This “lovely” photo was one of the earliest prompts in my Friday Fictioneers career and probably my only attempt at sci-fi/fantasy. I’ve tweaked my original story ever so slightly before offering it again for comments and criticism. Nice to be back again. I’ve missed you. I won’t be reading all the stories each week, but I’ll do my best to read as many as possible.
(copyright Madison Woods?)
Initiation
“Hurry!” His voice grew more urgent. “Much longer and it will begin to live again!”
I plunged the knife into the beautiful, silvery body and began to saw. The hacking blade made a noise like a rusty zipper, juddering through the alligator-like skin. A putrid stench filled my nostrils. I reached into the body for the essence of the creature’s life. Shuddering, I pulled it out and tossed it aside, where it caught on some desiccated grape vines, the quivering viscous globules looking like mutant grubs.
Keeping my tone even I asked, “Do I really have to eat it?”
This, that and the other thing 
Love it. Something about the visceral that appeals I feel, particularly with phrases like ‘mutant grubs’ and ‘noise like a rusty zipper.’ Very Lovecraftian!
Very graphic; so much so that I may be revisiting my breakfast. 😦
Sandra, hopefully it will be a short visit or one choked off before it really gets going! 🙂
jnaet
Although I’m not a big reader of sci-fi, I know that’s a big compliment, so thanks very much. 🙂
janet
Delightfully repulsive!
Lovely of you to say so. My feelings exactly. 🙂
janet
The difference is all in the way you tell it, and there you kept the pacing just right, holding off to the last while providing some succulent details – very well-told indeed comma Janet…heh heh.
Thanks a lot, Hamish. I’m laughing about the “comma Janet” as I did an entire post on that very use of a comma, only to have people respond to me enthusiastically…and sans said comma. Such exquisite irony.
janet
Brilliant, and a great last line. I actually felt myself shudder.
Carol, that’s a comment to gladden my heart. Thanks!
janet
Yes yes… you have to eat it.. I love when sci-fi becomes all gory and slimy..
I can never understand why people in the sci-fi movies don’t realize that they need to keep away from slimy pods. Must not have watched enough movies! 🙂
janet
Oh my, I am eating my lunch…I would say what a great story, but am trying to hold it down. 😀
Hope you triumphed. 🙂
janet
I think it is mandatory for the first kill. Well written. Too well written. Sorry have to run. I’m feeling a bit sick.
Hope you’re feeling better by now, but that means I achieved what I set out to do. 🙂
janet
This leaves me with questions. Now I wish I could read what came before – and after. Well done!
Ewww! lol
See what I mean? 🙂
janet
Ewwwww! Nicely done.
🙂 Thanks.
janet
That is so funny/ghastly. Lovely piece.
Funny to say thanks for that, Patrick, but thanks. 🙂
janet
LOL, I’ve enjoyed seeing the resurrection of this lovely photo 🙂 Your story was gooey and gross and quite fitting. And I never could figure out why people in the old scifi movies didn’t avoid the slimy things either!
That was such an awful picture, Madison!! But I enjoyed doing the story.
janet
Poor alligator!
I think it was some space monster, Elizabeth, so don’t feel too bad.
janet
If you kill it you gotta eat it! Very descriptive Janet, I enjoyed it a lot. 🙂
Nice to see you, jwd. Glad you liked the story.
janet
great story, but could it be worse than broccoli?
Sounds like a remake of Michael Jackson’s song by Weird Al Yankovic:
EAT IT. EAT IT.
JUST PICK UP YOUR SPOON and EAT IT.
I think my granddaughters and I will just go to our local grocery store. There, you don’t have to know where it came from — and I don’t have to explain, ha.
Good idea, Mike! Hopefully you won’t see anything there that looks like this.
janet
Dear Janet, Good story and creepy! Thanks! Nan 🙂
Glad you liked it, Nan. Thanks for stopping by.
janet
Very good! It started out rather gross and then the last line seals the deal!
Then I did justice to a rather gross picture. 🙂 I’m glad you liked it.
janet
Mine too gets eaten. Not that I really could. Nice to see you again Janet. Good story.
