Second Batch

ENTRY #4
The cloying mist closed around Roger Thompson. The sickly-sweet stench of death made it difficult to breathe—as if a giant white-gloved fist gripped his chest, making it impossible to fill his lungs. He knew he’d never be able to find his way back through the swamp in all this fog. That was Sherlock’s job. “You’ll get me home, won’t you, boy?” he whispered. The bloodhound looked up with sad eyes and wagged his tail.

Roger pulled the flap on his trench coat tighter to his throat and buttoned it against the chill. I had to be the hero, didn’t I? Roger shook his head. No case too big or too small.' Solving a murder is a job for the cops, not a P.I. What the hell am I doing here in the middle of the night, tracking a killer? I oughta have my head exami— He cursed and pulled his foot from the muck, nearly losing his shoe. He watched for a moment as the fetid water filled the impression he’d left behind. It’s always the dames who sucker me into these things. Always the dames He shrugged. Enough wool-gathering! Get back to earning your fee. Roger straightened his shoulders and gripped the revolver in his coat pocket all the tighter. He has to be close. Keep your eyes ope— The crack of a rifle shot pierced the mist and Roger slumped to the ground, facedown in the mud. Sherlock trotted over to him and licked his cheek, once and then again. When the man didn’t move, the dog lay down beside him and whimpered. Thick blood trickled down the back of Roger's skull and slowly dripped, dripped, dripped onto the ground.



ENTRY #5

Water splashed around their ankles as the search party spread out into the early morning light. A thick coating of fog blanketed the pine forest lending the already unnervingly perfect rows another layer of unspoken menace.

Jacob rolled his head on tired, tense shoulders and tried to forget the grisly crime scene he, and his best tracking dog, Beau, had been called on. Standing almost fifty feet away in the woods the woman had looked whole, merely resting with her back against the tree. But as they neared, it became obvious that different parts of her pallid frame decorated the stand of pines like a macabre work of art.

"Easy, Beau." Jacob pulled the dog up as the bloodhound bayed, having caught the scent of the killer over the water. "Wait for our back up, this is no time to be a hero."

ENTRY #6

Rain splattered his face as Jacob ran along the cobbles into the alley. The man ahead squeezed through the dimness, his long coat flapping. Dank and decay dug into Jacob’s bones, his heart racing. The alley spilled out onto the waterfront. The Thames stank and gurgled under London Bridge. Fog rolled over his shoes as Jacob slowed to catch his breath. Where did the scoundrel go?

Hands grabbed his shoulders. Jacob whirled about. “Did you catch him?” Amy asked, her face stark white in her cloak hood.

“I told you to stay in the coach, my dear. This is no place for you.” He put his hand over her small, cold one. Now he’d have to worry about her as well as the thief.

“I thought I recognized the man. He might be my husband,” Amy whispered.

“Your husband? I thought you were a widow.” Jacob saw the fear in her eyes. “Well, he’s disappeared now. Let’s get you back to the coach.”

He put his arm around her and they turned to walk back down the alley. At a snarling noise, Jacob halted. Eyes shone from the depths of the alley. A large brute of a dog, blocked their way, teeth bared.

Writing Contest

Due to my recent ill health, the posting of my contest entries was delayed. I received ten submissions for the competition, and I will post three today, three tomorrow and the remaining four on Wednesday. There will be a poll on the right hand side on Friday for you to cast your vote. The winner will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate for their effort. I have omitted the names and instead will use entry numbers, but I will announce the name of the winner on Friday, May 29th.

Remember, the following items have to be used in the "storyline in some fashion."

hero
dog
fog
tracking
crime
water

Also try to judge based on the presentation, tenses, and showing rather than telling.

ENTRY #1

Wispy white fog teased between the trees lining the path through the park. A perfect night for a crime, Tom Sheldon thought hopefully as he walked towards the car park. Not much chance of that, he answered himself. 'Noooooo,' a loud cry cut through the fog and a figure emerged from the mist and onto the path some distance away, looking towards Tom, then in the other direction. Coming closer he saw it was a woman, holding something. A dog. A wet, bedraggled dog which sneezed loudly and wetly as stopped next to them.

'You've got to help me,' the dog's owner tried to clutch at Tom's hand from under her pooch's rump. 'Someone grabbed Peaches and ran off into the fog then threw her into the pond after they took her collar.' Tom knew dog owners could get hysterical on occasion, but over a collar? 'Please,' she clutched his wrist harder. 'We've got to track them down.

ENTRY #2

The fog was thicker than pea soup. Randall really didn’t want to be a hero but the thrill of the hunt ran in his blood. He’d often wondered why he had become a crime scene detective when in actuality he would rather be in the canine unit with his dog Rufus, tracking killers through swamps and hell hole bogs down in the Louisiana Bayou country. He stopped and listened. He heard the trickle of water as it ran down the path a few yards away. He had to be careful. One slip and he’d be lost to the night forever.

ENTRY #3

The sound of a dog's frantic barking split the quiet night air as Cameron crept stealthily through the bayou. Squinting through the thick fog surrounding the area, his eyes slowly adjusts to the murky darkness and his gaze lands on the source of the dog's agitation. Moving closer to inspect the form he sees floating atop the water, our hero finds it is the prone body of the crime lord he had been tracking.

The Entries are Coming In

I've received a handful of entries and will post them all on the 20th. I'll have a 'poll' in the sidebar that will allow you to vote for your favorite, so please come back, read and vote for the cream of the crop.

There's still plenty of time to submit your own creative piece, so share the word and let's have lots of people in the competition. Remember, the winner get's a $25.00 Amazon gift card. Given the economy and the fact that we're all unemployed in this household, that's a mega gift from my standpoint. *lol* I'd love to give away a new car, but I'll leave that to Oprah...she can afford it.

Writing Contest

A short time ago, I announced a writing contest starting May 8th. You need not be an author to enter...anyone can submit.

Rather than supply the entrants with a single sentence as I previously stated, I'm providing a list of 'components' that must appear in a one or two paragraphs. The genre is "Mystery/Suspense" and the winner will be judged by readers of my blog. Please EMAIL your entry to me at Mizging.

Depending upon how many entries I receive, I will post them here in the course of one week. You have until May 20th to submit your "winning" paragraph.

Here are the 'items' that must be used in some fashion:

hero
dog
fog
tracking
crime
water

Example: SHOW how a hero tries to find someone who committed a specific crime. Fog, dog and water must play a part in the plot.

It should be easy, but try to make your submission stand out with a good hook and lots of suspense. The winner will be announced after the voting is completed, and one lucky person will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.

Get those fingers moving on the keyboards. I've ordered the prize and will have it ready to send when I announce the winner. I won't mind at all if you use the card to buy one or more of my books. Of course, the choice is yours. *lol*