect title for this, David. You're on a roll.
DeleteOh the joys of envisioning this! All those thawing, tinsel-hung little beings in motion - superb..
DeleteI simply love this. Tinkerbell finally gets her comeuppance. Well, there's nothing left for me to wish for come Christmas now...!!!
Deletequietly insidiously nasty, heavy on the images which are repugnant to all fairy lovers, like little kids, how could you? But then again why not,. even little ones have to grow up sometime and realise Tinkerbell and her ilk are not all we make them out to be...
DeleteWell that made me shudder, but it is a unique and vivid piece.
DeleteThe Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 131
ReplyDeleteThey moved fast for some time before Clancy managed to match Nigel’s pace.
‘I say mate,’ he puffed, ‘any chance you kin slow down: My team can’t keep up an yer soldiers keep nipping at our tails ’
Nigel saw dried vomit trailing the pangolins whiskers like foul tinsel-twine and spotted his sickly hued scaly-snout. ‘Well, mate, wiv an army of weasels and rats ready t’ eradicate us, or worse torture us all, it aint safe to ‘ang about. ‘Owever, if the urge takes yu t’ get skinned alive then slow down if yu want.’
Clancy turned a shade sicklier.
I agree that haste is of import, but poor Clancy and his team need to be available for fighting when the time comes; which they won't be if totally exhausted. Kind of a sticky situation, which you are very good at creating.
DeleteI'd say that Nigel laid out the options pretty clearly. Will Clancy take heed?
DeleteYes, I doubt Nigel can afford to operate to the weakest denominator.
DeleteA double dose of 'dillos. Gift-giving has come early this year and in superb fashion.
Deletestruggling breathless dillos, images of Harald's men struggling to reach Hastings, how good is this serial to create such pictures in the mind???
DeleteI agree with Antonia, this story is always so vivid and easy to picture. I hope they stay ahead!
DeleteKursaal (Episode Two Hundred Twenty) - "O Tannenbaum"
ReplyDeleteMrs. Pepperdyne carried a box of Christmas ornaments to the burial site of her daughter, Lucy, although she denied the little girl's demise and that of Lucy's twin, Libby. Any possibility of death firmly eradicated, despite those who urged otherwise.
The area had become a shrine with alabaster faeries and such. Bluebell posies (Lucy's favourite flower) were delivered weekly by an anonymous donor, regardless of season.
She decorated a mini evergreen from the nearby copse. Sapphire tinsel for Lucy. Silver for Libby. Twinkling lights and, of course, angel topper.
The little tree as a beacon to guide her girls home.
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To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale, please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/kursaal.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Mrs. Pepperdyne and her Twin Daughters (Lucy and Libby) have all featured in previous episodes.
Really well done, Patricia. I love that she visits the grave site regardless as to her belief in the twin's deaths. And so early in the week... your muse must be active at the moment.
DeleteWhoops - mis-read copse for corpse first time round, when it was creepy enough already.
Deletedefinitely creepy but very sad images too. Delicate and heart tugging, a Christmassy special from the Kursaal.
DeleteA sad and striking scene. Loved the contrast of the sapphire and silver tinsel.
DeleteCripplegate Junction/Part 251 - Time And Tide
ReplyDeleteThe train gathered steam but with momentum sufficiently unhurried for opportunity to board, should anyone remaining wish to do so. The Conductor continued to dither, having received no definitive instruction from the Station Master, who was now speaking to Violet and waving a third class ticket.
"I urge you to leave, while there is still time."
The waitress had already eradicated any such thoughts. They were sweethearts and belonged together. Their love rivaled such celebrated Tinseltown couples as Gable and Lombard, Hepburn and Tracy...
...And, of course, the most legendary of all. Violet's personal favourite. The timeless Bogie and Bacall.
-------------------------------------------------------
To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/cripplegate.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
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There's something about romance and a waiting train. Get on, Violet. Third class ticket or not, get on. If the station master really loved her, he'd offer an upgrade.
DeleteThey had it all... just like Bogie and Bacall. Tinseltown - a great use of that prompt, Patricia.
