Two Free Halloween Stories, For You

AND a little bit more.

Happy Halloween to you!

Below is a free story, but I'm over at the IWSG Parallels blog today with 

5 Tips for Creating Scary Stories

Be sure to stop in.

AND you can enter below to win some AWESOME cash in the Rafflecopter giveaway (for a newsletter subscription to yours truly. You think the giveaways are abundant on the blog. You should see what awesome freebies newsletter subscribers receive). 

Emily’s Ghost

I know what a bomb sounds like right before it explodes. So does Emily. It was only a question of time before mine went off.

I was nine when I saw my first bodiless. It flitted down the hall of the old estate Mother and Pap moved me to. A “family” house. We sat at the dining table, and my parents didn’t flinch when the essence curled through them, the specter’s eyes flaring with each touch.

“Alice, look away,” a whisper filled my ear.

I turned and came face to face with a girl—a year or two older than me—whom I’d never seen before. She had bouncing brown hair and eyes no color I could define. Gray, but green, but also blue, then nothing. Her presence faded and I was left looking at the wood-slated wall.

Mother called me back to the meal, unaware of my visitor, and I ate, bewildered by the experience.

That night, I woke to an awareness of being watched. The girl sat on top of my chest, weighing nothing, scowling down at me.

I pushed away and tumbled from bed. She floated down, crouching next to me.

“I am Emily.” The words whispered like a summer breeze through drapes.

“You’re a…a ghost?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “I am, and so too will you be if you do not heed me. We have so little time, Alice. Less than I had.”

I rose, rubbing my bruised elbow. Emily lifted a few inches off the floor and waved me forward. I followed her into the hall, up creaky stairs, and into an attic. Draped furniture filled my periphery, but straight ahead stood a wardrobe with a gleaming lock.

Emily offered a key, a solid, chrome thing. It was cold in my palm. Heavy.

“You are the keeper now.” A wistfulness crinkled her eyes as she halted next to the cabinet. “Whatever you require to fight them will be inside.”

“Them?”

She shivered. “The bodiless. They are spirits of the departed who have power in the mortal realm. Already they are drawn to you, but they will come in droves once you open the door, and they will keep coming.”

“To me? Why?”

“Because you can stop them.”

“Stop them from what?”

She blinked and floated to the corner. Then back. “I never found out. They got the upper hand before I could discover.” Her jaw clenched. “But I will stay with you, Alice. I will guide you until you no longer need me. You will be better than I ever was.”

“At what?”

“Killing the wraiths.”

***

Four days elapsed. I didn’t catch another glimpse of Emily, but the bodiless had become a permanent guest. At first it was harmless. Then it started bumping into picture frames and knocking them down. It overturned vases and jars. I watched, knowing I could stop it, but broken things could be replaced. I could never unopen that door. Emily’s warning filled me with dread.

The entity began throwing things at my family—first weakly, a cup flicked off the counter, a pen skittering across the floor. Then stronger. A ball hurled down the stairs. A frying pan flung directly at my head, breaking a window.

My parents saw nothing. I was blamed.

The angry inner clock beat a rhythm: protect, defend, defeat. The wraith was winning and only I could stop it by unlocking my destiny.

I climbed to the attic and held out the key, aimed for the strange wardrobe. Emily materialized at my elbow.

“What will I find in there?”

“One can never know.” Her voice trembled.

I glanced at her, startled.

She motioned me forward, and I pressed the key into the lock. Light shot out around the metal. I shielded my eyes and twisted the key, a click thudding in my ears.

It was done. The thing that could never be taken back. The decision that would forever tie me to this ghost girl and the coming horrors.

The light dimmed to an otherworldly glow—like dawn, but thinner. A light that had substance.

I pulled back the door, ready to jump. A wooden, toy bear sat on the shelf. It was missing one painted eye and chipped in several places.

Emily perked up from behind my shoulder. “That was not nearly so terrifying as I had anticipated.”

“What things did you find in the cabinet?”

A crash sounded below. Mother screamed.

