Happy New Year everyone! A Friday Fictioneers story is a good way to start the new year. I don’t like to put much significance on the first story of the year, especially since this one is rather dark. Hopefully it won’t be a portent of the upcoming year. Also, there is a bit of swearing in it, just so you’re warned. I don’t usually put swearing in my stories, but it seemed this one needed some. You can judge for yourself after you read it.
copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Bruno Knew
“Grant! The dog’s gone crazy! Stupid dog, too lazy even to get up to eat, today he’s barking his head off. Shut up, Bruno! Shut up! You wanna go out? Fine. Look at him go. Ho— Ho . . . ly . . . shit! Grant! Gra-ant! Come see this. Bruno just climbed the tree! Oh shit, Grant, the floor’s moving! There’s earthworms coming through the linoleum. Ahh! They’re in my feet, in my feet! I can’t move. Dear God, help! Grant, where are you? Where are you? These ain’t earthworms!”
Outside, Bruno’s frenzied barking failed to keep the probing tendrils at bay. He climbed higher.
The Green-Walled Tower 
January 1st, 2014 at 10:48 pm
Wow…that’s what I call an original take on the prompt 🙂
January 1st, 2014 at 10:50 pm
I’ll take that as a compliment. 😉 I like to take the road less traveled, or at least the tree less climbed.
January 1st, 2014 at 10:52 pm
That animal sense is something we should pay attention to, it could save our life.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:14 pm
Climbing higher seems like the best thing to do.
A great take on the prompt.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:28 pm
Great take on the prompt. Monologue was very convincing.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:33 pm
Hide your kids, hide your wives, the TENTACLES are coming! Nooooo!
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:17 am
Yikes.. what an excellent nightmarish story… that was some monster you have invented.
January 2nd, 2014 at 3:45 am
I’m laughing because if anyone could take this prompt where this story did, it would be you (if all that makes sense.) Good job and happy 2014.
janet
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:38 am
That’s the second dog on the tree FF I’ve read in minutes. Move aside catty, the doggies are encroaching on your turf – Raff! – branch!
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:41 am
Oh, I should have added – it’s not surprising seeing the image 🙂
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:57 am
Very well done.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:22 am
Dear David,
Damn! If I had that going on in my back yard I’d be doing some swearing, too. Creeeepy with a capital K. Well done as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
January 2nd, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Ewwwww! Great horror story! Smart dog!
January 2nd, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Happy new year and keep writing!
January 2nd, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Ah, that Bruno is a smart one! Methinks he’s going to survive this bizarre attack — at least I hope he does. A good, action-packed story here, and I like how you told it nearly by just the single character’s talking. Cool!
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:10 pm
Earthworms in my feet. I don’t know why but I find that hilarious. Great story. I always like the dark ones, though I didn’t go that way myself this week.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:26 pm
I found it rather hilarious too, which was unfortunate since I was going for creepy. Oh well 🙂
January 3rd, 2014 at 4:49 am
For me, creepy! Well done.
January 3rd, 2014 at 6:37 am
Darn that linoleum. It’s hard to find good floor covering these days.
I love the direction you took this one, David.
January 3rd, 2014 at 12:41 pm
What the fu-?!?!
Man, I love this one — hilarious AND bizarre!!
January 3rd, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Pretty much. Hilarious and bizarre is all I strive to be. 🙂
January 3rd, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Great dialogue Dave, and ever so creepy! Really great use of this prompt; I didn’t see it coming. Apparently, only Bruno did. 😉
January 3rd, 2014 at 11:05 pm
I don’t think anyone could see that coming. 🙂
January 3rd, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Terrific!
January 3rd, 2014 at 11:04 pm
Thanks. 🙂
January 3rd, 2014 at 10:14 pm
if only his owners paid some attention to him!
January 3rd, 2014 at 11:04 pm
I think I’ll think of this now every time I hear a dog barking uncontrollably. 🙂 At least, watch the floor.
January 4th, 2014 at 1:14 am
It’s like a giant squid sucking down a ship, only it’s swimming through earth!
January 4th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
dark, strange, delightful. i always enjoy reading your stories. happy 2014 🙂
January 5th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Happy 2014 to you too!
January 5th, 2014 at 3:07 am
Let’s hope the tree is taller than the tendrils are long! Scary tale; very visual, could well be a take on one of those 50s sci-fi B movies. And a good use of a dog as a character, dogs having sharper senses than humans.
January 5th, 2014 at 11:42 am
I could definitely see something like this in a old sci-fi B-movie. “It Came From Underneath” or something like that. 🙂
January 7th, 2014 at 2:43 am
🙂
January 5th, 2014 at 11:44 am
Tendrils, oh my!! I hope this year isn’t dark. So far, David, it’s been rocky. I ready for it to smooth out already. The swearing didn’t phase me at all or take away. I thought it worked. Happy New Year! I’m late to the party, but I’m here. I’m glad to see “Giselle” on your blog here!
January 5th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Thanks Amy, and I hope 2014 smooths out pretty quick for you. I don’t think any of my stories would be good as a model for the year, but if I had to pick one, I’d pick a quirky one, not a dark one. 🙂