Guess What Day it Is!
An Acrostic for Chloe Rose Violet's October Prompt #14
Hello, kiddies!
And welcome to All Hallows' Eve!
Lost souls are on the prowl,
Looking for warm bodies to inhabit.
Oh, but please, come and take some candy!
We have plenty. Just knock loudly,
Else we might not hear you over the screams.
Enjoy your night, and
Never mind those eyes glowing in the dark!
***
Just a little something for Cloe's October Challenge!
Check it out:
About the Creator
Dana Crandell
Dad, Stepdad, Grandpa, Husband, lover of Nature and dogs.
Poet, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist
My poetry collection: Life, Love & Ludicrosity
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The First Writer
He sat and thought, though he didn't know he was thinking. The meat was slowly roasting over what they would later call “fire” as he and the others sat and thought, though they didn't know it, either. Slapping at the small creature that was crawling in his beard, he knocked it to the floor of the cave. He had learned that the front end could hurt him, so he picked it up by the the other end, contemplated it for a moment, then popped it into his mouth and bit down. Immediately, his gag reflex told him that had been a mistake and he spat it back into his hand.
By Dana Crandell3 years ago in Fiction
He Read Her Diary After She Was Gone
Ryan had always believed he knew Emily completely. She was the kind of person who could light up the darkest room with her laugh, a warm presence that made every day feel brighter. To him, she wasn’t just his girlfriend—she was home. For three years, their love was simple and beautiful. Late-night talks in her tiny apartment, stolen coffee breaks in the park, dreams whispered under the stars. Ryan imagined a future with her. He even thought about the proposal he’d one day give her. He thought they had time. He was wrong. It happened on an ordinary Tuesday. A call. A few words. His world shattered in a single heartbeat. Emily was gone. A car accident. Sudden. Unthinkable. Ryan didn’t know how to exist without her. Her laughter haunted the apartment. Her perfume lingered in empty rooms. Even the rain felt different now. It was a cruel, gray echo of the life he had lost. A week later, he returned to her apartment. He couldn’t stay away. Every corner of the space was a memory—a sweater draped over the chair, a half-finished cup of coffee on the counter, her books stacked neatly by the window. It was as if she might walk in any second and tease him about leaving the lights on. But she didn’t. As Ryan wandered through the apartment, he noticed a small, leather-bound diary tucked away in her bedside drawer. He froze. It was private. Personal. Her innermost thoughts. But an invisible pull urged him to open it. The first page was simple: “If anyone ever reads this… it means I didn’t get the chance to tell everything.” Ryan’s chest tightened. He read on. “Ryan thinks I’m strong. I wish he knew how much I struggle inside.” “I smile a lot. Not because I’m happy… but because I don’t want to burden him. He has enough to worry about.” Ryan’s throat constricted. He had never realized the weight she carried silently. “Some days, I feel lost. Like I’m not enough. But when he calls or texts something silly, the world feels okay, even for a moment.” Tears blurred his vision. She had been hurting… silently. And he hadn’t seen it. He turned another page. “I don’t know how much time I have. The doctor says it isn’t serious yet, but it could get worse. I haven’t told Ryan. I didn’t want our love to be shadowed by fear. I just want us to be happy.” Ryan’s hands shook. She had been sick… and he didn’t even know. “If something ever happens to me, I hope he doesn’t blame himself. He gave me the happiest years of my life. Even when I felt broken, he felt like home.” The next line made his heart stop: “I love him. I always have. I just haven’t said it enough… or in the right way.” The page ended abruptly. No “I love you” spoken aloud. Only ink on paper. Ryan sank to the floor. For three years, he had assumed she was fine because she smiled. But that smile had been a mask. Every laugh, every glance, every shared joke had hidden a depth of emotion he hadn’t understood—until now. He realized something profound: she had loved him silently, wholly, and completely. Even in her struggles, she chose to protect him from pain. He cradled the diary to his chest, letting the tears flow freely. He whispered, “I wish I had known… I would have been there for you, Emily. Always.” Days passed, and Ryan couldn’t stop thinking about her words. Slowly, they became his guide. He noticed people more, listened more, and loved more deeply—not because he had lost Emily, but because he had understood her fully for the first time. One year later, Ryan returned to the small park where they had spent countless afternoons. He sat on their favorite bench, diary in hand, heart heavy yet full. “I read everything,” he murmured to the sky, imagining her there beside him. “I understand now. I wish you had told me. But I understand why you didn’t.” A soft breeze brushed against him, carrying the faint scent of her perfume. He smiled through his tears. “I love you too, Emily,” he whispered. “I always did. And I always will.” For the first time since she was gone, Ryan felt a sense of peace. Because he knew that love isn’t about perfection or timing—it’s about understanding, even when it’s too late to say it out loud. And through her diary, Emily’s love had found its way back to him.
By Think & Learn5 days ago in Fiction
The Cave Part 11
Darkness, and the countless points of light, as if the entire void beyond was filled with the fire of a million stars. I felt as if I was staring into the eternity of a night sky beyond those wooden doors, the place beyond the actual reality, while I stood behind a curtain of scenery, the mountain and sky a mere pretense. And in that void beyond of unfathomable space, there hung suspended a mighty shard of crystal floating in place, with hundreds of a far smaller chunks orbiting around it in balanced but intersecting circles, no two in the same path. These caught the light from the center, and sparkled with inner fire each.
By Jamye Sharp3 days ago in Chapters
Comments (19)
THIS is exactly what Halloween is to me! Towing the line between spooky and scary! Nicely done!
Halloween is my favorite day of the year, and this was the perfect acrostic for it. Love it! 🖤
Fantastic acrostic, Dana! So fun! 🎃
Acrostically awesome!
This one was awesome! 🎃
Nice acrostic for Halloween! 💙Anneliese
This is a wonderful, spooky acrostic. Well done.
Else we might not hear you over the screams! Loved that line the most! Such a creepy and scary acrostic! You nailed the challenge!
Delightfully creepy. Though I'd worry more about the eyes that aren't glowing in the dark & cannot be seen..., bwahah!
"Never mind the eyes that glow in the dark" Your poems are always beautiful but this line in particular spoke to the horror writer deep in my soul. Brilliantly done Dana! Loved it
This was such a good acrostic to read while watching Hocus Pocus ☺️🔥
Nice👻💚😁
Nicely done on the spooky acrostic, Dana! I love this time of the year, from the weather to the activities, and even the smells of autumn!
Spooky! Great acrostic. 🧡👻
Love it! This just felt so Halloween-ish :) It's a beautiful fall day here, so your poem was perfect to read.
cute acrostic
When I came to the US for the first time in 1995, I remember my college professor saying this in class, "Halloween is the only time in the year we allow our kids to break the three cardinal rules we drill into them since they are toddlers: 1) Don't go to strangers' houses; 2) Don't talk to strangers; and 3) Don't beg for candy." You've captured the spirit in this Acrostic.
This is fun! 😁
Brilliant! This made me chuckle 🎃🤍