We both whirled. Emily threw herself in front of me, blocking my path, pointing to the pathetic bear. I grabbed it and hurtled down the stairs, into the living room. Mother lay on her side. A coffee table overturned near her head. The wraith hovered over her, energy swirling between its claw-like fingers.

“Get away from my mother!” I jumped at the specter. My body passed right through it. We both shivered.

The thing fixed on the bear in my hands, its mouth falling open in horror. It threw energy at me. I dodged. The wall behind me splintered. The wraith launched another wave. I dove. Stuffing blew out of the sofa like blizzard snows.

The bodiless flew straight at me, dragging power with it. My heart ticked like a bomb, one that would explode on impact. This was survival or death. Like Emily.

I lifted the bear and the thing slammed into it. The entity spun away, shook itself, and glared.

Its fists unballed. It fixed on Mother. The wraith shot me a smirk.

My heart stopped.

Not mother.

And then, like a dark curtain had been dropped from my mind, I knew what I was, and what I had to do.

I was a poltergeist hunter.

Holding the bear at arm’s length, I marched toward the entity. Its eyes shot wide. It turned and jerked, like a grappling hook had been thrust through it and yanked taut.

“Enter and stay. Enter and hold forever. Enter and never escape your cage.” The words were in my blood. They were my blood. Not English or any kind of civilized tongue, but they pulsed with power.

The thing’s mouth gaped in a silent shriek. I lifted the bear higher.

The wraith melted toward me, seeping into the bear, its final essence lapping outward in a desperate attempt to flee.

“Enter forever,” I repeated.

The bodiless slammed into the bear. I rocked back and fell, the toy toppling from my hands. It landed across the floor, its painted eye gleaming briefly, and then all was quiet.

I hurried to Mother’s side.

My mother was fine. She insisted she’d tripped and knocked her head. I didn’t even receive blame for the rest of the damage, which made me think she’d seen something. At least she wouldn’t be attacked again by that bodiless.

That was the last I saw of Emily for a long time. I returned to the attic, but the wardrobe was gone. The only evidence of the encounter was the key weighing my pocket, and the weird bear I kept on my nightstand as a reminder. It would be the first of many trophies.

I am not Emily. Some days I wish I could be, for she was truly great. Hers was a great burden. Now it’s mine.

PARTICIPANTS:
Viola Fury 911
Juneta Key All Hallows Eve
C. Lee McKenzie Beautiful
Erica Damon Penance'
J. Q. Rose Sorry
Elise VanCise Lady In The Woods
Barbara Lund Spooky Space
Angela Wooldridge Quiet Neighbours
Katharina Gerlach Australian Dream
Karen Lynn The Waves at Midnight
Sherri Conway Ants
Elizabeth McCleary Over James Henry Wilcox Dead Body
Canis Lupus The Picture
Peg Fisher All In the Fall, a Fractured Fairytale
Bill Bush Trapped
Benjamin Thomas Autumn Cascade

AND

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last week, Bish Denham shared THE BOWL AND THE STONE along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an eBook.

The game:

1. In the early 1970s, Bish lived in Hollywood and went to a transvestite ball.
2. Bish was at Woodstock and is surprised by how much she remembers!
3. A warlock once tried to recruit her to become a witch.

The lie: #2. Bish wanted to go to Woodstock. She knew people who were going, but didn’t have the money. And the logistics of getting from the Virgin Islands to Woodstock, New York by herself was just a *wee* bit overwhelming. She didn’t have the personality to just go and let things happen. She needed a little planning, she needed to know where she was going to stay and how she was going to get there. Flying to New York City wasn’t a problem, but getting up to the farm would have been a nightmare. Coming from a tiny island and plopping herself down in the middle of millions of people--and trying to find her way--was unrealistic. That, and she was a scaredy cat.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Shannon Lawrence!

Congrats, Shannon!

And now, it's time for some HALLOWEEN FUN!

