I’m excited to share that my story “The Poppet” received a 1^st place Honorable Mention in the 2^nd round of the NYC Midnight 100-word micro-fiction challenge https://www.nycmidnight.com .  

I wrote this micro-fiction story in less than 24 hours using 100 words, using the below required elements randomly assigned by NYC Midnight.

The required elements assigned to me in NYC Midnight micro-fiction challenge were:

Genre: Horror

Action: An egg hatching

Word: confuse

Time limit: 24 hours

Word limit: up to 100 words 

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The Poppet

Written by Susan Eileen Jizba

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For a lighthearted prank

I sewed my sister a small doll, a poppet

Without telling her 

Stitched from a discarded shirt 

Stuffed with soil and strands of her black hair 

I buried it in the backyard

Under the blood moon

I was confused to find the doll

Sitting on the porch swing in the morning

Suddenly pregnant 

Staring directly at me

The doll screamed

Pushing out

Soil

Black hair

And a shriveled egg 

Twitching and shuddering

I screamed in pain as it sliced itself open

Inside were thick strands of blond hair

Wrapped around a severed finger

They were mine