flash fiction – Page 6

The In-between – Part 8 of 31

I think this is getting out of hand now I really do…

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Saturated Pleasantries’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Saturated Pleasantries

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Catching up to Plumduff I placed a hand on her shoulder and she stopped and turned towards me.

“Armitage, what is it?” She asked.

I explained that I had rather a lot of questions and had a headache, something that in itself seemed rather off given that I was dead.

She looked at me for a while then placed a hand on my arm and smiled.

“Okay” she said, “let’s make it quick.”

“Well where are we for one” I asked.

After a number of attempts to explain the nature of the Fracture, all of which stretched the limits of her patience and the boundaries of my comprehension, she settled on one that placed it as a singularity that spanned both space and time in all directions. She then added that it was in no way subject to any of the immutable laws that governed existence yet at the same time part of those very laws in this place and time only.

“That make sense?” she asked setting off again.

I set off after her again and with her shoes click clacking on the pavements she suggested that the result was easier understood in the context of what I could perceive and to work backwards from that point and it would eventually make sense.

If, using the ring, I was able to perceive a slice of multiple overlapping existences across multiple timelines and universes then that was to be my reality and I ought to simply accept it for what it was and get on with things because fretting about it was no use to anyone.

“It will only give you a headache” she insisted. “Ours is not to ask why Armitage.”

“All just seems rather a lot to take in” I replied.

“Yes I can see that” she replied. “I felt very much the same when I arrived and I will explain more as soon as I can but right now we have somewhere to be.”

It seemed only moments ago that I was wandering a hazy nothing stumbling upon impossible trees and disengaged Henrys yet before you know it I am gainfully employed wandering the intersection of all possible points in space and time.

Or something like that.

“And why can I only see parts of it?” I asked.

“Because that is all the ring permits” she explained rather unhelpfully.

“But why?”

“Well, because that is what the ring does. It shows you the thing you are looking at.” She said it in a way that made me feel like I had asked a stupidly obvious question and I ought to be rather ashamed of myself for doing so.

“We need to cross over” she added.

She placed a hand on my arm to both steady herself and guide me and steered me across the road.

Until now I had paid little attention to anything other than Plumduff’s voice, but as we crossed from one side of the street to the other I was suddenly aware of everything around me.

Huge towering buildings reached up into the sky on each sky, the lower levels adorned with vibrant neon signs and electronic screens. From those I could read it seemed that sex was very much the order of the day with at least half of the premises offering carnal services of one description or another, and when you were done the other half of the establishments would help you satisfy the thirst you’d worked up doing whatever beastly thing took your fancy.

Higher up there were row upon row of cluttered balconies jutting out and overhanging the street and washing was hung out and suspended between the two sides of the road. A small boy high up smiled at me and waved as I looked up.

“Pay attention boy and keep your head about you” Plumduff snapped. “There are worse things than death and I would suggest today not be the day you find that out. Stay close to me an watch your step.”

I hurried to stay close to her, despite her size she trotted along at quite a pace and we were soon across the road.

“And close your mouth boy and stop staring” she added. “it’s rather rude.”

Whilst I had mostly accepted the basic premise of Plumduff’s explaination of multiple realities across all of existence it was not until I noticed the people around me that it really began to hit home.

To my credit I felt that I had accepted the small matters of being dead, the In-between and everything else that had been thrown at me pretty well and with only limited whining, but once again my limits of comprehension were being most severely tested.

Plumduff lead the way through a thickening crown and whilst many of those around us were human in appearance many were most definitely not. Such an array of shapes and creations I had never even imagined. These were the gathered masses from across so many realities, and whilst I am comfortable with the standard idea of tentacled otherworldly types or little green men here were things well beyond those imaginings.

Plumduff pushed her way between a vivid shade of blue and something akin to a Viking who seemed to be engaged in a heated debate and shouted for me to keep up. Apologetically I squeezed between then and then sidled past a tall green creature that consisted predominantly of arms and not a great deal more.

“In here” she beckoned as she slipped through a narrow door between two shop fronts. What appeared to be a vaguely humanoid shaped collection of grey blocks watched me as I did and gave a deep grunt as I passed by.

“Thank you” I said nervously. As different as this place may be there was always room for polite pleasantries.

Passing inside the door closed behind me and I hurried up a short flight of dimly lit stairs behind Plumduff.

“Hurry boy” she said impatiently. “You really must keep up.”

As I caught her up she stopped outside of a plain black door save for a small gold coloured symbol. I assumed it was a room number.

“Is this it?” I asked.

