Are You Asleep Yet?

In 2021  on this day, it was not Friday the 13th and this was the story I had posted. 

 Fandango’s Flashback Friday — September 13th  

I would like to ask present the story that asks: 

” Are You Asleep Yet?

 

They’re just two little boys, brothers,  one is named Virgil and the other is named Dill. They like to ride scooters with the light up wheels in the park across the street from their park and they like to ride their bikes to the Zipity Mart for microwave burritos.

The brothers always remember to wear their helmets on their rides to the Zipity Mart because when they forget they can hear their Mom calling them from a half mile away to come back and put their helmets on – and how embarrassing is that?

Ask any  random eight or nine year old- it’s VERY embarrassing.

Dill and Virgil think their Mom is bossy and they wish their Dad was home more, but he was always out on the road- after all if he didn’t work so hard who was going to bring home the bacon he would ask?

Dill and Virgil thought about it- and in the end they decided that even if they missed their Dad, they would miss bacon even more.

 

The brothers got along most of the time, but if things went sideways for them it was always going to go sideways at bedtime.

There were some nights where bedtime went off like clockwork.

Pajamas, brush their teeth, wash their faces and hop into bed.

Dill had a stuffed bear that he liked to sleep with and sometimes, if Virgil remembered- he would hide it which sent Dill into a panic and their Mom into hysterics because in Mom’s universe wore you helmet when you rode your bike, you washed your face AFTER you brushed your teeth and bedtime was bedtime, it was not playtime, it was not look for Dill’s stuffed bear time IT WAS BEDTIME.

Except every once and awhile the Universe didn’t go to Mom’s plan and they would hear their Mother roar from her room ” ARE YOU TWO ASLEEP? ”

The boys looked at each other. Dill shrugged and Virgil called to her:

” Almost!”

In case you haven’t caught up, ” almost ” was not the answer Mom was going to accept. No sir. Not at all.

They heard their Mom fly down the stairs to their room, they heard the bedroom door bang open and then her face was above them. “ Almost is the wrong answer! The sun is almost up!  Close those eyes and go to sleep you little monsters! I mean it!”

She banged their coffin lid down and after they were sure she was gone Dill snorted and said in his best Virgil impression ” Almost. ”

Of course there was some pinching, there was some poking, but after awhile the boys turned on their sides and settled down.

And under the watchful button eyes of Dill’s bear who was hanging from the light fixture in the middle of their room,  the morning sunlight and the daytime hours wore away above their heads until they both finally went to sleep.

Ask Theodore

First posted in RDP Tuesday: Theodore, where’s Chippy?

Reposted for Fandango’s Flashback Friday

 

Theodore, where is our one eyed  cat Chippy?

Did the big black dog from the cemetery next door spirit him away

when the fog rolled up from Woodbine River late last night?

 

Did Chippy snap? Did he bite,  did he claw

when the Big Black Dog from the cemetery next door

carried him off in his jaws?

 

Theodore, did you try to stop the Black Cemetery Dog

did you warn him away, did you howl did you growl?

Did you do anything at all to save Chippy,  when the Devil Dog came

to call?

 

Answer me this

do I need to sleep with one eye open

when you are around?

 

Because I’m starting to believe

the Black Cemetery Dog who carries off it’s prey doesn’t  live next door-

does he Theodore?

 

Photographer Unknown

Avana Street

I haven’t done Fandango’s Flashback Friday for awhile- so it’s time to jump back into the pool and swim-

This story is called ” Avana Street ” and it was inspired by:

RDP Thursday: THE BEDROOM WINDOW

OCTOBER 29TH ,2021

My name is Helli Barcus and and I live all alone in a little house on a steep and rock strewn hill on Avana Street.

The houses on my street don’t have numbers by their doors and there isn’t even a sign to tell you that you are on Avana. It’s doesn’t matter. Nobody comes out here and as for my neighbors, we don’t talk to each other.

To coin a phrase, we’re dead to each other.

I have a Chestnut Tree just outside my bedroom window and when the wind blows the tree creaks and groans and scratches at my window. Sometimes I think that it wants in and sometimes I stand at the window and scratch back because sometimes,

I want out.

The houses on my street don’t have numbers by their doors and there isn’t even a sign to tell you that you are on Avana. It’s doesn’t matter. Nobody comes out here and as for my neighbors, we don’t talk to each other.

To coin a phrase, we’re dead to each other.

And we are pretty much dead to the rest of the world too.

 

A Ghostly Reminder

For Fandango’s Flashback Friday, I thought I’d repost a fun thing I wrote about telling ghost stories at Christmas back in November of ’22

Last week my day job has expanded a bit, so I’ve been focused on learning some new things- which is okay but it is NOT okay for my writing time ( which has suffered ). This post is going to get me  back on track so I thought I’d share it with you just in case anyone needs a little creativity boost themselves.

amm

 

Earlier this month I posted a story about my family telling ghost stories at Christmas- it’s a Victorian Tradition and one that I really enjoy taking part in. I’ve posted some links here for a little inspiration and if this Winter you have that feeling in your bones ( that can only be a ghost story trying to make it’s way into the world ) then you might find these useful too.

amm

How To Write A Victorian Christmas Ghost Story

Best Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts of 2021 (reedsy.com)

Writing Prompts About Ghosts