• Facebook
  • BlueSky
  • Instagram
  • GoFundMe
  • Threads
  • Mastodon
roostlogohead2cropped-transp-blue-owlS.pngroostlogohead2roostlogohead2
  • Home
  • All Magazine Issues
  • About
    • Vision and Mission
    • Meet the MockingOwls
      • Leadership Team
      • Editorial & Writing Team
      • Design & Web Team
      • Performing Arts & Tabletop RPG Team
    • Our Contributors
    • Keep the MockingOwls Roosting!
    • MockingOwl Roost Staff Services
    • Contact
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Blog
    • Artist Profiles
    • Best Of
      • Gaming Corner
      • Round Ups
    • Film and Theatre
      • The Acting Side
    • Inspiration for All
      • Positivity Corner
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Music
      • Music Performance
      • Music Reviews
    • Reviews
      • Book Reviews – Fiction
      • Book Reviews – Nonfiction
      • Film Reviews
      • Tea Reviews
    • Resources
      • NaNoWriMo
      • Writing Prompts
      • Books for Writers
    • Series
      • Travel
        • Literary Travel
      • Fitness for Creatives
      • My Favorite Things
      • Writing Memories
      • Things I Wish I’d Said
  • MockingOwl Roost Workshops
  • Resources for Creatives
    • Presses Taking Unsolicited Submissions – No Agent Necessary
            No results See all results
            ✕
                      No results See all results

                      Attention: Important Public Safety Announcement!

                      Published by Claire L Marsh at October 27, 2023
                      Categories
                      • Fiction
                      • Holidays
                      Tags
                      • Claire L. Marsh
                      • fiction
                      • flash fiction
                      • Halloween fiction
                      • short story
                      Public safety announcement! Witches be here... (Halloween sign with title for short fiction piece)

                      Image created onCanva

                      Chance of surviving encounters with community-dwelling witches increases from “doubtful” to
                      “a slither” with application of four rules:

                      1. Be vigilant. Witches are shifty, often swapping forms. Spot them by their lopsided bodies, facial disgustingness, and rotting odours.
                      2. Understand your enemy. Witches despise children. Always carry one for distraction.
                      3. Run. Escaping before they change genitals into maggots is easier than reversing it.
                      4. Never cry. Witches like eyeballs. A lot. Crying provides helpful lubrication for
                        removal. If you’re going to die, at least you see it coming.

                      No liability accepted for loss of life, limb, or infliction of incurable curses.


                      Need more good reads? Check out these from the MockingOwl Roost staff and contributors.

                      • Mrs. Morris and the Vampire – Halloween Fiction Review
                      • Wolfskin – Fiction
                      • Murderer’s Creek – Fiction
                      • The Gun From the Unicorn – Fiction
                      • Meatloaf for One – Fiction
                      Claire L Marsh
                      + postsBio

                      Claire writes short stories and poems, mainly in the horror or dark fantasy genres. She lives in the Cotswolds, UK with her husband and Phoenix (don’t tell him he’s a kitten. He thinks he’s a mountain lion). She currently works for an organisation that assists police forces nationally, providing support for evidence-based practice. Her background is in forensic psychology, including over nine years lecturing it at postgraduate level. Psychology often creeps into her stories; it could be how someone reacts to trauma or why people don’t intervene if they see violence.

                      • Claire L Marsh
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        Duped, Part 2
                      • Claire L Marsh
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        Duped, Part 1
                      • Claire L Marsh
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        A Spooky Sight
                      • Claire L Marsh
                        #molongui-disabled-link
                        The Witch’s Familiar

                      Related posts

                      Close up of a hand on the handle of the coffin of a frail lady. TEXT: A Lesson Learnt - Perri Dodgson - Fiction

                      Image created on Canva

                      April 7, 2026

                      A Lesson Learnt


                      Read more
                      Deep orange and yellow sunset with silhouette of a man and woman holding hands by a tree - TEXT: Lines We Cross - Fiction - Tulip Chowdhury

