flash fiction – Page 9

Unassuming Diversions – Room 101

Just how much can you actually pack into 101 words? let’s see shall we.

“Sleep you two” Alan shouted smiling.

The twins giggled. “Yes dad.”

He rolled the conker they’d given him between his fingers and placed it on the bedside table. As he closed his eyes the dark shell cracked open and a silvery wisp spilled out, circled his head and darted inside his ear

He missed them more than he hated his ex-wife. Just. Monthly visits weren’t enough.

__________

As he sat in the back of the cruiser, pyjamas blood soaked he watched the silvery wisp crawl into the ear of the Deputy driving.

“They’re going to love you in county” he snarled.

photo courtesy of pixabay

Cradled and Cocooned – Room 101

He kicked out angrily, desperate to hurt her, wanting her to scream.

This morning I was looking for some inspiration to start doing a themed daily piece. I was listening to the Eurhythmics album 1984 (The one for the film adaptation of the George Orwell Book) and it got me to thinking about doing a Room 101 kind of thing in 101 words and on a dark and twisted theme.

Not quite there yet I then took another look at Michelle’s prompts over at Her Writing Haven. They are a great set of prompts and you should take a look at them, so I decided to use those as my daily prompts to be combined with my Room 101 idea. I may also combine them with the WordPress daily prompt if possible. Anyway, here is the first Room 101. The “Cradled and cocooned” prompt comes from Michelle and the “Dancing” prompt from WordPress daily prompt..

He kicked out angrily, desperate to hurt her, wanting her to scream.

“Oh look he likes it” he heard her say, that sickeningly elated tone in her voice. “He’s dancing.”

“He has your terrible taste in music” the man joked laughing loudly.

“Hey you, watch it” she replied happily. He could feel her slowly rubbing her stomach.

As if having to listen to her life coursing through her body wasn’t enough, he now had to listen to the awful music she played incessantly.

He really could not wait to be born and one day be old enough to kill them both.

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

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/34953311/posts/1648533588

On the matter of prompts

I do so very much like the challenge of prompts. You know the type, where you’re provided with a picture or a word and the challenge of creating something – often limited to a small number of words.

When I started my blog in July it was the WordPress daily prompt that provided me with the most inspiration. I have since moved away from those somewhat as I have discovered lots of other wonder blogs out there that stir my imagination, but the thrill of a good prompt remains.

I think perhaps I enjoy them so much because they give me that central idea to which I can attach the randomness of my thoughts. Quite often I will have an idea in my head that I want to write about but it is the prompt that provides the catalyst for the finished piece.

Anyway, here are some of my favourite blogs that provide me with some of the inspiration for the stuff I produce. A huge thanks to you all for the effort that goes into running the prompts!

The prompts are great, and the work by fellow bloggers equally so!

I know there are more I have forgotten…

Do you have others you like to use? Leave a link in the comments section below.

The place where he once sat

In her final few years, her family now long gone, she would simply sit and watch the seasons change from her chair in front of the window.

The challenge…In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a chair on a porch. Why is it there, and what might it mean? Think about using it as a prop or the main thrust of your story.

The deadline for the piece has passed but I figured I’d write it anyway.

In her final few years, her family now long gone, she would simply sit and watch the seasons change from her chair in front of the window.

As memories faded into nothing, time racing by unrelenting, neighbourhood children passed by and waved occasionally before running off excitedly. Spring enticed summer, and autumn blew away into winter and always she watched.

When snow fell she would pull a small blanket across her knees. It was the one he had given her all those years ago. Before he left. She smiled to herself and waited, he would be home soon surely.

https://carrotranch.com/2017/11/02/november-2-flash-fiction-challenge-2/

Malcolm

A fiction piece I did for the Carrot Ranch rodeo competition. 100 words on growing up and knowing then what you know now.

A cold wind blew through the broken window as Malcolm sat naked and alone in the dark, skinny bruised arms pulling his knees tight to his chest. He rocked slowly on the stained, unmade bed and started to cry as he heard the sound of heavy footsteps.

