It’s a festive story for Friday Fictioneers this week in honor of ghouls and slasher flicks. The goal is to write a 100-word story based on a photo.
Thank you to the our hostess Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for keeping the tricks and treats coming. Thanks to Dale Rogerson for providing the inspiring photo this week.

(100 words)
This Way Worms Grow
That voice. It hit her like gravel on smooth skin. Spoiled. Her insides choked and thrashed on wormy weeds, stirring the gravel pit of her stomach.
A woman screamed.
It pierced her with a knife, curdling the remains of her lactose-regurgitated beverage.
There would be blood. She tried to eat another worm, sliding it down her hair-clogged throat. Smothered under a blanket, she gasped for air.
“No one dies here.”
Andrea peeked outside her blanket.
“Don’t you remember this part? You’ve seen this like a hundred times.”
“My stomach.”
“Too much popcorn, hon. Better lay off those gummy worms, too.”
**************************
Happy Halloween – from me and The Girl on the Swing!
For more stories from the Fictioneers, click here.
This was fantaboolous!
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Boo! Thanks, Dale. 🙂 Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing you photo.
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🙂
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I suppose if you’re minded to be frightened……
Good piece Amy.
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I hope you didn’t mind, Mick. Thanks!
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Good one. The worms/hairy throat thing was a bit too graphic for me so soon after breakfast. And a great title!
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Thanks, Sandra. There is something about hair that really disturbs me. Worms too, if they’re not gummies. Sorry to disrupt your breakfast!
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That worked. I think it was the hair-clogged throat that got me. Thanks for spoiling gummy worms for me.
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Yeah, hair can be creepy. No problem!
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Nothing like a hair-ball and a few worms to choke a person up. I loved the “curdled remains of her lactose-regurgitated beverage.” That was the gross part. I had to hide behind my chair while reading the rest of the post. Great job, Amy. Happy Halloween to you too. 🙂
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I’m glad to have spooked you and creeped you out! I’m laughing that you hid behind your chair. I hope you had a cozy blanket at least, Russell. Thanks. Happy Halloween!
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Dear Amy,
Seasonally perfect. Your ending made me laugh aloud.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Boo, Rochelle! Did I scare you?! Thank you.
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Happy Halloween! That girl on the swing is really creepy! 🙂
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Happy Halloween, Kelly! Isn’t she though? She makes an appearance every year at this time. 🙂
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Very scary!
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She sings, too. She sings that Ashes, ashes song…you know the one!
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Is it at your house?
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No. It’s in my neighborhood, although she wasn’t around last year. I wonder if she’ll be visiting this year. Don’t know yet!
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That’s cool for the neighborhood kids! We have a couple of houses that go all out in my neighborhood too, but they have to keep the scariness under control because there are so many young children… my son wants to put body parts on the sidewalk… I agreed to a couple of hands in the mulch up by the door, but don’t want to scare the kids before they even get up there! Typical teenage boy!
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That’s funny. For a long time, my younger son was so scared at Halloween. There were houses we just didn’t attempt! Nope. Pass on that one. I think he’s finally able to handle it. We’ll see.
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Well have fun! We do cider, beer, and donuts on the cul-de-sac every year, and most of the adults dress up as well. It’s a lot of fun. I just hope it doesn’t rain 🙂
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That does sound fun, Kelly. We don’t have nearly as much fun. I hope the weather holds up for you!
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Thanks Amy!
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This is so great! I love how you take us from the fear of “will she survive” to “it’s only a movie.”
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Thanks, Melanie. I’m glad it worked. Some people just love the thrill of it all.
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I’m one of them. I’ve even gone so far as to watch horror movies in the woods at night. And the books I read while home alone at night…crazy!
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Urk! Now I feel queasy 🙂 Great story and ending!
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I hope you recovered quickly. 🙂 Thank you!
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Blecch! Happy Halloween! 🙂
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Thank you kindly, Joseph. Happy Halloween to you, too!
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Great story! And I love your pic at the bottom too. Boo!
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Thanks, Carrie! Happy Boo to you, too. 🙂
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Grotesquely wonderful, my dear. A Big BOO!! to you, too.
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Thanks for such a nice compliment, Alicia!. Boo to you, too!! Be careful out there. Happy Halloween.
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Excellent post.
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Thanks so much.
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This is exactly why I don’t watch horror movies.
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Oh, Bjorn. You’re missing out. 🙂
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Gulp. The regurgitated beverage makes me all queasy. I almost got scared. That picture is great, too. We don’t have that kind of Halloween here. 🙂
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I suppose anything regurgitated is just yuck. I almost had you there, huh? The Girl on a the Swing is a personal neighborhood favorite, although she’s been absent. I don’t know where she’s gone to. People really get festive. I have some orange lights and cob webs I’ll put up. I better hurry, Gah.
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Great story, Amy – and that girl on the swing is spooooooky! 😀
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Thanks, Dianne. Isn’t she sweet?! I wouldn’t want to cross her path. 🙂
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Fun story once again, Amy… and with a couple of twists there!
Happy Hallowe’en to you!
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Thank you, Tom! I hope you survived Halloween. Are you still there?
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I did, Amy… although surviving could be open to interpretation…!
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Thank goodness, Tom!
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what a twist. you just led me astray. happy Halloween. 🙂
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Thanks, Plaridel. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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Good one Amy..ya made me LOL!
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Thanks, Dawn. Glad it made you LOL!
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I hope no gummy bears were harmed during the writing of this story. Nice one.
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Not to my knowledge, unless you include chewing them up! Haha. Thanks.
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Ugh!
Lily
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I know how you feel, Lily!
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Nice twist, but no matter what kind of worms they are, I think I’m going to THROW UP!!!!
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You’re welcome? I hope you survived, Perry. Watch out for those worms.
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Loved the story, and the girl on the swing. Happy Halloween!
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Thank you, Adam! I hope you had a scary, spooky Halloween.
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Great fun – I think. I love the twist at the end.
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Thanks so much, Margaret. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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You had me going … so the gummy worms were a surprise. Hope you had a good Halloween … we actually attended a wedding on that day!
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Thanks, Frank. My Halloween was actually pretty quiet. Wow, what a day for a wedding. I bet they love Halloween!
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It wasn’t a Halloween wedding … but a wedding on Halloween. Other than candy corn on the snack table, nothing Halloween about this wedding.
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Ah! But their anniversary will always be on Halloween. 🙂
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A good point … so they always celebrate it with candy corn … and raiding the candy bags of their future kids … then celebrate it out on another day.
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Ha ha ha! Loved it! I was hooked in all the way.
On an editorial note, you spelt ‘woman’ wrong. I apologise for my inner grammar nazi appearing lol
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Thank you, Ken! And thanks for the editorial note. I guess I miss stuff on my screen. Anyway, thanks so much for telling me. No need to apologize ever!
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Good, but yucky, story Amy. We went to a Halloween party once where there was a dark room the kids were supposed to go in. My son was scared until he saw other kids coming out with candy. He’d have braved anything for that. In he went. It became his favorite holiday. They don’t celebrate it here. Pumpkin is just another vegetable.I used to especially love the tiny ones and their costumes. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
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We had some adorable, little princesses at our door, Suzanne. I love seeing all the costumes, but I haven’t dressed up in years. Pumpkin is just another vegetable. Ha ha. Here it’s a decoration and of course used for pumpkin pie. Yummy. Thank you. 🙂
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“No one dies here.” Do I detect a bit of Princess Bride in this story?
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It wasn’t intended, Todd, but I do like the reference. Thanks!
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