“Indeed it is” she answered pulling out a bunch of keys from a pocket and rummaging through them. “Aah yes, this is the one” she continued holding up a small brass key.

“Shouldn’t we knock?” I asked.

Plumduff grinned. “Oh dear boy, we don’t knock. Periscope will be fast asleep, it would be rude to wake him.”

The look on her face told me that not being rude was the last thing on her mind.

Part 9 is here (when ready)

The In-between – Part 7 of 31

Well I’m still making it up as I go along…

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Popsicle Periscopes.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Popsicle periscopes

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

I as scrambled to make sense of Plumdiff’s words, she was already back on her feet and beckoning me to follow her. Her shoes clicked and clacked on the polished parquet flooring as she lead the way and we headed back out through the door of her office and into the in-between.

“Now Armitage, be a good chap and close the door and do keep up there is lots to do today.” She said.

I stuffed the watch and ring into my pocket, pulled the door closed and hurried after her. She moved deceptively quickly for a woman of her advancing years.

“Where are we going” I asked still holding the wallet.

“There’s someone we need to go see” She replied.

“There is?”

“Yes, we need to go find Periscope. He should be somewhere over down that way” she said pointing to precisely nowhere at all.

“I don’t see anything?” I said confused.

“The ring” she replied, not stopping. “Put on the ring.”

I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out the ring. I rolled it between my fingers and noticed a fine inscription ran around the outside carved deep into the silver in an unknown language and the inside showed faded traces of an inscription long worn away.

“Put it on Boy” Plumduff insisted. “And do keep up.”

Still walking I slipped it slowly onto my finger and promptly tripped over the kerb falling face first onto the floor.

“Oh and watch the kerb” She said wryly, a note of laughter in her voice.

Looking up from where I lay everything before me was suddenly changed. Judging by the tan tights and black shoes Plumduff had now stopped and was waiting but where previously there had been only the fog of the In-Between there a bustling city now lay before me.

I slowly got to my feet taking in the sights and sounds before me. A long street stretched into the distance and high on either side there towered a mish mash of different buildings. There was an explosion of colour and neon flashed and blinked wherever I looked. High above clouds drifted in a blue sky and there was movement and noise everywhere.

“It only works wherever you look” Plumduff said quite matter of fact and I quite quickly realised what she meant.

To the edges of what I could see the grey nothingness of the In-between returned and the city blended away into nothing. Wherever I looked the city appeared and as I turned to looked elsewhere it was gone from sight.

“You only see what you’re looking for and if you’re not looking for it you don’t need to see it“ Plumduff continued, her face a broad smile. “You’ll get used to it Armitage.”

“I see” I said.

Plumduff chuckled.

“Now let’s head over to Century Plaza” she said heading off purposefully once more. “That’s where we’ll find him.”

Part 8 can be found here

The In-between – Part 6 of 31

Well I’m still making it up as I go along…

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Crystal clear consolations.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Crystal clear consolations

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Stepping through the doorway I found myself in an office. Seeing the confusion on my face Plumduff beckoned me to take a seat in a stout red leather wing-backed chair.

“Now now boy” she began. “Less of the gormless expressions if you will, we have things to do and sitting there with your mouth open looking for explanations really will get us nowhere. There will be time for that later.”

We were in a dimly lit office, tall dark bookcases covered the walls and row upon row of books lined the shelves. In front of me Plumduff sat behind a broad mahogany desk, a small pile of papers and a pen and ink on one side of it and on the other another pile of books. Behind her was a wide fireplace where glowing embers crackled and fizzed and above the mantle was a most impressive oil painting of an equally impressive fellow standing legs akimbo and hands on hips against the backdrop of a raging volcano and knee deep in daffodils.

Plumduff noticed me staring at it.

“That’s Charles Crompton” she said, smiling and turning around to look at it herself. “He established this fine institution four hundred and eighty years ago. Wonderful fellow, frightfully handsome and all being well you will get to meet him at some point some when.”

Plumduff span back around, pulled out a draw and began to rummage in the desk. “Now, where is it?” She said. “It’s here somewhere.”

Her wispy white hair eventually popped up from behind the desk and she placed a small package in front of me. “There you go” she said pushing it across the desk towards me. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied somewhat haphazardly with string.

“I Just…” I tried to speak but Plunduff was having none of it.

“Please, just open it” she said smiling. “Things will make far more sense once you do.”

As small and frail as she might appear, Margaret Plumduff had the air of a woman with whom you did not trifle. She folded her hands in her lap and watched as obediently I unwrapped the package in my lap. Peeling back the string and brown paper it revealed what looked like a small black wallet, an engraved silver ring and a watch.

