Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Today’s prompt for some stream of consciousness writing is “back of the fridge.” At first I thought of the space behind the fridge: dark, collecting dust and cobwebs that are impossible to get to. I wasn’t going to have a lot to say about that back of the fridge. But then I thought of the decomposed cucumber turned to liquid in a baggie at the back of the inside of the fridge, and the prompt made more sense. It inspired me to pull out some old an drying condiments to see if they looked like blood. That reminded me of the time I was working on a local movie as an assistant designer. One morning, I was part of a conversation about how to make a dried blood stain out of the condiments we had available at the cafe where we were drinking coffee. Everyone had ideas about how to make the right color, viscosity and texture. There was ketchup, hot sauce, honey and I offered the idea of coffee grounds to darken the color, but also for the crusty texture when blood dries. Amazing what comes up when an independent film crew forgot they needed fake blood for a scene.

Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge

Today’s prompt is Blood. Last year I used color filters and camera effects to turn the lake to blood, and create a river of blood. This year inspired by the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, “back of the fridge,” I made inkblots with ketchup and Tabasco (salsa did not work).

So what do you think? Could those inkblots have been painted in blood? I also made a plastic filter inkblot using ketchup. It actually worked. And unlike the other inkblots so far, the shape appeared in the orange light.

OctPoWriMo

Today’s prompt is “the Strange and Wonderful.” Magnetic poetry is a perfect companion for my “blood” inkblots. I used the Sasquatch magnetic poetry kit.

Deep in the Wonder-filled Wood

wilderness of strange fears
secretive wood between blur and wise
wander free—but the frightening must appear
suddenly chasing the known from sight

majestic forest wild, ancient and dark,
I roam your giant infamous escape
encounter evidence of legend in silent watch
understand story in every track I make

Writober Flash Fiction

Today’s creepy image is by Michael Glooh. A young woman, holding an open umbrella inside as if she has dashed in out of the rain, crouches against a wall. She appears unaware that menacing hands reach down out of her umbrella. Here’s an excerpt from “Those Horrible Hands:”

Ever since that horrible night, which she can’t really remember, it’s been raining. She’s been seeing strange things just out of view in her peripheral vision, that spot in the corner of her eye where images disappear when she turns her head. It makes her think that something is about to clasp her shoulder, or jump out of the shadows. It’s as if menacing, demonic hands are trying to grab her from every direction and take her to a dark and evil place.
The rain doesn’t help, collecting in pools, making every surface reflective. The reaching hands haunt her dreams, so she can’t sleep. It could be her own tired, anxious face that haunts her everywhere she goes. And she feels vulnerable, her hands unable to push or punch while clutching an umbrella. Her hands shake, and she jumps at every noise. But she refuses to give in to her terror. She grabs her umbrella and her galoshes and braves the night.

Maria L. Berg #Writober7 Day 8 2022