Encounter With a Vampire - A Quadrille

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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. Kim of Glover GardensJuly 14, 2025 at 6:55 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  2. JadeLiJuly 14, 2025 at 7:02 PM

    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...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rosemary Nissen-WadeJuly 14, 2025 at 7:07 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 14, 2025 at 10:18 PM

    loved the darkness of this

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kim M. RussellJuly 14, 2025 at 11:22 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  6. ben AlexanderJuly 15, 2025 at 12:35 AM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 15, 2025 at 4:57 AM

    Great read 🙌 (AJ)

    ReplyDelete
  8. HelenJuly 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM

    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~~~

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sunflower Tanka AnthologyJuly 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM

    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. 💜

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yvette M CalleiroJuly 20, 2025 at 8:35 PM

    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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