This entry is part of an on-line exquisite corpse – a short story told in 10 installments by 10 different authors. My 250 word installment is below; if you’re interested in writing the next part, scroll down to the bottom of this post for details on how this all works…

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5.

and down. But she didn’t fall, the grip that the insect or whatever it was had on her back was strong, it lifted her.

Peter lunged forward and grabbed Dianne’s wrist.

‘It’s alright,’ he said. ‘I’ve got you.’
Dianne bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in fear. The last thing either of them needed was for her to lose it altogether. She grasped his arm with both of her hands. He heaved and the thing on her back let go and they fell in a heap on the muddy ground. They lay like that for a moment, breathing heavily.

‘It might come back.’ Dianne mumbled into the collar of Peter’s jacket. Then lifted herself gingerly up and looked around. ‘Should we keep looking?’

Peter looked as if he wanted to run home, now, as fast as he could, but he nodded. ‘If they’re in the gully we should be able to hear them soon right?’ Dianne nodded. Wondered if the night and the mist would ever clear away.

‘Let’s get going now then. Fast. OK? I am not keen to find out if that-’ she paused, she wasn’t sure what to call it. There was no way something that could lift her up could possibly be an insect. But what else could it possibly be? She didn’t want to think too hard about that so she said ‘-thing has friends.’

The helicopter buzzing started again, but there wasn’t just one this time. This time the flying thing

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This is part 5 of 10. You can find the other installments here (but DON’T DO THIS YET if you want to join in):

1. www.sleep-dep.blogspot.com (26 June 2009)
2. www.multi-dimensional.blogspot.com (27 June 2009)
3. www.deb-onair.blogspot.com (29 June 2009)
4. www.additiverich.com/morgue/ (1 July 2009)
5. www.jennitalula.wordpress.com (1 July 2009)
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10.

WANT TO READ IT? Jump back to the previous entries using the links above.

WANT TO JOIN IN? This exquisite corpse operates on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want to write the next installment, FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:

1.IMPORTANT – Don’t read any of the previous entries! Read only the one you see here.

2.ALSO IMPORTANT – Post a comment here, saying “I claim the next entry”, followed by the URL/web address of your blog. If you don’t do this, we’ll never know where to find you.

3.Copy the text of this blog entry into a new post on your blog, but DELETE THE CHAPTER and write your own as the next installment. Start with the chapter number as I’ve done here, and start exactly where the last chapter left off (in mid-sentence if necessary).

4.Your entry should be EXACTLY 250 words long, unless you are writing chapter 10, in which case you must bring the story to a conclusion in 250 words or less.

5.At the end of the chapter, where the text reads: “This is part X of 10″, change this to the number of your chapter.

6.Add the URL/web address of your blog and today’s date onto the list below that, so people reading later entries can jump back to your chapter.

7.Finish your chapter and post it within 24 hours of claiming your place. There – it’s freaking easy! You can go back and read the rest of the story now.

8.IF YOU’VE JUST FINISHED ENTRY #10 and finished the story, DELETE THESE INSTRUCTIONS from the bottom of your post – they’ll just confuse people. ALSO, let CG know by posting a comment on the first entry (on www.sleep-dep.blogspot.com), or sending him an email on squid.mohawk@gmail.com. CG will assemble a full version and send it round to all of the contributors.