About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing a new prompt. And if for some reason I missed your entry in the Roundup, as I have occasionally done, please let me know. I want to be sure to include your tale.

Finally, have fun!

And REMEMBER…you have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tale…and a week to do it. I can’t wait to see what you create this week.

Twittering Tales #116 – The Roundup

Starting us off…
There had been a spree of holiday heists on Elm St. The neighborhood watch stepped up its surveillance thanks to Norman, who made ornaments fitted with cameras. As he watched monitors in Mrs. Dudley’s attic, the thief made his move. 
Could it be? He gasped. The Grinch was real!
~kat
279 Characters

By Reena at ReInventions:
Future Stories
Cold nights and bare branches are my canvas to paint life. Snow will cover everything soon, but greenery waits for spring – buried beneath shades of white and grey. This is the time I choose to impregnate darkness and write the future.
Fear not … I’m a messenger of times to come.
(279 characters)

By Michael at Morpethroad:
At midnight a single light shone from an upstairs window.
The old man wrapped the only gift he gave each year.
The tree in the yard was festooned with the signal bauble.
At one minute past, he heard the tap.
Bowing he gave the gift to his caller.
The caller gave him another year.

By Willow at WillowDot21:
Every year two red lights, one in the tree and one the attic. Nick looked forward to this stop. Rudolph and the gang not so much. Well, he got brandy and mince pies, they got carrots! This year was different there was a bucket of beer left out for gang. It was zig,zag all the way home.
(285 Characters)

By Ponnz at The Swan Song:
Deserted
Twilight it is, love
Welcoming me home
Deserted as it, I am
You failed to phone
Christmas it is, bells
I’ll hang ’em up now
Just to let you know
I was here in the snow.

By The Dark Netizen:
CHRISTMAS NIGHT
This is the last house for the night.
It does look quite weird, the Christmas decoration. Spooky. But as Santa Claus, I will do my job.
Nice, an open window. Now only to place the present. Wait, what’s this? A TRAP?
Why are these people approaching me with knives and a hungry look?!

By Di at Pensitivity101:
She watched the two baubles on the tree outside from her attic bedroom window.
At the strike of midnight, a moonbeam hit one, then the other, uniting them.
She smiled and whispered ‘Merry Christmas Mum and Dad. I love you’
then settled down to sleep.
247 characters.

By Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The Haunting
“What’s your problem?” Tim asked. “Why do you always take the long way home?”
“That big, old house on Main Street,” Dave said. “It’s haunted. I’ve seen the ghosts.”
“You’re just a scaredy-cat.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Fine,” Dave said. “Let’s go that way.”
Neither boy was seen again.
(276 characters)

By Ron at Read 4 Fun:
Even Santa Can Get it Wrong
Norman rented them the fraternity house on Elm St in the town of Amityville for pledge night. Committee members Freddy, Jason, and Chucky would approve new members. Joker provided laughs. Jigsaw posed riddles to candidates. Wait! Yo! Santa, are you sure you want to pledge this?
278 characters

By Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
The old house has been deserted for years.
Each Christmas, on the bare tree in front, a few old baubles appear.
No-one ever sees who places them there, or who takes them down on twelfth night.
No-one ever witnesses the party that takes place, and survives!
Unfortunately for you!
(279 characters)

By JP at Wide-Eyed Wanderer:
This Old House
Teena surveyed the old house with a quiet kind of dread. The old man lived alone and needed a caregiver. Teena needed a job, but still, this was creepy. Ah well, nothing for it, she walked to the door and knocked. The door opened silently on it’s own. Teena screamed.
Character count 272

By Anurag at Jagahdilmein:
Midnight Marauders
We froze as we heard a scampering sound, and then a big THUD!
As Pat checked through the keyhole, I whispered accusingly, “It’s Christmas Eve, the house would be empty, you said!”
275 characters.

By Deepa at Sync With Deep:
The Wait Begins
city was lit up
when festivities were on
post festive
empty streets are depressing
people are back to square one
worried about electric bills
the wait for another year
has already begun
when the few happy days
will come again
and light these streets up!!

By Deb at Twenty Four:
Marcia paused as she walked by the old mansion which sat on the hill. It had been empty ever since the tragic accident but the Christmas decorations remained.
Marcia shook her head and then continued on her way, a eerie smile twisting her lips.
An accident, that was what it was.
(280 characters)

By Indhu at Always!:
Spread Happiness
“Why is this house not decorated?”, asked little Matt. 
“The old man living in this house has no family and would like to keep it to himself”, said his Mom.
Next morning, old Harry opened his front door and saw decorations on his old parched tree. 
He couldn’t help but smile!
<273 characters>

Wonderful roundup my friends. I am honored that you joined the challenge durring this holiday week for so many of you. As I prepare this roundup, we are mere hours away from a new year. I wish every one of you a 2019 filled with happiness, good health, love and peace. And thank you so much for sharing this tiny part of your journey with me in 280 characters or less. 🙂 On to next year! What conversation did this unsuspecting voyeur overhear? Did he witness a crime? Or maybe he has some observations about the humans nearby. Be sure to link back to the comments or ping your story here. And I’ll see you at the Round Up. Have fun!

Twittering Tales #117 – 1 January 2019

My humans love to repeat some silly words. ‘Hello, bye bye, nite-nite.’ Lame! Sometimes I give ‘em a ‘good boy’ or ‘hello’. The old guy is my favorite. He taught me a few new words.

Whenever I get tired of the one they call mom I give her a loud SHIT. I like to hear her scream!

~kat

(278 Characters)