Friday September 24th, 2010

The exercise:

Four lines of prose that deal in some way or another with: pumpkins.

The farmers market is having a harvest moon festival tomorrow and we've been asked to decorate our stalls to celebrate the occasion. So we picked our first pumpkin this morning, a twenty-two pound beast, and we'll have a fall display going on at our stand.

Pictures tomorrow!

Mine:

I guess it was my fault. But I bet you wouldn't have believed her either! I mean, really, what a load of utter nonsense.

Anyway, can you get pumpkin innards out of my dress or not?

5 comments:

Greg said...

Sylvestra and Dr. Septopus turned the video off, and then looked at the pumpking head on the table in front of them.
"You did it with wires?" Sylvestra's voice was throaty and liquid like chocolate.
"No, Sylly," said the Green Lightbulb petulantly, "I tuned my radiation levels to the orgone frequency, and it came to life."
"And robbed a bank," groaned Dr. Septopus cradling his beaked head in his seven tentacles.

Space Lady said...

I felt violated by the leering face in the window across from my apartment, eyes unnaturally bright and penetrating.

The gaped tooth grin from the pumpkin haunted me.

Who placed it there where only I would see it?

Heather said...

Marc- I am starting to feel haunted by pumpkins already! Of course, we are nearing Halloween so it will only get worse.

Greg- A pumpkin holding up a bank? I love it! It's quite an entertaining venture.

Space Lady- Last summer when I was staying in Chicago, across from the Harold Waschington Public Library. It is an amazing building, inside and out. Huge oxidized owls sit at each corner of the building. At night, red and green lights are shone on them. I was on the floor perfectly level with the beasts and it felt like they were constantly watching me. It was really creepy at it is the same feel your little piece gave me. Very good job!
-----

I slid the knife deep into the thick flesh of the gourd, leaving jagged scars that will never heal to the delight of the young man sitting across from me. He's nearing the end of his training and will soon be sent out as an in-field apprentice to learn the finer steps of harvesting. Picking up the stop watch, I tell him to begin. He reaches in and blindly looking for the prize as I explain that a pumpkin is an excellent substitute for the feel of human flesh.

Sheshe said...

Marc- That's pretty funny actually. Don't want to be that hope that person's dress isn't ruined.

Greg- it came to life...how magical! it robbed a bank? how scary! Glad I bank outside my bank. Funny and well written!

Space lady- hope the pumpkin isn't looking at you again. Cute.

Heather- Oh YUCK!!!!! Oh yuck!!! yuck!!! A very nice descriptive piece!

Here's my attempt...

I jump up off my bed as I look at the red "12:00pm" on my clock after hearing a bunch of thumping noises. I find myself courageously running to my window by the front door to look out into the dark night...the only thing that the full-moonlight is shining on is the tail of a horse quickly galloping away.

Someone, something, I think, is on that horse, but the moonlight is not shining anything above this thing's shoulders.

Something catches my eye down below my window. On my porch, lays a head of a one-toothed-smiling pumpkin.

As I tried to stop my heart from racing, I hear the galloping come closer to me. The moonlight now shines the entire thing sitting on the horse...there isn't anything on the shoulders.

I look down at the pumpkin again and screamed when I saw that the pumpkin now had a four-teethed sneer on it's face!

Marc said...

Greg - that would have been an impressive robbery to witness, I'm convinced of that :)

Space Lady - creepy! Nicely done :)

Heather - love the twisted twist. Didn't see it coming at all :D

Sheshe - ah, wonderfully creepy. I've always been fond of the headless horseman :)