“Open the wallet” she pressed excitedly.

The leather was soft between my fingers, worn and supple and opening it up revealed a gold coloured badge about the size of a credit card.

“Read it out” she insisted.

I pulled the card from the wallet. It was surprisingly heavy.

“Badge 1979. Office of Entropy Agent authorised to carry out all and any duties pertaining to the orderly maintainence of Area 367.”

I slid the card back inside the wallet and looked up, Plumduff clapped her hands excitedly.

“You’re my new partner Armitage, welcome to the Fracture.”

The In-between – Part 5 of 31

Part 5 in my ongoing efforts to try string together random prompts into a story

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘morphing into magma.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

“He wont get to it” the voice continued. “just let him go”

I spun around and was faced with a kind faced old woman wearing a flower print dress, yellow cardigan and a broad welcoming smile.

“Margaret Plumduff” she said confidently thrusting out a hand. Her grip was far firmer than I had anticipated.

“Armitage” I replied rather timidly.

“Indeed you are my boy, Indeed you are” she said still shaking my hand rigorously. “I’ve been waiting for you, they said I’d find you out by the tree.”

“They did?” I replied.

“Oh yes, yes” she continued, eventually releasing my hand at last and flashing me a broad toothy smile. She was no more than 5 feet tall with a face full of character and short soft white hair. She wore tan nylon stockings and black patent leather shoes and a black handbag hung over her left arm rounding off her outfit.

“Are you sure about him?” I asked pointing back towards where Henry continued to wander towards the tree in the distance.

“Oh yes, don’t you mind yourself with him” Margaret insisted. “The tree takes care of his type.“

My face obviously gave away that I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

“Some are sent to serve the greater needs of the in-between.” She said still smiling. “She will feed on him and put him out of his miserable existence. Once she has absorbed him he will be far more comfortable.”

Again I could tell that my face gave away my shock at the idea.

“He was an accountant, beastly type who fiddled the books and had a quite awful habbit of interrupting people. No real redeeming qualities and he won’t feel a thing I assure you.”

By now I obviously looked appalled or terrified, I am unsure which, but she obviously felt the need to put me at ease.

“I wouldn’t worry dear, you’re perfectly safe” she insisted. “Now we really must get going we have places to be.”

“We do?”

“Oh yes, yes” she replied enthusiastically. “There are so many things to see and you must start your training straight away.”

I suspect at this point she was growing weary of the array of confused looks I was continuing to sport.

“Please, just follow me” she said, and out of nothing a door appeared. It was in no way a special door, unless of course you would count it appearing out of nowhere as special, but that aside it was simply a brown wooden door with a matching gold letterbox, handle and brass lion head knocker. “Come come, let’s be going.” She said and with that she turned the handle, pushed the door open and stepped through.

Part 6 can be found here

The In-between – Part 4 of 31

“Hello” was the first thing Henry said to me which, as greetings go, was perfectly acceptable.

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Binging time.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

Read Part 3 Here

“Hello” was the first thing Henry said to me which, as greetings go, was perfectly acceptable.

Perhaps it was his lack of enthusiasm that threw me but the best I could muster in response was a rather flacid “Hi”.

Henry blinked and did not reply, simply shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to another and fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt. I hadn’t considered clothing previously, and it prompted me to wonder whether I had any on and, looking down, discovered that I was in fact wearing a most unpleasant pair of brown corduroys and a plain white shirt. A pair of light brown moccasins and white socks rounded off the ensemble which made me look very much like my year 9 science teacher, Mr Wood.

Moments passed and so we stood staring at one another saying nothing. It could have been a few seconds though it may also have been a number of weeks. Time is a tricky thing here.

Feeling compelled to make an impression, he was after all the only other person I had met since arriving, I attempted to muster something witty or interesting to say but everything escaped me and I eventually mumbled a rather awkward “so are you new here?”

Henry nodded.

“You’re the first person I’ve seen since I arrived” I added.

Henry stared straight through me as if fixed upon something in the distance. I tried to resist turning around to look and see what he was looking at but could not. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing to be seen other than the feint silhouette of the tree far in the distance.

“The tree?” I asked.

Henry nodded.

“Just appeared” I replied.

Henry leaned to the side, peering over my shoulder, and then scratching his head walked past me without so much as a please and thank you in the direction of the tree.

I turned to watch him go and was about to follow him when another voice spoke.

“Let him go, he’s going the wrong way anyway.”

