Hansel and Gretel

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Etol Bagam

He escaped from prison long ago and since then have been living in the woods.
His crime?
Abuse and cannibalism.
Police went crazy trying to find him, but the woods were so tight that he was able to hide well enough.

Last year a new house was built at the edge of the woods.
A house with adventurous kids.

The kids would explore the woods from time to time.
A boy and a girl, like Hansel and Gretel.
They were thin and tiny.
He watched from his hideout.
Peering from the woods.

Someday they would be big and plump…

This post was witten in reponse to the August 9: Flash Fiction Challenge, hosted by Carrot Ranch.

It’s been a while that I don’t write. Life has been busy and creativity not being exercised. Hopefully I’ll find some more time, but no promises here….

As for the theme I chose within the prompt suggestion… well I’ve been reading lots of horror literature…
Hope you enjoy this tiny treat. ;o)

Version in Portuguese: João e Maria

High school sweethearts

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Etol Bagam

It was their Senior year in high school.

Prom night was coming and that’s when they were planning to give themselves to each other in full.

The chosen place was a treehouse at the backyard of an abandoned house.

Although shabby on the outside, the inside looked like a fairytale.

He lays her down gently at the mattress.

When things start to get hot, he remembers he forgot the condoms at the car.

He goes to the car, opens the glove compartment, and presses the button of a little remote control.

Kaboom!

Amongst shrapnel and wood chips, she rains around him in bits and pieces of flesh and blood.

This post was written for the Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest #7.

The rules for contest for this week it to “write a flash fiction in 109 words, no more, no less and weave a murderous vibe through an every-day setting, either in thought or deed.”

The image that came to my mind as inspiration was the last one in the story, then I wrote a story around it to fit. Originally I thought it would be a 299 word story, which allowed me to add many more details. Those details are gone, but I guess the shorter version ended up pretty nice too.

The winner for this contest was announced today at the Carrot Ranch.

Congratulations to Marjorie Mallon!

Good job to all the participants!

Portuguese version: Primeiro amor

The Dark Priestesses

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Etol Bagam

Their lord was captured by the priestesses of the Dark Sect.
She couldn’t let them have him. He was a good soul and needed to be saved.

She got her sword, mounted the mare and whistled for her companion dog.
In a minute they were flying through the woods, avoiding the branches and roots, trying to find the hidden shrine of the dark priestesses.

It wasn’t easy.
The woods were dark and very dense. Riding amongst its trees wasn’t a smooth ride.
Sometimes it also felt like they were going in circles. Maybe they were indeed.
And on top of it all, there was powerful dark magic protecting the shrine from being discovered.

But they needed keep trying.
His life was at risk and the villagers needed him.

She summoned her own Gods to help her on her quest. Hoping they’d help.

After two days riding, stopping only briefly to eat, and having had almost no sleep, the dog sniffed the air and started to bark and howl.
The mare panicked and wouldn’t go on.
She could also feel it. They were getting close.

She tethered the mare at a nearby tree and called the dog to come with her.

As they walked towards the force emanating from the trees, she became weak, her mind was going blank, but she was still struggling. She had to be strong to safe her lord.

After a few minutes of very hard walk, they came to clearing, where the priestesses were standing in a circle, with her lord tied up in the middle, subjugated, kneeling at the center, his head down.

She only had time to hear the spell before passing out herself.

Goddess of

the unliving!

I proclaim

this person

to your

eternal service,

on death.

Her lord was deceased…

This post was written for the Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest #3, hosted by Carrot Ranch.

The challenge today was to write a piece of fiction of about 200-300 words, that included a septolet as a spell or a charm.

Initially I though only the septolet would be required and crated the one above naming is “Verborragic Avada Kedavra”. But it was only once the rules were posted, and I leaned it should be in the middle of a story, that I created the story around it to go with it.

The winner for this contest was announced yesterday at the Carrot Ranch.

Congratulations to Deborah Lee!

Good job to all the participants!

Portuguese version: Sacerdotisas do Mal

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Etol Bagam

Today, Carrot Ranch website is starting a Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest.

For more details you can check their website at:

https://carrotranch.com/

They’ll be having 8 contest, every Tuesday and Thursday, starting today and going until the end of the month.

I heard about it a couple weeks back and was planning to post my entries here, but because it’s a competition they advise not to publish until judging is finished.

So no post today with my entry for the first one. I’ll instead post in on the day the winner is announced. And for today’s contest that will be on November 7th. So stay tuned!

In case someone else there is interested in participating, here are the rules for the first one:

https://carrotranch.com/2017/10/05/flash-fiction-rodeo-contest-1/

Good writing to us all!

;o)

Fiction: Busy Bee

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Etol Bagam

Thursday morning. Wake up.

Migraine.

Get up. Wake up the kids. Have breakfast. Get kids ready to school. Walk them to school.

Work from home. Automation won’t work, do it manually.

Stop to go to the doctor.

Come back to a meeting. Work non-stop until 3:25.

Bring suitcase down for hubby.

Pick up kids at 3:30.

Have lunch!

Drive kids to sports practice.

Stop at dry cleaner.

Back home, iron hubby’s shirts.

Shower.

Fix dinner. Do the dishes.

Help hubby pack for his trip.

Read a bit. Go to bed.

And that migraine is still there until end of day Friday….

This post was written in response to the September 7th: Flash Fiction Challenge, hosted by Carrot Ranch

Fiction: Honeymoon

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Etol Bagam

They met very young and were best friends forever.
Then each went on with their separate lives.

But all the time, they still had each other at the depths of their minds.

One day, they meet again.
They look at each other and see time flying backwards all the way to their childhood together.
“Hey, It’s been so long without seeing you”.
“Yes, I missed so much.”

They hold hands for the first time in ages, and from that time on, they never went apart again.
As if they were in a constant honeymoon.
Their time had finally come!

This post was written in response to March 9th: Flash Fiction Challenge, hosted by Carrot Ranch.

The story was actually taken, and adapted to fit the size constraints, from another piece I wrote a couple years ago for a Literary Lion challenge about Time. If you’re curious, here’s the full story I wrote at that time. Hope you enjoy!