Episode 26: "The Handler"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 26, for Saturday the twenty-sixth of October 2024.

The Handler

by Elizabeth Guilt

I could hear the fighting from outside. It was one of the hard cases, a small one. It always is, all entitlement and "I shouldn't be in here" attitude.

There were snarls and filthy language as I pulled him off a terrified sporty type.

"Zip it," I snapped, flinging him out through the door. "Get going, the rest of you."

A polite cough sounded behind me.

"Could you help me up? Not as young as I was."

Seventies, I guessed. No wheels, and worn straps.

"Of course, sir."

I picked him up, and placed him gently on the baggage carousel.

Have you ever noticed? If you check multiple bags in for a flight, they come out miles apart at the other end. I've always wondered what they get up to, and whether they had a falling-out in between.

Episode 25: "5 Phoenix Court"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 25, for Friday the 25th of October 2024.

5 Phoenix Court

by Elizabeth Guilt

As Mara leaves the station, she can smell smoke. She hears the sirens before she's halfway up the hill.

She checks the little group huddled on the pavement. The Barries, the Patels. The old man from 2 is sitting on the wall, the new couple are holding their screaming baby. Mrs Delamere is still in Egypt.

Everything she owns is burning. Piles of unread books, cupboards full of childhood treasures she can't give away, wardrobes stuffed with vintage clothes. Letters from old lovers, inherited paintings, paperwork, electronics, furniture...

In the flickering light, Mara dances. She has never felt so free.

Episode 24: "Recognition"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 24, for Thursday the twenty-fourth of October 2024.

Recognition

by Elizabeth Guilt

My neighbour was always odd. Harmless, but odd; staring with a strange intensity whenever we crossed paths. Until he started screaming. Every night, for hours, his howls drilled into my skull.

Then, suddenly, he was gone. Dead, I think. His flat was larger, so I gave notice and moved across the hall.

When a new tenant took my old flat, he looked familiar. Very familiar, but for years, no matter how I tried, I couldn't place his face. Without warning, it struck me in the middle of the night. I knew exactly who he was.

And I started to scream.

Jeffrey Lewis is a New York antifolk hero, famous for his songs and his hand-drawn "low-budget videos". I've been going to see his gigs for probably more than twenty years now. Today's drabble was directly inspired by his song Sad Screaming Old Man.

Episode 23: "Unicorns"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 23, for Wednesday the twenty-third of October 2024.

unicorns

by Elizabeth Guilt

When the barriers crumbled between our worlds, everyone went exploring. Especially the motorcyclists. On whining two-strokes and beefy Harleys, they tore through the winding roads of Fairyland.

The King of the Fairies met the King of the Bikers at the Border, and begged him to stop them.

The Biker King laughed.

"I will send unicorns to guard the border," said the Fairy.

The Biker King laughed harder, and on Sunday morning he lead the roaring engines down the road.

The unicorns waited, bigger than shirehorses. Bull-necked and wild-eyed; jagged metal battering rams bound at their brows.

Heads down, they charged.

If, like me, you've lived in towns and cities all your life, it's always a bit of a surprise how large and intimidating horses can be. I've never quite believed that adding a huge, spiralling horn would make them into gentle and compassionate creatures.

Episode 22: "Yo Ho Ho"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 22, for Tuesday the twenty-second of October 2024.

YO Ho Ho

by Elizabeth Guilt

The last visitor trudged reluctantly into the lashing rain, and Nigel rolled down the shutters. He rested his forehead against the window, enjoying the brief moments of peace.

There was a crash from the main exhibition hall, then muffled swearing.

He drew a deep breath.

"It's ok," he shouted, "they've gone".

Stormy nights were always the loudest. By the time he'd turned the corner, he could hear at least three shanties and a concertina.

The preserved fishing smack rocked on its hydraulic supports, grey figures spilling from the decks.

Nigel sighed, and went to the museum store room for rum.

In my head, this is how all museums work.

If you're a museum curator, please don't write in!

Episode 21: "Great New Ones"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 21, for Monday the twenty-first of October 2024.

