Tag: Short fiction

Friday Fictioneers: Hollow Debt

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, short storyTagged , , , 19 Comments

I couldn’t get anywhere when I looked at Madison’s photo prompt for the fictioneers and was going to give it a miss. One more look tonight and suddenly I’d done in in ten minutes. What do you make of the photo? there’s still time to enter, http://madisonwoods.com/index-of-stories/081712-2/ photo by Lura Helmstree

Twenty years since I last saw it and I still clean jumped out of my skin. It had decayed and sunk into the hollow, looking for all the world like some strange mystic fungus. I could still picture how it was back then, each week the flesh got blacker and the rancid stench warned me I was close. He was supposed to be a devil worshipper, so I always wore a cross, and carried garlic when I went to pay the debt for mom. Then one time mom, Aunt May and Aunt Wilma went together and he was never seen again.

100 Word Challenge For Grown Ups Week# 53

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, Gardens, short story, WritingTagged , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

Julia has given us ‘would seven prove to be too much’ and another hundred words to play with for her challenge this week. Will you join in this time? It’s fun and a good way to see how briefly you can tell a story. Try here, http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-53/  and now for my entry.

Fiacre’s Seven Seeds

‘Will I be able to look after them all?’ Fiacre counted the seeds in his hand.

‘Ah, would seven prove to be too much? That’s the question I asked myself when I was your size’

‘What if they grow too big for my vegetable plot grandfather?

‘Let’s leave your little garden for a moment child, come, look to the east.’ A vast cultivated valley spread a green carpet as far as the boy could see. ‘The great creator gave my grandfathers grandfather seven seeds. Tell me, are these crops too much, too much too feed our people?

‘Grandfather, will seven seeds be enough?’

Friday Fictioneers: Twin Shells

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, short story, WritingTagged , , , , , , 14 Comments

Madison’s 100 word flash fiction challenge this week is this lovely shell photo, which she credits to Susan Wenzel. This is my entry.

shells

Shells Divided 

Ibiza 2002, they met at a club of course, it had a huge scene back then. They chatted, danced, and then strolled to Matthew’s hotel. A few hours later they caught the sunrise on Es Cavellet, hand in hand.

Gatwick 2012, he headed for departures, tummy fluttering. Ten years ago they’d vowed to bring their shells back to the island. How he had longed for tonight, 10pm outside El Chiringuito.

Mumbai 2012, Rahul pulled a small white shell from a drawer, turned it over in his hands, and dropped it into the bin.

Whatever happened to that funny English guy?

 Check out http://madison-woods.com/photo-prompt-for-the-fridayfictioneers-6/ to join the challenge and read the other entries.

Friday Fictioneers

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, short story, WritingTagged , , , , , , , 18 Comments

Madison has posted a challenging photo prompt this week and this is my contribution. If you would like to visit her to read the other entries go to http://madison-woods.com/photo-prompt-for-the-fridayfictioneers-5/

Running Water

‘There you go my dear, now all you have to do is turn on the tap and you can have running water whenever you want.’

‘Turn it on whenever I want? That’s lovely.’

‘Now how do you manage about baths? You’d qualify for a council grant at your age.’

‘Oh I just fill the copper up in July, that’s my birthday I’ll be ninety two you know, and it doesn’t take long to fill my hip bath. Now lad I’m going down the garden to get some water from the well, so I’ll show you out at the same time.’

Friday Fictioneers: Grapevine

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, WritingTagged , , , , , 15 Comments

I’ve missed Madison’s 100 word Friday photo prompt                                      http://madison-woods.com/2012/07/18/ for a couple of weeks but this time I’ve made it. This maybe a little dark, so I’m sorry, I don’t wish to offend. The photo seems innocent enough, but look closely, see how the tendrils can wrap around and strangle.

grapevine

Riesling

The vine, its naked now, stripped of its treasures, its small Riesling bullets. The master likes to watch while we crush them in the old way; it’s his tradition to make something special for himself. And as he watches, he finishes last year’s reserve.

It started off well, he was in good humour, but as always, it turned to bad. I thought I would die last night; drown on crushed grapes, I prayed to the Lord to take me. Grapes filled my nose, ears, eyes and mouth, while he filled me.

He doesn’t know where I emptied his night water today.

