Writing Challenge – Page 15 – Hugh's Views & News

The Battle

Published on Feb 14, 2019Dec 29, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts66 Comments

With the dead bodies of her two best friends close by, eleven-year-old Miranda carefully raised one of the window slats with her finger and peered out into the garden.

She watched as the massive creature, known as a Nellyphant, pushed its trunk against the tree house looking for its next meal. Although it was snowing, she could also make out the smaller creatures, known as Mickice, on the roof of the treehouse. They, too, had grown a liking for human flesh.

Miranda’s trap, of leaving her dolls in the treehouse, had worked. The creatures thought they had their next meal, but Miranda knew it wouldn’t be long before they worked out that they had been tricked.

While sliding her hand slowly between the window slats, the door behind Miranda creaked. She froze to the spot, terrified of what was coming into the room. However, she had her weapon ready in her other hand, so she knew she had a good chance of spinning around, taking aim, and killing with one shot whatever was coming through the door.

As she quietly counted down from five, she heard whatever it was, slowly approach her. The wheezing sound it made as it took short, sharp, intakes of breath, made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Just before her countdown ended, Miranda gripped her weapon firmly, span around, took aim, and faced what was behind her.

“Take this,” she yelled, as she fired her weapon at the biggest Nellyphant she’d seen.

Then the real world appeared.

“OK, young lady, that’s enough,” coughed Miranda’s Mother, while removing the PlayStation virtual reality headset from Miranda’s head. “You’re too young to be playing this violent videogame,” she voiced while holding the box of the game in front of Miranda’s face. “Go play with your dolls instead.”

As Miranda climbed the stairs in protest, her mother blew her nose before slipping on the virtual reality set. Maybe playing a video game would take her mind off the head cold she had.

***

Written in response to the Monthly Speculative Fiction Writing Prompt, from Diana, at Myths of the Mirror. Click here for full details.

The Riddle of Twelfth Night

Published on Jan 29, 2019Dec 29, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts68 Comments

While trudging through the thick snow with her team, Judy Morrison’s mind was in overdrive. For years, she’d been trying to solve the puzzle of the thirteenth day of Christmas, something mankind had mistakenly taken for granted, and was now almost on the verge of solving the riddle.

Everybody thought that Christmas had twelve days, yet why did the twelfth night of Christmas fall on the thirteenth day?

Jonathan, Judy’s boyfriend, had given her twelve gifts: one on each day of the twelve days of Christmas. On the night he gave her gift number eleven, the night of January 4^th, Judy had visions that the team were being watched by a mysterious force. As the clock struck midnight, and the twelfth day of Christmas arrived, Judy woke screaming from a terrible nightmare.

“What’s wrong,” asked Jonathan, rubbing his eyes, as the cold winds battered their tent.

“We’re all going to die on the sixth day of January,” cried Judy.

“What? Don’t be silly. Go back to sleep. It was just a nightmare.”

Several minutes later, Judy found herself counting backwards to December 25^th, the first day of Christmas. It still didn’t add up why ‘Twelfth Night’ was on the night of the 6^th of January, still over a day away.

The following evening, Jonathan gave Judy the last of his gifts, an engagement ring. Tomorrow, they would celebrate with the rest of their group when they arrived at their final destination, the mysterious village of ‘Twelfth Night,’ alleged to only appeared on January 6th.

As they waited patiently for ‘Twelfth Night’ to appear, Judy Morrison finally solved the riddle. As she turned to Jonathan to reveal the secret of Twelfth Night, the hand of a mysterious force that had been watching them since the first day of Christmas, froze the group in time.

Its secret was safe again from mankind, a species which, one day, it would conquer.

***

Written in response to the Monthly Speculative Fiction Writing Prompt, from Diana, at Myths of the Mirror. Click here for full details.

Five A Day #flashfiction

Published on Nov 27, 2017Dec 29, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts35 Comments

It was getting harder and harder to get my five a day.

Why had I even come here? It was the worst place I’d ever visited, yet they kept me here because I couldn’t find them anywhere else.

However, time was now running out, and I’d soon have to find another place for my fix.

Maybe I should leave now? Yes, that was probably a good idea.

Then, just as I was about to leave and head for the stars, I heard the cry of the human baby. One last meal, and then I’d leave this almost inhospitable planet.

Written as part of the 99-word Flash Fiction Challenge with the theme of Five a Day, hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.

Choke -#writespiration #flashfiction

Published on Feb 26, 2017Dec 5, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts45 Comments

Sacha Black challenges us to write something using the word ‘choke’ using just 52 words (no more, no less).

Choke – by Hugh W. Roberts

Olive Mackeson had died choking on a cheese and sweet pickle sandwich, shortly after pulling out the choke on the dashboard of her car, as her foot slipped off the clutch, forcing the car into the path of an oncoming truck.

Registration number of the car – K, one, one, L, M, E

Flutter – #writespiration

Published on Feb 7, 2017Dec 29, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts67 Comments

Sacha Black challenges us to write a story, poem, prompt, or theme, using just 52 words (no more, no less). This week we have to include the following words –

Time, Juice, Stack, Pigeon

Look away now if you’re one of the faint-hearted. I bring you, Flutter.

Their time had come.
Poor things. The odds had been stacked against them. They had no chance, but revenge was sweet.
As the group of pigeons prepared to feast, the first sunset of this new world was spectacular.
Human juice would at last flow. The eyes were the first to be pecked.

Thank you to the great Alfred Hitchcock for getting me through this tough challenge. Yes, I know they are crows and not pigeons in the clip, but pigeons didn’t feature in the movie, The Bird.

Gateway – #writephoto

Published on Sep 19, 2016Dec 29, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts96 Comments

I write poetry infrequently, but this idea came to me when I saw Sue Vincent’s #writephoto prompt at Daily Echo.

Before you read the poem, please be assured that I am very well, enjoying life, and haven’t touched a drop…yet.

This is the gateway to heartache

This is the gateway to my soul

This is the gateway to all of me

My thoughts, my secrets, my control.

Don’t enter this gateway

Don’t put a foot inside

For what will wake up and confront you

Will be sadness, my tears, not joy.

Find me a lock and find me the key

So I can protect you from all that is me

Build up a brick wall and pass me on by

So, this gateway to nightmares will no longer horrify.