“Bad man says fingers on lips, shhhh” he told himself pressing a grubby finger against his mouth. A shadow obscured the sliver of light that crept under his door.

Malcolm reached beneath the pillow for the long sliver of glass he’d taken from the broken pane.

“Not this time” he whispered to himself.

Fatties in Space – Part 4

Okay so I know I said they were done but I miss them terribly so thought I would give it another go.

Part 1 is here, Part 2 can be found here and part 3 is right here. It’s best to read those first if you like poems and such about fat people shagging in space. Yes I know that’s not a real thing but its just a bit of fun. Use your imagination. 🙂

Now they’re back down on earth and they ask “was it worth

all our savings are gone nothing’s left”

they then think of the lust and the force of the thrust

unencumbered by both of their heft

And they smile and decide with a grin rather wide

that they know then what needs to transpire

their large bulk to reduce, live on veges and juice

for their loins are still moist and on fire

So Pilates and gym in a quest to get thin

bums and tums every day before dawn

and he works on each ab somewhere beneath the flab

protein shakes he wolfs down with each yawn

And at night they pursue new positions or two

just to test what they might just achieve

head down butt in the air he grabs hold of her hair

a bit easier his weight he does heave

“Oh delight” he exclaims and the weight loss he blames

for the pounding he brings as she squeals

and her bottom he slaps and they take far more naps

cos they’re at it like bunnies twixt meals

So each morning she runs as he works on his guns

as she sweats bosoms bounce up and down

whilst her nipples are tender shes a wee bit more slender

but its worth it the way he goes down

Like hes eating a cake or delish philly steak

cos shes somewhat more flexi these days

and instead of meat pies he’s devouring her thighs

sometimes 2, 3 or 4 different ways

and shes quicker to squeeze into camel toe jeans

and there’s far less a chance of them splitting

he can see past his gut as she role plays a slut

and he watches her licking and spitting

then a salad for dinner and he says “you look thinner”

she replies “your man boobs look so small”

and he touches her hand says “I’m so glad I’m your man”

she smiles “I think we have it all”

Elizabeth

The challenge was to write something in 61 words using the phrase “good and bad do exist” for the #MicroMonday Challenge

“So good and bad do exist because God made them?” Cassandra asked.

The vicar nodded.

“And the man who killed my daughter…” she paused waiting.

“He was evil.”

“But why create evil? She was 5” she asked angrily.

“God moves in mysterious ways” he answered, a hand on her arm.

She brushed it off angrily. “He sounds like a bastard to me.”

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/127785315/posts/1654

My Twitter Challenge

Here’s the deal. 11 x 9 word tweets to compile a 99 word piece of flash fiction. Easy right?

Okay so there’s this fabulous flash fiction rodeo going on over at Carrot Ranch. I have been putting in entries each week but you won’t have seen them because I can’t publish then until the judging is over.

The most recent challenge is great fun and is done through twitter. So, if you have it you can follow it here. The aim is to write a 99 word flash fiction piece in 11, 9 word tweets.

I don’t really do twitter other than to enjoy the odd perusal of The Donald and to tweet abuse to companies I feel wronged by should I receive terrible service. It really has just passed me bye mostly. I do send my Afterwards posts there but only seem to have gathered a following of 14 people

Anyway, let’s see how I do shall we. See you in the twittersphere perhaps (I am told that’s a thing).

P.S. Having posted them they look weird and my wife now thinks I have a date with a chap from the coffee shop as only read the first one. Oddly she seemed okay with it. #liberated.

Lens

Joseph was too young to remember what had happened himself, and those left behind never seemed to want to speak of it. All he needed to know was that it was over, they had won, and they needed to rebuild.

I wrote this for a photo challenge, but I misread and its a week early I think. I will link to it when it’s time 🙂

Joseph adjusted the focus on the telescope ever so slightly as he made himself comfortable in the large battered red leather wing back chair. He looked briefly through the eyepiece then pulled a small red cloth from his pocket and carefully wiped the lens. Clear nights were still such a rarity and even though the war had ended ten years ago the remains of the destruction still hung in the air as a reminder, obscuring sun and moon alike.

