Crime scene tape fluttered behind them as Detective Artemis Siku crushed another cigarette underfoot.
“Contaminating the crime scene?” Quinn Healy was new in forensics but still didn’t mind irritating the detective.
“Bet you think that’s mud.” Siku slowly exhaled a cancerous breath.
“Bet you think that’s feces,” countered Healy.
“That would be a lot of s…” Siku began to say.
“Blood,” Healy interrupted. “Just like the other four murders.”
“You’re sure the notes we’ve been getting are from the perp.” Siku reached for another smoke.
“He’s not in it for the killing,” replied Healy. “He likes making graffiti in blood.”
It’s Wednesday and time to participate in this week’s edition of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image up top as a prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.
I finished binge watching season four of Dexter last week (had a banger of an ending) and that plus the general atmosphere of October has gruesome crime scenes on my mind.
I used character names from my WIP and decided to write a “gritty” detective just for giggles. Imagine a serial killer who doesn’t have a pattern for who he or she murders but just wants to create “art” in human blood.
To read other stories based on the prompt or to contribute one of your own, visit inlinkz.
My YA science fiction novel A Wobblegong And His Boy is part of a collection of novels written specifically for boys who want to read adventures crafted especially for them. That doesn’t mean my story isn’t a great read for everyone else so give it a whirl. Don’t forget to leave an honest review at Amazon and Goodreads.
The science fiction anthology Fangs Out: Aerial Combat Chronicles is available. It features my military SciFi short story “The Jupiter War”. You can read an excerpt of my story in this blog article.
Finally, a few days ago the anthology Relics, Volume one was published. The collection was curated by Heidi A. Hill, L. Jagi Lamplighter, and Michael Finney in coordination with Based Book Sale. It includes my science fiction short story “Legacy of the High Sojourner.” On a distant planet, a 5,000 year old corpse is revealed to be an ancient astronaut. Clues lead to an interstellar spacecraft at the edge of the solar system but does it hold the secrets of an alien race or lead to a hideous new reality?
Read an excerpt from my tale Here.
Happy Wednesday.



Suitably gritty
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Thanks, Neil.
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They not what, but not why. Intriguing!
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Thank you, Keith.
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In other words, the perp is batsh*t crazy. Good riparte between the seasoned detective and the greenhorn.
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Crazy indeed, Lisa. Thanks.
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You are very welcome, James.
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Great dialogue 🙌
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Thanks. Sorry about the slow reply. For some reason, your comment ended up in the spam bucket.
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No problem- you have reminded me to check mine!
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Dear James,
Love the way you fleshed out your detectives’ personalities. They’re looking for a sicko for sure.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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They are unique personalities. Thanks, Rochelle.
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These two aren’t too chummy, are they!
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Makes them more interesting. Thanks.
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Two interesting detectives, that’s for sure!
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One’s a burned out cop and the other is a fresh faced forensic geek. Thanks, Chris.
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they can’t be partners in crime, can they? 🙂
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That’s a thought, but no, not this time.
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Great set up with these two characters. And a mystery to boot. Creepy implications. Great character descriptions too
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Thank you, Laurie.
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Gritty dialogue here. The perp is certainly a weirdo. Obviously an artschool graduate.
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Art school of the macabre. Thanks, Patrick.
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Nice interaction here. Well written.
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Thanks, Dawn.
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You set the scene, dialogue and character descriptions perfectly!
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That’s high praise, Michele. Thank you.
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At least it’s not AI. The people who kill at random are the ones who scare me.
I love Dexter. That’s one of the few series that I’ve watched multiple times, not counting the reboots.
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I’m still working my way through season five. It’s amazing the narrow escapes Dexter has. I’m not sure an actual serial killer would be so fortunate.
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These two together make a great read.
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Thanks, Nancy.
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Ick! A suitably dark take on the prompt. Well done.
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Thanks, Anne.
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