Great New Ones

by Elizabeth Guilt

There'd been trouble at Mill 3 for weeks. Rumours, mutterings, machine operators thinking they could bargain with me for an extra penny or another break.

I sent men to break up their meeting. They found the operators chanting, fleshy horror already half-materialised in the circle.

I interviewed one of the survivors, fresh blood over old scars of missing fingers.

"How could you be so stupid?"

He stared through swollen eyes. "We worship Him."

"He cares for nothing. He will consume you, grind through everything around him, and never be satisfied."

He laughed bitterly. "And yet you chose to worship capitalism."

Episode 20: "Afternoon Out"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 20, for Sunday the twentieth of October 2024.

Afternoon Out

by Elizabeth Guilt

"Oh my god, oh my god, Bob's gone!"

"What?"

"He's gone! Just like that! Gone! Oh my god!" Harry snapped his pincers frantically.

"Calm down, calm down. He'll be back."

"He's gone! He saw a bit of food, and then just... Gone! Whisked away!"

"Stop panicking! This is always happening!"

Harry scuttled away in distress.

There was a distant splash, and Bob sidled nonchalantly over.

"Hey!"

"You OK?"

"Me? Oh, fine. Had a great afternoon. Lovely snack, then hung out in a bucket for a while with a couple of ladies. Beautiful shell, one of them. Did I miss anything?"

I was recently walking along the harbourfront in Whitby with a friend. Half a dozen families were dangling lines over the side, hauling up little crabs. The crabs aren't edible, and will eventually be tipped back into the harbour.

We spent our walk wondering what the crabs thought of the whole business.

Episode 19: "Skirmish"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 19, for Saturday the nineteenth of October 2024.

Skirmish

by Elizabeth Guilt

The war ended, and neither side truly won. The farmers brought in the harvest, and worshipped the Autumn God, just as they always had done. The colonists stayed. They settled in the rocky places, and thanked Arhayun for the good food they could buy.

The farmers threw water on Arhayun's bonfires; in return, the colonists toppled The Autumn God's cairns. Amid smoke, and screams, and sliding rocks, the war flashed back into life

The two gods shared a flagon of mead and shook their heads.

"How do we stop them?" asked Arhayun.

The Autumn God shrugged. "I don't know, brother."

Episode 18: "Jump!"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 18, for Friday the eighteenth of October 2024.

Jump!

by Elizabeth Guilt

"Jump!"

She clambered onto the windowsill, her small fingers clutching the frame. When she looked down, she whimpered.

"I don't want to, Billy."

"Hold my hand. We'll jump together."

Billy's strings trailed from his wooden arm.

"It's so far down. I'll die."

"You're going to jump, Judy."

"But I'm scared."

His painted black eyes grew darker.

"Jump. Now."

She stared, dazed, at the people screaming below.

"Jump."

Sobbing, she grabbed Billy and stepped into empty air.

Judy landed in the net the firefighters held, and loving parents scooped her up.

"Judy! You're so brave! And you even saved your puppet!"

I think puppets and dolls get a really raw deal in horror stories. Painted porcelain faces or wooden joints are invariably cast as creepy. But sometimes, your childhood toy is urging you throw yourself from a high window with the best of intentions.

Episode 17: "Sudden Autumn"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 17, for Thursday the seventeenth of October 2024.

Sudden Autumn

by Elizabeth Guilt

Lily loved the oak tree in their new house's garden. After a day of customer complaints swamping her optical feeds, connecting with nature was so important.

Stepping outside, she almost dropped her tea. The oak's branches were bare against the June sky, drifts of leaves piled brown on the grass.

She yelled up the stairs.

"Jase! Have you split up with your girlfriend again?"

A low moan, almost a sob, echoed back down. She sighed. Jase was so selfish.

Outside, Lily ran her fingers over the rough bark until the control panel popped. She wrenched the dial back to midsummer.

I've only just realised that this is the second drabble this October to feature a Lily. This Lily is, of course, not the Lily from "Don't Let Go", she just has the same name.