Nothing brings the family together like a zombie apocalypse … 

Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Barnes would rather watch a zombie movie than shoot a real one, but he has no choice if his family wants to survive the end of the world. Their plan? Drive across the infected United States to a cabin in the Colorado Rockies without a scratch, but their trip takes a complicated detour in the middle of Nebraska when they find Kaylynn, a girl who can handle a baseball bat better than Jeremy can hold a .45 Beretta. And when they stumble into a sanctuary, Jeremy soon learns that Kaylynn is stronger than she looks—a deadly secret lies inside her. 

After the radio picks up a distress call from Kansas City about a possible cure, Jeremy’s parents go with a team to investigate. They never return. The only way to find their parents is for Jeremy and his sister Jewel to rely on a dangerous girl who might just turn on them at any moment.

Get Your Copy HERE.

Ready to meet the gun-slinging author?

David was born in beautiful downtown Burbank, California where his love for film inspired him to become a writer. His debut novel WOVEN is now an international bestseller.  An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, David also has a soft spot for zombies and the paranormal. He now lives in the mountain West with his wife and three children.

Every now and then you might run across David munching on a few crackers and slices of Colby Jack.

David gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, November 1 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on November 2, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I target practiced with every weapon mentioned in The Undead Road.
2. I have witnessed paranormal activity.
3. I have eaten insects.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met David? (If not, you must. He's kind and amazing.) Do you like ghost stories? Zombies? Candy corn?

Here We Go A-Halloween-ing

Are you ready for Halloween?

Trick or treaters?

Bizarre costumes?

Candy?

Cheap scares?

General weirdness?

I'm so ready. Bring on the Halloween.

 

Last week N.R. Williams shared with us a HALLOWEEN COLLECTION + TREASURES OF CARMELIDRIUM, along with TWO LIES and a TRUTH. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a copy of one of her eBooks.

N.R.'s Game:

1. I have almost died eight times from childhood illness, a difficult pregnancy and delivery and more recently two illnesses. I'm planning to continue living and will ignore references to cat's having nine lives.
2. I was born in Canada.
3. I love coffee. I drink it while balancing on my head and use a special straw.

THE TRUTH: #1. She was actually born in Canada, and she hates coffee. She's a tea kind of gal--specifically mint or Chai tea.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Sandra Cox!

Congrats, Sandra! 

And now for this week's feature... 

Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. As if never needing repairs since 1875 or lights flickering in response to things she says aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.

To prove she’s not afraid of where she lives, Piper opens a forbidden door and soon after begins to witness a string of flashbacks—including a love affair between two young servants who happen to be hiding a deadly secret.

This secret is pulling Piper deeper into not only their story, but also her house. To sever her link to it, she must unravel the clues in the flashbacks and uncover the truth about her mother’s crime before becoming a part of her house for good.

Open the door to this striking, unstoppable mystery, but remember: sometimes a house…isn’t just a house.

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Cortney Pearson is the author of PHOBIC, about doors that shouldn't be opened, and the Stolen Tears series, about a vial of enchanted tears and the girl chosen to wield them. She is a mother, a musician, and a lover of pink and sparkles, and she lives in a small Idaho farm town with her husband and three sons.

Lately she's discovered muenster cheese for sandwiches. That stuff is the bomb diggity. She used to be a provolone kinda gal, but it's muenster for her. 

Cortney gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win a signed paperback of PHOBIC. (US only.) 

You have until Tuesday, November 4 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on November 5.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I met my husband while cleaning toilets as a student custodian.

2. I nearly drowned in the ocean when I got trapped beneath a boogie board. 

3. I sang in a band in high school.

Oh, and stop by Cortney's place to say "hi" and read a SHORT, silly interview (with me) HERE.

So sleuths, which is the lie? What's your favorite part of Halloween? 

Giving Away Halloween

Do you have your scary stories all loaded and ready for the holiday? If not, you're in luck. Here are a couple to get you in the spirit.

First, from me...

Read the rest HERE.

 

And now how about some giveaway action?

Last week Stephen Tremp shared with us SALEM'S DAUGHTERS, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a $25 gift card to Amazon!

