Friday, April 13, 2012

A Slasher's Friday the 13th Flash Fiction



In honor of Friday the 13th, (today,) I wrote a special flash fiction. I hope you all enjoy. Also, if you entered my Spring Into Reading Contest, the winners have been announced. Congrats to the winners and thank you again to all who were kind enough to donate prizes!!

Now, for the story.

A Slasher's Friday the 13th

By

Jamie Corrigan


Victor was still wearing the slight smirk from his dream as he awoke, ready to start a new day. Life had been good to him. Born into a family of murders, it was a miracle just to be alive. A bunch of beasts who'd eat their own to survive gave him life, just for him to grow up and reap it from others in return. Sometimes when he swung a knife, he'd think how it wasn't right. But then the gorgeous crimson would spurt into the air, and he'd forget about remorse and take another soul.

Squinting as he fumbled his way to the kitchen, his skin tingled while his mind tried to figure out what was wrong. Sprays of golden glitter smacked him in the face, forcing his hand to pop up to block his eyes from the attack.

Victor's heart began pounding. Eyes widening, he looked around his tiny house. Finding what he was looking for, he groaned. “Crap! I thought I still had time.”

The chirping coming from outside sent the boulder to the pit of his stomach, making him double over in hopes of not spewing the acid that was rising into his throat. Victor knew what this was. Payback. Punishment. His curse for being such a horrid creature for so many years.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell sent him flying in the air, his robe opening wide enough for anyone to see his naughty parts. His wrinkled fingertips barely managed to close it before she came bursting through the door, arms full of Spring blossoms of every color.

“Hey, Mr. Van Mathis! I brought you a big bouquet of flowers to brighten this place up and some groceries to make dinner.”

Victor frowned at the redheaded girl, holding his robe tightly against his body like it was a suit of armor. He hated how her crystal blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at him, setting the flowers in vases to be placed around the room lovingly.

She didn't pay him any attention as she went around the room gathering the petrified flowers from her last visit, replacing it with the new ones with a smile. Tucking a lock of scarlet hair back into her ponytail, she stopped and said, “How have you been?”

“Fine,” Victor spat, hoping it'd send her running away. It never did, but he always hoped.

Walking toward the door, she asked, “Do you remember who I am?”

Sighing, he replied flatly, “Why must you always ask that?” When she didn't respond, he added, “Holly Reed. The little brat that's driven me insane for, what is it? Thirteen years now?”

With a bright, sunny smile, Holly chimed, “That's right! I'm nineteen now! And you're still the cranky old man who tried to scare me with that stupid fake knife when I was six.” She giggled before adding, “Be right back with the groceries. Hope you like chicken!”

Victor bolted back to his bedroom. Slamming the door behind him, he imagined that was how those dumb bimbos must have felt as he was banging on the door trying to get in. The squeak of the front door announced Holly's arrival back into the house. Soon she'd be knocking, wanting him to come out and join her in some mind numbing chit-chat that only made him want to slit his own wrists to get away from it.

“Why didn't I just slit her throat when I had the chance?” he mumbled to himself as he tore the tattered robe from his body, preparing to find something he could put on that wouldn't make her blush.

Knock, knock, knock. “Mr. Van Mathis! You in there?”

Victor grunted, pulling a torn pair of jeans up over his shaky legs. Sliding into a musty red tee, he stumbled over and whipped open the door. “What?” He met with her kind eyes, regretting his harsh tone immediately. Swallowing, he tried again. “What?”

The tips of her lips peaked up, “Do you want brown or white gravy for the potatoes?”

Touching his chest, Victor felt another crack in the wall around his heart. “Whatever you want.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice echoing with unease.

Glancing in the mirror to his left, Victor saw how hollow his own toxic brown eyes had become since her last visit. Ribs aching from his heart trying to break from its prison, he walked to the back door, mumbling, “Going for a walk.”

“Wear good shoes,” Holly called out while messaging a chicken breast with spices.

Pausing, he looked back at her. “What did you say?”

Head down, she replied, “Wear good shoes.”

“Why would you say that?” Flashes of girls running away from him in spiked heels flowed through his mind as he waited for her answer.

Rinsing her hands in the sink, Holly smiled with the shake of her head. “Because you might have to run.”

Victor backed out the door, sure this was it. He was going to meet the same fate as all of those tramps did for so many years. Only he was going to die at the hands of a blue eyed beauty. Not a decrepit man, hell bent on ending his life just to sustain his own.