Years ago, I accidentally wrote a 10,000 word story in which two main characters had the same name. I did wonder why my beta-readers kept getting confused.

Episode 16: "Firedogs"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 16, for Wednesday the sixteenth of October 2024.

Firedogs

by Elizabeth Guilt

The feast-frenzied guests waited restlessly for the firedogs to dance against the midsummer sky. My lord, fury covering his fear, sent us to the cave.

"Prick them out!"

No red glow flickered, and I blundered in assuming it deserted. A hissing bulk loomed above me, then slumped to the floor.

I crept closer: lanternlight bounced back from a dull eye. One scaled beast coiled around the silent other, sweet breath gusting out like sobs. The odour was choking but, without its mate to blow bitter tar, stone cold.

My lord's pikemen would be useless. A firedog could not dance alone.

This story began its life as an 1000-word flash fiction, which contained a lot more detail about my lord's political situation. Decimating it - literally - to make it into a drabble was a very interesting exercise in working out which pieces were actually vital to the story.

Episode 15: "Gunpowder and Wine"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 15, for Tuesday the fifteenth of October 2024.

Gunpowder and Wine

by Elizabeth Guilt

My grandfather refused to go near the bar. "Too many damn idiots," he said, of the tourists who poured in. They bought overpriced jugs of gritty cocktails to toast the revolution 'in gunpowder and wine'.

"Better off with beer," he grumbled.

"Mrs McClusky told us in history that it was just a metaphor, anyway."

"Well, your Mrs McClusky doesn't know shit, either."

"Did you? Really?"

"Wine was too expensive. We drank shots of rum with a teaspoon of gunpowder. Once."

"Why?"

"It tasted foul. But we thought we were going to die that night, and stupid gestures gave us courage."

Episode 14: "Like a Bear"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 14, for Monday the fourteenth of October 2024.

Like a Bear

by Elizabeth Guilt

Good morning, welcome to Sicut Urso. You're right on time.

You've been eating well, I take it? What's that? Pasta for every meal? Ideal, sir, glad to hear it. Ha ha, yes, I'm sure you enjoyed it. But you took plenty of lemon juice too? Great.

Leave your things here, we'll keep them safe. There are fleecy pyjamas in your room.

Ah, I see you've found the bed. Another blanket? Of course. I'll pop a couple of spare pillows over here.

Ready?

Just one sharp scratch.

There, that's the shot done.

Comfy?

Excellent, sir.

We'll wake you in the spring.

I am not a summer person. I really enjoy snow, and frosts, and the lovely dark blue skies you get in the UK on winter afternoons. I actually look forward to winter, and the days when the air stings your lungs.

But I appreciate that's not for everybody.

Episode 13: "Duty of Care"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 13, for Sunday the thirteenth of October 2024.

Duty of Care

by Elizabeth Guilt

Adam always wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to help anyone who was in trouble. His teachers laughed, given his grades and his slow reading. Then the apocalypse came, and suddenly careers didn't matter any more. Very few things mattered.

"Get inside, love."

Adam gave his daughter a gentle push. She toddled through the door, oblivious to the groaning wails coming closer up the road.

The undead thing shambled across the farmyard, one arm torn almost away. Adam patted its good shoulder, and led it into the barn. It sat patiently, and he began to sew up the rips.

Episode 12: "We're Adults Now"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 12, for Saturday the twelfth of October 2024.

We're Adults Now

by Elizabeth Guilt

We were around ten, I guess. The summer was hot, bakingly hot, and no-one noticed us building a spaceship behind the greenhouse. We used old plywood, the gears from Emily's bike, and a car battery, and blasted off for the Moon.

We were back in time for tea, of course.

Years later, worn by a messy divorce, I bumped into Emily. We went for a drink, then another. She remembered!

"Want to build another spaceship?" I asked. "Revisit the Moon?"

She shook her head. "We're adults, now."

I nodded, stupid with disappointment.

She smiled. "This time, let's aim for Mars."

