Monday, October 27, 2014

Halloweensie 2014: Creak, C-R-E-A-K, Keep!

Bwaaaaaaa! It's time once again for a great contest! Thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill's generosity in creating these fun challenges and for all her writer friends who have donated great prizes! 

The rules?  We are to write a 100 word story appropriate for children using the words pumpkin, broomstick and creak, or a form of those words. It's not as easy as you think, my pretties.
My story? I was playing around with word families in an attempt to learn more re: early readers and chapter books. I decided to include a word family in my story, too, based off  the long "e" sound in creak. Amazingly, it sounded rather poetic, and that, my pretties, made me happy. So here it is. Let me know what you think...


Creak, C-R-E-A-K, Keep! by Kathy Halsey

Autumn jumped.
“C-r-e-a-k.”
Have I heard that sound before?
“C-r-e-a-k…”
Was it in the basement?
Was it outside in the pumpkin patch?

Autumn grabbed a broomstick propped by the screen door.
This MIGHT keep the scaries away.

Sweep, sweep.
“C-R-E-E-E-A-K!!!!”

Autumn dropped the broom.
Maybe a peek in the
deep
dark
basement?

Stairs were steep.
Autumn took two at a time.
She landed on cool cement.

Autumn inched over to a dank corner.
She reached something
soft and sleek.
Saw glowing eyes,
felt whiskered cheek.

Autumn hugged
something sweet.
A big black cat, I think I’ll keep!



40 comments:

  1. She's brave. I'm still scared of the basement! But I'm glad she found a lovely new friend on Halloween.

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  2. I was wondering what she would find in the deep dark. I'd want to keep it too!

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  3. I loved this! Wonderful story, Kathy! :-)

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  4. Love the line, felt whiskered cheek!

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  5. Yup, Julie - I loved that line, too. Ty for coming by.

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  6. Ooo, Kathy. LOVE IT! So glad I found your story. I KNEW you'd written one. Love the tension. It had me from the first line. Why it's PHANTASMAGORICAL! (((hugs)))

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  7. Love this! Just the right amount of scary spookiness but with a cuddly ending. Love the sound imagery!

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  8. Loved the visual along with the cat description. Terrific imagery.
    TB

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  9. Yeah she's very very brave and aptly rewarded for the same. A sweet friend! ! Cute story. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Autumn's MUCH braver than me. (Or is it I?) :-)

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  11. Cathy C. Hall, I caught that on-purpose grammar mistake. I agree, i'd stay upstairs, no basement for me.

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  12. How cute. Loved the last stanza.

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  13. This girl likes a good mystery! She's full of adventure. I'm guessing maybe she'd find frogs by the C-R-E-E-K, too? Cute story, Kathy.

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  14. Super sensorial and I love the name Autumn!

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  15. Aw, that was a great spooky/sweet combo! Brave girl reaching into that dark corner!

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  16. Me-ow! Glad her surprise was sleek and sweet and purrfect!

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  17. Ooh, lovely job, Kathy! I like all the long "e" sounds - you're right, they work well! Autumn was very brave to go into that deep dark basement alone! I'm glad she found a friend! Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie fun with your wonderful story/poem! :)

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  18. Susanna, thank you for reading and for your comments.

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  19. Love your eek sounds and the glowing eyes and whiskered cheek--fun story!

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  20. Brave little girl with a sweet ending!

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  21. As someone who is currently housing a cat in the basement, I can totally relate to your adorable story.

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  22. Great suspense as she tiptoed down the stairs to the basement. Cute ending.

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  23. She's braver than me, too, Catherine.

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  24. A brave girl who gets a kitty as a result! Way to go. Good luck. :)

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  25. Loved the suspense and unexpected ending. Great story.

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  26. Oh Kathy, this is really good. Scary, cuddly, creepy...lovely. All in 100 words. You managed to introduce a wonderful mc, create tension, and give us a delightful twist of an ending. And again, all in 100 words. WELL DONE YOU! Well Done!

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  27. Pam , methinks you, too, are too kind. It was fun, though.

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  28. Fun use of the creak and a fun ending! I'm glad you shared the link with me. I still haven't made it through the full list.

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