Toes digging into soft, morning dew grass, he began running for his life. Victor had prayed for it to end, and even thought she would be the one to do it. He just didn't realize that he wouldn't be ready when the time actually came.

“Victor! Where are you?” Holly called out in a sing-song way.

Bushes rustled to his right, forcing him to go left toward the old creek. The muggy Spring air made it almost impossible to breathe as he cut through the forest like a hot blade through butter. Victor knew these woods, better than she did. He hoped.

Rainbow barf colored everything he'd known to be dim and dark, making him mistake a turn that sent him sprawling into the icy spring water. The loud crack of his ankle snapping sent tears to his eyes. This was really it. Sweet little Holly Reed soon would be popping through the bushes, knife in hand, to end his life and take over like he had his mentor so many years ago. Difference was, he had no real connection to her.

Right on cue, her bronze body ripped through the fluffy green shrubs. A scowl took the place of her usual smile as she crossed her arms, shaking her head. “Why did you run away?”

Victor had always loathed how those girls coward, covering themselves with their arms like it would prevent him from doing what he had come there for. As his arms lifted up to cover himself, he finally got why they did it.

“I'm going to kill you,” she hissed, sending shivers throughout his crippled frame.

Even he could hear the death rattle coming from his chest when he shouted, “Please, don't kill me!”

Laughter.

Slowly peeking through a slight space between his arms, he saw Holly doubled over in hysterical laughter, shaking her head with every snort that came along with it. Allowing his defenses to drop, he leaned forward and asked, “What? Is this some kind of sick torture?”

Blue globes flicking up and meeting with his, Holly stopped laughing. A serious expression leapt to her face as she stood up and adjusted her sunny yellow dress. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, her eyes dropped for a second before coming back to focus on him.

“Just get it over with!” he begged.

Holly shook her head defiantly. Slowly walking over and leaning down, she threw his arm around her shoulders and began helping him to his feet. “I told you to wear shoes,” she mumbled while taking a shaky step forward, nearly tripping over the dog that scuttled under their feet.

Victor wanted to puke as he caught a whiff of the fried chicken dinner she'd prepared for them floating on the air and her body as she drug him closer and closer to his death. He couldn't understand what she was doing. Even he showed mercy to those begging for him to end it. Looking at the charming girl out the corner of his eye, he couldn't figure out how someone so beautiful could be so cruel.

They both remained silent until she deposited him on the couch. Rolling her shoulders, Holly barked, “What on earth did you think you were doing out there?”

“Trying to live.” He snickered at how easy their conversation was becoming. It kind of made the tension in his bones slide away, allowing him to finally breathe for once in his horrid life.

Scraaaaaape. Scraaaaaape.

Victor would know the sound of cool steel sliding along a stone anywhere. It was his favorite way to sharpen his tools before making the first cut, and it shocked him that it could also be hers. Slowly looking over his shoulder, he sighed as Holly began cutting up the chicken before placing it on plates filled with creamy potatoes covered in brown gravy.

Stomach growling, he mumbled, “Why do you do this?”

Holly sat his dinner down in front of him and took the seat across from his with a smile. Stabbing a juicy slice of fried chicken, she asked a little coldly, “Do what, Mr. Van Mathis?”

“Every time my calender says this date, poof! You appear.”

Chewing slowly, Holly's eyes narrowed. Finally swallowing, she replied, “Yeah. And?”

Victor pushed the mouthwatering meat with his fork, expecting it to explode at any moment. Keeping his focus on Holly, he muttered, “Why always the thirteenth? What's so special about this day?”

Fork sliding slowly from her lips, a hint of glee lingered in her eyes. “Don't you remember?”

“Remember what?” The air in his house started to choke him as he looked in her pleased eyes.

Taking a sip of her soda, her gaze remained on Victor. Sitting the glass down, she recited, “There once was a girl who ran through the woods...”

Holly nodded, forcing Victor to continue her poem. “Hoping for the boy to find her.”

“Right,” she said cheerfully as she took another bite from her plate. After a moment, she continued, “Through leaps and bounds, no boy could be found...”

Another nod.

Tugging at his collar, Victor recited as his finger ran along the ragged birthmark on the back of his neck, “Because he'd already been slaughtered.”

“Right again, Mr. Van Mathis!”

Victor pushed his food away, leaning forward while keeping his eyes locked with hers, he asked, “How do you know this rhyme?”

Pulling her ponytail aside, her finger ran over a small birthmark along the back of her neck. “My mom told it to me when I was little.” Holly smirked before going on. “Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. 'Run, run, run through the woods she did go...”

