Excellent May E. A. Poe NOT roll over in his grave. The Stranger in the Crimson Hood by RodG HOrror writing prompt entry

At the first stroke of midnight I awoke in my chair, feeling a frigid presence. I leaned toward the hearth to stir the remaining embers of the raging fire that warmed the darkened room much earlier.     When I turned to glance at the still chiming Grandfather’s clock, its wan face stared at me from deep within a crimson hood.     The tall figure stood silently beside the coffin window. The deep furrows of its long cowl shivered when brushed by the currents in the air . . . as did my flesh.    “Who or what are you?” I asked.    It slinked toward me, yet no voice came forth.    Feeling my limbs freeze solid, I grimaced.    As it approached, I saw mottled blood around the numerals on its face. The sable hands, shaped like upraised daggers, twitched apart.   “Why have you come?” I cried.    Bong!        “I am . . .”       Bong!        “. . . the . . .”     Bong!     “. . . New Year.”    The last chime echoed.     I gawked at the ghastly face now inches away.     “No!” I screamed. “Not another year like the last. More death? Violence and terror?”      It nodded.        Then came bone-chilling silence.     Writing Prompt Write a short flash fiction story between 100 to 200 words based on the themes specified in contest details. Author Notes The artwork is courtesy of Google images. This is a pastiche of and a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe's famous short story "Masque of the Red Death." coffin window: ala "witches window" often found in old New England homes, especially Vermont. The window, narrow and shaped like a coffin, is usually found on the gabled end of the house. cowl: a hooded robe (or the actual hood) typically worn by monks. WORD COUNT: APPLE PAGES 198

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