Drabbletober

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 27, season 2, for Monday the twenty-seventh of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:All Medical Staff Should Be Briefed In Local Legendsby Elizabeth Guilt---Helen had her coat on when the junior tapped on her door."Doctor? Sorry. The little girl... Her broken legs... They're...""They're what?""They're... Mending. In huge solid lumps.""Where was she found?""Romsdal somewhere, her injuries...""Where exactly?""I don't know, maybe Trolldalen?"Helen ran to the ward. "Stop treatment immediately!" She brushed aside colleagues, and held out a shaking hand. "I'll take you home."The patient slid out of bed, knees making grinding noises as she limped.Helen coaxed her into the car and, later, watched her swarm straight up the rocks, back to her father's stoney court.---Trolldalen is a real place in Norway - it means "the troll valley" (please excuse my pronunciation). I visited this summer, and it's beautiful. As far as I'm aware, though, baby trolls being mistaken for human children there is just something I made up.---Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 28.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode27

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 25, season 2, for Saturday the twenty-fifth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:Oooh, Look, Breadcrumbs!by Elizabeth Guilt---I was jamming my earbud back in when the world stopped.His cloak was grey, mostly, with a greasy green-purple sheen. His boney face was pointed. In his hand, a sharp... Well, I didn't want to think about that. "You're lucky," he said, voice softly bubbling. "Lucky?" My bike lay crushed under a taxi, one wheel spinning gently."You're in my kingdom: the City of London. You can choose: oblivion, or a second, tiny life."Some choice. "Doesn't everyone choose life?"His head bobbed. The world span behind me, buildings loomed taller.I strutted away to peck with my flock.------Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 26.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode25

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 23, season 2, for Thursday the twenty-third of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:Ice Cubsby Elizabeth Guilt---Ice cubs crawled from the bay this morning. It's been a decade - we used to see them most years.We've set up the perimeter. People will ignore it. Ice cubs are not bears - but they're not not bears, either. They glitter, like diamonds. They're really cute.Scientists are the worst, all "pushing boundaries" and "furthering knowledge". Last time, one approached the cubs. Things were brief and very, very red.The ice cubs will leave in a week or so. My grandfather always said they climb into the mountains and become glaciers. Perhaps they do. We don't need to know everything.------Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 24.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode23

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 21, season 2, for Tuesday the twenty-first of October 2025, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:The Light of your Lifeby Elizabeth Guilt---I only remember two things from visiting my Auntie: her beautiful lamp and the way my uncle would sit, inert, mouth constantly twitching. A stroke, I guess, but no-one told kids anything back then.Benny visited the day after I discovered Auntie left me the lamp."How does it work?""Dunno. I tried a candle, it turned the glass black. Coffee?""Please."Minutes later, he had it shining. "Wow, that's..." Benny stared fixedly ahead, lips mumbling soundlessly. Just like my uncle.When I smashed the lamp, the glow leaked back into him.Within minutes, he'd recovered enough to start screaming.------Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 22.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode21

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 19, season 2, for Sunday the nineteenth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:The Way Forward Is Backby Elizabeth Guilt---The man stalks around, wand in hand. He stops and throws his arms wide. "Here! I sense a foul presence."Kimberley stares at her feet. She doesn't feel foul.She leaves before the man has lit his candles. It was her house, once, but she's not welcome now.Outside is bright, and noisy. She winces. It's been so long since she left the room where she was murdered.She drifts, clinging to the shade of alleyways, following a half-forgotten route to somewhere safe, comforting. She flies through concrete walls and settles into the quiet dark of the abandoned school library. ---As you may know from previous episodes, when it comes to classic scare stories I'm usually Team Monster all the way. I do worry about where ghosts go when they get exorcised. ---Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 20.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode19

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 17, season 2, for Friday the seventeenth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:The Long Viewingby Elizabeth Guilt---"I'm freezing.""Yeah.""And my feet are soaked. Can you light a fire?""Not in wet woodland, in a foot of snow. No.""But you're outdoorsy, don't you have waterproof matches or something?""Sure, when I know I'm going hiking. Today, I've got some gum, a paperclip, and a slimline volume of Seamus Heaney.""Poetry? Were you trying to impress a girl?""Shut up.""Anyway, I'm freezing.""So, turn round. Go back to that shitty flatshare in Croydon.""No way! This is an adventure. One thing, though.""What?""Do you think the estate agent is still waiting outside that wardrobe?"------Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 18.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode17

This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction.Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 15, season 2, for Wednesday the fifteenth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt.Your one-hundred word story for the day is:You Do What You Have To To Get Byby Elizabeth Guilt---Bella put the remains of the ham in the cellar, and tidied crumbs from the table. Life was easier, now, and she was grateful.The man who came to the door had a kind smile, but guilty eyes."Anthony?""Don't you remember me?""You left years ago. The money ran out. I was starving."He looked round the room - modest, but comfortable - and his face fell."Oh, Bella, you didn't... Did you hate me that much?""Don't be foolish. You know the Grey Merchants don't buy unhappiness. My memories of you were the only valuable thing I had to sell."------Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 16.https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode15