Encounter With a Vampire - A Quadrille


The word we are writing to today is turn
or a word that has turn in it.

Pen us a poem of precisely 44 words (not counting the title), including some form of the word turn.

44 Words


I imagine


whispered voices down nameless alleys

hurried steps on the cobblestones

a shadowy figure seen over my shoulder

billowing black cape

rancid breath warm on my neck

his mouth agape

teeth wet with blood

paralyzed I cannot turn

is this terror


or pleasure?


©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

Comments

  1. This was scary to read but I ended up smiling... I love the gray area you have exposed.

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  2. Lisa, so frightening, the scene you've set. The final question is perhaps the most chilling of all. They say vampires can "glamour" their victims, make them question what's real and what isn't. I hope she somehow gets away before it's too late...

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  3. Nicely scary! (And a nice twist at the end.)

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  4. loved the darkness of this

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  5. I love the thrill that comes with terror, Lisa.
    Your vampiric quadrille
    gave me a pleasurable thrill.

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  6. Lisa, this one really pulls me in—I feel the tension coil tighter with each line. That final question lands hard, like a shiver down the spine.

    Much love,
    David
    SkepticsKaddish.com

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  7. Great read 🙌 (AJ)

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  8. Oh my! Beautifully composed ... truly scary. Decades ago I was the victim of a purse snatching, my finger torn open as I made every attempt to hold onto it. Promise your quadrille didn't dredge up any memories. 'twas just one of those things~~~

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  9. This was scary good, Lisa! We miss you at Tanka Tuesday. I couldn't stay away and started the challenge back up again. I hope you stop by. 💜

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  10. I am a huge fan of vampire stories, so this poem is awesome to me! Well done, Lisa!

    Yvette M Calleiro :-)
    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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