For Love of a Brystile Witch by Kaye Spencer #shortstory #westernromance

 It will take more than a hanging to end a 200-year-old curse...

For Love of a Brystile Witch was first published in the Prairie Rose Publications' Cowboys, Creatures, & Calico, Vol. 2 anthology, and it is available now as a single-sell release.

Here's the story behind the story...

What if a woman hanged as a witch in 1692 New England put a death curse on the hanging judge and a curse of sorrow on the women of the Brystile line in the moments before she was hanged? Then what if, 200 years after the hanging, fate brought together the last living woman from the witch's family and the last man from the judge's family to break the curse? What if love and forgiveness will end the curse? Add the time factor that these two strangers have only a month to right this 200-year-old wrong before time runs out for both families, but only one of them knows it, and I had the basic premise for this story.


Excerpt

Reid needed no urging to mount the steps and, in spite of herself, Mercy kept watching. He ascended with an easy gait, the ball of each polished boot touching lightly upon the next plank. Once on the platform, he turned toward the crowd, head bowed and hat brim throwing a shadow over his features. Sheriff Samuel Dunne and Axel Moser, the valley’s minister of twenty some years stood on either side of the condemned man, and the deputies took watchful positions behind them and off the trap door...

The sheriff’s voice rose above the crowd’s murmurings. “If you have any last words, speak them now.”

For the longest time, Reid didn’t move. The quiet in the street became quieter. A baby cried; a woman shushed it. The autumn breeze ceased blowing. Mercy held her breath, entranced by the scene playing out before her. When he lifted his chin, she sucked in a little gasp of pity. His eyes—such sadness—maybe it was regret. Whatever his pain, it was deeper than the prospect of leaving this life in a few minutes. Did he deserve to die like this? Alone? With no one here to mourn his passing? Certainly, she didn’t know, but she blinked away tears for him nonetheless.

His deep voice resonated through the silent streets. “I hold the world, but as the world…a stage where every man must play a part. And mine is a sad one.”

A gasp of sorrow at his utter hopelessness left Mercy’s lips and, as if he’d heard, he caught her gaze with his, holding it in a way that made her feel he was memorizing her face as the last tender sight he’d take with him to the grave.

Sheriff Dunne waited a few seconds for the man to say more. When nothing came, he addressed the crowd. “As the duly appointed legal authority in Dulcet Valley, I hereby declare this hanging to proceed this first day of October 1892. The condemned will hang by the neck until dead, and his body will be interred in the local cemetery with a gravestone bearing his name, birth, and death dates. As per his signed and witnessed last requests, his epitaph will read, Teach me to feel another’s woe. Reverend Moser will settle his debts and notify next of kin.”

Those words—

She knew the poem and went on in her head with the next lines…to hide the fault I see / that mercy I to others show / that mercy show to me. It was strange that the word mercy, her given name, would show up in duplicate at this moment. Two of any one thing meant balance, partnership or opposites, either way it meant a pairing of something. Since coincidences didn’t exist in her world, Fate was at work here. She swept a hurried glance around the area, searching for other signs she’d overlooked.

“Let it be known the Honorable Judge J. A. Swanson has authorized me to accept a plea of innocent and commute the death sentence.” He leveled a hard gaze on the condemned man. “Reid Leighton Corvane, this is your last chance to save your own life.”

“What? A Corvane? Here?” The words burst forth, loud and unbidden. Jolted, stunned to her bones, Mercy grabbed a better hold on the branch to keep her seat. So her months of conjuring had proven fruitful after all.

Amazon $0.99

Until next time,

Kaye

Writing the West...one romance at a time.

www.kayespencer.com

New from Kaye Spencer: #shortstory #mailorderbride A Permanent Woman

New from Prairie Rose Publications and Kaye Spencer

Single read (short story)

Mail-Order Bride western romance

Available on Amazon Kindle
 
Widower Simon Driscoll needs a wife to get custody of his grandchildren. Tessa Morris needs a fresh start and a new reputation. Desperate men and desperate women sometimes take desperate measures. But when it all plays out, can she be A Permanent Woman?

 Until next time,

Kaye

 

The Southern Man Part Two By Patsy Anne

Here is a link to Part One: 

http://tabithablake.blogspot.com/2011/10/southern-man-part-one.html

Part Two:

Amanda’s parties were always exciting but this one seemed to be going on for a considerably long time. There were all kinds of creatures mingling, talking and laughing. Everything from monsters to zombies and many other creatures that lurk in the dark. 

As I scanned the crowd, I noticed Amanda waving me over. She seemed to be levitating. I swear I never saw her feet touch the ground. Mentally shaking myself I looked over at Darrell and rolled my eyes. “Would you excuse me one more time?”

He nodded his head and winked when he locked eyes with Amanda. “Sure.”

She seemed to be moving at a fast glide over the dance floor heading right for me. Shaking my head, I met her halfway. When she got to me, she smiled and glanced over at Darrell and waved. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Darrell lift his drink to her.

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”  She smiled. “I see you met Darrell. In my heart, I knew you were destined to meet. Let’s just say it was intuition.” She laughed and held up a shiny gold Sheriff’s badge. “I think Darrell dropped this in the bathroom. Would you mind giving it to him?”  She placed the badge in my hand and closed my fingers around it.

“Yeah, sure.” I put the badge in my pocket. “But I need to talk to you about something first. Okay your not going to believe this and I know it sounds crazy but just hear me out.”

Amanda smiled and shook her head. “Okay. I’m listening.”

I cleared my throat. “I have been having these very naughty dreams. These dreams have been extremely intimate and sexually explicit. “ My face turned red and I bit my lip. “If you know what I mean?”

Amanda’s eyes widened. “Go on.”

“This cowboy is the man of my dreams. Now this is the weird part.” I shuffled my feet. And thought she is going to think I’m insane. Taking a deep breath, I went on. “When I saw Darrell standing there I nearly passed out. He wasn’t just a man that lived in my imagination but a real live handsome Southern gentleman.” Darrell was the man I had been dreaming about for the last three months.

“Wow.” Amanda said.

“So you don’t think I’m crazy?” I watched for any sign that she was humoring me and found none.

“Nope. I believe in fate. And as I said before you and Darrell were meant to be.” She grabbed my arm and we started to walk over to the corner. “So tell me more.” A devilish smile played across her face.

I began to tell Amanda about all the juicy details of my naughty dreams. I laughed. “In fact I could tell you where every freckle and dimple is on his sexy body.”

Amanda burst laughing like I had just told her the punch line to the funniest joke she had ever heard.

That’s what I had figured. No one would ever believe this fantastic fantasy. This attraction between this incredible man and me went way past the physical. It felt like a strong bond that intertwined our very souls. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” I shook my head and headed back over to Darrell.

When I got to Darrell I couldn’t help but ask the question that was right on the tip of my tongue. “Are you sure we haven’t met before?”

He looked at me quizzically. His lips turned up in a killer smile and he winked. “No I would remember meeting you darlin.” That southern drawl made my toes curl.

I reached into my pocket. “Oh… Amanda said to give this to you.” I took the shiny gold badge from my pocket and held it up.