Did you build a spaceship when you were little? We did. And we dug a treasure mine in the front garden, and figured out a machine for talking to aliens.

I think we could all do with a little more of that energy in our adult lives.

Episode 11: "These Bills Don't Pay Themselves"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 11, for Friday the eleventh of October 2024.

These Bills Don't Pay Themselves

by Elizabeth Guilt

Cursing people is easy. Anyone can do it. Removing curses, now. That's a skill. Learned it from my grandmother and I'm good at it.

No-one who comes through that door and pays up leaves with any kind of curse on them. Those who won't pay, mind, that's another story.

Trouble is, people are boring. A curse for a woman: losing her looks. A man? Usually someone's hoping, you know, something will drop off.

Past couple of weeks, mind. Wow. There's been some... yeah. Creative curses. I'm impressed.

It's intricate work, too. Looks intriguing. Looks... profitable.

I'm in the wrong business.

Episode 10: "Would You Like a Flake With That?"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 10, for Thursday the tenth of October 2024.

Would You Like A Flake With That?

by Elizabeth Guilt

The kids tumbled giddily from the car.

"Let's get ice creams!"

Dad bought 99s for the family, and they raced onto the beach.

Elderly ladies strolled along the promenade, nibbling at melting vanilla. Teenagers dared each other into waves that washed off the last streaks of chocolate.

"No, thanks," said Henry.

His date stared. "But... We're at the seaside!"

He eyed the jagged purple rocks, and the seething yellow-grey sea.

"I don't like it here."

"Because you haven't had an ice cream, silly!"

Sweet cherry slid down his throat, so cold it numbed.

He smiled, and walked towards golden sands.

If you live in the UK, a trip to the beach can often be a collective delusion. I've eaten ice cream on days when I've had to shield it to stop the wind whipping my flake away, and also when I've had to race the tiny pits that formed as raindrops splattered into my scoop of vanilla.

There's got to be some kind of explanation.

Episode 9: "Set Fair"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 9, for Wednesday the ninth of October 2024.

Set Fair

by Elizabeth Guilt

Ella turned her back.

"I'm not a child any more. I'm not stupid!"

Steve laid gentle hands on her six-year-old shoulders. "I know, love."

He stared at the horizon. In the milky light from the silica skymesh, the

podhouses soon shimmered into misty distance.

"It's true, though."

"It's not true! How would it get to the hydroponics?"

Ella kicked the polymer ducting, hard enough that the vibrations risked tripping alarms at the recyc. plant.

"Don't do that, Ella."

He didn't blame her. Even he struggled to believe that, when he was her age, water had sometimes fallen from the sky.

Episode 8: "Wrath"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 8, for Tuesday the eighth of October 2024.

Wrath

by Elizabeth Guilt

"And Henry rode up with the head on his lance..."

"Don't be stupid."

"He did! Though he must have stopped at the ford to stick it there, just to show off. It'd be too heavy to ride far..."

"He wouldn't even be able to pick the lance up."

"Are you saying my brother didn't slay the dragon? I saw the head!"

"You liar."

"I'm not. It was the size of Farmer Brod's sow."

"What?"

"I've told you, he's killed..."

"Oh, gods. We're doomed."

"Henry's saved us!"

"That size? Henry killed a baby. We're not going to survive the mother's anger."

Episode 7: "Don't Let Go"

A impressionist image of a figure walking down a curved tunnel of trees. Across the top in yellow block caps, "DRABBLETOBER".

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 7, for Monday the seventh of October 2024.

Don't Let Go

by Elizabeth Guilt

When Lily slipped, I caught her and we fell screaming together. Snow tore our faces until I slammed into rock, and she disappeared over the edge.

Pain stretched the seconds, and spun the sky dark. I clung to my grip on her wrist, hers on mine.

Eventually, help arrived.

"Save Lily!" I begged, her weight dragging my arm numb.

"Who's Lily?" they asked.

When I woke in hospital, her hand was a comforting bracelet. We held on to each other through the surgery, through the long rehab.

Each day I wake, face down and arm outstretched, still holding Lily safe.