DeleteTimeless ...
Deletebrilliant use of the prompt! and yes, get on the train, Violet! Don't let the chance slip awey!
DeleteI hope Violet doesn't miss the train, though it sounds like she's made up her mind. Loved your use of Tinseltown couples. :)
DeleteTis the Season
ReplyDeleteWalking through the frozen tundra, Tinsel hoped he was free of the North Pole’s boundaries. He thought this time, he could eradicate his heritage, become his own elf, retire from toymaking.
At the crag’s edge, he succumbed to his urge and threw his pointy hat into the abyss. He turned and continued on, southward.
Stopping to rest in a stand of Scotch pines, Tinsel drew a flask from his satchel and knocked back a healthy pull of eggnog. He then noticed the hat was back on his head.
“Oh, fuck me,” he said as Santa rounded a tree and waved.
Elf unable to escape ... unless he thinks of some way to deal with Santa. Really enjoyed this.
DeleteLOL - Ninja Santa foils the elf-satisfied fugitive.
DeleteNot wise for an elf to "toy" with Santa. Very creative, John!
DeleteToo cute for words. Poor Tinsel. Once an elf, always an elf, I guess. And what a magnificent name for an elf too. As always, your humorous pieces brighten the day, John.
Deletelove the images, the contributions this week are heavy on imagery which is fine by me. The image of Santa suddenly appearing to the hapless elf is classic.
DeleteHaha poor Tinsel. I always enjoy a grumpy elf! :)
DeleteSo... an elf is an elf for life, ,eh, John? Once again, your creativity shines!
ReplyDeleteTHE SPOILS OF WAR
ReplyDeleteNight, and the battlefield – this one at Cambrai - is deserted, save for the dead littering the ravaged earth. Here, German and British efforts to totally eradicate each other resulted in some 90,000 casualties. But this will not satisfy them. Other efforts will follow.
Strands of smoke drift like slowly twirling tinsel as I walk among the mutilated corpses. Many have missing limbs… others heads… and the guts of others are sprouting from their bellies like diseased flowers.
Dressed as a medic, I walk among them as the deliciously overpowering urge once again envelops me.
I will eat well tonight.
Well, this guy can gorge himself tonight, with the dead littering the ravaged earth. Some great description in this, Jim.
DeleteSuperb atmospherics in the first two paragraphs, Jim. And medic picked the perfect posting.
DeletePoignant prose which led me down the garden path toward the famous Christmas ceasefire ... only to be reminded that he's not a REAL medic.
DeleteWasn't expecting that one! The mark of a true horror tale, one that punches squarely in the solar plexus just when you think all is safe.
Deleteand here we go again with he images... these are very dark and will linger into the 'natural' darkness, while the unnatural medic pursues his course among the dead...
DeleteOooh that ending was unexpected. Horrible and memorable. I love the phrase 'Strands of smoke drift like slowly twirling tinsel' and the 'diseased flowers' was clever...though now I need to wipe the image from my brain. :)
DeletePRIVATE EYE
ReplyDelete“Twilight in Hollywood reeked of corruption and the aftermath of urges no decent Wyoming boy should contemplate.
They called him Jap because of his heritage, yet his ancestors – CHINESE – had been hauling dirt and laying rails while the British sires of the Tinseltown True Americans were still eradicating tribes of the southern hemisphere.
But that was no nevermind to Dooney. He was a gumshoe with a case to solve. He tipped his hat at a debutante sashaying down Rodeo Drive and–”
“Will you STOP that, Caolin? You’re only encouraging him.”
“Dooney, take off that rank thing. What IS that anyway?”
At the risk of echoing what has gone before....Clever beyond anything that could be expressed in words.
Deletevery deceptive and very clever!
DeleteDefinitely clever. Always love a detective narrator. :)
DeleteCaolin is quite the storyteller. Had me fooled. I was thinking: what the heck is Dooney doing here. Really clever, Perry.
ReplyDeleteClever, yes, and hugely entertaining.