The In-between – Part 3 of 31

“. As I wander there are colours and flashes of things that I know I recognise and that seem so familiar but yet I struggle to name. “

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Liquid Love.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

Of late, and I say that with a degree of caution because time does not seem to hold any significance here, I am finding that the longing consumes me less and less and a clarity seems to be returning to my thinking.

Now that is not to say I know what is going on, because I do not, but I have been able to explore this curious existence and am finding that it is not as grey and empty as I once thought. A world of misty nothing seems to be revealing itself to me piece by piece, and just today I saw a tree. I don’t know what type of tree it was, perhaps a beech or a birch – I tend to get them mixed up – but there it was doing precisely nothing just as you would expect from a tree.

It’s gnarled trunk rose above me where sprawling branches were capped with a thick covering of leaves, dappled sunlight flooding through in golden rays from a sunless sky. Below my feet her roots stretched deep dow into nothing. There was a also a narrow river, a glittering ribbon of blue and silver meandering slowly through the nothing and into which the tree had dipped a number of her roots. As she drank I could see the waters glowing as it pulsed and coursed through her limbs.

Beyond the things I know and recognise there are also glimpses and echoes of a world just beyond my grasp, perhaps the one I left or somewhere else, but they are there and at times so very close. Feint voices call out and have me spinning as if recognising the comforting hello of an old friend. As I wander there are colours and flashes of things that I know I recognise and that seem so familiar but yet I struggle to name.

And then, as I stood beneath the cool canopy dipping my toes in the trickling water I knew that I was no longer alone.

Read part 4 here

The In-between – Part 2 of 31

“…The worst thing about dying is not the pain, that passes pretty quickly,”

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Senseless Sacrifices.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

Read part 1 here

The worst thing about dying is not the pain, that passes pretty quickly, it’s actually the immense sense of loss you feel afterwards that really gets to you. Once you realise that there is nowhere left to go, which is bad enough in itself because a lack of destination is something I find wholly unsettling, there is the overwhelming realisation that pretty much everything else is gone.

Beyond the obvious and rather painful longing for the people you have left behind you also find yourself bombarded by a sadness at the loss of things of a far more mundane nature. Since shuffling off of the mortal coil I have spent entire afternoons pining for my old bicycle, the red one that I should have ridden more but didn’t because it gave me the most terrible chafing. Whole mornings have been spent dwelling upon missed opportunities to listen to the radio late at night when the signal of far-away stations seemed stronger and I was able to scroll through the bands picking up such strange foreign voices.

So many things taken for granted now seem so precious and a lifetime of missed opportunities weighs heavy on those of us trapped in this nothing of an existence and not a moment passes when I ask myself was what I did worth it…

Part 3 is here

The In-between – Part 1 of 31

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. The first was titled ‘The Inbetween’ so thats the name of the story. Each prompt is only meant to take a few minutes. Let’s see how it goes.

I’m not sure what I am anymore. I know I’m dead, I remember that all too well, but it was hardly the significant finale I was expecting.

There were no pearly gates or lights to head towards, and neither was there fire nor brimstone nor the anguished gnashing of teeth – something Mrs Henderson next door would most certainly be disappointed about given her insistence that one day my wicked ways would most certainly be repaid in true Old Testament fashion.

The way she always looked at me when she said it I’m pretty sure she meant buggery, she just had that look of a woman who feared buggery above all things. Her husband was a big man, so that may have explained it.

So alas Mrs Henderson I am afraid there is a distinct lack of buggery wherever it is that I am, though there are rather a lot of us here in-between who are somewhat in need of an answer as to just what is going on.

Part 2 is here

Catastrophic Calamaties – Room 101

Clarella folder her arms and turned to look out of the window of the ship. There was nothing in particular to look at, a few stars blinked and twinkled in the inky blackness of space, but that aside it was simply preferable to looking at his face.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only (apart from this one). They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Catastrophic Calamities’.

“You must have pressed it” Gard insisted. “I certainly didn’t, I would never do something like that by mistake.”

Clarella’s jaw tightened and she remained defiantly quiet.

“It’s okay” Gard continued placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s done now, it can’t be helped.”

She shrugged and brushed his hand away continuing to stare blankly out into the darkness. The silence was making Gard wholly uncomfortable.

“Look…just…” He started but then stopped as Clarella turned towards him. Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared.

“Do you really think I pressed it?” she asked, her head tilting menacingly to one side. Gard couldn’t decide if she was going to gouge his eyes out or savage his throat.

“It..I just…” his voice trailed away as she turned again to look out of the window.

“you know what this is like don’t you?” she asked.