Darrell held out his hand for me to place the badge in his palm. But something very strange happened as our hands touched the cool metal at the same time. A sudden shock went through me like a spirit passing through a wall. Suddenly the room was spinning, my knees started to buckle and then the everything went dark.

To Be Continued…

Part Three will be up Jan. 13th.

Short Stories By Patsy Anne

Promo: Tethered Hearts By Tabitha Blake

Tethered Hearts

Blurb:
Seeing the ghost of your dead girlfriend might be scary for most but not for Kade Mathews. Zoey's spirit brings him the much needed peace he craves. Until he is forced to make a choice. It will be the toughest decision he has ever had to make.


It's a free read!


Buy Link:


http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tabithablake


Bio


Tabitha Blake is a paranormal suspense and romance writer. Writing about the creatures of the night is her passion. She is fueled by the need to pen romances with dark twists. Her fascination with the paranormal keeps her mind reaching for the next great story idea. Writing brings her joy and with each story she writes her characters become a part of her. Tabby has a wild imagination that shines through in everything she writes.

She resides in the bustling city of Houston, Texas, with her husband and three crazy cats. She is the mother of four amazing kids that have taught her how to have fun and just enjoy life. Her passion for the written word started at a very young age and has molded her into the writer she is today. Most of the time you will find her with her nose in a book or at her computer writing. The need to read and write runs deep and is part of who she is.


Happy Reading and Writing,
Tabitha Blake

A Beautiful Dream or Wishful Thinking?

Caitlyn rubbed the sleep from her eyes and a slight moan escaped her lips. It was a beautiful morning. The sun shined through the large bay windows of her room. She bounced from the bed and headed for the shower. She had tons to do today and hope she had enough time to get it all done.

Six hours later Caitlyn arrived home from a tedious and trying day she thought would never end. With a sigh, she opened the door and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet aroma of roses. The scent tickled her nose and brought a smile to her face. The smell seemed to caress her and welcomed her home.

Looking down she noticed a trail of rose petals. A slight smile tugged at her features. Reaching down she brought one tiny petal to her nose. The sweet smell reminded her of their first date and the first time he had ever given her flowers. What a sweet man to do this for her. Following the tiny yellow petals from the front door through the living room to the kitchen.

The table was set with her best china and an ice bucket with a fine wine sat on the dinning room table. She could see the light  through the small window in the oven door. Opening the oven, the smell of Chicken Parmesan made her mouth water. She realized she hadn’t eaten all day. The memories of their first date came rushing in on her. Strange that something that happened so long ago could be so fresh in her mind.

Her emotions and senses raged out of control. Heading for the bedroom, she opened the door and shock stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes darted around the room taking in all the romance the room promised. The bed was dressed in black satin sheets and petals graced its surface. Running her hand over the sheets, they were sleek and cool to the touch. The bed was turned down and beckoned to her. Then she noticed at the end of the bed lay a black nighty. She picked it up and held it in front of her glancing in the mirror. The texture soft and silky against her skin.

She glanced around wondering where the special man was that had planned this romantic tryst. “Lance?” Nevertheless, confusion hit when she realized she was all alone. “Is that you?” Heading back to the living room in search of him she heard the door open. “Lance? Is that you?”

“Yes, I’m home.”

Caitlyn ran straight into his arms. Gushing with happiness. He was the sweetest man she knew. He embraced her and looked down with confusion. “What’s for dinner?”

Her jaw dropped and she eyed him curiously. “What do you mean? Dinner is in the oven.” She glanced around in shock. Everything had vanished. What was going on? Had she imagined it all? She ran into the bedroom and there were no rose petals and no satin sheets. It was all gone. She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. Was she going crazy or was it only a beautiful dream?

Romantic Musings By Patsy Anne

Things That Go Bump in the Night (Halloween Short by Tabby)

     Kaitlyn drove through the streets of New York and watched people crowd the sidewalks. Everyone always in a rush to reach whatever destination was on his or her agenda. She wondered if their lives had turned out the way they had planned. People came to New York with big dreams. It seemed those dreams were squashed upon their arrival.

      Pulled from her musings when a horn blasted in the background, Kaitlyn realized the light had turned green and the driver of the car behind her wasn’t very happy. He shook his fist and said a few choice words as she let off the brake and proceeded through the intersection.

     With her education, she had been sure she would have landed a job at a big radio station, news anchor or hosted of her own radio show. Well that didn’t happen. She did get her own radio show, if you could even call it that. She worked for a small station and was the radio personality for a show called Things That Go Bump in the Night. She dealt with crazy people that believed in the supernatural. Pulling into the empty parking lot she put her car into park, she sat and glared at the front of the building that housed the radio station. The reflection of the full moon bounced off the floor to ceiling windows that made up the tall building, a total of sixty floors but at this time of night it was a dark tower stretching to touch the midnight sky. A sigh escaped her as she reached for her purse.

     There was one rewarding aspect of her job and that was Grayson. A smile spread across her face as she pictured him in her mind. He was gorgeous, tall, blond, and eyes to die for. 

She opened the car door and grunted at the thought of another night of humoring her insane listeners. Who as far as she could tell never slept. How pathetic.

     Kaitlyn pushed the front door open and was greeted by the night security guard. He was older and a little overweight but always happy. “Hi, Miss. Mathews.”

     “Hi, John, how are your tonight?”

     “I’m great.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m off in about twenty minutes.”

     “You have a great night.” She smiled and headed for the elevators. The building was completely void at this time of night. Most of the offices housed Lawyers, Doctors and other professionals that had closed their doors at five o’clock. The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, she glanced cross the hall to the door labeled KWRR. It was a thorn in her side but it was a job.

She crossed the hall and opened the door to an empty office. Her show didn’t even warrant others, except her and Grayson. She sighed and blew the hair from her eyes.

     Kaitlyn dropped herself down in her chair and glanced around the control room wondering where Grayson was. He was usually at the station before she arrived for her show.

     A beautiful blonde walked in with a sweet welcoming smile. “Hey, sorry I didn’t catch you when you came in but I was on the phone with Grayson,” Allie said. “Seems he has come down with a bug and won’t be in tonight. Think you can handle things on your own? I can stay if you need me to, but I have a date.”

     Of course she had a date. If you looked up gorgeous in the dictionary, Kaitlyn was sure that there would be a picture of Alley. She had men groveling at her feet to take her out. But between her long blonde hair, blue eyes and legs that went on forever, how could she blame them? Alley wasn’t you typical airhead. No she was educated and sweet as could be.

     “No, I’ll be fine, go… have a good time.” She dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

     “Oh, I almost forgot.” She tossed a newspaper on the desk. “This is your topic for tonight.”

Kaitlyn’s jaw dropped. “Come on. You have to be kidding me.” The Alabaster murders had been headlines for the last two week. Two women had been murdered but that was pretty normal for NY. The odd thing was that the killer drained the bodies of every drop of blood. Then it got even weirder because there wasn’t a wound on them. The name alabaster came from the fact they looked like beautiful white statues or porcelain dolls.

     “Nope. That’s the grand plan. Wow! You’re going to have one heck of a night. Ok, call if you need anything.” She smiled. “I’ll lock up on my way out. Good luck with the wackos.”

