I’ve decided to get my creative juices flowing and enter the #FallWritingFrenzy contest. We have to select an image from the ones provided for the contest and write up to 200 words about it. I chose this image and wrote this story:
Photo: Unsplash via Annie Hatuanh
Sweet Black Night by Ella English
(195 words)
Arlo shoved the door open, chest tight, as his parents’ voices tangled behind him. Bare feet slapped against the damp earth as he headed into the woods, the cold mud squishing between his toes.
The shouting faded with each step, replaced by the rustle of leaves and a creeping stillness. Moonlight flickered through the trees, lighting a narrow path ahead. He breathed the scent of rotting leaves, tinged with something sickly sweet.
In a clearing, black pumpkins gleamed under the moon. Arlo crouched, running his fingers over one. It pulsed beneath his touch, sending a strange tingle through his hand. The pumpkins trembled. Splitting open with a sharp crack, they belched thick, acrid smoke.
Shrill laughter echoed as Arlo stumbled back. Slimy roots shot from the ground, coiling tight around his ankles. Sharp-eyed creatures crawled from the shattered pumpkins, their needle-thin teeth glinting in the moonlight. One slithered closer, breath hot and foul against his face.
“We found you,” it hissed, leaning closer, its gaze heavy on his skin. “Now, we’re never letting you go.”
The roots tightened, dragging him an inch closer to the darkness. The creatures giggled, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
Woohoo! This entry was a winner in the competition!
This Post Has 8 Comments
Ooh. I love his excerpt. Please tell me there’s more! I would love more of this one.
Thanks! It is just a short story. The challenge being to keep it under 200 words. But you are right, maybe I will develop it into a longer piece.
This is a great piece of writing, very descriptive. I used to love writing like this but have not challenged myself in a while. This is brilliant!
Thanks! This is a fun competition for fall.
All the very best for your fall writing frenzy contest! Sounds pretty interesting.
Oh wow you are hitting the ground running with your writing compo! Very good entry, love the spooky vibes.
I love how you painted such vivid imagery of Arlo’s adventure in the woods, it really draws you in. Thank you for sharing this chilling tale; it’s perfect for fall! Wishing you the best of luck
“The roots tightened, dragging him an inch closer to the darkness. The creatures giggled, their eyes gleaming with hunger.” omg…My heart almost stopped, this is amazing and very well written. Thanks a lot for sharing.