Gard mumbled a response that she really was not interested in hearing.

“This is just like that time at your mothers.”

Gard’s already cool reptilian blood ran colder still. “Babe please.” He pleaded but she was not one for listening once it got to this point.

“You know quite well that I was not at fault then but you chose to side with her.”

“Clar please” he said leaning in to try and let her see how very sorry he was.

The ship shuddered, tilted to starboard and then righted itself again as a large piece of planet collided with her hull.

“No Gard” she replied. Her scales flushed and shimmered a light blue indicating her heightened emotional state. “It’s always the same with you isn’t it. You never believe me one. If it was your mother I am sure you’d believe her.”

Gard checked the console. Damage was minimal, the bulk of the impact absorbed by the vessels shields.

“Babe” he replied desperately, his attention again focussed on Clarella. “I’m sorry okay, it must have been me. I must have done it. Let’s just get back en route, they’re waiting for us.”

“What? You really think I’m going there with you after how you’ve treatd me?” She shouted flashing him a vicious look. “Just take me home I am going nowhere with you.”

Gard winced. He knew she was not for changing her mind.

He brought up the control holo panel and reaching up punched in the coordinates for home.

“Clar, are you sure we…” he started but she cut him short.

“Just take me home” she said, her voice now quiet yet still quite menacing. “You can tell them I have a really bad headache, which incidentally I now do so thank you for that also.”

Gard fired up the light drives and confirmed the coordinates, the Aspartila turning slowly on her axis as the navcomp plotted the best route home.

“Course confirmed” the ship’s navcomp said as she began to move slowly through the belt of debris that surrounded her. “Once we have cleared the remains of the planet the estimated journey time at warp 3 will be in the region of 3 quintells.”

Clarella pulled on her safety harness and refolded her arms.

Straightening his seat Gard pulled on his own harness saying nothing. He was still pretty sure she had hit the button and accidentally discharged the ship’s ion cannon and vaporised the planet but it really wasn’t worth getting into an even bigger fight over.

It’s wasn’t as if Earth mattered really.

Downtown – Part 1 of 6 – Room 101

Entering my office the first thing I noticed was her legs were as long as the days were hot.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Jet Lagged and Jilted’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces. To be honest this was rather rushed and it might end at 1 of 6. Just trying something different.

Entering my office the first thing I noticed was her legs were as long as the days were hot. Or was it that she was as hot as the days were long? Either way I knew she was going to be trouble.

I watched as she lit a cigarette and used my favourite cup as an ashtray. She smiled in a way that told me that this was going to be cost me no matter what I charged her, and as smoke curled from her dark red lips she spoke, her voice like syrup.

“I need you to find my husband”

Spasmodic Juice

Jillfax shuddered as Vor caressed his brunther with her blood red claws, his trill turning a vibrant shade of purple and his moistening mandalor quivering with delight.

This is in response to M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Spasmodic Juice’

Jillfax shuddered as Vor caressed his brunther with her blood red claws, his trill turning a vibrant shade of purple and his moistening mandalor quivering with delight.

Running her rough tongue the length of his thrombus, she placed a talon inside the entrance to his bare gaping bartex. He gasped as she moved her claw in a clockwise direction, her full green lips revealing two rows of sharp white teeth in her warm wet mouth before pulling it out and licking the oozing fripple from it hungrily.

“Oh sweet snarx” Jillfax groaned as she wrapped her claws tight around his throat and pushed her body against him, her scales bristling with desire. “Don’t stop…”

Her face mere millimetres from his she hissed in pleasure as her grampus began to swell and both of her zizz throbbed alternating greens and yellows.

“Do it” she urged him, “you know you want to.”

Jillfax rose to his full height, his thrombus now fully wet and glistening in the low light of the lair. He took it in his hand, running it between his claws. Vor looked up at him in desperation, her flictus now dripping and her scales in a full purple flush.

“Do it now” she begged rubbing her grampus frantically against her splosh as a sweet syrup leaked from her zizz and ran down her stomach, pooling in the creases of her charnock.

Jillfax took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet, spinning her around and forcing her to bend before him. Vor looked back at him, her eye wide and her body shaking with pleasure.

“Do me like one of your earth girls” she begged.

Inside – Part 6 of 6 – Room 101

“I’m sorry” he repeated, “I…” He paused. How could he explain that he had no idea who she was or why he had wanted to strangle her moments before.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Orbital Orangutans’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today.

Orbital Orangutans

Henderson felt instantly clear headed as he followed her outside to the balcony.