In recent years, with the skies occasionally opening up to reveal their hidden treasures, he would head up to the old ruined house on the hill across the valley, and dragging the telescope he had salvaged in one of the endless destroyed homes he would clamber over what was left of the stairs to the top floor. Where once there had been bedrooms now only weather beaten and rotting floor boards remained, and where there had once been a roof now there was only sky.

It had taken some effort to get the chair from the library up to the top floor but when the grey occasionally peeled back it was well worth it.

“You be careful up there” his Aunt would always tell him, and he would always tell here that there was nothing to be worried about because the war was over, they’d won, and the visitors were long gone. She remembered the war better than he did though, and he would often lie awake at night and hear he tossing and turning in her sleep– reliving the horror that had resulted in nearly 6 billion dead.

He knew that they had been invaded, that they had fought valiantly and that countless numbers had been lost on both sides. He also knew that when the United Governments detonated the nova bombs at the heart of the visitors fleet in a last desperate stand they not only wiped out the entire visitor command and control network but they vaporised much of the southern hemisphere.

Right now though all he really wanted to think about was the moon. He loved the stars, they filled him with hope and excitement but it was the moon that stirred his soul. Another rock, drifting through space and so very close, you could almost touch it. His Aunt had told him how people had once lived there, before the war and he would often imagine himself up there, looking down on earth.

As darkness fell he sat back in the chair and pulled an apple from his pocket. It wasn’t much but it would have to do as dinner thought. He wasn’t hungry really, he was too excited.

As the sky turned dark, the stars poking through the inky blackness the Moon began it’s journey across the sky. His heart leapt as he realised it was full. He put his eye to the viewer and focussed and it grew large and clear.

He watched it travel across the sky, adjusting occasionally to ensure it stayed clear and in focus. He sat quite still as he traced the lines across it’s grey surface and each new meteor crater filled him with excitement and he hastily scribbled notes with a stub of a pencil on scraps of paper he unfolded from his shirt pocket.

As he studied the surface he thought, for just a moment, that he noticed a flash of movement. He finished the last of the apple, wiped the lens again, and refocussed.

“Probably just something on the lens” he thought, but it was no mistake and there was something in the top quadrant of his view. He adjusted again, pulling back in an attempt to focus on the object. As the dark blur became clear he could make out something angular, something man made. He was too close still, and again he adjusted, whatever it was was closer that the moon.

Joseph squeezed his eye to the viewer, heart racing. It was unmistakable. Moving through space, back lit by the moon, were a small fleet of ships circling a larger vessel. They were back.

Love – FFFAW Challenge

You’d think we could be nice to each other wouldn’t you…

“Where are we going uncle?” Eleanor asked as she was swept slowly along with the crowd.

“To the memorial service” uncle answered not looking up.

“Why?” She asked holding up her sign just like the other excited children.

“Because you’re a good girl”

“Am I?” She asked.

“Yes you are” Uncle replied. “That’s why I bought you the backpack” he continued, his hand on her shoulder steering her through the crowd. “That is a very pretty sign Eleanor, did you do it all by yourself?” he asked.

“Mummy helped me make it” she said quite proud. She didn’t see Uncle very often since he moved away but he always bought her gifts when he visited.

He took her hand and lead her through the masses. There were so many people, more than she had ever seen before.

“I can’t see” she said jumping up and down, her view blocked by a tall man carrying a candle.

Uncle reached down, his hand snaked into her back pack. Leaning forward he whispered in her ear.

“Goodbye Eleanor.”

photo courtesy of Elaine Farrington Johnson

I feel rather tired of people being complete arse holes to other lately…

Fluid

A 6 sentence story.

“Now remember” said Jefferson as the ramp in the belly of the Calista retracted, “you are to follow protocol at all times – understood?”

“Copy that” Helliwell responded smiling, “you worry too much boss, prelim reports that this place is completely lifeless – something wiped out everything sometime in the last 5000 years.”

