This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 27, for Sunday the 27th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is: Flamingo Bread

Whenever she talked about her childhood, Gran always mentioned flamingo bread, the best cake in the world. When she died, we found the recipe tucked away in

her bookshelf. It had been a treat, when eggs were rationed; a wartime cake made with mayonnaise and baking soda and red food colouring. When we baked it, it was every bit as vile as it sounded.

Heraclitus said you can never step in the same river twice. Gran knew that. She kept her flamingo bread in her head her whole life, as bright, and pink, and delicious as it always had been.

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 28.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode27

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 26, for Saturday the 26th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is: The Handler

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.

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 27.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode26

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 25, for Friday the 25th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is: 5 Phoenix Court

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.

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 26.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode25

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 24, for Thursday the 24th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Recognition

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. I'll pop a link to the song in the shownotes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrQgVRGvLkQ

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 25.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode24

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 23, for Wednesday the 23rd of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Unicorns

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.

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 24.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode23

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 22, for Tuesday the 22nd of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Yo Ho Ho

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!

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 23.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode22

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 21, for Monday the 21st of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Great New Ones

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."

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 22.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode21

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 20, for Sunday the 20th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Afternoon Out

"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.

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 21.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode20

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 19, for Saturday the 19th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Skirmish

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."

---

Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 20.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode19

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.

Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 18, for Friday the 18th of October 2024, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.

Your one-hundred word story for the day is:

Jump!

"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.

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Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 19.

https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/episode18