Bait and Witch – 10/21/11

Posted Oct 21 2011, 4:38 pm in fiction

Uber-agent Janet Reid frequently runs these writing contests on her blog that I enjoy.

Today, the challenge is to write a Halloween horror story using the following words:

UNFORSAKEN
DEADLY
WITCH
GHOST
DECAY
SLAY

I provided the link and urge you to enter, NOT because the prizes are great (oh, they are) but because the act of entering provides such a creative jolt. I don’t write horror. My genre is YA romance. For me, this writing contest is like working out a different muscle group – it’s a challenging workout and makes me stronger overall.

If you’re a writer looking for some inspiration, try writing outside your genre. It doesn’t need to be a book or even a blog post. Just riff with it.

Here’s my entry, called Bait and Witch. (Get it??)

Mother clutched my hand and climbed the steps. She couldn’t see the lady on the porch.

I could.

Gray skin. Cloudy eyes. She smelled like dirt and decay. Mother smiled once. “It’s okay.” She tugged me along.

“She lies, child.” The ghost whispered through rotting teeth in bloody gums. “She means to slay you.”

I shrieked.

The door opened. Mother shoved me inside. “She is unforsaken!” She ran, screaming, gripping her skirts. The ghost lady followed in deadly pursuit.

“Hush.” A new voice whispered. “The living are insalubrious for witches but the dead are not. Welcome.”

I smiled.

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