“There” said Helliwell pointing excitedly to a small shimmering pool in the dusty planet surface, “that’s got to be what command have sent us up here for – water!”

Taking a small bottle from his belt Jefferson bent down to take a sample, and as he made contact with the substance he collapsed instantly, falling into Helliwell and causing him to crash to the surface.

Hours passed, and both men lay motionless in the ochre dust, twin suns passing overhead as dust devils danced across the desolation.

As darkness fell both men suddenly began to move and stood slowly, their eyes now completely black : “Fitssssss like a glove” Jefferson hissed as Helliwell turned to look at him pointing to the Calista and smiling, “It’ssssssss Time to go find a new planet to devour”

Charlie’s Journey – OWPC Challenge

A Donald inspired tale of madness

A Pinch of Happiness

https://unchartedblogdotorg.wordpress.com/2017/10/01/its-the-six-sentence-stories-cue-of-the-week-5/

UP – a 6 sentence challenge

In space no one can hear u flush

Commander Jinn looked through the shuttle portal and watched the dark wave of night creep across the face of the earth. The exit from deep space really took its toll on his these days but no matter how many times he looked down on his home world it always took his breath away.

He pulled himself across the room with the handrail that ran along one wall and lowered himself onto what looked like the top of a small bar stool, removing his suit bottoms as he did so. A green light on a small panel in front of him flashed green indicating that a successful vacuum had been achieved.

He sighed deeply and watched the carousel of satellites spinning slowly around the earth as his com burst into life into life, “Commander, your presence is required on the bridge immediately”.

“On the way” he barked impatiently, “and get engineering working on the artificial gravity immediately, up and down still matter for some things up here”.

A Donald inspired tale of madness

Abandoned – Daily prompt

photo courtesy of skeeze@pixabay

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/32812974/posts/1607802534

100 word Wednesday – The Chase

Just a couple of old folk out for a drive.

“I swear they’re following us, they’ve found us” Flo screamed, taking a sharp turn tyres screeching. The small white car behind them did too.

“Take a left” Bert exclaimed, grabbing his pistol from the glove box and pulling the handbrake. Three sharp pops later the car careered into a lamp post, a white haired driver slumped over the wheel.

Bert got back into the car. “Drive!” he shouted.

“Perhaps Flo doesn’t want the coat she left at church” Mary asked herself as the bullet passed through her eye into her brain and opened up the back of her skull.

Haiku Challenge – Sweet and Scent

Blanketed in bliss

A Pinch of Happiness

Harvest – 99 Word Challenge

The deal? A ‘Harvest’ based 99 word story using the picture above with the word as inspiration provided by the good folk at Carrot Ranch.

The deal? A ‘Harvest’ based 99 word story using the picture above with the word as inspiration provided by the good folk at Carrot Ranch. You should take a look, it’s a great space.

Henderson ran the pod through his fingers, pried it open and offered one small green pea to the blonde boy at his heels. “These are peas son” he said eating the other.

Charlie looked up, opened his mouth as his father dropped it inside. He chewed slowly then promptly spat it onto the ground. “Oh Charlie they’re lovely” his father said and split another pod, popping one into his mouth and offered Charlie the other.

Charlie shook his head and covered his mouth.

“That’s okay” his dad said smiling, “I didn’t like them when I was your age either.”

99 Words

More stuff?

Glorious – Daily Prompt

My neighbour Ifraheem

Your lunchtime limerick 19/9/17

A Pinch of Happiness

“Look at me boy” he snarled as Harley walked past, launching into another rant. “He will chastise you 7 times and you shall eat the flesh of you sons and daughters” he screamed.

In response to M’s writing prompt “A pinch of happiness”.

Harley was very much a man of habit. Each morning he would wake up at 6.45, hit the snooze button three times and then promptly into the shower where he would always use an exfoliating scrub. He liked the way it made his skin look.

