December 2016 75-word writing challenge -- VICTORY TO THE JUDGE!

[Shyrka]

Hoar Frost

Bitter tonight; his kind of night – Mister Frost likes ‘em cold.

Suits me. Helps hide the smell.

“A little of what ya fancy, luv?” I smile and show my good leg.

–

Frosted talons glitter in the lamp light, icy blades cutting me ragged. Oh, but how his triumph melts as I reach for my seal.

“By the authority of ‘er Imperial Majesty-” He slashes again, wild. Silly Jack.

That ain’t how you kill a zombie.

 

[Moonbat]

Christmas Lights​

Dear Mum

I’m exhausted. In Egypt a Drake need only work for a short night, but here the nights are long, the evenings are gloomy and the mornings so misty I practically work all day.
It’s also cold. I wouldn’t mind so bad if those damned lamplighters didn’t come and open the door every night. They act as though they run the place.
I’m not enjoying London.
Let your flame fly as always

Namptin

 

[Phyrebrat]

Amongst Angels

Sleep, only sleep, my babe, Elspeth.

Outside his studio the glow of pollen and insects on wing now fragile six-sided angels; all things end.
Sometimes.
Grimward Shankie rearranges his infant daughter then exposes the daguerreotype. When it’s all sealed, he searches under E on bookshelves that stretch into misty darkness like railway tracks at midnight.

Ah, there it is.

“Memento Mori.”

In the crib, his stillborn daughter bursts into smoking black lace, nothing more.

 

[mosaix]

The Reason It Finally Stopped...

I knows I shouldn't what with the Ripper bein' about. But I've not a crust, or wood for a fire, and it's a bitter cold night.

'e seems a nice enough gent anyway.

But Gawd 'elp me! Though it's fair dark I sees the glintin' blade 'e draws from his bag.

Then, of a sudden, 'e disappears and there's blindin' light and this woman and a flutterin' of - wings?

“Enough is enough,” she says.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Sanguisuga Awakening

Dusk falls.

Rain turns slowly to snow, hissing against the heated glass covers, behind which the gas sprites dance.

Amid the silence of twilight something stirs, awakening as the town slumbers.

Cold, chilled beyond the icy wind and cut glass flakes.

Under frozen homeland soil something claws against dead wood, clenched desiccated fingers stretch.

Lust for warmth, for life, for love drives him to rise.

And it’s not only the cold that bites!

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Brontosaurus Saves History From Becoming Geography (Or Does She?)

(Sung to the tune of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer)

Quantum Thesaurus Brontosaurus,
Didn’t die in fiery flame,
And if you ever swore it,
Well, time travel was to blame.

All of the other timelines,
End in asteroidal flames,
Except the gaslight timelines,
Still full of dinosaurian games.

Then one smoky Christmas Eve,
Santasaurus came to say:
“Brontosaurus, sky so bright,
Why’d you asteroid my sleigh tonight?”

Then all the other dinosaurs,
Cried and shouted out, “Mammal me!
Buh-ron-to-saur-us
What did you do to History?”

 

[ratsy]

Flip the Script

The chill of the night cut deep as she made her way down the dark alley. The only light shone from her lantern; the smell of its oil burned her nostrils.

Her pace hurried as the sound of footsteps behind her started getting louder. Closer.

A flash of a cape, and she was on the ground, lamp sizzling out in the snowbank.

Teeth extruded, her assailant’s blood flowed into her mouth.

Snow turned red.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

WINTER KISSES

Rain hisses off streetlights. My boots echo, gaining speed until I reach the corner and wait for a .
new set of steps. Quick. Not knowing fear.

"Jon!" Jake calls as if this were no miracle, just me - we - as before.

I crush him against me, savour him, kiss him until he fades.

I bow my head in silent memory: until next year, Jake, love, on mid-witches' night.

God. I miss you. Rest well.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

You Better Watch Out


“Bail money from innocents wasn’t enough, now His Honor’s taking up kidnapping, too?”

.....“Greed abounds. What’s a pixie care?”

“I’ve got my pride, elf.”

.....“And he’s got our wives in jail. Ok, so – I grab Rudolph in the fog, before takeoff.”

Sigh. “I take his place and guide the sleigh to the judge’s house.”

.....“Blackborough gets Santa’s bag, we get our wives, and to all a good night!”

“Except the children….”

.....“Can’t win ’em all.”

 

[Coast]

Cost of Business

The blizzard moans outside, growls through the icebound harbour. The merchants mourn their frozen profits.

"The price has risen."

It infuriates them, but they're not as angry as they are scared. I reach across the table and close their ledger. They shy away.

"A favour, when we ask it."

They agree without talking, with nods and furtive glances.

"Good." Though I dread what comes next. Winter is a terrible beast, and can't abide chains.

 

[The Judge]

The Case of the Frozen Cadavers, and Coprology


Tower Bridge, where three corpses lay, hacked from the solid ice of the Thames.

“Bloodless,” I said. “Utterly drained.”

“So Count Dracula has reached London. Yet lack of sewer stench will find him.”

“But the summer’s Great Stink from the city’s cesspits flooding the river is long over. Ice wholly blocks the sewers.”

“Excrement therefore accumulates in every habitation, but one. No solid food means no solid waste. Alimentary, my dear Watson.”

“No sh*t, Sherlock!”

 

[Mad Alice]

Frostfall

Borneo, 1885;


He dreamed of winter. Where snow was not a myth the natives scoffed at.
The kiss of frost. Just one Christmas at home.
Sighing Colonel Battenmont idly tracked the snowglobe's miniature blizzard. over his hometown within.
A snowflake drifted from the globe, onto his hand.
He grabbed the globe. Ice met his hands.
Snow swirled around him. the quickly growing village was thronged with moving people.

Home.

 

[Ursa major]

​

“The Adventure of the Copper’s Breeches”​

“I’m disappointed. Now you’re now writing lewd versions of my old cases. Besides, constables wear proper trousers.”

“If you were taking on new cases—”

“—I have a new job to do: training detectives.”

“You’re teaching policemen? Why?”

“The cold weather’s reminded me of my mortality. My time here is brief. And we need new blood, so I teach at a school.”

“Elementary?”

“My dear Watson.” The great detective shook his head. “My training is comprehensive.”​

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[Ursa major]

This challenge is now closed to new entries.

The poll will appear shortly.

 

[Ursa major]

Voting is now open at the link below:

POLL -- DECEMBER 2016 75-Word Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!

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