     Kaitlyn leaned back in her chair, took a deep breath and exhaled trying to release the aggravation pulsing through her body. She was startled when the phone rang. “Damn it!” She wasn’t use to the phone ringing in the control room. Grayson always answered the phone and patched it through to her.

     “Hello...Hello?” All she heard was breathing. Great. She didn’t have time for this crap. She slammed the phone down in its cradle. Ten minutes until her show started, just enough time to grab a cup of coffee. Working the midnight to six am shift called for lots of caffeine. 

     The hall was dark but she knew the station well enough to maneuver through the blackness. She flipped on the light in the break room, grabbed a mug and reached for the coffee pot. A loud bang echoed from down the hall. “What the heck? Grayson?” Maybe he’d decided to come in after all. When she received no response, she put the mug down and stepped into the hall. Nothing. Shrugging, she returned to the task of pouring her coffee.

     On her way back to the control room she stopped. It sounded like someone had followed her. “You’re acting crazy!” She eased back down into her chair and placed her headphones on her head. She was letting the fact that she was all alone get to her and the phone call hadn’t helped. She wouldn’t play into the insanity that her listeners lived by. There was no such thing as ghosts and monsters. All of it was a bunch of crap. The phone rang again, she just looked at it with hopes it would stop. Fear tightened her chest. It stopped after one ring. With a sigh of relief, she leaned back in her chair. But jumped when it rang again.

     “Hello?” Her voice quivered as her heart pounded in her chest.

     It was a man’s voice and he whispered to her. “After tonight you’ll believe.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

     “Stop calling me!” She slammed the phone down. Placing her hand on her chest, she tried to bring her erratic pulse back to its normal rhythm. Glancing around the room, she got the eerie feeling she was being watched. “Get it together, Kaitlyn. The show must go on.” She sat back and waited for the spot they played at the beginning of her show to end. It was the creepiest intro. Blood curding screams and insane laughter echoed in her ears. As the laughing died out, she pressed a red button to activate her mic. “Welcome all. This is Pandora mistress of all things wicked. Come and take a chilling journey with me on Things That Go Bump In The Night. Tonight we will explore the alabaster murders. This case has the authorities scratching their heads. So let’s see if my viewers can solve this one for them.” She rolled her eyes. The whole show was such a joke. “Let’s take our first caller. Caller you are on the air.”

     “Hi, Pandora, I’m Elvira.”

     “It’s nice to meet you Elvira. What is your theory on this weird case?” Great, her first freak of the night.

     “I can do better than just a theory. I am a medium and have talked to these poor women.”

     She leaned her head back on the chair and released a breath. “Really? What did you find out?”

     “They were both brutally murdered.”

     Wow! She just solved it. No one knew they were brutally murdered. God these people were going to be the end of her. “But the bodies didn’t have a mark on them.”

     “True. But police aren’t looking for a human.”

     Of course not. Kaitlyn’s head flopped into her hands. “Who should the police be looking for?”

     “A sadistic vampire. He is a blood lusting beast that kills without a conscience.”

     “Say you are right. Wouldn’t there still be some sort of mark on the body?”

     A small laugh sounded from the woman who called herself Elvira. There was no way that was her real name. She was probably one of those old women that had a shop full of candles and mystical books. It was all just totally ridiculous.

     “Well, Pandora, honey. I figured you would be more educated on the subject of the undead. Their saliva has healing powers. A few licks and all the wounds are gone.”

     “Hmm. I didn’t know that. Sorry but we need to move on to the next caller.” She reached to disconnect the phone.

     “Wait.”

     Kaitlyn’s hand stopped short of disconnecting the call. “Yes?” She blew out a breath of frustration.

     “I know the next victim’s name. He has killed every Friday for the last two weeks and he will kill again tonight.”

     “What is the poor girl’s name?”

     “Kaitlyn, spelled with a K. I thought it was strange because that is an odd spelling.”

Her heart lodged in her throat. Panic stripped the blood from her veins. In a shaky voice, she replied. “Thanks Elvira. Time for a short break. We will be back in five.” 

     The echo of a door slamming came from down the hall. Kaitlyn removed her headphones and listened. Another door slammed and a rattling sound came from the dark hallway. Panic crept its way up her spine like little icy fingers. She looked around the room for a weapon and all she found was an umbrella. “Great, what are you going to do with that?” But the more she looked at it she thought it does have a point at the end. It was going to have to do.

     She clutched the umbrella to her chest. Then headed down the hall, turning on lights as she searched the station, room by room. She was down to the last room, Grayson’s office. 

     When she noticed light coming from under the door. Kaitlyn took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob, her hand shook as sweat dampened her skin. She opened the door to find an empty room. A nervous laugh escaped her. Flipping off the light, she wondered who had turned it on. Maybe it was left on. That had to be it: someone had forgotten to turn it off. She turned and got the wind knocked out of her as she collided with a rock hard chest. A blood-curdling scream escaped her and she flailed around, swinging her arms, and the umbrella.

     “Hey! Calm down!”

     “Grayson?”

     “Yeah, it’s me.”

     She smacked him on the shoulder. “You scared the crap out of me.”

     “Sorry,” he replied, reaching to rub her shoulder. “What has you so spooked?”

     “I keep getting this call. First, it was just breathing then he said…after tonight you’ll believe. Then there was this whole thing with a caller on the show tonight. She says the next alabaster victim will be named Kaitlyn with a K.”

     “Believe? Kaitlyn with a k?”

     “Yes he said believe! And the caller said K!” 

     “Are you sure he said, after tonight you‘ll believe?”

     She turned her head to the side. “What did…you…say?” She tripped over her words as fear took hold.

     “After tonight you’ll believe.” A sly smile curved the edges of him mouth.

     Kaitlyn’s jaw dropped open. Reality set in. The creepy feeling of being stalked closed in on her. “It was you,” she started to back away. “Why?”

     “I thought it would be fun to play a little game with you tonight. Maybe a little hide and seek would be fun. Think about it Kaitlyn. You really should pay more attention to your listeners. They aren’t all kooks. Some of them really do know what they are talking about.” Grayson eyes met hers and his lips curled into a snarl revealing razor sharp fangs.

     Kaitlyn gasped and reached for her neck. “This isn’t possible.” She shook her head. “Stop trying to scare me! Okay you win. I’m scared. Now stop!”

     “Oh, but it is, I have grown tired of your whininess. The poison you spew about people like me not existing. Well, do you believe now?”

     “Vampires?” She continued to back down the hall. No way it wasn’t possible. None of it was real. “Stop trying to scare me it isn’t funny!” She tried to walk past him. “The show is back on the air in about one minute.” She replied.

     “Yes, Kaitlyn, vampires.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, running his nose up the side of her face. “You smell delicious.”

She tried to pull away but his fingers dug into her arm. “Stop! You’re hurting me.” Kaitlyn pulled out of his grasp and ran down the hall. 

     He continued to stalk her like a wild animal. “We are predators and we live for the kill. Movies and books have turned us into romantic heroes. It is human nature I guess, to take the things that scare you and make them something that your little minds can cope with.”

     Kaitlyn realized she’d backed herself into a dead end. Her eyes shot around the hall looking for escape. He closed in. Panic threatened to strangle her. Every time she tried to dart to one side or the other, he mimicked her movements. Then she remembered the umbrella. Looking down she clutched the only weapon she had.