He would then dress quite impeccably in a dark suit and pastel shirt, followed by a light breakfast of toast and orange marmalade whilst he checked his social media accounts and sent a good morning message to his partner who worked the early shift at the local hospital. A quick wash and dry of the plate and knife later and he would set off for work at precisely 7.45 a.m.

Monday to Friday the short walk to the underground was always punctuated by a stop off at the ‘Roasted Bean’ where he would have his usual skinny latte. He would smile at Rose, a pretty freckle faced girl, who would recognise him in the queue and ask how he was and he would always reply that he was fine thank you.

He was a good and kind man, loyal to his friends, faithful to his partner and wholly the sort of person you would very much like to live next to and he very much enjoyed his morning routine. It made him feel safe and in control. What he did not enjoy though was the short walk from the roasted Bean to the underground.

Every morning, stood on the corner just a short walk in the direction he was headed, stood a man who was very much everything that Harley was not. Under the dirt and long matted beard he was probably in his mid-fifties, but his blackened teeth and dark sallow eyes made it hard to tell. He would stand quite still holding a small polystyrene cup hoping for a few spare coins from the passers by, his clothes stained and torn and the stench of a lifetime of living on the streets filled the air around him.

As the morning masses streamed past with blank faces he watched them go by, mumbling to himself under his breath, only ever becoming animated at the sight of Harley. His eyes wide, spittle rained from his rancid mouth and he would spew a tirade of Old testament hate and bile as Harley approached, only stopping once Harley had crossed the busy road and disappeared down the tube station steps.

Harvey’s stomach lurched. “Here we go” he thought to himself.

“The people of Samaria must bear the guilt because they have rebelled against God” he shouted, pointing at Harley, “they will fall by the sword and their little ones will be dashed to the ground and their pregnant women ripped open!”

An old woman in a brown coat crossed the street to avoid him. Harley had tried that in the past but the man always followed him and he had given up. He had even tried different routes but the man always seemed to be there waiting, no matter which way he went.

Harley kept his eyes down and continued walking. The man seemed particularly vile today.

“See the day of the lord is coming” he continued as Harley drew close, his eyes wide and wild and a cruel smile spreading across his face “a day of wrath and anger and the infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes and their wives will be violated!”

Harley was now directly opposite him. The stench of piss filled his nostrils.

“Look at me boy” he snarled as Harley walked past, launching into another rant. “He will chastise you 7 times and you shall eat the flesh of you sons and daughters” he screamed.

Harley’s heart raced, his fists clenched. He never responded, ever, but today felt different. He turned and look damn you”ed at the man, continuing to walk slowly backwards.

“Shut the hell up!” Harley shouted back, “leave me alone damn you.”

The man laughed loudly and took a step towards him. “Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock” he shouted grinning broadly and stabbing a filthy finger in Harley’s direction.

Harley continued moving backwards as the man sped up walking towards him.

“You’re mine boy” he yelled.

Harley was about to tell the man to go fuck himself but the words never got from his brain to his mouth. He heard a scream as he stepped backwards from the step and fell into the road.

The last thing that went through the mind of Harley Silver before his light was extinguished forever was the cackle of the man’s laughter.

It was different though, and for the briefest of moments he thought it sounded almost happy…

Photo courtesy of Leroy Skalstad @ Pixabay

More stuff? It isn’t all like that…Blanketed in bliss

Faeries: The long winter – Part 2

Crow and Sparrow

Blanketed in bliss

There’s no love like the love a mother has for her baby right?

Written in response to Michelle’s writing prompt which you can see here.

A shrill scream pierced the night, and had Adam scrambling from his bed before he was even properly awake, heart racing. He flew from the bedroom calling for his wife, his head spinning and not daring to guess what had happened.

“Oh god, In here” came her voice, barely recognisable, “I’m in the babies room.”

Adam ran to the room and stopped in the doorway. Jane was sat in the dark, quite still in an old rocking chair in the corner. In her arms, wrapped in the blanket her mother had bought for them, was the baby.

He hurried over to her. “What’s wrong, is she okay?” he pulled back the blanket that he could see her face. He knew straight away that she was not. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking, and her expression unchanging and her body motionless. “Jesus, her eyes Jane – what’s happened.”

