A heart-rending, curious, mystical bevy of entries. Let's take a peep:
- Mimimanderly jumped straight in with The Horse Thief. Justice for justice's sake is never right, and this sad tale is testament to why.
- Trojan Horse is classic Aidan Fritz, studded with the characters that myths really are made of in an atmosphere of warring doom.
- Chris Allinotte whipped our hides in the vengeful Daltry's Hideout; justice again - working overtime. By contrast we find ourselves aiding and abetting the criminal Horse as he escapes back into our world in Getting Out.
- The eponymous old hoss in Antonia Woodville's Jiggety's Fate led us right into that murky hole where the sticky stuff lives.
- Moira seeks out Death on the ephemeral plains, pestering the blighter to get back to work in R.S.Bohn's daring Death Wants a Moment's Peace.
- We were treated to a bloody facial as Sue H's barber closed the game in her chilling fiction-noir, Close Shave.
- My stark piece Pavement was more a purge than an inspiration, telling the tale - not so untrue - of chemical life on the streets. Then in my untitled poem, Beth clings to the tragic memory of her father's tears at her own graveside as she dresses in his favourite colour.
- David Barber's chilling Voice sang out with terrifying clarity as Death predicts the end that is nigh for all and sundry.
- AJ Humpage's killer times the whole atrocity down to Eleven Minutes; his filthy cold heart discarding his young victim without a care.
- A frozen entity born in death, yet not of it flies from Asuqi's pen to manifest and terrify, in her Alter Ego.
- William Davoll plays a ghastly tune in the Ballad of Kit Crewbucket, the headless boggart who wanders the canals, seeking to drown barges and their crew.
- The narrator in Pixie J. King's cold tale takes their despair to a tragic end in The Tunnel.
I read, and re-read the fourteen entries, morbidly enjoying every one for different reasons. My winner this week is R.S. Bohn's Death Wants a Moment's Peace because I was struck by the bleak coastal landscape, and the mightily-powerful vision of Moira, a woman unafraid to give Death a rap on the knuckles. Congratulations Rebecca.
Runner-up - so, so hard, but Mimimanderly's The Horse Thief touched my sense of family, and of mis-spent justice. Well done Mimi.
Excellent writing, all of you. Thank you as always for entering and for having the courtesy to share your opinions and comments. What a great bunch you are. I'll be back in the morning for the next Prediction. Sleep tight, don't let the demons bite.
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