Monday, October 28, 2013

"Conjured" for Spooktoberfest!

Right, so; here's my entry for fellow blogging buddies/writers Dani and Jackie's boogety-boo blog hop...
Spooktoberfest!

Participants were challenged to compose flash fiction between 300-500 words which:
  1. had to be set in the location depicted in one of the four pictures provided; and
  2. had to use three out of six words listed (the three I used are in purple).
To see all the pics, possible word choices, and check out links to other participants' entries, click here or there.

This is the pic.
October was a busy month of work travel for me and though I'd decided on the pic, no story emerged in my mind. Then just this past weekend, as I settled in for the night at the B&B I stayed at while visiting my Kid for Family Weekend at his college, one of the other images demanded my attention. A weird and, frankly, rather disturbing story unfolded in rhyme, much darker than is my wont...I think. It turned out to be the sequel to my first Spooktoberfest entry, though it's told from a different point of view and it's nowhere near as lighthearted. Anyway, er...hope you enjoy?





Conjured by Mina Lobo
(300 words)

I'm the wretch that lurks at the bottom of the stairs
with the long, sharp beak and the coarse dark hairs,
whom you summoned to your home in the middle of the night,
whom you called when quite alone; now I have you in my sights.

You thought yourself so lonely and you felt yourself to ache
for some pleasures yet unknown, thus this action you did take:
you dug out that old spellbook that you'd hidden long ago,
when your last attempt went sour; yes, you stashed it down below

In the basement of your duplex, just behind your ancient dryer.
(You'd have been better off if you'd tossed it in the fire.)
Skimming quickly through its pages, soon you saw the thing you craved,
little knowing it was you who would find herself enslaved.

As others' children left to go begging for some sweets,
you sought to entertain yourself with one especial treat.
You went into your room and bubbled up a potion,
then mixed it with some cream to concoct this haunting lotion.

The scent so arousing, the sentiment inspired,
by all your burning hopes, and your dreams, and desires.
And with the aid of beings you believed safe to enlist,
you crafted what a thing like me can't possibly resist.

It called me from the deep, and up your dirty steps,
I wake you from your sleep, your eyes go wide and next,
your throat prepares a scream; I keep it from this task
by covering your lips and sliding off my mask.

You moan as though it's tragic that what appeared is me,
well knowing that your magic is what caused this beast to be.
I lean into your body and whisper what I'll do,
then on your moonlit bedding, I lay right into you.


23 comments:

  1. Oh, this is really good. Like, amazingly haunting and memorable. It flows perfectly, and it conjures vivid images in my head. Wow!

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  2. Yup, totally agree with L G an amazing tale of terror, and especially interesting the way it came to you!

    And someone called me dark this week, so glad I have such wonderful company! LOL

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  3. Ooooh! Very creepy! I very much like it. The dark nature plays off the sing-song rhyme really well.

    (...and a "Howdy" from a long-lost, used-to-be-blogger who's become a blogger-again. I really hope you are doing great, Mina!)

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  4. Ooh I love it, it flows well and is nice and creepy!

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  5. Wow! What a great Halloween poem- spooky and mysterious and ryhming no less! I absolutely love it! I know Dani and Jax are the ones in charge of picking winners, but this one gets my vote anyway!

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  6. I am very grateful I don't have a basement right now. You are awesome! I can barely make a rhyme for rose are red violets are blue!

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  7. Now this was excellent. Top notch. Imagery and rhyme in one cob-web decorated parcel. Really impressive!

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  8. Mina, as usual, another amazing entry. I loved it for rhyme, for the images it brought to mind, everything. You are one of a kind, my dear. Good luck to another of my faves.

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  9. Awesome! Love the dark mood and the creepiness. Bravo!

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  10. Da-yam, girl! --- I have chills. This rocks!

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  11. This is outstanding. Wicked and delicious and vengeful. And yes, they got what was coming to them. Karmic! New follower.

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  12. Oh, this is wickedly wrought, girl! Your rhymes gave me the shivers! Loved it!

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  13. I'm very impressed! It's fun, well-written and has a creepy, psycho erotic vibe. Yikes!! She really should have tossed that book in the fire...

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  14. So descriptive and eerily detailed - gives me the willies just thinking about it! NIce poem, Mina!

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  15. This was excellent, Mina. Reall, really good.
    Loved it!

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  16. YES! YES!

    I love this! Excellent job!

    Heather

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  17. Thanks so much, everyone. I freaked myself out with this, a bit. :-) Chris Fries, nice to see you back in the Blogosphere! Rhissanna, welcome! Lexa, glad you caught on to the creepy eroticism I was aiming at. :-) (I wonder about myself, sometimes. I really do.) :-D

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  18. Congrats on being a runnerup in the Spooktoberfest! I loved this poem and am really it got recognized. Have a great Halloween! :-)

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    1. Thanks, Lexa! I'm pleased with the way it turned out, given how it sort of scrambled into existence all in one night. :-)

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  19. OOOoo Mina that's good.
    And creepy enough to keep even the most hard core horror fan in there. ;)
    ...no pun intended...

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    1. Hah! Liar, you totally intended that pun. And I can't say I blame ya. :-)

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  20. Awesome poem! I love the macabre seasoning.

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