Stephen's Game:

1.    Stephen once met Los Angeles Laker basketball player Kobe Bryant.
2.    He does not like meatloaf.
3.    He still likes to color with crayons.

THE LIE: #1. Stephen wishes. ;)

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Chrys Fey!!!

Congrats, Chrys! 

And now how about our giveaway for the day?

Faerie mischief starts the fun with ghosts, vampires, and zombies bringing in the scare. If you love Halloween, being scared or delighted, there’s a story for you in this flash fiction collection.

Get your copy HERE.

Or you might like this one if you're not so much in a Halloween mood...

Missie, an American flutist, is thrust through a portal into a medieval world where her music is the key to empowering The Treasures of Carmelidrium to defeat the evil tyrant, Renwyk, Lord of the Symberveen. Immediately, her life is in danger. The Symberveen hunt her, an assassin attempts to kill her, Renwyk's men plot to kidnap her. Will she survive to accomplish the prophecy regarding her or will Renwyk take over Gil-Lael and then America too?

Buy it HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

N. R. Williams is an American grandmother who decided never to grown up. What better way to celebrate than to write epic fantasy's, children's stories and flash fiction alive with faeries, vampires, zombies and ghost, along with a few other super natural creatures? She is delighted to share these stories with readers and hopes that everyone will find something to love. 

She adores Swiss cheese because of the holes and might be discovered eating it with turkey lunch meat and crackers. 

N.R. gave me two LIEs and ONE truth to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of your choice. 

You have until Tuesday, October 27 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on October 28.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I have almost died eight times from childhood illness, a difficult pregnancy and delivery and more recently two illnesses. I'm planning to continue living and will ignore references to cat's having nine lives.
2. I was born in Canada.
3. I love coffee. I drink it while balancing on my head and use a special straw.

So sleuths, which are the lies, and which is the truth? What are you reading for Halloween? Are you a bigger fan of faeries, vampires or zombies? Have you ever read/written flash fiction?

Halloween

Source

The spooks stirred in their hallowed graves

The creatures of memory, nightmare's slaves

But I, in my lonely house did wait

For the coming dawn to the tap tap, of fate.

Hoots and shouts shook through the walls

Goulies, and shadows and death-bird caws

But I did not hear them over the scream

Shaking from my bones and up through my veins.

The door handle rattled, the thump, thump of hands

Their twisting and shaking and guttural demands

I lifted my finger and bit down on the end

Stilling myself, begging for strength, my old friend

The demons burst through the dejected door

Syrupy liquid drizzling from mouth to floor

"Don't look. It can't hurt you. This horror can't last."

Were my last sane thoughts before they started to dance

They leapt and they screamed and they bounced and they tore

Until I could bear the insanity no more.

"Bring me all candy and go to your rooms!"

I squeezed myself, holding my sanity tight 

Praying I'd live through post-Halloween night.

Happy Halloween!

   

Ready for MORE on SOULLESS (a TOTAL Halloween read):

Brooke at The Cover Contessa shares her review

Cassie at Southeast by Midwest also sounds off her thoughts on SOULLESS

Marcy at Mainewords asks about my first car, where the Maiden of Time trilogy came from, and more

And be sure to enter the 

Rafflecopter

for your chance to win some amazing prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

See the pony trotting off to the rest of the tour? That's because he knows where to find fun, happiness, and CHEESE. You want to find happiness too, don't you? 

Do you write poetry? Like poetry? Have you read any awesome Halloween poems this year?

Things that Make You Go "Halloween"

Are you ready for a Halloween goody? As an artist you're always trying to get your work noticed. Today I'm going to pull back the curtain to reveal where I get images for blog posts free, a site that promotes other artists. Enjoy this little treat!

Deviantart.com

Things that make you go Halloween:

Jack O' Lanterns

Cauldrons and Witches

Haunted Houses

Black Cats

Skeletons (& Tim Burton)

Ghosts and Graveyards

Vampires

AND for me, a little bit of cheese:

What has you Halloween-ing, and where do you go for awesome web images?