DeleteChange of focus [403]
ReplyDeleteYet another reminder of the breadth of his ignorance regarding Aleks' childhood. Nine years before he knew of his existence. No tinsel-pricking tingle of even so much as the possibility; no urge to verify Valdeta still alive, never mind he'd impregnated her.
Now he had the chance to be a full-time father, he was making a piss-poor job of it. And since it was impossible to eradicate what had thus far shaped his son, his best chance now was to bury it in better memories. Caught lowering a tearful, bruised and bloody Philly Stepcart onto his bed would hardly qualify.
Powerful excerpt from a compelling serial.
DeleteI like how you throw in little reminders from time to time about Aleks and Valdeta. In stories so short, they really help me keep things straight. I'm looking forward to how Philly takes all this.
DeleteI'm absolutely sure Pettinger is doing his very best. Not easy to walk into the life of a young boy and try to rectify everything in one fell swoop. And you portray this with much sensitivity.
Deletethere's a strong streak of itnensity showing through this too, which we see from time to time in Pettinger, but never enough to destroy his 'I rule he world' stance.
DeleteCan he bring better memories? Pettinger is tangled up in so many things. I enjoy hearing his introspection.
DeleteFather Christmas doesn't dress in black [Threshold 327]
ReplyDeleteQuietly, with a rarely-heard hint of admitting he may have been mistaken Raven, staring out the windscreen at the squat, triangular shapes which, as they got nearer, resolved themselves as cloaked figures astride triple-wheeled vehicles, said, 'I've a bad feeling –'
'They're not about to save us? Present us with tinsel-wrapped hampers of festive fare? Me too. In fact, I've an urge to head that way –'
They approached from ten o'clock. I pointed to two. We needed to go immediately, so they didn't cut the angle; lose us our advantage.
Raven turned the key in the ignition.
Nothing happened.
Nothing like sarcasm to lighten the peril. Nothing like a flat battery to darken it. Nice build of menace.
DeleteOf course the car didn't start when they needed it to. The residual doom of these cloaked figures is playing well here. Lots of suspense. Well done.
DeleteIt seems the worst still lies ahead for these two souls... unless they have a backup plan. Very nice, Sandra!
DeleteOh-oh. Out of gas? Dead battery? Or something worse? Is it too late to request one of those "tinsel-wrapped hampers of festive fare"? They do sure sound promising.
Deletebattery every time, they always let you down at the most critical moments...
Deleteanother good instalment.
I love the title. Yes, why does the battery always fail? Now we're left holding our breath and wanting more. Excellent tension. :)
DeleteSUBTLETY
ReplyDeleteJoanie sat at the campfire with Colm and a few other second tier teens.
They were sharing some ‘general’ hints on how to stay awake on watch.
Despite their efforts, a blind man in a locked coal shed could see that the topic was lots more specific.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it – the Black Tide could have eradicated us all while I dozed. I really must battle the urge to nod off while on lookout.”
“What’s the Black Tie?” Dooney appeared from the gloaming, tinsel still clinging to the static of his jumper.
“It’s a huge brood of hunting rats.”
I'm much enjoying the off-beat nature of this series.
DeleteI'm glad I never have to keep watch. Staying awake would be extremely difficult.
DeleteThis just gets better and more menacing with every continuation. Loved the "blind man in a locked coal shed" reference. Reminded me of Ozzy Osbourne's remark regarding his time with Black Sabbath that he often felt like "a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest....just couldn't win."
Deletelovely choices of words for descriptions here and the last line is an invite to say 'more please,'
DeleteEeek...a huge brood of hunting rats does not sound good.
DeleteDOONEY’S HAT
ReplyDeleteDooney pouted as he doffed his P.I. hat and thrust it at the demanding hands of Joanie.
Mary would have approached the matter with tinsel-topping and cream-cake -- figuratively, that is -- but in the back of her mind Joanie blamed the toddler for exhausting her so much she’d lapsed to the point of sleep. So not so much with the urge to be tactful.
She squinted at the seaweed covered object and turned it over ... and shrieked, dropping it as a scrap of bloody flesh flopped loose.
