Anvil in a Lace Bootie

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

placed the pot of honey near the tree’s twisted trunk, closed her eyes and turned about three times. She tried to walk away, but could not. She was no more. As a new scarlet leaf, she fluttered in the breeze.

10:46 am · October 15, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

possibilities are two. Your wish will be granted, or you shall be no more.” Doris looked at her rags and decided that the risk was worth it. She thanked the hermit and followed her instructions faithfully. In three days time, she found the tree witch. She took a deep breath,

10:46 am · October 15, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

TREE WITCH #31DaysOfHalloween “Beneath a leafy garb of scarlet and green you will see the bent and crusted limbs of the tree witch. Place the pot of honey next to the tree’s twisted trunk. Turn about thrice with your eyes closed and walk away without looking back. The pic.twitter.com/8c5zNA8TP9

10:46 am · October 15, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

CHEERLEADER #31DaysOfHalloween Here’s the shy pumpkin cheerleader hiding behind her pompons. pic.twitter.com/enp5DvHPPj

10:39 am · October 14, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

HEADLINES #31DaysOfHalloween LOCAL SPIDER PREPARES FOR HALLOWEEN Hopes to Frighten Children, Capture Flies Neighbors Cautious in Response Derelict Blames Government pic.twitter.com/DiDXIMsuXP

3:32 pm · October 13, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

3 of 5 stars to Frog Music by Emma Donoghue goodreads.com/review/show/42…

11:27 am · October 12, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

taps you on the neck. You awake. The moon is gone, leaving an inky sky sprayed with stars. You feel another tap, as if from an icy finger tip. You turn your head. There she is. You die.

10:48 am · October 12, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

snaps back, and you stare at the grinning skeleton. Stupid dream, you think. You note that the moon has made substantial progress across the sky. Slept longer than I thought, you think. You flex your limbs, adjusting to a new comfort. You nod off again. In your dream the skeleton

10:48 am · October 12, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

silence. You, however, are made of sterner stuff. You volunteer loudly. The owner smiles. It is Halloween, and you gaze at the moon while manacled to the skeleton scarecrow. You are warmly bundled against the chill air and grow drowsy. Half asleep, you sense movement. Your head

10:48 am · October 12, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

PUMPKIN PATCH #31DaysOfHalloween The owner of the pumpkin patch concludes offers $10,000 dollars to anyone brave enough to spend Halloween night manacled to a skeleton scarecrow in the pumpkin patch. His harrowing tale of Halloweens past blankets the few gathered with terrified pic.twitter.com/a7n5rySk2U

10:48 am · October 12, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

TWIG HAND #31daysofhalloween He staggered into the fog. His eyes swam in and out of focus where the mist thinned and thickened in pulses. He came to a standstill, breathing heavily. A rustling. He squinted. The hand of twigs reached out. His body was never found. pic.twitter.com/ZxltjGXfdk

10:40 am · October 11, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

VERONICA LAKE #31DaysOfHalloween Veronica and co-star Fredrick March relaxed by flying tandem out to Santa Monica on Veronica’s broom, playing shuffleboard with John Proctor’s ghost, and demonstrating cauldron cooking for the crew. pic.twitter.com/x8IYOH9faV

10:47 am · October 10, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

OWL MAN #31DaysOfHalloween Owl Man is famous primarily for creating the flakiest pie crusts in all of Zombieland, slashing things to ribbons, consuming 18 cows at one sitting, and hypnotizing Godzilla. pic.twitter.com/tw0rlboQ3G

10:41 am · October 9, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

poured himself a neat portion in a shot glass. He nodded a salute at the toadies and drained the glass with one quick tilt of his head. The toadies then attacked and ate him. Trick, not treat.

