ZsaZsa Avenges

The mandarin orb

Benign and Bewitching,

It had all its fruitiness scooped out, as Juan Carter bore through the tinctures of its farm-bred flesh.

Tiny ,  pink fingers  scuttled into the scatters of bread knife, toothpicks and  sterling-silver spoons only to be snapped by his father’s beefy, pumpkin-primrose  hands.

 

“Now, no fooling around Eth!

Daddy is getting Mr. Jack ready!”

 

           Troika eyes                                     Jagged, macabre grin

Dawdled

In the sphere of Persian-vermilion.

Innards lit with

Trifling terracotta urns

Of kindled paraffin oil,

It hung

On ebonite curtain rods

Teasing the dying October air.

 

“Hey pops! This is spooky!”

Carter Sr. was pleased.

“Happy Halloween, son”

 

*~*~NIGHTFALL~*~*

The revelries ebbed away leaving a shriveled Texas neighborhood. The elms groaned on the banks of the Turtle Creek as a colony of spectacled flying foxes descended upon the deserted Dallas streets.

Somewhere in Pemberton Hills, Carter Residence, little Ethan twitched in his sleep. His unmindful lips smacked off Necco-Wafer crumbs he had gobbled in Trick-or-Treat parades.

A sudden, wily chill creaked open the window panes !

Eth wrapped himself tighter in the warlock cloak he was still dressed in.

 

 

Wordless POP!

A four-legged creature loomed on the window sill. It was a

Norwegian Forest Cat.

Ember eyes

And

Furry coat of

Smoky, oriental patterns.

Ethan Carter slept away oblivious to her feline glowers that ogled him. She sneered as she saw Jack- the Pumpkin head, still bobbing amidst swaying nylon sheets.

Her paw rose to meet

Its hanging hollowness.

(A pee-wee cucumber beetle clamored out.)

She pawed again!

Upside down went the lantern!

The urns tumbled!

The linens at the window got smeared in the paraffin-combustion promptly setting off in a yellow-maroon blaze.

 

 

The old Mrs. Connelly woke up squinting at the light from her Cheyenne Road apartment.

“Isn’t that at the Carters’?

Jesus Christ!

Henry! Call the 911!”

 

o~o~THE MORNING AFTER~o~o

Khaki-clad men in round metal caps bustled in the flooded neighborhood. Water still dribbled from the pipes of big, red tanks towards that half-baked Salisbury steak they once called home. The ambulances went bangety-bang as they rushed in to carry off an unconscious five-year old boy. No one heard the oriole singing that day!

 

“I’m sorry to bother you Mr. Carter

But we found these in your son’s room; Might be some animal’s”

Sheriff Jones spoke to a dazed man.

Long, tabby hairs!

* * FLASH BACKS * *

A Monday street

The chauffeur honked its way through

Until a confetti

Of whiskers-n-bones

Dunked under in a squash.

 * * * * * *

“That must be ZsaZsa, the Sebestyén’s cat

But she got ran over...um… last week…by my car.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This was written for Halloween… It’s just one week away I guess, so I decided to publish the poem as a precursor :) As you can see, it is actually a prose-poem… a prosaic form interspersed with poetic verses… I wanted it to give a colorful, picture-postcard feel keeping in mind the celebrations that are about to trigger off, but this is what I have managed… It’s just a simple, no-frills write with some dark humor to offer… bit long, but couldn't help it..let me know if you enjoyed it :)
P.S : I’m a bit busy till the 4th of November ( I have two exams lined up ). So a big sorry if I haven’t been able to attend to your read requests… But I promise to get back to all of you as soon as I wind up things…. Take care and a Happy Halloween in advance :)

Reviews

[Mia]

This is by far the best Halloween piece I've read so far. Your imagination is incredible and this story was thoroughly entertaining! Good luck with your exams and Happy Halloween to you too :)

[Stanley Wilson]

enjoyable halloween tale superb ending

[Mark]

It was a little long, but worth it. I kept waiting for Zsa Zsa to show up and when she did it was a good story! I'm wondering if you might be able to pare down the beginning part with making the jack-o-lantern... and perhaps foreshadow the cat... perhaps have the cat run over in the beginning? just my two cents, overall an enjoyable Halloween write. :)

[gombeggar]

very well done read...love the style u use here reminds me of the beatniks or kipling...happy halloween to u then

[The Refined Poet]

wow... this is so ingenious

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Aaran, Oh I hate you! This is such a good and amazing piece and you spoil it with the tricks of the ladies on the site with their needless pictures and font changes!!!!! Great poem with such a great slant and the ending is just superb!!!!

[quinfinn]

it certainly has a carnival flair to it and your prose is both interesting and entertaining. plenty of halloween scares and lots of bright segues leading up to a marvelous and macabre conclusion. well done and good luck with your upcoming exams!

[Castonovia]

Creeeeeepy especially for All Hallow's Eve, definitely bewitching with such vivid imagery, hehehe the cat's apparation strikes again from the grave, the pictures also define this piece pretty nicely adding to the dark humor, love the word usage, well penned indeed and Happy Halloween!!! :)

[Baby Ricochet]

Great poem. I've gone from good clean family fun to out and out debauchery within a few hours on Halloween and what's not to love about a holiday like that. I've never picked up a chick dressed like little red riding hood on thanksgiving, that's for goddamn sure.