Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 11:26:03 -0600 From: Robyn Herrington Organization: University of Calgary Subject: [WRITERS] SUB: CONTEST: LITE LIGT Ah yes. Another story joins the fray... Keep 'em coming, people! I know I said no poetry, but this is a sorta prose-y thing, so... why not, eh? Robyn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LITE LIGHT Jack Lantern's inner light shivered with fright, trying to assume height, shrinking, shimmying backwards, unable to fight the extreme fright: death of his innermost bright. Wind! Devilish children peeking within the Jack's eyes, blowing upon his candle light, hoping maybe to extinguish it right into the night. As the wax slowly drips, the inner light's plight becomes quite beyond simple fright, he tries in vain to become white, hoping to blind the children with his hottest spite. Ah, but the children are only encouraged by such a fight; they collect unto them all the most sugary candies, building one huge collective appetite. The tallest boy clenches his fists tight, holds his breath with all his might, then lets loose and sucks up all the air by kissing Jack Lantern until he, Jack, finally loses his sight. A slight bit of smoke smolders slowly up into the night, through Jack's eyes. The little devil wrenches it from its flight, holding it out of sight, black little hands rubbing it together, so contrite. Jack might still have his turn to bite, though blind, awaiting the kitchen blender and soon to be poured into the jaws of a pie crust, he still holds one small hope of becoming like dynamite. Will she do it, spike Jack with the ultimate 180 proof splash that will make everyone high as a kite? Yes, she will, but by the time poor Jack gets baked, he's only maybe 90 proof. Soaking it all up though, he finally feels all right. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robyn Herrington New Currents in Teaching and Learning / InfoServe Phone: 220-2561 Email: rmherrin@ucalgary.ca Story ideas are like rabbits that have ventured unwittingly into view. The slightest noise or movement can spook them and they bolt off into the dark undergrowth never to be seen again. -- Adrian Bedford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~