“I’m sorry” he repeated, “I…” He paused. How could he explain that he had no idea who she was or why he had wanted to strangle her moments before.

She didn’t respond. He placed a hand on her arm. “ I said …”

Wide eyed she spun around, and before he could finish she grabbed him and dragged him over the rail and into the blackness of night.

Cal watched their vitals peak then flatlined, ‘Nanites Offline’ flashing across his screen.

“Mission accomplished” he said smiling to himself.

Inside – Part 5 of 6 – Room 101

Henderson’s mind was foggy, he was already losing control again and his head was pounding.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Space Jam on Toast’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today. The prompt reminded me of a joke I once heard but I can’t tell it because it would give things away…

“What’s wrong?” she asked sitting up on the bed breathing heavily.

Henderson’s mind was foggy, he was already losing control again and his head was pounding.

“I…don’t…” he stammered placing his head in his hands and repeating “this isn’t me”.

She leaned across and lowered her head until it was an inch from his.

“It’s okay” she said placing her hand on his cheek.

“It’s not…” he began before again losing control.

“I understand” she said kissing him gently. She then climbed from the bed pulling on her gown just as a large “Nanite Transfer Complete” confirmation flashed across Cal’s screen.

Inside – Part 4 of 6 – Room 101

“Oh god yes” she groaned, eyes closed in pleasure and her body pressed against him.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘A measure of improbability’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today.

Cal’s screen flashed amber as Gill fought the impulses sent to his cortex.

“Well you are a good boy” he said to himself as he instructed Gill to tighten his grip around her throat.

“Oh god yes” she groaned, eyes closed in pleasure and her body pressed against him.

The screen flashed again, this time red and with it Gill’s grip relaxing as he fought the almost irresistible urge to strangle her.

“Fuck no” he said pushing her off breathing heavily and his eyes wild with fear. “This isn’t me.”

Cal typed frantically, code streaming across the screen and hit ‘/Send’.

Inside – Part 3 of 6 – Room 101

Cal whispered words that were like warm chocolate as they spilled from Gill’s mouth, and she had a sweet tooth.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Platinum Plutonium’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today.

Cal whispered words that were like warm chocolate as they spilled from Gill’s mouth, and she had a sweet tooth. The nanites coursing through Henderson’s body made him a puppet and though he fought every instruction he was powerless to resist as they left the Platinum Plutonium and caught a sky cab to hers.

He watched her undress, soft curves silhouetted against the moonlight streaming through the 200^th floor windows and his body instinctively responding to her touch.

He thought of his wife at home as she closed her eyes and kissed him, her lips soft and warm, unable to resist.

Inside – Part 2 of 6 – Room 101

Henderson watched her closely from the shadows as she sat alone at the bar.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Galactic Garble Blasters’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today.

Henderson watched her closely from the shadows as she sat alone at the bar. Somewhere in the depths of his mind he knew he needed to be somewhere else but still he found himself walking across to her.

He watched himself in the mirrors behind them, everything surreal and seemingly detached yet he knew it was no dream. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his arm as words spilled from his mouth that weren’t his.

Laughing she stood and whispered in his ear, a passenger in his own body and the smell of her perfume filling his senses.

Inside – Part 1 of 6 – Room 101

Cal spread his hands, the holo screen materialising and blinking into life.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Nano Nano’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 6 one hundred and one word pieces and publish them all today.

Cal spread his hands, the holo screen materialising and blinking into life. Retinal scans signed him into the programme core whilst the nanites coursing through his veins allowed him to interact directly with the screen interface.

Smiling, he cracked his knuckles and then pulled up a list of all suitable candidates within a two block radius of the target. He paged through the list, the screen a blur of faces and vitals until he found what he was looking for.

“Henderson Gill. Zoom” he said and focused in on a map showing Gill’s location. “You look like you need a drink.”

Day 1 – Part 3 of 3 – Room 101

After that first winter we thought the worse of it might be over, and with some of the other farmers in the area we started to try and rebuild some semblance of society again.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Hyroglyphic hineys’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 3 one hundred and one word pieces. Why? Why not.

Part 1 is here

Part 2 is here

After that first winter we thought the worse of it might be over, and with some of the other farmers in the area we started to try and rebuild some semblance of society again.

Stories of how bad things were in the cities filtered through from time to time but for us, until they arrived at least, things did start to get better. Their pyramid ships brought supplies and power and a promise of peace, but we quickly realised that their offer would come at a massive cost to us all, and that they had been behind everything from the outset.

That is kind of that really. I hadn’t done much in the first person before and was just a wee experiment. I might try it again.

