Hello my Freaky Darlings,

On the 26th of October I was lucky enough to attend the annual Bloody Parchment event at the Book Lounge in Cape Town. Normally authors read their short stories or excerpts from some of their longer fiction, this year was a little different. We had to write a drabble for the event and then read it out. A drabble is a short story of exactly 100 words, which is harder than you might think.

Now, if you know me, you know that I hate public speaking. It gives me dry mouth and makes every muscle in my body quiver. But I sucked it up for the event and only stumbled over my own tongue twice. Not bad for someone who has an abject terror of speaking in front of a room full of strangers and a few friends.

Anyway … here is the little drabble I wrote for the event:

Scratch

The itch turned to fire as I scratched. The fire spread along my jaw, making my teeth ache. I edged closer to the mirror. Peering sidelong, I tried to see what was wrong with my red, swollen ear. Clear liquid dribbled out and ran down my neck. Then I saw it. I wanted to scream. My throat constricted, strangling any sound. Its long thin leg emerged as I struggled to breathe. Three tiny eyes glared at my reflection. I watched it crawl out of my ear and cross my paralysed face. I hit the floor and watched it escape.

Reading at Bloody Parchment

And yes, I really am wearing Mini Mouse ears.

You can get your copy of the Bloody Parchment anthology from Amazon.com