2020 Halloween Flash Fiction Event (& Contests) with Dahlia Rose

As part of the Funk-N-Fiction Halloween Flash Fiction Event, we’re showcasing a few of the participating authors who are also 2021 Coastal Magic Convention Featured Authors! This afternoon, to get us fully into the Halloween mood… Urban Fantasy, Mystery, and Paranormal Romance author Dahlia Rose is sharing an excerpt from her current work-in-progress, ECLIPSE OF THE HEART (releasing in November!) This sneak peek was inspired by this image…

Don’t forget to check the info for the Rafflecopter giveaway below the story!! Print books, ebooks, and giftcards are all parts of SEVEN different prize packs!

Snippet from ECLIPSE OF THE HEART by Dahlia Rose

Huh…. A figured ran out in front of the car and he slammed on the breaks.

“What the hell man!” Abel honked the horn and yelled out the window. The figure was already gone and into the trees.

Making sure the road was clear he continued to drive and just before he made the turn to head towards Mrs. Hilda’s place, he saw everyone at Joe’s restaurant Westerly Stop and Sip. That included Ray whose face was painted like Frankenstein, he could pick his friend out of any line up. His soon to be wife, Fayth as the Mrs. Frankenstein was next to him. Abel instead parked close by, curious to why everyone was in costumes three weeks before actual Halloween.

“Hey Frankie, soon to be Mrs. Frankenstein,” Abel said strolling up with his hands in his pockets.

“Abel!” Fayth threw her arms around his neck in a warm hug, instantly making him smile.

Ray shook his hand and clapped him on the back. “I would’ve picked you up if you had said something.”

‘Yeah bur then I wouldn’t have seen all this,” Abel made a circular motion with his hand. “Care to explain why everyone is dressed up?”

“Friiday night Luau,” Ray said like if that explained everything.

“You do know that this is not luau attire,” Abel pointed out. This town was getting weirder every time he step foot in it.

“It’s Halloween themed in October,” Fayth pointed out. “Speaking of which we need to get you some costumes.”

“How about we don’t do that,” Abel answered and watched people rush down alleys and around buildings. “Is this some kind of scavenger hunt?”

“No, we’re looking for Jupiter,” Ray explained.

“Someone lost a dog?” Abel asked.

“No Eurydice, brother,” Fayth answered. “He’s gone werewolf before the full moon, and she sent out the alarm.”

Abel tried to convert the information in his mind to make sense. Nope not happening.

“A… werewolf,” he said slowly.

“Yes, he was scratched a few years back by some rogue wolf that came through the town,” April explained. “Now each month Eurydice usually keeps him locked up for the full moon. I guess because this October we had a harvest moon and then Halloween will be a blue moon, the energy had to be out of this world.”

Abel looked around. “This is a joke, right? I’m in a prank, aren’t I?”

Ray looked at him somberly. “No man, Jupiter gets really freaky around full moon time.”

Abel put his hand on the shoulders of his friend. “Ray, you are the most reasonable and logical man I know. Come back to me dude.”

“I’m here bro and I’m telling you Jupiter is more than likely a werewolf,” Ray answered.

He threw up his hands. “Next you’ll say there’s aliens.”

“I don’t want to say tell you there is aliens,” April said. “But there’s aliens. Eurydice runs the UFO and extraterrestrial museum.”

‘Of course,” Alen sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “So that guy who ran in front of my car was a were wolf huh?”

“Christ Abel you tell us this now?” Ray yelled.

“How the hell was I to know, I just rolled up on this crazy layer cake,” Abel snapped back. “Now if I had run over him I could understand the yelling.”

Everyone stared at him like he’s grown three heads. Ray, Fayth, her bothers, April, the abject look of horror on their faces.

“I didn’t run over him!” Abel exclaimed. “Christ almighty I saw him about three streets down before I got to main. He ran into the trees.”

April pulled out a walkie. “Head towards Grady Street, subject spotted heading into the woods across the street. I repeat, Grady Street.”

“There’s walkie talkies now,” Abel murmured bemused.

“I’ll see you later man, you can wait at the house if you want,” Ray pulled out a sliver weapon. “I may need to tranq him.”

“Good Lord.” Abel muttered the words and watched the group cross the street to go looking for a werewolf. “I should just get in my car and go back to whence I came. I’m even talking like the lunatics, and they got poor Ray. He was a good guy now he’s batshit crazy.”

Abel knew he was talking to himself and he didn’t scare, at this point this was the sanist thing he could do. He turned to head back to his car, wondering if Millie would give him a good shot or two of whiskey from the liquor cabinet. A small body barreled into his torso. He looked down to see a red hooded body.

Holding on to the shoulder so the person didn’t fall back after hitting his body like a brick wall. Abel pushed the red hood back to reveal the mass of black hair and the wide brown eyes of Nicole Fox. The song seemed to be some foretelling of he costume. Her lips parted in surprise and Lord the urge to kiss her reared up within him so quickly he had to shake his head. And this was why he kept coming back to Westerly and why he wouldn’t leave…. Nic.

“A-Abel,” she stammered, something she always seemed to do when she was around him.

“Hey there little red riding hood,” he murmured and quoted the song by Sam the Sham. “You’re everything a big bad wolf would want.”

Her light brown cheeks flamed red. “I-it was for the luau and then.”

“The werewolf hunt began,” Abel finished for her.

“You heard about Jupiter?” Nic asked.

Abel noted her was still holding Nic and she didn’t seem to mind or didn’t notice. Either way who was he to complain.

****

See what happens next in Eclipse of the Heart coming in November 2020!

Dahlia’s Facebook
Dahlia’s Twitter
Follow Funk-N-Fiction (links in sidebar)

RAFFLECOPTER CONTEST!

After you have left a comment for one (or more) of today’s authors, telling us what you think of the story or this blog event, click HERE to enter to win one of our SEVEN prize packs! (One entry per day.) Enter now through midnight (ET) November 1st. Winners announced on November 2nd.

**And don’t forget to follow our participating authors on their social media and/or newsletter, and follow Funk-N-Fiction for more funky bookish posts! GOOD LUCK!

See full listing of authors and post links on the Funk-N-Fiction Halloween Flash Fiction Kickoff post: HERE!