Day 1 – Part 2 of 3 – Room 101

The first thing I remember afterwards were the stars. It was like seeing them for the first time and despite the chaos around me each night I would head to the block roof top to watch them.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Filaments of Frustration’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 3 one hundred and one word pieces. Why? Why not.

Part 1 is here

The first thing I remember afterwards were the stars. It was like seeing them for the first time and despite the chaos around me each night I would head to the block roof top to watch them.

Down below fires illuminated the darkness, gun shots and screams echoing through the night but up here the stars burned bright.

At the time I had no idea if we’d make it through winter, and many times I wanted to give up but somehow there was something in the stars that spoke to me, bringing hope that things would be okay.

I was wrong.

Day 1 – Part 1 of 3 – Room 101

The first we knew was when the lights went out. We thought it was just a power cut but it wasn’t.

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. They are, this month at least, just 101 words only. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene. I also decided to combine this with M’s prompts. Today it was ‘Filaments of Frustration’. I am going to try tell a short tale in 3 one hundred and one word pieces. Why? Why not.

The first we knew was when the lights went out. We thought it was just a power cut but it wasn’t. They never came back on, but it wasn’t just the lights, everything stopped.

In the blink of an eye we were thrown back in time nearly two hundred years, and people being people things got bad real fast. Cities had it worse, people turned on each other and millions starved that first winter.

Dad said we were the lucky ones, that living on the farms we were better prepared, but even out here things were pretty bad that first winter.

Toxic – Room 101

a quick 101 words

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else. Originally they were 101 words only. I’m less strict about that now. They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene.

“Woah man, try these” Driyal said offering the small packet of blue pills as he watched his otherwise perfectly green tentacles turn to a bunch of flowers. “These are out of this world.”

Corvelex stared open mouthed and shook his head as he imagined himself to be the sexual centre of the entire galaxy. His thrallus throbbed intently and his scales turned a deep shade of crimson.

“What is it man” he asked, all four of his eyes rolling back in his head.

“Sapien X” Driyal said grinning broadly.

“No way bro” he insisted, “I ain’t touching those humans, they’re toxic!”

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/toxic/

Future Perfect 2

The tour shuttle cruised slowly above what remained of New York City harbour and came to a halt and hovered, her anti-grav fusion engines little more than a feint hum.

Jay peered through the flap of his small grubby tent, once white but now a mottled mass of browns and blacks. The storm seemed to have passed and already the sky was filling with the thick acrid smoke of camp fires. He pushed through to the outside and looking about, the thick mud seeping over the top of his shoes.

“Where you going boy?” Snapped the old man from the tent opposite. “You better be careful out there”

He might only be 13 but he had seen enough to know how to look after himself. Mr Brabbin was harmless enough, he had lost his wife and three children to the plague so could be forgiven being grumpy.

“I will Mr B” He said reaching down and patting the lump in his pocket, checking it was still there. “I’ll bring you back something.”

“Good boy” Mr Brabbin mumbled climbing back inside his tent “just like my Jacob”. Jay watched him disappear and headed off across the camp towards the river without bothering to secure his own tent, it wasn’t like he had anything worth stealing.

Through rows and rows he walked, people emerging and getting back to what they spent most of their days doing, which was not a great deal. Dirty faced children milled about and the smells and noise of a million refugees filled the air. The food drops were due soon, which was the highlight of the day, but outside of that it was a pretty miserable hand to mouth existence they lived. Each week an envoy from New York would fly over and update them with the latest immigration status, and each week it was the same old story. New York was full.

Even from this far out he could see her in the distance, her hab-zones reaching high into the sky. They were so large they dwarfed the old skyline, huge structures of concrete and glass built to house those that were lucky enough to make it in before they stopped all movement in an out of the city.

He followed the line of tents until they lead him down towards the shoreline, the black waters of the harbour stretching out before him in the distance. He picked up a rock and threw it at a sign that warned that a one hundred metre wide stretch of land around the water’s edge had been mined. He winced as the rock ricocheted from the sign and rolled across the ground.

He climbed up onto an oil drum and reached into his pocket pulling out a ration pack, ‘Courtesy of the New York City State’ stencilled across the silver foil packaging. Sitting there watching the shuttles buzzing around the high towers of the city in the distance he bit off the corner and squeezed the contents into his mouth. Probably Banana but it was hard to tell.

As palls of smoke drifted from the camp out towards the water’s edge he watched the supply drones growing larger as they headed across the bay towards them, large spider like craft with their legs wrapped around the containers of food and water. They would drop their contents and then monitor the distribution from above, with any sign of unrest ensuring that perpetrators would soon discover that they were also heavily armed.

