OCTOBER

 

Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash

“They’re coming to get you, Barbara.” 

—Johnny, Night of the Living Dead

It's one of the scariest movies ever made. No other Zombie movie has come close, at least in my opinion. It didn't help that I grew up in the area where it was filmed, so I may be a bit prejudiced. 😊

But folks...

It’s that time…

For frights slights

and epic delights

Devils and angels

Bats and werewolves

Witches and demons

Monsters and ghouls

It’s Halloween

And I’m the Queen!

😉 

“Welcome to my Nightmare”

Don't you just love fall and Halloween? I know I do. So, for October, I've posted flash fiction stories, one each Friday, and another on Tuesday, some new but all rewritten from earlier posts. I tried to keep them to 500 words or less. Most were originally close to 1000 words, so I didn't get there every time. A few were updates, what happened next, or just a slight change, but for most all of them I tried to up the horror. 😱

The final story on October 31st is new, just for this Halloween.

I hope you enjoy this year's Halloween Celebration!

And to wet your appetite here's an oldie but goodie...

BRAISED HEART

Donna admired the gleaming counters and spotless floor. The scent of bread and braised heart erased the smell of blood and bleach.

“Dinner is served,” she sang, lifting Clive’s unfaithful heart from the oven.

Dusty wound around her ankles, purring approval.

“Really—who imagines two-timing Hannibal’s daughter comes without a price?”

Dusty meowed.

She chuckled. “If Clive had guessed the truth…”

The cat sprang onto the counter, eyes bright with something almost human.

Donna’s grin sharpened. She tapped the blade against the roasted heart.

“You’re right,” she whispered. “Daddy always said—cannibalism isn’t a crime. It’s a family recipe.”

~100 words~

Yoland Renée © 2015

~~***~~

And here is a list of the stories I'm providing this Month, along with a teaser tagline!

********************

Friday, October 3^rd     INSOMNIA

Tagline: "Insomnia is no longer your curse…it’s your invitation."

Tuesday, October 7^th     GODDESS

         Tagline: Some encounters are too beautiful to be real

Friday, October 10^th     SACRIFICE

Tagline: Sacrifice isn’t just an ancient practice.

Tuesday, October 14^th     REVISITED

Tagline: One Halloween, the mist came for her… and it’s returned

Friday, October 17^th     OBSESSION

Tagline: Death cannot sever the ties of obsession

Tuesday, October 21^st     THE BEASTS BENEATH

Tagline: A husband’s anger turns into a deadly game of survival.

Friday, October 24^th     HUNTERS

Tagline: Beware the allure of beauty… it may eat your mind and your soul.

Tuesday, October 28^th     JACK

Tagline: Some killers never die—they just wait in the fog. 

Friday, October 31^st     RITUAL

Tagline: The past can be a deadly place to visit.

FYI:

I've used ChatGPT, Copilot, and Grammarly to edit my work. I found the results interesting and, at times, disappointing, especially when AI changed my word choice or completely misunderstood the whole point of the story, to downright word selection errors that even I, a dyslexic grammar failure, could recognize.

I learned that perfection cannot be guaranteed no matter what editor you use. Still, I hope you enjoy the Halloween stories—they are all meant to entertain!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash

 

SEPTEMBER

 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

‘Light tomorrow with today!’

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

AUGUST

 

Photo by Ernest Porzi on Unsplash

‘I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today!’ –

William Allen White

JULY

Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash

 

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.’ –

Nathaniel Hawthorne

June

 

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

‘It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.’

• Amelia Barr

MAY

 

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

“To understand somebody else is a human being, I think, is as close to real forgiveness as one can get.”

David Small

APRIL

 

Photo by Eunice Choi on Unsplash

‘Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 

‘I’m possible’!’

Audrey Hepburn

MARCH

 

Photo by Natalie Kinnear on Unsplash

"The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible."

Joel Brown

SUPPORT THE "ECONOMIC BLACKOUT!"

Friday's No-Shopping 'Economic Blackout' Is Everywhere Online — And Experts Have Thoughts

A Feb. 28 grassroots campaign is calling for a no-shopping boycott on all major retailers. 

AI-enhanced summary:

A nationwide economic blackout is set for February 28, 2025, to protest corporate practices.

Key takeaways

• A grassroots campaign is organizing a no-shopping boycott on February 28, 2025, to protest corporate influence and economic inequality

  huffpost.com+2
  .

• The initiative, led by The People’s Union USA, aims to raise awareness about the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by major corporations

  apnews.com+2
  .

• Support for the boycott has gained traction among celebrities, highlighting a growing movement against perceived corporate greed and social injustice

  huffpost.com+2
  .

All items in this post were copied from other areas of the internet; just follow the links to learn more!

I totally support this! 

I hope you will too!

 

BE MINE, VALENTINE

 

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

BE MINE, VALENTINE

In shadows where dreams decay,

I wander through night’s dismay,

Only solitude’s cold, empty grace.

No tender whispers, no sweet embrace.

Mocked by the constellations above,

With tales of sacrifice and endless love,

Their humor, scorns, and doubts abound.

No love or warmth to be found.

Not for the obdurate ice queen.

With thoughts and acts so byzantine.

So here I stand, a heart of stone,

No prince or king upon the throne.

They’ve all gone, their promises cheap.

In the darkness, all alone, I weep.

Recalling passion and hope

 doing my best to cope,

while dreams fade like the morning mist.

In a world where love does not exist,

I’ve built my walls, so high, so steep,

To guard a heart scarred so deep.

For love, is but a dream,

A fleeting wisp, a heartless scheme,

I walk the path alone,

A hardened heart, all hope flown.

Is the fault all mine?

Or just the time?

All I wanted was a Valentine.

YRS ©2025

FEBRUARY

 

Photo by Roma Kaiuk🇺🇦 on Unsplash

'The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.'—

Franklin D. Roosevelt

IF ONLY...

 

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

‘Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth, follow only beauty, and obey only love.’

Khalil Gibran