Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by my old friend Al Forbes.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in his picture (below).
Predictably, for once, Al gives us Hallowe’en as a prompt.
Having said that, his photo is anything but predictable, a superbly contrived scene of magic and humour, with no terror at all.
A bit like my story.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and to see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
There is no reading this week, as the story is from the POV of a woman. I tried it, didn’t like it!
Hallowe’en
I love Hallowe’en.
With three excited youngsters to help with their costumes, it is hard not to get into the spirit of things.
Spirit, get it?
Do I see a ghost of a smile there?
Okay, no more.
But even my husband makes an effort, wears Dracula teeth with a trickle of blood.
And he is not a bundle of laughs, usually.
We go round the neighbourhood, guising, as we call it in Scotland.
You probably know it as Trick or Treat.
The two boys tell terrible jokes, my daughter sings silly songs, badly.
The men stand about, being useless as ever, but it is great fun.
I like to catch up on the gossip, find out which kids are staying where, which husbands are not at home.
Because later I go visiting again.
This is the part of Hallowe’en I love most, the time when I enjoy myself best.
You see, I am the bogeyman.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Somehow I never thought of the bogeyman being a woman with a family. But then all kinds of strange happen these days. Good writing, C.E. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Ooh, creepy! Mom is gonna have some fun tonight. Well done!
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Creepy is good, thank you!
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Not very well versed with the custom of Halloween but I am learning. Despite the trick, this was a treat to read 😀
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Glad you enjoyed, Dahlia.
You might find this effort by one of my alter egos interesting and perhaps even amusing:
https://anelephantcant.me/2016/10/31/halloween-scottish-style/
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Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
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Thank you, Kate, I hope your blog gets 1,000,000 visits!
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Aww so sweet thank you :0)
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Excellent story! I love that last line.
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Happy you did, and thank you for telling me.
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hehe nice take CE. An interesting ending. I guess the bogeyman would need good intelligence before scaring children at night etc..
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The bogeyman knows everything, Amanda.
He is a bit like Santa’s alter ego!
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Great twist, CE. Shame you didn’t read it in a woman’s voice though 😉
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Yeah, right, dear lady, like I am going to make an idiot of myself here!
I did try reading it my my own sultry but charming brogue, but it didn’t even work for me. Goodness knows what it would have done to my readers/listeners!
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I just loved this creepy tale. Your endings are just superb.
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Thank you, sir, these are the comments that a writer lives for!
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I knew you would enter into the spirit of Halloween. Great image conjured up of the bogey family celebrating their favourite day of the year!
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I am not necessarily saying that the whole family are bogeypeople, perhaps it is just sweet lovable mummy!
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Another creepy tale, love it!
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Thank you, Angie
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I’m glad I was unpredictable in my predictability 🙂
I think you would have sounded awesome trying to speak like a woman haha.
Great story , amusing and creepy.Just like the host of the challenge, although with less emphasis on the amusing.
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I think it is cool that you give us a topical prompt, mon ami.
And yeah, like a woman, that is just not going to happen!
And your last comment there is actually quite amusing.
So you are unpredictable after all!
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I always suspected there was something different about you!
Visit Keith’s Ramblings
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Not really, Keith, I am not very different from any other 143 year old whose hobbies are torture, murder and mayhem.
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Like the idea that even the bogeyman (bogeyperson? 🙂 ) goes trick or treating with the kids, presumably bogeypeople in the making. Nicely seasonal tale, C. BTW, do they celebrate Halloween in la belle France?
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I love your attempt to be PC here – Be good children or the bogeyperson will get you!
They do celebrate in France, but not so much where I am.
Perhaps because there are so few children (I have already eaten most of them).
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I don’t really approve of that element of PC ness – it’s a bogeyman to me, always will be, no matter the gender. And bogeyperson doesn’t have the same ring – not half as scary.
I wouldn’t recommend eating children – I find they always disagree with me 🙂
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That sounds like a great horror movie in the making.
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It might have already been done, although not with a female bogeyman!
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Dear CE,
Every family has a secret.She must be a fun mom. Fun story. I’m hiding now.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You can hide, my lady, but I will always find you.
And your neck is so tempting…
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Knew there’d be a twist! Haunting Halloween as you go guising about the Cote d’Azur?
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At my age, dear Ms Frilly, I do not need a mask to be scary!
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Your picture doesn’t look that scary to me?
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I suggest spectacles.
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I wear them, but can’t when I’m the computer — maybe that explains things . . . .
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