HAPPY HOUND-Y HALLOWEEN!

Mom decided to have fun at my expense with the Halloweensie contest--in its 8th year!--sponsored by children's author Susanna Leonard Hill. 

Susanna's the author of the delightful books WHEN YOUR MONKEYS WON'T GO TO BED, WHEN YOUR LLAMA NEEDS A HAIRCUT, and more.

This year's contest rules: a story or poem under 100 words using the words cauldron, howl, and shiver.

Here's my 94-word entry.
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HOUND'S HALLOWEEN

by Lisa Rogers

Something flitted past the cauldron

Something made me quiver

Something set my teeth on edge

Something made me shiver.

Something moved through swaying trees

Something crouched between

Something flickered in the gloom

Something howled on Halloween.

Ahhhhhroooooooooo!

Something made my blood run cold

Something made me prickle

Something sniffed my outstretched hand 

Something made me tickle!

Something brushed against my skin

Something moved real slow

Something's breath came far too close

Something licked my toe!

Something raced beneath the moon

Something whirled around

Something set my heart aglow—

My ghostly, ghastly, goofy hound!

Ahhhhhroooooooooo! 

Here I am looking appropriately miserable
in my prisoner costume.

Someone came knocking at my wee small door...

*But it was too cold to open it...*

In honor of Poetry Month, here's the whole of Walter de la Mare's poem, which should come to mind the next time you are careening around a forest and just happen to stick your nose right into a wee small door.

Some One

Some one came knocking
     At my wee, small door;
Some one came knocking,
     I'm sure - sure - sure;
I listened, I opened,
     I looked to left and right,
But nought there was a-stirring
     In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
     Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
     The screech-owl's call,
Only the cricket whistling
     While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
     At all, at all, at all.

by Walter de la Mare

Sticking my nose in someone else's business...

I was rash. I was impetuous. I was...being myself.

It happened early, say, around 2:30 a.m. No moon. I dashed outside, surprised an intruder, and, BAM! something stuck me in the eye. Claw? Thorn? I don't know. I stumbled up the stairs and basically blacked out for the rest of the night.

I woke up late the next a.m., late enough to worry my folks. I tottered downstairs, one eye barely open, the other swollen and totally closed.

Stoic as always, I decided not to disclose exactly what happened.

Off we went to VCA Westboro, where, fortunately, my personal staff was on duty. Unfortunately, they knew all of my evasions and other tricks. While I uncharacteristically cowered in a corner, rather than throwing myself at the door to the lobby, three of my friends debated the best way to get me to the scale.

They tried luring me into that dreaded back room. I would not budge.
"Lead him in the cat way," one said. No dice.
"Try the staff entrance," suggested another. No way.

Now, I went along willingly enough just last month. The result: 93 lbs, and I can say with all honesty that it's mostly muscle. Plus, I wear it well.

In any case, another weigh-in was absolutely out of the question. So those 93 lbs. stayed put.

Being a practical woman and a very astute reader of the situation, Dr. Dalamangas decided to treat me right there, in the exam room. Mom got to help when things got dicey.

I threw myself at the door while Mom attempted to sign for my treatment, backing off at the sight of an enormous Akita trying to enter. Realizing I was in no mood to take on that beast, too, Mom signaled to the owner to back off, which she kindly did.

Turns out the enormous Akita was no bigger than I: had we gone mano a mano, I would have won. Even with one eye closed.