     “Aww…come on Kaitlyn…I just want a little bite.” His lips turned up into the smile she had always adored. Now it didn’t seem as sweet and endearing as it used to be. Now it came across as cold and calculating. Her eyes widened as his face morphed into the monster her truly was. His eyes turned white and sunk deep into their sockets. Pale skin replaced his normal golden tones and claws extended from his fingers.

     “Stay away from me.” She held up the umbrella. Jabbing it in his direction. In her panic the umbrella opened. Fumbling with the damned thing she tried to get it closed.

     A loud booming laugh echoed through the hall. “What are you going to do with that, Kaitlyn?”

     His eyes shown an eerie reflective gold like that of a cat and his tongue glided over his fangs. He looked upon her with hunger. She was his next meal.

     “I won’t kill you or at least I’ll try not too. Okay that was a lie. I am going to kill you and I am going to enjoy draining every drop of blood from your body.” He laughed as he sprung from the floor and lunged at her.

    She gripped the umbrella and plunged it forward aiming for his heart. All the stories she’d heard said to aim for the heart. It was the only way to kill a vampire. She heard an awful squishing sound as the umbrella punctured his chest. He clutched the object protruding right below his collarbone and glared at her in shock. She slumped to the floor and sobbed. His body lay there on the floor not moving. Then his hand shot out grabbing for her. A shrill scream ripped from her throat. She clasped the end of the umbrella and slammed it down until it hit the floor.

     Kaitlyn crawled to the nearest phone, leaving a trail of bloody handprints.

     “911, what is your emergency?”

    “I killed a vampire.”

     “Ma’am…what?”

     “I killed a vampire.” She sat on the floor and sobbed, blood dripped from her hands. She had killed a monster. She watched as all evidence of the bloodthirsty beast morphed back into the beautiful man she lusted after for so long.

     “I’m sending the police, stay on the line.”  The phone slipped from her hand. She pulled her knees to her chest and backed up into the corner. Tortured sobs ripped from her throat.

     Kaitlyn was lead out of the station in cuff. She turned to the officer, “He was a vampire and the alabaster killer. He was going to kill me!”

      “Yeah, I know. He was a vampire and the alabaster killer. Sure.” The officer replied as he placed a hand on her head, putting her in the car.

No one believed her. But how could she blame them. Until tonight, she didn’t believe any of it either. She stared out the window as the NYPD officers talked and shook their heads at her. Their eyes told her they questioned her sanity. She slumped in her seat, knowing her fate was sealed.

     “What happened here?” The detective asked.

     “Victim is a young male stabbed through the heart with of all things an umbrella.” The officer replied shaking his head. “She says he was a vampire and that he attacked her. I found her curled up in a corner mumbling incoherently about vampires and covered in the victims blood.”

     “Vampires?” the detective questioned.

    “Yeah, she also says he’s the alabaster murderer. The reason there are no marks and the blood is drained from the bodies is because vampires can close the wounds with a lick of the tongue. She’s Kaitlyn Mathews, AKA Pandora. She does that show, Things That Go Bump in the Night.” He pointed to his head and rotated his finger in a circle. “Guess the insanity finally took hold.”

     “Alabaster murderer huh? Take her to the hospital to be evaluated. If she is a little off we will let the hospital deal with her. I don’t have time to waste on an open and closed case. Heck she admitted that she killed him. What more do we need? We have enough on our plates with the alabaster case.”

I hope you enjoyed my short Halloween story. 

Happy Haunting,

Tabitha Blake

    

    

    

    

Halloween Spook-tacular

Well with Halloween right around the corner NN is geared up to go all out celebrating this spooky season. We are hosting a writing contest and a costume contest. This is the time of the year where all the ghost and goblins come out to play. As a paranormal writer this is the norm for me. All my characters fit right in with Halloween. The creepier the better is a saying I live by. We will also be posting blogs that will tie in with the Halloween spirit. So I hope you will all join us this October.

Writing Contest

“I’m Shaking in my Boots”

We are looking for scary stories. The scarier the better. The stories don’t have to have romance in them. We just want you to scary the heck out of us. I want to walk away from my computer with goose bumps and want to sleep with the lights on after reading the contest entries. Now that you know what we are looking for here is how to submit.

Format:

12 font

Word count:

3000 words max

This will be a full short story. You will need a beginning, middle and ending. The story will also need a title.

Please register with Tabitha Blake (tabithablake@ymail.com) We will be taking the first 15 stories. So register asap. I will keep a running number at the bottom of this post on how many opening we have. I will change it as everyone registers.

In your email include:

Name

Pen Name

Email address

(Available opening in this contest right now is 15)

This is also the address you will send your completed story to.

This contest won’t have judges. We will be posting the stories to the blog and our blog reader’s will be voting and choosing the winner. So be sure to let others know and they can come by and vote for your story.

The stories need to be turned in by October 25. They will be posted to the blog on October 26. Judging will go on until October 31. Winner will be determined on October 31.

Prizes:

Published Authors will receive an author spotlight on the NN website.

This includes:

Author Picture

Author Bio

Cover Art

Blurb

Excerpt

Interview

All Author Links

Unpublished Author will receive an interview on the NN website.

This includes:

Author Interview

Author Bio

Author Picture

Author Links

The web address where the winner's interview will be posted is listed below.
tabithablakesnocturnalnights.com

If anyone has any questions you can email me. (tabithablake@ymail.com)

Now on to our costume contest. This one is just for fun. The winner will have their picture posted on the NN blog.

Send us a picture of your Halloween costume. (tabithablake@ymail.com)

In your email please include your:

Name and type out your email address in the body of the email. I also need to know what category to put you in.

There will be three categories. Please pick one of these categories and add it to your email.

Adult

Child

Pet

Each category will have three winners. Please pick one of these categories also and add to your email.

Classic Costume

Scary Costume

Funny Costume

Creative Costume

Example:
Adult/ Scary Costume  Or Child/Classic Costume Or Pet/Creative Costume etc.

We will be accepting the first 20 in each category. I will keep a running number on this contest too.

Available space in this contest is:

Adult 20

Child 20

Pets 20

Deadline for this contest is November 1st. Results will be posted on the blog on November 5th.

I hope you will join us for this fun and festive holiday. We will be blogging about all the things that go bump in the night. If you have an idea for a creepy blog let me know. We would be more that happy to have some ideas tossed our way.

Happy Haunting,

Tabitha Blake

The Wacky Misadventures of Four Romance Writers Run Amuck

WARNING: This post breaks most of the writing rules. Every rule broken was done on purpose.

Chapter Three

The four women pushed on past the carnage of the decimated bear. Fur and entrails dripped from the forest around them.

"That’s just gross!" Brenda picked up her dainty booted feet and gathered her silky drac cape closer.

Tabby tried to put on a brave front, while forcing back her rising nausea.

"Let's get a move on, ladies. Ya'll are on my last nerve."

Cindy did a little heebie jeeby dance and dashed past the bear parts strewn about. Strange hissing sounds came from her. Looking like a foil wrapped baked potato, she ran past Penny.

Rolling her eyes, Penny skillfully avoided the worst of the goo.

