We guarantee, in 30 minutes or less, or your next soul's free....

Genre: Horror
Subject: Delivery in 30 minutes or less

This was the "heat group prompt" for team 5 in the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge 2011. I missed the official sign-up deadline by a matter of minutes, so that meant I was locked out from "officially" competing in this year's short story speed round.

It's a 2-parter.... Round 1 gives contestants 8 days and 2,500 words to create a short story in their assigned genre centering on the assigned subject. Round 2 then takes the Round 1 winners and gives them just 24hrs to create a second story.

There were 30 groups covering every genre twice and no two subjects were the same. As I couldn't officially participate, I've opted to attempt the challenge under the table, as it were. I picked group 5 because of my fondness for the number 5, and it wasn't until after I had selected my group that I read through the entire genre list and their paired subjects. My pairing wasn't the best, but it was nowhere near the worst----

Sooooooo, now the fun begins.....

Horror stories, of course, should evoke fear, terror, maybe even revulsion with an overwhelming feeling of disgust---- either way, the emotions should be strong and with only 2,500 words.... it's gonna have to be hella strong (that's not so many words to evoke so strong a feeling)

The concept of a time restricted anything would definitely add to the tension and suspense. Working against the clock is an obstacle that everyone is more than familiar with. And, anybody that's worked pizza/food/mail delivery understands the time constraints of a mobile job.

But the "horror" part of the story????

What are we talking about delivering?? Zombie pizza with body-part toppings?? Demon babies?? Demon mail from the bowels of hell ?? Money-back guarantee or your next soul's free???

So many options, so little time, so few words, so many zombies hungry for pizza.......

A to Z reflections....

Another A to Z challenge comes to an end--- another collection of posts and poetry have been written, another deep breath of relief is released. For my fellow bloggers that survived as well, it's another 'challenge-completed' notch carved into the writing desk. I've come to enjoy my yearly foray into the world of all things alphabetical. This was my third year, though it was only the second year I had a workable theme (which made the challenge substantially easier than the first year I attempted this challenge.) And, though my first year was difficult because my focus was so scattered, I found this year was more difficult because I lost the enthusiasm that came with the first year excitement----excitement which helped me plug along until the end of the challenge. Year 3 was a success in the sense that I completed the challenge, though, this was the year that almost wasn't---- Somewhere about a third of the way through the challenge, I seriously considered

A million lives, beneath a single sky.....

Though our feet leave different prints,our tongues sound different words, there's a mirrored rhythm in the beating of our hearts. Though born in different worlds, our eyes sharpened 'neath different moons, there's an unspoken truth in the warmth of our touch. We may walk in different strides and dream different dreams, we may speak in different voices, maybe swim in different streams. It's plain to see, when dark night falls, as all the stars shine through, that underneath it all, there's no difference 'tween me and you.

Bitter Honey

Weaving dreams of beguiling gold, a future's price for happiness. What secrets do you, determined, hold? asks the summer wind's soft caress. A guarded name, a hidden hope. Spinning wheels clutching time, grasping straw that falls away, What dreams may come, we soon may find, won't recall at end of day. A cherished life, a memory lost.

From the Inkwell, From the Vein.....

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