Remember all those super fun Topsy Turvy posts I shared a few weeks ago?
Well, Robin Castle (www.robincastle.net) and I did a follow-up challenge for October 2020 with a Halloween theme - so guess what I'm sharing this month :)
That's right, I've dug out all my posts from that challenge and have added them to the blog, because they're far too much fun to leave them buried forever on Instagram.
So, you've got 31 days of flash fiction based on silly prompts to look forward (and I've put a hold on whatever sembalence of scheduled posts I have, because I think one post a day from me is quite enough, don't you?!)
Full list of prompts below, followed by Day 1...
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...
‘Clara?' said Lucas, mist swirling around his ankles. 'How long has Castlebury had a pumpkin patch?'
'You forgot, didn't you?' she said, linking her arm through his. 'Saffron told us there was another topsy turvy challenge.'
Lucas groaned. 'Not that again.'
'Oh shush, it was fun last time,' said Clara. 'And this time it's Halloween themed.'
Lucas groaned even louder.
‘You'll be fine once we get going,' said Clara. 'You might even enjoy it.'
'I don't see how,' he said. 'Don't I get enough spookiness as it is?'
'This is different,' said Clara. 'And it's pumpkins. Nothing spooky about them, is there?'
'That's what you think,' said a voice from near the ground.
They froze.
'I didn't know you were a ventriloquist,' said Lucas, with more hope than conviction.
'I'm not.'
'That wasn't you?'
'No,' said Clara. 'And it wasn't you?'
'Certainly not!'
'Then, who was it?'
'It was me, dearie,' said the voice. 'Down here.'
Slowly, Clara and Lucas looked down.
'Someone carved a face on this one already,’ said Clara.
To their horror, the expression on the grinning pumpkin changed.
'No need, dearie,' it said. 'When you become a pumpkin, you keep your own expressions.'
'You were turned into a pumpkin?' asked Clara.
Lucas pulled her back.
'If someone’s turning folks into vegetables,' he hissed in her ear. 'Shouldn’t we scarper?'
'Probably wise,' said the pumpkin. 'But don't you want to find out what happened?'
'Yes,' said Clara.
'No!' said Lucas.
'What happened?' said Clara, ducking down to pumpkin level to better hear the pumpkin and better ignore Lucas.
‘I turned myself into this,’ said the pumpkin. 'Didn't mean to, of course.'
'I'd guess not.’
'Thing is,’ it said. ‘I dropped the potion in the village pond.'
'When?' asked Clara. The kids fishing there lately had got some odd rashes. Odd fishes too.
'A week ago.'
'Isn't the witch trial re-enactment today?' said Lucas. 'Where we dunk someone into the pond?'
'Mrs Joseph will become a pumpkin!' cried Clara.
As they ran home, the pumpkin chuckled.
'That was bad,’ said its neighbour. 'There's nothing wrong with the pond.'
'I've got to get my fun somehow, haven't I?’
See you tomorrow at the gross-ery store! Saff x
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