“I don't want to do this anymore, Holly.”

“Fun, fun, fun he had watching her so,” she continued. Holly shook her head as Victor edged a little closer to getting up. “He always loves how it feels...” When Victor refused to continue, she spat, “Finish it.”

“When they run in heels, making it easier to bring them to slaughter.”

“Good.”

Holly sat there until he'd eaten every bite and did the dishes after he was done. Walking toward the door, she started saying her good-byes. “I'll see you later. You know when.”

His hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist before he knew what he was doing. Pulling her to him, he stared at her face while flashes of a girl long forgotten went though his mind. “Her name was Molly Reed and I loved her so much.”

Smiling, Holly's hands cupped his face. “I know,” she whispered.

“Our anniversary. That's why you come here, isn't it?”

Nodding, she whispered, “Before you killed her, she asked me to watch after you. So I am.”

Tears stung his eyes as he recognized features of two long forgotten people reflecting in Holly's face. The knife made its invisible cut when he realized why she only appeared on that day. In a ragged voice, he asked, “Punishment?”

“Of course, daddy. See you next Friday the thirteenth.”

Watching his only daughter walk away, Victor understood what she was doing. While Holly may have been the daughter of a beast, she was also the daughter of an angel. Her instinct was to kill him, he could see that in her eyes when she looked at him. But her heart forced her to nurture him to his death.

Holly Reed had found her own way of bringing the fear out of him that he'd brought out of her mother. Sunny colors, kindness, and a friendly smile was enough to make him beg for his life. Doing it on his special day, was just the cherry on top of his hellish sundae.

Slinking down on the couch, he smiled. Proud of his little girl and waiting for the next Friday the thirteenth to come around so they could continue their dance until his death that was surely to come at her hands one day.

Twiddling his thumbs, he began to chant, “There once was a girl who ran through the woods, hoping for the boy to find her. Through leaps and bounds, no boy could be found, because he'd already been slaughtered. Run, run, run through the woods she did go. Fun, fun, fun he had watching her so. He always loves how it feels, When they run in heels, making it easier to bring them to slaughter.”

The smirk reappeared on his lips as Victor added, “The girl did run, to his arms she did fall. She has gotten her revenge by the hands of his own daughter.”

The End

I hope you enjoyed my story and be safe today! Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

And The Winners Are....




All emails & DM's have been sent to the winners who have contacted me and the donators of their prize! If you haven't received yours and you've emailed me, let me know. Congrats again!!

First, I'd like to thank everyone who donated a prize to this contest. Without your very kind donations, I wouldn't have been able to do this. Words can not express how grateful I am to have you all as friends. Thank you to everyone who tweeted and Retweeted the contest. Thank you to the ones who Facebooked and placed the contest on forums. You're all rock stars in my book! Mwah!

Next, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who entered. I was hoping for a good turn out. Around a few dozen or so entries, but boy was I surprised. With 14 possible entries, the number at the end was 229! That was far more than what I was expecting and I thank you all for wanting to win these awesome prizes! (All of which I wish I could keep, but I'm not that mean. Hehe.)

So, on to what you've all came here for. The winners!!

Drum roll........

The winners as chosen by Random.org are as follows:

1. Na

2. Alex Dignin

3. Kelly Weaver

4. Mireille Chester

5. Natalie Cleary

6. Olivia Frahm

7. Ashley Turcotte

8. Lauren Reidy

9. bn100

Congratulations to everyone who won!! And thank you once again to everyone who entered. If the winners would email me with the prizes in order in which they'd like to have them 1-9 (1 being most & 9 being least) to saphirablue84 at gmail dot com, and I'll do my best to meet your requests.

If you've won and decide that you do not want your prize, I'll pick another person from the list to take your place. Just drop me a line and let me know. I'm giving all of the winners 2 weeks to contact me before I choose a replacement. So, check back to see if a new winner or winners have been announced. (No promises there will be any though. Just a fyi.)

Thank you all once again. This was such a success that I'm thinking about doing another contest soon. Until then, happy reading & writing everyone!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Spring Into Reading Contest




Today is the beginning of the Spring Into Reading Contest!! This contest will run from today until 12:01 EST on April 9th since that's the time zone rafflecopter uses. This contest will be simple, I swear! Just answer a few questions and earn entries. All of the questions can be done by everyone easily so don't worry. Once the contest closes, I'll use Random.org and choose the winners which will be announced on April 10th! Below you will find the prizes. Once the winners are announced, I will have a way for them to contact me so they may choose their prize & I may connect them with the lovely person who donated their prize! Good luck to all and please let others know about the contest. Thanks!

