**THIS STORY RECEIVED AN HONORABLE MENTION**
Hello fellow ghouls and goblins, it’s that time again! For the Fall Writing Frenzy contest you are challenged to choose one of the picture prompts and write a story for children using 200 words or less. Read on for my 197-word young adult entry!
The Curse
By Lindsey Hobson
YA
197 words
Scarlett peers down the alley, her amber-colored eyes probing the dark shadows, alert to any danger. Finding none, she steps into the inky blackness, her footsteps echoing on the cobblestone path.
Her skin tingles. After years of searching for their hideout, she’s only a few feet away. She forces herself to walk slowly; it will not pay to be careless now.
The alley ends at a wooden door inlaid with two silver hatchets forming an X in the center. The sharp edges shine menacingly in the light of the harvest moon.
The symbol of the Order of the Woodcutters.
She lowers the hood of her signature blood-red cloak, revealing thick chestnut-colored fur
and two-inch long fangs – daily reminders of that fateful trip through the woods the day her grandmother died.
For as long as she can remember, Scarlett has watched the Witch add to her army of wolves by cursing innocent people, just like her. But tonight everything will change… if she can convince the Woodcutters to form an alliance with the animals they hunt.
She knocks once and whispers the password: What big teeth you have. The door opens inward and Scarlett steps across the threshold.
197 words
Lindsey Hobson, author 
Excellent work, my friend!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Love this!! And I love the nod to Little Red Riding Hood! ♥️ You deserve to be a winner with this one!!
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Thank you!
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I second J’s sentiments…this one is really great! & I can’t urge you enough to write the whole story!
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Thank you!
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Loved it!!! But want more story… what happens next??
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Keep going, Lindsey! Such a creative take on this photo!
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Thank you so much!
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I love this! Very interesting… I think our minds were in tandem on this one! A slightly different path and a slightly different story, but lots of similarities… funny! I love that Scarlett is trying to get the woodcutters and wolves to work together! To defeat the witch! Great descriptions! Fabulous!
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Thank you, Tonnye. Can’t wait to read your story!
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Good appetizer…..now the main course
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Great story, keeps you wondering what will happen when Scarlett crosses the threshold… 🙂
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Thank you! I’m considering writing the whole story 😉
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I definitely want to know more about the story and the potential alliance. Keep going! And good luck!
@mowrex (Twitter)
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Thank you! I want to know more, too 😆
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