“The frogurt is also cursed.”
The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror III

Given that it’s Friday the 13th, I couldn’t resist a prompt related to superstitions. Our culture is full of shared superstitions about things that will bring bad luck: encountering black cats, breaking mirrors, spilling salt, and so on. There are also positive counterparts: finding a four leaf clover or a new penny, for instance. And many people have their own personal ideas about what might bring them luck, either good or bad. Write a scene, story or poem revolving around a superstitious person or action.

“Who do you need, who do you love /
when you come undone?”
Duran Duran, Come Undone

Many people have a specific person they would turn to for consolation in times of distress: a spouse, lover, friend, or relative. But what happens if that person isn’t the obvious choice — how does it affect other relationships? For instance, how would a character’s spouse feel if s/he took refuge in a friend or lover instead? Write a poem, scene or story about the repercussions when a person ignores a key emotional figure in his or her life and seeks comfort from someone else.

The color red has many different associations and meanings. Seeing red suggests anger, while a red letter day is usually a happy occasion. Red is associated with love and romance — but it’s also the color of fire and blood. Some cultures associate the color red with luck, joy, and fortune; but in the U.S., it’s used for warnings (traffic indicators and threat levels) and debt (red ink). Pick one of the many meanings of red and use it to inspire a poem, scene or story.

Imagine someone receiving a letter — only the paper is blank. Who sent the letter, and why? And how does the recipient react to it?

Write a story, scene or poem where someone receives an anonymous, blank letter.

(Thanks to Janice Fuller and Freddy Bradburn for inspiring this week’s prompt!)