There are many really great images of old, creepy costumes on the internet. This one really grabbed me. Maybe, it’s because I should know what they are, but don’t, or the dead-eyed expressionless affection of their pose. Is it just me, or is there a bony ghost hand grabbing for her dress?

So what are these rat (or weasel) people up to? This image makes me think of Willard (2003). Which instantly makes me think of one of my favorites Rubin & Ed . Are these the people who killed Rubin’s cat?

It also makes me think of the great Halloweens I had in New Orleans. Halloween is a huge adult holiday with parades, and elaborate costume balls. I really miss it this time of year. So I took a look at the IMDb list: Horror movies filmed in Louisiana and found some amazing looking “art” I have not encountered yet. To get in the Halloween spirit, I’ll be watching, The Beyond, The Alligator People, Evil Remains (AKA: Trespassing) and/or Creature From Black Lake. Another way to get into the New Orleans Halloween spirit is to read something by Anne Rice, if you haven’t read and re-read all her books yet.

On the creepy side of children’s movies, this image also makes me think of  The Secret of NIMH and the live-action version of The Wind in the Willows.

How will these characters act in your story? Are they the protagonists, antagonists, or secondary characters? Are they what eventually became of Willard’s rats? Or are they Bonnie and Clyde going to a masquerade?

#vss very short story

When they handed me their camera, pointing and squeaking, chirpy-growling instructions, I went ahead and took their picture; not sure if they were just really into their costumes, or I should get checked for the plague.

#OctPoWriMo

A Once and Unruly Mind
From the picture prompts, I connected most with Chaotic mind and Finding Connections Mind.
poem form: Cascade

Rats In The Walls

Scurrying through the chaos mind
Lying in wait for crumbs to drop
Spreading plague and pestilence they find
This year, there’s a bumper crop

Not afraid to bite the hand that feeds
Sniffing the trash for their own kind
Lavishly flaunting their basest needs
Scurrying through the chaos mind

Pushing the bar but never learning the maze
Biting each other for a bit of slop
But doing back-flips and tricks to join the next craze
Lying in wait for crumbs to drop

The chaos it swirls and whirls ad nauseum
May they choke on the poison from which they all dined
They chewed through the cage that tried to contain them
Spreading plague and pestilence they find

Who leads the rat people they want to know
They send out the loudest, a ridiculous prop
Shouting lie after lie, lies that will grow
This year there’s a bumper crop.

#FlashFicHive

graphic by Anjela Curtis

Today’s prompt is a little game. The objective is to make a new word or words from the word “Circumlocution”. I had too much fun with this. I hadn’t played with anagrams in a long time. Look for an odd piece of art from me later today.

I hope something in today’s post brings you some inspiration.

I truly appreciate everyone’s efforts that are inspiring me this #Writober. Special thanks to Morgan Dragonwillow morgandragonwillow.com@MDragonwillow and Anjela Curtis anjelacurtis.com@AnjelaCurtis.

Happy Reading and Writing!