FALL WRITING FRENZY 2022 -GHASTLY GHOST TOWN

 Bwahahaha! Fall is upon us as is the #FallWritingFrenzy 2022. Thanks to our "ghostesses (hostesses) with the mostest,"  Lydia Lukidis, Kaitlyn Sanchez, and Alyssa Reynoso-Morris for another fun contest will boo-tiful prizes. 

The contest directions indicate 200 or less words for board book through young adult age kiddos. We chose one image from a group of images to inspire our stories. See image prompts and contest rules here.

My story is 133 words, based on this image below, which reminds me of my Phoenix AZ days. Yeehaw, I rustled up some memories! BTW, I named my character Jerome as a nod to the cool, artsy mining town Jerome AZ which is said to be haunted. My husband  and I visited. Check out Jerome!

Enjoy reading all the stories and commenting on them here. (You'll have to scroll a bit to see the grid.) 

  

Halloween- Credit: Brian Wangenheim for Unsplash Prompt #2

GHASTLY GHOST TOWN

By Kathy Halsey  

 
No one around now
in this here ghastly ghost town.
No hoots. No hollers.
 
I’m Jerome. Thrown out
with the kitchen sink, I think—
or maybe the tub . . .
 
My bones rattle, rust.
No cavalry rescued me.
I’m dust in the wind.
 
Shake me awake.
Revive my faint memories
in this no-man’s land.
 
Don’t leave me alone.
This bag of bones wants to roam
a lonesome prairie.
 
Wanna scare up trouble?
I’m lookin’ for a cowpoke
buddy just like you.
 
Throw on your costume,
We’ll rassle up night riders
sparking spooky fun.
 
Make memories live
beyond this ghostly town
once the sun goes down.
 
Grab your horse and mine.
My giddy up’s back. Let’s ride  
the wide-open range.
 
We’ll rattle some bones
with hoots and hollers, far from

this ghastly ghost town.

And We're Off to the Races: 50 Precious Words Contest by Kathy Halsey

Say, what? Yes, another contest...it's time for author Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Words modeled off Bennet Cerf's challenge to Dr. Seuss to create a story using only 50 unique words. This was the origin of GREEN EGGS AND HAM. I recycled an old picture book manuscript and shaved it down to 47 words, no easy feat, believe me. 

Let's have a bit of word association before we begin, shall we? There's "feat" and "feet," but in my story we have  a race to the finish with "hoof" versus "paw." Yes, it's Blaze Cheetah versus Giraffe. (Did you know that a giraffe's hooves are as big as dinner plates? Did you know they can cruise at 35 mph? Did you know that we PB writers learn many odd facts?) Onward to our race!

Kalahari Elementary Track Meet

by Kathy Halsey

Blaze's fast,

Always best.

Giraffe laces up,

Cannot rest.

They'r-r-r-e OFF!

'Round the track.

Blaze zooms ahead,

Giraffe bounces back.

Giraffe tangles up.

Legs run amok!

Neck and neck,

Hoof to paw.

Near the half mark,

Shock'n awe.

Photo finish.

Who will win?

It's...GIRAFFE!

Mile-wide grin.