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Death stalked the convention, scythe at its side. There were other grim reapers, but they were laughing men and women who roamed among the other costumed characters posing for pictures and drinking at the bar. Death didn’t pose, didn’t laugh. It walked in a straight line from the glassed in foyer to the auditorium.
Everyplace Death passed, people shrank away. Though none of them saw it, they all felt the cold pall that settled in its wake. In the auditorium, it strode down the center aisle, leaving waves of nausea.
A heavily armored knight thudded to the podium and began to speak. “Welcome to the Third Annual Cosplay Ball!”
A woman dressed in Harlequin clothes muttered to her identical companion, “He’s such an idiot.”
“I’m not wearing these skimpy things next year,” the other Harlequin agreed.
The knight said, “I saw many of you at the bar last night! I don’t know about you, but I am still feeling those mudslides!” A murmur of agreement rippled through the audience.
The first Harlequin said, “Next year, I bet I can get elected.”
“We’ll make up a theme where he has to come out in a G-String.”
“Amen.”
“Now,” the knight continued. “I give you my co-presenters.” He gestured to the Harlequins, who moved to flank him. He stepped back. “Angela,” he muttered to the first Harlequin. “Can you do this? I’m going to puke.”
The first Harlequin widened her eyes. “You got it.”
As she moved in to replace the knight, a flicker of motion right in the middle of the podium caught her eye. She saw Death’s black hood for just an instant as he reached past her. And then Death turned, and she saw him square on.
Death said, “It’s not the mudslides.”
Then Death vanished and the knight in his full armor clanked to the floor.
Angela turned to the microphone and spoke her first words as the consortium president. “We need doctors. Who else ate the shrimp?”
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In homage to Terry Pratchett.
Whee!!! Trifecta is going on about DEATH this week.
For the Scriptic prompt exchange this week, Michael gave me this prompt: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.-Semisonic, “Closing Time”.
I gave Trish this prompt: Dear God I’m so used to being late. It felt all wrong being early. I looked around for anyone else on the floor, suddenly beset by paranoia that I’d come on the wrong day altogether.
Jessie Powell is the Jester Queen. She likes to tell you about her dog, her kids, her fiction, and her blog, but not necessarily in that order. |
Oh, what a way to go. Go Harlequin girl #1 🙂 Take the reins and lead that ball to glory LOL
Hop over and visit Carrie’s recent post What you really want
Or at least get them out of their own puke before more of them keel over, right!
I love the way Death appeared here. I didn’t see him coming.
Hop over and visit Andra Watkins’s recent post My Soul Winked at Me
Heh, neither did the knight. ;P
Harlequins go their revenge on the Knight one year earlier than planned didn’t they. Does that mean we don’t get to see him in a g-string?
Hop over and visit Marie’s recent post Til Death Do Us Part – A Personal Ad
I’m afraid the next outfit he wears will be his last. But it’s just possible the jaundiced harlequins will get him buried in one under a more appropriate sober suit.
I knew when the piece began, “Death stalked the convention,” that it didn’t bode well for at least someone in attencance. Another bright and cheery one, Jessie.
Hugs,
Kathy
Hop over and visit Kathy’s recent post My Mind was Lost. My Mind was Found: Some Thoughts on Grace and Gratitude
I just LOVE Halloween. Writing these morbid posts is so gloriously cathartic. Even poor Scott loved the mudslides line.
So, karma is shrimp? I like that Death addressed the Harlequin, that gave this a fun twist.
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Ahahaa! I never thought about that. It’s perfect. “Hello, I’m the Karma shrimp come to shrivel your intestines and rot your brains.”
Nice! 🙂
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Yay! Glad you liked it.
Looks like Death gave the harlequin a boost. Now she can run for election. To her credit, that was a nice recovery with “Who else ate the shrimp?” As usual, this was a fun piece. Well done!
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Glad you liked it. I suspect that she’s got a winning platform right there.
“It’s not the mudslides” – HA! Fun piece!
Hop over and visit Christine’s recent post Death and Roses
That line was SO fun. I knew he was going to say something, but didn’t expect THAT.
I *love* it when something unexpected like that happens in my own writing. Those little teeny-tiny microepiphanies that were not quite what I intended, but make something so much better. That sudden “a-ha!” when a character gives me the next line. Yeah, that. I love that.
Hop over and visit Christine’s recent post Death and Roses
Mmmm…shrimp.
Giggle. Hi Homer Simpson!
Yeah… “it’s not the Mudslides”… great line!
Hop over and visit Victoria KP’s recent post Trifecta Challenge: Death Takes a Nap
That one was tons of fun. I love Death as a character.
Who else ate the shrimp is perfection. Nice job, per usual, Jessie. Love your love of the season.
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Ha! Love it.
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