"Ok, does anyone have a map?" Penny asked.

The forest around lit, with the four separate cell phones accessing the web for links on  how to get through the forest of writers block.

"Lions and tigers and  ... Oh, no more bear," Brenda laughed.

Penny and Tabby smiled, thinking the worst must be behind them.

"I got a bad feeling," Cindy said.

"Nonsense, the map on my phone said all we have to do is press on." Penny told them all.

Tabby wrinkled her dark brows. "Mine said, close my eyes and take a nap."

"The map I found said, go read my favorite book again," chimed in Brenda.

"Yeah, well, I think they're all full of crap. My map said you have to do a little dance." Cindy sneered.

Penny walked ahead of the group, eyeing the quiet forest looming around them. "Cindy is right. Something is not quite right…"

A small sweet voice called out from the distance.

"Grammy." Its haunting sweetness called to Penny. Her body swayed toward the sound.

"Ri?" The voice beckoned, luring Penny into the darkness of the forest.

"Help me, Penny. Help me." The voices changed, echoed eerily. "Edit this, crit that."

The forest morphed into huge dancing punctuation marks. They swirled around her, forming a spinning hypnotic image. Lilting music filled the air. A long squiggly line like those under a misspelled word coiled and danced like a cobra to a flute. The words, it must be perfect, formed in the leaves of the trees, and held Penny spellbound. She began to chant.

"Backspace…backspace… backspace."

"No, Penny. Don't. It’s a trap!" yelled Tabby. She moved forward to stop Penny from the siren's song calling her.

Tabby almost made it to Penny, when her ankle was grabbed by a shiny blue wire.

Wild shrieks ripped from a Tabby's throat. The forest around her was suddenly alive with wires in a myriad of colors, all weaving, and twining around Tabby. She tried in vain to free herself from the electronic ambush. It tugged and pulled at her, hanging her like an ornament in the branches.

Brenda screamed. She wanted to help her friends from the traps that held them. Looking down at the forest floor beneath her, rich dark soil sank into a pit under her feet. The smell of sweet flowers and ripening fruit invaded her senses. From the dirt below, she heard the faint crow of a renegade rooster. It was too late. The soil crept and crawled up her legs, sucking her down into its depths.

Cindy stood like one of the trees around her, frozen in place by terror. How could she help the others? She leaned one way then the other. Unable to fully commit to helping any one individual, she helped none. Just then she was knocked to the ground by a pair of kids' sneakers. One after the other she was pelted by shoes and laundry. Grocery bags wound around her wrists and ankles, and one gagged her. The only sound from her was the muffle grunts when she was stomped on by the endless pairs of kid's shoes.

It looked like it was over for the four. Each one tangled and pulled under by their own personal demons. When it seemed darkest, and our girls were beyond help, four pulses of light glowed. From the light nearest Penny stepped four people. Two looked like they belonged in an ad for corporate life. Mick held his hand out to help Jo step into the spongy forest floor.

"This isn't exactly the best place for these heels. They're Italian."

Mick, ever the gentleman, picked her up in his muscled arms. Behind them came another couple. The woman's arms, laden with delicious smelling baked goods. Raef ran his hands through his hair.

"Not again… Penny... Penny… "

Grace moved toward Penny. "She is in some sort of trance."

Mick, carrying Jo, walked in front of Penny's unseeing eyes.

"Penny? Honey?" Jo reached out to put a gentle hand to her shoulder.

All four turned toward the abyss of the forest were the haunting voices and hypnotic punctuation held fast to their Penny.

"Grace, toss me a fresh loaf of bread," Raef said.

He caught the warm loaf and waved the fragrant bread beneath Penny's nose.

Then together both couples yelled, "PENNY!"

Waking from her dream, Penny shook herself. For the first time, she looked into the faces of the four.

"You had us worried there," Mick told her, readjusting Jo in his arms. He leaned toward her and whispered in her ear.

"Do you think you could write a pair of gym shoes into Jo's bag?"

Penny smiled, and seemed to relax in the safety of her characters.

"Sure Mick. I just did."

Jo looked into her large purse and pulled a nice pair of jogging shoes from the depths. Grace dumped the rest of the baked goods into Raef's arms and went to help Jo.

"I love those pumps. Where did you get them?"

"Macys, twenty percent off. They are comfortable and they make your calves look great."

"You know, I am moving to a small town. Do you think we can go shopping before I move?"

"We have to bring Penny. She is the one who picked out this skirt. It was one of the things that caught Mick's eye," she laughed.

From the second pulse of light nearest Tabby emerged Zan. His tanned skin glowed as if he stepped from a Giorgio Armani commercial. The wind ruffled the half-open silk shirt tucked into his well-tailored trousers. At the site of Tabby, trussed up like a Christmas turkey, he smiled revealing his pearly white fangs. Caprice came up behind him. Her small golden sequined, shift dress glided over the curves of her slinky body. She scrunched her perfect face when she saw the state Tabby was in.

"Move it, angel boy. Can't you tuck those things in to get through the door?"

"Woman, don’t give me your lip."

Lyric and Craigen stumbled from the light.

"Dearest Lord," Craigen exclaimed, rushing to Tabby's side. His mouth fell open as he circled. Tabby hung in the trees by her arms and legs. She was wound tightly with wires and cords from electronics of all kinds.

"Ge ma oot off here," Tabby mumbled. Her eyes flashed angrily, the blackberry stuffed in her mouth making her words difficult to understand. Craigen pulled a small glowing dagger from his belt he wiped the blade across his denim clad leg.

"How the hell did you get yourself into this mess?" Lyric asked. Her arms crossed over her dark business suit.

She threw Craigen a surprised look. "Well, what are you waiting for? Cut her loose. You too, Choppers."

Zan's deep chuckle brought a blush to Caprices face.

"You going to help? He asked her. His smoldering gaze undressing her in his mind.

Caprice looked away from him. Her face burnt with thoughts of Zan. "Let the FBI chick do it. I just had my nails done." For effect, she blew on her perfectly manicured fingers.

Zan leaned close to her sniffing the air around her.

"Those better be dry by the time were though here, or you're going to smudge them on my back."

"Cut the crap, Sauvé, and help me get our Tabby out of this," Craigen said.

Lyric pulled a well-concealed switchblade from inside of her blouse. She cut the wires imprisoning Tabby. Craigen's brows came together in concentration. Each slice of his dagger, gently done with care for Tabby's safety. Zan sauntered up to Tabby. His gaze locked with hers. He moved with deliberate sensuality. Dipping his head toward Tabby's neck, his warm tongue pulled a wire from her skin and his fangs sliced it cleanly. He growled and went after another.

"Good Lord vampire, you're not being graded on this." Lyric smirked.

Caprice stamped her Prada flats and warned Zan with a look that could have lit the sun.

Zan laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't help it. I'm that good."

Tabby finally breathed a sigh of relief as the three of them freed her from the last of the wires. Craigen pulled her into his comforting arms, and kissed the top of her head.

"All safe, precious."

Brenda's head was just slipping beneath the shifting dirt. Her hands clawed wildly at the ground. Mel threw himself to the ground followed closely by Breeana. The two of them desperately tried to dig her from her impending grave. Mel shoved his hands deep into the earth and pulled with all his might. Brenda's head pulled free of the ground. She sucked in a huge breath, choking and spitting dirt from her mouth.

