Tag Archives: short short

The Indignity of it All!

38 Replies

I had a pretty good life.

Well, OK, maybe not so great, and that ending… Did I just say “well”?

Maybe I should say I had a pretty good after-life.

Had.

I loved mixing with the people, that look on their faces when they became aware that I was there! Priceless.

Ah the memories!

And then the put a glass tabletop over my well. My well!

And suddenly, here I am, a tourist attraction. All the jerks trying to get pictures of me with their cell phones.

I’ve become a tourist attraction.

I could just die.

Except I’m already dead…

***

word count = 100

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

Study Aides

28 Replies

I came to a stop on Linden Circle. I was about to go on when I noticed the sign and sighed. I had to make the call.

“Hi Mr. Driscoll. You know that it is public property and changes need to go through the proper channels… “

“Oui.”

“When can you put the real one back? I don’t want to fill out an official report.”

“Quatre heures et demie.”

“Make it so.”

“Oui, Officer Perkins.”

I hung up and stared at the French teacher’s latest bit of what the town called “vandalism” and he called “study aides.”

“Arrêt.”

I laughed.

***

word count = 100

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

Random Memories

41 Replies

I lived there until I was six.

We just rented the ancient museum-like house.

I have clear memories about the place, but many are based on childish fantasies.

I remember my brother and sister talking about a flying saucer landing at the adjacent school and I half remember seeing it as well.

There was the little old lady at the spinning wheel. Did I see her or was it just the suggestion repeated over and over by older siblings?

The town has changed so much, but the house is still there.

I wonder if the spinning wheel is as well…

***

word count = 100

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

Yes, based on reality. I don’t remember seeing the flying saucer, but I member all three of my siblings talking about it for years after the event. I don’t really remember the spinning wheel in the attic, but I remember telling my neighbor that I saw it moving by itself and I know I believed it, even if I now don’t have the image (I was not allowed in the attic, which is a kid magnate). I will not say how old I am, but let’s just say Jimi and Janis were still alive when we moved…

Monthly Gathering

42 Replies

“Hey, Ma, come look at this.”

“One minute.”

I finished the transaction and grabbed the basket with a few jars of canned fruit and veggies.

We walked through the little booths and trucks that had gathered in the middle of the dusty plain. I only glanced at the goods and food on display. Some looked interesting, but I knew the basket would be my only purchase this month.

The truck Jimmy wanted to show me was at the edge, near the solar panels and charging stations.

I stopped.

“What are those?” Jimmy asked.

The tears came unbidden.

“Flowers,” I said.

***

word count = 100

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

Ooops. a Little Late

53 Replies

Never a thought for anyone but himself.

I drove home, that self-righteous voice narrating my way.

He would mutter his “’Morning” and paid no attention to me after that.

And then yesterday he snapped when I dared walk into his office!

Seems to think he can do everything by himself? Fine. Let him cross the Styx by himself.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and found the single rose and the note apologizing for his behavior as he finished his super important project at work, the note that promised a special second honeymoon where ever I wanted to go.

***

word count = 100

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

A Cold, Spring Morning

40 Replies

What a rough night. It’s Spring, but still frigid, and last night’s rot-gut barely cut the edge before it was gone. I was shivering so much that I even spilled some of the precious fluid.

Well, I have been shivering even when it is warm for a while, and sweating even when it’s freezing. Stupid world.

Damn, though, it’s cold. I can’t move, seem frozen to the spot.

I don’t remember coming to this garden, but all I see are flowers and people in heavy coats.

Here comes someone with a blanket. Why did they put it over my face?

***

word count = 100

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

Mission Impossible (Wait, Wrong Show)

37 Replies

Brother Ray oozed from the ancient ex-police cruiser’s updated speakers. The 440 Magnum purred counter melody, ready to scream forth if called on.

We were on a mission from God.

OK, maybe not, but trying to follow Jake and Ellwood, we needed some divine help.

“Are you sure this is where they filmed it?”

“Yeah. See the ‘L’?”

“No way could a car go 110 through there.”

Dan popped out the cassette and put in the Peter Gunn Theme song.

“It’s night, we’re wearing sunglasses, hit it.”

A member of Chicago’s finest put an end to it before it started.

***

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.

Eldorado?

38 Replies

There was a rumor that one town survived the collapse and continued on as if nothing happened. After Mark was murdered for a 15-year-old can of green beans, I went in search of the modern-day Eldorado.

I kept my treasure close, a real-life paper map, printed a decade before the collapse.

There was a red “X” on one town.

I’d find it.

Three months, at the map’s “X”, I saw a glow on the horizon. That was it! I hadn’t seen such a glow since the collapse.

The next day I found the recently burned-out husk of my dream Eldorado.

***

word count = 100

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

The World as a Kite #writephoto

12 Replies

People watch us as if we are full of whimsy, a temple to childhood and carefree days. Maybe, but after losing the first baseball game of the season and being charged a nickel to be ridiculed for my loss, I am now stuck here, wrapped by string around this evil kite-eating-tree! Ah, Peanuts, I wish I was old enough to use proper swear words!

***

This was written for the writephoto challenge that is run by KL Caley. She provided the photo at the top of the page and the key word, kites.

OK, I will write more, maybe much more about the story than the story length itself!! Of course a lot of the words came from the photo – The building looks like a temple and, to me, looks like what is called a “whimsy”. It appears to be early spring and there are kites in the air, though the people are surrounded by bare trees. And, as most of you know, the comic strip Peanuts follows Charlie Brown as he loses baseball game after baseball game, is harassed by many in his town, including Lucy, who charges 5 cents (a nickle) to “psychoanalyze” poor Charlie, which usually means she just has another way to make fun of him and charge him money at the same time. And then, to relax, he goes out and flies his kite, that almost always gets caught in the kite-eating-tree, as, on too many occasions, is Charlie. And some people think childhood is all fun and games! No, it is a dark dangerous business!

Michael’s Chair (2nd Try)

31 Replies

I had always loved the old set and hated to see it go, particularly the chair with Michael’s name carved in the back. But the ancient card table and four chairs took up too much space after the move.

By the side of the road with a “Free!” sign on them, the set sat there for less than a day.

Except for one chair.

For a month I put the chair out every day it wasn’t snowing, but no luck.

I finally gave up.

Michael, you may be gone, but, for better or worse, your chair is here to stay.

***

Yes, 2nd story – the first just bugged me too much. I wrote it trying to be silly, but coming back to it I read it as abusive. Not my intention at all! So I am takign it down and putting this in it’s place.

(Edit) – OK, I am putting the first back up as well… I’m sure people know I wouldn’t put something up that made humor of a disability and understand it was just being silly.

***

word count = 100

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