                      Image created on Canva

                      April 4, 2026

                      Lines We Cross


                      Read more
                      A cheerful, cartoon-style jester grins with their tongue out, wearing a colorful red, green, and blue jester hat tipped with little gold bells. They’re holding a white sign in front of them, smiling with eyes closed, set against a warm yellow background filled with gentle, swirling lines. A small red owl perches playfully near the edge of the sign, adding to the silly, lighthearted feel of the image. April Fool’s Day TEXT: Paula Frew, Tomfoolery, April Fool’s Day Poetry

                      Image by Freepik from Freepik

                      April 1, 2026

                      Tomfoolery


                      Read more

                      10 Comments

                      1. Of Bats and Ravens at the Black Orb, Halloween Fiction says:
                        October 30, 2023 at 1:42 am

                        […] Attention: Important Public Safety Announcement – Flash fiction […]

                        Reply
                      2. Beware the Hungry Child and Its Mother says:
                        October 31, 2023 at 2:17 am

                        […] Attention! Public Safety Announcement – Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      3. Trick or Treat Tonight! Or How About a Spooky Sight? says:
                        March 2, 2024 at 2:02 pm

                        […] Attention: Important Public Safety Announcement! – Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      4. Halloween in Brooklyn, a Short Story says:
                        October 31, 2024 at 2:19 am

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      5. Sobbing Woman: Fragrance of a Rose, Part 1 says:
                        September 19, 2025 at 1:24 pm

                        […] Important Public Safety Announcement – Spooky Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      6. Where Children Still Believe – Evermore, Sir! A Poem says:
                        October 24, 2025 at 6:13 pm

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Halloween Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      7. Halloween Night Surprises — Girls Just Want to Have Fun says:
                        October 25, 2025 at 6:59 pm

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Halloween Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      8. Nyx, Goddess of Love, Goddess of Night — A Halloween Poem says:
                        October 25, 2025 at 7:09 pm

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Halloween Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      9. Memory Care Tales: Halloween with Mom says:
                        October 27, 2025 at 5:34 pm

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Halloween Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply
                      10. The Follies of Fashion – A Dark Humor Halloween Narration says:
                        October 27, 2025 at 6:33 pm

                        […] Attention! Important Public Safety Announcement – Halloween Flash Fiction […]

                        Reply

                      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

                      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

                      "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

                      Toni Morrison

                      Archives

                      • July 2026
                      • June 2026
                      • May 2026
                      • April 2026
                      • March 2026
                      • February 2026
                      • January 2026
                      • December 2025
                      • November 2025
                      • October 2025
                      • September 2025
                      • August 2025
                      • July 2025
                      • June 2025
                      • May 2025
                      • April 2025
                      • March 2025
                      • February 2025
                      • January 2025
                      • December 2024
                      • November 2024
                      • October 2024
                      • September 2024
                      • August 2024
                      • July 2024
                      • June 2024
                      • May 2024
                      • April 2024
                      • March 2024
                      • February 2024
                      • January 2024
                      • December 2023
                      • November 2023
                      • October 2023
                      • September 2023
                      • August 2023
                      • July 2023
                      • June 2023
                      • May 2023
                      • April 2023
                      • March 2023
                      • February 2023
                      • January 2023
                      • December 2022
                      • November 2022
                      • October 2022
                      • September 2022
                      • August 2022
                      • July 2022
                      • June 2022
                      • May 2022
                      • April 2022
                      • March 2022
                      • February 2022
                      • January 2022
                      • December 2021
                      • November 2021
                      • October 2021
                      • September 2021
                      • August 2021
                      • July 2021
                      • June 2021
                      • May 2021
                      • April 2021
                      • March 2021
                      • February 2021
                      • January 2021

                      Newsletter Signup Form

                      Newsletter Signup Form
                      © 2021 The MockingOwl Roost.

                      All Rights Reserved