I am also tying this contest into the Indie Blog Hop. If you have the chance, you should check them out!

Enter on the widget at the bottom of this post.


A signed copy of On Fallen Wings by Jamie McHenry

Faeries are supposed to be perfect.

Rhiannon was. Her life was. Then her fiancé disappeared.

She tried to be strong. She asked for help. There’s only so much trying and asking will do.

So, she took action. That’s when everything fell apart.



A signed paperback of Crossover by Mireille Chester

Life for Hayden Carlson had never been overly exciting and that was the way she liked it, so when she meets Jasper on a trail in the woods, it never occurs to her that life as she knows it is about to change.
Suddenly, Hayden crosses over to a world she never would have dreamed existed and a future she never would have believed possible. Along the way, she discovers an affinity for magic; her ability to dream of the future and the craft of healing. She meets many beings that become her friends and family, as well as others who will try to capture her for her powers.
Hayden must find a way to escape being captured, save the man she loves, and decide where she stands in the balance of good and evil.

A signed paperback of Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! by Lisette Brodey

At thirty-two, newspaper reporter Molly Hacker vows to never attend another wedding until she has had her own. And that’s a problem because Molly’s younger sister, Hannah, is going to be married in one year. Armed with snark, wit, and fabulous good looks, “Picky Molly” embarks on a quest to find Mr. Right in her hometown.
Things get complicated fast. In no time at all, Molly has four “men of interest” and the memories of a lost love to send her overanalytic, befuddled mind into serious overdrive.
Molly Hacker Is Too Picky!” takes the reader on a yearlong romp through Molly’s mind and a joyride through her life. Her dating life, town secrets, a group of quirky, crazy characters, and Naomi’s machinations collide head-on at a holiday gala that will change the social landscape of Swansea forever. As the New Year rolls in, Molly gets earth-shattering news. Can she go on? Will life ever return to abnormal again?


Kindle copy of Wishing For Someday Soon by Tiffany King

Seventeen year old Katelyn Richards' life’s mission has become to shield her nine year old brother from their abusive life and to give him the future that they both wish for. Katelyn’s resolve is shaken when she meets a cute boy from her new school who gets a glimpse into her real world named, Max, who not only breaks down her wall, but stirs up unexpected feelings. Now Katelyn must choose to let Max go or follow her heart, risking her promise she made to her brother to give them the ‘someday soon’ that is so close within their grasp.



E-book of Spectral by Shannon Duffy
ADDED SWAG NOTICE!! Shannon's very graciously added a swag T-shirt along with a pen and bookmark to go along with whoever wins Spectral!!
MORE SWAG!! Shannon's upped the swag!! The winner will also receive some beautiful butterfly temporary tattoos and romance trading cards of the three main characters!

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

E-book of Deathly Revenge by Christina Brown

Jessie was killed in a car crash, devastated by the way her life was saved, and shocked that her ex-husband was helping her get back on her feet.
Now Jessie has a stalker. Viewing Jessie as a modern day monster of the Frankenstein variety, the stalker goes to daring lengths to return Jessie to the land of the dead. Will the stalker complete this Deathly Revenge?


E-book of Chael's Luck by Mireille Chester

When you’re named for the god of bad luck, you’re at least a head shorter than everyone else around you, and your horse is the only black one in a world where every horse is a grey, people are bound to talk. Chael has spent the past eighteen years of his life proving to those around him that he’s worthy of his family name; that he’s meant to be a Shadow Knight. Just when things are finally going his way, Chael’s luck strikes again. Now, Chael is in a race against time to find the one who has taken everything from him and who plans on destroying the one thing he’s worked so hard for, the knighthood. As if this weren’t enough, he’ll have to reveal the one thing he’s managed to keep secret for the past eighteen years. With help from some unexpected sources, Chael sets off on a journey that will test his will, his character, and his heart.

E-copy of The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves...
Sophia Parsons' ancestor was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials, and the body went missing before burial. Solving the mystery might silence the clashing whispers in her mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.







An extra special prize for any author! $35 Gift Certificate from Cassandra Marshall

$35 Gift Certificate to editorcassandra.com, usable towards any of the ala carte options (two-pass query edit, submissions package, 10 page critiques, half hour consultations), towards a full edit, or be gifted to your favorite writer friend!



 



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