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January 19, 2009

Genre Creatives Challenge - October 09 - Halloween: A Love Story

October 04, 2009 01:59 PM EDT (Updated: October 04, 2009 02:05 PM EDT)

views: 238 | comments: 36

The pig in the cop car wears a hog's-head mask... red overhead light casting shadows underneath its eyes.

I walk the children through the spitting snow, a twelve year-old Jedi Knight and an eight year-old music box dancer.

Porch to door and back again… creepy sounds, giant spiders, flame-lit jack-o-lanterns lighting up the night in Standard Time. Dodge and jump as things move in the dark, children’s minds aflame with “it might really be…”

“Trick-or-treat,” 33 at 78 – the shaking voice of my little girl, and 33 mixed with 45 from ‘tweener son.

Would that they could know I’m here.

Tags: genre creatives challenge, october, halloween, love story, pn, story, love

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Comments: 36

DIANE D. Oct 4, 2009, 2:02pm EDT

Sounds great.

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Kevin E. Oct 4, 2009, 2:03pm EDT

Very fun! It makes me look forward to Halloween! Nice work!

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Erin O'Riordan Oct 4, 2009, 2:43pm EDT

Excellent work!

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Franklin Newman Oct 4, 2009, 2:49pm EDT

Ooh, how nice. Is the Mom a ghost?

Chuck L. Oct 4, 2009, 3:29pm EDT

Wel-l-l-l-l... somebody is.

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Marilyn is looking for whatever there is. N. Oct 4, 2009, 2:56pm EDT

Excellent, Chuck!
Featured in the group, Genre Creatives,

with thanks!

Marilyn (you're GOOD at this!)

Chuck L. Oct 4, 2009, 3:30pm EDT

Thank you dear. They're fun sometimes (hard to hit that hundred, though)

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Purrrrrrrrrrr~Genki dashite~Nantoka naru-yo! S. Oct 4, 2009, 3:33pm EDT

you had me at pig~ lol =D

Chuck L. Oct 4, 2009, 4:07pm EDT

Actually, that part's real (so is the snow). I walked out the front door just as the cruiser was passing. He had a red bulb in the inside roof light, and he was wearing a hog mask. I didn't stop laughing for the first hour of the trek.

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Lee P. Oct 4, 2009, 4:18pm EDT

Ooooooo, I'm glad they didn't know you were there. Scary. Nice story.

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Sharon P. Oct 4, 2009, 5:07pm EDT

Thats a nice story.

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Nettie R. Oct 4, 2009, 5:21pm EDT

Great Halloween story. Scary sounds & all!

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Liz H. Oct 4, 2009, 7:06pm EDT

Sweet and sad, but a nice Halloween tale...good to know their dad(?) is watching over them...

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Angela A. Oct 4, 2009, 7:06pm EDT

Super duper!
Te he, he, he!
Thanks for posting to my group, Anythingwriting

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Adrian Eve Revenaugh Oct 4, 2009, 7:26pm EDT

Were your 33/78 and 33/45 referring to record speeds and the resulting sounds their voices resembled? Our mini 45 record player from the mid-50's is a hot spit memory. Sending it in reverse mode gave us hours of entertainment while closed secretly into the hall closet.

This was fun and I agree. The delightfully surreal nature of neighborhood Halloween, where everyone turns out, is my all time favorite holiday. Actually NYC has some of the finest celebrations ever as do most all larger urban areas, I've just never experienced them (though my adult kids are now. Grand reports!)

Adrian Eve Revenaugh Oct 4, 2009, 7:29pm EDT

You're a Circus performer Chuck. Thanks for the holiday warm-ups and looking forward to how surreal your writing may become by the end of the month!

Chuck L. Oct 4, 2009, 7:47pm EDT

Yep, record speeds. We used to do those speed jumps on the old "entertainment center" we had for our first TV (the TV was a nine-inch BW screen in the center of it).

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Kathryn E. Oct 4, 2009, 8:18pm EDT

well done!

Featured in the Triple Name Club.

Jim G. Oct 4, 2009, 9:06pm EDT

Ditto.

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Jan S. Oct 4, 2009, 10:07pm EDT

This is so cool. I like the reference to record speeds. We used to speed 'em up, too, just to laugh. Remember taping pennies to the arm to prevent needle skipping?
Thanks for posting to All About Autumn

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Shelbia C. Oct 4, 2009, 10:28pm EDT

great job

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Elizabeth R. Oct 5, 2009, 1:42am EDT

Fun Halloween story!

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FRED R. Oct 5, 2009, 1:45am EDT

WHAT?

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Annmarie B. Oct 5, 2009, 8:20pm EDT

Happy Halloween, great story! Also I am back after a 4 day job in breckenridge.

Chuck L. Oct 5, 2009, 9:11pm EDT

Welcome back

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Sheila Deeth Oct 5, 2009, 9:22pm EDT

Cool. I love the sudden shift at the end. Like a wind whispering by.

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Vinod Sailes Oct 6, 2009, 1:10am EDT

Superb post.

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Chas Andrews Oct 6, 2009, 1:44pm EDT

thanks!

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Annmarie B. Oct 6, 2009, 9:56pm EDT

Hi Chuck, now I have the swine flu like my son. It is hard to sit here and type. tomorrow I will read all of the posts!

Chuck L. Oct 6, 2009, 10:38pm EDT

Hang in there, Kid. You'll feel better after you feel worse.

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Annmarie B. Oct 7, 2009, 11:27am EDT

thanks

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Sandre M. Oct 7, 2009, 1:02pm EDT

Chuck, this is great, nice and Hallowe'en creepy, but the ghost's plight nearly made me cry. And tell Jan, yes I remember and now we know we're the same age, LOL.

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Elsie Duggan Oct 9, 2009, 5:53pm EDT

Wonderful Halloween story, reminds me of shadowing my kids around while they tricked and treated , not too many tricks, but lots of treats, fun post

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James B. Oct 14, 2009, 11:18pm EDT

Thanks for posting to All Top Ten Lists.

I didn't like trick or treating with my kids. My older son was too much of a handful and never happy, always fighting with his friends and little brother. It was unpleasant and I simply hate the holiday now. He has matured a lot and is typically great to be with now, though he can still be a handful.

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Barbara B. Oct 16, 2009, 10:56am EDT

Thanks for sharing this story my friend. I love Halloween and
all the kids in their costumes coming to get their treats !! I used
to take my kids out til they were old enuff to be on their own, but
I still kept watch of them so they dint get hurt.

Hugs, Barbie

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