Claire, it’s always nice to be missed. Glad you enjoyed the story. Working my way towards yours, which I always anticipate, knowing it will be well done.
janet
Don’t know if I could eat the stuff if my life depended upon it. Or even if earth’s survival depended upon it. Then again, I might have to rethink that one…the pressure, you know…of all earth’s creatures watching me…and waiting, waiting, waiting…
You never know! 🙂 I feel the same way.
janet
Disgustingly effective! Glad I have some mints handy 😛
It’s good to have you back on the bus, Janet 🙂
Glad you’re back! My hands feel very “gummy” after reading this.
Haha, Alicia. Thanks for the welcome back. It’s good to be back but it’s been a wonderful and much-needed break. I’m slowly working my way through stories, but I’ve given up trying to get to all of them. It was driving me insane. 🙂
Enjoy the weekend.
janet
Welcome back, Janet! Good to see you again. And what a photo to return to. This is great descriptive writing, and I certainly would never want to eat this. You make me want to throw up, so I say job well done! Thank you.
Thanks for the welcome back, Amy. I hope you managed to fight back your reaction to my story. 🙂 Otherwise, I hope you’ve cleaned up.
Enjoy the long weekend!
janet
I don’t think so. Oh, gross. That’s a twist, I must say. Oh, no way would I eat that. Well done. Yuck. Lucy
Yeah, i don’t think my heroine is too thrilled with the idea either. Reminds me of Indians eating the hearts and livers of animals they killed, thinking they were taking in the strength or essence of the animal. Yuck to that, too, especially since what they ate was raw. 🙂
janet
Dear Janet,
I kind of remember this one. Perfect child’s-eye-view. Reminds me of my kids at my first attempt to cook eggplant. I didn’t make them eat it, it was awful. 😉
I enjoyed the reread.
shalom,
Rochelle
Welcome back to the “real” world, Rochelle. Thanks for taking time from your weekend to re-read my story. As initiations go, this one was a doozy. Not sure where the story came from. Perhaps eggplant? 🙂
janet
Scared and disgusted me at the same time! Good job.
Hi, Perry. Thanks for dropping by. I’m glad you liked the story…sort of. 🙂 Enjoy the long weekend.
Your favorite conservative
Eeeeeewwww!
Can it be eaten?
In my story, it would be similar to eating the raw liver or heart of an animal just killed to take in its strength and honor it. Not my thing at all but hey, it’s just a story and a sci-fi one at that. 🙂
janet
I find it quite amazing how so many of us developed this photo into a food source. Great description of the sawing as a rusty zipper.
And all of us adamantly not willing to eat it ourselves. 🙂
janet
I loved the rusty zipper line. This story reminds me of a song we used to sing as kids, “Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts, mutilated monkey meat, little birdies dirty feet.” And yes, Mom expects you to clean your plate, Janet.
I remember that “song” vividly, Russ. 🙂
janet
I knew a different version of “gooey, gooey gopher guts, chopped up chicken meat, mortified monkey’s feet, two bloody eyeballs rolling down Pacific street. Gee, I forgot my spoon.”
Disgusting. You made it fun, though. REALLY fun, Janet!
😀
Happy Sunday, Kent, and thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed the gross story. 🙂
Welcome back, Janet! I’ve missed you. However, this icky imagery may stick with me for a while. Thanks for that. 😉
Thanks for the welcome back, Dawn. Sorry about the image, though. Hope you had a great holiday weekend!
janet
The fact that your imagery is sticking with me, is reflection on your talent. Simple as that. 😉
I meant to put a smiley face after the sentence about the image, Dawn. 🙂 May your week be glob-free!
And I meant to say *reflectIVE*… 😉 Hope your week is wonderful, Janet!
Janet, That was just simply disgustingly wonderful, most especially the ending. Love it, of course! 😀
Penny, so lovely to see you again! I hope all’ been well with you. Glad you liked the story, too. 🙂
Busy but all is well, Janet … hoping the same for you also! Yes loved the story, indeed, you should do more sci-fi, scary pieces. 🙂