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week# 49

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, Games, WritingTagged , , , , , 12 Comments

‘This week is another simple prompt but please forgive me for making it topical to us here in the UK.

….Murray was just about to serve for the Championship when…’

says Julia, over at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/ pop across to join in!

Schizoid Match

Murray was just about to serve for the Championship when they arrived. The voices. All three this time and they were arguing like mad.

‘He has to have new tennis shoes; he’s going through the toes of last year’s.’ Tut.

‘I need shin pads, for Saturday, we’re playing Westchester.’ Get out of my head Aidan.

‘Listen, listen, no-one ever needed this stuff, need is about hunger, a roof over our heads.’ Dad shut up.

‘Murray will put the roof over our heads one day, the boy is gifted.’ No pressure then mum.

‘Ha, even he doesn’t believe that.’

The racquet thudded to the ground. You’re right dad I don’t.

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups # Week 48

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, WritingTagged , , , , 10 Comments

I missed last weeks challenge. I used the excuse of being away, but actually it was just too difficult. This week Julia has returned to her more usual prompt of a few words . . . I blamed it on the dog  . . . much more my scene. If you would like to join in, or read some of the other entries, pop across to http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-48/

Meanwhile here is my entry.

A Bit of a Tickle

‘Forty years, that’s how long I’ve known her. I never thought she’d leave me. There’s not a day we’ve been apart. We never wanted kids – decided it would be just the two of us.’

‘Sorry mate, I’m not one for weeping, never had cause, we’ve always been so happy.’ The man, who looked far too young for that kind of work averted his eyes and muttered ‘No worries.’

‘She had a bit of a tickle, touch of allergy she said. I think I’ll be following her; I can’t live with this guilt you see. Passive smoking causes cancer. That cough, I blamed it on the dog.’

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week# 45

Posted on Posted in Cultural exchanges, flash fiction, WritingTagged , , , 33 Comments

Julia’s little treat this week is the prompt ‘there’s a real buzz about this place’, as usual I’m a little off the wall but here goes.

A Chance to Dance

So many nationalities. I’m the only one from Pakistan. My friends back home have dared me. ‘Don’t travel all that way and do as you do at home’ said Jamila. ‘Taste the alcohol and come back and tell us about it, let your hair down’, from Rashida and Yasmin together. It’s my last night and I haven’t done anything radical, nothing that Ammi would be ashamed of, but there’s a real buzz about this place and I may never get another chance. This Niqab is coming off now; I’m going to dance with a man who can see my face.

There will be lots more entries to read over at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week45/

Friday Fictioneers, Beautiful and Grey

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, short story, WritingTagged , , , , 25 Comments

http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/ has a weekly challenge with a photo this time,

This is my 100 words, maybe you would like to pop across and join in?

‘Look, there’s a lovely green butterfly and an ugly grey moth’ Beth tugged on her grandmother’s sleeve and led her along the path.

‘I can’t see no ugly moth honey, only a pretty butterfly and a beautiful moth.’

‘It’s dull Grandma’

‘Look real close; see the lovely patterns and different shades of grey?’

‘Uh huh,’ Beth screwed up her eyes.

‘See honey, God made lots of creatures that are beautiful in different ways, green, red,  grey, in all shapes and sizes.’

‘Grandma, your hair is all sorts of pretty grey,’ she reached to feel a curl, ‘did God make it?’

 

 

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week# 43

Posted on Posted in Creative writing, flash fiction, short story, WritingTagged , , , 37 Comments

Pop over to Julia’s if you would like to try the weekly 100 word challenge http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week43/

The prompt this week is ‘The flame flickered before . . .’ and here are my 100 words,

A Cautionary Tale

‘The Flame Flickered Before Her Eyes and Other Stories’ by Randy Walton, ‘What? That’s weird Sal, look. I’m going in.’

‘It’s just a coincidence honey.’

‘But it looks like my photo as well.’

The bell above the door made the shopkeeper briefly raise his head from his own reading, then he tutted when Margi stood over him.

‘This book, it’s self published right?’

‘Yeah and it’s very successful, been at the top of the short fiction charts for weeks. Everyone’s reading short stuff these days.’

Margi turned to the contents page. Twelve short stories. Her short stories, all of them.