Category Archives: Fiction

Short Fiction

Plan B

41 Replies

“I think I am all cultured out.”

“Really?”

I had that figured out when we set foot on the Air France flight to go on “the vacation of a lifetime”.

The Louvre was boring.

I heard the phrase “Awful Tower” far too many times.

Grand chateaux were as exciting our neighbor’s house.

Sitting in a historic medieval village, sipping coffee, and he finally realizes he is not having the time of his life?

But then his face lit up. I followed his gaze.

It took me two minutes to add working farms to our itinerary.

I’d save our trip yet.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Sandra Crook. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

Portal #writephoto

32 Replies

“Look Mommy, the world is split open!”

“No dear, that’s just a puddle. It rained last night and there are puddles all around. See?”

“But there’s trees and things in there…”

“No, Danny, you are just seeing the reflections of the trees around us. Look down into the puddle and then up above you. It’s the same. See?”

“But I saw someone move down there.”

“No, that was just us; we’re reflected, like the trees. When I wave, that reflection of me waves too. See?”

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Perhaps It’s Time

38 Replies

We made the list again, Mr. Mayor.

We finally broke the top 10 best city for a new business?

No, we are still in bottom five of bicycle accessible cities. Perhaps it’s time…

I will not inconvenience a single car for those wing-nuts.

The economist all say…

I don’t care.

The protests are getting bigger.

Tell the police chief I want him to start shooting those eco-terrorists.

Tell him yourself – he’s leading the protests and is outside your window.

What?

On a bike…

On the twelfth floor?

If they can’t ride on the roads…

Any allies?

No.

Perhaps it’s time…

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Brenda Cox. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

Stop the Machine-men!

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Gramps thinks the machine-men are going to take over the world. Said he saw his first one in the battle of Heartbreak Ridge. That’s why he won’t buy Chinese or Korean goods – he thinks the Chinese started it. But now he is convinced the US made their own machine-men.

Last night he ran out of the house, blasting away with his shotgun, shouting about machine-men.

Craig was working his 4-wheeler and the engine was in pieces. In the morning Gramps pointed to the parts spread over the yard to prove he hit a machine-man.

Mom is looking into nursing homes….

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Ted Strutz. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

I haven’t been keeping up with my blog in the last couple of weeks. Sorry if I didn’t read your FF post last week (I hit a few…) and just a warning that I might not read many this week.

Danger, Thin Ice!

39 Replies

Hi Em. I know I said we’d go out tonight but I forgot that it is opening of Z-Guys Part 9 and I promised Seth. Yeah, I know you hate Z-Guys, which is why I’m not inviting you. What do I want you to do? I don’t know, how about go out with Jen? Her brother is home from college? Yes, I remember, he was the star quarterback. Voted best looking in his class. He’d be with you? Fine. I’ll give you call tomorrow.

“Dude! You’re skating on thin ice…”

As Z-Guys say…. he goes back to school on Sunday.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ R Jennifer Pendergast . If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

Feather Cloud #writephoto

35 Replies

I lay down in feathered sleep where dreams and visions mix with the real world around me. The spirits of the ancestors surrounded me and spoke to me as I floated in the part trance, part waking, part sleep that was so important to the Seeing.

I say the ancestors surrounded me, but that was not quite true. I knew the stories and legends and so understood that our people had moved in from the west and the way east was unexplored. Yes, we have journeyed for days to the east, but never venturing beyond what we knew was safe.

The cold winters have become colder, the glacier has approached. We had moved from the land of the ancestors to the west when my grandfather’s grandfather was a small child. We occasionally met with our kin, but they have grown strange.

Or we have.

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The Porthole

65 Replies

I really like Grandpa’s study, but it is a bit creepy. You see, he has a porthole to another world, a world that is strange and distorted.

My older brother tells me that I am full of beans, that I’m just seeing a mirror. But why does it look so funny? He said it’s “con-hexed” or something. I knew there was magic involved!

When I asked Mom, she said, “Go ask Alice. I think she’ll know.”

Who’s Alice?

And why did Uncle Bill laugh and call Mom “Grace”?

Grandpa is no longer here.

He must have gone through the porthole.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Roger Bultot . If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

Subsea #writephoto

40 Replies

Ed couldn’t believe his luck.

It was in relatively shallow water and pretty close to the coast. It was off of the beaten path, but still within an area known to tourists. It should not have existed, but there it was.

He rushed back to his room and did some searches, just to make sure it wasn’t known. He was positive he would have seen something about it if it were well known, but he had to look.

Ed was touring the Greek isles and was spending a day snorkeling just off of one of the lesser-known ones. He wasn’t an expert or anything, but he enjoyed it, and the crystal-clear water was just so amazing.

But then he had found it.

An ancient shipwreck.

Though shallow, it was too deep for him to do more than catch a glimpse of some perfectly preserved timber and a few large jars or amphora.

How had this gone unnoticed? Had a storm recently cleared off the sand and silt, exposing it for the first time in millennia? It didn’t matter, it was there and he knew that he was the first to see it.

Of course, he would report it. He had to. But he decided to go back out and take another look. Of course, taking anything would be completely illegal, but if something small, say a coin, somehow stuck to his hand, well…

Ed hyperventilated for a moment, took a huge breath, grabbed the heavy rock off of his inflatable, and dove with the help of that weight.

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Aliens

55 Replies

…so the entire invasion fleet descended on the unsuspecting Earth, those mighty, golden battle stations promising high energy death! Unfortunately, due to a size miscalculation, as well as a misunderstanding of the exact “hardness” of Earth, the entire fleet was destroyed when a cat nudged each battle station off of the picnic table where they landed. One, however, was saved by a crow who liked the shiny object and…

Give me a break! It’s just a Christmas bulb someone left in the tree as decoration! Boys…

Christmas bulb?!? Wow, it is so sad how deluded some people can be. Girls…

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Na’ama Yehuda. Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “Linky“.

Community #writephoto

33 Replies

Notice to all staff members,

We at Corporation believe in Community! To help create a better sense of community and show the importance of Diversity within Corporation, you are invited to watch the mandatory hour long video on Community. The lovable animated toys will help you appreciate your coworkers as we make Corporation a better place for all!

HR – Creating a Better Work Environment Through a Better You!

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