"What the hell is this?" Breeana pulled a potato from beneath the ground.

A rag tag group of vampires dropped down beside Mel and joined in the fight against the dirt that was still trying to pull Brenda away.

Kal watched from the sidelines. A plate of nachos balanced in one hand. The other hand dipped a chip into the cheese and popped it into his mouth.

"Kal! … A hand here? Mel complained.

Kal passed the plate of nachos to Ace and pulled a small garden shovel from his back pocket. He joined the crew of vigorously digging vampires.

"Ace!" yelled Mel.

"What? Save a human or a plate of nachos?"

"Ace," the others warned.

"I'm thinking," he snarled back.

Sin swore and fell back as he pulled a screeching rooster from the dirt.

"What the bloody hell is this?" He directed the comment at Breeana.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You’re the vet."

"So, I didn’t put the damn rooster there."

Mel tugged harder, readjusting his grip under Brenda arms. Brenda cried, her arms wound around Mel's neck.

The small silver shovel in Kal's hands pitched the dirt away from Brenda's body. The speed of his hands helped uncover her. Mel continued to tug her from the cloying ground. Sin and Black's grasp on Brenda helped Mel pull her from the ground.

Breeana let out a blood-curdling scream as the head of a small miniature horse broke free of the mud and reached out to bite the back of Brenda's jeans.

Brenda and Breeana shrieked in tandem as the horse's teeth tried to pull Brenda back into the ground.

Kal thumped the horse on the face with the garden shovel.

"Stop that. You'll hurt him," Breeana moaned.

"He is trying to eat Brenda," Kal exclaimed. "What do you want me to do, give him a reward?"

"Kiwi, let go," screamed Brenda as her legs flayed to gain purchase on the shifting ground.

At last, the group of vampires pulled Brenda from the dirt and dragged her away from the pit where the horse and chicken still eyed Brenda. An evil laugh echoed from a group of raccoons at the edge of the forests, strawberries, and raspberries clutched in their paws.

"That is just freakin weird," Kal said to Mel

Ace threw the empty plate toward the raccoons, scattering them.

Wiping his hands on his jeans, he crouched down where Mel still held Brenda in his muscled arms. His large hand picking chunks of mud from her hair.

Brenda wiped her mouth on her dirty arm and immediately spit the dirt from her mouth.

"Ack.".

Ace looked into Brenda's dirt smudged face.

"You’re a mess, human."

"Thanks for the help, jerk," Brenda grumbled. "Just wait," she warned, pulling debris from her scraggly tangled hair and smoothing the bedraggled cape over her legs.

The last of the lights flared as an endless horde of people spilled forth. Miles, barefoot, skipped to where Cindy was drowning beneath shoes, laundry, and backpacks. The trees around them jingled with the sound of car keys. Each key lit with an address... an eerie sick green light cycled on and off in the branches, spelling out the words taxi. Andros pulled a pulse rifle from his belt and one by one picked off the car keys from the branches. They dropped harmlessly to the forest floor.

Miles leaned over Cindy, flashing her a bright smile and a wink.

"Got yourself in a bit of a pickle, eh?"

Georgia shook her head and began to pull the shoes off the heaping pile.

Tally took a laser scalpel and carefully started to cut away the plastic grocery bags from Cindy's wrists. The pungent odor of burning plastic tainted the air.

Miles pulled out a tennis racquet and began to toss shoes in the air and swat them away…yelling, "Fore," as he did.

"I've got a hell of a serve," he boasted. Georgia laughed up at him and gave him the next shoe to smack.

Rory set up a perimeter around the whole group, signaling to a group of commandos to lay low and keep their eyes open.

Jonas stood behind Andros and scored his shots.

"4.5, 3.7," he laughed

"Close your face, boy scout."

"Like you know what a boy scout is," Jonas smirked.

"I am capable of reading your human script. Now let's get that fool out of the way and see if we can't uncover Cindy."

Andros and Jonas joined Miles in pulling the hundreds of shoes off her. Once free, Andros held out a hand and pulled Cindy to her feet. Dusting herself off, she surveyed the group around them. Each of her fellow writers was pulled free of their troubles by the very characters each created. The voices of the characters refused to be ignored. The humans, vampires, and aliens gathered around their writer and jealously guarded them. Now flesh and blood, none of them would go unheard. Whatever lies ahead in the dangerous forest of writers block, they would all go as a group. There was safety in numbers, and the characters were not about to let the forest swallow them up. Even if it meant holding the hand of their writers, this dedicated and boisterous group would not be put back on a shelf.

"Let's head out. I'll take point," said Rory. An enormous gun, skillfully handled. She aimed into the dark recess of the forest.

"We're all in this together, and need each other," Tally put in. Her gentle look passed over the whole, strange lot of writers and characters.

"Me wanker is yodeling. I've got to drain the hose," Miles remarked.

Andros, shaking his head, walked past him. "Idiot."

By Cindy Pahl

The Wacky Misadventures of Four Romance Writers Run Amuck

Chapter 2

WARNING: This post breaks most of the writing rules, lol.

Penny, Cindy, Brenda, and Tabby, gazed past the brick wall into the thick forest beyond. Fir and cedar trees towered over them, lining both sides of a gravel path.  Branches interlocked to form a canopy overhead, allowing only intermittent patches of blue sky to peek through the tightly woven cover. What little light penetrated the needles struggled to reach the forest floor.

The four women glanced to their right, then left. Odd trails, possibly made by animals or other writers who came before them, meandered past the wide tree trunks in all directions, only to be swallowed up by the gloom. A feeling of danger permeated the heavy air.

Penny shouldered her large purple backpack and walked to the beginning of the rocky passageway. She stopped. “Did any of you think to bring a flashlight?”

“No,” Cindy said as she took a step back.

“Figures.” Penny turned to the group. “We need some light.”

Brenda laid a soothing hand on Cindy’s arm. “Hey, if we’d have known we were going to be roaming through the lost freaking woods, we’d have brought a damn flashlight.”

Tabby brushed past Brenda and Cindy. One of her white feathered angel wings skimmed Cindy’s cheek, and her halo made from green Christmas garland, bounced with her quick stride. She stood beside Penny and pointed to a wooden sign. “It says, follow path to unblock writer’s block.”

The group stared at the sign.

“Do we have to go in there? It’s so dark,” Cindy stated.

Penny jerked her thumb toward Cindy’s rhinestone studded belt. “What’s that?”

Cindy unhooked a plastic sword from her belt. “It’s my light saber.”  She pushed a button and the sword let off a blue glow.

As Penny reached for the light saber, she said, “That’ll have to do.”

“It’s mine.” Cindy hid it behind her back.

“Fine. You go first then.” Penny moved to the side, giving Cindy a better view of the sinister woods.

Cindy tossed the sword to Penny.

As they made their way, Cindy whispered to Tabby, “What is this place?”

“I think this is Writer’s Block Woods. I’ve heard of it, but I thought it was only a legend.”

“I’ve heard tons of writers have lost their sanity in here,” Brenda said. “I wonder if their minds are still floating around, waiting for unsuspecting victims.”

