Time to enter Susanna Hill’s annual Halloweensie Contest! The rules:
- Must be for kids age 12 and under.
- Must contain a version of the words: creepy, skeleton, mask.
- Must be related to Halloween.
- Must be 100 words or fewer, not including title.
- No illustration notes allowed.
In the spirit of 2020, here’s my 99-word story, including a recording for your listening pleasure. My son and husband both said it’s hard to figure out what’s going on, LOL. I believe this is the classic case of a writer entertaining only themselves with their story. It makes perfect sense to me. You be the judge! I accept all verdicts. Cheers!
Pandemic Halloween
by Jilanne Hoffmann
Halloween moon
brings a creepy trick or treater to my door,
clinking, clanking, clinking.
I don a doctor’s mask and repeat:
“Six feet, six feet.”
Louder now,
it’s knocking, knocking, knocking.
“Hold on!” I say,
gloved hands grabbing the candy bowl.
This telltale trickster,
now beating, beating, beating!
“Patience!” I exclaim,
throwing wide the heavy door.
A rattling rack of bones,
a skeleton with gaping jaws,
it SHRIEKS!—
drops a note, and clatters off.
The note reads:
Escaped from doctor’s office
and those patients
poking at my bones.
In search of quiet home.
“Wait!” I cry—
Too late….
Stay safe out there!
Jilanne Hoffmann 
What fun!
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks! Now tell me….do you get the joke? Or am I just entertaining myself?
Hahaha! Wonderful! Poor old skeleton – no wonder it was scared… 😱🎃😂
Thank you! Yes, this pandemic has been hard on everyone, including skeletons….
Very clever!
Thank you! But does it have heart?! LOL…..
No 💙 Just bones! 😂
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ 🤣
Well, I love it. I knew exactly what was going on, and it made me laugh. Well done, making a little humor out of a stranand not always humorous year.
Thank you! Families are not the last word in critiques, right?
Love it, Jilanne! I similarly incorporated the pandemic – but from the point of view of decorations stuck in the storage closet. I’m not sure if folks will get that or not. 100 words is such a challenge! Happy Halloween!
I love your story! I’m feeling bad for all of those decorations….
We didn’t even put out candy this year, but we do have pumpkins 🎃
We’re not even doing that. The city just sent us texts and emails, telling everyone to enjoy Halloween at home. I think they’re trying to keep everyone healthy.
Great story! I especially enjoyed listening to you read it. Spooky and fun.
Thanks! I love Susanna’s contests, and try to write something for them, but sometimes don’t have the time.
Hearing you read this was a very special touch. Creepy. Lovely. Appro…
Thank you!! it was so much fun!
HI Jilanne,
Nice work on this story and good luck! I especially enjoyed the audio!
Ken
Thank you so much!
Loved this and enjoyed the audio… creepy! Side note, it took me a second to remember when I thought a mask was a doctor’s mask. 2020 … it’s been a long year.
Thank you! and yes, it has been a long year. Interesting how our perspectives have changed, and am pining for some sense of normalcy, but it’s nowhere in sight.
This made me laugh! Love how you used patience and patients! Poor Skeleton – what a time to finally escape!
Thank you! I’m so excited that the play on patients/patience worked for you! Am going to tell my family of naysayers!…I do feel bad for that poor, wandering skeleton.
I’ll let you know if I see him!
Would love to know what you think of mine if you get a chance! https://bit.ly/3kJklro
Just read it. It’s fantastic!!
An escaped school skeleton! love it
Ha! I think you meant doctor’s office, but we all have school on the mind, don’t we? Thank you!
Ha ha ha! Six feet, the gloved hands as well as the mask. Great job incorporating the craziness that is into your story! You did an excellent job reading it as well! Quite the spooky voice.
Good luck!
Thanks, Colleen! Good luck to you!!
Thanks!
Ha! Poor skeleton!
Destined to wander the streets filled with “doctors,” knocking on doors that lead to more “doctors”…what a nightmare!
Great story, although a little too realistic, LOL! Very cool that you added the audio of you reading it, nice! Good luck!
Thank you! I’m hoping that it won’t be our reality forever. I’m also glad you enjoyed the audio! Cheers!
Love the twist with this one. I often wonder what stories those skeletons have to tell.
Right now, I’m feeling like that skeleton. Let’s see how the final votes tally….I hope your wife’s family is safe following the destruction by Typhoon Goni!
They were out for a meal yesterday so Ibthink it must have passed them by, thankfully!
Terrific! My favorite part was the repeated, “Six Feet, six feet.” Hilarious! Nice job on the audio, too, Jilanne! Best of luck in the contest.
Thank you for your kind words, Jill! I always enjoy entering Susanna’s contests. So much fun to come up with a story that meets her criteria, and so many great entries to read!