He craned his neck as they buzzed overhead, shouts and commotion from the camp filling his ears. He finished his ration pack and screwed the packaging into a ball and tossed it towards the warning sign and watched it fall to the ground into a pile of the discarded silver packages.

The sound of a patrol boat in the harbour caused him to look up and hurriedly he pulled a small notepad and pencil from a pocket and scribbled the time and a description of the boat. Leafing back through the tattered pages he noticed that it was running a minute late. Pretty unusual for automated craft he thought.

For a while Jay just sat, scribbling notes into his book and watching the shadows grow longer as the sun began to dip in the sky. It wouldn’t be long now.

Soon two men emerged from the tents heading towards the shore about forty metres away. It was the nightly ritual, a run for the city and a chance of a life away from the desperation, death and disease of the camp. Dressed in little more than rages, their faces gaunt and eyes sallow they moved slowly, the setting sun warm on their backs.

They paused at the edge of the restricted area and then, without speaking, set off towards the waters edge. Jay watched, his heart racing and the paper in his hand shaking as step by step they drew nearer and nearer to the waters edge. A step became five metres and five metres became ten.

He noticed one turn to the other and smile but in that moment there was an ear splitting thud and an explosion of dirt and fire and both men were thrown up into the air like rag dolls. Limbs torn from their bodies they didn’t even have time to scream before they came back to earth in a plume of smoke and falling debris. The taller of the two set off a second ear splitting explosion as he landed and he disappeared in a pink mist spread across the ground and reflected in the late evening sun.

As the smoke drifted away Jay uncovered his ears and flicked through the pages of his note book. On a small diagram of the shore front he marked the spot where they had triggered the mines. Their loss was his gain, and it had him one step closer to his own freedom…

Future Perfect 1

The tour shuttle cruised slowly above what remained of New York City harbour and came to a halt and hovered, her anti-grav fusion engines little more than a feint hum.

The tour shuttle cruised slowly above what remained of New York City harbour and came to a halt and hovered, her anti-grav fusion engines little more than a feint hum. The low winter sun glistened off of her silver sides and inside her passengers pressed themselves to the windows. To the east and out towards the Atlantic they could see the city lights were already burning brightly, 25 million people crammed into towering glass and concrete hab-zones. To the west the refugee tents stretched as far as the eye could see, fires burning and palls of acrid smoke twisting and writhing into the sky.

Caleb pulled on his father’s sleeve.

“Why don’t they move to city dad?” He asked pointing to the tents.

His father paused. “There just isn’t room son” he said looking away. “The city is full.”

“Full?” Caleb said confused “we have a spare bedroom? We have lots of bedrooms.”

“It’s just full son” he said putting a hand on his shoulder.

Caleb looked at his father and knew that it was best not to ask again. He was a patient man but some times you had to know when to stop asking questions.

“Where do they come from?” he asked.

“From the south” his father answered “they’re the ones that made it.”

Caleb knew about the South, his tutor had talked about it. “They’re the ones that survived the plague? ” he asked.

“They are yes, many died but it could have been much worse.”

Caleb sat upright, he knew about this too. “Tutor said that if it wasn’t for the great wall we would all have died, we’d have been over run.”

“Exactly” his father replied proudly, “if it wasn’t for the wall none of us would be here now…”

Brian and Carla – 75 word Story

Just a quick something

Brian looked into his wife’s eyes and sighed.

“I’m so sorry it ended like this” he said “I wanted it to work but I realise we want different things.”

Carla said nothing, staring back expressionless.

“I know” Brian continued. “I know it’s my fault I just…”

Brian paused, he had hoped for something. Anything.

“Fine, just fine” he said picking up his shovel and tipping soil over Carla’s already stiffening body. “Silent treatment it is…”

Teleporting Topless – Room 101

Clarke reached for the key on the panel, an array of lights blinking.

Let’s do another month of M’s prompts shall we. 101 words allowed only. These tend to be snippets of things that could be or might be one day. Or never see the light of day again.

Clarke reached for the key on the panel, an array of lights blinking.

“First full human trials commencing in 5…” He said looking up at a camera in the corner of the room. Reaching zero he turned the key.

A bright flash lit up the room, static electricity fizzing and popping as the form of a person began to take shape on the receiver. The air crackled as first feet and then legs took form. Clarke waited heart racing. The fizz popped and stopped.

His comms unit barked into life. “Boss, we have a problem.”

Clarke stared at the platform. “Oh shit”

Photo courtesy of pixabay