Cindy covered her mouth, stifling a scream. The silver glittery balls held up by pink pipe cleaners, swayed above her head.

Brenda held her Dracula cape out to the side and opened her mouth to show off her set of dollar store plastic fangs. They fell out. She quickly picked them up and put them back in. “Maybe the lost minds will try to suck out your brain.”

Cindy’s body, clad in a silver jumper, trembled. “Do you think they could?”

Tabby shoved Brenda. White feathers from her angel wings fluttered to the ground. “Stop scaring her.”

“Will you idiots hurry up,” Penny called. “Unless you want to be left behind.”

The three caught up and they continued on with the journey.

After walking a short distance, the foursome stopped.

Tabby glanced around. She noticed a dark shape slumped against a mossy tree trunk beside the gravel lane. “What’s that?”

They stepped closer.

Cindy screamed and covered her eyes.

The shape was a mummified woman wearing a moldy yellow sweater and dirt encrusted tan slacks. Her skin looked like dried leather, shrunken to her bones. Moss grew around the black eye sockets.  Boney hands lay in her lap with her fingers curled into balls. Sticking out from between her fingers were long strands of blond hair—the same color as the hair on her head. Bald patches showed against the dried scalp.

Brenda glanced at Tabby. “Yikes.”

Tabby gingerly touched the bald spot on the back of her own head, and then ran her fingers through the brunette strands, pulling out a clump. Her wide eyes filled with panic. “Oh shit.”

“What . . . what do you think happened to her?” Cindy asked as she peeked through her fingers.

Penny knelt beside the corpse and rummaged through her backpack. “Pretty obvious. She got lost in Writer’s Block Woods and couldn’t find her way out.” She pulled out a silver hat with red and green flashing lights on the rim and placed it over her dark hair.

Brenda laughed. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s my thinking cap.”

Tabby and Brenda laughed so hard tears streamed down their cheeks.

Penny narrowed her eyes. “Are two fools done?”

They wiped the mascara from under their eyes and nodded.

“We should move on.” Penny hoisted up her pack. “I have a bad—“

A menacing growl filled the eerie woods.

Cindy squeaked and grabbed Tabby’s arm, almost knocking them both to the ground. Cindy peered over Tabby’s shoulders. “What was that?”

The growl sounded again. The hair on all four women stood on end as if a static charge had surged through them.

Penny stepped forward. “I’ve no clue, but we should check it out. But stay quiet.”

Tabby grasped Penny’s arm and jerked her to a stop. “Are you insane?”

Cindy sunk to her knees, mumbling something about kittens and butterflies.

“You want to get over your writer’s block, don’t you?” Penny asked.

“Yeah, but I can’t write if I’m dead!”

Brenda drew her cape around her. “Yeah, maybe we should head back.”

Penny walked ahead. “Just know if you turn back now, you’ll never get over your writer’s block.”

Looking at each other, Tabby and Brenda knew Penny spoke the truth. They reached down and helped Cindy to her feet.

Cindy stumbled away from them.  “Please tell me we’re going back. I don’t want to know what made that sound.”

“Come on,” Tabby murmured. “We have to keep going.”

The four women continued down the trail. They came to a deep bend, stopped for a moment to gather their courage, and then slowly trudged onward. When they rounded the corner, they halted once more.

Stretched across the path was a large deadfall, and sitting on top was the largest bear any of them had ever seen. Blue ribbons of electricity wormed through the bear’s silky brown fur like snakes. The bear turned its enormous head toward the women, electricity snapped and crackled with its movements.

The scent of ozone clung heavy in the air. The taste tingled on the women’s tongues.

Penny cleared her throat. “We’re looking for the way out of this forest. Can you help us?”

The bear lifted a massive paw and inspected its razor sharp claws. “It’s back the way ya came.”

“Begging your pardon, but no it isn’t. We just want to get to the other side.”

The bear growled a deep sound that rumbled the ground beneath their feet. Its red eyes narrowed to deadly slits. “This is my last warning, turn back.”

The women huddled together.

“Now what?” Brenda whispered.

Penny thought for a second. “Maybe your characters can help.”

Tabby smiled and nodded. “Craigen, we need your help.” A dark, sexy angel materialized beside her. He stretched large white wings above his head, flapped them twice, then folded them over his back. His white robes shimmered in the dim light.

“Mel, we could use your strength,” Brenda said. Beside her, a tall vampire appeared. His shaggy black hair reached his broad shoulders. His cunning silver eyes turned serious as he gazed at the bear.

For the first time since they passed the brick wall, Cindy laughed. “Andros, help us please. Oh, and bring the biggest gun you have.” The sexiest alien alive took shape behind her. His orange tinted skin enhanced his dark hair and rich mysterious eyes. In his hands he held a futuristic gun the length of his muscular arms. The barrel was clear, showing the inner workings. The words, Wunderwaffa, DG2 were stamped on the side.

The bear roared with laughter as its red gaze took in Craigen and Mel. “Oh, this is just perfect. You two answer to the God of light, while I answer to the God of darkness. You both have no power here. This forest is made up of my master’s emotions: fear, doubt, and despair.” The bear inhaled. “Ahhh, the air is ripe with it.”

Craigen’s face blanched. He turned to Mel. “He’s right. Our powers won’t work in this evil place.”

Mel’s brows lower. “Shit.” He glanced at the women. “Sorry, ladies, but there’s nothing we can do. This is your battle to either win or lose.”

“Well, then, it’s up to my Andros.” Cindy hugged him around his waist then stepped back. “Blast that bear to smithereens.”

Andros pulled an energy cell from his pocket and screwed it into the top of his gun like a light bulb, then flicked a switch. Blue electricity course through the barrel. He raised the gun and pointed it at the bear. “Say goodnight, Johnboy.”

The bear stood on its hind legs and spread its paws wide. “Go ahead. Shoot me. I’ll absorb the energy and become even stronger.”

Just before Andros pulled the trigger, a dark haired, sexy human man materialized beside Penny. “Stop,” he shouted.

Andros lowered the gun. “Why?”

Raef addressed the group. “Think for a second. The bear seems to be made of electricity so it won’t hurt it.”

Brenda smacked her forehead. “That’s right. Like an electric type pokemon, electricity won’t work.”

Raef frowned. “Ah, yeah, something like that.”

“A water type pokemon would.” Brenda looked around. “But we don’t have one—I mean any water.”

Raef gave Penny a sideways glance and smiled.

Penny smiled back and reached into her pack and pulled out a super soaker.

The smug look on the bear’s face faltered. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” She aimed her water gun and pulled the trigger, shooting out a powerful stream of water.

The liquid hit the bear between the eyes. Its body jerked and did the funky chicken as water and electricity mixed. The men grabbed the women and pulled them to the ground as the bear exploded in a shower of sparks.

When it was over they all stood.

Penny placed her gun back in her pack and zipped it up. “Thanks Raef.”

“Don’t mention it,” he replied. “Call if you need me.” He disappeared.

Andros looked at Cindy and touched one of her glittering balls. “What the hell are you wearing?”

Cindy smoothed her hands over her silver jumper. “It’s my space suit. All people in space wear this.”