Halloween Horror

Flash fiction for Halloween. Enjoy!

An Interview with Death

The reporter fed a paper into his typewriter with trembling hands. “I can’t believe you’ve agreed to do this!” He shook almost as badly as the paper.

“What can I say? I’m a softie for last requests.” I settled into a comfy armchair across from his desk, resting my scythe against the wall.

“I love the sneakers by the way.” He sat.

I glanced down at the old Converse. “They’re a lot more comfortable than my human-skin boots.”

He paled.

I laughed. 

He paled further. 

I sighed. Why did no one get that Death has a sense of humor? I mean, death is a rather hilarious thing—Jack Daniels died from a toe infection after kicking his safe in anger, and one dictator offed himself on too much Viagra… People are funny creatures.

“So, uh, Mister…Grim Reaper-”

“Death,” I corrected. “I’m not grim, and ‘Reaper’ is so derogatory. I mean, I’m one of the four horsemen—you know, as in there’s four in all of existence?”

He stared, jaw hanging.

I pointed at the typewriter, then tapped my wrist.

“So, Mister Death-”

“Just Death.”

“Death then, how did you come to this…magnanimous position?”

I blinked back my astonishment. Wasn’t that obvious? “I and my brothers work for the big cheese. You know, the guy behind destiny? Don’t tell me you’re an atheist.”

He froze, swallowed, and started typing a little less steadily. “You say you’re one of the four horsemen, but I don’t see a horse.”

I chuckled. “That’s because Donavan is invisible.” Turning my head, I clucked, “Aren’t you, Donny?”

The reporter studied the empty space with wide eyes.

I shook my head. “Who needs a horse when you’ve got mass transit? Busses, taxis, the subway…”

“You use mass transit?”

“When I can.”

He hesitated.

“Go ahead,” I encouraged. “You’re dead anyway.”

“What happens to the people sitting next to you?”

I shrugged. “They drink their coffee and read their papers.”

“Sitting next to you doesn't kill them?”

“Um, no.”

He sat back. “How do you do it then? Mass transit can’t possibly be fast enough for the thousands of deaths every minute-”

“Approximately 107 to be correct.” I cracked my knuckles. “Time isn’t a consideration when you can hop in and out of dimensions. I mean what kind of guy would I be if I never stopped to eat a doughnut or smell a rose?”

His jaw again dropped. “Dimension travel? There are multiple…dimensions?”

Oh these logical ones who thought they knew how the whole universe operated! “Time. I can step in and out of time. Kind of knocks you mortals over the head, but it doesn’t exist for me.”

“And that’s why people don’t see you coming.”

“No, it’s because of my super cool invisibility cloak—like Harry Potter.”

He stared, blankly. I think he was starting to get my sarcasm.

“Okay fine, I don’t have an invisibility cloak,” I admitted. “I’m made of finer matter than your eyes can perceive, unless I want you to see me.”

“Like when we’re about to die?”

“Or are already dead.”

“What?”

I pointed to his paper. “What you got there? Read it back to me.”

He looked at the paper, squinted, then frowned. “I, I don’t understand. How can it be blank?”

Picking up my scythe, I rose, all twelve feet. “Sorry, Robert.”

“But I was typing…”

“Yeah…no you weren’t.”

He turned around saw his body lying in the hallway, spilled whisky glass staining the carpet.

“So are you ready to head out now?” I asked.

He let out a long sigh, then looked up at me. “You’re actually a pretty nice guy.”

“That’s what I keep telling people.” I pulled out my keys and the door to the other side materialized. “Enjoy the free bagles on the other side.”

He paused in front of the door, eyes brightening. “We can eat on the other side?”

“No.” I would have smiled if Death could smile. “But it's so fun watching you try.”


And for the Halloween Hop: 
Scariest book: Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz
Movie: (Okay, I'm not such a fan of scary.) Army of Darkness or House 2
Costume: Mime (Been an "enchantress" or "sorceress" the last 9 years. Change is good.)