“Tortoise,” Colm whispered from her shoulder.
“Black Tide?”
Three long siren-blasts eradicated any doubt.
Here comes the tide. Should be exciting.
DeleteTalk about ramping up the volume...not to mention the suspense.
DeleteI think it's time to move inland - if that will do any good.
Deleteoh help... if there's time... what a build up!
DeleteLoved the line 'Mary would have approached the matter with tinsel-topping and cream-cake.' :)
DeleteMy sympathies are with Joanie
ReplyDeleteTinsel
ReplyDeleteI toss more tinsel onto the tree and grimace as the silver strings stick to my fingers. I hate this part.
“Anything?” Grandma chirps. Her pale green eyes peek over the back of the sofa.
My reflection winks at me, distorted inside a red ornament. I bare my teeth, swallowing the urge to smash it, eradicate every last trace of him. “Not yet.”
“They’ll come. They always do.”
Every damn day ‘till Christmas. I tighten my grip on the baseball bat.
Light sparkles to the right, and I hear sharp laughter, smell caramel, and peppermint. Elves.
I start to swing.
Only you can make decorating the tree a scary affair. Elves are like clowns. They can be fun or horrific, or both.
DeleteI hope Christmas comes quickly, Holly.
Deletepoor elves... poor people who have to deal with them...
DeleteI love how you've made this appeal to all the senses, before you bash them into insensibility.
DeleteSo many wonderful Christmas-themed entries. This one counted among the best. I do not envy Sandra having to make a choice this week.
DeleteThank you everyone! :)
DeleteThe Joys of Mediumship 34
ReplyDeleteThere’s a great prince walking with me at the moment, no tinsel with this man, just extraordinarily beautiful and expensive gold embroidered fur lined cloaks. He eradicated a few people in his time, which is how he obtained the unofficial title of Ivan The Terrible. He’s been urging me all week to ease back, quieten down – which means I promptly fall asleep – and stop worrying. Is there ever a time that can be done, when shops are flooded and people are displaying every sign of classic depression… not helped by chilly foggy damp days and viruses…
I wonder if Ivan was aware of his unofficial title during his life or if the name came later, after his death. He likely didnt think of himself as terrible at the time.
DeleteSounds like Ivan might be something of a charmer. Doubtless a skill he used to his advantage when the mood struck.
DeleteOooh he must have some fascinating stories.
DeleteStop The Week’ I Want To Get Off (127)
ReplyDeleteThe urge this week is to hide in a corner and cry – Shaun and I have agreed we will clear up the shop, clear out the shop and then cease trading, probably around Easter next year. The work is too demoralising, the efforts to eradicate the damp simply spread it around. No amount of tinsel can rescue a wrecked window display, it’s best left to dry out. The last two days the windows have been dry, which is a start. All else is smelly and cold – it’s destroyed all the good feelings we had, sad to say.
Stay strong, Antonia.
DeleteOh, Antonia, this is sad news indeed. How miserable for you.
DeleteOh, man. I'm so sorry for your hardships, Antonia.
DeleteCome now...stiff upper lip and all that. Stay calm and carry on. Seriously though, I do hope these tough times ease and and that your little shop will endure. We've all come to grow so fond of it.
DeleteSorry to hear about the shop.
DeleteThe Mad Italian (186)
ReplyDeleteIt’s a time when everything seems wrapped in or draped in tinsel, a habit I would eradicate if I could, the urge is there to tear it down. Reason? It demeans the quality of class decorations, but it seems that Christmas is a time when anything can happen and often does. The effects of Christmas 2020 is predictable to anyone with an appreciation of human nature, there will be parties, there will be drunks, there will be viruses spread from one to another to another – and another lockdown in January. Is it any wonder my channel despairs for her shop?
Christmas 2020. Enough said.
DeleteThe sympathies of Leonardo are so apparent. He gives voice to what each of us is feeling right now.
DeleteI really hope 2021 is better. It is sad how we can predict what will likely happen over Christmas.
Delete