Jane couldn’t reply, she simply sat holding the bundle tightly in her arms.

Adam took a closer look and realised that all the colour had disappeared from her eyes and they were completely black.

“I’ll call an engineer” he said placing a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “It will be okay Jane.”

“I don’t want a fucking engineer” she screamed, “I want my baby!”

“Jane please” Adam said, not really knowing what to say, “They’ll know what to do”.

He didn’t wait for a response, and after a few minutes returned to the room. “They’re on the way it won’t be long at all” he said, but she was not listening, she simply sat staring at her baby, crying.

After what seemed like an eternity a tall man in a sharp black suit arrived at the house and Adam lead him upstairs to the nursery.

“Mrs Goodwin” he said, reaching for the bundle in her arms, “time is of the essence, Please.”

Not looking up she allowed the stranger to take her baby and watch him leave the room with it.

“I will be in the next room” he said, “If you could just wait in here I will need to run full diagnostics.”

Adam stood next to his wife, nodded, and watched the engineer take the baby from the room.

Neither of them spoke, simply waiting for the engineer’s return. Adam reached for his wife’s hand but she pulled away sharply.

“Mr Goodwin” came a voice “Could you come through please.”

Jane looked up at him and nodded. “I’m okay. Go” she said.

Entering the guest bedroom his stomach lurched as he saw his daughter lying on the bed, a panel in the side of her head open and a connection from her head leading to a small tablet that lay on the bed next to her.

“What’s happened “He asked calmly, “what’s happened to our daughter.”

The Engineer paused struggling for words.

“I …” he hesitated. He needed to put this into terms Adam would understand. “There’s been a catastrophic failure” he said rubbing his chin “the main learning core went into overload and the emergency backup overwrote the last good file and we’ve lost everything. All her memories and learning are gone”

He waited for Adam to reply but Adam stood silent.

“I’ve checked for an offsite backup but it looks like you never paid for the service – so I have nothing to work with.”

“We only just had enough for the basic model” Adam said, his face now pale. “I thought it would be okay” he continued “I never told Jane, we just wanted the baby so badly. Surely there must be something we can do?”

The engineer placed his tablet back into his bag and packed his tools away. “Mr Goodwin, I am sorry sir” he said, “but there really is nothing that can be done to restore her to her last known state. The best I can do is to flush the bios and do a factory reset but you will have to restart the whole programme and the last three months learning will be lost. Even then I cannot guarantee this won’t happen again. You should have taken the extended warranty sir.”

More stuff?

Pesky butterflies – Weekly Weather Challenge: Hurricane

I tried to say goodbye.

A generous portion of life – #Writephoto Challenge

These simply aren’t my fault.

Photo courtesy of Kuloser @ pixabay

Would I want more? – Daily prompt

If I consider the things that tie me, the things that bind me and the things that control me I think of how I am drawn to the comforts of the life I have made for myself. Family, friends and the familiarity of the everyday shine more brilliantly than the lure of things that I do not have. That said, on the odd occasion I would gladly swop some of those things that I treasure for the tranquillity of a hammock in the shade and an endless supply of strawberry daiquiris enjoyed somewhere that is not here. But shhh, obviously though I would not admit to it…

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

Abandoned – Daily prompt

The eternal glow and flicker of neon flashed across the wet streets as it did every day and night. Not that the two were discernible. Time stops mattering when the skies are forever black and incessant rain falls onto a once vibrant world washing away all hope and joy. Cloaked figures scurry from one place of refuge to another, dodging puddles with hoods pulled close over sallow faces. A world drowning – floundering and gasping for breath drifting through the blackness of space waiting to die. In the shadows the damned whisper tales of a different time, a time when the palette of life with its grey and brown was vibrant and alive but those days are lost now to all but a few. So they wait, clinging onto hope that the exploration ships will return to take them away, that they will be rescued from the planet that has rejected them and that they will be part of a new future for humanity. But it has been so long – beyond memory now – since the ships left.

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