10:54 am · October 8, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

lounge. Bowing toadies, clad in gray satin caftans, welcomed him and indicated with graceful dance where Dave could seek refreshment. He sauntered to the bar and examined its generous stock of spirits. Selecting a green liquid in a crystal decanter solely for its beauty, he

10:54 am · October 8, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

HALLOWEEN STORY #31DaysOfHalloween Dave Fender was content. The boss had given him a substantial raise and a key to the executive lounge. He fairly floated on wings of joy on the elevator ride to the 121st floor, where with his new key he opened the golden door to the executive

10:54 am · October 8, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

3 of 5 stars to The Birds Fall Down by Rebecca West goodreads.com/review/show/42…

11:52 pm · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

stairs, lift the trapdoor enough for him to crawl out and quietly lower the trapdoor shut. Jodan tiptoed to the door, opened it, and stepped out onto the street. In the hollow of the hill she smiled.

10:53 am · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

town. Little Jodan did not fear the hill and thought The Terrible Incident was just a myth. On this October 31, when the hourglass had been turned twice in the root cellar, and his parents and brothers were gathered in candlelight around the table, he managed to creep up the

10:53 am · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

to run out 24 times. The hill was hollow. Inside she waited, head tilted, listening. Patient. A single sound on Halloween would release her to feast, to exult bloody gore dripping from her lovely chin. The sound she longed to hear was the fall of a foot on any street in the

10:53 am · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

of the hill had settled on the town hundreds of years in the past when The Terrible Incident had unfolded in gruesome detail. Since then, on Halloween, the people descended into their root cellars and waited, not emerging until after the sands of their hourglasses had been turned

10:53 am · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

HALLOWEEN INCIDENT #31DaysOfHalloween A lone hill, a substantial bump on the otherwise flat prairie, overlooked the town. A fence of barbed wire circled the hill. It was hardly needed, for no resident of the town ever dared set so much as a boot toe on the hill’s flank. Terror pic.twitter.com/Ssi3xJo5U9

10:53 am · October 7, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

gallons). Dump frenzy into rest of water. Worry with a mallet until goo audibly sighs. Sip gently. Peel yourself off ceiling. Sleep for 3 days. Go trick or treating.

10:46 am · October 6, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

VEGETARIAN ELK SOUP FOR WITCHES #31DaysOfHalloween Ingredients no elks elk substitute (equal parts raisins, bran, hallucinogens and soy) water Work elk substitute into gooey frenzy. Pelt with half the water (1 cup if you are using 2 cups, 1 gallon if you are using 2

10:46 am · October 6, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

Triceratops. This might be fun.’ Marla took the list from her mother, went to her room, put on her pointy black hat, picked up her broom, and flew out the window toward her grandmother’s cottage deep in the wood.

10:49 am · October 5, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

said Marla’s mother, and she got a notepad and a pen from a drawer and tapped the pen on her upper lip as she thought. Marla’s mother wrote down several items on the pad, tore the sheet off, and said, ‘Here. Take this list to grandmother and bring back all she gives you.

10:49 am · October 5, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

new. So it’s owl or triceratops.’ ’28, 29, 30. There, done. Well, honey, choose something so I’ll have time to work on it,’ said Marla’s mother. ‘Triceratops! That’s it. Triceratops. I’ll be a triceratops,’ said Marla. ‘Triceratops? That will be a challenge, but let me think,’

10:49 am · October 5, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

Halloween.’ ‘I heard you. I just have to count stirs,’ said Marla’s mother. ‘It’s between owl, cat and triceratops. Cat I did last year, I know, but it was good being twins with Pie,’ said Marla, reaching down to rub the head of purring Pie. ‘But I guess I want to do something

10:49 am · October 5, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

WHAT TO BE FOR HALLOWEEN #FairyTaleTuesday Marla slid onto her chair at the kitchen table and announced, ‘I’ve almost decided what I want to be for Halloween.’ Marla’s mother, busy at the stove, seemed not to hear. ‘Mama, I said I’ve almost decided what I want to be for

10:49 am · October 5, 2021

Steve Shilstone

@steveshilstone

times upon the rack I call to mind, I call to mind a fisherman on whom I dined I reflect, I reflect Wait a minute No I don’t

10:40 am · October 4, 2021