“If you ever dress me in something like that, you’ll have writer’s block for eternity.” Andros disappeared.

Mel kissed Brenda’s cheek. “Until we meet again.” He vanished.

Tabby hugged Craigen before he too vanished.

Brenda walked over to Penny. “Hey, Troll. How come you packed a water gun, but not a flashlight?”

Penny laughed. “I’m not sure.” She adjusted her thinking cap. “We should get a move on,”

The women climbed over the large deadfall and continued with their journey.

To be continued . . .

Come back for part three written by Cindy Pahl on Tues. the 21st.

By Brenda Dyer

The Wacky Misadventures of Four Romance Writers Run Amuck

WARNING: This post breaks most of the writing rules. Every rule broken was done on purpose.

Chapter One

Tabby walked into her office determined to get some writing done today. Nothing was going to stop her. Opening the door, her mouth dropped. Sure nothing was going to stop her but that giant brick wall looming before her. Releasing a sigh as tension radiated up her spine.  The computers were on the other side. This was just great. Backing up into the wall she slid to the floor and entangled her fingers in he hair.

“Hey…what the hell is that?” Brenda asked wide-eyed.

Looking up, Tabby, noticed her partners in crime had arrived.

Sarcasm spewed from Tabby’s mouth. “Ahh…looks like a brick wall.”

“What are we going to do?” Brenda questioned as she looked to Tabby.

“I don’t know. My first reaction was to pull out my hair!”

“I don’t think that is going to do anything.”

“Well, too late.” She turned to show the ladies a huge bald spot on the side of her head. The light bounced off her shiny scalp.

Laughter echoed off the walls of the large office.

“Hey fang girl, shut it. This isn’t funny!” Tabby looked down at the clump of hair on the floor.  Tears pooled in her eyes. No, damn it. She was not going to cry!

“Well at least I don’t come to work in angel wings and a halo.” Brenda put her arms out and flapped them like a bird. Her black cape fluttered with her movements.

Tabby pointed a finger at Cindy. “She’s the one wearing the silver jump suit and glittery bouncy balls on her head. She looks like a bad SyFy movie threw up on her.” Three sets of eyes glared at Cindy.

“What? It inspires me. I have to engross myself in the world I write.”

A laugh came from the back of the room. “I’m the only normal one here.” Penny smiled.

All three ladies squinted at Penny. “Shut up!”

“Guess the truth hurts.” Penny shrugged. “How are we going to get over that wall?” She glanced at Tabby.

“Hey, why do I always have to fix everything?” Tabby pushed to her feet and blew out a breath.  “Never mind I will do it.”

Tabby smiled. “Watch and learn. As paranormal and SyFy writers we have other worldly characters with amazing powers. You only have humans in contemporary.” Smug satisfaction tugged at her features. “Craigen can get us through that wall.” A sexy angel appeared. Tabby stared as her breath stuck in her throat. He was gorgeous. Tall dark and handsome didn’t even begin to describe him. “I need you to teleport us through that wall. I’ll go first.”

Craigen nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Tabby. Mmm…he smelled good. She closed her eyes and trusted her strong angel would do as she asked. He could do this she just knew it. Craigen lifted her into the air and they started to levitate towards the wall. Tabby hit the wall with a loud thud and bounced off landing on the floor. She lay sprawled out on the carpet. Her head ached and she looked up to find Craigen gazing down at her.

“Sorry, Tabs, that’s one strong wall. I have never had that happen before.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just go.” It was bad enough everyone was laughing at her.

“My turn! My turn!” Brenda chanted as she jumped up and down. “My vampire can do it. Mel.” A tall sexy dark haired vampire appeared. “I need you to break down that wall.”

Mel smiled. “No problem.” He cracked his knuckles as he stepped up to the wall and proceeded to punch the bricks.

Tabby felt her blood boil. Why did vampires have to be so sexy? It was so easy to fall head over heels in love. She was jerked from her thoughts by Cindy’s cry.

“Oh my God!” Cindy ran to Brenda. A brick had hit her right between the eyes.

“Is she okay?” Penny asked.

Brenda grumbled and sat up. Her hand flew to the large lump forming on her forehead. “What happened?”

Tabby rolled her eyes and glanced up at the ceiling. “Your big bad vampire didn’t break the wall. He only managed to knock you on your ass with a flying brick.” All eyes turned to Mel. He just shrugged his shoulders and disappeared. Tabby reached a hand down to helped Brenda up and tossed her the vampire fangs that had fallen from her mouth.

“Okay, I got this.” Cindy replied.  “My alien and his high tech equipment can take down that wall. Andros.”  A very sexy orange tinted alien appeared. “I need you to demolish that wall.”

Tabby wondered how an orange alien could be so sexy but damn he was hot as hell. She snapped her mouth shut and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Nope they were all starry eyed too. Lost in their own personal fantasies. Penny was the only on that didn’t seem to drool at the sexy Andros.

“No problem.” He withdrew a sliver gun from a holster on his hip and pointed it at the wall. It made a hissing sound as it warmed up. He rolled his shoulders as a cocky grin graced his chiseled features.

“I don’t think this is a good…” Tabby and the others were struck with bolts of electricity that bounced off the wall before she could finish her sentence. She shook the fog from her head and glanced around. “Damn it, Cindy!”

Andros put his metallic gun away. “What the hell is that wall made of?”

“Sorry.” Then Cindy burst into laughter. “Its made of all the stresses that we let get in the way of our writing.”

He raised a brow as his eyes bore into the four women. “You ladies have some serious issues. I’m out of here.”

Tabby then realized their hair was standing on end and smoke was wafting off their heads. Penny’s body spasmed as the electricity dissipated. “Well that’s what you guys get for laughing at my bald spot! Now we all are having a bad hair day.” Tabby burst out laughing as she watched the ladies all get to their feet.

Penny shook her head. “That’s it. Time to call in the human. Evidently none of your guys can get the job done. And I am not letting any more of this insanity continue. I may write with you guys but I’m not dying with you!” She stood and dusted off her clothes. “Raef.” A very handsome dark haired man appeared.  All the women’s mouth’s dropped. A smug smile tugged at the corners of Penny’s mouth. “He’s not too bad for a human, huh?” Everyone just shook their heads. Raef cleared his throat. “Oh, sorry, I need to know the best way to get through that wall.” Penny replied.

“Why do you have to go through it? Can’t you just go around it?” He raised a single dark brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

All the ladies looked at each other. “Hmmm…why didn’t we think of that?” Cindy laughed.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. See, humans use logic, not powers. Lets go!” Penny looked to the right of the looming brick wall to find a long winding road that disappeared into a dark forest.

“You want us to go out there?” Tabby pointed and shook her head. “No way! There might be lions and tigers and bears out there.”

Penny ran her hands trough her crispy hair. “We have an angel, vampire, alien and if need be a human with amazing reasoning skills. We will be fine. Plus it will be a great adventure. We can’t just sit here and hope that wall disappears. We have to be stronger than the wall.”

The ladies all looked at each other.  “I don’t think we have a whole lot of options here. Looks like we go through the forest.” Tabby reached out shaky hands to Brenda and Cindy.

To be continued…

Come back Friday the 17th for part two of our crazy journey written by Brenda Dyer.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabitha Blake